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- Written by: Internal Revenue Service
If you are donating to charities providing earthquake relief in Haiti, you may be able to claim those donations on your 2009 tax return.
Here are 10 important facts the Internal Revenue Service wants you to know about this special provision.
A new law allows you to claim donations for Haitian relief on your 2009 tax return, which you will be filing this year.
The contributions must be made specifically for the relief of victims in areas affected by the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti.
To be eligible for a deduction on the 2009 tax return, donations must be made after Jan. 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010.
In order to be deductible, contributions must be made to qualified charities and can not be designated for the benefit of specific individuals or families.
The new law applies only to cash contributions.
Cash contributions made by text message, check, credit card or debit card may be claimed on your federal tax return.
You must itemize your deductions in order to claim these donations on your tax return.
You have the option of deducting these contributions on either your 2009 or 2010 tax return, but not both.
Contributions made to foreign organizations generally are not deductible. You can find out more about organizations helping Haitian earthquake victims from agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development ( www.usaid.gov ).
Federal law requires that you keep a record of any deductible donations you make.
For donations by text message, a telephone bill will meet the record-keeping requirement if it shows the name of the organization receiving your donation, the date of the contribution, and the amount given.
For cash contributions made by other means, be sure to keep a bank record, such as a canceled check or a receipt from the charity. Receipts should show the name of the charity, the date and amount of the contribution.
For more information see IRS Publication 526, Charitable Contributions and Publication 3833, Disaster Relief: Providing Assistance through Charitable Organizations. To determine if an organization is a qualified charity visit IRS.gov, keyword "Search for Charities." Note that some organizations, such as churches or governments, may be qualified even though they are not listed on www.irs.gov .
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- Written by: Ann Blue
LAKEPORT – Clear Lake Trowel & Trellis Garden Club (CLTTGC) is honoring Carol Kesey by awarding one of two $1,000 scholarships in her name.
CLTTGC was organized in Sept. 21, 1955. Kesey, a charter member, celebrated her 92nd birthday Dec. 5, 2009.
She said that in 1955 “instead of being one of the oldest members I was one of the youngest with a baby girl in tow.”
Kesey continues to be a very active member. She enjoys growing and sharing her beautiful flowers. We are all blessed when we drive by her home and take in the lovely view.
She helped name the club when a proper name was required in order to enter in the Lake County Fair. Kesey has consistently won numerous awards with her show stopping arrangements and individual flower specimen’s that she enters in the fair each year.
Kesey grows prize-winning chrysanthemums which she graciously shares with arrangers participating in the November Chrysanthemum Show, which is free to the public.
She is from a family of educators and is aware of the value of a college education and the need for scholarships to aid in reaching that goal.
Kesey taught at Lakeport Grammar School. Her husband, the late Bill Kesey, was Lake County School Superintendent. Their son, Tom Kesey, is a retired vice president of Mendocino College. Tom Kesey’s wife, Jane, taught for Ukiah’s schools.
Tom and Jane Kesey’s son, Roy Kesey, is an international teacher and author of several books. Roy Kesey has taught in France, Peru and China.
Alexandria, Tom and Jane Kesey’s 10-year-old granddaughter, is following in her great-grandma Carol’s footsteps and has entered and won awards in flower arranging in the Ukiah District Fair. She enjoys going through her great-grandma's collection of vases to choose just the right one.
Kesey's two other children, Jim and Laura, also are college graduates with careers in other areas.
In 1992 CLTTGC established a scholarship fund of $250 in memory of Elizabeth Whitehead. By 2004 the scholarships fund had grown to its present level of two $1,000 scholarships.
Watch for a news release from CLTTGC Scholarship committee detailing all the information needed to apply for one of our scholarships.
For more information see www.clttgc.org .
The garden club meets at noon on the third Tuesday of the month at the Scotts Valley Women's Club House, 2298 Hendricks Road, Lakeport.
Members, guests and all interested are most welcome. President Jo Jameson, 707-263-4039, invites interested gardeners to join us.
Clear Lake Trowel & Trellis Garden Club is a member of Mendo-Lake District, California Garden Club Inc., Pacific Region and National Garden Clubs Inc.
Ann Blue is a member of the Clear Lake Trowel & Trellis Garden Club and last year's scholarship committee chair.
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- Written by: Editor
LAKEPORT – The Lake County Historical Society will host its next meeting at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, at the Lakeport Historic Courthouse Museum on S. Main Street.
Guest speaker Karan Mackey will present the history of the lovely Lakeport English Inn and its connection to the courthouse, followed by a tour of the museum.
They will serve donated refreshments, so bring your favorite cookies or cake and a friend or two to enjoy an afternoon of Lake County History.
The Lakeport Historic Courthouse Museum is located at 255 Main St., between Second and Third streets, in downtown Lakeport.
A $1 donation per family is requested to offset the cost of renting the museum.
If you have any questions, please call Randy Ridgel at 707-279-4062 or Jean Beeson at 707-263-1372.
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- Written by: Editor
FINLEY – Do you want to lose weight, eat more, feel better, increase your energy and still eat fabulous desserts every day?
Join raw food chefs Christina Basor and Sue Amberson for a raw foods vegan class from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Sunday, Feb. 28, at the Finley Grange, 1510 Big Valley Road.
Basor and Amberson's topic for the class will be “divine desserts.”
They'll discuss raw cashew cheesecake, key lime pie, rawberry pie, chocolate covered strawberries, haystacks and divine whipped cream topping.
The class will include recipes and dessert tastings.
The cost is $40 per person; children under 12 may attend for $15.
Space is limited; call or e-mail to reserve your space: Christina Basor, 707-489-3600 or