LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Hi, my name is Erica Illg I am 15 years old and this will be my eighth year in 4-H.

I’ve attend the Lake County Fair every year since I was 8 years old as a clover bud with a Nigerian Dwarf goat.

My second year at 9 years old I was able to take more than one animal and also take a market animal.

So I started taking my breeding stock of Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats and a boer market goat.

I also have had fun every year entering my drawings, photographs, garden art, quilts and baked goods.

Going to fair has always been the best part of the year.

Last year I attended the Redwood Empire Fair with my dairy goats. While watching their livestock auction at the end they had their foundation animals being auctioned off.

I didn’t know what it was or what it meant so I started asking questions about it and was amazed to see the excitement in the arena as all the buyers who stayed until the end were bidding on these animals.

I thought it was pretty cool that these animals were donated by local people so they could be auctioned off with all the money going to the fair foundation to use as they want to improve the fairgrounds, purchase equipment or enhance agricultural educational opportunities.

That’s when I decided I wanted to do something like this as a thank you to our fair.

I have been breeding Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats for eight years and boer market goats for five years, taking both to our fair.

This foundation animal will come from my farm, making it a born-and-raised Lake County market goat.

So that’s when I decided this would be a great All Star project.

In the 4-H program there is a star ranking that is awarded for accomplishments achieved. I am currently an Emerald Star with the next highest ranking being an All Star.

An All Star is the highest rank that a 4-H member can achieve at the county level.

The goal of the All Star program is to recognize the achievement of active 4-H members and to offer resources and opportunities.

Now with the help of Jill Crane, Debbie Strickler and many others, the Lake County Fair Foundation is established for our Lake County Fair and I am donating one of Lake County born and raised market goat as the first foundation animal to be auctioned off this year at our fair.

So save the date: at 1 p.m. Sept. 5 at the Junior Livestock Auction at the Lake County Fair, it will be the last animal auctioned off, so stick around until the end.

See you at the Lake County Fair Junior Livestock Auction.

Erica Illg is a member of the Cole Creek 4-H Club. The 4-H Youth Development is a program of the University of California Cooperative Extension. For more information on the 4-H program contact U.C. Cooperative Extension, 883 Lakeport Blvd., Lakeport, telephone 707-263-6838.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Due to the Rocky fire, Lake Transit is reducing service effective Tuesday, Aug. 4.

Until the potential for additional mandatory evacuations subsides, Lake Transit is maintaining a pool of on-call drivers 24 hours per day to provide an emergency response if needed.

During this time, Lake Transit will operate its regular routes and services according to Saturday schedules. 

Saturday schedules are shown in Lake Transit Rider's Guides, or online at www.laketransit.org .

For updates or more information, visit to www.laketransit.org or call 707-994-3334.

To help Californians save more water this summer, the State Water Resources Control Board, the California Department of Technology and Save Our Water announced the launch of www.SaveWater.CA.Gov .

The new mobile-optimized Web site will allow residents to report suspected leaks and water waste anywhere in the state from their smartphones, tablets and computers.

“Everyone needs to save water, and this is one effective way alert residents can help everyone – and every community – save water during this historic drought,” said State Water Resources Control Board Chair Felicia Marcus. “Every drop saved – and every suspected leak or water waste reported and corrected – will help stretch the state’s limited water supply, because we don’t know if next year will be a fifth year of drought.”

Many local water agencies have their own methods for reporting water waste, whether by email, phone or online app. To find a specific agency, click http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/drought/water_supplier.shtml .

Modeled on sites maintained by water suppliers throughout the state, www.SaveWater.CA.Gov is a tool for Californians to help their communities and state save water and assist those water suppliers that may not have the resources to build their own online reporting system.

The site is available statewide and compliments local efforts by providing an easy-to-use tool that directly reports water waste to the proper authority – anywhere in California.

Through www.SaveWater.CA.Gov , users can easily report and send pictures of leaks or water waste from their smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer.

Users can select the type of water waste from a list of common problems, type in the address where the potential waste is occurring and click send.

The anonymous report is transmitted directly to the water agency that serves the geographic area where the report is made. Users don’t need to know the name of the local water agency or how to contact them. The www.SaveWater.CA.Gov site does it for them.

More than 300 water agencies throughout the state have already signed up to use the tool.

All waters suppliers are encouraged to join www.SaveWater.CA.Gov to access detailed reports of apparent water waste in their areas.

“The beauty of this system is that it sends reports directly to the water suppliers,” Marcus said. “Since the State Water Board passed emergency water conservations regulations in July 2014, hundreds of state residents have emailed us and called asking what they can do to report suspected water waste. This tool is a valuable step in the right direction for water suppliers to find out about suspected leaks or overwatering in their communities.”

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Women, Infants and Children program, or WIC, is seeking qualified applicants for its services.

You may qualify to receive services if:

– You are pregnant;
– Pregnancy just ended;
– Have children under 5 years old;
– You have low to moderate income.

At WIC you not only receive checks for healthy foods, but also classes about nutrition and breastfeeding, adequate exercise, referrals to health care, information on valuable community programs and more.

Many families – including migrants living in California – can qualify for WIC services.

For example, a family of four with an annual income up to $44,863, or monthly income up to $3,739, can qualify.

WIC serves four clinics in Lake County – in Clearlake, Lakeport, Lucerne and Middletown – and is an equal opportunity provider.

The WIC Main Office is located at 831 Bevins St. in Lakeport, telephone 707-263-5253 or 877-942-2220.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Shannon Michele of Cache Creek Catering and Lake County Wine Studio are presenting a monthly food and wine series featuring gourmet appetizers paired with select Lake County wines. Locally produced foods are proudly featured as key ingredients in recipes created by Cache Creek Catering.

The series is held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on the second Friday of each month.

Reservations are required and include a 30 day complimentary membership to the Local Cuisine Scene Club. Club members will be offered private pairings, pairing consultations, special private catering rates, access to recipes and first option for seatings at LCS for members and their guests.

Aug. 14 will feature Mediterranean varietals and a local garden (vegetarian) menu.

The first course will pair the 2010 Olof Cellars Nebbiolo with a salad course of zucchini walnut fritters over baby kale with shaved Asiago, followed by High Valley 2012 Barbera with the main course of linguini and Swiss chard, roasted heirloom tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil and parmesan. 

The dessert course will be fresh peaches with lemon shortcakes and white chocolate whipped cream paired with Dusinberré Cellars Qhe Sara Sara dessert blend of Verdehlo and Sauvignon Blanc.

For reservations and additional information, contact Susan Feiler at 707-293-8752.

Lake County Wine Studio is both a gallery for display of arts and a tasting room, wine bar and retail shop for the fine wines of Lake County.

Artists' shows are held on a monthly basis with art and wine receptions held the first Friday and subsequent Saturday of each month except in January.
 
The gallery is located at 9505 Main St. in Upper Lake.

It is open Mondays, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesdays through Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 7 p.m.; and Fridays from 1 to 8 p.m.

The art show on display for the month of August is by artist Annette Higday.

For more information call the Lake County Wine Studio at 707-275-8030 or visit www.lakecountywinestudio.com .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Democratic Central Committee will meet Wednesday, Aug. 5.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the conference room at the Lakeport Senior Activity Center, 527 Konocti Ave.

This is not the group's usual first Thursday of the month meeting. They are changing the date to Aug. 5 to accommodate State Sen. Mike McGuire, who is holding a town hall from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, at the Clear Lake High School MAC Building, 350 Lange St. in Lakeport.

The agenda for the Aug. 5 meeting includes reports from representatives for Congressmen Mike Thompson and John Garamendi, Assemblyman Bill Dodd and State Senator Mike McGuire, as well as reports from the Stonewall Democratic Club Chair and the representative from the Lake County Democratic Club.

Meetings are open to the public and committee membership is open to all registered Democrats.
 
The Lake County Democratic Central Committee is the official governing body of the Democratic Party in Lake County.
 
For more information about the Democratic Party in Lake County visit www.lakecountydemocrats.org or www.facebook.com/LakeCountyDemocrats .
 
Contact the Democratic Party of Lake County at 707-533-4885 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .