On the menu is melt-in-your-mouth brisket, scalloped potatoes, baked beans and coleslaw.

Desserts, made by some incredible bakers in our community will be auctioned off (and hopefully shared) following the dinner.

All proceeds from this incredible meal will be distributed back into the community as needed over the course of 2011.

There will also be a silent auction during dinner. If you would like to donate to the silent auction, please contact Heidi at 707-291-6171.

Tickets can be purchased by calling the KPC office at 707-279-1104.

The cost is $10 for adults, $7 for children under age 10 or $35 for a family with two or more children under 10.

Come and join the community in support of the Housing Task Force.

The meeting will take place from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

There will be free banana splits for all who attend.

The youth board plans monthly activities for the center.

LCS is part of Redwood Children's Services and is a free resource center for teens and youth ages 15-24.

The center provides free activities and resources, including Internet access, tutoring, a clothing closet, cooking classes, art projects and weekly movie nights, as well as referrals for local resources.

LCS is located at 14130 Lakeshore Drive, Clearlake in the old firehouse building. It is open Monday through Friday, noon to 6 p.m.

Free bus passes are available for those who need a ride home.

For more information call Janelle at 707-994-5486.

Pruner extraordinaire, Allen Markowski, shows how to prune an apple tree. Markowski will lead a pruning demonstration in Clearlake, Calif., on Saturday, January 22, 2011. Photo by Lori Patotzka.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Lake Co Community Co-op's 2011 series of educational events is starting the New Year off with a free public pruning demonstration in Clearlake on Saturday, Jan. 22.

The demonstration will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at 15618 Brunetto Lane in Clearlake.

Active co-op member and volunteer, Allen Markowski, will share his pruning knowledge and skills on a variety of trees and bushes at a local residence. Participants can take part in pruning on a variety of sample branches as well.

Please bring pruning tools to use and to share if you have them.

This is a great no-cost opportunity to become more knowledgeable in pruning existing plants and trees in order to provide a more productive local and sustainable harvest. The public is welcome. Please dress warmly.

For more information contact Lori Patotzka at 707-994-1618.

Celebrating three years in community, the Lake County Community Co-op (LCCC) envisions cultivating an evolving community by nurturing values of social, economic and environmental responsibility. Member input and participation is encouraged for the continued success of its co-creation.

The LCCC supports and enhances the local food system while providing a forum for community activities.

For more information or to become a member of the LCCC, follow the links at http://lakeco-op.org or call 707-993-4270.

These funds are available under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and are available under the terms of the latest continuing resolution.

“Much of the country has already experienced a very cold winter,” said Secretary Sebelius. “Today’s additional funds will help struggling families in California keep safe and warm for the remainder of the season.”

LIHEAP assists qualified families with their home energy needs such as heating in the winter, cooling their homes in the summer, and insulating their homes to make them more energy efficient and reduce their energy costs.

By doing so, families are less likely to have to choose between paying their energy bills and other necessities, such as food or medicine. Energy assistance can reduce illness or the risk of fires that can break out when households turn to using candles or space heaters because they cannot pay their electricity or gas bill.

The block grant funds released today supplement two previous releases of funds under continuing resolutions in Fiscal Year 2011.

“As temperatures drop, heating costs can pose a serious challenge for struggling families,” said David A. Hansell, HHS acting assistant secretary for children and families. “At the start of a new year, these additional LIHEAP funds will help ease the financial burdens for many families in California.”

A complete list of funds available to states today is here: www.acf.hhs.gov/news/press/2011/liheap_allocation.html.

Individuals interested in applying for energy assistance should contact their local/state LIHEAP agency. For more information, go to http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap/ or www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap/brochure/brochure.html.

Preservation and maintenance of the 9.5 acre site at 21281 Stewart St. in Middletown is the responsibility of Lake County Land Trust.

Volunteer Land Trust directors are developing a land management plan for the site including protection, educational and scientific use, passive recreational use and restoration.

Two studies essential to the land management plan include the vegetation survey by Paul Aigner and Cathy Koehler, co-directors of UC-Davis McLaughlin Reserve in Lower Lake, and a cultural resource investigation completed by Dr. John and Cheyanne Parker of Archeological Research in Lucerne. Cathy Koehler is also executive director of the Lake County Land Trust.

A formal bird survey is planned for this spring.

Pete McGee, Land Trust president, began removal of invasive tree-of-heaven trees on Rabbit Hill. This ornamental plant, originally from China, is undesirable because it crowds out native plants.

Other land management considerations for Rabbit Hill Nature Sanctuary are trails with maps, interpretative signs, and liaison with schools and other conservation groups.

Rabbit Hill is special to generations of Middletown area residents who received handmade gemstone rings when they started kindergarten from Hugo “Huck” and Juanita “Skee” Hamann, who lived on the site.

In a recorded oral history of Rabbit Hill, Middletown Librarian Gehlen Palmer remembers visiting the Hamanns as a youngster, playing scrabble during stormy weather, and listening to classical music.

The Hamanns left their land to Sonoma County’s Madrone Audubon Society, which later deeded the property to Lake County’s Land Trust for protection.

Public comments on how people would like to use Rabbit Hill, and their thoughts and stories about the site, are welcome. Please call 707-262-0707 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Land Trust directors are Christian Ahlmann, Clearlake; Jon Ambrose, Hidden Valley Lake; Michael Friel, Lower Lake; Brad Barnwell, Tom Gilliam and Kristi Groff, Lakeport; Roberta Lyons, Lower Lake; Nina Marino and Tom Smythe, Kelseyville; Pete McGee, Middletown; and Keith Peterson, Finley.

For more information, see www.lakecountylandtrust.org .