LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Many of us buy or receive a poinsettia plant for the holidays, but how many of us know how to care for it so that it looks good for the next holiday season?

The U.C. Master Gardeners of Lake County offer the following tips on poinsettia care.

For maximum plant life, place your poinsettia near a sunny window or another well-lighted area. Do not let any part of the plant touch cold window panes.

Poinsettias are tropical plants and are usually grown at temperatures between 60 and 70°F.

Examine the soil daily and water only when it feels dry. Always water enough to soak the soil at the bottom of the pot.

To have a well-shaped plant for the following year, cut each of the old flowering stems or branches back to 4 to 6 inches in height in February or early March.

Leave one to three leaves on each of the old stems or branches as the new growth will come from buds located in the leaf axils.

Keep the plant in a sunny window at a temperature between 60 and 70°F and water as described above. Fertilize as needed every two weeks.
 
Repot into a larger pot if the plant is too large for the old one. Use any of the common peat moss and vermiculite/perlite potting soils sold at garden centers.

For more information about poinsettias, or to contact a UC Master Gardener with questions about your garden, call 707-263-6838, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit your local U.C. Cooperative Extension office at 883 Lakeport Blvd. in Lakeport.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Cardinals brought eight wrestlers to the 2014 CMC Novice Tournament and took home six medals. 

For most, this was their first high school wrestling meet, but the Cardinals still ended the day with four gold medals, a silver and a bronze. 

Mia Miller was a gold medalist in the 126-128 pounds girls division.

In the boys division, Jacob Pyorre took first place in the 105-111 pounds division, going 3-0, while pinning all of his opponents.

Issac Lewis won first place in the 151-159 pounds division, pinning all three of his opponents. 

Tyler Buchholz took home the gold medal in the 159-160 pounds division while going 4-0 on the day. 

Dillon Williams took second place at 161-169 pounds, going 3-1 and Jacob Caldwell took the bronze medal in the 142-150 pounds class.

Also turning in a solid performance at 84-103 pounds, but just missing the medal round, was Marela Soto.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The SPCA of Clear Lake hosted its inaugural winter fundraiser on Sunday, Dec. 7, at the Kelseyville Lion’s Club.

Local beverages and catering were served amidst an array of silent and live auction items.

David Neft on keyboards added to the holiday festivities, which celebrated a renewed dedication to the SPCA through an innovative board of directors.

Monies raised through the fundraiser will provide much needed services and programs for rescued animals in Lake County.

The SPCA relies on donations through memberships, sponsorships, foster care and other volunteers to maintain the shelter and provide education to the community.

A check, volunteer time, as well as day-to-day care items for dogs and cats are greatly appreciated at the SPCA year round, to feed and comfort the animals and assist with the adoption process.

For more information, visit the shelter and SPCA office at 8025 Highway 29 in Kelseyville.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – All branches of the Lake County Library system will be closed Dec. 24 and 25 to observe Christmas.

Normal hours at all branches will resume on Dec. 26.

Call your local branch if you have any questions.

All branches of the Lake County Library system will be closed Jan. 1, 2015, 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 .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Chapter of California Women for Agriculture (LCCWA) held its yearly fall social the evening of December 4 at the Riviera Hills Restaurant.

Newly elected officers for 2015 were inducted by Marilyn Holdenried, a founding member of the local chapter, included incoming President Sharron Zoller, Vice Presidents Toni Scully and Diane Henderson, Recording Secretary Susie Kauffman, Corresponding Secretary Cheri Cunningham and Treasurer Paula Bryant.

Area representatives include Karen Hook for the Kelseyville region, Bonnie Sears for the Lakeport region, Colleen Rentsch for the Upper Lake area and Karen Jones for the South County region.

Lori McGuire and Rachel White oversee the production of the LCCWA newsletter and Sausha Racine heads the chapter’s scholarship committee.

Rebecca Southwick is the chapter’s publicity chair and Terry Dereniuk provides community support for LCCWA.

President Zoller honored members Annette Hopkins, recipient of the Lake County Farm Bureau Community Service Award, and Diane Henderson, recognized as the agriculture Star of Lake County, for their outstanding contributions to Lake County agriculture. 

Hopkins arrived in Lake County 15 years ago from Santa Cruz where she participated in “Agri Culture,” an established educational program with a 25 year history.

In 2009, Hopkins approached LCCWA with a proposal for a program to provide information about agriculture’s influence on Lake County’s economy and culture by educating community leaders, local and state government officials, and local influence makers in a four-day long interactive educational program.

The LCCWA Board embraced the program, called AgVenture, and Hopkins lead the committee to create the educational series for the first two years. She became the LCCWA president in 2011-2013. Today, she remains active on the AgVenture Committee and in CWA.

Henderson, from a fifth-generation Lake County farming family, farms the home orchard that her great-grandfather, Louis Henderson, planted in 1891.

She earned a bachelor's degree from Chico State and a master's in English from California State Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo.

She taught in the Language Arts Department of Cuesta Community College for 12 years before returning to Lake County to farm.

Henderson is a pioneer of integrated pest management and sustainable farming practices. She served on the Research Committee of the California Pear Advisory Board for more than two decades and she currently serves on the board of directors for the California Pear Growers, the Lake County Farm Bureau, and the Lake County Chapter of California Women for Agriculture.

As a featured speaker of the AgVenture program, her orchard is a favorite stop for the AgVenture class each year.

To learn more about the Lake County Chapter of California Women for Agriculture, visit www.lakecountycwa.org .          

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Caltrans reports that the following road projects will be taking place around the North Coast during the coming week.

Included are Mendocino County projects that may impact Lake County commuters.

LAKE COUNTY
 
There is no major roadwork scheduled for Lake County from Friday, Dec. 5, through Thursday, Dec. 11.
 
MENDOCINO COUNTY
 
Highway 1

– Bridge deck rehabilitation at the Salmon Creek Bridge will continue.  One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
 
Highway 101

– Caltrans will perform slide repairs near the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge (near Frog Woman Rock). Northbound traffic will be restricted to one lane 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.
 
– Highway construction from Sherwood Road to north Willits railroad crossing will continue. Intermittent one-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

The Caltrans Traffic Operations Office has reviewed each project and determined that individual project delays are expected to be less than the statewide policy maximum of 30 minutes, unless noted otherwise above.

For information pertaining to emergency roadwork or for updates to scheduled roadwork, please contact the California Highway Information Network (CHIN) at 1-800-GAS-ROAD (1-800-427-7623).