LAKEPORT, Calif. – Westshore Little League will hold baseball and softball sign-ups on Saturday, Jan. 17, and Saturday. Jan. 24.

The sign-ups will take place from noon to 3 p.m. at the Lakeport Elementary cafeteria, 250 Lange St., or online at www.westshorelittleleague.com .

Children ages 4 to 13 are welcome to participate.

The cost to register is $75 for the first child, $65 for the second child and $55 for each additional child.

After Feb. 7, which is the close of tryouts, the registration cost is $100 per child.

There will be a glove and cleats exchange at the Lakeport sign-ups.  Please bring any items you would like to donate.

New players to the league need to bring a copy of their birth certificate and proof of Lakeport, Upper Lake or Lucerne residence.

For more information visit www.westshorelittleleague.com .

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Crafts Swap & Shop will be held in Upper Lake on Sunday, Dec. 21.

This special shopping opportunity will take place at the Odd Fellows Hall, 9480 Main St. from noon to 4 p.m.

A wide variety of unique locally made crafts and antique, recycled and handmade holiday decorations will be on sale. Handmade jams, candy and sweet breads also will be available, just in time to grace the holiday tables. In addition, a healing arts practitioner will be present.

The initial idea behind the Crafts Swap & Shop was for local crafters to swap their unneeded supplies with each other, and also to sell them to the public.

Most crafters collect vast amounts of supplies to create their crafts, some of which may exceed their actual needs.

Because crafters are granted large discounts for their bulk purchases, home crafters or hobbyists can benefit from direct access to these discounts in a sharing opportunity such as this.

Arts and crafts supplies to be sold on Dec. 21 are drawing and painting materials, yarn and sewing supplies, gourds, stamp books and art books. Jewelry making supplies will consist of beads, charms, findings, chain, cords and more.

The Crafts Swap & Shop also was created to familiarize the community with the special talents of the featured crafters, so they can realize that local crafters are viable options for purchasing throughout the year.

The collection of locally made crafts will include jewelry, window and mirror ornaments, boot ornaments, pet beds, candles, wood art and painted furniture. 

The Crafts Swap & Shop crafters also are excited to present their original apparel designs of handmade knit and crocheted scarves and outer wear, painted shirts, scarves and shoes. 

Those seeking gifts for children will be able to find youth sized-jewelry and apparel, antique dolls, Barbies and handmade doll houses.

 For this year and next, holiday enthusiasts should appreciate the great discounts on holiday cards, wrapping paper and bows, ornaments and decorations from the “vaults” of the crafters.

The crafters of the Crafts Swap & Shop would like to remind everyone that shopping local helps to strengthen the local economy.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Blue Heron 4-H Club members this past week shared the holiday spirit with residents at Rocky Point Care Center in Lakeport.

Blue Heron members Charlie and Robin Adams, Jaden and Presley Bussard, Copper and Hanna Garrity, Ethan Jones, and Jules and Seth Showalter visited the center on Friday, Dec. 12.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lake County Library director Christopher Veach invites the public to “come play with an Ipad, Galaxy Tab, Kindle Fire, and Nexus 7 tablet and learn how to download free ebooks from the Library!”

 Library staff will conduct a free Technology Petting Zoo at Redbud Library 14785 Burns Valley Road in Clearlake from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, to introduce people to an array of small electronic devices.

Patrons can try out the various devices in the library and can bring in their own devices to get help with them.

People can use their Lake County Library cards to borrow electronic books through the library’s Web site for free.

Library staff will demonstrate how to download ebooks at the Technology Petting Zoo.

For more information about the Technology Petting Zoo call Lakeport Library at 707-263-8817.

The other library branches will host Technology Petting Zoos in rotation over the coming months.

In 2015 Technology Petting Zoos will be held at Middletown Library on Jan. 30, Upper Lake Library on Feb. 28, Lakeport Library on March 28, Redbud Library on April 25 and at Middletown Library on May 30. All Technology Petting Zoos will occur from 1 to 3 p.m.

Redbud Library is located at 14785 Burns Valley Road in Clearlake.

Middletown Library is located at 21256 Washington St. in Middletown.

Upper Lake Library is located at 310 Second St. in Upper Lake. Call Lakeport Library at 707-263-8817 for information about the Technology Petting Zoos.

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

Library events are posted on the calendar at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Lake_County_CA__Library/Calendar.htm .

COBB, Calif. – Kindness and Generosity Scholarship Fund applications are now being accepted for the upcoming compassion-based Mindfulness for Stress Reduction, Personal Clarity and Emotional Freedom courses, which begin Jan. 13 in the Clearlake/Lower Lake area and Jan. 15 in Lakeport.
 
Local mindfulness teacher, JoAnn Saccato, created the fund for the courses as a way to help those wishing to attend the eight-week series who may not have the resources.

“When we started the fund, I guaranteed the seed donors that there would be two full scholarships and numerous partial scholarships for each of the courses,” explained Saccato. This equates to four full scholarships available for the upcoming courses, two for Clearlake/Lower Lake area and two for the Lakeport course.
 
“The donors' generosity to the Fund enables others to receive the benefits of mindfulness. The gift is not only beneficial to the recipient, but to all they touch. So this one act of generosity can ripple out indefinitely,” Saccato smiled.
 
The courses run eight weeks and sessions are 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays in the Clearlake/Lower Lake area and Thursdays in Lakeport.

Full information on the course and links to the scholarship application can be found at  http://www.companioningthesacredjourney.com/courses.html or by calling JoAnn at 707-350-1719.

The deadline for application for the January courses is Jan. 8, 2015.

“But,” noted Saccato, “since there are limited funds available, early application is encouraged.”
 
Non-tax-deductible donations can be made to the fund as well through the Web site.

LAKEPORT, Calif. –  The Lake County Lupoyoma Parlor No. 329 of the Native Daughters of the Golden West will next meet on Wednesday, Jan. 14.

The group will meet at 6 p.m. in the meeting room of Round Table Pizza, 821 11th St. in Lakeport.

If you were born in California and are over 16 you are a native Californian eligible for membership in the Native Daughters of the Golden West Organization.

The Native Daughters is a fraternal and patriotic organization founded in 1886 on the principles of :

– Love of home;
– Devotion to the flag;
– Veneration of the pioneers;
– Faith in the existence of God.

All Native Daughters are welcome to attend.

For more information contact either Carla Dore, 831-524-5588, or Dee Cuney, 707-235-2902.

For information about Lake County Konocti No. 159 Chapter of the Native Sons of the Golden West contact Tony Braito at 707 245-7663.