The event will be held at the Lodge at Blue Lakes, 5135 W. Highway 20 in Upper Lake.

This year's theme is, “Hollywood Glitz and Glamor.”

No-host cocktails will begin at 11 a.m. with lunch served at noon.

A photo booth will be available with Nathan DeHart Photography.

The show is the group's major fundraiser, which allows the Lakeport Women's Civic Club to gave back to the community in many areas.

For tickets please call 707-263-3445.

After a storm, it is common for people claiming to be “tree specialists” to show up at residents’ front doors offering their services to remove or repair damaged trees.

Contractors seem to come out of the woodwork after a storm and are often inexperienced and not qualified to properly care for trees and their damage following a storm. They are often people who are unlicensed to do the work.

Unfortunately, many such individuals have little or no training, and sometimes have little interest in removing anything but money from the pocketbooks of unsuspecting residents.

Cal Fire and the Arbor Day Foundation are urging homeowners not be a victim.

“Make sure you are dealing with a reputable individual or tree care firm when you contemplate repairs or removal of any trees on your property,” said John Rosenow, president of The Arbor Day Foundation. “Legitimate arborists rarely go door to door to solicit business.”

Here are eight guidelines to help you find qualified tree-care specialists:

• Make sure they are part of an established business in the community or nearby area, with a listing in the phone book, usually under tree service.

• Have them provide you with evidence that they are actually working for the company, rather than moonlighting.

• Ask for a California contractor’s license or a timber operator’s license. Including current certificates of insurance showing that they are fully insured for property damage, personal liability, and worker compensation.

• Ideally, they should be members of a professional association of arborists such as the International Society of Arboriculture, the Tree Care Industry Association or the American Society of Consulting Arborists.

• Arborists who have received certification from their professional associations, such as ISA Certified Arborists, will have received training and access to current technical information on tree care, repair, and removal.

• If possible, get more than one estimate to ensure that the price offered is competitive with that offered by others for the same services.

• In the case of tree removals, have a clear understanding about who removes the limbs and debris from the property, and whether or not the price includes stump removal and clean up.

• Check to see if the estimate has considered the possible value your tree will have as logs, firewood or chips, either to yourself or if sold to others.

“Above all, don't be pressured into making immediate decisions by a 'tree specialist,' do your homework and make sure they are qualified,” said Thom Porter, staff chief of Resource Management for CAL FIRE’s Southern Region. “It is important to take the time to select a qualified tree professional to safeguard your trees and to save you from the long-term consequences of using the wrong contractor to clean up after a storm.”

Many cities require arborists to be licensed and will maintain lists of firms and individuals so registered.

Residents can check with their local forester who cares for public trees in their communities. Sometimes this is a function of the county or city's parks department or public works department.

For more information on Cal Fire's Resource Management Program or to reach a state forester please visit www.fire.ca.gov.

Natural gas pipelines, electric power lines and other utilities buried underground can lie within just a few feet of the surface.

Whether planting a tree, installing a sprinkler system or building a fence, homeowners and professional excavators need to know where gas and electric lines lie underground to prevent injuries, property damage and outages.

Once every three minutes nationwide, a utility line is damaged by digging. Many of these incidents could have been prevented with a call to 811, a free service that provides important information on where utilities exist beneath excavation areas.

Calling 811 puts customers in direct contact with Underground Service Alert (USA), which notifies local utility companies to mark the approximate location of their underground facilities in and around the excavation site, helping customers and contractors avoid them.

Anyone can call USA from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for holidays.

California law requires anyone doing excavation work to notify utilities at least two working days before digging. Requests will be accepted as early as 14 days in advance of an excavation.

Once a request is received, the customer or contractor will receive a list of notified utilities that may have underground lines in the area.

PG&E offers these tips for a safe excavation:

• If you believe a utility may not have marked their lines, call 811 again to notify USA.

• On paved surfaces, mark the proposed excavation area with white chalk-based paint. Homeowners can also use other white substances such as sugar or flour.

• On unpaved surfaces use flags or stakes to mark the proposed excavation area.

• Carefully hand excavate within 24 inches on either side of a utility-marked facility.

• Be careful not to erase facility marks while working. If you cannot see the markings, call 811 and request a remarking.

The 811 requests are active for 28 days. Notify USA if work continues beyond that time.

Immediately notify utilities about any type of contact or damage to its wires or pipes.

If there is any type of damage to PG&E electric wires or gas pipelines, or if there is a possible gas leak, take these steps:

• Move to a safe location.

• Call 911.

• Call PG&E at 800-743-5000.

For more information about USA visit www.call811.com.

The group will serve Italian baked pork chops, sauteed green beans, bow tie pasta with red sauce, French bread with butter and dessert, at the club hall, 2817 E. Highway 20 in Nice.

The bar is open for socializing at 5 p.m. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m.

Enjoy dancing to music of Jim Williams right after the meal.

All tickets cost $15 at the door. Everyone is welcome.

For information about this event or renting the hall for your own, call 707-274-9952.

Kelly Dean and Filippo Bianco of Hidden Valley Lake, Calif., are engaged to be married on September 10, 2011, in Santa Rosa, Calif. Courtesy photo.

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Kelly Dean and Filippo “Phil” Bianco of Hidden Valley Lake are happy to announce their engagement to be married on Sept. 10, 2011, at Bennett Valley Golf Course in Santa Rosa.

The bride-to-be is the daughter of Richard Dean of Napa and Edwana Dean of Rancho Santa Margarita; granddaughter to Bette Thayer of Laguna Hills, and the late John and Betty Dean of St. Helena.

She graduated from Vintage High School in 1999 and went on to attend Napa Valley College, graduating in 2002 with a degree in administration of justice. She works for the St. Helena Police Department as a public safety dispatcher.

The groom-to-be is the son of the late Alex and Jean Bianco of St. Helena; grandson to the late Filippo and Natalina Bianco of Guasti, and the late George and Helen Rutherford of Rutherford.

He graduated from St. Helena High School in 1998 and went on to attend the police academy at Napa Valley College, graduating in 2004.

He works for the Calistoga Police Department as their K-9 police officer.

April is earthquake preparedness month and AAA Northern California reminds residents that the best way to recover from a quake is to plan for it in advance.

“One of the most important steps homeowners can take is to document their belongings before tragedy strikes,” advised AAA Northern California spokesperson Matt Skryja. “Take the time to do an inventory of your home, either with photographs or a video camera. Then, store those records in an off-site location like a safe deposit box.”

Earthquake safety tips

• Create an earthquake survival kit. This is one of the most important steps you can take. The kit should include canned goods, two to four quarts of water per person per day, sanitary supplies, a camp stove, portable radio, flashlight and spare batteries.

• Know how to shut off your home’s gas, water and electricity. You should also make sure your water heater is securely fastened to a wall or post with two metal straps.

• Conduct family earthquake drills. Make sure everyone knows which areas in a room are the safest. This may be underneath a table or against a wall. Stay away from windows, fireplaces and tall furniture.

• Decide where your family will reunite if you're separated. Choose a friend or relative you can call after an earthquake to let them know your location and condition. Phone lines are often overloaded or damaged in an earthquake and specifying one point of contact for your entire family will help avoid a strain on the system.

• Childproof your cabinet doors. It may seem like an annoyance initially, but installing latches on your cabinet doors can prevent them from flying open in an earthquake. By properly securing the doors you can keep precious belongings from spilling out and breaking.

• Check your insurance for earthquake coverage. Knowing what coverage you have can help speed up your recovery after a big quake. Most homeowner’s policies do NOT cover damage resulting from an earthquake and in most cases a separate earthquake policy is needed.