MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Friends of Middletown Library's monthly mini book sale will take place in the Middletown Library hallway on Saturday, Nov. 19, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Prices range from $1 for hardcover and $0.50 for paperback.

All proceeds are for the purchase of new books and supplies for the library.

This is a good time to begin your Christmas shopping. The books are in excellent condition.

The children’s library fundraiser is ongoing and doing well. Donations are still needed to reach the goal of $10,000.

Send a donation – big or small – to Friends of Middletown Library, PO Box 57, Middletown, CA 95461, or drop off at library, 21256 Washington St.

Funds will be used for children’s and young adults’ books, DVDs and more.

The future of sustainable mobility is taking shape in California, and Caltrans is doing its part by adding 20 new hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to its light-duty fleet.

In this Caltrans News Flash, they show off the first of these clean vehicles that are being deployed throughout California.

Zero-emission vehicles, such as these hydrogen cars, are a cornerstone of California’s long-term energy strategy to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

They are also part of Caltrans’ sustainability goal to support the development and use of low-carbon fuels.

I can hardly fathom that still in 2016 this question remains unanswered for many Americans.

Still, on Thursday, Nov. 10, I arrived at the Middletown United Methodist Church to be told our bulletin board had been plastered with misogynist literature calling on men to silence women; this was in the form of multiple pamphlets with the heading, “Should Women Preach?”

Ironically the pamphlet ended with what some call the “Sinner’s Prayer” which included the profession of faith that Christ was “raised from the grave on the third day” something witnessed and preached ONLY by women in the beginning.

Thank you Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James, Salome, Joanna and the other women for sharing the Message. Peter would join the chorus publicly for the first time in another 50 days and Paul not for over a year (when he ceased to have murder in his heart for Christians).

Since most literature against women in the church quotes Paul out of context, let’s begin there.

When Paul wrote to the leaders of the Roman church he included 24 women in the list, naming very FIRST the deaconess Phoebe (see Romans 16:1) and second Priscilla who the Bible repeatedly records took part in teaching ministry with her husband Aquila and who corrected the flawed preaching of Apollo who was described as being “well-versed in Scripture” (see Acts 19) but didn’t understand the new way in Jesus.

In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he said, “I do not allow a woman to teach.” (1 Timothy 2:11-15) Note that he says “I.” This is not a word from the Lord, but Paul’s preference or custom.

In 1 Corinthians 11:5 he has already acknowledged women who prophecy in the church but that he wants them to do it with their heads covered as “nature intended.”

I think we can safely say that we understand head coverings are a cultural thing, not an eternal religious mandate; certainly Jesus never told a woman she had to cover her head. By verse 16 Paul notes that these are customs saying, “if any is disposed to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.”

Paul was, as he described himself, a Pharisee. He was concerned with the old rules even as he was called into the new way in Christ.

It is understandable that we see his wrestling and that his writings on women in the church were not always consistent. He was himself being renewed in his mind and transformed by the Spirit (Romans 12:4).

I for one am thankful scripture records this process of transformation. Contrary to what is commonly called “flip-flopping” in politics, in the church we call it repenting, confessing when we are wrong and doing it a new way.

The disciples who followed Jesus during his public ministry were also transformed in their understanding of the role of women, but they had more time with Jesus than Paul.

The Gospel of John chapter 4 tells a story of the disciples astonished at the religious conversation Jesus was having with a woman, but John 4:29 says that “many Samaritans believed in Him because of her testimony.”

It goes on to say that they eventually believed on their own, not just because of her. That is what all good preaching does, it invites the listener to come and see what God has done with the hope that having taken up the invitation to come and see, they will SEE.

Acts 21:19 tells us that Phillip, one of the 12, had four daughters with the gift of prophecy. As a Jew and new follower of Jesus Phillip was shocked to see Jesus having a religious conversation with a woman. As a father who had followed Jesus and learned His way, his daughters become prophets of the Lord!

It was a time of radical change for the early church but this change was not unexpected. As Peter proclaimed in Acts chapter 2 it is what was spoken through the prophet Joel for all flesh, sons and daughters, men and women to be empowered by the Spirit.

It may be that the roles of men and women were subverted in the Fall, but in Christ they are restored and we each, men and women, are invited to go and tell, like the women at the tomb, who were first to preach the gospel “Christ is risen.”

Rev. Shannon Kimbell-Auth is the Pastor at Middletown and Clearlake Community United Methodist Churches in Lake County, Calif. All are welcome in these houses of worship, men and women, old and young. Their mission is to make disciples of Christ for the transformation of the world. Let's be the change together, for change is surely needed.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Public Health has scheduled additional flu vaccination clinics through December.

In Lakeport, flu vaccines are available at the Public Health office at 922 Bevins Court on Wednesdays between 9 and 11 a.m. through Dec. 14.

After Dec. 14, flu vaccines will be available during regular clinic hours as walk in appointments. Please call for dates and times.

Flu vaccines are $2.

Anyone 6 months of age or older is encouraged to get a flu vaccine. Flu vaccinations are also available in a variety of locations such as your primary care provider and local pharmacies.

The Lake County Public Health Division encourages community members to obtain a flu vaccine for a healthy holiday season.

Please call 1-800-794-9291 or 263-1090 for additional information.

This Veterans Day, the director of California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) encourages all employers to honor the men and women who have served and sacrificed to preserve the freedoms we enjoy – by hiring them.

Speaking at an “Honor a Hero, Hire a Vet” job and resource fair on Thursday in Woodland Hills, EDD Director Patrick W. Henning, Jr. praised all of the employers participating in the event and valuing the skills and attributes veterans bring to a job.

He called on other California employers to follow their lead, and to visit EDD’s new Honor a Hero, Hire a Vet web page for a special Veterans Day collection of new data and information, employer success stories, and veteran services designed to help connect employers in need of good workers with qualified veterans. EDD also held an Honor a Hero, Hire a Vet event in San Diego Thursday.

“Veterans have served our country with honor, now it’s our turn to honor them and the valuable skills they bring back from their military career – skills that can greatly benefit California employers,” EDD Director Henning said at the job fair. “It is a privilege to hold these events and to assist veterans throughout the year in finding new career opportunities.”

“Every year, 25,000 veterans come home to California and reintegrate into civilian life,” said Dr. Vito Imbasciani, Secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet), who was also at the Woodland Hills job fair. “Events such as this ease the transition from combat to community by connecting veterans with employers that recognize the value of military experience.”

California is home to 1.8 million veterans, more than any other state, and the EDD has a long history of success in helping veterans of all ages find jobs and training.

However, young veterans, many who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, are in significant need, said EDD’s Henning.

The unemployment rate for veterans under age 35 in California is 10.3 percent – far higher than the 6.8 percent jobless rate for non-veterans in their age group.

According to the most recent data, 856,000 veterans are employed in California. Business sectors where veterans have found employment applying their valued military skills and experience include professional and business services, educational and health services, public administration, wholesale and retail trade, transportation and utilities, manufacturing, and construction.

EDD’s new Honor a Hero, Hire a Vet Web page lists the attributes veterans bring to a job including:

· Self-directed discipline, working under high pressure conditions, collaborating within a team environment, and developing strategic plans to complete assigned tasks. The U.S. Department of Labor has found that the skills acquired by veterans typically meet or exceed the requirements of the civilian workforce.

· Experience in meeting deadlines, giving and following directions, and providing leadership. In fact, the top civilian jobs currently held by veterans in California are management occupations with a mean average wage of $129,884.

· Extensive education. Roughly one out of every three veterans in California have a bachelor’s degree or higher – 4.4 percent more than the share for non-veterans.

· Specialized advanced training in information technology, logistics, medical, mechanical and security fields. Veterans have experience developing computer networks, analyzing transportation routes for goods, and drawing blueprints and operating heavy machinery in construction-related jobs.

In addition, the feature web page highlights services available for both employers and veterans including:

· “CalJOBSSM” – California’s online resource to help job seekers and employers navigate the state’s workforce services, with directions on how employers can access a specialized CalJOBSSM link making the résumés of 160,000 veterans available to employers within seconds.

· “Heroes at Work” – presents success stories of employers who have hired qualified veterans and recognized the benefits veterans bring to the workplace.

· “Veteran’s Day 2016: Heroes at Work” – a special report with veteran employment data.

· “California Veteran” – A Smart Hire that lists veterans’ enhanced training, education, and skills that include teamwork and leadership.

· A list of services for both employers and employees available at America’s Job Center of CaliforniaSM locations throughout the state. Veteran representatives at these offices help veterans find jobs and training, and assist employers in finding and preparing veterans for jobs.

The Honor a Hero, Hire a Vet job and resource fairs are sponsored under the Governor’s multi-agency veterans’ initiative that integrates veterans services through EDD, CalVet, California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, California Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Apprenticeship Standards, and California Community Colleges.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – On Saturday, Nov. 12, the saxophone and overall music virtuoso Matt Rothstein, a Kelseyville native now based in Sacramento, will open the 10th season of intimate “Concerts with Conversation” in the Meeting House next to the Tallman Hotel in Upper Lake.

Joining Rothstein on stage will be an ensemble of some of his closest musical friends and teachers including pianist Tom Aiken and guitarist Dan Meyer.
 
“Matt is an amazing musician,” said Tallman owner Bernie Butcher, “and it’s something special that he hasn’t forgotten his roots here in Lake County. His concert here three years ago was one of the best we’ve had in the entire series.”
 
Rothstein is an accomplished saxophonist, vocalist, arranger, pianist and composer. While still at Kelseyville High he was recognized by Down Beat Magazine and the Grammy Foundation as a prodigious talent.

He honed his blend of jazz, folk, and gospel styles into a distinctive voice while attending Sonoma State University and studying under the renowned composers Mel Graves and Will Johnson. 
 
"Lake County has been and remains our truest home,” said Rothstein. “Art flows not only from social context, but from the land itself. For me, that means Mt. Konocti, vineyards and pear trees, and many moments driving around Clear Lake, when the world opened up and I knew anything was possible.”
 
Matt traces his musical concepts not only to national figures like Waylon Jennings and John Coltrane but also to local influences such as his family, St. Mary's Catholic Church and prominent local musicians including Tom Ganoung, Nick Biondo, Nick Reid and Jack Tatum as well as Tom Aiken and Dan Meyer.
 
Both Aiken and Meyer enjoy playing with Rothstein any time he returns to Lake County. For several years, Meyer and Rothstein brought a breath of fresh air to the music program at the Ukiah Methodist Church and Aiken calls Rothstein “perhaps the most creative and talented student I had in all my years at Kelseyville High.”
 
Rounding out the ensemble for the Tallman show will be Rothstein’s wife Jill on vocals as well as a backline of Clint Parker on bass and Randy Wimer on percussion.
 
Rothstein has a real musical partnership with his wife Jill. "She is the most unique and skilled crafter of song I know,” he said. “Her prophetic lyrics, folk-informed melodies, and unconventional, yet immediately resonant explorations of song form uplift and challenge. Jill has profoundly changed me and my music, indisputably for the better."
 
The Tallman Concert Series continues Jan. 21 with Little Charlie Baty and Organ Grinder Swing co-sponsored by Lincoln-Leavitt Insurance. This will be followed on Feb. 18 by pianists Wendy DeWttt and Steve Willis, country star Rita Hosking on March 18 and Bob Culbertson on the Chapman Stick April 8.

The Rothstein Ensemble show on Nov. 12 starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Meeting House next to the Tallman Hotel.

Tickets at $25 plus tax may be purchased by calling the Hotel at 707-275-2244, Extension 0. Coffee and cookies are served prior to the show.

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MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Lioness Club will hold its ninth annual Christmas Craft Boutique on Friday, Nov. 18, and Saturday, Nov. 19.

The boutique's hours will be 2 to 6 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Middletown Lions' building, 15399 Central Park Road.

Join them in a winter holiday atmosphere, browse at your leisure, enjoy the talent and ingenuity of wonderful hand-crafted items and find gifts for those special people on your list.

The Lioness Club will host a bake sale with delicious home baked goods. Lunch, snacks and drinks will be available for purchase including hot apple cider.

There will be raffle drawings throughout the day both days and the prizes are donated items from local merchants. Entrants need not be present to win.

Tickets are now available one for $1 or 6 for $5. For ticket purchase contact Sandy at 707-987-3567.

There are still spaces available for additional vendors. If interested, please contact Teri at 707-295-0535 for more information.

Veterans Day 2016 marks the first anniversary since the State of California started offering veterans the opportunity to place a printed “Veteran” designation on a California driver license or identification card.

So far, 38,000 California veterans began the process of adding the distinguished marking to a driver license or ID card, which can be used as a simple and official way to confirm military service.

During the first year of this successful program, more than 38,000 veterans visited a county veteran service office, or CVSO, where they obtained the veteran status verification form needed to apply for the special designation.

Veterans then visit a Department of Motor Vehicles field office with the form to add the “Veteran” designation to obtain a license or ID.

The DMV processed and issued more than 31,000 licenses and ID cards to Veterans, as Veterans usually wait until renewal time before adding the new designation.

The driver license and ID program partners include the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet), CVSOs and DMV.

The program honors the military service of veterans. As part of the program, more than 7,400 veterans who visited a CVSO also learned about and filed new benefit claims. Additionally, a veteran designation often means a business can easily confirm veteran status when offering discounts on holidays such as Veterans Day.

To obtain the veteran designation, follow these three easy steps:

• Step 1: Find your military discharge certificate (DD214). If you need assistance obtaining your military records, then contact a CVSO. To find a local CVSO, call 844-737-8838 or visit www.calvet.ca.gov .

• Step 2: Take your DD214 and government identification to a CVSO and obtain your completed and stamped Veteran Status Verification Form.

• Step 3: Visit www.dmv.ca.gov or call DMV at 800-777-0133 for an appointment. Then bring your Veteran Status Verification Form to a DMV field office. Complete your application, pay any fees including the $5 fee to add the veteran designation.

For more details and to download our informational poster, please visit CalVet’s Web site.