CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A caregiver support group for families dealing with memory loss or other cognitive impairments will meet on Wednesday, July 9.

The group meets at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 14310 Memory Lane in Clearlake from 9:30 to 11 a.m.

Social worker Jenny Johnson is the facilitator.

The groups are sponsored by Redwood Caregiver Resource Center (1-800-834-1636) and the Social Day Programs in Lake County.

For more information call Jenny Johnson at 707-350-3030 or Caroline Denny at 707-263-9481.

Respite is provided by the centers at no charge.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Through July Lakeport Library’s summer teen program “Paws to Read” is sponsoring a donation can for Animal Care and Control in the library where the public can donate items for the animals in the shelter.

Usable donations include clean old blankets, towels, sheets and newspapers for bedding, animal toys, food bowls, pet carriers and unopened cat and dog food.

Amy Patton, the teen program coordinator reminds tweens and teens entering seventh through twelfth grades that there is still time to sign up for the program and to participate in other activities including craft projects, a field trip and a writing workshop.

Lakeport Library, located at 1425 N. High St., is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The phone number is 707-263-8817.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Area Agency on Aging of Lake & Mendocino Counties (AAA) has moved from Lakeport to join the Adult Services programs of Lake County at 16170 Main St. in Lower Lake.  

The mailing address remains unchanged: P.O. Box 9000, Lower Lake, CA  95457.

AAA programs and services are provided by local contractors, community partners and directly by AAA staff.  

Below is a brief description of each service.   

Senior Information & Assistance

Senior Information & Assistance is a phone-in resource line, providing information about available community services and assistance in accessing those services. Call 800-510-2020 or 707-468-5132 for more information.

The Senior Resource Directory

The Senior Resource Directory is an information guide that is geared toward the specific needs of the older population of Lake and Mendocino counties.  

For a hard copy version, contact the Senior Information and Assistance program referenced above or to access the directory online, please go to http://www.SeniorResourceDirectory.org .  

Senior Center Nutrition and Outreach Programs

Multipurpose senior centers serve as a gathering place for older adults and offer a wide variety of services, programs, and activities.

Home-delivered meals provide balanced and healthy food to home-bound seniors and function as a periodic welfare check. Lunches at the senior centers offer nutrition education, socialization and entertainment opportunities.  

Senior center outreach staff work one-on-one with older adults and their caregivers to help them use and access existing services to maintain their independence and prevent isolation.

Typical outreach activities include providing information about transportation, housing and utility assistance, money management, legal issues, elder abuse concerns, medical related topics, insurance questions and information and/or referrals to other agencies.

Senior Legal Assistance

Senior Legal Assistance is provided by Legal Services of Northern California. Contracted staff offers legal advice, counseling and/or representation in civil matters to folks 60+ who otherwise may not have access to the legal and judicial system.

The program focuses on public benefits, housing rights, consumer protection and debt, elder abuse, and long-term care planning.

Family Caregiver Support

Family Caregiver Support provides services including respite, to assist caregivers of older, frail individuals.  

The program also provides counseling and support for family caregivers of adults with brain impairments.

Alzheimer’s Adult Day Care

Alzheimer’s Adult Day Care offers medical monitoring, therapeutic activities, education, recreation and social activities for those with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or other cognitive impairments who might otherwise be placed in a skilled nursing facility.

Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program

Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) gives free and objective information and assistance in dealing with Medicare, Medi-Cal, HMOs, long-term care insurance, and other health insurance issues. Local appointments with a registered volunteer are available.

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program advocates on behalf of residents in long-term care facilities, working to protect residents’ rights, investigating and resolving complaints made by or for residents; address quality of care/quality of life issues; provide training, education and technical assistance and monitor rules, regulations and legislation.  

To volunteer as an ombudsman, call 707-262-4525 for more information.

There are no fees charged for Area Agency on Aging services and programs. Funding is provided by the California Department of Aging and Lake and Mendocino Counties.  

For additional information call 707-995-4680, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/directory/social_services/aaa.htm .

Todd Metcalf is the director of the Area Agency on Aging of Lake and Mendocino Counties, a program administered by Lake County Department of Social Services.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Area Town Hall (MATH) group will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 10.

The meeting will take place in the activity room at the Middletown Community Center, 21256 Washington St.

The public is invited to attend.

Terri Persons will provide an update on the area plans and Giselle Stahl of the county of Lake will discuss efforts to provide more trails throughout the area.

Also on the agenda is a discussion on nonprofit status for MATH and cannabis dispensaries in Middletown.

There also will be discussion on plans for Middletown Days and use of the Middletown Square Park, and a letter to the Board of Supervisors regarding a ban on plastic bags in Lake County.

MATH meetings are subject to videotaping. Meeting proceedings may be available for viewing on public access television and/or the Internet.

MATH – established by resolution of the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 12, 2006 – is a municipal advisory council serving the residents of Anderson Springs, Cobb, Coyote Valley (including Hidden Valley Lake), Long Valley and Middletown.

The group’s current board of directors include Chairman Fletcher Thornton, Vice Chair Claude Brown, Secretary Ken Gonzales, and members Tom Darms and Laura Helton.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The July meeting of the Green Party of Lake County will host Sorhna Li Jordan and Richard Ford, who are in the November runoff for the assessor-recorder's office.

The meeting will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, July 20, at Round Table Pizza, 821 11th St. in Lakeport.

There will be no host food and drink.

Upcoming third Sunday meetings will feature other runoff candidates for the District 2 and District 3 seats on the Lake County Board of Supervisors.

Meetings are open to all; party membership is not required to attend.

Bring your questions for the candidates and vote in the November general election.

For more information visit www.cagreens.org , www.gpus.org or call 707-263-3391.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Tuleyome’s "Nature and You" lecture series, in partnership with the Yolo County Library, continues with two separate lectures this month.

On Thursday, July 17, Sara Husby-Good will be speaking "All about Tuleyome!"

The lecture will feature information about the organization, the work being done to help permanently protect the Berryessa Snow Mountain region, and updates on Tuleyome’s projects and programs, including their national award winning Home Place Adventures program.  

This lecture will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Arthur F. Turner Community Library, 1212 Merkley Ave., West Sacramento.

On Thursday, July 24, Anna Davidson, host of WISE and LASER, will be speaking about her study of "How Plants Deal with Environmental Stress," and how her education and research dovetailed into her work as a “bio-artist.”

This lecture will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Mary L. Stephens Davis Branch Library, 315 East 14th St., Davis.

The “Nature and You” series focuses on nature – including the earth-sciences, the environment and conservation, clean water, climate change, etc.  

Piggy-backing on the nationally acclaimed STEM program, which encourages young people – especially young women – to enter into the educational fields of science, technology, engineering and math, the lecture series this year features female speakers: strong models of women in the scientific and academic fields.

Each speaker talks about their own work, how they entered into their field, and how their work makes a positive impact on our understanding of our planet around us.  

Although some of the subject matter may sound very “technical,” all lectures are provided in an easy-to-understand format, and time will be allowed for questions and answers after each talk.  Families, seniors, youth groups and women’s group are all invited to attend.

More lectures are also slated throughout the year. There is no admission fee, so RSVP's are recommended although walk-ins are welcome.

For more information about the series and upcoming topics and speakers, see the Tuleyome Web site at www.tuleyome.org or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .  

RSVPs also are accepted through Tuleyome’s Meet Up site at http://www.meetup.com/Tuleyome-Home-Place-Adventures/ .  

Tuleyome is a nonprofit conservation organization with offices in Napa and Woodland.

Mary K. Hanson is an amateur naturalist and photographer who is the author of “The Chubby Woman’s Walkabout” blog.  For more information about Tuleyome, go to www.tuleyome.org .