LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Summer of Peace closing ceremonies will be this Friday, Sept. 21.

The events will take place at 4 p.m. in Lakeport’s Library Park and 7 p.m. in Clearlake’s Austin Park.

Both ceremonies feature sacred music by My Divas, an a Capella women’s chorale led by Claudia Listman, and Denyce (Hicks) Santos, a new operatic soprano recently moved to Lake County from New York City will sing the Ave Maria.

Elder Thomas Brown will open the ceremonies at both ends of the lake with Pomo drumming and prayer.

Anthony Farrington, who sits on the Lake County Board of Supervisors, will be the keynote speaker in Lakeport, while Rev. Voris Brumfield, minister at the Middletown Methodist Church, will lead the Clearlake ceremony.

Aqeela Bakheit will speak on universal truth and forgiveness, and there also will be remarks by Lake County Summer of Peace Founder/Director Taira St. John.

The service will end with a candlelight walk around Austin Park. The final month of the Summer of Peace is dedicated to inclusion and forgiveness.

The public is welcome and events are free of charge.

NICE, Calif. – The Hands Around Clear Lake Healing Ceremony planned for this weekend is being moved.

Volunteers setting up for this weekend’s Hands Around Clear Lake Healing Ceremony were ordered by the Robinson Rancheria Tribal Council not to gather at Shi-Kom Village, the tribally owned site where the event had been planned, and were later escorted off the property.

Two new venues have been announced for the gatherings: one for the Friday evening concert and gathering, and one for the Saturday morning sunrise ceremony.

The sunrise ceremony, a community blessing of Clear Lake, will be held at Rodman Slough, a lakeside park on Nice-Lucerne Cutoff Road, between Lakeport and Nice, right near the bridge.

The ceremony, from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. this Saturday, Sept. 22, will be open to all.

For those unable to attend, the ceremony will broadcast live on KPFZ, Lake County Community Radio, from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. on 88.1FM and streamed live at www.wakeupandthrive.us .

The new location of the Friday night concert and tribal gathering will be Rainbow Ranch, a family farm and permaculture eco-village located in the Konocti/Cobb region of Lake County, at 9210 Wildcat Road, near Highway 175.

The concert will include live music by Lake County’s own Blue Collar, Without a Net, Righteous Vibrations, the Possible Futures, Lucas Prana and the Gypsy Vayus, Not Two, Songbird and more. There also will be a People’s Mic ceremony, for attendees to share prayers, announcements, poetry and other inspired words.

The evening gathering will include a community potluck, ceremonial fire, drum circle and dancing. Families and pets are welcome.

Both events are free to the public, with all donations benefiting nonprofit sponsors Transition Lake County, Thrive Lake County, the Lucy Moore Foundation, Lake County Summer of Peace and KPFZ 88.1 FM Lake County Community Radio.

After the sunrise ceremony on Saturday morning, there will be a partially catered potluck breakfast for the participants of the event at Rodman Slough. Attendees are invited to stay and enjoy the natural setting for a few hours, before moving on to the rest of the day’s activities.

Saturday afternoon, the party moves to Upper Lake for three related events at Dallas Cook’s house, also known as “The Inn,” located at 682 First St.

At 3 p.m., there will be a Transition Lake County Potluck with a Purpose. At 5 p.m., there will be a ritual ceremony to honor the Autumnal Equinox. At 7 p.m. there will be an evening potluck and drum circle.

This Friday, the final day of the summer season, also marks the end of the Lake County Summer of Peace, with closing ceremonies at Lakeport’s Library Park at 4 p.m. and Clearlake’s Austin Park at 7 p.m.

More information about Hands Around Clear Lake can be found on Facebook, on the web at www.HandsAroundClearLake.com or by calling 707-279-1989.

FINLEY, Calif. – A family is seeking the return of its pet border collie, missing since the middle of the week.

“Princess” went missing from her home in Finley, across from the Finley market at the bridge, sometime around 6 p.m. Wednesday, according to her owner, Whitney Braito. She was reportedly seen in her family’s driveway later that night, but disappeared again.

Braito has looked for her in the neighborhood and at Lake County Animal Care and Control, but so far Princess hasn’t turned up.

Princess was wearing a green flat nylon collar and tags.

Anyone who has information about Princess’ whereabouts is asked to call Whitney Braito at 530-961-2470 or Daniel at 530-315-1192.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Lake County Land Trust’s annual fundraising dinner is slated for Saturday, Oct. 13, at Rancho De La Fuente on Soda Bay Road near Kelseyville.

Tickets are $65 per person and include dinner, wine, appetizers and dessert.

Tom Nixon and Doug Kauffman will sing and play during the 5 p.m. social hour when guests will also be able to peruse and bid on the always interesting silent auction which features local artwork and other great items.

Guest speaker for this year’s event is Shannon Gunier, who recently announced her retirement as president of the Lake County Winegrape Commission.

Gunier, who is also a teacher at the Clear Lake Campus of Yuba College, will talk about the shared goals of winegrape growers in the county and the efforts of the Lake County Land Trust to protect and enhance open and agricultural spaces that contribute to Lake County’s rural character.

For reservations, call the Lake County Land Trust at 707-262-0707, leave a message and someone will get back to you; or send a check to the Lake County Land Trust, P.O. Box 711, Lower Lake, CA 95457.

Payment is needed in advance before reservations are fully confirmed. Registered attendees will check in at the door; due to limited seating, payment cannot be taken at the door.

The Land Trust is a 501 (c) (3) organization. The trust owns and operates the Rodman Preserve on the Nice-Lucerne cutoff, The Rabbit Hill Park in Middletown and is currently working on various other land conservation projects.

Visit www.lakecountylandtrust.org for more information or become a fan of the Lake County Land Trust on Facebook.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Are you a senior 55+ with a lifetime of experience to share?

Would you like to give back to other seniors and learn how to age gracefully yourself?

The Friendly Visitor Program of Konocti Senior Support Inc. is accepting applications for this enriching opportunity to help seniors who are sick or lonely and unable to get out.

As a volunteer, you will spend a total of about one hour a week with home bound clients and also attending a group supervision session in Clearlake once a month.

They have an outstanding new director of the Friendly Visitor Program, Norma Shepherd, who has years of experience assisting the people of Lake County.

She worked for the Lake County Community Action Agency helping people apply for county assistance programs as well as screening and training individuals when she worked as a case manager with Goodwill Industries and the employment department of Clearlake.

If you are in need of help for an in-bound senior or, perhaps, need assistance yourself, please contact our office and leave a message for Shepherd. She will be happy to match you or any in bound seniors you may refer with one of our friendly visitor volunteers.

Konocti Senior Support’s Friendly Visitor and Senior Peer Counseling programs have helped hundreds of Lake County seniors and is rapidly expanding.

Please call now for your application to become a friendly visitor or to refer someone who needs assistance at 707-995-1417, or contact them through the program’s Web site, www.konoctiseniorsupport.com , to learn more about these programs.

LUCERNE, Calif. – A caregiver support group for families dealing with memory loss or other cognitive impairments will meet on Wednesday, Sept. 26.

The group meets at the First Lutheran Church, 3863 Country Club Lane, across from the Alpine Lucerne Senior Center from 9:30 a.m. 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.