SOUTH LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Branch 133 of the Sons In Retirement will hold its next meeting on Friday, Sept. 13.

This is the group's annual picnic, which will be held at Hidden Valley Lake Golf Course, 19210 Hartman Road.

The meeting – which is a week earlier than usual – starts at 11 a.m., with lunch served at noon.

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.

If you would like to attend the Sept. 13 picnic or want to learn more about Sons In Retirement, contact Buddy Clayton, secretary, at 707-995-1673, or Bill Brewster, membership chairman, at 707-987-9352.

Visit the organization's Web site at www.sirinc.org .

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Mendocino County Harley Owners Group Chapter No. 351 is holding its 16th annual poker run on Saturday, Sept. 7.

Registration is $20 per person, which includes one hand of poker, lunch and – while supplies last – a ride pin. Additional hand is $10.

Register from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Gunnink’s Harley-Davidson, 2600 N. State St., Ukiah.

Ride to the Mendocino Coast and Navarro Redwoods. Poker run ends at the Navarro Market. Raffle prizes, 50/50 and live music by Black Horse Blues Band.

The event is a benefit for Willits Rotary Children’s Christmas Program, and is sponsored by Gunnink’s Harley-Davidson and Willits Rotary Club.

For more information, call 707-349-6085, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.mendocinohog.com .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Soper-Reese Community Theatre’s Classic Movie Series will feature the John Ford classic film “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” on Tuesday, Sept. 10.

The film will be shown at the Soper-Reese Community Theatre, 275 St. Main St. in Lakeport. Donations are gratefully accepted.

For the matinee showing, doors open at 12:30 p.m., with the show starting at 1 p.m.

For the evening showing, doors open at 5:30 p.m. with the film starting at 6 p.m.

Released in 1962 and shot entirely in black and white, “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” stars John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Lee Marvin and Vera Miles.

Ransom Stoddard (Stewart) becomes famous for shooting the notorious outlaw, Valance (Marvin), and is later elected to the Senate.

Years later, as he's returning for the funeral of his old friend Tom Doniphon (Wayne), Stoddard tells the truth about the shooting.

Popcorn, candy, soda, water and coffee will be available for purchase.

The Classic Movie Series runs on the second Tuesday of every month. The Soper-Reese Community Theatre is a restored, historic, performing arts venue established in 1949 and seating 300 patrons.

Films scheduled during the rest of the year include “Dracula” on Oct. 8; “Operation Petticoat” on Nov. 12; and “Babes in Toyland” on Dec. 10.

Check the theater's Web site, www.soperreesetheatre.com  , or call 707-263-0577 to see what other classics are coming up.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Friends of the Lake County Museum will begin Historic Reading Series V with an oral history from Maebelle Radich who recalls her trip to Lakeport by wagon in 1908, and also the boyhood recollections of Roy Mathews Sylar.

The reading will take place at the Historic Courthouse Museum, 255 N. Main St., Lakeport, on Saturday, Sept. 21, and will begin at 2 p.m.

Museum Curator Linda Lake will be the reader.

There is no admission charge and refreshments will be served.

For more information, please call the museum at 707-263-4555.

LUCERNE, Calif. – The Lake County Democratic Club will hold its regular meeting at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, in the Rose Room of the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center.

Lake County Sheriff Frank Rivero will be guest speaker. He will talk about his department's achievements during his tenure.

Lake County Democratic Club meetings are held on the second Saturday of the month in Lucerne. The public is always welcome and membership is open to all registered Democrats.

The senior center is located at 3985 Country Club Drive, corner of 10th and Country Club Drive.

Contact the Democratic Party of Lake County at 707-533-4885 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – In July 1863, the Civil War had begun to go very badly for the Confederate States of America when they lost the Battles of Gettysburg and when the city of Vicksburg surrendered.  

But they were not yet finished.

One hundred and 50 years ago this month, they rebounded with an amazing counter attack at the Battle of Chickamauga, in northern Georgia, nearly destroying a major Federal army.

When the dust settled, nearly 35,000 casualties were reported.

This epic two-day battle will be the headline topic at the next Redwood Empire Civil War Roundtable on Tuesday, Sept. 3, at 6:15 p.m., at the Tallman Hotel in historic Upper Lake.   

Local historian Zane Jensen will review the battle and lead a discussion on various "what ifs" that could have changed the outcome of the battle, and by extension, the future of the country.

Phil Smoley will open the roundtable with a  review of  many of the other events that occurred across the county in September 150 years ago during the Civil War.

Jensen has visited the battlefield numerous times and has done exhaustive research on the battle and its participants. He combines personal photos with archived pictures, animated maps and video to give a full multimedia presentation.

The Redwood Empire Civil War Roundtable was formed to honor the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War and typically meets on the first Monday of each month (September will be the first Tuesday due to Labor Day) to review the events that month 150 years ago.  

Admission is free, all are welcome.  

For more information, contact Zane Jensen at 707-349-6390 or Phil Smoley at 707 264-4905.