The show will be broadcast from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on KPFZ 88.1 FM.

The topics will be redistricting, quagga mussels, algae and other topics in the local news.

Phone lines will be open. Call the studio line at 707-263-3435.

One of the dishes in the class will be Peach-Hibiscus Soup. Photo by Esther Oertel.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – A special cooking with tea culinary class will be held this Sunday, Aug. 7, at 2 p.m. at Chic Le Fleur, a Parisian-style tea and bake shop in Middletown.

The class, “Tea Temptations,” will focus on using tea to infuse food with flavor.

On the menu are refreshing rose lemonade, cooling peach-hibiscus soup with a hibiscus syrup drizzle, summer salad with Earl Grey lavender dressing, and no-bake pear-caramel cheesecake.

“It's great using these wonderful teas to infuse flavor into food,” said Chef-Instructor Esther Oertel says. “They're already perfectly balanced, eliminating the need for complicated flavorings. I'm quite pleased with the way each dish turned out.”

The class, tasting menu and recipes is offered for $25 per person.

Preregistration for the class is necessary; to sign up, please contact Middletown Florist & Gifts at 707-987-9500 by Friday, Aug. 5, or the instructor, Esther Oertel, at 707-485-4874 by Saturday evening, Aug. 6.

Chic Le Fleur is located in the Middletown Plaza at 21037 Calistoga Street, No. 8.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Just about anything you can make or grow at home is eligible for entry into competition at the annual Lake County Fair, but the deadline for returning entries to exhibit items at the Lake County Fair is approaching rapidly.

Entry for all divisions of exhibits must be in the fair office by 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 5.

The fair office, located at 401 Martin St. in Lakeport, will close promptly at 6 pm, and late entries are not accepted.

Signed forms must be physically at the fair before the deadline; postmarks and late entries will not be accepted.

All entries into the Lake County Fair are made online at www.lakecountyfair.com/competitions.html.

All entries have been make online since 2005. The fair provides computers and high speed Internet service for the purpose of entering exhibits. The computers can be found during regular business hours in the Theater Building at the fairgrounds through Friday, Aug. 5.

Internet access also can be found in a number of other public places, including libraries and at Umpqua Bank branches.

Exhibitor Contest Handbooks are available in a variety of locations around Lake County, including the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, the 4-H Office, Kelseyville Drug, Lower Lake Feed, Bobbie's Family Feed, Middletown Feed, Lakeshore Feed, the Clearlake Chamber of Commerce, Pet Acres and the Redwood Empire Fair.

The Lake County Fair Board has chosen "Make Some Magic!" for the theme of the 2011 Fair.

The Lake County Fair traditionally occurs Labor Day weekend each year at the fairgrounds in Lakeport. The 2004 fair dates are Sept. 2 through Sept. 5.

The fair is one of Lake County's favorite summertime events enjoyed by nearly 40,000 people each year.

For more information please visit the fair at www.lakecountyfair.com.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Buckets of cut flowers and ferns were made into floral arrangements by clever 4-H members for Lake County Farm Bureau's “Love of the Land” event on July 30.

Volunteers included 4-Hers from Cole Creek and Blue Heron Clubs.

Erica and Kimmy Illg, Julienne Bennett, Seth and Justin Costner, Asia and Ethan Jones, Adrianna Guardado and Victor Guzman worked to decorate more than 30 tables at the Rancho de los Fuertes site on July 30.

Bouquets in quart jars tied with a fabric ribbon, surrounded by Lake County produce like dried pears, red Bartletts, locally made soap, polished glass and ornamental seeds contributed to the theme “Love of the Land.”

LAKEPORT – Competition between local organizations, individuals and professionals will be heating up Saturday as grillers square off during the second annual “Grillin’ on the Green” fundraiser at Westside Community Park, 1401 Westside Park Road.

“Come out and join us for a fun evening in the park. Dance. Eat. Play – all while helping us raise funds to develop the park,” said Westside Community Park Committee Chair Dennis Rollins.

Tickets are still available for the 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. event and will be sold at the function; however, organizers say attendees will want to arrive early to make sure they get their tastes from each of the cook-off participants and cast their votes for their favorites.

Ticket prices for the event are $25 per adult, $10 per child 12 years old or younger, and no charge for children 2 years old or younger.

Tickets may be purchased in advance at Lake County Chamber of Commerce, Lake Event Design, and the Kitchen Gallery, all in Lakeport, and the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce in Clearlake.

Children’s activities are planned, and the whole family will enjoy musical entertainment by the LC Diamonds, said Rollins.

Grilling participants for this year’s cookoff include the Lakeport Kiwanis Club, the Lake County Board of Supervisors, the Lake Chiefs Association, the Lakeport Lions, the Early Lake Lions, Lakeport and Kelseyville Rotary, Richardson's Ribs, the Clear Lake Sports Foundation (Casey Dye), Scott De Weese and the Lakeport City Council.

Competition won’t be limited to the barbecue cookoff. The Lakeport Kiwanis Club is inviting teams of washer tossers to participate in a “washer tournament” during this year’s event. Teams will compete for cash and non-cash prizes. The tournament entry fee is $40 per team. Registration will be accepted until 4 p.m. Saturday.

For more information and entry forms, visit the Kiwanis Web site at http://kiwanislakeport.org.

Information about the event and photos of last year’s event can be found on the park’s Web site, www.westsidecommunitypark.org.

This year’s major sponsors are the Keeling-Barnes Family Foundation, which is pledging matching funds up to $5,000, BiCoastal Media and Lake County Publishing. Sponsors will be recognized at the Grillin’ on the Green event.

Westside Community Park is a City of Lakeport recreational facility that was established 12 years ago.

The nonprofit Park Committee is developing the park in conjunction with the City of Lakeport, volunteers, and numerous contributions by individuals and businesses dedicated to constructing a recreational facility for the youth and adults of Lake County.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Taylor Observatory will host a “Vesta Fiesta” to celebrate the beginning of the NASA Dawn mission’s year-long visit to the protoplanet Vesta on Friday, Aug. 5.

The celebration will take place from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

The Dawn spacecraft left Earth on Sept. 27, 2007, and has finally reached its first destination, Vesta.

Dawn is the second NASA mission to be powered by an advanced NASA technology known as ion propulsion and is the first NASA mission to orbit two solar system objects.

Using data from Dawn’s year-long visit at Vesta, scientists will seek to understand some of the most fundamental questions in planetary science: how did planets form? What were the starting materials that formed our solar system? What is the origin of meteorites that fall on Earth? The Dawn Spacecraft will send back new and exciting data that give us a snapshot of the early solar system and answers to these questions and more.

Vesta Fiesta celebrates the beginning of Dawn’s exploration of this “new world” and includes presentations by Dawn team members discussing the mission and some of the latest data.

Join our local Vesta Fiesta featuring a fun-filled educational experience of mission information, planetarium show, night sky observing and more. Donations are gratefully accepted.

The Taylor Observatory-Norton Planetarium is located at 5725 Oak Hills Lane in Kelseyville.