LAKEPORT – While we enjoy family, friends and holiday meals, many are far from all of those things and in harm’s way.  

America’s troops serve and sacrifice every day, but feel the separation from home even more during the holidays.

Operation Tango Mike sends care packages to deployed service members every month. Requests for care packages increase during the holiday season as buddies ask to add friends to the list and self-referrals rise as troops make personal requests for support.

On Saturday, Nov. 24, you can help bolster the effort to support these troops and your community.  When the shopping urge hits, think small and shop local. Patronize the businesses that contribute to our community.

You can also support the troops at a special event, Pictures with Santa.

Operation Tango Mike will host the festivities next door to Linda’s Hallmark at 991 11th St. in Lakeport.

Children, adults and dogs are welcome for the photo session from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All dogs must be leashed, current on vaccinations, socialized and well-mannered. Please do not bring an aggressive animal to this event.

Get in the holiday spirit with warm apple cider, candy canes and of course, Santa Claus. You might even meet an elf and the Jingle Pals too.

Patriotic ornaments will be available and donations of items for care packages will gladly be accepted.

For more information please call 707-349-2838 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Also, visit the Operation Tango Mike Web page at www.operationtangomike.com .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Wine Studio is hosting a wine tasting event featuring wine releases from award-winning winemaker Gregory Graham, and artist reception with photography by Eden Manus.

The reception will take place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8.

Graham’s wines will be paired with appetizers by Fit Food for Foodies cookbook author, Peggie King.  Musical entertainment during the receptions will be acoustic guitarist Stephan Holland.

While working as head winemaker at Rombauer Vineyard in Napa Valley, Greg Graham envisioned producing wines under his own label. He began to do so in 1992 using fruit purchased in Napa, Carneros and Knights Valley.  

In the year 2000, Graham seized the opportunity to grow his own winegrapes when he and his wife Marianne purchased a 13-acre Zinfandel vineyard in the Red Hills Appellation of Lake County.  

In 2004, purchase of an adjacent property planted to Cabernet Sauvignon expanded the Grahams’ operations to 27 acres, and their winery was built at the base of the vineyard hills.  

The vineyard soils are red, rocky, well drained, and ideally suited for the grape varietals that Graham grows.  

Graham harvests his grapes at the peak of fruit flavor development. In the winery, he uses boutique winemaking techniques to control the quality and to bring out superior characteristics from the fruit, and early bottling to preserve the flavors. The result is wines with bright, fresh fruit aromas and flavors with intensity and softness.

Eden Manus is a photography student at Academy of Art University San Francisco, specializing in fine art still life photography.  

Manus’ interest in art developed at a young age while living in Burbank, surrounded by all different forms of arts and entertainment.

After high school she chose photography as her preferred medium, and now freelances with her camera, shooting everything from abandoned buildings to commercial jewelry.

The $12.50 ($10/ per person for studio club members) wine sampler with paired appetizers will feature 2011 Sauvignon Blanc with white bean and red chard dip, 2011 Chardonnay with roasted and spiced Leonardis Organics Delicata squash and Bosc pears, 2008 Cinder Cone Reserve with Shannon Ranches lamb meatballs in thick and chunky marinara, 2008 Syrah (new release) with marinated crimini mushrooms, and 2010 Zinfandel (new release) with “Q” (quinoa) bites made with 72 percent cacao.

There is no charge to those who wish to view the artwork and meet the artist without partaking of the food and wine.  Reservations are not required.

Lake County Wine Studio is both a gallery for display of arts and a tasting room, wine bar and retail shop for the fine wines of Lake County. Artists’ shows are held on a monthly basis with art and wine receptions held the first Friday and subsequent Saturday of each month.

The gallery is located at 9505 Main St. in Upper Lake. It is open Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Manus art show will be on display for the full month of December.  

For more information call Lake County Wine Studio at 707-275-8030.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Join University of California Master Gardeners Gabriele O’Neill and Judy Cortesi at the “Gardens of the Future: Introduction to Edible Landscaping” workshop.

This informative workshop will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 27, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Agricultural Center, 883 Lakeport Blvd., Lakeport (a wheelchair-accessible facility).

The workshop is free; however a $5 donation is suggested to cover printed materials.

The beautiful and informative 2013 Lake County Master Gardener Calendar also will be available to purchase for $11.

There is growing awareness of issues related to healthy eating to combat lifestyle diseases and obesity, as well as the need to save money during difficult economic times.

This has led to increased interest in the concept of Edible Landscaping, using vegetables and fruits as landscape plants as part of a garden design, not just in the countryside, but in urban backyards as well.

First popularized by garden and food writer Rosalind Creasy, edible landscaping is now advocated by many gardening authorities and educators, including the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

There are many ways to practice edible landscaping, even for those who may lack the luxury of a large space or excess spare time to dedicate a garden solely to vegetables and fruits, or prefer to emphasize more traditional ornamental plants.

For additional information, or directions to the Agricultural Center, call the UC Cooperative Extension at 707-263-6838.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Taylor Observatory-Norton Planetarium will host its seasonal presentations of “The Mystery of the Christmas Star” beginning Saturday, Nov. 24.

The shows will take place at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Sundays through Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013.

Journey back 2.000 years to Bethlehem as they seek to discover which ancient star was the one the wise men followed to find the baby Jesus.

This modern retelling of the Christmas story also investigates possible dates for the birth of Christ and looks at recorded sightings of significant astronomical events during this important time in history.

What signs in the sky could have been so intriguing as to cause the wise men to cross a desert in search of the newborn King?

“Mystery of the Christmas Star” will answer all of these questions and more, while charming audiences of all ages.

Ticket prices are $5 for adults and $3 for children under age 12.

For more information, visit www.taylorobservatory.org and check its “Planetarium Programs and Movies Page.”

The Taylor Observatory-Norton Planetarium is located at 5725 Oak Hills Lane, Kelseyville.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Caltrans and the Mendocino Council of Governments (MCOG) will hold a second series of public meetings for the Pacific Coast Bike Route and California Coastal Trail Engineered Feasibility Study.  

The study will identify gaps in bicycle and pedestrian facilities along Route 1 in Mendocino County, develop a plan for prioritizing and implementing improvements, and establish realistic cost estimates for the highest priority projects.

The meetings will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Gualala, Point Arena, Mendocino and Westport on the following dates: Nov. 28 at Gualala Community Center, 47950 Center St.; Nov. 29 at Point Arena City Hall, 451 School St.; Dec. 5 at Mendocino K-8 School, 44261 Little Lake Road; Dec. 6 at Westport Community Church, 24900 Abalone St.

The public is encouraged to attend one of these meetings to learn about the study by reviewing educational displays and materials, and provide comments about potential project locations.  

Caltrans and MCOG staff will be on hand to answer questions.  

The draft feasibility study is posted at http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist1/d1transplan/system_planning/pcbr-cct.htm .

NICE, Calif. – The award-winning Featherbed Railroad is hosting an open event featuring the millinery (hat designs) of Lake County artist Toni Stewart.

The reception will take place from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 25.

The event will raise funds for the Lakeport Women's Civic Club and features a food and dessert pairing with the wines of Thorn Hill and a variety of homemade desserts and chocolates paired with these wines.

The fundraising food and dessert pairing is just $25 with proceeds going to the charity but attendance at the event is free.

Stewart will be on hand to explain her vision and style.

Millinery, or hat making, is an art that dates back centuries and Stewart has some incredible examples of her work which will be on display.

Proceeds from this event will benefit the Lakeport Women's Civic Club, the philanthropic contributions of which include monies for scholarships, the Freedom House domestic violence shelter in Kelseyville, Westside Park, Toys for Tots and the Victim Witness Program to name a few.

Featherbed Railroad is located at 2870 Lakeshore Blvd., Nice.

For more information call Featherbed Railroad at 707-274-8378 or visit http://featherbedrailroad.com/blog/toni-stewart/ .