MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – An update on the progress of the soon-to-be-built Middletown community center progress will be offered at this month’s Middletown Luncheon Club meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 15.

Lake County Public Services Director Carolyn Chavez and Project Manager Eric Seely will discuss the center, which includes a senior center, library and park.

The program takes place at the Middletown Methodist Church Social Hall, 15155 Armstrong at Washington, Middletown, starting at noon.

Lunch costs only $5 per person and will be served by the Middletown Senior Center this month.

Lunch reservations are requested if you are coming with a group or don’t usually attend.

For more information about the Middletown Luncheon Club, or to be a speaker, contact Linda Darms at 707-987-3494.

Upcoming programs include a Middletown Unified School District update in March and a supervisorial candidates forum in April.

The Middletown Luncheon Club meets every third Wednesday of the month from January through November, providing informative speakers and presentations to the community.

Different local nonprofit organizations provide lunch each month and receive a donation.

UKIAH, Calif. – On Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Redwood Empire Fairgrounds in Ukiah, parents, leaders, and youth gathered for one of the most educational ag events around.

4-H clubs and FFA chapters from counties including Lake, Mendocino and Del Norte brought more than 400 children between the ages of 5 and 18.

Each one got the chance to learn about interesting subjects concerning livestock.

What is this wonderful event? It's called the "Hands-On Junior Livestock Expo."

Each of those 400+ kids was given a choice on which type of livestock session they would attend.

These included beef, swine, goats, sheep, rabbits and poultry. At each of these hands-on breakout sessions, topics ranged from cuts of meat to animal selection to nutrition facts.

Learning labs included dissection by the UC Davis Vet Center, biosecurity, tractor safety, horseshoeing and more.

Lake County 4-H All Star candidate Asia Jones designed a quiz bowl called "Wheel of Livestock" with questions specific to six different species covering knowledge from how to show an animal to how many people die annually from cow attacks (20).

Everyone had a great time both spinning the wheel and playing the game.

In addition to this, there was an ethics training – mandatory to attend some fairs including the California State Fair – which covered proper ways to treat animals both at shows and at home.

Local vendors offered special sales on feeds, show sticks, brushes, even jewelry; you name it, they had it.

These vendors also gave out tickets for a drawing at the end of the day. Some of the prizes included Carhart jackets, feed buckets, and a wheelbarrow! Nonprofit groups provided a food court with many tasty options.

All and all this was a wonderful event. Each person left with a smile on their face; many left with a great door prize as well.

“All of our presenters were so professional and helpful to the attendees. We truly have a wonderful network of industry professionals at our fingertips here in north coastal California,” said Shanna Braught, chairperson of the expo steering committee.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Democratic Central Committee members will attend the state convention in San Diego this weekend.

Delegates planning to attend include Committee Chair Becky Curry of Kelseyville, Secretary Wanda Quitiquit from Nice; members Johnnie and Wil Flato from Lower Lake; and Sorhna Jordan from Hidden Valley Lake. Wanda Harris, also from Hidden Valley Lake, will be a delegate representing Assembly Member Wes Chesbro's Assembly District 1.

Special guests at the convention are Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Sen. Al Franken from Minnesota and Van Jones, co-founder of Rebuild the Dream. For fun the convention will feature Eli "Paperboy" Reed in concert.

Delegates will be voting on the new updated party platform and candidates for the Democratic National Committee.

The Women's Caucus will feature House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi.

The Democratic Central Committee meets each month on the first Thursday and meetings rotate between Clearlake Oaks and Lakeport.

Meetings are open to the public and committee membership is open to all registered Democrats. There are several openings on the committee from each of the supervisorial districts in the county.

The Lake County Democratic Central Committee is the official governing body of the Democratic Party in Lake County.

Contact the Democratic Party of Lake County at 707-277-0713 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The committee's Web site is www.lakecountydemocrats.org.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Enhanced Education Foundation – or LEEF – is gearing up for the 15th annual Big Band Dance and Auction to be held Saturday, March 3, at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin St., Lakeport.

Save the date for this elegant and fun-filled evening, with music provided by the Clear Lake High School Jazz Band and guest musicians.

Tickets are $30 each or a table for 10 can be reserved and prepaid for $500.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with a buffet dinner served at 6 p.m.

The Clear Lake High School Jazz Band begins performing at 6:30 p.m. with the auction beginning at 7 p.m.

Don’t miss the dancing after the auction with music provided by the professional band Kay & Friends.

Tickets are available at the Terrace Middle School office at 250 Lange St. in Lakeport, Linda’s Hallmark in the Willow Tree Plaza on 11^th Street or purchased through one of the board members.

Each year LEEF transforms Fritch Hall at the Lake County Fairgrounds with a surprise theme which welcomes guests and prepares them for an evening of good food, first-class music and the opportunity to purchase a wide variety of items in our live and silent auctions.

Some of these items have included guided local kayak tours by park docents, an exclusive day of Lake County diamond hunting with picnic lunch, weekends at vacation homes in Lake Tahoe and the coast and much more.

LEEF is a nonprofit foundation founded in 1993 with the sole purpose of promoting a quality educational program for the district by raising monies for enrichment and enhancement projects for the Lakeport Unified School District.

In the last five years, LEEF has funded more than $105,000 in projects for the district such as purchasing numerous computer technology upgrades at each school site and in most departments, helping outfit the new Marge Alakszay Center with lighting and sound, campus improvements and most recently partnering with the Lakeport Rotary and Clear Lake High School Booster Club to build new bleachers for the high school's stadium.

LEEF shares its success with the generous community of Lakeport. The group is only able to provide the support to Lakeport Unified with their continued generous support.

LEEF would like to take this opportunity to genuinely thank those who have contributed each year and helped make these events so successful.

The current board of directors includes Amy Wind, Jill Falconer, Colleen Rentsch, Dana Thoman, Jeannie Markham, Bonnie Tringali and Jodi Mansell. One of these ladies may be contacting you soon as they prepare to host this years’ event.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 88 of Lake County, will meet at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18.

The group will meet at the Konocti Bay Sailing Club building, located at Braito's Marina, 1555 Eastlake Drive at the end of Buckingham Peninsula.

For more information, call the Flotilla's information line at 707-513-5122.

SACRAMENTO – Across California thousands of people are burned every year in fires and countless lives are lost, including young children.

During the week of Feb. 5-11, Cal Fire is teaming up with fire departments across the country to highlight the fire risks and burn injury prevention during the winter months for National Burn Awareness Week.

This year fire officials are focusing on the increased risk to children for burn injuries and offer safety tips to keep them protected from burn injuries.

Each year approximately 465 children ages 14 and under die due to unintentional fires or from burn related injuries, with children ages 3 and younger at the greatest risk, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A 2009 report from the American Burn Association indicates that the most common cause of hospitalizations to children under 5 years of ages is scald burns caused from hot liquids.

Hot tap water accounts for nearly one in four of all scald burns among children and is associated with more deaths and hospitalizations than any other hot liquid burns.

“These types of injuries are preventable and CAL FIRE and fire officials are determined to promote fire safe behaviors and decrease the number of burn injuries,” said Tonya Hoover, State Fire Marshal. “I hope parents use this week to talk with their children about fire and burn prevention at home as well as continue to keep children safe from burn injuries,”

CAL FIRE reminds parents of these simple safety measures for protecting loved ones from burns:

• Reduce water temperature. Set your hot water heater to 120 degrees. Consider putting anti-scald devices (about $40) on each faucet and showerhead. Check the bath water with your wrist or elbow before placing your child in the tub.

• Prevent spills. If possible, cook with pots and pans on back burners and turn handles away from the front where a child could grab them. Avoid wearing long sleeves or baggy clothes in the kitchen. Don’t place containers of hot food or liquid near the edge of a counter or table and remove tablecloths so a child cannot pull containers onto themselves.

• Establish a “kid-free zone.” Make the stove area a “kid-free zone” (3 feet is a good distance). Mark it on the floor with bright tape and tell the kids they are not allowed in that area. Never leave your child alone in the kitchen. Don’t hold children while cooking or while carrying hot foods and beverages.

• Test food and drink temperatures. Taste cooked foods and heated liquids to make sure they’re not too hot for children. Never microwave a baby’s bottle. Instead, heat bottles with warm water and test them before feeding your child.

• Keep electrical cords out of reach – especially extension cords and cords connected to heating appliances such as coffee pots and deep fryers. Make sure electrical cords can’t be pulled or snagged into a bathtub or sink. Don’t leave a hot iron sitting on an ironing board unattended

For more information, visit the Cal Fire Web site at www.fire.ca.gov.