Henry Bethel, outgoing North Lake Garden Club president, presented Sharon Thorne with a Penny Pines certificate at the club's recent annual picnic at the Upper Lake County Park in Upper Lake, Calif. Courtesy photo.

Evelyn Broaddus, past district director of the Mendo-Lake District, installed the newly elected officers.

New officers are President Don Smith; Vice President Norma Bethel; Recording/Corresponding Secretary Jackie Hodges; Treasurer Sharon Thorne; and Parliamentarian David Broaddus.

Evelyn Broaddus recognized those outgoing officers present in appreciation for their service to their club and community.

Outgoing officers included Henry Bethel, past president, and Jackie Hodges, secretary.

Bethel also was honored with a framed collage of photos taken from past events, created by Hodges, and presented by Don Smith, the incoming president.

Members honored with a certificate for five years of service to their club and community as charter members were David and Mary Broaddus, Don Smith, Joyce Paine, Lani Brockman, Margaret and David Retherford, Kris Ruben, Marilyn Wafford, Dave Hendrick and Sharon Thorne.

Thorne was honored by the club with a Penny Pines certificate, which plants trees to help reforest an area for beauty, watershed protection and timber production.

The USDA Forest Service and the Mendocino National Forest commended North Lake Garden Club for their eightth donation to the future of National Forests in California.

North Lake Garden Club is a member of California Garden Clubs Inc., Regional and National Garden Clubs Inc.

John Matthias and Don Smith barbecued hot dogs and hamburgers, members brought delicious salads and side dishes.

The North Lake Garden Club's incoming officers at the club's recent annual picnic at the Upper Lake County Park in Upper Lake, Calif. Courtesy photo.

CLEARLAKE OAKS – The Clearlake Oaks-Glenhaven Business Association will host a murder mystery dinner this Saturday, July 31.

The production of “Murder on the Petulant Express” will be held beginning at 6 p.m. at the Live Oak Senior Center, 12502 Foothill Blvd. in Clearlake Oaks.

The production is set on a train in 1937. Volunteers will put on the drama about the murder of a “titan of technology.”

The sitdown dinner will include roast pork.

The cost is $25 each or $45 per couple. Prepayment is required.

Wine will be offered for additional purchase from Tulip Hill Winery.

Proceeds will benefit the business association's annual Independence Day fireworks display.

To purchase tickets call association President Margaret Medeiros at 707-998-9563, or association member Helen Locke at 707-998-4210.

A North Lake Garden Club member wheels in the glory of gardening at Scotts Valley Nursery in Lakeport. Courtesy photo.

NORTHSHORE – The North Lake Garden Club is inviting community members to join the group.

The club, which was organized in January of 2005, meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month, September through June, at the Lucerne Community Church, 5870 E. Highway 20.

The group's next meeting will take place on Sept. 28. Visiting and refreshments will begin at 6:30 p.m., with the meeting to start at 7 p.m. Donald C. Smith is the club's president.

Activities include speakers on garden topics, workshops, field trips, an annual plant sale, inaugural garden tour and tea, and a host garden craft bazaar and boutique sale.

The club's objectives are encouraging interest in all phases of home gardening and in civic beautification, promoting better horticultural practices and encouraging conservation of natural resources. It serves the communities of Upper Lake, Nice, Lucerne and Clearlake Oaks.

The North Lake Garden Club is affiliated with California Garden Clubs Inc. and the National Garden Clubs Inc.

For more information call Sharon Thorne, 707-274-2165, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the club's Web site at https://sites.google.com/site/northlakegardenclubgroup.

SACRAMENTO – John Wagner, director of the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) haas announced the implementation of a new statewide policy that allows for the immediate restoration of food stamp benefits.

Previously, if a household’s benefits were terminated for failing to comply with a requirement of the program, they were required to start the process over by re-applying.

Restoration of benefits will be automatic if the household is able to comply with program requirements within one month of termination of benefits and thereby avoiding the re-application process.

The household’s benefits for the first month will be pro-rated from the date they comply.

“California continues to take proactive steps to remove barriers and improve services that allow California families better access to healthy, nutritious food,” said Wagner. “With this new policy and other policy changes we have implemented recently, CDSS continues to encourage qualified Californians to apply for benefits and to also maintain benefits in a more streamlined, efficient manner.”

“This measure helps counties improve customer service for our clients, and ensures eligible families continue to receive the benefits needed to provide food for their families,” said Suzanne Nobles, Yuba County Health and Human Services director, who helped in the development of the new policy. “We are always looking for ways to improve the efficiency of the programs we administer, and this policy supports those efforts.”

In late 2009, CDSS requested the waiver from the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to allow county welfare departments (CWDs) the ability to restore benefits when an easily curable condition, such as failing to submit paperwork, is corrected.

The new policy makes it easier for eligible households to maintain their benefits and creates new program administration efficiencies at the county level.

Californians can learn more about applying for food stamps by visiting the CDSS Web site, which links to a federal pre-screening tool that can be used by most individuals to see if they are eligible for food stamps.

Individuals can also download application forms and complete them in advance of their visit to their county welfare office to apply for food stamps. A list of county welfare offices is available on the CDSS Web site at www.dss.cahwnet.gov/foodstamps/PG839.htm.

To qualify for food stamps, an individual’s household gross income may not exceed 130 percent of the federal poverty level – about $1,984 a month for a family of three.

Households with elderly and disabled individuals may have incomes up to 165 percent of the federal poverty level – about $2,518 a month for a family of three. Individuals who apply have up one year to comply with the fingerprint imaging requirements of the program.

The CDSS has been active in pursuing opportunities to increase food stamp access for needy Californians. Specifically, in 2009, the CDSS received approval from the federal government to allow county welfare departments the option of waiving the face-to-face interview for food stamp recipients. Counties are in the process of fully implementing this waiver.

In addition, working with the California Department of Public Health, the CDSS has been working with community organizations in 43 counties to reach underserved communities to help qualified individuals apply for food stamps.

Since 2009, funding for this effort has more than doubled, from $6 million to $13 million. More detailed information about these efforts can be found at www.cdss.ca.gov/cdssweb/entres/pdf/PressRelease/FoodStampProgramOutreachEfforts.pdf.

Between March 2007 and March 2010, the number of Californians receiving food stamps grew from 2.1 million people to 3.27 million.

For more information on the Food Stamp Program, please visit the CDSS Web site, www.dss.cahwnet.gov/foodstamps/PG847.htm.

MIDDLETOWN – Buck English, stagecoach robber, cattle rustler and overall outlaw, terrorized the Middletown area in the 1870s and 1880s and was finally captured in 1895, in a Wild West chase described as the “greatest manhunt in Napa County history.”

In 1890, three people died, four went to prison and many lives were ruined in an event that was labeled by the newspapers as the “White Cap Murders.”

Linda Lake, curator of the Lake County museums, will describe these two snippets of Middletown history on Tuesday, Aug. 3, at the regular meeting of the Stone House Historical Society.

Her talk will be followed by an old-fashioned potluck picnic.

The group meets at 10 a.m. in the activity room next to the Hidden Valley Lake Association offices.

Visitors are always welcome.

Nonresidents of Hidden Valley should call 707-987-8764 or 707-987-7370 for gate access, and enter at the Hartmann Road gate.

KELSEYVILLE – A clothing open house fundraiser to benefit the Miss Lake County Scholarship Program will be held from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 3, at the Galilee Community Center, 8860 Soda Bay Drive in Kelseyville.

Be the first to experience the new fashions of Jockey clothing, a line of super comfortable, casual and beautiful clothing for women.

Ladies of many ages and sizes will be modeling the wardrobe and showing the versatility of mixing and matching these flattering and easy-to-care for pieces.

Sandra Orchid, executive director of Miss Lake County, announces that she has joined the company as a representative of the line.

Her intent is to create fundraising opportunities for the girls in the scholarship program to wear great clothing, learn about business and find out what clothing looks best on their body types.

The clothes will be available to purchase on site. Enter to win fabulous prizes! Light refreshments served.

For more information about the clothing, go to www.jockeyp2p.com.

For more information about this event email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..