LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Public Service’s Director, Caroline C. Chavez announced that the Eastlake Landfill and the Lakeport Public Services office will be closed Monday, Jan. 19, in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Residential pickup will be on their regular scheduled day.

Both facilities will reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 20.

Normal operating hours at the landfill are 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

The Public Services office is normally open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information visit the county Web site at www.recycling.co.ca.us or call 707-262-1618.

SACRAMENTO – State Controller Betty T. Yee has announced the appointments of key deputies to her executive team.

Karen Greene-Ross will serve as the state controller’s chief of staff.

Greene-Ross most recently served as assistant chief counsel and deputy director of legislation at the California High Speed Rail Authority.

Her previously held positions include deputy controller for investments for State Controller Steve Westly; deputy secretary for legislation at the former Business, Transportation and Housing Agency for Gov. Gray Davis; and legislative and policy positions in the State Senate and Assembly.

Greene-Ross is a California licensed attorney with a degree in finance from the University of Florida and a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School.

Nicole Winger will serve as deputy state controller for communications.

Winger most recently served as deputy secretary for communications for California Secretary of State Debra Bowen.

She previously served as a senior consultant for Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, Assemblymember Nicole Parra, and as a communications director at the California Department of Education.

Winger graduated from Whittier College, earning her bachelor's degree cum laude in political science and English.

Becca Doten will serve as assistant deputy state controller in the controller’s Los Angeles office.

Most recently serving as the campaign manager for McDonnell for LA County Sheriff, Doten directed the crisis response team for the office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Prior to that position, she served as chief of staff and communications director in the office of Richard Alarcon.

Doten is a sworn reserve officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California magna cum laude in film production.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Under the leadership of President Marva Brandt and her officers the Clear Lake Trowel & Trellis Garden Club continues to meet club objectives.

Those objectives include:

– To study and enjoy amateur gardening in its various aspects and applications.

– To encourage civic beautification and roadside development.

– To assist in projects for the conservation of our natural resources.

– To encourage members to participate in various local, district and state projects.

During 2014's monthly club meetings members shared information regarding flowering plants they have under cultivation and enjoyed educational programs presented by the club. Members grow and pool their plants for an annual fundraiser. 

Civic beautification projects include maintenance and planting at the Veterans Blue Star Memorial, Library Park, Lakeport Library, Hartley Cemetery Chapel and the Ely Stage Stop.

The club donated to the National Forest Reforestation Program, which has planted 27 million trees on 88,000 acres of burned over land. 

As a member of the Mendo-Lake District, which includes five clubs, three meetings are attended where an exchange of ideas is  encouraged. 

Educational programs are presented and information from California Garden Clubs Inc. is discussed and passed on each of the five garden clubs. 

Other scheduled activities include garden therapy, flower arranging classes, a mum show, the daffodil tea, wreath making, scholarships, field trips and tours and Christmas luncheon.  

They have the privilege of "kicking off" 2015 with a program presented by JoAnn Saccato, MA, teacher, inspirational speaker and published author with a thought-provoking title of "How to increase your gardening pleasure through mindfulness.”

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 2298 Hendricks Road, Lakeport. 

You're invited to visit a garden club meeting which meets at noon on the third Tuesday of each month (except July and August) in the Scott's Valley Women's Clubhouse.

As a member you can share your knowledge and learn more about all aspects of gardening.  

For more information please call Marva Brandt at 707-279-1625 or visit www.clttgc.org .

CLTTGC is a member of Mendo-Lake District, California Garden Clubs Inc. Pacific Region and National Garden Clubs Inc.

Jerry Shaul is publicity chairman for Clear Lake Trowel & Trellis Garden Club.

COBB, Calif. – The deadline for the Kindness and Generosity Scholarship Fund applications for the January Compassion-based Mindfulness for Stress Reduction, Personal Clarity and Emotional Freedom courses is Jan. 8.

"Some full and partial scholarships are still available," noted JoAnn Saccato, the mindfulness teacher who developed and presents the courses.

The course runs eight weeks with one series beginning Tuesday, Jan. 13, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Unity Clearlake Center in Lower Lake.

A concurrent course begins Thursday, Jan. 15, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Main Street Gallery in Lakeport. 

For more information on the course contents and links to the scholarship application, visit  http://www.companioningthesacredjourney.com/courses.html or call JoAnn Saccato at 707-350-1719.  

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Friday, Jan. 2, and Saturday, Jan. 3, the Clear Lake Cardinal wrestlers started the new year off at the two-day Dennis Jensen Invitational Tournament in Middletown.

Mariela Soto (6-0) was the girls 100-pound champion, while Emily Psalmonds (2-1) took home the silver medal at 111 pounds.

Julian Lewis (2-0) was the gold medalist at 220 pounds.

Tyler Buchholz (2-2) placed fifth in the 160-pound class.

Jacob Pyorre went 3-0 the first day, but was injured and was not able to continue wrestling; one of his wins was against the eventual 113-pound champion.

Next up the Cardinals will host their third annual Michael Kroppmann Invitational Tournament on Saturday, Jan. 10, at Clear Lake High School in Lakeport.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – An online fundraiser has begun to help the family of a Lakeport girl diagnosed with leukemia.

The fundraiser for little Scarlett Michelle Reordan can be found at www.gofundme.com/scarlettmichelle1 .

Scarlett, who turns 2 years old on March 22, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia on Dec. 29.

She is undergoing treatment at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland.

The costs associated with providing Scarlett with the appropriate care that she needs will be great, according to her family.

The fundraiser, which was set up on Sunday, has a $10,000 goal. As of Monday night, about $1,200 had been donated.

In addition to the online fundraiser, a trust account for Scarlett has been set up at West America bank, account No. 2352178897.