CLEARLAKE, Calif. – In conjunction with a Thanksgiving Day outreach event that included a meal for members of the City of Clearlake community, free health screenings were provided at the Clearlake Youth Center by Worldwide Healing Hands.
 
Dr. Arthur Bikangaga, health screening organizer and team leader, was joined by Dr. Paula Dhanda and several volunteers to check blood pressure and other vital signs and to discuss health concerns with individuals.

Additionally, participants received knit caps and socks donated by Worldwide Healing Hands and handmade soap donated by community members.
 
Assisted by Registered Nurses Kathy Madsen and Zamitley Saroza, the doctors screened 28 people – 18 females and 10 males – ranging in age from 8 to 84 years old.

Patients were screened for health problems and were referred for appropriate services depending on their needs, said Dr. Dhanda.

The individuals were given written recommendations and contact information for followup.

Health issues identified during the consultations included high blood pressure, the need for contraception and family planning counseling, the need for breast and cervical cancer preventative exams, the need for vaccinations including the Gardasil vaccine to prevent cervical cancer and smoking cessation counseling.

The physicians identified patients at risk for domestic violence, counseled an individual with fetal alcohol syndrome and advised one woman to seek treatment due to high risk for cancer of the uterus.
 
“Also noted was the lack of knowledge about availability of health care coverage or how to get it,” said Dr. Bikangaga. “This may be a major factor in avoidance of care.”
 
The physicians plan to conduct similar screening clinics in the future. Informing individuals about health care availability will be emphasized at the next session, Bikangaga said.

Volunteers assisting with sign-in and distribution of written materials and hats, socks and soap included Karna Horn, Wendy McCrae, Michael DelValle, Susan Stout, Irene Lopez, Angelique Fricke, Darian DelValle, Jasmin Clarke and John Paul Clarke.

“Worldwide Healing Hands thanks all the volunteers who gave up time with their families on Thanksgiving Day to participate in caring for members of our community,” said Dr. Dhanda.

For information about upcoming screenings or availability of health care, call Patti Lee in Dr. Bikangaga’s office at 707-263-1677.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Christmas at the Ranch event slated for Saturday, Dec. 13, at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park will feature local musicians singing and playing Christmas carols and inviting audience members to join in.

The event will take place from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

This annual Christmas celebration has been held at the state park for 25 years and is a favorite holiday tradition for many families.

The public is warmly invited to enjoy the atmosphere of the cozy ranch house at the park, with crackling fires in both rooms, delicious holiday goodies served, and state park docents available to answer questions about the park and the ranch house.

The Christmas tree will have been decorated by students from Lower Lake Elementary and Santa Claus will be there to greet children and their parents.

All are welcome and the event is free of charge.

At 11 a.m. Tom Nixon, Harry Lyons and Rick McCann will be playing, followed by the popular David Neft at noon.

The day also will feature local folk singer Joan Moss and some of her friends, and AMIA board members like Don Coffin, Gae Henry and Henry Bornstein contributing. The atmosphere is casual and friendly and visitors are encouraged to sing along.

The event is presented by the Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association, whose board members and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions about the Ranch House and how Christmas was celebrated in Victorian days. Coffee, hot cider, cookies and other baked goods will be served.

Join AMIA for a festive and friendly day at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, located off of Highway 53 between Lower Lake and Clearlake.

For information about the event, contact AMIA at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 707-995-2658, or go to www.andersonmarsh.org .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service forecasts an extreme weather system with high winds and heavy rainfall to hit Lake County Wednesday evening and continuing through Friday.

Due to the potential hazards of this anticipated storm, the Lake County Planning Commission meeting scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 11, has been adjourned until Jan. 8.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The SPCA of Clear Lake is announcing its “12 Days of Christmas” adoption special.

From Dec. 12 through 24, the cost to adopt all adult cats and dogs will be half off. That’s just $35 for a cat, or $75 for a dog.

Each new pet comes already spayed or neutered and with its first set of shots. What could be better than giving an SPCA cat or dog a new home for the holidays.

It has been a very busy year at the SPCA and the kennels are once more at capacity.

Some of these pets have been at the shelter since the summer and would love to have a new family.

If you have been thinking about an adoption, now is the time. Don’t forget to ask about their sponsored pets. Some of their cats or dogs already have had their adoption fees paid, making them even a better deal.

The SPCA is open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

If you or a friend have been thinking of getting a pet, the staff and volunteers at the SPCA of Clear Lake would love to see you and assist in helping you pick out just the right cat or dog. 

Don’t forget that the SPCA also is your place to go for low cost spay or neuter, as well as vaccinations. Contact the friendly staff regarding dates and times.

The SPCA of Clear Lake is located at 8025 Highway 29 in Kelseyville.

For more information, call the SPCA at 707-279-1400.

Brenda Crandall is the public information officer for the SPCA of Clear Lake.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Painstakingly handcrafted reproductions of historic dolls are featured at Gibson Museum in Middletown during December.

Heads and body parts are sculpted and cast, and costumes handsewn in Elizabeth Eaholtz’s Hidden Valley Lake home.

She is currently assisted by friends and neighbors, two of the Salvadori sisters — Natalina, age 11, and Valentina, age 12.

Who could say which is the more delightful of the two collections of handmade dolls featured in the holiday displays at the Gibson Museum in Middletown?

In addition to a bevy of charming “historic” dolls, actually authentic reproductions by Eaholtz, the engaging “rag dolls” created by Middletown artist Sophie Lauterborn are equally appealing, in an entirely different way.

Handiwork is key to the overall display. A tree decorated by Georgeann Tintorri of Hidden Valley Lake with selections from her lifelong collection of Christmas ornaments graces the historic Gibson building’s huge front picture window.

For this occasion, Tintorri has chosen handcrafted ornaments created by her family and friends over the years.

A handcrafted nativity and a holiday oriented quilt are included in the show, along with a handful of aged toys, games and Santa figurines.

Gibson Museum is open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday afternoons from 1 to 5 p.m.

It is located across from Middletown’s Community Center at the intersection of Calistoga and Callayomi streets.

For further information write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone 707-809-8009.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – With a major storm now heading toward Northern and Central California, Pacific Gas and Electric is reminding customers that power outages may occur this week due to significant rainfall, potential flooding and high winds.

PG&E is implementing its emergency preparedness plans and utilizing advanced technology to be ready to restore service to impacted customers safely and as quickly as possible.

“With storms bearing down on our region, we want our customers to know that PG&E has a plan, is mobilizing resources and will work around the clock to restore service to customers,” said Geisha Williams, executive vice president of electric operations. “Likewise, we encourage our customers to have a personal or family preparedness plan in place and – above all else – stay safe as winter weather arrives in our area.”

PG&E crews are prepared and ready to respond to power outages as soon as weather conditions permit the safe restoration of power.

The utility is also pre-positioning contract power restoration and vegetation management crews.

PG&E routinely practices its preparedness and response to storms and other emergencies through company exercises and through drills with local first responders.

The company also utilizes the latest technology to restore power more quickly and efficiently after a storm.

This includes the use of storm outage prediction models, the installation of automated equipment that “self-heals” the electric grid as well as timely and accurate outage data from its network of more than 4.5 million electric SmartMeters.

PG&E urges customers to stay safe during storms and remember the following safety tips:

– Always treat low hanging and downed power lines as if they are energized and extremely dangerous. Keep yourself and others away from them. Be aware that trees, pools of water and other objects that may be in contact with power lines. If you see damaged power lines or electrical equipment, call 911 immediately and then notify PG&E at 1-800-743-5002.
– During a power outage, use battery-operated flashlights, and not candles, due to the risk of fire. If you must use candles, please keep them away from drapes, lampshades, holiday trees and small children. Do not leave candles unattended.
– Customers with generators should make sure they are properly installed by a licensed electrician in a well-ventilated area. Improperly installed generators pose a significant danger to crews working on power lines.
– If you experience an outage, unplug or turn off all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire hazards when power is restored. Simply leave a single lamp on to alert you when power returns. Turn your appliances back on one at a time when conditions return to normal.