LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The next Sierra Club Lake Group general membership meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday Sept. 19, at the Lower Lake Methodist Church Social Hall, 16255 Second St. in Lower Lake.

Dr. Harry Lyons, professor of biology and ecology at Yuba College, will speak about “Recent and Future Reports on Clear Lake.”

University of California investigators are unraveling details of Clear Lake's biology and geology:  Cecile Mioni and Raphael Kudela (U.C. Santa Cruz) have prepared a report on harmful cyanobacteria and their toxins.  

Cindy Looy and Roger Byrne (U.C. Berkeley) have collected sediment cores to determine the ecosystem's biotic response to past climate change.

From the viewpoint of a community college professor who carefully reads and lectures on university research, how will recent and future findings fit with what we already know about Clear Lake?

This is a rare opportunity to get accurate, comprehensible, up-to-date information from a master of communications, and to learn what is really going on with the lake.

As always the meeting is free and the public cordially invited.

For more information call Lake Group Chair Ed Robey at 707-994-8304 or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The next HazMobile event will be held Friday, Sept. 14, and Saturday, Sept. 15, at Kmart, 2019 S. Main St. in Lakeport.

Hours will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Households can bring up to 15 gallons of toxic items free of charge. Fees will be charged for amounts over 15 gallons.

Items that are accepted include paint, solvents, fuels, five-gallon propane tanks, pool chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, batteries, fluorescent light tubes (up to 60 linear feet) and other toxic materials that cannot be put in the trash.

Items that cannot be accepted include televisions, computer monitors, ammunition, explosives, radioactive materials or infectious wastes.

To learn how and where to properly dispose these items, please visit www.recycling.co.lake.ca.us or contact the Recycling Hotline at 707-263-1980.

HazMobile services are provided to residential households by the Integrated Waste Management Division of the Lake County Public Services Department and the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle).

Businesses also are welcome to use this convenient service to properly dispose of hazardous waste and protect our environment, however, businesses must pay for this taxpayer-funded service and first make an appointment.

Business appointments can be made by calling the Mendocino County Solid Waste Authority, the contracted agency that provides this service in Lake County at 707-468-9786.
 
Free recycling options for residents and businesses:

• Recycled paint is available to both residents and businesses at Lake County Waste Solutions on first-come, first-served basis in five gallon containers. Colors include tan, brown, gray, and pink.
• Used cooking oil can be dropped-off by businesses and residents, which will be recycled into BioDiesel by Yokayo BioFuels. Drop-off at Lake County Waste Solutions, South Lake Refuse & Recycling Center, and the Northshore Fire Protection District station at 6257 Seventh Ave. in Lucerne.
• Used motor oil can be dropped-off by residents for recycling year round at a number of sites in the county. Visit www.recycling.co.lake.ca.us for locations.
• Electronics (e-waste) can be dropped off at Lake County Waste Solutions, South Lake Refuse & Recycling Center, and monthly at the Goodwill e-waste collection held in Lakeport.

Lake County Waste Solutions
230 Soda Bay Road, Lakeport
888-718-4888 or 234-6400
Monday through Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
www.candswaste.com

South Lake Refuse & Recycling Center
16015 Davis St., Clearlake
Open daily 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
707-994-8614
www.southlakerefuse.com

The HazMobile program is subsidized by the Lake County Public Services Department, Integrated Waste Management Division and CalRecycle as a public service to Lake County residents.

For more information about recycling, reusing, and reducing, please visit www.recycling.co.lake.ca.us or call the Recycling Hotline at 707-263-1980.

COBB, Calif. – The second annual open mic event to benefit the Middletown Unified School District’s  elementary instrumental music program will take place this Saturday, Sept. 8.

The fundraiser will be held from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Pine Summit Pool, 15427 Hoberg Road in Cobb.

There will be food, beverages, fun and prizes.

One dollar raffle tickets are available at all Mountain High Coffee & Books locations.

Confirmed acts include John Jennings, Brown Bear, Staves, the Middletown Community Band, Attic Band, and Shelly Mascari and the Gill Brothers Band. Performers can sign up at Mountain High Coffee.

Those wanting to help can donate silent auction items at Mountain High locations.

Direct donations can be made to the Middletown Unified School District – please specify the elementary instrumental music program – at 20932 Big Canyon Road, Middletown, CA 95461.

For more information visit www.mthicoffee.com .

With the new school year now underway, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) reminds educators and parents about the availability of popular safety lessons that aim to inform kids about gas and electric safety and emergency preparedness – free of charge.  

Easy-to-use, online safety lessons and standards-based materials for elementary and middle school teachers can be found on PG&E’s Safe Kids website at www.pge.com/safekids .

Over the past 12 years, PG&E has provided free safety education materials to teachers in schools throughout our service area.

Teachers regularly comment that the materials are fun and effective in helping them teach their students the importance of gas and electric safety.

PG&E offers these important safety tips for children and adults.

Electric safety tips

• Never go near downed power lines. Treat all downed lines as if they are energized and extremely dangerous. If you encounter a downed line, keep others away and call 911 and PG&E at 1-800-743-5000 immediately.
• Remind children that only safety caps and plugs should go into electrical outlets.
• Remind children to keep electrical cords and appliances away from water.

Gas safety tips

• If you smell or hear gas escaping inside your home, get everyone outside to a location upwind where you no longer can smell natural gas. Do not use electrical switches, appliances or telephones, because sparks can ignite gas from broken gas lines. Do not check for a gas leak with a match or an open flame. Once outside, use your phone from a safe distance to call 911 and PG&E at 1-800-743-5000.
• Children should not play near natural gas appliances or equipment like ovens, water heaters and furnaces.  
• Children should remember the three important messages about natural gas. Smell, Leave and Tell!

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association (AMIA), the group working to assure the continued operation of Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, is urging everyone to come to this Saturday’s concert event at the Soper Reese Theater in Lakeport.

Popular bluegrass musician, Rita Hosking, along with local musical groups Uncorked and Three Deep will be performing, as well as the Clear Lake Clikkers dance group.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased on the Soper Reese website, at the door, at Watershed Books in Lakeport or at the Travel Center in Lakeport.

Hosking has been performing for years around the country at concerts and festivals, including the Kate Wolf Festival. She is a regional favorite of country, folk and bluegrass followers.  

Three Deep is a trio of local musicians who have developed their own unique style that showcases each member’s individual talents highlighted by rich three part harmonies. Uncorked is a popular Irish band featuring fiddles, guitar, banjo, and accordion.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Go to www.soperreesetheatre.com for ticket information.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Winery Association gears up for the second-annual Wines With Altitude event, a San Francisco invasion of Lake County wines offering wine enthusiasts an opportunity to discover the “high elevation” wine region of California’s Lake County.  

Come and sample more than 100 wines on Saturday, Sept. 8, from noon to 3 p.m. at The Winery SF on Treasure Island in San Francisco.

Featured in the recent edition of Touring and Tasting magazine, the wines of Lake County offer award-winning tastes for every palate and price range.

“Wines With Altitude participants will be some of the first to sample the newly-released 2011 Lake County Sauvignon Blanc wines and to taste the line-up of award winning wines from Chacewater Wine Co., named the 2012 Golden Winery of the year by the California State Fair,” said Lake County Winery Association Executive Director Monica Rosenthal.

Shannon Ridge, Gregory Graham, and Hawk and Horse wineries will feature Double Gold and Gold medal winning Cabernet Sauvignon wines among other Lake County wines; Rosa d’Oro will showcase their Double Gold Medal winning Barbera and a fine selection of Italian varietals; and Sol Rouge, who garnered a total of 11 awards at the American Wine Competition, will pour numerous award winning Lake County wines.

Tempranillo fans will have the opportunity to taste the Best of Class North Coast Appellation, Best of California, Double Gold 2009 Mt. Konocti Winery Tempranillo, and Six Sigma will present their outstanding Gold Medal winning 2008 vintage.

Other participating wineries showcasing their highly acclaimed and Gold Medal winning Lake County wines include: Bullion Creek, Cougar’s Leap, Langtry Estate, Art Farm Wines, Bell Hill, Steele Wines, Wildhurst, Laujor Estate, Noggle Vineyards, Diamond Ridge Vineyards, Thorn Hill Vineyards and Vigilance Winery.

In addition to showcasing wines from the “high elevation” terroir of Lake County, the event will feature farm-to-table food bites provided by Chic le Chef, a Treasure Island food truck, and a selection of the best olive oils from Lake County presented by award winning Olive Mill Master, Emilio De La Cruz.

Tickets for Wines With Altitude are on sale now and offered at Early Bird pricing through Aug. 25. Buy tickets at the special pricing of $70 per pair or $40 for one.

To order tickets go to: http://wwwWineswithAltitude.evenbrite.com or www.lakecountywineries.org .

For more information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 707-355-2762.

The Winery SF is located at 200 California Avenue on Treasure Island in San Francisco. The event site has free parking.

Hosted by the Lake County Winery Association, the Wines With Altitude event is presented in partnership with Lake County Winegrape Growers and thanks, in part, to a USDA Specialty Crop grant.

The Lake County Winery Association (LCWA) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2007 to promote the wine industry in Lake County.

The LCWA serves more than 50 vintners and associate hospitality members who share a mission to promote awareness of Lake County’s excellent wine industry, high elevation wines, and tourism opportunities while preserving and protecting the pristine beauty of the region.

Through partnerships with numerous Lake County organizations and the County of Lake, the LCWA strives to promote the county’s unique and distinct rural attributes: our lakes, our mountains, our clean air, and our lands.

The LCWA is committed to sustainable farming and winery operation practices and to the Lake County community.