Attorney General Harris offers the following five tips to the public on how to avoid “sound-alike” organizations and scam artists that use high-volume donation periods to prey on the goodwill of Californians.

– Avoid giving your credit card number to a telephone solicitor. Avoid giving cash to an individual or responding to an e-mail solicitation. Instead, seek out known organizations and give directly by calling the organization, visiting its official website, or mailing a check to the listed address.

– Research an organization before you donate by visiting: California Attorney General's Registry of Charitable Trusts, http://oag.ca.gov/charities; Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance, www.give.org; and Charity Navigator, www.charitynavigator.org.

– Learn about an organization by asking the right questions: Does the organization only support research? Does it fund community health programs? How are donations used? What percentage of donations is used for charitable activities?

– Avoid generic claims like "Supports Breast Cancer Programs," and look for a name, label, or logo that you recognize and can verify.

– Ask the organization not to store your credit card information.

For additional tips on charitable giving, go to http://ag.ca.gov/charities/charit_giving.php.

Californians who believe they have been victimized by a fraudulent charitable solicitation should file a complaint with the Attorney General's Registry of Charitable Trusts at http://ag.ca.gov/charities.php.

Becky Jeffries was the winner at the blind tasting contest at the Taste of Lakeport in Lakeport, Calif., in August 2011. Courtesy photo.

LAKEPORT – Thirty-five people correctly guessed Wildhurst Sauvignon Blanc during the blind tasting at last August’s Taste of Lakeport.

Among them, Becky Jeffries, Joy Merriley and Rick Todd were randomly selected as prize winners, each receiving a bottle of the wine they so expertly identified.

The blind tasting was a new event at this year’s Taste of Lakeport and more than 150 people participated.

Due to its popularity, the blind tasting booth will be back again at next year’s taste scheduled for Aug. 17, 2012.

This event is sponsored by the Lakeport Main Street Association, a group of merchants, property owners and involved citizens who are working to build a better downtown Lakeport.

As described in the final environmental impact statement it issued, the preferred approach would map land and water areas to avoid endangered, threatened and sensitive species.

This agency-preferred alternative would only permit aerial delivery of fire retardant into waterways when human life or public safety is threatened.

The preferred alternative’s protocols also would better protect cultural resources that include historic properties, traditional cultural resources, and tribal sacred sites.

In July 2010, a U.S. District Court in Montana directed the Forest Service to complete further analysis and to consult further with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries Service.

An organization had sued the agency and claimed the Forest Service had not adequately analyzed the effects of dropping fire retardant and had not adequately protected endangered species from its effects.

The preferred alternative does not represent a final decision, but is one of three alternatives that the agency considered for tools that would allow the Forest Service to fight fires in rugged topography, in remote locations, and in areas that present risks to firefighters and the public.

The Forest Service expects to issue its Record of Decision before Dec. 31. The Record of Decision will establish agency direction regarding use of fire retardant applied from aircraft.

“This final environmental impact statement is a vital step informing our decision,” said Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. “We’re approaching that decision as carefully as possible – we’re going to make sure we get this right, so we can protect our forests, wildlife, and the public.”

During the past several months, the Forest Service held five community listening sessions in locations around the country, several stakeholder webinars, three technical listening sessions, a science panel discussion and several tribal engagement events.

The U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, a neutral facilitator from the private sector, designed and facilitated all of these events.

The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. Recreational activities on our lands contribute $14.5 billion annually to the U.S. Economy.

The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world.

FINLEY, Calif. – On Sunday, Oct. 30, Big Valley Grange in Finley is hosting a talk on the history of the grange, presented by historian, Ruby Glebe.

Glebe is one of Lake County jewels and gives a riveting presentation of living history that she has experienced in her 90-plus years.

Bob McFarland, California State Grange master/president, is expected to be present.

The gathering will begin at 2 p.m.

The event is open to the public.

Light refreshments will be served.

Big Valley Grange is located at 1510 Big Valley Road in Finley.

For more information call 707-278-0334.

Mary Broadus, North Lake Garden Club secretary, and Irene Didescu, the club's treasurer, at the group's harvest potluck in September 2011. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The North Lake Garden Club had a wonderful first meeting of the 2011-12 year in September, celebrated with a harvest potluck of assorted dishes created from gardens of members.

Some of the favorites were club president Kimberly Marsh's shepherd pie and Frank Hodges' homemade salsa. Members also brought assorted plants to share.

The meeting had a presentation by horticulture chair Mary Broadus on growing rhubarb.

Jackie Hodges shared about the upcoming Art in the Garden tripping stone workshop at the Lakeport Senior Center on Saturday, Nov. 5, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a cost of $30 for the workshop, which includes stone and materials with 10 percent going to North Lake Garden Club scholarship fund. Call Marie Ulvila 263-4941 or Jackie Hodges 274-9723 for more information.

The club is also excited to announce a bus trip to San Francisco Botanical Garden on Thursday, Nov. 3.

It is a full day field trip of tours of three gardens. The pick up place will be Sentry Market in Nice at 7 a.m. sharp. Cost of the trip is $50, which includes the bus and entrance fees. Bring a sack lunch, water and wear good walking shoes. Call Sharon Thorne, 707-972-6025, for more information.

The club's next meeting is on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at Lucerne Community Church. It will start at 6:30 p.m. with sharing plants and refreshments. If you are interested in joining please come.

The speaker will be “The Veggie Girl” Esther Oertel local garden columnist.

You can check other activities coming up on the group's new Facebook page at North Lake Garden Club. The club is a member of California Garden Clubs Inc., National Garden Clubs Inc. and Mendo-Lake District with meetings held on the fourth Tuesday September through May.

If you have a public place where a tree should be planted or need more information about our garden club please call President Kimberly Marsh 707-274-8775.

The performance will be in the new gym on Wednesday, Nov. 9, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Free curriculum for all grade levels is available to teachers who wish to incorporate this performance into their lesson plans. Everyone is welcome.

The Lake County Office of Education College-Going Initiative is proud to bring this wonderful event to the public as a fundraiser for the Academic Decathlon.

Admission is free, but donations are greatly accepted.

All proceeds will go directly to the winning Lake County Academic Decathlon team to help with the cost of going to the state competition in Sacramento.

A special thank you is offered to Anna Sabalone, the Academic Decathlon coach from Upper Lake High for making the arrangements. Upper Lake students will participate in a private showing at their school earlier that day.

The Academic Decathlon teams from all five Lake County districts all studying “The Age of Empire” as the 2011-12 topic.

Students will take multiple exams and participate in a speech, interview and essay competition on Jan. 28 and Feb. 4.

This event is sponsored by The Lodge at Blue Lakes and will take place at Kelseyville High.

Students also will have the opportunity to enter and poetry and poster contest sponsored by the Lake County Arts Council.

For more information on the performance or the Academic Decathlon, please contact Tammy Serpa at 707-262-4164.