LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Democratic Central Committee will hold its regular meeting on Thursday, Aug. 1.
 
The monthly meeting will take place in Lakeport at 1210 S. Main Street at 6 p.m.
 
The agenda includes reports from representatives for Congressman Mike Thompson and Congressman John Garamendi, Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada and State Sen. Noreen Evans, as well as reports from the Stonewall Democratic Club Chair Mark Wickhamshire and representative from the Lake County Democratic Club Paula Mune.
 
The guest will be Craig Bach, president of Lucerne Friends of Locally Owned Water. He will be discussing the impact of Cal Water's rate increases on the citizens of Lucerne.

The purpose of Lucerne FLOW is to investigate ways and means of acquiring local control of the community water system, including forming a special district, and represent the interests of the community – not only in water matters, but in providing support to the local senior center and working with the county redevelopment agency to bring further economic assistance to the community.

Visit the group's Web site at http://www.lucerneflow.org/ .
 
They also will revisit the issues of the recall effort of Sheriff Frank Rivero and senior mobile home park rent control initiatives.
 
The annual LCDCC Legislators Bar-B-Que is Oct. 6. Volunteers are still being accepted.
 
The group invites public participation. Meetings are open to the public and committee membership is open to all registered Democrats.
 
The Lake County Democratic Central Committee is the official governing body of the Democratic Party in Lake County.
 
For more information about the Democratic party in Lake County please visit www.lakecountydemocrats.org .
 
Contact the Democratic Party of Lake County at 707-533-4885 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The regular meeting of the Lake County Flying Saucer Club will take place beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 28.

The meeting will be held at McDonald's on Todd Road in Lakeport.

The video “Sirius” about the Disclosure Project by Steven Greer will be shown.

Meetings are free and open to the public.

For more information, visit the club Web site at www.lakcountyflyingsaucerclub.yolasite.com , email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call Chip at 707-263-3391.

SACRAMENTO – The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) announced this week their continued opposition to the state imposed State Responsibility Area (SRA) fees as the second round of bills are slated to hit rural homeowners’ mailboxes.

The SRA fees, also known as fire prevention fees, are imposed by the state, and aim to backfill a void created in the Cal Fire budget in 2011.

“RCRC remains opposed to this fee. It is bad public policy, and unfair to rural homeowners,” said Kevin Cann, RCRC board chair and Mariposa County supervisor. “We will continue our efforts to repeal this fee, and relieve rural homeowners of this duplicative tax.”

The SRA fee is the result of budget bill AB 29X, approved by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2011. This legislation was passed into law with little opportunity for public input, and was vehemently opposed by counties, fire districts, and associations representing firefighters.

The first round of bills were mailed to rural homeowners in 2012, following a costly, and inefficient implementation period, where the state spent an estimated $15 million in up-front costs to launch the program.

RCRC has ongoing concerns with several aspects of the fee.

First, according to Cal Fire’s own data, their most expensive activities are for fire suppression in highly urbanized areas, not rural areas.

Second, most landowners in the SRA have already agreed to a fire protection and prevention tax at the local level, making the SRA fee duplicative.

Finally, SRA fees weaken the state’s mutual aid system, and by taking a greater role, place the state in a position of long-term liability over local firefighting and prevention efforts, leaving them vulnerable to legitimate litigation claims.

Bills for the 2012-13 fiscal year will begin hitting rural homeowners’ mailboxes this week, mailed in alphabetical order by county.

A detailed schedule is available on the BOE Web site at http://www.boe.ca.gov/sptaxprog/fire_prev_fee.htm .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Three generations of active 4-H involvement adds up to 106 years and recognition as a “Century Family” for the Alexander-Jones clan of Lakeport.  

Paul Alexander (1918-98) racked up an amazing 44 years of service starting in Texas 1945. He moved to Ft. Jones, Calif., where he founded a 4-H club in 1947.  

In 1950 he relocated to Upper Lake and became a 4-H project leader and longtime volunteer at the Lake County Fair and the Junior Livestock Committee.  

His wife Otha Alexander (1916-2005) acted as a project leader in California and Texas, acquiring 32 years of service over the years.  

Not surprisingly, all four of their children were Lake County 4-H members and one a 4-H All Star.

In 2006 daughter Peggy Alexander-Jones helped to charter a new club in Lakeport, Blue Heron 4-H and enrolled her own children, Ethan Jones (4-H Emerald Star and seven years involvement) and Asia Jones (4-H All Star and seven years involvement). Together they can claim 30 years of participation.  

Add all the years of all five of these individuals and the grand total is 106 years of 4-H earning them the honorary title of “4-H Century Family.”

4-H has a long and proud history in Lake County and no doubt there are other “century families.” If you know of a family who qualifies, please visit the 4-H Centennial Web site by searching “Lake County 4-H century family,” visiting www.celake.ucanr.edu or find the link on Facebook: Lake County 4-H (event) or call Peggy Alexander at 707-263-1733.

Various centennial celebrations throughout the state of California are under way and Lake County is planning its own event to honor the 4-H organization and its members past and present on Oct. 6 at the Lake Country Fairgrounds in Lakeport.  

For more information on 4-H and the UC Davis Cooperative extension, contact the area’s local office at 707-263-6838.

Peggy Alexander is the Lake County, Calif., 4-H Centennial Committee chair.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Lake Community Pride Foundation will hold its annual meeting next month.

The foundation will meet beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20.

The meeting will take place at the Konocti Unified School District Office at 9430 Lake St. in Lower Lake.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Time Bank of Thrive Lake County will hold an orientation meet up brunch on Saturday, Aug. 10, from 10 a.m. to noon.

The gathering will take place at the Kelseyville Methodist/Unitarian Universalist Church on 3810 Main St. in Kelseyville (across the street from the Saw Shop).

This fun and education event is open to members and potential members of the time bank. The agenda includes an introduction to the concept of time banking, a time for questions and answers, and activities designed to get participants started in time banking.

All ages are welcome. Admission is free, and you can earn hours from the Time Bank from this event in the following ways: One hour will be provided for anybody who brings a breakfast or brunch food item to share with eight other people; one hour will be provided for anybody who brings a friend to the event; oOne hour will be provided to anyone who stays for the entire event and completes the orientation.

The Time Bank of Thrive Lake County helps Lake County residents get necessary services through allowing the exchange of time instead of cash.

To find out more about the Time Bank of Thrive Lake County or for more information about this event, visit the Thrive Lake County Web site at http://thrivelakecounty.org/time-bank.html , send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or telephone 707-413-0220.