Ceago Vinegarden in Nice, Calif., will be the venue for the 12th annual Lake County Wine Auction on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The 12th annual Lake County Wine Auction on Saturday, Sept. 17, at Ceago Vinegarden in Nice, will feature a theme of celebrating the bounty of Lake County through its wineries, food purveyors, farmers and their produce, and music.

A limited number of tickets are available for purchase through www.winealliance.org or by calling 1-866-279-WINE.

Two ticket prices are offered this year for the gala charity event.

The Grand Tasting ticket will include an afternoon of wine and food tasting in the Ceago courtyard, a commemorative wineglass and tasting plate, and participation in the silent auction for $75 per person.

Thirty Lake County wineries will pour their finest wines, and over 15 restaurants and caterers will offer tasty food pairings.

This portion of the event will begin at 3 p.m. and conclude at 6 p.m.

Members of the Fetzer family will lead tours of their gardens, while displays of products from Lake County growers will be available for tasting and viewing. Music will be provided by a local favorite, David Neft on the keyboard.

The Grand Tasting and Auction Reserve ticket will include all of the items for the Grand Tasting ticket as well as a gift tote, reserved seating for the served, three-course dinner, the live auction, and dancing for $150 per person. This portion of the event will start at 3 p.m. and end at 9 p.m.

Preparing the three-course dinner will be Park Place Restaurant, Saw Shop Gallery Bistro and Padi Kakes.

Twice as Good, a father-and-son blues and rock and roll duo and the 2010 Best Blues award winner for the Native American Music Awards, will provide music for dancing.

The attire for this year’s benefit is Wine Country chic. Attendees must be 21 years and older.

Shaun Hornby, owner of Hornby’s Furniture Restoration in Lakeport and vocalist and guitarist of the popular band, the LC Diamonds, will be the evening’s auctioneer. Hornby is an experienced and dynamic auctioneer, having conducted auctions in England and Lake County.

Stephanie Green will assist with auctioneering and provide wine information. A certified sommelier and owner of Focused on Wine, a wine bar and tasting room in downtown Kelseyville, Green is a wine educator, private wine consultant, and noted cellar master of wines.

Bill Brunetti, Lakeport businessman and property manager, is the honorary chair for this year’s Wine Auction.

While he was the owner of Bruno’s Foods, the buying, selling and displaying of wine became one of his passions. His current passion is the growing of grapes and making wine at his homestead winery, Quattro Fratelli, while becoming active in the wine industry as a member of the Lake County Winegrape Commission.

Barney Fetzer, vineyard manager and winemaker for Ceago Vinegarden, has been selected as this year’s cuvee winemaker.

A third generation grape grower and winemaker, he is following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Bernard Fetzer, and his father, Jim Fetzer.

Fetzer will use donations of Cabernet Sauvignon from Shannon Ridge Vineyards & Winery, Six Sigma Ranch & Winery, Steele Wines, and Wildhurst Vineyards to craft the 2008 cuvee.

The 2010 Sauvignon Blanc cuvee will be composed of donations from Ceago Vinegarden, Langtry Estate & Vineyards, Shed Horn Cellars, Six Sigma Ranch & Winery, Steele Wines, Tulip Hill Winery, and Vigilance Winery.

The live and silent auctions will feature special wine packages, large format bottles of wine, weekend and extended vacation getaways, fine art, and a variety of goods and services for wine and travel interests.

The original watercolor on silk painting by Lake County artist John R. Clarke, “Thankful in Lake County,” will be auctioned during the evening. Original art donated by Clarke has been reproduced every year by the sponsoring Wine Alliance as a fine art poster to promote the event.

The Lake County Wine Alliance, a nonprofit organization of Lake County wineries, wine grape growers, and allied businesses whose mission is to foster the arts, benefit health services, and support the community while promoting Lake County as a premier grape growing and fine wine region, has contributed over $831,700 to local nonprofit organizations and agencies in the past eleven years.

Beneficiaries for this year are, by category: in the arts, the fine arts programs at five high schools; in health services, Any Positive Change, Catholic Charities-Rural Food Program, and Meals on Wheels programs at five senior centers; and in the community, Lake County Council of Church Women United, Lake County Literacy Coalition, Military Funeral Honors Team, Northshore Fire Protection District, Operation Tango Mike, and People Services Inc.

Mailed requests for tickets and reservations may be sent to P.O. Box 530, Kelseyville, CA 95451.

Group membership in the time bank helps an organization supplement its volunteer pool by getting access to time bank members. In return, the group makes some of its resources available to the time banking community.

“We're hoping group memberships will get more people and organizations aware of how time banking works and how it can be used as an alternative currency,” said Steve Elias, one of the co-coordinators of the Time Bank of Lake County. “We believe our group application policy will work as a win-win for everyone.”

Time banking is designed for individuals who wish to pool (or bank) their various skills and services so that any given member can both contribute his or her skills to members who need them and, as needed, request services or skills from other members. All transactions are measured in time bank hours.

Today, 26 countries have active time banks. There are 108 time banks active in the United Kingdom and 53 officially recognized time banks in the U.S.

To find out more about time banking, and to submit your group application, visit the Time Bank of Lake County's Web site, http://timebanklakeco.com/time-bank-for-groups/.

If you would like a representative from the Time Bank of Lake County to present at meeting of your group, or if you have further questions, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

From left to right, David Broaddus (sitting); GinaBelle Smith, Mendo Lake District director; Don Smith, vice president; Kimberly Marsh, president; Mary Broaddus, secretary; and Irene Didescu, treasurer. Picture by Sharon Thorne.

NICE, Calif. – The North Lake Garden Club had a lovely district luncheon at the beautiful home of Don Smith and Sharon Thorne on .

The couple's home in Nice has a spectacular view of the lake and a gorgeous terraced garden.

Members brought dishes and the hosts prepared the barbecue. There was a wonderful raffle with plants and trees donated by member John Hathaway, who owns “The Woodpecker” in Nice.

Other prizes were donated by the club, including garden accessories and tools.

Last year's officers and project chairs received lovely gifts as well as awards for member service, presented by outgoing President Don Smith.

New officers were installed by Mendo Lake District Director GinaBelle Smith, who traveled all the way from Fort Bragg. Her delightful prose made it even more enjoyable to take on new jobs.

The 2011-12 officers are Parliamentarian David Broaddus, President Kimberly Marsh, Vice President Don Smith, Secretary Mary Broaddus and Treasurer Irene Didescu.

The club released butterflies into the yard to celebrate a great year of community gardening, membership increases and tree planting projects.

The group's next meeting will be on Sept. 27 at Lucerne Community Church. It will start at 6:30 p.m. with refreshments and plant sharing then the meeting with a speaker at 7 p.m. The topic will be announced in this publication as well as our new Facebook page at North Lake Garden Club.

The club is a member of California Garden Clubs Inc., National Garden Clubs Inc. and Mendo-Lake District with meetings held on the fourth Tuesday of each month, September through May.

If you have a public place where a tree should be planted or need more information about our garden club please call President Kimberly Marsh at 707-274-8775.

The "Big Read' is inviting artwork based on the writings of Edgar Allan Poe, the event's featured writer.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Big Read program, sponsored by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, in association with Arts Midwest and the Lake County Office of Education, is a community reading event which connects art and other cultural activities to the joy of reading throughout a community.

The program month for Lake County is October and our featured writer is Edgar Allan Poe.

An art and short film contest is under way and they invite readers of all ages to produce an original art piece or four-minute video based on a short story, essay or poem of Poe.

Winning entries will be highlighted in the countywide array of events and in a traveling gallery.

Films will be included in the Big Read film festival in October.

Artwork can be designed using any medium and the winning pieces may be displayed for commission in the Lake County Arts Council showroom.

Individuals or school groups are invited to submit their work which is due to the Lake County Office of Education by Friday, Sept. 23.

Schools can arrange to have their classroom project transported by the Lake County Office of Education courier, and individuals can drop off their work at Lake County Office of Education from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the due date.

For more information, please contact Tamsen Nash, Big Read volunteer at 707-928-9621 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Schoolteachers, please contact Robin Shrive, Big Read program director at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information or assistance.

All artwork and videos should include a short summary of the literary inspiration.

Trainee Dee Walter and instructor Wayne Farnholtz on Clear Lake in Lake County, Calif, on Saturday, July 16, 2011. Walter was in in Lake County from July 15 through July 17, 2011, for training. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Two qualified members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 88 of Lake County, conducted a training program for personal water craft (PWC) operator Dee Walter, a flotilla member from Reno Flotilla 11-03.

The three-day session, July 15 through July 17 was held on Clear Lake.

Trainee Walter passed her navigation rules and was trained on the water with instructor Wayne Farnholtz.

Following the required oral testing by qualification examiner Anita Farnholtz, the training program was completed on the water with a thorough check ride.

The newly trained PWC operator Walter is now patroling on Lake Tahoe and loving every minute.

Flotilla 88 of Lake County, goes the extra step to assure the boating public that safety on the water is its main concern and not only in Lake County but in others as well.

Sonoma State biologist Nicholas Geist will discuss his study of the Western Pond Turtle at the preserve which is located off of Harrington Flat Road in Lake County, Calif., during an event on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011, at the Moore Family Winery at 11990 Bottle Rock Road, Kelseyville, Calif.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A fundraiser for the Boggs Lake Preserve, one of the ecological jewels of Lake County, will be held on Sunday, Aug. 28, starting at 5 p.m. at the Moore Family Winery at 11990 Bottle Rock Road.

Social hour will start at 5 p.m. to be followed by a lecture and power point presentation at 6 p.m.

Sponsored by the Lake County Land Trust, the event will feature wine and appetizers and a fascinating presentation by Sonoma State biologist Nicholas Geist on his study of the Western Pond Turtle at the preserve which is located off of Harrington Flat Road.

The public is cordially invited to this event and reservations are requested in advance.

Tickets for this fundraiser are $30 each with payment taken at the door.

Please make reservations by calling the Lake County Land Trust office at 707-262-0707 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..