LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Umpqua Bank is once again providing the wish tree for children under the care of Child Welfare Services in Lake County.

There are many tags to choose from on the trees located at the Lakeport and Kelseyville branches of Umpqua Bank. Hurry in to choose the wishes you can make come true.

Umpqua Bank is reaching out to the community with the hope that they will join in helping achieving the goal of giving each child their wish this Christmas season.

What a great way to teach your children the gift of giving by getting them involved. It is so easy to do and very rewarding.

Simply come into either of our stores, pick a child’s tag from the tree and sign the register. Then return your gift by Dec. 14 with the tag on it. If you don’t have the time to purchase a gift, you can make a monetary donation and the bank staff will be happy to do the shopping for you.

Umpqua Bank is located in Lakeport at 805 11th St. and in Kelseyville at 4280 Main St.

Should you have any questions, call the bank at 707-262-3342.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – United Policyholders will hold its third “Roadmap to Recovery” workshop on Thursday, Dec. 3.

The workshop will take place beginning at 6 p.m. in the multipurpose room at Middletown High School, 15846 Wardlaw St.

This workshop will discuss:

– How to effectively communicate with your insurance company;
– Underinsurance;
– Your legal rights when it comes to insurance claims.

Property owners and renters whose homes were damaged or destroyed in the Valley fire are urged to attend.

Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions during a question and answer portion of the program.

For more information visit www.uphelp.org/lakecounty .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Twelve community leaders attended session four of AgVenture 2015 on Nov. 13, the final session of the program.

The day showcased Lake County olives, olive oil and farm labor issues, and marked the close of the sixth year of the AgVenture program.

Created by the Lake County Chapter of the California Women for Agriculture, AgVenture is an agricultural educational program devised for non-farming community leaders who aspire to understand the vital role that agriculture plays in the local economy.

Class members acquire knowledge about agriculture and farming in general, and more specifically about the heritage, culture, economy and business of Lake County agriculture during the program.

Class members are selected yearly through an application process. Selection into the program is based on the applicant’s interest in the program, their professional position in the community, and their ability to help maintain a viable agricultural industry in Lake County. Program acceptance is competitive.

Members of the 2015 class included: Barbara Ehr, clinical supervisor with the Lake County Office of Education; Brenna Sullivan, executive director, Lake County Farm Bureau; Danielle Matthews Seperas, manager, government and community affairs, Calpine; Jim Steele, District 3 supervisor, county of Lake; Jan Coppinger, Lake County Special Districts Utility Systems compliance manager; Dr. Karen Tait, health officer, county of Lake, Health Services Department; Rick Hamilton, commercial Realtor and owner of RAH; Kerrie Lindecker, district representative, Lake and Mendocino counties, Sen. Mike McGuire; Tiffany Ortega, assistant administrator, Sutter Lakeside Hospital; Andrew March, constituent service representative, office of Congressman John Garamendi; Terre Logsdon, Farm-to-School coordinator, North Coast Opportunities; and Lisa Wilson, general manager, Shady Acres Campground and Mobile Home Park. 

“I will never downplay Lake County. This program made me proud of our county. I now appreciate what I’m seeing when I drive from Lower Lake to Kelseyville,” said Coppinger upon graduating from the AgVenture program.

“This program demonstrates that today’s farmers have to be businesspeople to keep up with regulations, pay attention to science, and be extremely competent and talented in order to be successful,” said Sullivan.

Class sessions took place on Aug. 7, Sept. 11, Oct. 16 and Nov. 13. The sessions focused on the pear industry, the winegrape industry, walnuts, and olives and labor.

Class members heard from a variety of industry experts and specialists including: “The Pear Doctor” Broc Zoller, PhD, PCA; Frances Spivy-Weber, vice chair of the State Water Resources Control Board; and Cecilia Chi-Ham, PhD, director of Global Strategy and Innovation, HM.CLAUSE among many others. AgVenture participants also toured local a pear orchard, an olive mill, a walnut orchard and several wineries.

Generous sponsors for the 2015 series of seminars included Calpine; Umpqua Bank; Sutter Lakeside Hospital; Broc Zoller, PhD, “The Pear Doctor;” Adobe Creek Packing; Harbin Hot Springs; Scully Packing Company; American AgCredit; Beckstoffer Vineyards; Bob Bartley Pump, Inc.; Quackenbush Mountain Resource Recovery; Lake County Winegrape Commission; Laujor Estate Winery; Gregory Graham Winery; Tallman Hotel and Blue Wing Saloon Restaurant; Lake County Winery Association; Lianne Campodonico; Judy Cortesi; Lake County Farm Bureau; Quackenbush Mountain Resource Recovery; Tibor & Petra Major; Sharron Zoller; Bengard Marketing; Janet King; Wilda Shock; North Lake Medical Pharmacy; Savings Bank of Mendocino County; Polestar Computers; Mendo-Lake Credit Union; Lakeport Tire & Auto Service; Janice Stokes; Peggy Campbell, CPA; Chacewater Wine and Olive Mill; Suchan Farm and Nursery; Henderson Orchards; Military Funeral Honors Team.

The AgVenture program Steering Committee, all CWA members, are Annette Hopkins, Paula Bryant, Toni Scully, Diane Henderson, Terry Dereniuk, Debra Sommerfield, Sharron Zoller and Rebecca Southwick.

To learn more about the Lake County Chapter of California Women for Agriculture, visit www.lakecountycwa.org .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Lupoyoma Parlor No. 329 of the Native Daughters of the Golden West will meet on Thursday, Dec.10, for a membership social and organizational meeting.

The group will meet at 5 p.m. for social time and at 6 p.m. for the business meeting at Round Table Pizza, 821 11th St. in Lakeport.

If you were born in California and are over 16 you are a Native Californian eligible for membership in the Native Daughters of the Golden West Organization.

The Native Daughters is a fraternal and patriotic organization founded in 1886 on the principles of:

– Love of home;
– Devotion to the flag;
– Veneration of the pioneers;
– Faith in the existence of God.

All Native Daughters are welcome to attend.

For more information contact Parlor Worthy President Carla Dore, 831-524-5588, or Dee Cuney, 707-235-2902.

Visit the group's Facebook page, Native Daughters of the Golden West, Lupoyoma Parlor No. 329.

For information about Lake County Konocti No. 159 Chapter of the Native Sons of the Golden West, contact Tony Braito at 707 245-7663.

SACRAMENTO – The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) presents its Green Gift Guide for the 2015 holiday season.

All of this year’s selections are meant to give loved ones a gentle nudge toward sustainability.

These environmentally conscious gifts will help recipients save money, protect our natural resources and encourage subtle lifestyle changes for a greener 2016.

CalRecycle's 2015 Green Gift Guide

– Bicycle. An eco-friendly gift that doesn’t feel like one. Help a loved one get healthy and eliminate their carbon footprint at the same time.

– Composter. Customize the size of this gift to fit the recipient’s space restrictions. Small tumblers or large bins keep food and yard waste out of landfills and provide mulch, potting mix, or a soil booster for the yard.

– Rain barrel. Don’t waste a drop that falls from the sky. Rain barrels can help plants and grass get through the dry months.

– Reusable containers. Water bottles, coffee cups, sandwich bags. Save money – and the earth – year-round by ditching the disposables. Don’t forget the cookie tins, flower pots and baskets that can all be repurposed.

– LED lights. Give a gift basket of bulbs or a new string of energy-efficient holiday lights. Many people want to make the switch but don’t want to spend the money; make it easy for them.

– Cloth bags. Help loved ones ditch the plastic and realize the benefits of these multi-use bags. Shopping. Storage. Future gift bags. So many options!

– Rechargeable batteries. Short-term cost, long-term gain. Help take the pain out of the initial purchase and give these batteries in a gift basket with a charger or as an add-on to an electronic purchase.

– Cloth napkins. Use them to wrap a gift, or buy a bunch for a gift basket. This classy offering exudes sophistication and reduces trash. Tea towels would work, too.

– Experience gifts. Tickets, gift certificates, memberships. This is the stuff that memories are made of--and it comes with zero waste.

– Commuter pass. Help loved ones ditch the car for a day (or week or year) and buy them passes for the bus, light rail, or train. Think of the money – and eco-savings – with public transit.

– Plants. Give a gift that gives gifts. Live plants, fruits and veggies for the garden, or seeds can all be used as stand-alone presents or coupled with a gardening box or container for the green thumb in your life.

If you’d like more gift ideas, check out CalRecycle’s Recycle Store to find innovative recycled-content product manufacturers who use California waste as feedstock for their materials.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Calpine Geothermal Visitors Center, located at 15500 Central Park Road in Middletown, will be closed from Thursday, Nov. 26, through Saturday, Nov. 28, to allow its team to celebrate the holiday with their families.

The visitors center will resume regular business operations on Wednesday, Dec. 2.

The Visitors Center is open to the public Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For Geysers and tour information, visit www.geysers.com or call 707-987-4270.