The tenth annual benefit will be presented on Sat., Sept. 19. Winegrower Andy Beckstoffer is serving as this year’s event chairman.

March 1, 2009, is the deadline for applications to be received.

Application forms may be obtained by contacting Judy Luchsinger, chair of the beneficiaries committee, at 263-3280, fax 263-0863 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Lake County Wine Alliance may be contacted by phone, 866-279-WINE or by mail to P.O. Box 530, Kelseyville, CA 95451.

Sixteen community nonprofit organizations and agencies received a total of $91,500 from the proceeds of the 2008 wine auction. The Wine Alliance has contributed over $713,000 in proceeds to Lake County groups since the inception of the annual event in 2000.

Local wineries, restaurants, and other businesses are generous supporters through their donations to the live and silent auctions and to the food and beverages served at the gala affair. Other Lake County and regional businesses provide support through sponsorships.

The charter of the Wine Alliance directs its efforts to foster the arts, benefit health services, and support the community, while promoting Lake County as a premier grape growing and fine wine region.

The Wine Alliance is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization of Lake County wineries, wine grape growers, and business and community supporters that annually presents the wine auction as a fundraising charity benefit.

Members of the Wine Alliance board are Margaret Walker-Stimmel, president; Marie Beery, vice president; Pamela Shine-Duncan, secretary; Rob Roumiguiere, treasurer; and Jim Fetzer, Judy Luchsinger, Wilda Shock, and Janet Thompson, directors.

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LOWER LAKE – A free seminar on wills, trusts and estate planning will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 19.

The seminar will be held at the United Methodist Church's Community Room at 16255 Second St., Lower Lake (off Lake Street).

Attorney Dennis A. Fordham will speak on revocable trusts, durable powers of attorney and advanced health care directives.

There are planning opportunities and pitfalls to consider. Fordham will give a free 30-minute PowerPoint seminar, followed by a 20-minute question and answer discussion. Refreshments will be served.

Please RSVP by calling the Law Office of Dennis A. Fordham, 263-3235.

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4-H Council President Val Schweifler presenting Kelseyville 4-H Member Bryce Hayes his All Star Rank. Courtesy photo.

KELSEYVILLE – Lake County 4-H Member Bryce Hayes has been very busy this past year earning his All Star rank.

The All Star rank is the highest attainable honor in the Lake County 4-H Program.

To apply for All Star rank, a 4-H member must be 15 years of age, demonstrate leadership abilities, citizenship and community involvement, and have made a significant contribution to the 4-H Program.

As his All Star project, Bryce chose to create a cavy (Guinea Pig) proficiency for the Lake County 4-H Program.

The Lake County 4-H Proficiency program is designed to assist youth in measuring themselves against “standards of excellence.”

Each proficiency is comprised of five skill levels and should be designed to increase in scope and difficulty. The levels are: Level 1, Explorer; Level 2, Producer; Level 3, Consumer; Level 4, Leader; and Level 5, Researcher.

The proficiencies are three-fold in purpose: To provide youth opportunities to sample a broad array of experiences, measure personal progress, and become self-directed learners; to provide a standard of excellence where members are recognized for knowledge and skills they have mastered; to provide guidelines for adult volunteers to enhance and expand project content and experiences.

This is Bryce’s fifth year as a member of the Kelseyville 4-H Club. He has been active in the leadership and citizenship programs, where he has attended the Cal-Focus Leadership Conference in Sacramento and this year will be attending the Washington Focus Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. and New York City.

Bryce is also very active in the animal science and shooting sports programs within Lake County. He is currently serving as a teen leader in both the cavy project offered through Kelseyville 4-H and also in the countywide shooting sports project.

As an All Star, Bryce will serve in a leadership role at 4-H events and is an ambassador of the Lake County 4-H Program. He will visit 4-H clubs, reach out to the community, attend 4-H County Council meetings, and present the 4-H program to other agencies, and service organizations.

4-H Youth Development is a program of the University of California Cooperative Extension. For more information on the 4-H program contact U.C. Cooperative Extension, 883 Lakeport Blvd., Lakeport, 263-6838.

Nicole Gentry is Lake County's 4-H Youth Development Secretary.

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Melissa Fulton, chief executive officer of the Lakeport Chamber of Commerce, said they discovered that Stars nominations accepted through the chamber's Web site, www.lakeportchamber.com, may not have gone as smoothly has they originally envisioned.

As with most new systems, there can be “bugs” and they believe they have now corrected those.

She said the chamber also wanted everyone to know that nominations by letters through the mail, faxed to 263-5104 or dropped off at the chamber office on Lakeport Boulevard are encouraged.

While they have received several nominations to date, there are currently many categories for which there have been no nominations received.

Those categories that have yet to receive nominations are Large Business of the Year; Small Business of the Year; New Business of the Year; Arts Award, Professional; Arts Award, Amateur; Senior of the Year; Environmental Award; and Student of the Year.

The deadline for nominations is Friday, Feb. 27, and a list of those who have been nominated will be published shortly.

Every year the community acknowledges usually between 80 and 100 deserving nominees, so they know there are more nominations in the works.

Please forward your nominees to: Lakeport Regional Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 295, Lakeport 95453 or email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Stars of Lake County Awards will be held at Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa on Sunday, March 22, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Dinner tickets are $50/person and Sutter Lakeside has made available a limited number of angel tickets for nominees.

Tickets are available to nominees only through Tuesday, March 2, with tickets becoming available to nominees and the general public on Wednesday, March 3.

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The group will meet at noon at the Lake Family Resource Center, 896 Lakeport Blvd., Lakeport.

Lunch will be provided and all interested persons concerned with tobacco-related issues are invited to attend.

For more information Michael Rupe or Joy Swetnam at Lake Family Resource Center at 262-1611 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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The group will meet from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15.

Board member Allen Markowski will share his pruning knowledge and skills at Leonardis Organics, 1010 Argonaut Road in Lakeport.

The public is welcome and participants can take part in pruning on a variety of trees, rosebushes and other shrubs. Please bring pruning tools to use and to share if you have them.

This is a great no-cost opportunity to become more knowledgeable in pruning existing plants and trees in order to provide a more productive local and sustainable harvest.

Carpooling is available by meeting at the regular Co-op location at 14773 Lakeshore Drive at 12:15 p.m.

For more information contact Lori Patotzka at 994-1618.

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