Each week for the past two months, Occupy Lake County has held an “occupy” event on Saturdays, moving between three locations: Lakeport, Clearlake and Upper Lake.

Though no single event has had more than 50 to 60 people present at any one time, new people turn up at each gathering.

Shirley Howland of Clearlake, who organized the first Occupy Lake County in October, estimates that approximately 100 to 150 different Lake County residents have participated so far. The mailing list for Occupy Lake County is already several hundred strong.

Now that “permanent” OWS camps are being closed from coast to coast, OWS supporters across the nation are progressing to next steps.

Occupy Lake County held its first General Assembly on Saturday, Dec. 3, in Clearlake.

Earlier that day, approximately one dozen OWS supporters spent two hours holding up signs and exchanging smiles, waves and “thumbs up” with Clearlake residents outside the Walmart and Ray's parking lots on Dam Road. Then the group moved to Austin Park for its first general assembly meeting.

In attendance were residents of Clearlake, Lower Lake, Upper Lake, Lakeport, Nice and Kelseyville.

The group shared ideas, discussed the issues behind OWS, and debated proposed solutions which are emerging across the country via other OWS-inspired general assemblies.

A quote from the movement was shared: “WE are the people we've been waiting for.” All present agreed this captured the spirit that motivates them to be involved.

The group also agreed that education and raising public awareness should be a top priority, as well as finding ways to serve the community.

Many Occupy Lake County participants are already busy volunteering in a variety of local work groups, service clubs, churches or volunteer efforts. But as Shirley Howland observed, “If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it!”

Tim Williams of Clearlake is leading local efforts to raise awareness and support for a constitutional amendment to end corporate personhood. The history behind the need for such an amendment can be found at www.occupylakecounty.org. Williams can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

“OWS has already had dramatic impact on the political dialogue in the USA,” said Howland. “Thanks to OWS, people are now discussing income inequality, the plunging economics of the middle and working class, the sky-rocketing profits enjoyed by corporations, the low or non-existent taxes paid by those same corporations, and the rigged financial game. Just by changing the dialogue, OWS has made a difference.”

Inspired by the famous “Bat Signal” slideshow that was projected onto a tall building while 15,000 OWS supporters marched beneath it last month, the Lake County group unanimously adopted a slogan for Occupy Lake County: “A Better World Is Possible.”

The next Lake County occupy event will be on Saturday, Dec. 10, from noon to 2 p.m. in Upper Lake, where Main Street and Highway 20 meet. A general assembly will be held immediately afterward.

To learn more, visit www.occupylakecounty.org .

Breakfast will be served from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 11.

Pictures with Santa are available for just $10.

Breakfast includes sausage, eggs, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, juice and coffee for $6.

Tickets are available at the door or can be purchased at the Kelseyville Elementary School office from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Please call 707-279-4232 for more information.

From left, Ben Oude Kamphuis, director of Project Insight, and Wil Guillermo Gonzalez Jr., president of the Ukiah Garden Club, during a field trip to San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, November 3, 2011. Photo by Debbie Clarke.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Ukiah and North Lake (Nice) garden clubs went on a field trip to San Francisco on Thursday, Nov. 3.

The trip was taken on a scenic tour bus and enjoyed by lifelong learners young and old, including home school students.

The Mendo-Lake Garden District has programs for youth as well as members, wanting to learn the art of gardening.

The tour included three botanical locations in the city. The adults walked the grounds during the trip, learning about plants. while the young students enjoyed activities provided by the tour guides.

The first stop was Project Insight, a green house art studio program for hearing and visually impaired clients. The tour guide was Ben Oude Kamphuis, a native of Holland who started the program.

He shared the wonderful site that is nestled in the San Francisco Parks and Recreation Nursery. The building was used before to house plants during reconstruction projects.

Oude talked the city into letting him use it to house his program, which provides a place for special needs clients to spend the day doing art, gardening and cooking. He provided a snack of freshly made greens and potatoes from the garden.

The next stop was at the recently remodeled Conservatory of Flowers then on to the Botanical Gardens.

Although it rained most of the day, the beautiful flowers and exotic plants were worth the trip. Both garden clubs are known for planting trees in their communities.

If you have an area that needs a tree or want to join the club, call Kim Marsh at 707-274-8775.

The club's next meeting will be a holiday potluck buffet, on Saturday, Dec. 17, at 5:30 p.m., hosted by Mary and David Broaddus at Lorraine Village Club House, 5890 East Highway 20, Lucerne. Turkey or mam will be provided but bring a dish to share and gift for an exchange.

You can check other activities coming up, on the 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 usually held on the fourth Tuesday September through May.

Persons with a professional medical background are encouraged to apply.

The hearing board meets infrequently and sits to consider permit condition variances, abatement orders and permit appeals. Hearings are formal and judicial in nature.

Applications may be obtained from the Lake County Air Quality Management District Hearing Board Clerk at 885 Lakeport Blvd., Lakeport, CA 95453, or call 707-263-7000 for more information.

Resume submissions are encouraged from interested applicants.

Applications must be received by Dec. 31 for consideration.

Tax returns are prepared by trained and IRS certified volunteers at local community organizations.

Join an exciting coalition of volunteers – they will provide training and link you to their two local sites located in Clearlake and Kelseyville to assist low-income families and seniors in the community.

Schedules are determined to meet your needs, so whether you are available days, evenings or Saturdays, they will work with you to create a convenient working environment.

Last year, more than 60 volunteers helped to prepare over 750 tax returns and returned $1.3 million in total refunds to residents of Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma counties. This money was returned to the pockets of local residents and put back into the local economy.

The group needs your help to reach even more families in 2012.

This is a great volunteer opportunity to learn new skills and give back to our community.

The following volunteer positions are available:

• Site coordinator: Site coordinators provide coordination, organization and supervision for all aspects of the volunteer tax program sites. This includes developing and maintaining schedules for volunteers, ensuring free services are provided to all taxpayers, acting as liaison between volunteers, the volunteer site and Lake Family Resource Center and quality control. This position requires tax preparation certification to an advanced level. Training is provided free and will take place in January 2012.

• Tax preparer: Tax preparers assist taxpayers with their tax returns during the tax season. Volunteers will complete a free training course to be held in January 2012 and become IRS certified to prepare taxes. Bilingual tax preparers are always in high demand.

• Screener: Screeners are responsible for assisting clients with the intake form and ensuring taxpayers have the correct tax documents and identification. This is a critical role as it is the initial point at which important tax return information is gathered and verified.

• Interpreter: Interpreters aid taxpayers by working alongside the tax clients and tax preparers. Spanish speaking volunteers are always needed. Training is provided by each tax site. Interpreters can be any age, high school or older, and will meet community service hours requirements

• Greeter: Greeters welcome tax filers to the tax site during the tax season, and may also inform taxpayers about other available community resources. Training is provided by each tax site.

Volunteer requirements:

• All tax preparers and screeners must be trained and certified by the Internal Revenue Service. Training is available online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and at three training clinics to be offered by Lake Family Resource Center on Jan. 7, 14 and 21, 2012. For new tax prep volunteers, you only need to be certified at the “basic” level. For tax professionals or experienced volunteers, an online training and certification tool is available.

• Site operation hours vary by site but each volunteer is asked to commit to volunteer regularly (between two- to four-hour shifts per week), starting in late January 2012 through April 17, 2012.

• Tax preparation volunteers need to be comfortable working with a computer, but do not need to possess extensive math skills.

Interested in volunteering? Learn more about the program, and how to volunteer, by calling Joy Swetnam, Lake Family Resource Center, at 707-262-1379, Extension 112; 707-272-2660; or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Based on data from the National Fire Protection Association and the U.S. Fire Administration, an estimated 250 home fires involving Christmas trees and another 170 home fires involving holiday lights and other decorative lighting occur each year.

Together, these fires resulted in 21 deaths and 43 injuries.

Following a few simple fire safety tips can prevent a tragedy and help ensure a happy and safe holiday.

• Christmas trees. If your household includes a natural tree in its festivities, keep the tree watered. Christmas trees account for hundreds of fires annually. Well-watered trees are not a problem; however, a dry and neglected tree can be.

• Selecting a tree for the holidays. Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches, and the needles should not break if the tree has been freshly cut. Old trees can be identified by bouncing the tree trunk on the ground. If many needles fall off, it’s a sign that the tree was cut long ago and is a fire hazard.

• Caring for your tree. Do not place your tree close to a heat source, including a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree causing it to be more easily ignited by heat, flame or sparks. Do not put your live tree up too early or leave it up for longer than two weeks. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.

• Disposing of your tree. Never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood-burning stove. When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly. The best way to dispose of your tree is by taking it to a recycling center or having it hauled away by a community pickup service.

• Maintain your holiday lights. Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets, and excessive kinking or wear before putting them up. Use only lighting listed by an approved testing laboratory.

• Do not overload electrical outlets. Do not link more than three light strands, unless the directions indicate it is safe. Connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into the outlet. Make sure to periodically check the wires – they should not be warm to the touch.

• Avoid using lit candles. If you do use lit candles, make sure they are in stable holders and place them where they cannot be easily knocked down. Never leave the house with candles burning. Never put lit candles on a tree.