NORTH COAST – Caltrans reports that the following road projects will be taking place around Lake County during the coming week.

Included are Mendocino County projects that may impact Lake County commuters.

In observance of the New Years Day holiday, Caltrans crews and contractors will not be performing any activity on state highways that would include lane closures on Friday, Jan. 1. However, Caltrans will respond to emergency situations with traffic control as required.

The agency wishes everyone a happy, healthy and safe holiday season.

LAKE COUNTY

Highway 20

– AT&T of Ukiah has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility installation from Collier Avenue to Foothill Drive beginning Monday, Jan. 4. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance from Ogden Road to Catholic Church Road. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Thursday. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

– Pavement repair 0.2 mile north of Big Gulch Road will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays. Contractor – Rege Construction Inc. of Cloverdale.

– Construction of a retaining wall about three miles north of Elk will continue. One-way traffic control with a temporary signal will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should

anticipate 10-minute delays. Contractor – Granite Construction of Ukiah.

Highway 20

– Construction of a retaining wall 0.4 mile east of Three Chop Road will continue. One-way traffic control with a temporary signal will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate 5-minute delays. Contractor – Granite Construction of Ukiah.

For information pertaining to emergency roadwork or for updates to scheduled roadwork, please contact the California Highway Information Network (CHIN) at 1-800-GAS-ROAD (1-800-427-7623).

"For too long all the good New Years Eve parties in Lake County have been for adults, but that's going to change this year," says Boone Bridges, the event's lead organizer. "This isn't your standard New Years Eve all-nighter. We're looking at a couple hundred students playing video games, wrestling in sumo suits, playing laser tag, whacking each other with giant boxing gloves … it's going to be madness!"

A team of adult volunteers will be on hand to serve food, organize games, and make sure things don't get too crazy.

"We want to provide a fun, safe event for kids. Parents can rest assured that their kids will be taken care of...just make sure you pick them up the next day!" said Bridges.

The event takes place at Grace Church in Kelseyville, which is located at 6716 Live Oak Drive. Doors open at 7 p.m. on New Year's Eve and students need to be picked up at 7 a.m. the next day. Dinner, breakfast and snacks are provided.

Tickets are $10 at the door.

Call Grace Church at 707-279-8448 for more information.

The group's guest will be Philip Harlan, the Sonoma County Coordinator for the CA Majority Rule Campaign.

This measure will be on the ballot for the November general election. It is a proposal to restore majority rule to California's budget process, by enacting a law that all legislative actions on revenue and budget must be determined by a majority vote (www.camajorityrule.com ).

Meetings are open to the public and committee membership is open to all registered Democrats.

Contact the Democratic Party of Lake County at 707-277-0713 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

The committee's Web site is www.lakecountydemocrats.org .

Normal hours at all branches will resume on Tuesday, Jan. 19. Call your local branch if you have any questions.

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. The phone number is 707-263-8817.

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. The phone number is 707-994-5115.

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. The phone number is 707-987-3674.

Upper Lake Library, 310 Second St., is open Tuesday through Friday, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The phone number is 707-275-2049.

SAN FRANCISCO – For some motorists, a trip to the auto repair shop can feel like visiting a foreign country. It’s a strange environment that makes them uneasy.

But talking to your auto technician doesn’t have to be stressful if you follow some simple advice from AAA Northern California.

“AAA wants drivers to know that a visit to a repair shop can be much easier, and less stressful, than they might initially think,” said AAA Northern California spokesperson Matt Skryja. “One of the best ways to find a trusted auto technician is going to a AAA Approved Auto Repair facility. These shops meet stringent AAA auto repair standards for quality, integrity and professionalism. Shops can be located online at www.aaa.com/repair .”

When communicating with an automotive technician, AAA offers the following advice:

• Write down notes. Before taking the vehicle to a repair facility, write down notes on the vehicle’s symptoms and performance so important information is not overlooked or forgotten. Include any observations, even if they seem silly or irrelevant.

• Describe the symptoms. Don’t suggest a solution. Instead, explain what has been seen, smelled, heard and felt while driving the vehicle. For example, does it vibrate or pull to the left? Explain under what type of driving conditions the problems takes place and how long ago it started.

• Be precise. For example, explain that a rattle under the hood starts at 40 miles per hour or an issue occurs only on cold days after the engine has been running for 10 minutes.

• Say driver’s side or passenger’s side. When describing symptoms, don’t say they’re on the left or right side of the vehicle. Instead, say driver’s or passenger’s side to avoid confusion.

• Bring copies of recent repair orders. This can help explain a vehicle’s problems.

Motorists should ask questions if a technician uses jargon they don’t understand.

Also, be sure to read over repair orders before signing them and insist that descriptions of parts, not just the serial numbers, appear on the bill.

Before authorizing a repair, be sure to get a written description of any warranty the shop provides.