This year the co-sponsors for the contest are the Clear Lake Junior Horsemen and the Scotts Valley 4H Horse Group.

“It's really appropriate that these groups are sponsoring,” said Rodeo President John Fulton. “Many of them and their alumni have participated in the contest over the past many years.”

A current rodeo director, Nick Moranda, was a winner in the early 1990s.

The contest is open to boys and girls, ages 4 to 8. The deadline to enter is Friday, June 26. The actual competition will be held at the Narley Dude Ranch at noon on Saturday, June 27.

Participants are encouraged to dress in their best western gear (no live props) and they will be asked a few questions during a short interview.

The winners, one boy and one girl, will be announced as they are introduced in the arena on Friday evening, July 10, at the 80th Annual Lake County Rodeo at the Fairgrounds in Lakeport.

Each winner receives three passes to the rodeo for that evening. During their introduction on Friday, they will be awarded a special silver buckle.

Applications can be printed off the official rodeo Web site at www.lakecountyrodeo.com ; picked up at the Lakeport Regional Chamber of Commerce, 875 Lakeport Blvd., in Lakeport or call 707-263-5092 to have an application mailed to you.

The Senior Center is located at 3985 Country Club Drive (corner of 10^th and Country Club) in Lucerne.

The center serves breakfast from 9 a.m. until noon.

The public is invited. Membership in the Lake County Democratic Club is open to registered members of the Democratic Party.

For more information contact the group at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 707-263-4529.

From left, District 1 Supervisor Jim Comstock, Republican Women's President Penny Lunt and Lake County Republican Party Chairman Randy Ridgel. Photo by Janeane Bogner.

LOWER LAKE – The Republican Women's Federated will meet at 11 a.m. Wednesday June 10 Luncheon at 2Goomba's, 16175 Main St., Lower Lake.

The meeting's speaker will be District 1 Supervisor Jim Comstock, discussing his first five months in office.

Lake County Republican Chairman Randy Ridgel will discuss how Proposition 1A was defeated in Lake County.

Special guest Holly Thompson from Fortuna will bring giftss to donate to our club charity Iraq*Star for reconstructive surgery for our troops.

Stars of Lake County Environmental Award winner Leona Butts also will make an urgent appeal regarding one of our local parks, which are under attack.

For reservations call Janeane Bogner at 998-3280.

All men and women who want to join the club should e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Top left to right: Susie Fresne-Smith, Andy Rossoff, Barbara Johnson, Mike Dunlap, Nancy Ryan, Vernon D. McNamee; front left to right, Carla L. Rodriguez (past grad), Linda Garcia-Eckert (past grad), Penny DeMaria Jahn. Not pictured: Cathy Ward, Susanna DeAngelo Fraser, PatriciaAn Raymundo-Schmidt, Mary Amodio (past grad). Photo courtesy of PatriciaAn Raymundo-Schmidt.

LAKE COUNTY – On May 9, 16 and 30, from, 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., a class of nine people completed 24 hours of training, sponsored by the Lake Superior Court Civil Mediation Program and the Lake County dispute Resolution Services, Inc. (LCDRS).

Trainers leading the group were Cathy Ward, J.D., ADR coordinator for the Lake County Superior Court; Andy Rossoff, directing attorney, Senior Law Project; and Barbara Johnson, executive director, LCDRS.

As Rossoff explained, “Mediators help parties in conflict find collaborative solutions outside of court.”.

When I arrived for the first class, my first thought was, “What am I doing here?” The “ice breaker” was focused on getting acquainted with my fellow students.

We came from diverse backgrounds: a gentleman who travels the world who happens to be an attorney, a paralegal who is currently training to swim across the Blue Lakes, a real estate agent, a registered member of Big Valley Rancheria, a single mom who is also a bartender and a physical therapy aide, an attorney who is also an existing mediator and others who also want to expand their “life resume.”

After attending three Saturdays of mediation training, this homemaker, desiring to expand her “life resume,” acquired the basic methods of non-biased thinking, listening, facilitating the clear communication of disputants’ needs and interests, and helping others to find acceptable solutions.

“These new mediators will bring a diversity of life experiences to the community mediation services in Lake County,” said Johnson. “It is proof that everyday folks are able to learn valuable new skills in service to their community.”

I am looking forward to completing the required 25 hours of volunteer “pay-back” and the opportunity to test these skills while co-mediating disputants in Lake County Superior Court's small claims court and eviction proceedings. An additional benefit of this class is that these basic skills will be available to me to us in my daily affairs with family, friends and coworkers.

“The skills taught are useful in all sorts of environments,” said Susanna DeAngelo Fraser, tribal prevention coordinator. “It would be so helpful to bring this format in a number of situations that I am currently dealing with. The power of real heart felt listening and acknowledgment and decisions made based on input from both parties seems so basic, yet isn’t readily accessible.”

Ward, Rossoff and Johnson gave a very impressive and effective class. Thank you, fellow classmates, for contributing your comments; this will encourage a wider range of future mediator trainees to sign-up for the next mediation training session.

Any reader wanting help solving a dispute or interested in hearing about the next basic mediation training session (probably late fall 2009) is invited to call the Lake County Dispute Resolution Services Inc. at 707-263-6800 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Lions International is the largest service club in the world, with 1,350,000 members in more than 190 countries, including China and Russia.

The Motto of “We Serve” incorporates vision impairment assistance as well as elementary school children’s eye screening. Also supported are scholarships, camperships for special needs children as well as diabetes, cancer, hearing projects and eyeglass collections for Third World countries.

The Lions will be soliciting new members in these communities on June 15, 16, and 17.

The prospecting will start at 9:30 a.m. Monday, June 15, at Lucerne Community Church, 5870 Highway 20, Lucerne.

Any and all interested persons are invited to this Informative meeting. Anyone with ideas and proposals for service needs in the community are encouraged to attend.

For further information or to assist, please call Region Chairman Lion Harry De Lope at 707-277-9177.

The meeting will last from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Lower Lake Schoolhouse Museum, 16435 Main St.

The meeting will discuss the master plan, similar to the meetings held earlier this spring.

The county is moving forward with the acquisition as planned. Geothermal funds which can only be used for specific things like park acquisition have been set aside and are still secure. County officials anticipate escrow will open in September and close in November.

A recent fundraiser for the acquisition – led by community volunteers and business people including Holly Harris, Chuck Lamb and Kevin Kealy – raised $4,200.

For more information about the meetings, contact Rebecca Dierssen at the Lake County Public Services Department, 707-262-4293.