LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Come see the hidden garden gems of Lake County on the Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club's Hidden Gardens of Lake County 2015 Garden Tour.

The tour will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 30.

Download the event flier that includes descriptions of lovely gardens that will be visited and other event details at the garden club's Web site, www.clttgc.org .

Visit seven gardens ranging from Kelseyville to Upper Lake and see the creativity of local gardeners.

Tickets are $25 per person, and can be purchased at Watershed Books, Flowers by Jackie & Main Street Nursery.

Starting at 9:30 a.m. on May 30 tickets can be purchased at: The Wine Studio, Main St. in Upper Lake; Jitter Bean Coffee Kiosk, S. Main St. in Lakeport; The Kid's Garden, Kelseyville Elementary School. 

Cash or checks will be accepted.

The proceeds from this unique event will go toward funding two scholarships for high school students pursuing a degree in horticultural or related fields and for local student gardens in conjunction with the wonderful Farm to School Program. Two of these gardens will be on the tour.

For additional information or to purchase tickets by mail, please contact by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-279-0192.

The Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Club is a member of the Mendo-Lake District of the California Garden Club Inc.-Pacific Region and National Garden Clubs Inc.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Congressman Mike Thompson will be a guest reader at Lakeport Library’s 3 p.m. free story time for children on Friday, April 24.

Thompson contacted library director Christopher Veach recently and volunteered to read to the children in recognition of National Library Week.

The library is located at 1425 N. High St. and is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday, noon to 8 p.m. The phone number is 707-263-8817.

The Lake County Library is on the Internet at http://library.lakecountyca.gov and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary .

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Riviera Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization will hold its “Spring Fling” event on Saturday, June 6.

The event, for ages 21 and over, will be held from 5 to 10 p.m. at Chacewater Winery and Olive Mill, 5625 Gaddy Lane, Kelseyville.

There will be a catered dinner, wine pairings, live auction and dance.

Tickets are $50 per person, or $425 for a VIP table of eight people. The ticket cost for designated drivers is $35 per person.

To purchase tickets visit www.rivpto.com .

UKIAH, Calif. – In coordination with National Marine Fisheries Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Pacific Gas and Electric Company will increase water flows into the upper Eel River to aid the downstream migration of juvenile salmon and steelhead to the ocean.

The water release will take place during the weeks of April 20, May 4 and May 18.

With limited precipitation expected throughout the month of May, a block water release will mimic spring rainfall by increasing water flows and likely encourage fish to migrate downstream.

The block water release will target salmon and steelhead in the Eel River between Scott Dam at Lake Pillsbury in Lake County and Cape Horn Dam north of Potter Valley.

The release may also benefit fish in the Eel River downstream of Cape Horn Dam.

At the same time, PG&E strongly supports the governor’s statewide declaration of a drought emergency.

PG&E is working hard to steward water resources in a responsible manner. The utility is conserving water in its reservoirs so hydropower will still be available during peak demand periods of summer, and as much water as possible will be available to support environmental considerations, as well as agriculture and drinking water.

In order to ensure these needs are met later in the year, PG&E is strategically generating less hydropower now in order to generate power when it is needed most.

While the release of water into the Eel River has environmental benefits, it will also cause increased water levels and currents.

The total block water release of approximately 1,500 acre feet of water from Scott Dam is in addition to the existing streamflows in the upper Eel River.

Three pulse releases will be made, each lasting about 40 hours. The current 200 cubic feet per second flows, or cfs, at Scott Dam will increase to peaks ranging from 300 to 400 cfs over the release period.

Safety is PG&E’s top priority, and residents and recreationists are encouraged to use extra caution if near or entering the waterway during the increased flows. Below are additional water safety tips.

Know the water

· Sudden immersion in cold water can stimulate the “gasp reflex” causing an involuntary inhalation of air or water. It can even trigger cardiac arrest, temporary paralysis, hypothermia and drowning. When faced with swift water, even the strongest swimmers may be easily overwhelmed.

· Cold water entering the ear canal can cause vertigo and disorientation. This may confuse swimmers, causing them to venture deeper into the water.

Know your limits

· Swimming in open water is more difficult than in a swimming pool – people tire more quickly and can get into trouble.

· Cold water causes impairment leading to fatalities. It reduces body heat 25 to 30 times faster than air does at the same temperature.

· Many unseen obstacles can be lurking below the water’s surface. Swift water can make these obstacles even more treacherous.

Wear a life jacket

· Conditions change quickly in open water and even the best swimmers can misjudge the water and their skills when boating or swimming. Wearing a life jacket can increase survival time.

· A life jacket can provide some thermal protection against the onset of hypothermia and keep you afloat until someone else can rescue you.

Parental supervision

· Actively supervise children in and around open bodies of water, giving them your undivided attention. Appoint a designated “water watcher,” taking turns with other adults.

· Teach children that swimming in open water is not the same as swimming in a pool: they need to be aware of uneven surfaces, river currents, ocean undertow and changing weather.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Friends and supporters of Worldwide Healing Hands will gather Saturday morning to walk Mount Konocti’s Wright Summit Trail during the second annual “Hike 4 Healing.”

The yearly trek is a fundraiser to support the work of Worldwide Healing Hands in Lake County and in underserved areas of the world.

This year, “virtual” hikers – those who cannot make the scheduled hike – will join the April 25 event via Facebook.

There is still time to sign up for either the actual or virtual hike, reminds Worldwide Healing Hands’s medical director, Dr. Paula Dhanda.

Hike participants will traverse a little more than 6 miles round-trip, with an elevation gain of 1,600 feet, along the trail.

“Docents led by Tom Nixon make the hike very special with their interesting historical facts and stories,” said Dhanda. “Last year they allowed us to climb the tower at the top of Mount Konocti for a spectacular view of Lake County."

Entrance fee for the hike is $25 per person. There is no charge for children under the age of 12 to participate.

Participants may register at Dhanda’s office at 5685 Main Street, Kelseyville, or online by visiting Worldwide Healing Hands’ Web site, www.worldwidehealinghands.org , or EventBrite, https://eventbrite.com/event/15794115625/ .

Last-minute registrations will be accepted between 8 and 9 a.m. Saturday, with the hike starting at 9 a.m.

Facebook participants in the “Virtual Hike 4 Healing” will receive Worldwide Healing Hands visors and will be urged to post pictures of their hikes while wearing the visors.

Find out more on the Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/events/898827700140409/ .

Registrants' names will be entered into a drawing for prizes donated by Lakeport English Inn (a one-night stay and tea for two), Cache Creek Vineyards and Disney Boats Rentals.

For information about the Hike 4 Healing, call 707-279-8733. Visit Worldwide Healing Hands’ Web site, www.worldwidehealinghands.org , to read more about the organization.

Several individuals and businesses are sponsoring the 2015 Hike 4 Healing. “We are grateful to the generous sponsors of this year’s event, as well as to all the individuals participating in the hike,” said Dhanda.

All donations will help support Worldwide Healing Hands’ goals and missions to provide quality health care to women and children, especially those who do not have access to such care.

“Diamond” sponsors, donors of $1,000 or more, include Dr. Derrick Barnes, Rose Marie Blackwell, Dr. Kenneth Cartwright, Dr. Dwight Chen, St. Helena Hospital, Clearlake (David Santos, CEO) and Top Speed Data.

Contributing at least $500 as “gold” sponsors are Dr. Arthur Bikangaga, Randy and Birgit Hausted, Dina Hutton, Dr. Rodney Look, Dr. Alan and Kathy Sampson, Roland and Nell Shaul, Gerard and Rachel Thibodeau; and “silver” sponsors, $250-level, are Michael Purvis and Carol Lawrence, Linda Colton, Laura Santarelli and Ben Vanderzwaag.

The Hike 4 Healing was launched last year as a fundraiser for Worldwide Healing Hands’ missions, according to Hike 4 Healing coordinator Anthy O’Brien, a Worldwide Healing Hands board member and supporter.

Worldwide Healing Hands volunteer medical teams provide free health screenings to homeless in Lake County and provides health care services to women and children in underserved areas of the world. Worldwide Healing Hands teams have traveled to Nepal, Chad and Haiti to deliver health services.

“Please join us on our Hike 4 Healing this year so that we may help many more women and children with the care they need and deserve,” O’Brien said.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lake County Library director Christopher Veach invites the public to “come play with an Ipad, Galaxy Tab, Kindle Fire, and Nexus 7 tablet and learn how to download free ebooks from the Library!”

Library staff will conduct a free “Technology Petting Zoo” at Redbud Library 14785 Burns Valley Road in Clearlake from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 25, to introduce people to an array of small electronic devices.

Patrons can try out the various devices in the library and can bring in their own devices to get help with them.

People can use their Lake County Library cards to borrow electronic books through the library’s Web site for free. Library staff will demonstrate how to download ebooks at the Technology Petting Zoo.

For more information about the Technology Petting Zoo call Lakeport Library at 707-263-8817.

Middletown Library will host a Technology Petting Zoo on May 30. All Technology Petting Zoos will occur from 1 to 3 p.m.

Redbud Library is located at 14785 Burns Valley Road in Clearlake.

Middletown Library is located at 21256 Washington St. in Middletown.

Call Lakeport Library at 707-263-8817 for information about the Technology Petting Zoos.

The Lake County Library is on the internet at http://library.lakecountyca.gov and Facebook at www.facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary .

Library events are posted on the calendar at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Lake_County_CA__Library/Calendar.htm .