The new Lake County Horse Council officers, from left to right, are Secretary Juliana Vidich, President Carol Biggs, Treasurer Maureen Brasier and Vice President Valarie Sullivan. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The newly formed Lake County Horse Council held its second public meeting on the evening of Oct. 19 at the Lake County Fairgrounds' Junior Livestock building.

Approximately 70 equine enthusiasts came to participate in adopting the council's bylaws, electing a board of directors and setting up committees.

Peter Windrem was a masterful meeting facilitator. he explained that the horse council will be a nonprofit public benefit corporation whose purpose is to promote and preserve the horse as agriculture, industry and recreation in Lake County, and to carry on educational activities.

Preserving the rural and agricultural character of Lake County will be one of its major benefits.

Fifteen people were elected to the new Lake County Horse Council Board of Directors: President Carol Biggs, Vice President Valarie Sullivan, Treasurer Maureen Brasier, Secretary Juliana Vidich, and Allen Bibbee, Marty Brookman, Alice Chevalier, John Gay, Donna Thornton, Jerri Waddington DVM, Paul Villanueva, Deb Baumann, Dave Claus, Bryce Hayes and Nicolette Kiethly.

Eager volunteers signed up to be on committees including membership, calendar, Web site and publicity, journal, finance, executive, education, governmental relations, trail development, permits and land use, special projects, stables and boarding facilities, equine driving, dressage, youth, disaster rescue, equine health, hospitality, Mendocino County liaison, historian and trail accident safety.

At the end of the meeting, Windrem turned over the gavel to Biggs, who graciously thanked everyone who was involved in creating the Lake County Horse Council.

She acknowledged Supervisor Rob Brown for introducing and the Lake County Board of Supervisors for adopting the “Proclamation Expressing Appreciation for the Agricultural Benefit of Equines and Recognizing the Newly Formed Lake County Horse Council” on that same day.

Charter memberships are still available, and regular memberships cost only $10.

Anyone interested in joining or in assisting on committees or in other ways is urged to contact the group.

The next public meeting of the Lake County Horse Council will be held on Jan. 18, 2011, in Clearlake Oaks.

For more information about the Lake County Horse Council, contact Marty Brookman at 707-275-9387.

NICE, Calif. – The North Lake Garden Club will host its inaugural Holiday Gardening, Craft Bazaar & Boutique Faire on Saturday, Nov. 27.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Sons of Italy building, located at 2817 E. Highway 20, in Nice.

The event will include two demonstrations, flower arranging by Wil Gonzales and garden art tripping stones by Jackie Hodges and Marie Ulvila.

There will be other gardening-related activities. Arts and crafts vendors also will be available, selling holiday gifts.

Admission is free and there will be door prizes, and a 50/50 drawing.

Come enjoy tea and homemade goodies at the Tea House. Luncheon will be Coney Island hot dogs, chili and corn bread.

Come by and learn about various plants, nurseries, flower arranging plus supplies and garden-related crafts.

Three booths providing information about garden clubs will be Willits Garden Club, Mendo-Lake District and North Lake Garden Club.

The Veggie Gardening 101 students will teach healthy snack eating for kids, and Kids Growing Strong, a California Garden Clubs Inc. program will provide hands on fun crafts for kids.

The purpose of Kids Growing Strong is to inspire children and their families to adopt a healthy lifestyle through garden-based education, proper nutrition and active living.

As a donation to the Sons of Italy, Marc Giberson, tree chairman, and Don Smith, president of North Lake Garden Club, planted two Blue Italian Cypress, Cupressus sempervirens Glauca.

Proceeds from this event will help the North Lake Garden Club work toward providing a scholarship for students, and other club sponsor gardening related events for the community throughout the year.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – The Lake County Stonewall Democratic Club will sponsor a Thanksgiving dinner for all members and their friends and allies.

The dinner will be held at the Friendship Hall of the United Methodist Clearlake Oaks Church at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 22.

There will be no meeting.

The church is located at 12487 The Plaza, Clearlake Oaks, next door to the Live Oak Senior Center and behind the Red & White Market.

For information call 707-993-4125.

Gene Kirkendall won first place and best of division at the 2010 California State Fair and best of show at the 2010 Lake County Fair. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A very good friend and local businessman, Gene Kirkendall, former owner of C-K Supply has taken up leather working as a hobby.

Aided and abetted by his good friend Don McCowen, Kirkendall took this new hobby very seriously. A few years ago the two men handcrafted a saddle for the Lake County Rodeo as a raffle prize.

Kirkendall has continued with his passion for leather work and this past summer he won first place and best of division at the 2010 California State Fair.

Coming back to Lake County, Kirkendall won best of show with the same beautiful saddle at the Lake County Fair.

The saddle is a 15.5-inch built on a Bowman Roper Timberline saddle tree made of cottonwood, rawhide and resin.

The leather comes from Hermann Oak Co.; hardware is from Jeremiah Watt and the stirrups are from Ron Mewes Manufacturing.

Kirkendall took approximately six weeks to complete the saddle and although it is a beautiful work of art, he states that it’s far from good enough to capture the Saddle Maker of the Year Award.

“I have to give special thanks to Don McCowen for teaching and introducing me to the art of leather crafting; also to Pedro Pedrini (2008 Saddle Maker of the Year), for showing me the true finesse of saddle making,” Kirkendall said.

Pedrini is located in Marysville and owns the Western Leather Academy. To win the Saddle Maker of the Year, saddlemakers must be invited to a show in Wichita Falls, Texas, by the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association.

Once invited, saddlemakers are judged by your peers for this and many other prestigious awards. Pedrini has won several such awards over the years.

A closeup of the detail on the stirrup on a saddle crafted by Gene Kirkendall. Courtesy photo.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Lower Lake Historical School Preservation Committee will present its annual Christmas tree lighting and holiday open house on Friday, Dec. 10, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The tree lighting ceremony will be at 6 p.m.

There will be an old-fashioned sing-a-long around the player piano, refreshments and merriment.

The museum is located at 16435 Main St. in Lower Lake.

For more information please call 707-995-3565 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The boutique will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Greenview Room on Hartmann Road.

This fun-filled event is free and open to the public. Everyone is welcome.

Handcrafted items available for sale include jewelry, hand-painted items, paper crafts, totes and purses, table runners and pillows, clever gourds, Christmas ornaments and candy, children’s items, knitted scarves and throws, bookmarks and phone charms, and other wearable art and so much more.

All the crafters have worked very hard and are anxious for you to see their holiday wares.

The Greenview Café and Mulligan’s Bar will be open to satisfy your dining and refreshment needs.

Proceeds from booth fees and general cash donations will help support the Hidden Valley Lake Fireworks Show.

Come enjoy the start of the season, get into the holiday spirit and do some holiday shopping.

For more information call 707-987-3991.