NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Tuleyome’s "Nature and You" lecture series, in partnership with the Yolo County Library, continues with two separate lectures this month.

On Thursday, July 17, Sara Husby-Good will be speaking "All about Tuleyome!"

The lecture will feature information about the organization, the work being done to help permanently protect the Berryessa Snow Mountain region, and updates on Tuleyome’s projects and programs, including their national award winning Home Place Adventures program.  

This lecture will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Arthur F. Turner Community Library, 1212 Merkley Ave., West Sacramento.

On Thursday, July 24, Anna Davidson, host of WISE and LASER, will be speaking about her study of "How Plants Deal with Environmental Stress," and how her education and research dovetailed into her work as a “bio-artist.”

This lecture will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Mary L. Stephens Davis Branch Library, 315 East 14th St., Davis.

The “Nature and You” series focuses on nature – including the earth-sciences, the environment and conservation, clean water, climate change, etc.  

Piggy-backing on the nationally acclaimed STEM program, which encourages young people – especially young women – to enter into the educational fields of science, technology, engineering and math, the lecture series this year features female speakers: strong models of women in the scientific and academic fields.

Each speaker talks about their own work, how they entered into their field, and how their work makes a positive impact on our understanding of our planet around us.  

Although some of the subject matter may sound very “technical,” all lectures are provided in an easy-to-understand format, and time will be allowed for questions and answers after each talk.  Families, seniors, youth groups and women’s group are all invited to attend.

More lectures are also slated throughout the year. There is no admission fee, so RSVP's are recommended although walk-ins are welcome.

For more information about the series and upcoming topics and speakers, see the Tuleyome Web site at www.tuleyome.org or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .  

RSVPs also are accepted through Tuleyome’s Meet Up site at http://www.meetup.com/Tuleyome-Home-Place-Adventures/ .  

Tuleyome is a nonprofit conservation organization with offices in Napa and Woodland.

Mary K. Hanson is an amateur naturalist and photographer who is the author of “The Chubby Woman’s Walkabout” blog.  For more information about Tuleyome, go to www.tuleyome.org .

NORTH COAST, Calif. – On Sunday, Aug. 3, Legal Services of Northern California will provide a free legal clinic to residents of Mendocino and Lake counties wanting help with their U.S. citizenship applications.  

This is Legal Services of Northern California’s fourth annual Path to Citizenship Day.  

The clinic will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the SPACE Theater, 508 W. Perkins St. Ukiah.

Lawful permanent residents (green card holders) can meet with trained community volunteers and immigration attorneys for assistance with their naturalization applications and for information about the naturalization process.

There will be informational meetings for participants offered one week prior to the event in locations in both Lake and Mendocino counties.  

For more information or to make an appointment, call 707-513-1026.

Space is limited, so call today.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The next HazMobile event will be held Friday, July 18, and Saturday, July 19, at Highlands Senior Service/Community Center, 3245 Bowers Ave. in Clearlake.

Hours will be from 9 a.m. until 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 707-234-6400
Monday – Saturday, 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
www.candswaste.com

South Lake Refuse & Recycling Center
16015 Davis Street, Clearlake
Open daily 7:30 a.m.-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.                                              

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The second round of the Lakeport Senior Center's 1950s-style impersonators tryouts will be held Tuesday, July 15.

So, get out your blonde Marilyn wig or Lucy’s polka dot dress, maybe Elvis’ sideburns and audition at 7 p.m. at the Lakeport Senior Activity Center, 527 Konocti Ave.

Winners will have a spot on stage during the Hot August Nites Dinner-Dance on Friday, Aug. 15, at the center.

The event is a benefit for the Meals on Wheels program serving Lakeport and Kelseyville.

All contestants must provide their own CD, the player will be provided by the committee.

“Feel free to bring your cheering section to root you on as you perform. Refreshments will be provided while the judging takes place. All ages are welcome, to perform as well as to be part of the cheering section,” said event Chair Pat Skoog.

All contestants are encouraged to come – in costume – to enjoy and add to the fun of the dinner-dance.

For additional information, call 707-263-4218.

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Cindy Leonard, who works with local schools on their Farm to School programs, will be the speaker at the Monday, Aug. 11, meeting of the Hidden Valley Lake Garden Club.

She will discuss United States Department of Agriculture programs in California and specifically what is happening locally in the Middletown Unified School District.

An increasing number of schools and districts such as the Middletown Unified School District have begun to source more foods locally and to provide educational activities to students that emphasize food, farming and nutrition.

Meetings of the Hidden Valley Lake Garden Club are free and open to the public on the second Monday of each month with a social gathering at 9:30 a.m. followed by the business meeting and program at 10 a.m.

The meetings are held in the Activities Room of the Administration Building of the HVL Association, 18174 Hidden Valley Road.

For further information, contact club President Inge Rankin at 707-987-6010 or e-mail her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – As the nation’s biggest celebration, Independence Day is commemorated across the country with neighborhood parades, barbecues, family gatherings and the consumption of alcohol.

If excessive alcohol consumption becomes part of the festivities, AAA Northern California will take you and your car home for free.

The AAA Tipsy Tow program is open to everyone. You do not need to be a AAA member to take advantage of this service to the community.

AAA will offer the service to drinking drivers from 6 p.m. on Friday, July 4, to 6 a.m. on Saturday, July 5, in Northern California, Nevada and Utah.

Drivers, potential passengers, party hosts, bartenders and restaurant managers can call 800-222-4357 (AAA-HELP) for a free tow home of up to 10 miles. Just tell the AAA operator, “I need a Tipsy Tow,” and a truck will be on its way.

“Many people enjoy getting into the spirit of The Fourth of July, which tends to involve plenty of celebrating,” said Buck Lucas, VP Automotive Services, AAA Northern California. “If you’ve been drinking alcohol, don’t get behind the wheel. Give AAA a call and we’ll make sure you get home safely.”

The service will provide a one-way ride for the driver and vehicle to the driver’s home. If there are additional passengers who need a ride, they will be taken to the driver’s home as long as there is sufficient room for them to be transported safely in the tow truck. You cannot make a reservation for this service.

According to 2012 statistics from the California Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 802 drunk-driving fatalities involving drivers with blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08. This represents 28 percent of all traffic deaths that year. As little as one drink can impair vision, steering, braking, judgment and reaction time.

Nationally, more than 1.2 million drivers were arrested in 2012 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. This is an arrest rate of one for every 165 licensed drivers in the U.S.

AAA estimates that a first-time DUI conviction in California can cost up to $12,000 in fines, penalties, restitution, legal fees and added insurance expenses. You can’t put a price tag on a crash that causes an injury or death.