LAKEPORT, Calif. – Branch 168 of the Sons In Retirement will hold its next meeting on Friday, July 12.

The group meets at Konocti Vista Casino, 2755 Mission Rancheria Road in Lakeport.

This month's guest will be Sheriff Frank Rivero.

Sons In Retirement is a social organization for men of retirement age who are pursuing the goal of enjoying their later years. It has 142 branches with 18,000 members throughout the state.

Anyone interested in learning more about Sons In Retirement is encouraged to contact Larry Powers, chair of the membership committee, at 707-263-3403 or to visit www.sirinc.org .       

NICE, Calif. – The Upper Lake High School football team will hold a car wash on Saturday, July 13.

The fundraiser will be held at Sentry Market in Nice from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Donations will be gladly accepted.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Shannon Michele of Cache Creek Catering and Lake County Wine Studio are presenting a monthly food and wine series featuring gourmet appetizers paired with select Lake County wines.

Locally produced foods are proudly featured as key ingredients in recipes created by Cache Creek Catering.

The series is held from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the second Friday of each month.

The per person cost is $25 and $20 for Wine Studio club members. Reservations are required.

July 12 will celebrate an American barbecue menu with Lake County Malbecs.  

The opening course will pair new Olof Cellars Malbec release “Marauder” with an orzo and grilled vegetable salad, followed by lemon brined chicken with a Malbec and dried cherry barbecue served up with Chacewater 2010 Malbec (Silver medal winner at this year’s California State Fair).

The dessert course will be grilled pound cake and stonefruit drizzled with a citrus apricot glaze paired with Thorn Hill “Ice” dessert wine.

June’s event featured Lake County Rosés beginning with an arugula salad topped with hazelnut crusted goat cheese, fresh strawberries and strawberry vinaigrette paired with the 2011 Rhone Rosé from Sol Rouge, followed by a smoked duck crostini topped with eggplant and roasted red bell pepper tapenade with Olof Cellars 2010 Rosato di Barbera.

The final course was a savory herbed Pt. Reyes blue cheese shortbread paired with Aliénor Cellars 2009 Bordeaux Rosé.

Aug. 9 will be the next date to follow for the Local Cuisine Scene event.

For reservations and additional information, contact Susan Feiler at 707-293-8752.

NICE, Calif. – Come enjoy a dinner prepared by Deb and Duane Clarke, celebrating 10 years at the Sons of Italy Lodge No. 2537 on Saturday, July 13.

The dinner and dance will open with a no host bar at 5 p.m.; dinner will be served at 6 p.m. to be followed by dancing.

They are preparing red (meat), white (Alfredo) and green (pesto) pastas, meatballs, salad, dessert, coffee or tea followed by dance music.  

It will cost just $15 for everything, including a door prize.

Tickets will be sold at the door but please call 707-274-9952 for reservations of more than four.

There will be raffle tickets sold and a door prize, too; it will be both 50/50 and prizes.

This is a fundraiser for the club, as well as a membership drive.

Bring a friend, everyone is welcome.

The lodge is located at 2817 E. Highway 20, telephone 707-274-2244.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The board for the Public, Education and Government – or PEG – cable access station, TV8, will meet on Wednesday, July 10.

The board will meet at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

Business items will include board member selection, consideration of a PEG business plan to present to the Board of Supervisors, programmer’s job description approval, a complaint from Jim Rickel, treasurer’s report, station editor for special events and a review of complaint procedures.

There also will be reports from the marketing and programming committees, and a staff report.

PEG Board members include Chair Denise Loustalot, Vice Chair Ed Robey, and board members Vince Metzger and Jo Bennett. One board vacancy currently exists.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Attendees of the June 22 Ely Stage Stop and Country Museum’s inaugural “Picnic on the Porch” had a wonderful time.

Greeted by old time music performed by Uncorked – composed of Don Coffin, Andy Skelton, Eleanor Clark and Dan Harris – everybody got in the mood quickly. There was toe-tapping, hand-clapping and even some dancing in the parking lot.

Barbara White modeled a typical traveling woman’s outfit she would have worn riding the stage line. Other period clothing was on display inside the house as well as on the porch.

Old-fashioned aprons and teapot collections were on display, compliments of several Lake County Historical Society members who are local historians. Select pieces of their collections were loaned for the day’s event. Both displays were very impressive, taking guests back to another time.

A delicious box lunch catered by Rosey Cooks was enjoyed at noon on the porch. Docents provided an elegant setting for 80 guests. White linens accented by green checkered tablecloths adorned each table. Fresh floral arrangements in green Ball mason jars were offset with yellow linen mats complimenting the country decor. The weather was perfect for al fresco dining that day.

After lunch seven themed baskets were raffled off. District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown helped to encourage raffle ticket purchases in the final minutes with his own version of the “stretch.” Silent auction items continued to collect bids during the lunch and raffle. Winners were announced as each item closed.

Guests were encouraged to self-tour the new barn where several agricultural pieces were displayed. Items in the barn and on the grounds had been smartly labeled to help with their identification.

Seating for Ely Stage Stop events is always limited so remember to get a ticket early when the next event is announced. It would be a shame to miss it.

Be sure to visit the Lake County Historical Society’s and the county of Lake’s newest museum, located at 9921 Soda Bay Road (Highway 281) in Kelseyville, near the Clear Lake Riviera. Current hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.

Visit www.elystagestop.com or www.lakecountyhistory.org , or go to the museum’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ElyStageStop .