LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The next Sierra Club Lake Group community meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, at the Lower Lake Methodist Church Community Room, 16255 Second St. in Lower Lake.

Sonoma State professor emeritus Jonah Raskin will take a long look at the “wilderness,” a distinctly American landscape that has shaped our national character and our national literature.

Focusing on three writers – Roger Williams, Meriwether Lewis and Mary Austin – from three different centuries, the 17th, 19th and the 20th, he will discuss the ways that Americans have viewed the wilderness and written about it in fiction, non-fiction and poetry.

Raskin's talk illustrates the multiplicity of wilderness perspectives and suggests that if it has defined us we have also defined it – and can redefine it, too.

Raskin is the author of 14 books, some about farming and food, some about writers and their work, some about families and friends.

A longtime resident of Sonoma County, he taught literature and law at Sonoma State University for thirty years. These days he writes and travels, and walks and swims.

The meeting is free and open to the public as always.

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

LUCERNE, Calif. – The next general meeting of Lucerne Friends for Locally Owned Water – or FLOW – will held Saturday, March 15.

The meeting will begin at 11:30 a.m. in the Rose Room at the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center, 3985 Country Club Drive.

Topics will include forming a district and the current general rate case with California Water Service Co., which owns Lucerne's water plant and infrastructure.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Caltrans reports that the following road projects will be taking place around the North Coast during the coming week.

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

LAKE COUNTY

There is no major roadwork scheduled for Lake County from Friday, March 14, through Thursday, March 20.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

– Bridge repairs at the Garcia River Bridge will continue. Work hours are 24 hours per day, weekdays. One way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Replacement of the Greenwood Creek Bridge 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 five-minute delays.

– Guardrail repairs at various locations from Philo-Greenwood Road to Navarro Ridge Road will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Soroptimist International of Fort Bragg has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit to hold the annual Whale Run and Walk Race on Saturday, March 15, from 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. Turns onto Laurel Avenue will be restricted. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.

– Bridge repairs at Blue Slide Gulch will continue. Work hours are 24 hours per day, weekdays. One way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 5-minute delays.

– Guardrail repairs at various locations from Blue Slide Gulch to Hillcrest Terrace will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Replacement of a culvert with a bridge at Dunn Creek 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 five-minute delays.

Highway 20

– Bridge repairs at the East Fork Russian River Bridge will continue. Nighttime work hours are 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., Sunday evening through Friday morning. One way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 101

– Caltrans will perform slide repairs near the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge (near Frog Woman Rock). Northbound traffic will be restricted to one lane 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.

The Caltrans Traffic Operations Office has reviewed each project and determined that individual project delays are expected to be less than the statewide policy maximum of 30 minutes, unless noted otherwise above.

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).

LAKEPORT, Calif. – On Saturday, March 29, Congressman Mike Thompson will host his 23rd annual Lake County ravioli dinner.

The dinner will be held from 5 to 7:30 p.m. in the Phil Lewis Hall at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin St.

Bring the family out for this wonderful evening of music, great Lake County wines, homemade bake sales goodies and silent auction.

Free electronic recycling will be available at the event from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. It is time to clean out closets and get rid of the old cell phones, computers, fax machines and all outdated electronics.  

The event will once again include the gifting of four refurbished computers to local nonprofits.

The Computer Recycling Center will give four newly refurbished Intel Core Duo/Dual Core Windows Desktops, with new keyboard, cables and mouse, and refurbished LCD flat panel monitor – updated with Windows 8 – to the selected nonprofits.

To qualify, nonprofits must bring a letter on its organization’s letterhead, addressed to Steven Wyatt. The letter must include the organization's 501C3 number and a short explanation as to how the computer will be used by the organization. The value of each computer system is $300.

Tickets for the pasta dinner are $20 for adults, and children under 12 years may attend for free.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at the door the day of the event or at www.mikethompsonforcongress.gov .

For more information, please call Mary Jane Bowker at 707-226-8989.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Luncheon Club will host a discussion on a proposed sales tax to benefit Clear Lake and county water quality projects at its event on Wednesday, March 19.

Lunch will be offered at noon for $5 by the Middletown Senior Center at 21256 Washington St. and served by the Middletown United Methodist Women.

The speaker this month is Scott De Leon, director of Lake County Water Resources.

De Leon will explain Measure L, the Save the Lake half-cent sales tax.  

Come hear what the measure means to south Lake County and ask De Leon your questions. Be informed for the election in June.

Space is limited for lunch. Please make your reservation by calling the Middletown Senior Center at 707-987-3113 (specify that you are with the Luncheon Club).

Community members also are welcome to come hear the speaker for free without buying lunch.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Green Party of Lake County will host two supervisorial candidates when it meets on Sunday, March 16.

The meeting will take place for 4 to 7 p.m. at Round Table Pizza, 821 11th St. in Lakeport.

Board of Supervisors District 3 candidates Jim Steele and John Brosnan will speak at the meeting, with time for questions and answers.

There will be no host food and drink. Everyone is welcome.

The Green Party can be reached at 707-263-3391 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

The club's Web sits is www.lakecountygreenparty.bravesites.com and also can be reached through the www.cagreens.org Web site.