LAKEPORT, Calif. – The public is invited to participate in a brainstorming session to develop a brand identity for the city of Lakeport.

“Developing a Successful Brand for Lakeport: A Workshop,” will be conducted on Monday, Oct. 1, 5:15 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

Presented by the Lakeport Main Street Association, the Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee and the city of Lakeport (City), the fast-paced activity will be facilitated by Gloria Flaherty, executive director of the Lake Family Resource Center.

Topics to be discussed in the workshop include: What is your dream/vision for Lakeport? What are the positive and negative variables that affect the image of Lakeport? What characteristics of Lakeport attract people, businesses and visitors? What should the City emphasize in its brand? What else does the City need to attract?

Information from the workshop will be used to create a graphic image and a descriptive tagline for marketing efforts to be undertaken by the City and its advisory groups.

Participants are encouraged to bring examples of successful and failed branding and marketing campaigns. Ideas and suggestions may be sent in advance to City Clerk Janel Chapman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Outcomes and next steps will be posted on the city’s Web site at www.cityoflakeport.com .

Recent research examining brands shows that a city should possess distinctive characteristics that are easy to identify.

Features of strong brands include a city’s history, lifestyle, its culture and diversity, and its quality of place. Successful cities market themselves like commercial products, according to studies which state that every city, no matter how small, has some physical place of interest that can be branded.

The mission of the LMSA is to build a base of business owners who have the interest and desire to promote a healthy and vibrant downtown.

The mission of the LEDAC is to be an advocate for a strong and positive Lakeport business community and a conduit between the City and the community for communicating the goals, activities and progress of Lakeport’s economic and business programs.

The challenge for workshop participants will be to identify the assets and liabilities of Lakeport.

According to Jonathan Gabay, the founder of Brand Forensics, a European brand consulting company, “Branding a city is not just about the logo but the intricate details – as small as clean streets and as deep as getting a city’s residents to feel proud to be brand ambassadors.”

LAKEPORT, Calif. – An educational forum focused on the Affordable Care Act of 2010 will be presented on Tuesday, Sept. 25, at 6:30 p.m. at the Soper-Reese Community Theatre, 275 S. Main in Lakeport.

There is no charge for the event. Light refreshments will be available for purchase from the Soper-Reese volunteers.

The Affordable Care Act of 2010 created new consumer protections, provided new coverage options and provided tools for consumers to use to make informed choices about their family’s health. The act will also effect businesses and self-employed individuals.

Many aspects of the law are not commonly known or understood by the public and as implementation of the law proceeds each new phase brings with it more confusion about what the law means to the community and its members.

The Lake County Bar Association and the Soper-Reese Community Theatre have organized this educational forum about the act to increase awareness and understanding in the community about the core provisions and options provided for in the act and to educate the community about the anticipated effect the act may have on local health care providers.

Speakers at the forum will be Liza Thantranon, a staff attorney with Legal Services of Northern California, and Siri Nelson, chief administrative officer of Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport.

The public will be given the opportunity to ask questions of the presenters.

Attorneys attending the event can earn mandatory continuing education credit by registering with the bar association at the event.

Thantranon’s current position with LSNC focuses on providing direct legal assistance to consumers navigating the health care system. She started her legal career as a summer law clerk in 2008 at LSNC’s Sacramento office.

During law school, she also clerked for the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the Yolo County Public Defender's office, and Disability Rights California.

Following her graduation from UC Davis’ School of Law in 2010, she joined LSNC's Chico office as a staff attorney, and subsequently transitioned into LSNC’s-Health team.

Nelson has been the chief administrative office for Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport since May of 2009 and is responsible for the overall operation of the hospital.

Prior to moving to Lake County she served as chief financial officer for another Sutter facility and in a number of capacities in the health care field. She is a graduate of California State University, Chico and is a licensed CPA.

She is a member of the American College of Health Care Executives and holds a master’s degree in Health Administration from University of Southern California.

Questions about the forum should be directed to Mary Heare Amodio, president of the Lake County Bar Association at 707-263-5759.

NICE, Calif. – The Hands Around Clear Lake Healing Ceremony planned for this weekend is being moved.

Volunteers setting up for this weekend’s Hands Around Clear Lake Healing Ceremony were ordered by the Robinson Rancheria Tribal Council not to gather at Shi-Kom Village, the tribally owned site where the event had been planned, and were later escorted off the property.

Two new venues have been announced for the gatherings: one for the Friday evening concert and gathering, and one for the Saturday morning sunrise ceremony.

The sunrise ceremony, a community blessing of Clear Lake, will be held at Rodman Slough, a lakeside park on Nice-Lucerne Cutoff Road, between Lakeport and Nice, right near the bridge.

The ceremony, from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. this Saturday, Sept. 22, will be open to all.

For those unable to attend, the ceremony will broadcast live on KPFZ, Lake County Community Radio, from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. on 88.1FM and streamed live at www.wakeupandthrive.us .

The new location of the Friday night concert and tribal gathering will be Rainbow Ranch, a family farm and permaculture eco-village located in the Konocti/Cobb region of Lake County, at 9210 Wildcat Road, near Highway 175.

The concert will include live music by Lake County’s own Blue Collar, Without a Net, Righteous Vibrations, the Possible Futures, Lucas Prana and the Gypsy Vayus, Not Two, Songbird and more. There also will be a People’s Mic ceremony, for attendees to share prayers, announcements, poetry and other inspired words.

The evening gathering will include a community potluck, ceremonial fire, drum circle and dancing. Families and pets are welcome.

Both events are free to the public, with all donations benefiting nonprofit sponsors Transition Lake County, Thrive Lake County, the Lucy Moore Foundation, Lake County Summer of Peace and KPFZ 88.1 FM Lake County Community Radio.

After the sunrise ceremony on Saturday morning, there will be a partially catered potluck breakfast for the participants of the event at Rodman Slough. Attendees are invited to stay and enjoy the natural setting for a few hours, before moving on to the rest of the day’s activities.

Saturday afternoon, the party moves to Upper Lake for three related events at Dallas Cook’s house, also known as “The Inn,” located at 682 First St.

At 3 p.m., there will be a Transition Lake County Potluck with a Purpose. At 5 p.m., there will be a ritual ceremony to honor the Autumnal Equinox. At 7 p.m. there will be an evening potluck and drum circle.

This Friday, the final day of the summer season, also marks the end of the Lake County Summer of Peace, with closing ceremonies at Lakeport’s Library Park at 4 p.m. and Clearlake’s Austin Park at 7 p.m.

More information about Hands Around Clear Lake can be found on Facebook, on the web at www.HandsAroundClearLake.com or by calling 707-279-1989.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Saturday, Sept. 15, dozens of players gathered at Rob Roy Golf Club for a fun-filled day of golfing, raffles and dinner to help raise funds for the Lakeport Senior Activity Center and its programs.

The tournament was a huge success thanks to the leadership and hard work of Carol Ripplinger and the volunteers that helped her.

Ripplinger recruited the help of the senior center’s board of directors to make prize baskets for the raffle, and went through the community asking for support from local businesses.

Thanks to Chapel of the Lakes, Hartley Lodge No. 199, Dr. Robert Jolin, Featherbed Railroad, Twin Pines Casino, Adam Springs Golf Course, Buckingham Golf Club, Tallman Hotel, Pat Skoog, Lakeside Family Fun Center, Konocti Vista Casino and the great people at Rob Roy for their contributions.

Serving more than 60,000 meals to seniors each year and fighting senior hunger in our community, Lakeport Senior Activity Center is always looking for volunteers and fundraising ideas.

Anyone interested in getting involved can contact the Meals-on-Wheels Thrift store, 120 N. Main St. in Lakeport at 707-263-6174, or the Lakeport Senior Center at 527 Konocti Ave. in Lakeport, 707-263-4218.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Summer of Peace closing ceremonies will be this Friday, Sept. 21.

The events will take place at 4 p.m. in Lakeport’s Library Park and 7 p.m. in Clearlake’s Austin Park.

Both ceremonies feature sacred music by My Divas, an a Capella women’s chorale led by Claudia Listman, and Denyce (Hicks) Santos, a new operatic soprano recently moved to Lake County from New York City will sing the Ave Maria.

Elder Thomas Brown will open the ceremonies at both ends of the lake with Pomo drumming and prayer.

Anthony Farrington, who sits on the Lake County Board of Supervisors, will be the keynote speaker in Lakeport, while Rev. Voris Brumfield, minister at the Middletown Methodist Church, will lead the Clearlake ceremony.

Aqeela Bakheit will speak on universal truth and forgiveness, and there also will be remarks by Lake County Summer of Peace Founder/Director Taira St. John.

The service will end with a candlelight walk around Austin Park. The final month of the Summer of Peace is dedicated to inclusion and forgiveness.

The public is welcome and events are free of charge.

FINLEY, Calif. – A family is seeking the return of its pet border collie, missing since the middle of the week.

“Princess” went missing from her home in Finley, across from the Finley market at the bridge, sometime around 6 p.m. Wednesday, according to her owner, Whitney Braito. She was reportedly seen in her family’s driveway later that night, but disappeared again.

Braito has looked for her in the neighborhood and at Lake County Animal Care and Control, but so far Princess hasn’t turned up.

Princess was wearing a green flat nylon collar and tags.

Anyone who has information about Princess’ whereabouts is asked to call Whitney Braito at 530-961-2470 or Daniel at 530-315-1192.