Witches stew will be served family style with salad and bread at the club hall, 2817 E. Highway 20 in Nice.

Dress up for the costume contest and win a prize.

They are serving dinner and dessert.

The bar is open for socializing at 5 p.m. then dinner will be served at 6 p.m. Enjoy dancing to music of the High Notes, right after the meal.

All tickets cost $15 at the door.

Everyone is welcome.

For information about this event or renting the hall for your own, call 707-263-1606.

Community members enjoyed the beauty of Boggs Mountain near Cobb, Calif., along with the works of Edgar Allan Poe on Saturday, October 15, 2011. Courtesy photo.

COBB, Calif. – On a beautiful fall morning this past Saturday, Oct. 15, the Friends of Boggs Mountain joined in on the fun of the Lake County Big Read by coordinating an informative and thoroughly enjoyable outing in Boggs State Forest on Cobb.

Leaders Darlene Hecomovich and Boone Lodge began the morning with an engaging presentation on the distinctions between crows and ravens, which included bird calls, habitat and appearance details.

This was particularly enjoyed by the attentive local 4-H group of youngsters participating with their parents.

A reading of Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem, “The Raven” was incorporated, followed by a discussion and sharing of Poe facts and trivia from the knowledgeable, intergenerational group.

Led by the expert guides, a two-mile hike up to the Calso Campground was educational as well as invigorating.

Upon arrival at this halfway point, the group was quite pleasantly surprised to discover delicious homemade cookies, local apple juice and other treats “mysteriously” delivered to the campground.

A stimulating round-robin reading of Poe’s short story, “The Tell Tale Heart” by the adults was both fun and thought-provoking, as the children played in the forest, searching for Lake County diamonds.

As the morning turned to afternoon, the group made their way back, with wonderful memories of a day filled with nature, literature, and new friends.

The Big Read is a National Endowment for the Arts program, in cooperation with Arts Midwest and the Lake County Office of Education.

For more information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the Lake County Big Read Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Lake-County-Big-Read/142212062540955.

For more information about Friends of Boggs Mountain, and their regularly scheduled hikes, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the group's Web site, http://boggsmountain.org/.

Flotilla Communications Officer John McEwen receives a special award for 31 years of service at the Flotilla 88 Annual Tie Out on Friday, September 30, and Thursday, October 1, 2011. From left to right, Wayne Farnholtz, USCG CWO Curtis Barthel, John McEwen and Rich Thomas. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 88 of Lake County once again hosted the annual “tie out” on Clear Lake on Friday, Sept. 30, and Thursday, Oct. 1.

Flotilla members from Humboldt-Del Norte, Mendocino and Sacramento counties attended as well as members from the Bay Area.

Also in attendance were USC Guardmen Chief Warrant Officer Curtis Barthel from USCG Station Group Humboldt Sector in McKinleyville and Chief Warrant Officer Danny Kilburger, Operations Training Officer stationed at Coast Guard Island, Alameda.

The day activities on Friday and Saturday were held at Braito’s Marina. The Konocti Yacht Club graciously allowed the Flotilla to use the new building located at Braito’s Marina for the classroom portion of the training.

The purpose of the tie out is training and testing of new crew members and coxswains.

Current members who have previously obtained their crew and/or coxswain positions were also tested for three and five year re-qualification.

The testing and training are done on the water. Because of inclement weather, night maneuvers were not performed and the USCG helicopter which usually comes down from Humboldt Sector during the training on Saturday was not able to participate.

Saturday’s activities ended with a banquet dinner held at Zino’s Ristorante on Soda Bay Road.

During the evening festivities, Flotilla Staff Officer Harold Hauck from Flotilla 87 of Mendocino County was “frocked” (received new shoulder boards) from DC Bruce Rogerson because he was elected to be division vice commander.

Also honored was John McEwen, communications staff officer of Flotilla 88, who was presented with a special recognition award for 31 years as a Flotilla member and is now retiring.

With another year of safety patrols, training, public education and recruiting new members completed , Lake County can be proud of its Flotilla and of the hundreds of volunteer hours contributed to help make recreational boating safer and are known nationwide as America’s Volunteer Life Savers.

Sammy the cat was inadvertently taken from his home and his being sought by his owner. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A local man is asking the community for information leading to the recovery of his missing cat.

“Sammy” recently was taken from the home of Anthony Valdes and released at Flyers gas station in Clearlake.

If you have any information, please e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Applications are now being accepted for the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Warden Academy at Butte College in Oroville.

The academy will begin in January 2013 and is scheduled to end in September 2013.

The application deadline is Nov. 4, 2011.

An increase in the number of applications received is expected as a result of the first season of “Wild Justice,” a reality show that premiered on the National Geographic Channel in November 2010. The popular show chronicles California game wardens’ efforts to combat poachers and polluters.

“‘Wild Justice’ has given many hopeful candidates a clear picture of the intensive law enforcement nature of a game warden,” said DFG recruiter Lt. Jeff Longwell. “Game wardens are charged with ensuring public safety, investigating illegal sales of wildlife and parts thereof, protecting the state from pollution, enforcing habitat protection laws, fighting illegal drug trafficking, keeping the homeland secure and responding during natural disasters.”

A typical day for a California game warden is as diverse as the state’s fish and wildlife. Wardens have the opportunity to patrol ocean, desert, mountain and valley environments, as well as California’s urban areas.

They frequently work independently and conduct full-scale law enforcement investigations. Wardens employ everything from all-terrain vehicles to jet skis to snowmobiles while on patrol, and spend much of a typical day making contact with Californians in the great outdoors.

DFG has a dive team and uses K-9 partners as well. Environmental crimes and pollution incidents also fall under the purview of game wardens.

Annually, wardens make contact with more than 295,000 people and issue more than 15,000 citations for violations of the law.

Successful lateral academy applicants will enter a 30-week program, followed by at least three three-week long training assignments where they will work with a seasoned field training officer.

DFG’s academy at Butte College is Peace Officer Standards and Training certified. Cadets are trained to be police officers with specific emphasis on working as wardens.

In California, with 159,000 square miles that offer habitat and wildlife diversity unequaled by any other state, the average warden has a patrol district of more than 600 square miles.

The state has more than 1,100 miles of coastline, 30,000 miles of rivers and streams, 4,800 lakes and reservoirs, three desert habitat areas and scores of high mountain peaks.

More information and applications are available at www.dfg.ca.gov/enforcement. Applications are now being accepted online and must be postmarked by the due date above.

To learn more about game wardens, please view DFG’s recruitment videos at www.dfg.ca.gov/enforcement/career.

The distribution will take place on Monday, Nov. 21, instead of Monday, Nov. 28.

The Nov. 21 distribution will take place at Glebe Hall, St. Peter’s Church, 4085 Main St. in Kelseyville, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., or until food runs out.

For information call Hedy Montoya at 707-987-8139.