KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Lake County Horse Council is proud to present the second annual Fiesta of the Horse on Sunday, June 30.

Parking opens at 1 p.m., the show begins at 1:30 p.m. at Rancho de la Fuente, 2290 Soda Bay Road, between Lakeport and Kelseyville.

Like last year's debut entertainment, there will be musical acts involving dancing horses, the Clear Lake Junior Horsemen Drill Team, adorable mini horses performing a musical quadrille, exciting equestrian sports such as jousting, exotic breed demos, colorful costumes and a Wild West comedy act featuring legendary sharp-shooter Annie Oakley, all packed into 90 exciting minutes.

There is no admission charge for this fun, family-oriented event.

Some chairs and awnings are provided to shade the audience, but since the crowd might be large, consider bringing your own lawn chairs or umbrellas for shade. Please do not bring dogs (or other animals).

For additional information, contact Deb Baumann at 707-275-9234.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On April 24, as part of National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Lake Family Resource Center’s Rape Crisis Center sponsored “Denim Day-Lake County.”

SayNoToViolence.Org explains that “Denim Day grew out of a 1998 Italian Supreme Court decision that overturned a rape conviction because the victim wore skinny jeans. The judge reasoned the victim’s tight jeans meant that she helped her assailant remove them, implying consent. People all over the world were outraged, and wearing jeans became an international symbol of protest against erroneous and destructive attitudes and myths surrounding sexual assault, thus, Denim Day was born.”

Lake Family Resource Center would like to thank all of the “Denim Day-Lake County” participating organizations for their support of sexual assault victim/survivors  and making it a huge success.

Those organizations include Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Twin Pine Casino, the Lake County District Attorney's Office and its Victim-Witness Division, Lake County Administration, County Counsel's Office, Lake County Board of Supervisors, courthouse employees, Kathy Fowler Chevrolet, Healthy Start, St. Helena Hospital, Lake County Probation, Yuba College, First Five,  Konocti Vista Casino, Tribal TANF, Lucerne Senior Center, Clearlake Senior Center, Umpqua Bank - Lakeport, West America Bank - Lakeport, National Bank of the Redwoods - Lakeport, Bank of America - Lakeport, Mendo Lake Credit Union - Lakeport, Washington Mutual Bank - Lakeport, Bank of the West - Lakeport, Dr. Dhanda’s office, Clearlake Dental, Mendocino Community Health Center, United Christian Perish, Taco Bell - Lakeport, Kentucky Fried Chicken - Lakeport and Lower Lake.  

Altogether 2,056 pins, 299 flyers and 57 posters were distributed to the community.

Lake Family Resource Center also received a cash donation from Umpqua Bank in Lakeport and from Mendocino Community Health Center.  These organizations playfully “fined” staff for “break(ing) the dress code and break(ing) the silence (the Denim Day tag line).

Lake Family Resource Center Rape Crisis Center offers free services including a 24/7 Community Crisis Line (1-888-485-7733) answered by trained sexual assault advocates.  

The Rape Crisis Center provides individual counseling, support, education, safety plans, hospital /law enforcement accompaniment and advocacy for all victims of sexual assault.

If you would like to make a donation or have any questions regarding Denim Day please contact Gina Pilat at 707-279-0563, Extension 203, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Gina Pilat is a Rape Crisis Center advocate for Lake Family Resource Center in Lake County, Calif.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Habitat for Humanity Lake County will celebrate the dedication of its 17th home on Saturday, July 6.

The dedication will begin at 11:30 a.m. at the home, located at 4214 Third Ave. in Lakeport.

It's the first home Habitat has completed in the city of Lakeport.

Come join the excitement as the Swift family is welcomed into their house, meet the family and help them feel at home in their new neighborhood.  

For more information, or to learn how you can become a Habitat for Humanity homeowner, contact the Habitat for Humanity office at 707-994-1100.

A painting by Richard Clifton of Milford, Del., was chosen the winner of the 2013 California Duck Stamp Contest.

The painting, which depicts a pair of American wigeons in a marsh, becomes the official design for the 2013-14 stamp.

Following the contest June 18 in Davis, the three judges complimented Clifton’s winning painting, praising its painstaking anatomical accuracy and a “soft, appealing feel.”

“I was trying to create something pleasing that would gain and hold the interest of the judges,” said Clifton, a full-time wildlife artist. “There is kind of a misty look about it. Something a little tranquil where the ducks look at ease and the setting is comfortable. Somewhere you would like to be viewing wigeons.”

Clifton has twice before won the California Duck Stamp Contest and also has won a Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest.

Clifton and 18 other artists from around the country submitted entries for this year’s contest, sponsored by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). John Brennan of Lutz, Fla., placed second, Jeffrey Klinefelter of Etna Green, Ind., placed third and Charles Black of Stillwater, Minn., received honorable mention.

The four paintings are expected to be displayed at the Pacific Flyway Decoy Association’s 43rd Annual Classic Wildlife Art Festival in Sacramento on July 13-14.

Since 1971, the California Duck Stamp Program’s annual contest has attracted top wildlife artists from around the country. All proceeds generated from stamp sales go directly to waterfowl conservation projects throughout California.

In the past, hunters were required to purchase and affix the stamp to their hunting licenses. Today, hunters are no longer required to carry the stamps because California’s modern licensing system prints proof of additional fees paid directly onto the license.

However, CDFW still produces the stamps, which can be requested on CDFW’s Web site at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/collectorstamps .

The subject of the 2014 California Duck Stamp Art Contest will be the scaup, with details on the 2014 contest to be released at a later date.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – A program offering free meals to children and teens during the summer will be offered at the Middletown Community United Methodist Church.

The service begins Monday, June 24, and will run 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday through Wednesday, July 31.

All meals will be served at the Middletown Community United Methodist Church, 15833 Armstrong St., at the corner of Armstrong and Washington streets.   

There is no registration required. Any child between the ages of 1 to 18 may attend.

For more information call the church at 707-295-7174 or 707-987-3379.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Pool, located at 20962 Big Canyon Road, is now open for the summer season.

The pool, which opened on Saturday, will remain open for recreational swimming Wednesdays through Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. through Sunday, Aug. 11.

The pool is closing unusually early this year because the start of school is Monday, Aug. 12.

Kura Brice will be returning as the lead lifeguard for this summer’s season.

Pool patrons 10 years and under must be accompanied by a responsible young adult 15 years of age or older.

Hardester’s Market in Middletown has once again generously agreed to donate free swim passes for children who are 12 years of age and under.  

Passes may be obtained by simply dropping by the Middletown Hardester’s Store and picking a pass up prior to going to the pool.  

Hardester's has unselfishly donated $38,470.75 in free pool passes to Middletown children since 1988. Public Services Director Caroline Chavez expressed her sincere appreciation to the Hardester’s for their continued, unselfish support to the community.  

The pool fees are as follows:

Children under 12 years old: $1.25;
13 years and older: $2.

Season passes are available for individuals for  $40 and families (immediate family members only) for $80.

If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact the Public Services Department at 707-262-1618.