Trainee Dee Walter and instructor Wayne Farnholtz on Clear Lake in Lake County, Calif, on Saturday, July 16, 2011. Walter was in in Lake County from July 15 through July 17, 2011, for training. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Two qualified members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 88 of Lake County, conducted a training program for personal water craft (PWC) operator Dee Walter, a flotilla member from Reno Flotilla 11-03.

The three-day session, July 15 through July 17 was held on Clear Lake.

Trainee Walter passed her navigation rules and was trained on the water with instructor Wayne Farnholtz.

Following the required oral testing by qualification examiner Anita Farnholtz, the training program was completed on the water with a thorough check ride.

The newly trained PWC operator Walter is now patroling on Lake Tahoe and loving every minute.

Flotilla 88 of Lake County, goes the extra step to assure the boating public that safety on the water is its main concern and not only in Lake County but in others as well.

Sonoma State biologist Nicholas Geist will discuss his study of the Western Pond Turtle at the preserve which is located off of Harrington Flat Road in Lake County, Calif., during an event on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011, at the Moore Family Winery at 11990 Bottle Rock Road, Kelseyville, Calif.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A fundraiser for the Boggs Lake Preserve, one of the ecological jewels of Lake County, will be held on Sunday, Aug. 28, starting at 5 p.m. at the Moore Family Winery at 11990 Bottle Rock Road.

Social hour will start at 5 p.m. to be followed by a lecture and power point presentation at 6 p.m.

Sponsored by the Lake County Land Trust, the event will feature wine and appetizers and a fascinating presentation by Sonoma State biologist Nicholas Geist on his study of the Western Pond Turtle at the preserve which is located off of Harrington Flat Road.

The public is cordially invited to this event and reservations are requested in advance.

Tickets for this fundraiser are $30 each with payment taken at the door.

Please make reservations by calling the Lake County Land Trust office at 707-262-0707 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

From left to right is Gregory Graham, owner of Gregory Graham Winery; Linda Shields, director of Marketing Vigilance Winery; Joey Luiz, sales manager, Shannon Ridge & Vigilance; and Anderson Marsh representatives Roberta Lyons, Gaye Henry and Henry Bornstein at a check presentation to Anderson Marsh for the proceeds from the June 2011 Cattails & Tules fundraiser. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The proceeds of the Cattails & Tules fundraiser earlier this year recently were presented to two groups that support outdoor recreation in Lake County.

Gregory Graham, owner of Gregory Graham Winery, along with Linda Shields, director of marketing for Vigilance Winery & Vineyards, and Joey Luiz of Shannon Ridge Vineyards presented donation checks to Alan Flora with Konocti Regional Trails and Gaye Henry, Henry Bornstein and Roberta Lyons with Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association.

Konocti Regional Trails and Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association each received a check for $1,402.98.

The Cattails & Tules fundraiser held in June showcased local restaurants paired with Gregory Graham and Vigilance wines.

Guests enjoyed great cuisine and participation of the contest that was judged by guests as well as by three prestigious judges – Greg Celadon, Traci Dutton and Ken Frank.

Local restaurants and chefs won awards, and great prizes were raffled off. Guests also were introduced to the first vineyard trail between two wineries.

Plans are in place to repeat the successful event in 2012. Restaurants, chefs, and possible beneficiaries are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible in an effort to allow for necessary coordination and advertising to lead up to another exciting day of great wine and great food, all enjoyed for a good cause.

Gregory Graham, owner of Gregory Graham Winery; Alan Fiora, representative of Konocti Regional Trails; Linda Shields, director of marketing, Vigilance Winery; and Joey Luiz, sales manager, Shannon Ridge Winery, during a check presentation to Konocti Regional Trails for the proceeds from the June 2011 Cattails & Tules fundraiser. Courtesy photo.

Because of legislation passed in May, DMV will extend a 30-day grace period for vehicle renewals occurring between July 1, 2011 and Dec. 31, 2011.

It is important to know that billing notices issued by DMV have not been adjusted to reflect the 30-day grace period. Instead, a special insert a has been included with the billing notice that indicates penalties will not be imposed until the 31st day after the expiration date.

Normally, there is no grace period for vehicle registration renewals, but notices are sent 60 days prior to the renewal date.

Penalties under the standard system are calculated based on the number of days the registration is overdue, increasing from a 10 percent penalty when a payment is one to ten days late to a 60 percent penalty is the fee is 31 days late.

Some vehicle owners have reported that they have been assessed a 60 percent penalty on their vehicle license fee on the first day after the fee was due. In other words, vehicle owners paying their fees online after the due date have not received graduated penalties based on the amount of time the fee is overdue – just the maximum penalty from the first day the fee is overdue.

Although DMV officials say they are working to correct the problem, vehicle owners need to pay attention to when their registration renewal payments are due since those that were due in early July have already begun to pass the 30-day grace period.

DMV is encouraging vehicle owners to use renewal by mail or its internet renewal program to renew vehicle registrations. These alternative renewal methods automatically waive late fees for 30-day grace period, but will assess a penalty of 60 percent of the VLF fee on the 31st day.

DMV will refund any over-payments to vehicle owners who were unaware of the 30-day grace period if they included penalty fees in their mailed payments. However, it may take three to four weeks for the refund to be processed.

DMV officials also say law enforcement is aware of the registration renewal grace period and will not cite vehicles until the first day of the second month after the vehicle registration expires.

For example: A vehicle with a registration expiration date of July 10 would not be cited for delinquent registration prior to Sept. 1, 2011.

Nominations are open through Sept. 12, 2011, for the Carnegie Corporation of New York/The New York Times I Love My Librarian Award.

The award encourages library users to recognize the accomplishments of librarians in public, school, college, community college and university libraries for their efforts to improve the lives of people in their community.

Nominations are accepted only at www.atyourlibrary.org/ilovemylibrarian through an online form.

Up to 10 librarians nationwide will be selected to win $5,000 and will be honored at a ceremony and reception in New York, hosted by The New York Times. Winners will be announced in December.

Over the past three years, 30 librarians from across the country have won the I Love My Librarian Award. Last year, more than 2,000 library users nationwide nominated a librarian.

Previous winners have been lauded for starting community gardens, helping students with severe disabilities read classic works of literature, for helping non-traditional students learn new technology to get better jobs and more.

For more information on previous winners, visit http://atyourlibrary.org/ilovemylibrarian.

Each nominee must be a librarian with a master’s degree from a program accredited by the American Library Association (ALA) in library and information studies or a master’s degree with a specialty in school library media from an educational unit accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education.

Nominees must be currently working in the United States in a public library, a library at an accredited two- or four-year college or university or at an accredited K-12 school.

The award is supported by Carnegie Corp. of New York and The New York Times and administered by the ALA, the oldest and largest library association in the world; and The Campaign for America’s Libraries, ALA’s public awareness campaign about the value of libraries and librarians.

From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., during Taste of Lakeport, free music will be offered in a family friendly environment at the park.

Bring your lawn chairs and a picnic basket and have some family fun.

Come enjoy all that Lake County has to offer.