Raffle tickets will be available for this Mother's Day gift basket offered by the Konocti Lioness Club. Courtesy photo.

KELSEYVILLE – The Konocti Lioness Club will sells raffle tickets as a fundraiser for a Mother’s Day gift basket at the Riviera Market on Soda Bay Road in Kelseyville on Friday, May 7, and Saturday, May 8.

The ticket donations are $1 each or 6 for $5 for this exquisite, lovely gift basket filled with a variety of items such as lotions, note paper, candles and chocolate, of course. The lucky ticket will be drawn on May 8 at 5 p.m.

The funds raised from the donations will be used to send kids with special needs to special summer camps.

The raffle is only one of the ways the club raises funds which go to help the youngsters of Lake County. Many community members have visited the group's pear ice cream booth at the Kelseyville Pear Festival so you know how hard we work to raise these funds.

The Konocti Lioness is a nonprofit service club under the auspices of the Mountain Lions of Cobb and Lions Club International, a worldwide organization. They invite anyone who is interested in joining the club to stop by the table and learn more about why the club motto is “For Kids Sake.”

For additional information, please call Elizabeth at 707-279-8562, Bunny at 707-277-9177, or visit them at the gift raffle table on May 7 and 8 at the Riviera Shopping Center on Soda Bay Road.

CLEARLAKE OAKS – The second annual Catfish Derby Cook-off Competition will be held Saturday, May 15, in the Clearlake Oaks Plaza behind Nylander Park starting at 11 a.m.

Everyone is welcome to enter their catfish dish.

Attendees will be able to witness the entrants cooking their dishes in the main plaza area, judging will take place in the gazebo.

Entries are still being accepted and you can find the official rules at www.clearlakeoaks.org.

Planned prizes include:

• First place: $250, a wine package and a trophy;

• Second place: $150, a wine basket and a trophy;

• Third place: $100, wine and a trophy;

• Most unique dish wins a trophy;

• Entrant from furthest away wins a trophy

Please contact organizer Ross A. Christensen at 707-998-9550 with any questions.

There will be an orientation meeting on May 8 at 10 a.m., at the Lake Family Resource Center at 896 Lakeport Blvd., Lakeport.

During the orientation, the speech topics and the riding pattern will be handed out. There will be presentations to help the contestants in their journey to become rodeo royalty.

The competition will be held on June 25 and 26. The poise and personality sections will be held at the Soper Reese Theater in Lakeport at 7 p.m. and the horsemanship section will be held Saturday, June 26, at 10 a.m. at the Cole Creek Equestrian Center in Kelseyville.

The cutest cowpoke competition for boys and girls will also be held at the Cole Creek Equestrian Center on Saturday. Information for the cutest cowpoke contest can be found at www.LakeCountyRodeo.com.

The 81st Annual Lake County Rodeo will be held at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport on Friday, July 9, and Saturday, July 10. The queen and princess will be crowned Friday night at the rodeo. The cutest cowpokes will also be announced that evening.

The queen will receive a custom saddle with matching breast collar and headstall, a jeweled hat tiara, embroidered jacket, teeth whitening from Dr. Long of Lakeport, and many other prizes.

The princess will receive a custom breast collar with matching headstall, embroidered jacket, and a jeweled hat tiara and other prizes.

For more information, go to www.LakeCountyRodeo.com or call Jeannette Roush at 707-263-0741.

COBB – A small but growing number of local homeowners concerned with rising longterm unemployment, the economy and its effect on foreclosures will begin meeting mid-week, mid-day at Mountain High Coffee & Books in Cobb starting this Wednesday, May 5.

The intention is to draw people out of their homes and help shed light on a situation in which many may believe or feel they are alone.

All are invited and welcome to attend whether a previous or current homeowner with questions or perhaps some helpful insight. Those in banking, Realtors, local official and concerned citizens all are welcome as it's sure to be a lively debate in an open forum.

For more details contact Robert Somerton at 707-245-7541.

LUCERNE – The Lake County Democratic Club meets Saturday, May 8, at noon at the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center in Lucerne.

The Senior Center is located at 3985 Country Club Drive – corner of 10^th and Country Club – in Lucerne.

The senior center serves breakfast from 9 a.m. until noon.

The public is invited. Membership in the Lake County Democratic Club is open to registered members of the Democratic Party.

For more information contact the club at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone or 707-277-0713.

KELSEYVILLE – Kelseyville Education Foundation (KEF) is dedicated to improving and enhancing the educational experience provided by the Kelseyville Unified School District to the children of Kelseyville Schools.

The foundation has recently been reorganized due to the financial crisis in the county and especially our state. This dire financial crisis has caused a catastrophic financial situation in our school district.

The reestablishment was done to help alleviate some of the financial burden from the district as well as offer monetary assistance for those activities no longer provided by the district. They hope the town of Kelseyville will support the schools and place children as a priority in the community.

KEF is preparing a taste-tempting cookbook featuring favorite recipes from members of our community. The cookbook will be beautifully illustrated, hardbound and is sure to be treasured for years.

They would like the public, especially those tied to Kelseyville in some way and businesses in Kelseyville to submit a favorite recipe so it be featured in the memorable collection. Recipes submission cards can be picked up at the Wildhurst tasting room or at Studebaker's.

You can also send your recipe electronically to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. All recipes must be submitted by May 5, 2010 to be included in the recipe book.

Your name will be printed with each of your recipes. If you are an alumni of the district or you have children currently enrolled in the district they would also like to print this with your recipe, for example – parent of fifth grader at Kelseyville Elementary, or KHS alumni, class of 1989. Any other information regarding the history of the recipe (grandma's favorite or a recipe that has been in your family for generations) should also be noted.

Each cookbook will contain helpful cooking hints, recipe category dividers, a table of contents, an index and special pages of interest to the community. The cookbook will be typeset in an easy-to-read format and professionally printed and bound.

Proceeds from the cookbook sales will help fund future projects for the Kelseyville Unified School District. Your help in contributing recipes will ensure that the cookbook will be a success.

They anticipate a great demand for our cookbooks, with first sales being held the weekend of the Pear Festival.