NICE, Calif. – The children of the founding members the Staiti family are hosting a memorial dinner dance at Sons of Italy Lodge, located at 2817 E. Highway 20 in Nice.

It will be a Halloween event on Saturday, Oct. 27.  

The home-cooked Italian meal will include lasagna, vegetable, salad, bread and dessert.

Doors open at 5 p.m. with a no-host bar. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m., followed by dancing to the High Note Band.

Dress in your favorite costume. There will a raffle and door prizes, too. Everyone is welcome.  

The dinner is $15 for adults and $9 for children.  

Please RSVP with Roberta, 707-274-2431.

Call 707-274-2244 if interested in renting the hall for an event.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – When the Clear Lake High School varsity football team walks onto its home field to defend its Bass Bowl Trophy on Friday, Oct. 26, it will encounter more than just the Kelseyville football team; they will be looking down the barrel of a Civil War cannon.

For the second year in a row, there will be a Civil War cannon firing after every score at the SERVPRO Bass Bowl.  

The Bass Bowl committee, through a  cooperative effort with the California Historical Artillery Society (CHAS) will bring Civil War living history to Lake County for the SERVPRO Bass Bowl.

“We wanted to have a Civil War cannon at the Bass Bowl to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, in addition to bringing more bang to the game,” Bass Bowl Executive Director Phil Smoley explained. “If you live within a mile of the stadium, you will hear the cannon.”

The Bass Bowl Committee provided 30 “man-days” of labor at Civil War Days in Duncans Mills last July, and in return, CHAS, the sponsors of Civil War Days, agreed to bring an artillery team to Lake County.

Besides historical reenactments, CHAS is involved with horse rescue. They use Standardbred trotters rescued from California's tracks and retrain them as artillery horses These horses now live on a lush 40-acre ranch in the Salinas Valley.

They presently use more than 30 horses that were destined for an unpleasant demise. These ex-trotter race horses, typically of no use to anyone, are discarded at auction by the pound. They are used exclusively by CHAS and given a second chance at life in the service of the “Army.” Horse enthusiasts can help support them by “sponsoring” a favorite horse and contributing toward its care.

The Bass Bowl committee puts on a series of fundraising events leading up to the game, and tries to increase attendance to the game itself. Net proceeds of these events are to be split between the two schools athletic departments.

“Funding for local sports programs is nearly non-existent,” according to Smoley. “Without strong local support, they will go away, and that would be a disaster. These events will go a long way to keep these schools athletic programs going.”

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Class of 1962 from Kelseyville High School recently held its 50th reunion at the residence of Peter and Kathy Windrem.

Forty classmates and guests, including retired teachers Don Fifer and Ted Toreson, enjoyed an afternoon of reminiscing followed by a potluck barbecue dinner.

Unique to this group of former students is its distinction of being Kelseyville's first kindergarten class, which was held in the local American Legion Hall in 1949-50.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Archaeologist Barbara White will demonstrate proper dressing for Victorian women at a special program at the Lakeport Library on Saturday, Oct. 27.

The program will take place beginning at 2 p.m.

White is the Westside Zone archaeologist for Mendocino National Forest, and a member of the Nevada Civil War Volunteers.

With assistance from her maid, White will don the multiple layers of an 1862-era “day dress” while explaining the life and world of a proper middle-class Victorian woman.

Beginning with the striped socks of a closet rebel, White demonstrates the outfit from the undergarments to the accessories of a woman preparing to make and receive calls.

White welcomes questions from the audience during and after the program.

This is a free program and a library card is not required to attend.

The Lakeport Library is located at 1425 N. High St.

For more information, Lakeport Library’s phone number is 707-263-8817. Visit the library online at http://library.co.lake.ca.us .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County First 5 Commission will hold a regular board meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 24.

The meeting will take place beginning at 2:30 p.m. at First 5 Lake’s Training/Conference Room, 1950 Parallel Drive, Lakeport.

Agenda items include commission committee updates, including vision and mission statements, kindergarten entry data profile and a needs assessment survey.

The commission also will review and approve its annual program evaluation report and the 2011-12 commission audit and hold a public hearing on annual local data reported to First 5 California.

There also will be commissioners’ reports, the executive director’s report, and public comment and announcements.

For more information contact First 5 Lake County at 707-263-6169 or visit the commission’s Web site at www.firstfivelake.org .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A caregiver support group for families dealing with memory loss or other cognitive impairments will meet on Wednesday, Oct. 24.

The group meets from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at 14310 Memory Lane in Clearlake

The group facilitator is social worker Jenny Johnson.

The groups are sponsored by Redwood Caregiver Resource Center (1-800-834-1636) and the Social Day Programs of Lake County.

Respite is provided by the centers at no charge.

Please call Caroline Denny, 707-263-9481, or Jenny Johnson, 707-350-3030, for further information.