REDWOOD VALLEY, Calif. – Like mom and apple pie, wine and chocolate go together.

Redwood Valley’s wine and spirit makers will celebrate this winning combination and Valentine’s Day with the event “In Love with Redwood Valley: A Day of Wine, Spirits & Chocolate.”

On Saturday, Feb. 12 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., nine Redwood Valley wineries and distilleries will feature professional chocolatiers pairing their delectable confections with select wines, liqueurs and brandies.

Among the chocolatiers at this second annual Valentine’s event is local chef Linas Kesminas of Fort Bragg’s Living Light Culinary Institute. He’ll be in the wine cellar at Frey Vineyards preparing batches of unique organic chocolates flavored with Frey wines.

Germain-Robin Craft Distillers also will offer locally made confections – assorted fudges, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and heart-shaped cakes coated in rich chocolate ganache, all from Schat’s Bakery in Ukiah.

Barra of Mendocino will feature scrumptious organic and fair trade chocolates from Tcho of San Francisco and truffles hand made by “Young Emily.” These sweets will be paired with Bella Dolce vintage port, a muscat canelli and “Sweet Thang,” an organically grown chardonnay and muscat canelli blend. Local singer Paula Samonte will perform from noon to 4 p.m.

Lolonis Winery will present a selection of Belgian chocolates from Leonidas Chocolates. Other hosts for “In Love with Redwood Valley” are Oster Wine Cellars, Cole Bailey, Giuseppe/Neese Vineyards, Silversmith Vineyards and Graziano Family of Wines.

Admission for this special tasting event is $20 and includes an embossed wine glass. Designated drivers are admitted free.

For information, see www.atasteofredwoodvalley.com , call 800-760-3739 or 707-485-0322 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County seniors and low income residents can turn to a number of local senior centers to receive assistance with filing their taxes.

Senior centers in Lakeport, Lucerne, Clearlake Oaks and Middletown are now scheduled for AARP tax returns.

These are free for seniors and other low-income Lake County families.

Please call your senior center of choice as soon as possible to schedule your return: Lakeport, 707-263-4218; Lucerne, 707-274-8779; Clearlake Oaks, 707-998-1950; and Middletown, 707-987-3113.

This year, if you are planning to itemize deductions, you cannot schedule your appointment before Feb. 21.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Learn the truth about Social Security from an expert on the subject.

Tune in to “Earth Wise” on KPFZ 88.1 FM from 5 p.m. To 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21.

Email your questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call in to to the show at 707-263-3435.

For more information visit the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare's Web site at www.ncpssm.org .

EUREKA – Friday morning’s hearing by the Joint Legislative Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture on the Marine Life Protection Act, chaired by Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro (D-North Coast), will be televised by Access Humboldt and streamed live on the Web.

“I want to thank Access Humboldt for making this hearing available to everyone who has an interest in the Marine Life Protection Act but can’t travel to Eureka Friday,” Chesbro said. “We want to make this process as open and accessible as possible. Access Humboldt has stepped up to help us achieve this goal.”

The hearing, which starts 10 a.m. Friday in the Board of Supervisors’ Chambers in Eureka, will focus on the North Coast Study Area of the MLPA Initiative and include testimony from MLPA Initiative staff, regional stakeholder groups, tribal representatives, environmentalists and local resource users.

The hearing can be viewed as it happens at www.accesshumboldt.net and The California Channel http://www.calchannel.com/)

There will be links to the live stream on the homepage of these two Web sites Friday morning. The hearing is expected to last several hours.

Access Humboldt also will archive the broadcast on its Web site, said Executive Director Sean McLaughlin.

To find the archived broadcast, click the “Watch” button on the homepage and choose the first selection from the drop-down menu, “Archive.”

The archived broadcast should be posted about 24 hours after the meeting is over, McLaughlin said.

The cost of televising the hearing is underwritten, in part, by the McLean Foundation in Fortuna.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Celebrating its third year, the Lake County Stonewall Democratic Club will hold its first meeting of the New Year on Monday, Jan. 24.

The meeting will be held in the Friendship Hall of the Clearlake Oaks United Methodist Church, 12487 The Plaza. The potluck starts at 6:30 p.m., with the meeting to commence at 7 p.m.

The members will elect new officers and discuss their plans for 2011.

The class will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Hartley Lodge, 375 N. Main St., Lakeport.

Come to the class, have fun with friends, and enjoy a delicious lunch.

Basor will teach you how to make sunflower sprouts, sauerkraut, garden wraps with tomato basil dressing, herbed almond cheese spread with pizza crackers, garden blend energy soup and sunflower seed pate. As always lunch is included.

In the raw rejuvenation class, she will teach you how to make sauerkraut, which aids digestion and builds the immune system.

Learn how to grow your own sunflower greens – living foods rich in enzymes, protein and nutrients.

Make a complete-meal blended energy soup – great for cleansing and rejuvenation.

Learn how easy it is to make almond cheese, pizza-flavored crackers and a sunflower seed pate to use in wraps for a quick meal.

The Living Foods Diet, pioneered by Ann Wigmore, is a healing diet ideal for recovering from illness, losing weight, building immunity, aiding digestion, and maximizing health and vitality.

Please RSVP for the class by Jan. 26. You will save $5 off the $45 class fee by signing up early.

Call Chef Christina Basor at 707-489-3600 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to RSVP.