Arts & Life
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- Written by: Editor
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Local author Steve Bartholomew will celebrate the publication of his latest book, “Spirit Catcher,” at Watershed Books on Friday, June 5.
The event will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. at the store, 305 N. Main St. in Lakeport.
Bartholomew will share insights on his creative inspiration and publishing processes, as well as reading from his latest novel and previously published favorites.
Refreshments will be served.
For more information call 707-263-5787.
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- Written by: Editor

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Comedy Night with Marc Yaffee and Friends is coming to the Soper Reese Theatre on Saturday, June 27, at 7 p.m.
The “funny, not filthy” show is hosted by Pat McCoy with special guest Chancellor Andrade, a Lake County student who’s put together his own intriguing mix of magic and humor.
Once a Lake County local boy himself, Yaffee is now a national comedy phenomenon who serves audiences his original comedy recipe, specially prepared for nonstop laughs.
Tasty topics, spicy premises and savory punchlines, are all dished out with a dash of sarcasm and a grain of salt.
Yaffee is an award-winning comedian who was featured on the Showtime special, “Goin’ Native: The American Indian Comedy Slam.”
He also has appeared on the PBS special “Crossing The Line,” Si TV’s Latino Laugh Festival and Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen.
Yaffee has also been heard on SiriusXM Radio, Bob & Tom and NPR. He has performed five times overseas for the troops in the Middle East, Europe and Asia; was a writer for George Carlin’s www.laugh.com ; and won the Ventura Comedy Festival’s Funniest Person Contest in 2012.
All seats are reserved. Tickets are $18 and $15, and are on sale at www.soperreesetheatre.com ; at the theater box office on Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; or at The Travel Center, 1265 S. Main St., Lakeport, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The theater is located at 275 S. Main St., Lakeport.
For more information call 707-263-0577.
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- Written by: Linda Drake

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – As the first barn was nearing completion at the Ely Stage Stop & Country Museum, it became clear that the museum would be much more than simply a place for the public to enjoy its wonderful displays and historical artifacts.
Lake County has a bounty of talented musicians and dreams were being fulfilled that would celebrate these local musicians and the American music heritage from the Ely Stage Stop Victorian Era.
Don Coffin contacted Greg Dills, Ely Stage Stop director, in 2013 looking for a place for the California Old Time Fiddlers’ Association’s District 10 to play. District 10 serves Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties.
Coffin attended a docent meeting and when asked if his group would be interested in meeting at the stage stop to jam sometime, he gave an enthusiastic positive response.
A decision was made on the spot and the dialogue moved to firming up a plan. The porch and/or barn were offered, the first Sunday of the month was chosen and, as we like to say at the museum, the rest is history.
The mission of District 10 of the California Old time Fiddlers’ Association, cited on the Web site http://carneyscorner.com/csotfa.html , is “to promote an interest in the old time American fiddle styles and to create more opportunities for interested parties to learn about the lineage of fiddle music in America, to promote activities related to old time fiddling (jams and concerts, and contests), to foster a sense of community in this shared musical treasure, and to preserve a truly American art form.”
The Ely Stage Stop has proven to be the perfect venue to foster the Association’s mission and to get our local community involved.
The Fiddlers’ Jam runs at the museum on the first Sunday of each month from noon through 2 p.m. The next jam is this Sunday, June 7. Musicians of all ages with all sorts of instruments will descend upon the barn for the round robin style jam session.
Donations made during the jam benefit both the Ely Stage Stop, helping to fund the construction of the blacksmith complex, and the Old Time Fiddlers Association District 10, who uses it to partially fund their scholarship programs.
Come early to picnic and check out the latest museum acquisitions and displays. This free, family friendly event can be enjoyed by all, young and old alike.
Enjoy the music with beverages and tasty treats. Bring your own wine and sip it in Ely Stage Stop wine glasses that are available for purchase. Come ready to clap your hands, tap your toes or get up and dance.
There will be the regular monthly raffle near the end of the jam and more chances to purchase raffle tickets for the “Barns, Birds and Quilts” raffle that will celebrate a winner later in the year. Those items will be on display during the jam. Remaining tickets to Ely’s June 13 Picnic on the Porch fundraiser can also be purchased during the day.
Home to the Lake County Historical Society, the stage stop is located at 9921 State Highway 281 (Soda Bay Road) in Kelseyville, near Clear Lake Riviera, just north of Highway 29-Kit's Corner. Current hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.
Fiddlers’ jams occur the first Sunday of every month from noon until 2 p.m. Living history events featuring local historians are held on the fourth Saturday of every month, again, from noon to 2 p.m.
Visit www.elystagestop.org or www.lakecountyhistory.org , check out the stage stop on Facebook at www.facebook.com/elystagestop or call the museum at 707-533-9990.
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- Written by: Ted Kooser

Many of the poems that have survived the longest are very short.
Some of them are a couple of thousand years old. They have somehow managed to perfectly catch life in just a few words and we can still feel those long-ago lives within them.
Glenna Luschei, who lives in California, tells us a great deal about comfort in this exemplary poem. Her latest book of poetry is Leaving It All Behind, (Presa Press, 2011).
Home
Dog at my pillow.
Dog at my feet.
My own toothbrush.
American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright 2014 by Glenna Luschei, “Home.” Poem reprinted by permission of Glenna Luschei. Introduction copyright 2015 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. They do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.
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