LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Konocti Lioness Club will be selling raffle tickets for two large Christmas gift baskets on Saturday, Dec. 15, and Saturday, Dec. 22.

The ticket sales will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in front of the Riviera Market in the Clearlake Riviera shopping center on Soda Bay Road.  

One basket is a children’s basket which overflows with books, color crayons, color books, stuffed animals, candy and many other favorite goodies.

The second basket is an adult basket filled with Lake County wine, handpainted martini glasses, candles, jewelry, lotions, candy and much more.  

The tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5 and can also be purchased at Accents on the Lake gift shop.  

The proceeds for this fundraiser will go toward the club's projects for “Helping Lake County Kids.”

What do the U.S. Postal Service and Santa Claus have in common? Neither rain, nor snow, nor heat, nor gloom of night will keep them from delivering dreams this holiday season.

The Postal Service’s annual “Letters to Santa” program, a campaign that’s helped fulfill holiday wishes of children and their families for a century, is now under way.

“Letters to Santa” is an annual letter-writing program for individuals, businesses and charitable organizations to respond to children’s letters addressed to Santa Claus, the North Pole and other seasonal characters.

To mark the start of the letter adoption period, a ceremony was held Dec. 4 at New York City’s Operation Santa command center – the iconic James A. Farley building – with a special appearance by Santa Claus.

“We are delighted to once again kick off the holiday mailing season with the start of our annual ‘Letters to Santa program’,” said Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe.

The Postal Service expects to deliver more than 15.2 billion cards, letters and packages between now and Christmas Eve.

This year, a postmark of Santa in his sleigh being pulled by six reindeer will appear in the upper right-hand corner of holiday cards and letters.

“The ‘Letters to Santa’ program has made dreams come true for those in need for 100 years,” added Donahoe. This is a time to celebrate how postal employees, charitable organizations, businesses and others have made a difference in the lives of children coast to coast.”

To learn more about the USPS “Letters to Santa” program and to view a list of participating Post Offices, visit www.usps.com/holidaynews .

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With the weather turning chillier, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) urges customers to be aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide.

Hundreds of tragic cases of carbon monoxide poisoning happen in the U.S. each year. PG&E’s tips can help customers stay warm – and safe.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, tasteless and odorless gas produced by the burning of fossil fuels and wood.

In general, properly installed and maintained natural gas appliances produce very little to no carbon monoxide. However, if unsafe concentrations of carbon monoxide are not detected, the result can be fatal.

PG&E reminds customers to make sure all natural gas furnaces and appliances are in working order.

Customers should inspect the flame on gas appliances. A blue flame indicates complete combustion and that the appliance is working properly. A lazy, yellow or white flame is a warning sign that the appliance is not burning properly and could be producing carbon monoxide.

If customers suspect a problem with a natural gas appliance in their home, they should call PG&E immediately at 1-800-743-5000. A gas service representative will be dispatched to do a thorough inspection.

To help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, PG&E offers the following safety tips:

• Install a carbon monoxide detector, which will warn you when concentrations become dangerously high. California law requires owners of all single-family homes with an attached garage or a fossil fuel source to install carbon monoxide detectors within the home. Owners of multi-family dwellings must comply by Jan. 1, 2013.

• Place detectors near sleeping areas, where they can wake you if you are asleep.

• Never use products inside the home that generate dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, such as generators, barbecues, propane heaters and charcoal.

• When using the fireplace to stay warm, make sure the flue is open so that the byproducts of combustion can vent safely through the chimney.

• Ensure that generators are properly installed and operated outdoors. For more generator safety tips, visit www.pge.com/generator .

• Do not idle cars inside the garage, and do not allow snow to block tailpipe emissions when operating a vehicle outdoors.

• Make sure water heaters and other natural gas appliances have proper ventilation. Older appliances and room heaters that are not vented externally should be inspected annually.

• As part of customers’ gas service, PG&E representatives are available to inspect gas appliances and make sure they are working safely. To schedule an inspection, customers can visit the “My Energy” feature at www.pge.com or call 1-800-743-5000.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headaches, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea and convulsions.

Because carbon monoxide is hard to detect, someone with mild poisoning can go to sleep and continue to breathe the carbon monoxide until severe illness or death occurs.

People may also mistake their symptoms for a viral infection like the flu. For more winter heating safety information, go to www.pge.com/safetycentral .

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Due to Christmas Day falling on the fourth Tuesday of the month,  a special distribution day for the Kelseyville Community Food Pantry will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 18.

It will take place from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Methodist Church in Kelseyville.

At this time, the Kelseyville Community Food Pantry would like to thank those who have given so generously of their time and money during the past year.

Special thanks go to members of the United Methodist,, the Kelseyville Presbyterian, and the Unitarian Universalist Churches, Kelseyville High School, K-Corp, Riviera Elementary School, Kelseyville Rotary and Westamerica Bank for their assistance in keeping the cupboards well-stocked.
 
On Christmas Day, the community is invited to attend Kelseyville Presbyterian Church's annual free Christmas Dinner beginning at noon at the church, located at 5340 Third St., behind Westamerica Bank in Kelseyville.

Special thanks to Chef Dennis Marshall and his crew for organizing this annual event.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake Community Pride Foundation (LCPF), a local nonprofit group, is in need of a car for its teen safe house.  

The safe house, a homeless teen shelter, currently houses four young teenagers. The house’s counselors are ensuring the necessary atmosphere and life skills needed to help these four teens succeed in school and prepare for their future endeavors.  

Bill MacDougall said the counselors have made the safe house, “feel like a real home with a Christmas tree and other decorations.”

Currently, the safe house requires a reliable vehicle in order to provide transportation to the young tenants for school functions, job opportunities, grocery shopping and any emergency that may occur.

If you are able to donate a vehicle, the donation will be tax-deductible; the donor also will receive the foundation’s Honorary Citizen Award.

Over the course of the past four years, the safe house has helped more than 50 young people. Many success stories have been written, proving that it is a beacon of light for those who may have been lost had the safe house not been there.

LCPF makes great efforts in the community to provide for the youth by supporting the youth center renovation on Golf Drive in Clearlake, supporting the performing arts of Lower Lake High School and offering shelter to teenagers who do not have the luxury of having a place to call home.

LCPF also is the group responsible for events such as the An Evening With concerts, Power to the Youth and the Safe House Golf Tournament, all of which are events that support the youth.

While the efforts of LCPF are currently focused on the Clearlake and Lower Lake areas of the county, the goal is to eventually support the youth of the entire county.

Already, the work that they've done does not stop at the boundaries of city limits. The effects of LCPF can be felt far outside of its current focus as its positive effects expand into neighboring towns and cities.

If you are interested in donating a vehicle please contact Bruno Sabatier at 707-695-0834 or email Bruno at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

For more information visit www.lakecountypride.org .

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Area Town Hall (MATH) will hold its next meeting on Thursday, Dec. 13.

The meeting will begin promptly at 7 p.m. in the dining area of the new senior center in the Middletown county building, 21256 Washington St.

Under unfinished business, the group will hold nominations for board membership and community members will have the chance to meet the candidates, and there will be a discussion of MATH's 2013 goals.

In new business, there will be consideration of naming a new park and discussion of a letter from the county regarding 2194 Bush St.

The public is invited to attend.

MATH meetings are subject to videotaping. Meeting proceedings may be available for viewing on public access television and/or the Internet.

MATH – established by resolution of the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 12, 2006 – is a municipal advisory council serving the residents of Anderson Springs, Cobb, Coyote Valley (including Hidden Valley Lake), Long Valley and Middletown.

The group’s current board of directors include Chairman Joe Sullivan, Vice Chair Claude Brown, Secretary Ken Gonzales and members Tom Darms and Martha Webster.