UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Shannon Michele of Cache Creek Catering and Lake County Wine Studio are presenting a monthly food and wine series featuring gourmet appetizers paired with select Lake County wines. Locally produced foods are proudly featured as key ingredients in recipes created by Cache Creek Catering.

The series is held from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the second Friday of each month. The per person cost is $25 and $20 for Wine Studio club members. Reservations are required.

October 11 will feature a vegetarian menu and Merlots.

The opening course will pair Bell Hill Vineyards Merlot with a salad of seasonal greens with olive tapenade dressing and zucchini Parmesan risotto fritters, followed by eggplant rollatini with Yerba Santa Chèvre and aged goat cheese in a roasted tomato sauce served with Glamazon Merlot from Robinson Lake Vineyard.

The final course will be fresh fig with Cambozola and sweet spicy Livermore walnuts served with Lavender Blue Tawny Port.

September’s event featured a harvest menu pairing a salad of star crimson pears and heirloom apples on seasonal greens topped with bacon vinaigrette with Wildhurst Chardonnay, butternut squash raviolis in sage butter and roasted bosc pears with Cache Creek Vineyards Chardonnay, and concluded with a dessert pairing of a Bartlett pear sorbet with Thorn Hill Cuvée de Prestige sparkling wine.

Nov. 8 will be the next date to follow for the Local Cuisine Scene event.

For reservations and additional information, contact Susan Feiler at 707-293-8752.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee will hold its next regular meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 2.

The committee will meet from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. in the council chambers at the Workforce Lake offices, 55 First St., Lakeport.

The meeting is open to the public.

Workforce Lake staff members will present information about their respective programs and services.

Among LEDAC's other agenda items are reports on a branding campaign for Lakeport and regional economic development; committee member reports and business outreach efforts.

Jack Long, Lake County Economic Development manager, and Pam Harpster, program director/business services coordinator, Workforce Lake, will offer presentations.

LEDAC's Nov. 6 meeting will include feature Debra Sommerfield, president of the Lake County Winegrape Commission.

The committee advocates for a strong and positive Lakeport business community and acts as a conduit between the city and the community for communicating the goals, activities and progress of Lakeport’s economic and business programs.

Committee members include Carol Cole-Lewis, Bill Eaton, Melissa Fulton, Barbara Johnson, George Linn, Nina Marino, Wilda Shock, Taira St. John and Mireya Turner, with ex-officio members includes Lakeport City Manager Margaret Silveira and Planning Services Manager Andrew Britton.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Lake Family Resource Center is recognizing Domestic Violence Awareness Month throughout October.

The first event will be a clothesline event on Thursday, Oct. 3, in Kelseyville.

Lake Family Resource Center’s Kelseyville office at 5350 Main St. will be the site of the Domestic Violence Clothesline Workshop and T-Shirt Display from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 3.

The workshop will be available for those who wish to honor a loved one, a domestic violence victim or survivor.

The resulting display of the art T-shirts bear witness to violence against women, men and children and will be hung for public viewing until Oct. 4.

Shirts created that day will be hung again next year as part of the continuing display of art honoring domestic violence victims and survivors.

Shirts and paints are being provided for your art. Don’t miss the opportunity to make your statement.

Lake Family Resource Center is determined to focus awareness on the tragedy of domestic violence in the hope of ending it in Lake County. The center provides a multitude of services to build family stability and strength.

The agency supports Lake County residents in achieving stable, self-sufficient and healthy families and communities. Call them today at 707-279-0563 to find out more about what they offer.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Spirit of the Season, a Christmas program for residents who are in need at the holidays and live in Middletown, Cobb or Hidden Valley Lake, will host registration in October.

Those who live outside these areas are asked to register for programs in Clearlake or Lakeport later in the year.

Spirit of the Season provides a complete Christmas dinner of turkey and all the fixings plus gifts for children who are in high school or younger.

The registrations will be held at the Middletown Community United Methodist Church on Armstrong Street over a two-day period only: Monday, Oct. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Tuesday, Oct. 29, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Please bring proof of residence by providing a driver’s license or utility bill showing your current address. Also provide proof of income such as a payroll stub or bank statement as well.

The Wish Tree portion of Spirit of the Season offers gifts to children so parents are asked to bring three written ideas of potential gift requests. This year the “wishes” are limited to items $25 and under.

This grassroots holiday program in south county has been supported by local businesses, service clubs and individual members for over 30 years.

Donations have been the only means to support Spirit of the Season. Your help in providing food for families and gifts for children are necessary to continue to assist those in need.

Donations can be sent to Spirit of the Season, P. O. Box 1468, Middletown, CA 95461.

Any questions can be directed to Hedy Montoya at 707-322-5080.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Friends of Mendocino College will hold an affiliate organization meeting on Thursday, Oct. 3.

The meeting will take place from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Room 7050 at the Mendocino College Lake Center, 2565 Parallel Drive, Lakeport.

Agenda items include a college report from Superintendent/President Arturo Reyes, foundation report from Executive Director Katie Fairbairn, discussion of the Adopt A Fifth Grader special event next spring and scholarship application workshops.

There also will be a report on finances and the group's brochure, discussion of projects and programs for funding at the Mendocino College Lake Center, and an update from Dean of Student Services Cary Templeton on Art in Public Places, the Sept. 18 back to school barbecue and a spring 2014 back to school event, and student ambassadors.

Other tops will include collaboration and fundraising efforts and ideas, including the Big Read and the Professional Pianists Concert.

The next meeting is set for Nov. 7.

Governing council members include Chair Wilda Shock, Vice Chair Gloria Flaherty, Treasurer Peggy Campbell, and members Judy Conard, Dave Geck, Jamey Gill, Wally Holbrook, Lori McGuire, Trena Pauly, Cameron Reeves, Margaret Silveira, Rebecca Southwick and John Tomkins. Ex officio members are Katie Fairbairn and Steve Hixenbaugh.

Starting in October, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will hold 11 public meetings on the update to the State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP).

The scoping meetings will be held throughout the state and are intended to educate the public on the work being done to update the plan and to solicit input from the public and stakeholder groups. See below for dates and locations.

Every 10 years, the SWAP is updated to ensure that California’s vulnerable plant and animal species are being preserved and protected.

The SWAP examines the health of fish and wildlife populations and prescribes actions to conserve species and habitats before they become rare and more costly to protect.

The plan also promotes wildlife conservation while furthering responsible use and enjoyment by an ever-increasing human population.

The conservation strategies take into consideration the relationship between the biology and ecology of the natural environment, together with the social, economic, political and institutional systems that may affect the habitats being conserved.

The update, which is scheduled to be completed in late 2015, will allow CDFW to integrate new information developed since completion of the original plan in 2005.

The objectives for the update include:

• Creating a common vision for fish and wildlife conservation in California;
• Providing an accounting of conservation accomplishments since 2005;
• Stratifying analysis of threats and stresses by ecoregions, watersheds and marine study regions;
• Incorporating analysis of potential climate change impacts;
• Updating species at risk, vulnerable species and species of greatest conservation need lists; and
• Recommending conservation actions that are implementable, measurable and time bound.

The schedule of meeting is below.

Thursday, Oct. 3 (6-9 p.m.)
West Sacramento
West Sacramento Galleria
1110 West Capitol Avenue

Tuesday, Oct. 15 (7-10 p.m.)
Long Beach
Aquarium of the Pacific – Ocean Theater
100 Aquarium Way

Wednesday, Oct. 16 (6-9 p.m.)
San Diego
San Diego County Office of Education
6401 Linda Vista Road, Room 401

Thursday, Oct. 17 (6-9 p.m.)
Palm Desert
UC Riverside Palm Desert Center
75080 Frank Sinatra Drive, Room B-200

Thursday, Oct. 24 (6-9 p.m.)
Fresno
California Dept. of General Services – Large Assembly Room
2550 Mariposa Mall

Friday, Oct. 25 (1-4 p.m.)
San Luis Obispo
Ludwick Community Assembly Room
864 Santa Rosa St.

Monday, Oct. 28 (6-9 p.m.)
Bishop
Tri County Fairgrounds – Tallman Pavilion
Sierra Street and Fair Drive

Tuesday, Nov. 5 (6-9 p.m.)
San Leandro
San Leandro Library – Karp Room
300 Estudillo Ave.

Wednesday, Nov. 6 (6-9 p.m.)
Santa Rosa
Laguna Environmental Center – Heron Hall
900 Sanford Road (at the corner of Occidental Road)

Tuesday, Nov. 12 (6-9 p.m.)
Redding
TBD

Wednesday, Nov. 13 (6-9 p.m.)
Eureka
Wharfinger Building – Great Room
1 Marina Way

For more information, please visit the SWAP Web site at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/SWAP/ .

To provide input, please e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .