Wood smoke is made up of a mixture of gases and fine particle pollution that isn’t healthy to breathe indoors or out – especially for children, older adults and those with heart disease, asthma or other lung diseases.

EPA has established the Burn Wise campaign to reduce wood smoke pollution, helping to protect your home, health and the air we breathe, while keeping those who use wood for heat warm throughout the winter.

If you’re burning wood, you can have a cheaper, safer and healthier fire by following these tips:

• Burn only dry, seasoned wood. It’s better for the air and your wallet. Look for wood that is darker, has cracks in the end grain, and sounds hollow when hit against another piece of wood. Dry seasoned wood is more efficient at heating your home and can add up to significant savings over the winter. Never burn painted or treated wood or trash.

• Maintain your wood stove or fireplace and have a certified technician inspect it yearly. A certified technician can clean dangerous soot from your chimney and keep your wood stove or fireplace working properly, which reduces your risk of a home fire.

• Change to an EPA-certified wood stove or fireplace insert. These models are more efficient than older models, keeping your air cleaner, your home safer and your fuel bill lower, while keeping you warm in the winter. An estimated 12 million Americans heat their homes with wood stoves each winter, and nearly three-quarters of these stoves are not EPA certified. An EPA-certified wood stove can emit nearly 70 percent less smoke than older uncertified models.

More information on Burn Wise is available at www.epa.gov/burnwise .

This program is funded with newly available federal stimulus dollars with the goal of placing qualified participants in jobs to stimulate the local economy.

The Lake County Department of Social Services will reimburse employers the wages and taxes for qualified employees.

The employer will, in turn, provide supervision and training to the participants.

They are offering informational meetings for employers about this program at the Job Zone, located at 9055 Highway 53, Lower Lake.

Informational meetings will be held on Jan. 7 at 2 p.m. and Jan. 13 at 6 p.m.

The agency is excited to present this new program and hope that any potential employers will attend.

Space is limited, so please, RSVP to Jeremiah at 707-995-9015.

The event begins at 7 p.m.

The dinner will be served in the Special Events Center by the stone fireplace and will feature blue cheese-stuffed figs with walnuts, seasonal greens with rosemary walnut vinaigrette and whole grain croutons, pork roast with winter fruits and port sauce, gruyere potato gratin, moscato roasted parsnips and sweet potato coconut cheesecake with dark chocolate crust for $35 per person.

The Lodge also is offering a special one night, all-inclusive room package, which will include dinner and champagne brunch.

Advance reservations are required; call Sylvia at 707-275- 2181.

There will be $20 a month fee with scholarships available.

The youth center will accept registration applications from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 28, through Wednesday, Dec. 30, at 12477 The Plaza, at the United Methodist Church grounds.

The center will offer homework help, career planning, job readiness, computer skills, Internet access, foosball, air hockey, mural design and much more.

The youth center of Clear Lake Oaks strives to be a safe and fun environment where our youth can learn grow and call their own.

This program is funded with newly available federal stimulus funds with the goal is to place qualifying participants in jobs and to stimulate the local economy.

If you are unemployed, have a child and your income is below the 200 percent federal poverty level, then this program may be able to assist you.

Informational meetings for potential employees will be held at The Job Zone, located at 9055 Highway 53, Lower Lake.

The dates for the informational meetings will be on Jan. 6 at 11 a.m. and Jan. 12 at 11 a.m.

This is an exciting new program that will assist many unemployed parents. Space is limited, so please, RSVP to Jeremiah at 707-995-9015.

Lake County Democratic Club Chair Sunol Westergren, right, and Lake Family Resource Center Chief Operations Officer Rae Eby-Carl at the club's meeting on Saturday, December 12, 2009. Photo by Richard Hoyt.

LUCERNE – The Lake County Democratic Club has made a donation to support the local domestic violence shelter.

On Dec. 12, Lake County Democratic Club members and their guests, met for the group's annual holiday party.

Attendees generously donated over $200 to benefit the Freedom House Domestic Violence Shelter, located in Kelseyville.

Lake County Democratic Club Chair Sunol Westergren presented Lake Family Resource Center Chief Operations Officer Rae Eby-Carl with a check for the donation at the Dec. 12 meeting.