LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Political satirist Roy Zimmerman will return to Lake County for a benefit concert in January.

Zimmerman will perform in the Lower Lake Schoolhouse Museum’s Weaver Auditorium, 16435 Morgan Valley Road, on Saturday, Jan. 19.

The event is a benefit from KPFZ 88.1 FM, Lake County Community Radio.

Doors open at 6 p.m., with the concert beginning at 7 p.m.

Tickets cost $20 per person for KPFZ members and $22 for nonmembers.

For tickets call 707-350-1150.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Chapter of Sons In Retirement is sponsoring a three day snow train trip to Reno Feb. 26-28.

The package includes motor coach from Clearlake to Sacramento; one way Amtrak trip from Sacramento to Reno, arriving at 4:30 p.m.; two nights’ accommodations at the Eldorado Hotel; breakfast buffet, cocktail party, prime rib buffet and dinner show at the Eldorado.

The show is “Magique,” starring illusionists Kevin & Caruso. This is an outstanding magic show with beautiful costumes, special effects, music and razzle dazzle, plus glamorous showgirls who materialize and then vanish in a cloud of smoke.  

The return trip is by motor coach from Reno to Clearlake.

The cost is $199 per person, double occupancy.

Reservations must be in by Jan. 4.

Call Bob at 707-279-0187, Bill at 707-277-8846 or Barbara at 707-994-8258.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The seventh annual “Bucket Brigade Challenge,” to benefit Blood Centers of the Pacific, is under way.  

Fire departments in Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties are taking part in the annual challenge, which runs through Jan. 26.

Five departments have competed thus far with Wilmar Volunteer Fire Department/Cal Fire of Petaluma in the lead with 73 donors.  

However, the wet weather and flu season continue to hinder collection efforts and they need donors to step up during the winter months, when blood donations are traditionally lower, according to Andrea Casson of the Blood Centers of the Pacific.

All donors will be rewarded with a t-shirt and help their fire department win the Bucket Trophy plus impact several patients in our community.  

The following blood drives will be held in Lake County:

• Saturday, Jan. 5: Middletown Fire Department, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., fire station meeting room, 21095 Highway 175.
• Saturday, Jan. 12: Lakeport Fire Department, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., truck bay and lounge, 445 N. Main St.

To make an appointment, visit www.bloodheroes.com or call 888-393-GIVE (4483).

Blood Centers of the Pacific (formerly Blood Bank of the Redwoods) supports more than 45 hospitals in Northern California including all hospitals in Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties.

FINLEY, Calif. – Toastmasters-Tenacious Talkers Club 8731 will meet from 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 3.

The group meets at 2150 Argonaut Road, Finley.

Arrive early, as the group begins at 6:15 p.m. sharp.

For more information call Rick, 707-536-7858.

LUCERNE, Calif. – A caregiver support group for families dealing with memory loss or other cognitive impairments will meet on Thursday, Jan. 3.

The group meets at the First Lutheran Church, 3863 Country Club Lane, across from the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Social worker Jenny Johnson is the facilitator.  

The groups are sponsored by Redwood Caregiver Resource Center (1-800-834-1636) and the Social Day Programs in Lake County.  

For more information call Jenny Johnson at 707-350-3030 or Caroline Denny at 707-263-9481.

Respite is provided by the centers at no charge.

Cherokee Nation citizens in California and Arizona are next to receive the tribe’s new photo ID citizenship cards, starting this weekend.  

The mobile registration group visited California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Kansas and Missouri since October.

They will return early in the new year to California and Arizona, with stops planned in Oakland, Roseville and Phoenix.

“Producing a government-issued, photo ID helps to instill a greater sense of pride in our people, and we’re happy to bring this service to our Cherokees living outside of Oklahoma,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker. “I’ve presented my photo tribal citizenship card at several major airports, and even to the U.S. Secret Service, and experienced no problems whatsoever.”

The tribe began issuing the photo ID citizenship cards, similar in appearance to a driver’s license, on Oct. 1.

So far, nearly 7,323 cards have been issued to citizens both in and outside of Oklahoma.

The Cherokee Nation is the largest tribe in the U.S. with more than 315,000 citizens, including 19,843 in California and 4,384 in Arizona.

The new citizenship photo ID cards are being issued in conjunction with a meeting of Oakland, Cali., Sacramento, Cali. and Phoenix-area Cherokee citizens. The groups will meet at the following times and locations:

Saturday, Jan. 5
Intertribal Friendship House
523 International Blvd., Oakland, CA
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Cherokee Nation photo IDs
Noon to 3 p.m. – General meeting

Sunday, Jan. 6
Maidu Activities Center
1960 Johnson Ranch Dr., Roseville, CA
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Cherokee Nation photo IDs
Noon to 3 p.m. – General meeting

Saturday Jan. 12
Phoenix Indian Medical Center
First floor, Conference Rooms A & B
4212 N. 16th St., Phoenix, Ariz.
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

More than a year of planning and design was required to transform the tribal citizenship cards, also known as “blue cards,” into photo IDs.

The tribe consulted with members of the Five Civilized Tribes and gathered input from other tribes that had upgraded to photo ID cards.

The upgraded citizenship cards feature a citizen’s Cherokee Nation registration number, official registrar signature, the citizen’s photo and signature, Principal Chief’s signature and a distinctive Cherokee Nation hologram seal for validation. Citizens may also opt for their official Bureau of Indian Affairs Certificate Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB) on the back of the card.

Children 12 and younger can get a new photo ID but must have a parent or legal guardian present to sign the card. Upgrading to a photo ID is free. At-large citizens should bring a valid ID and previously issued citizenship or CDIB card, if available.

For more information contact the Cherokee Nation registration department at 918-458-6980 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

The Cherokee Nation is the federally recognized government of the Cherokee people and has inherent sovereign status recognized by treaty and law. The seat of tribal government is the W.W. Keeler Complex near Tahlequah, Okla., the capital of the Cherokee Nation.

With more than 300,000 citizens, over 8,000 employees and a variety of tribal enterprises ranging from aerospace and defense contracts to entertainment venues, Cherokee Nation is one of the largest employers in northeastern Oklahoma and the largest tribal nation in the United States.

To learn more, please visit www.cherokee.org .