KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Kelseyville Presbyterian Church will again host a free Christmas day dinner on Friday, Dec. 25.

The dinner will be held from noon to 3 p.m. at the church, 5340 Third St.

As in past years, the church invites members of the community to come together for a wonderful meal and fellowship.

Don't be alone on Christmas Day. Join in this tradition and bring others who may be alone.

Volunteers to help clean up are welcome as well – the more the merrier.

For more information, call the church office at 707-279-1104.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Delta Iota Tau, a Lake County Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi, is selling See's Candies in Bruno’s Shop Smart on Lakeport Boulevard to assist community needs.   

The money raised through these sales enables Delta Iota Tau to make a variety of community donations all year long. 

All monies raised are donated to Lake County residents and organizations only.

Donations since November of 2014 have been made to Clear Lake High School scholarships, Operation Tango Mike, Wreaths Across America, Sponsoring Survivorship, Miss Lake County Pageant, Lakeport Senior Center Meals on Wheels and Clear Lake High School Sober Grad Night.

A new program initiated by Sorority President Dana Kearney since 2013 has been putting on monthly birthday parties for families staying at the Lake Family Resource Center.

When the public purchases See's Candies from Delta Iota Tau please remember that the purchases provide far more joy than to the person who receives the candy.

“Many deserving people benefit from your purchase of See’s Candy, far more than you may imagine, states Chapter President, Dana Kearney and thank you for supporting our community giving,” said Melissa Fulton, sister of Delta Iota Tau.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Calpine Geothermal Visitors Center will be closed from Thursday, Dec. 24, through Saturday, Jan. 2, to allow its team to celebrate the holiday with their families.
 
The center will resume regular business operations on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016.

The visitors center, located at 15500 Central Park Road in Middletown, is open to the public from Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
 
For Geysers and tour Information, visit www.geysers.com or call 707-987-4270.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – All branches of the Lake County Library system will be closed Dec. 24 through 26 to observe Christmas.

Normal hours at all branches will resume on Dec. 29. Call your local branch if you have any questions.

All branches of the Lake County Library system will be closed Jan. 1, 2016, to observe New Year’s Day. Normal hours at all branches will resume on Jan. 2.

Lakeport Library, located at 1425 N. High St., is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The phone number is 707-263-8817.

Redbud Library, 14785 Burns Valley Road, Clearlake, is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday, noon to 7 p.m. The phone number is 707-994-5115.

Middletown Library, 21256 Washington St., is open Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The phone number is 707-987-3674.

Upper Lake Library, 310 Second St., is open Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The phone number is 707-275-2049.

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

The library’s calendar is found at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Lake_County_CA__Library/Calendar.htm .

A statewide campaign to put Snoopy on California license plates and help fund the state’s museums has achieved its goal. 

More than 7,500 Californians have submitted prepaid applications for the Snoopy license plate, which clears the way for the California Department of Motor Vehicles to make the license plate available to California motorists for $50.

A portion of the cost of the initial plate and all proceeds of Snoopy plate renewal will be used to help support California’s museums.
 
“Beagle Backer Passes are an attractive benefit for people who care about museums,” said Celeste DeWald, executive director of the California Association of Museums. “We want Snoopy plate holders to explore many of the museums they’ve supported with their purchase.”

The Beagle Backer Pass currently has a retail value worth nearly $1,200.  The benefits are valid during the first year that the Snoopy license plate is in production.
 
The Snoopy license plate program will support a competitive grant program administered by the California Cultural and Historical Endowment (CCHE) to benefit California’s museums.

Regular plates cost $50, with a $40 annual renewal cost, while personalized plates are $98, with a $78 annual renewal cost.  The plates will benefit the state’s museums, including art and history museums, zoos, aquariums, children’s museums, and science centers.
 
“Buying a Snoopy license plate is a great way to support California’s cultural heritage,” said California Secretary for Natural Resources John Laird, chair of the CCHE board. “The California Cultural and Historical Endowment has a 10-year history of preserving California’s cultural heritage through grants to over 150 projects throughout California.”
 
Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins represents the Assembly on the CCHE board. She authored legislation signed by Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. that created the grant program to be funded by the Snoopy plates.
 
“Once the plates are in production and people begin to see them on the roadways, we expect orders to increase exponentially,” said Speaker Atkins. “Revenue from the plates will help museums fulfill their educational missions and serve Californians. Our museums are an important part of our history and culture – that’s why we have to keep them strong and in place for future generations.”
 
The Snoopy plate also is an opportunity to honor Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz, a renowned California artist.
 
“My husband, Charles Schulz, frequently visited museums and got ideas and inspiration ‎for his life and work as the creator of the Peanuts comic strip,” wrote Jean Schulz, the widow of Charles Schulz and President of the Charles M. Schulz Museum, in an opinion piece. “He was an example of the millions of Californians who learn about the past, the natural world, and creativity through unique museum experiences.” Jean Schulz, the Schulz family, and Peanuts Worldwide are generously giving royalty-free rights for the use of the drawing for this license plate. Charles Schulz was also inducted into the California Hall of Fame this year.
 
Visit www.snoopyplate.com to learn more about Snoopy license plates and support California’s museums.

MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. – The Mendocino County Public Broadcasting Board of Directors of had a marathon meeting of nearly 12 hours on Monday, Dec. 14, to decide on a new general manager/executive director.

There were many qualified applicants, but with a solid consensus they voted for the station's news reporter, Lorraine Dechter.

Dechter will officially be hired at the Jan. 4 board meeting in Ukiah.

Dechter came to Mendocino County about a year ago as a part-time contract News Coordinator for KZYX and Z. Since then she has built a top-notch news team, rising to state and national attention during the recent Lake County fires due to the team's excellent breaking news reporting.

She is the former station manager and founder of KFPR-FM in Redding, an NPR sister station to KCHO-FM at California State University, Chico. She retired from Chico State in 2014 and graduated from that university with a bachelor's degree in communications and major work toward a master's degree.

She has been involved in radio since the age of 14, at the first exclusively cablecasting community radio station in the United States, a nonprofit youth organization started by a group of teenagers in 1972.

Stuart Campbell, the station's interim director for five months, started at KZYX as producer of the literary show “Consider This” and then became the programmer's representative on the board of directors. He has served as the board president before stepping into the interim manager job.

“He has done a wonderful job,” said Meg Courtney, president of Mendocino County Public Broadcasting, who added that Campbell worked for several months as interim manager without pay. “We are deeply grateful to him. Thank you, Stuart, and welcome to you. Lorraine.”

Dechter has a resume revealing vast multimedia experience. She was producer/director, public information officer, investigative journalist, and arts and fundrasiing specialist at KIXE-TV in Redding (PBS) since her early 20s.

She produced and directed the music series “Stage 9,” which was broadcast on one-third of the nation's PBS stations, and produced and acquired funding for the long running “Jobs” show, featuring regional employment and job-related stories and issues.

She has also been a correspondent for the Sacramento Bee, artist liasion for Strawberry Music Festival, brought “A Prairie Home Companion to Redding,” wrote the ethics in news policy for Chico State's public radio station and was responsible for saving a $250,000 payroll in Shasta County providing entrepreneurial support for nonprofit organizations through the Americorps VISTA program.

Dechter has trained hundreds in community media, operating radio boot camps, teacher trainings, school programs and other opportunities. She accomplished much of this through grant procurement and administration.

She developed a variety of community engagement models that are recognized for their effectiveness and creativity by her peers in the industry. She has a lot of training in group facilitation, mediation and volunteer management training.

Dechter is in the current class of Leadership Mendocino, thanks to a scholarship from an anonymous KZYX donor and another from the Leadership Mendocino Steering Committee.

She will officially be introduced as station manager/executive director of Mendocino County Public Broadcasting on Monday, Jan. 4, at the first board of directors' meeting of the new year. The location in Ukiah will be listed on the www.kzxy.org Web site.

Dechter is moderating the second annual “Building Community Through News” event and KZYX Holiday Party from 2 to 5 p.m. this Sunday, Dec. 20, at the SPACE Performing Arts Center in Ukiah. The event is a potluck, and there is no admission charge.

The guest speaker is Elizabeth Larson, editor/publisher of Lake County News.