CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Cinco de Mayo 'Celliebration' benefit dinner for 6-year-old Elizabeth “Ellie” Swanson and her family will be held this Saturday, May 3.

Doors open at 5 p.m. with dinner at 5:30 p.m. at the Clearlake Senior/Community Center, 3245 Bowers Ave.

Come enjoy a dinner of pork ribs, chicken, mexican rice, beans, tortillas, salad and chips/salsa
dinner, live auction, silent auction, dessert raffle and more.

Tickets are $20 per person for adults and $10 for children age 12 and under.

Proceeds with benefit the Swanson family as they deal with Ellie's recent cancer diagnosis.

In February the child was diagnosed with ganglioneuroblastoma, a cancerous tumor that is approximately 10 centimeters, or the size of two adult male fists.

Ellie is in the process of undergoing four rounds of chemotherapy. In between each round she will get to come home for a short while.

After the tumor shrinks from around her lung and backs away from her spinal fluid, they will do surgery to remove it.

The goal of the May 3 dinner is to raise enough money to ease the worries of medical bills and travel expenses during these months of treatment, giving Ellie the hope of a long life.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Several spaces are still available in the car control clinic offered by the National Auto Sport Association and California Highway Patrol this Saturday, May 3.

The clinic will begin at 8 a.m. with briefings and introductions in the parking lot at Lakeside Family Fun and Event Center, 872 Lakeport Blvd.

For both new and experienced drivers, the clinic teaches the proper responses in different situations.

Participants will take part in hard braking exercises, including turns while max braking; slalom through cones to get the feel of where the corners are on your car; and use a skid pad that enables you to get your car loose then practice recovering control.

Register online at www.nasacarcontrol.org .

The fee is $99 per person, which covers insurance costs plus other administrative costs. Scholarships are available for those that are in need. The class number is limited to 20.

For more information, contact Eric Wheaton of the National Auto Sport Association at 707-279-4840 or Officer Kory Reynolds at the Clear Lake CHP office at 707-279-0103.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – There will be a landscaping fundraiser in the parking lot of the Lakeport Community Seventh-Day Adventist Church on Sunday, May 4.

It will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

They will be offering organic and heirloom vegetable and melon plant starts for sale, cash only.

Come and get a great start on this year's garden.

The church is located at 1111 Park Way (at the corner of Park and Hill).

For further information call 707-263-9157 and ask for Liz.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Join the Lake County Land Trust on Monday, May 19, for the annual Spring Dinner at the Saw Shop Gallery Bistro in Kelseyville starting at 6 p.m.

Reservations are required and can be made by calling the Saw Shop at 707-278-0129; payment is taken at the door on the evening of the dinner; tickets are $70 per person.

Mingle with friends and fellow Lake County Land Trust supporters and enjoy wonderful Lake County wines during the 6 p.m. social hour, followed at 7 p.m. by a delicious four-course dinner crafted and served by the chef and staff of the Saw Shop Gallery Bistro restaurant.

Services, food, and wine are donated by Marie Beery owner of the Saw Shop to help support the Lake County Land Trust.

This fundraiser benefits the Land Trust’s land conservation projects and public programs.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Several hundred children attended the Lakeport Rotary’s 89th annual Easter Egg hunt this year.

The hunt was held on Easter Sunday at the Lake County Fairgrounds.

It is held every year, rain or shine.

Lakeport Rotary members boiled, dyed and hid 240 dozen eggs (that works out to be 2,880 eggs) for the children to hunt.

Some of the eggs hidden included some “special pay eggs” which Lakeport Rotary awarded with monetary prizes.

The club paid $10 for special gold-colored eggs. The three winners included:

• Zarya Weaver, age 1 , Lakeport;
• Jaier Inostroza, age 5, Lakeport;
• Lana Prohasla, age 12, Sunnyvale.

The club paid $5 for special silver-colored eggs. The six winners included:

• Arana Williamson, age 2, Lakeport;
• Abbey Curnuit, age 8, Lakeport;
• Miguel Matcos, age 4, Santa Rosa;
• Mosi Olver, age 6, Cobb;
• Adrian Feres, age 12, Lakeport;
• Jarred Barr, age 11, Lakeport.

The club also awarded $1 for each of the “special pay eggs” – 300 in all.

The weather was perfect and the smiles were abundant, making for a perfect Easter Sunday.

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Lake County sheriff candidate Brian Martin invites the community to a barbecue meet and greet this Saturday, May 3, in Hidden Valley Lake.

It will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Greenview Room, 19210 Hartmann Road.

Have your questions and concerns answered by Martin personally.

There will be barbecue chicken, beans, salad and garlic bread for a suggested donation of $5 per person.

For more information about Martin's campaign, visit his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BrianMartinForLakeCountySheriff2014 or his campaign Web site, http://martinforsheriff.com/ , and follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/@brian4sheriff .