The easements require that lands be preserved in their natural, scenic, historical, agricultural, forested, or open-space conditions, even after change of ownership.

“In the face of ongoing growth and development across California, the Department of Parks and Recreation lacks the ability to purchase conservation easements,” Wiggins said. “SB 1431 would allow the department to purchase easements if it is determined that there is a need to protect a state park from an encroaching incompatible use.

“And the use of easements is a cost-effective way to protect a state park because it would allow the property to be held by private hands and thus not require maintenance resources from the state,” Wiggins added.

SB 1431, which is sponsored by the Nature Conservancy, would authorize the Department of Parks and Recreation to make grants to a state or local government agency or a nonprofit land trust organization to purchase and hold conservation easements.

SB 1431, which has yet to be scheduled for its first hearing in the Capitol, is similar to bill carried last year by Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee (R-San Luis Obispo), which got stuck in committee.

Wiggins, who represents California’s 2nd Senate District, has come out in opposition to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposal to close 48 state parks as a cost-cutting move, a move she says is “both short-sighted and likely to have a long-term negative impact on the quality of life in California.”

The 2nd District includes portions or all of six counties: Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Solano and Sonoma.

To find out more about Senator Patricia Wiggins, including her legislation, please visit her website at: http://dist02.casen.govoffice.com/.

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The main topics of discussion will be the recommendation to approve curb cuts on S. Main Street.

Lakeport City Hall is located at 225 Park St., telephone 263-5615.

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Titled the Shannon Ridge Showdown, the event will take place in Clearlake Oaks.

The Shannon Ridge Showdown Ultra-Endurance race will be a 16-hour competition and the course itself is approximately 7.5 miles in length with over 1,700 feet of climbing per lap. The course route is a combination of single track, double track, fire access roads and vineyard rows.

This is the first time that a USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Ultra Endurance Calendar series race course has included vineyards as part of the course route.

The race and course is designed, promoted and directed by endurance racers. Ultra-Endurance racing is one the fastest growing forms of mountain bike racing.

The race will begin in front of the Shannon Ridge tasting room on Highway 20 in Clearlake Oaks at 4 p.m. on Oct. 18 and will end at 8 a.m. on Oct. 19 in the mountain vineyards directly across from the home of winery owners Clay and Margarita Shannon.

Rebecca Rush, who is the current 24-Hour Solo "World Champion" in Mountain Biking, will be making the trip to Lake County to compete in the Shannon Ridge Showdown, along with many of the top ranked male and female Ultra-Endurance racers.

Additionally, there will be a wine industry race category for mountain bikers that are involved in the wine industry. Participants in this category will be allowed to race solo or on a team of up to five riders. The wine industry race will run from 4 p.m. until midnight on Oct. 18.

“This event will prove to be strenuous and exciting for competitors. The varying terrain in Lake County provides for an invigorating mountain bike challenge,” said Chris Baker, Shannon Ridge’s southeast regional sales manager, and avid mountain biker, who helped design the course and the event.

On line registration will open March 1. A USA Cycling Mountain Bike race license is required to compete.

Registration closes Oct. 11 or when racer limit is reached (300 racers maximum).

More information about the race can be found at www.shannonridgeshowdown.com or by contacting Rick Gunier at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Miss Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" is the inspiration for Bridget Jones, and "Emma" inspired the film "Clueless."

Nearly 200 years after her death, Jane Austen continues to entertain, enlighten and inspire readers around the world.

March is Jane Austen Month in the Lake County Library. Learn more about this remarkable writer who portrayed the British upper class world of the early 19th century in her books, among them "Pride and Prejudice," "Sense and Sensibility," "Emma," and "Mansfield Park."

In this world, fortune counted for more than love when choosing a spouse, but on occasion, love and fortune could be found together.

Filmmakers have turned Jane Austen's books into movies, scholars interpret and analyze her works, other authors have written sequels and spinoffs of her books, and still others have completed her unfinished works.

Many of these books and films can be found in the Jane Austen display at Lakeport Library through March.

The library invites patrons to browse the display and learn more about Miss Austen. All of the display items are available for checkout.

To request more Jane Austen items in the library collection from home, visit the library catalog online at http://ipac.sonoma.lib.ca.us/ipac20/ipac.jsp?profile=lake.

During March, in honor of Jane Austen, the library website includes a page, www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/DepartmentDirectory/Library/JANE_AUSTEN_FEATURED_AUTHOR.htm, devoted to her biography and her works, and includes links to Jane Austen Web sites.

Web site visitors also have an opportunity to vote for their favorite Mr. Darcy.

Lakeport Library, located at 1425 N. High St., is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday, noon to 8 p.m.; telephone 263-8817.

Redbud Library, 14785 Burns Valley Road, Clearlake, is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday, noon to 8 p.m.; telephone 994-5115.

Middletown Library, 21267 Calistoga Road, is open Tuesday through Friday, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; telephone 987-3674.

Upper Lake Library, 310 Second St., is open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 1 p.m. to 6 pm., and Wednesday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; telephone 275-2049.

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Collection of greenwaste was reduced from weekly to monthly during December, January and February because the amount of greenwaste collected during those months is traditionally lower than other quarters.

Improvements this year included direct mailed notices to all curbside customers and provisions for customers with large lots and/or gardens to either rent additional 90-gallon greenwaste containers for $5 per month or fill three 30-gallon containers for monthly collection at no additional charge.

Only two dozen calls were received this winter compared to 150 calls received last year. Most of this winter’s callers complained that December was too early to start the program because they still had leaves on the ground.

Public Services Department staff is committed to keeping curbside collection rates low to attract new customers because there is a direct connection between curbside recycling and significant increases in the County’s diversion rate.

As was done last year, a report containing information about cost savings and community response related to the Winter Greenwaste Program will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors later this year to determine program parameters in future years.

If you have questions or comments about the Winter Greenwaste Program, please call 263-1980.

For information about other recycling and disposal programs, please visit the County’s waste management Web site at www.recycling.co.lake.ca.us.

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This grant, administered by the California Department of Water Resources must be completed by the beginning of summer of 2010.

The purpose of the grant is “To understand current and potential threats to our watershed, and provide a comprehensive watershed assessment that will address a myriad of ecological, economical, cultural, and social issues as they relate to our watershed.”

The stewardship is forming a Technical Advisor Committee whose purpose is to review currently available data and determine strengths and weaknesses in the data and possible needed remedies.

From this basis the public will be informed of the course of the assessment through articles in local publicatiions and several planned workshops. This will give the public an overview of what is planned and also offer an opportunity to comment on the process and add in items that they feel should be included in the assessment.

Timely announcements of these meetings will be published in local publications and on the group's upcoming Web site.

For further information or to voice input to this process call Chris Simon UPCS Chair at 987-1109 or Dwight Holford, watershed coordinator, at 987-0663.

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