LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The first list of nominees for this year's of Stars of Lake County Award nominees has been released.

The deadline for nominations for the 15th annual Stars of Lake County Community Awards is Friday, April 13.

Nomination forms are available on line at www.lakecochamber.com , just click on the Stars of Lake County banner on the home page; or you can just phone the Lake County Chamber at 707-263-5092 and they will email or fax you a form.

Melissa Fulton, chamber chief executive officer, urges community members not to let worthy nominees go unrecognized because you didn’t put in the nomination.

“We know there are many worthwhile persons, organizations and businesses that are working for our communities, not because they have to, but because they want to,” said Fulton. “Those entities deserve the recognition that Stars of Lake County nominations afford. Even more important is the work they do may encourage others in Lake County to pitch in and do the same.”

Open categories currently: Student of the Year (Male and Female); Youth Advocate of the Year – Volunteer; Agriculture Award; Environmental Award; New Business of the Year; Arts Award – Amateur and Professional.  Categories with one nominee only: Humanitarian; Senior; Volunteer; Youth Advocate – Professional; Organization – Nonprofit and Volunteer; Large Business; Lifetime Achievement.

Nominations may be made by anyone. In the case of the students, those may be made by counselors, teachers, parents, etc.

Take time to think about the people, organizations and businesses who give of themselves to better our communities and be help us provide them the recognition they deserve.

Tickets for Stars of Lake County being held at PSI Seminars on May 6 go on sale soon. For more information, contact the Chamber at 707-263-5092.

The current list of nominees is below.

STARS OF LAKE COUNTY NOMINEES

Marla Ruzicka Humanitarian of the Year
1. Dr. Paula Dhanda, Kelseyville

Senior of the Year
1. Janet Taylor, Lakeport

Volunteer of the Year
1. Edward McDonald, Lakeport

Youth Advocate of the Year-Professional
1. Patty Chandler, Lakeport

Organization of the Year-Nonprofit (has paid staff)
1. Hospice Services of Lake County, Lakeport

Organization of the Year-Volunteer (all volunteer staff)
1. Any Positive Change, Lower Lake

Small Business of the Year
1. Tatonka Trading & Mini Golf, Clearlake
2. Here for the Holidays/Accents on the Lake, Kelseyville

Large Business of the Year
1. Mendo Mill Home Center & Lumber Co., Lakeport

Best Idea of the Year
1. Window Treatments for Vacant Storefronts, All Around Lake County
2. Funtown at Lakeside Family Fun Center, Lakeport

Local Hero of the Year
1. Amy Zingone, Clearlake Oaks
2. Gabriel Lopez, Hidden Valley Lake

Woman of the Year
1. Susan Cannon, DVM, Lakeport
2. Linda Burton, Clearlake

Man of the Year
1. Charles Davis, Clearlake
2. Gary Dickson, Lakeport
3. Joey Luiz, Clearlake

Lifetime Achievement
1. Griffie Ratterree, Clearlake

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) customers can now share and compare their energy use with friends around the nation on Facebook with a new social energy application.

The app, created by Opower in partnership with Facebook and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), provides insight into individual energy use while fostering friendly competition.

To get started, PG&E customers can visit www.social.opower.com or search for the “Opower” app on Facebook and connect their utility account.

Customers who sign up will see how their home energy use compares to others with similar homes. As friends are invited and join in, people will then be able to engage in savings competitions.

PG&E customers with a SmartMeter and My Energy account can get a leg up on their competition by logging onto www.pge.com/myenergy to view hourly electric data, gaining insight to further conserve energy.

“Many of our customers use social media to help them manage their daily lives, whether arranging a get-together or playing a social networked game,” said Steve Malnight, vice president of customer energy solutions with PG&E. “With this new app we are excited to offer customers a fun and engaging place to talk about how they use energy and show their friends how saving energy can mean saving money."

Over time, the app will grow new capabilities, but already it enables customers to:

• Compare energy use to similar homes: People can benchmark their home energy use against a national database of millions of homes. All benchmarking will be done on an aggregate level, ensuring customer data privacy.
• Compare energy use among friends: Friends can compare their energy use, show how energy efficient they are, and share tips on how to improve.
• Publish conversations about energy: Participants can share information about energy use, rank, group participation, and conservation tips through the Facebook newsfeed.
• Engage in group cooperation: Communities of Facebook friends can form teams to help achieve collective goals.
• Automatically import energy data: PG&E customers can choose to import their energy data into the application automatically. Customers from utilities that are not participating can input their energy usage into the app manually.

“Improvements in energy efficiency have the potential to deliver more than $700 billion in cost savings in the United States alone,” said Brandi Colander, with NRDC’s energy and transportation group. “Motivating consumers to take action – a longstanding challenge – is the key to unlocking this potential.”

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The nonprofit organization www.saferhorse.com, dedicated to rehoming displaced horses and educating the public concerning horse welfare, manages a hay assistance program in Lake County.

This program offers temporary assistance to horse owners who find themselves in a financial crisis, unable to provide adequate feed for their horses.

As horse owners lose their jobs and homes fall into foreclosure, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to hang on to the family horses.

With few viable options, these horses often end up at the auction yard and are then sent to Mexico to slaughter houses.

This recession will end but many horses may be lost forever.

The hay assistance program, funded by public donations can help a family through tough times.

To make a donation to this program, visit Rainbow Agricultural Services on Argonaut Road in Lakeport tell them you want to contribute to the Donate a Bale Program.

Guidelines and application forms for the hay assistance program can be found on the home page of www.saferhorse.com .

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The second annual “Cattails & Tules” Wine & Food Festival Pairing will be held on Saturday, June 16, from noon to 3 p.m. at Vigilance Winery and Vineyards, 13888 Point Lakeview Road, and Gregory Graham Winery, 13633 Point Lakeview Road.

Join in the celebration of food and wine as we raise funds for Konocti Regional Trails & Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association.

Guests will receive a commemorative wine glass and enjoy fine wines as they stroll between Gregory Graham Winery and Vigilance Winery & Vineyards, tasting cuisine from local chefs & restaurants showcasing their special pairing & culinary skills.

Awards will be given in four categories from a panel of professional judges, while guests will be voting on a "special" fifth category, "Consumer's Favorite Wine & Food Pairing."

Guests can start their adventure at either location. Special transportation accommodations will be provided between the vineyards or the more ambitious can meander the 1.2-mile Red Hills Terroir Vineyard Trail.

Last year's event was a rousing success, and this year will be better than ever. All guests will be automatically entered into the Cattails & Tules Raffle for a chance to win a number of exciting prizes including: one night stay in the Gregory Graham Visitor House; one night stay in the Vigilance Vineyard House; an inflatable kayak system; guided Anderson Marsh nature walk and Ranch House tour, with picnic; guided Mt. Konocti hike with picnic and more.

Tickets are $40 per person, and are available online at http://www.cattailsandtules.com or at the following locations:

• Vigilance Winery & Vineyards, 13888 Point Lakeview Rd, Lower Lake; 707-994-9656.
• Shannon Ridge Vineyards & Winery, 12599 East Highway 20, Clearlake Oaks; 707-998-9656.
• Gregory Graham Winery, 13633 Point Lakeview Rd, Lower Lake; 707-995-3500.

The event is seeking volunteers. They need people to set up the event, sell raffle tickets, pour wine, work at the sign-in tables and help clean up.

Volunteers are needed from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. that day, and each volunteer will receive free entry, volunteer t-shirt, food and wine pairings.

They also are looking for some great raffle donations to make this a spectacular event. Have a guest house and can donate a night? Case of wine? Dinner for two? Sporting equipment? The sky’s the limit.

To volunteer or to donate raffle items, please contact Kim Smith at Shannon Ridge by calling 707-998-9656 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

By donating a raffle ticket or volunteering to work the event, you are helping to support the Anderson Marsh State Historic Park and the Konocti Regional Trails system. See details on both organizations at  www.andersonmarsh.org or www.KonoctiTrails.com .

Information on Vigilance Winery & Vineyards and Gregory Graham Winery can be seen at http://www.vigilancewinery.com and http://www.ggwines.com .

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Calpine will host its annual Earth Day event on Saturday, April 14, at the Geothermal Visitors Center in Middletown.

Join this free community event showcasing local business and celebrating Lake County sustainability.

Guided bus tours to a geothermal power plant will be given throughout the day; there is no cost, but reservations are strongly recommended.

The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. pm and will have live entertainment, demonstrations, booths, activities and much more.

Please visit www.geyers.com for bus tour reservations, or call 707-987-4270 for more information.

The Calpine Visitors Center is located at 15500 Central Park Road, Middletown.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Janie Rezner's guest on KZYX's “Women's Voices” on Monday, April 16, will be artist, scholar and author Lydia Ruyle.

The show will begin at 7 p.m. and it can be heard live at www.kxyz.org .

Ruyle's research into sacred images of women have taken her around the globe. She taught on the visual arts faculty of the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colo. for 25 years.   

She creates and exhibits her art and does workshops throughout the United States and internationally.

Her Goddess Icon Spirit Banners have flown in Australia, Canada, Britain, New Zealand, France, Luxembourg, Italy, Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Ghana, Kenya, Brazil, Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, Japan, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, China and the U.S., spreading their divine feminine energies.

A book about her work, “Goddess Icons Spirit Banners of the Divine Feminine,” was published in 2002.

“Turkey Goddess Icons Spirit Banners of the Divine Feminine” was published in Istanbul in 2005. Her banners will be on display at the upcoming Matriarchal Studies Conference In Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, May 10.

Goddess Icons/Spirit Banners are sacred images of the divine feminine from the many cultures of the world.

Each image was created and revered at some time in human history.

Visit her Web site at http://www.lydiaruyle.com/blackmadonnaspage1.html .