LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Entries will be accepted from Feb. 1, to May 1, 2013 for the inaugural Martha Webster Journalism Internship Award, offered by the Middletown Luncheon Club.

The competition is open to all previously unpublished writers living within the boundaries of the Middletown Unified School District.

Each entry should include pertinent personal data and an original column of 500-600 words written in journalistic style on a subject believed to be of general interest to readers in the Middletown area.

The winner will be paid $25 each for similar columns to be produced once each month for the following year and published in the Middletown Times Star.

The winning entry will be announced on May 28, in observance of the birthday of the late Martha Webster, whose contributions to the area – even beyond her journalism – were many.

Entries should be mailed to: Middletown Luncheon Club, P. O. Box 74, Middletown, CA 95461. The applicant’s name, address, phone number or email address, and age must be included with each entry. Extra credit will be given to students enrolled in Middletown High School or the Clearlake Campus of Yuba Community College.

Established in 1943, the Middletown Luncheon Club meets on the third Wednesday of each month in the community room at the Methodist Church.

Each meeting offers lunch at $ 5 per person with a speaker or presentation of importance to the Middletown area.

Thanks to interest-bearing bequests, the club has a long history of donating to service organizations for preparing the monthly meals offered and contributing to scholarships and various community projects.

The Feb. 20 meeting will feature poetry by local authors; the March 20 luncheon will feature a presentation on Middletown’s history.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The sixth annual Venetian Masquerade will take place Friday, Feb. 8, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Rosa d’Oro Vineyards Tasting Room, located at 3915 Main Street in Kelseyville.

Attendees will enjoy a sampling of Italian-varietal wines produced by Rosa d’Oro Vineyards paired with a selection of Venetian-inspired appetizers prepared by Chef Pietro Buttitta.

A mask contest will be held with prizes awarded. Featured wines will include recent San Francisco Chronicle award winners and a new release, “Carmen” Dessert Wine.”

Pietro Buttitta, son of owner Nick Buttitta, is a certified sommelier and graduate of Western Culinary Institute, with five years of restaurant cooking under his belt.

He currently works in all aspects of viticulture and winemaking at Rosa d’Oro Vineyards.

Tickets are $10 for nonmembers. Masks are optional.

For more information or to purchase tickets call Rosa d’Oro Vineyards at 707-279-0483, or visit the tasting room at 3915 Main St, Kelseyville.

Motorists who use cell phones while driving are more likely to engage in additional dangerous behaviors such as speeding, driving drowsy, driving without a seatbelt and sending texts or emails, according to a survey conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Additionally, more than two-thirds (69 percent) of licensed drivers reported talking on a cell phone while driving within the last month despite the fact that nearly nine-in-ten respondents (89 percent) believe other drivers using cell phones are a threat to their personal safety.

“What concerns AAA is this pattern of risky behavior that even goes beyond cell phone use,” said Cynthia Harris, AAA Northern California spokesperson. “These same cell phone-using drivers clearly understand the risk of distraction, yet are still likely to engage in a wide range of dangerous driving activities.”                                

Motorists who fairly often or regularly used their cell phones over the last month also reported that they engaged in additional risky behaviors. The research shows:

• 65 percent also reported speeding;
• 44 percent also reported driving while drowsy;
• 53 percent also reported sending a text or email;
• 29 percent also drove without a seatbelt.

Drivers that reported never using a cell phone were much less likely to report additional risky behaviors:

• 31 percent reported speeding;
• 14 percent reported driving drowsy;
• 03 percent reported sending a text or email;
• 16 percent reported driving without a seatbelt.

Despite the near-universal disapproval of texting and emailing while driving (95%), more than one-in-four licensed drivers (27%) reported sending a text or email at least once in the past 30 days, and more than one-third (35 %) said they read a text or email while driving.

Young drivers age 16-24 were even more likely with more than half (61 %) reporting having read a text or email while driving in the past month, while more than one-in-four (26 %) reported checking or updating social media while driving.

Driver use of cell phones impairs reaction times and roughly quadruples crash risk. Additionally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that more than 3,000 people are killed and nearly half a million are injured each year in crashes involving distraction.

This is likely an underestimate given the challenges associated with determining the role of distraction in crashes.

AAA and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety have long been leading advocates in educating motorists about the risks of distracted driving. AAA recommends that motorists turn off their phone before driving or pulling over to a safe place to talk, send texts or use email. AAA also has launched a legislative campaign to advocate for a text messaging ban in all 50 states. To date, 39 states and the District of Columbia have adopted this key traffic safety measure and AAA expects all 11 remaining states to consider this legislation in 2013.

Established in 1947 by AAA, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is an independent, publicly funded, 501(c)(3) charitable research and educational organization. The AAA Foundation’s mission is to prevent traffic deaths and injuries by conducting research into their causes and by educating the public about strategies to prevent crashes and reduce injuries when they do occur.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The monthly meeting of the Lake County Flying Saucer Club will take place on Sunday, Jan. 27.

It will be held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the meeting room at McDonald's on Todd Road in Lakeport.

Stop by and discuss your UFO experiences or any other unexplained sightings.

Meetings are free and open to the public.

The group’s new Web site is www.lakecountyflyingsaucerclub.yolasite.com ; there is a place to contact members on the site.

The email is the same, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or call 707-263-3391 for more information.

Caltrans has upgraded its Web site to give California motorists access to planned lane closures on highways statewide so they can make more informed route decisions and reduce travel times.

“Thanks to this upgrade, motorists can plan to avoid scheduled lane closures on statewide routes before they even get on the road,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “This information will allow travelers to adjust their trip plan so they can get where they’re going more quickly.”

Real-time statewide route information is easily accessible from an interactive Internet search site at www.lcswebreports.dot.ca.gov/lcswebreports/ .

Online users can search for planned lane closures statewide, by region, county or route number, on specific dates, during certain times, and by type of closure.

For additional road information, visit Caltrans QuickMap at http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov .

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.

LAKE COUNTY

Highway 20

– PG&E of Ukiah has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for utility repairs 0.2 mile west of La Trianon Resort on Tuesday, Jan. 29. Work hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

Highway 29

– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance from Route 281 to the junction of Routes 29/175 near Kelseyville through Friday, Jan. 25. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

– 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. Contractor – Golden State Bridge Inc. of Martinez.

– Caltrans will perform slipout repairs 1.6 miles south of Navarro Bluff Road. One-way traffic control with temporary stop signs will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Peter Bassett of Westport has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for utility installation near Pacific Avenue north beginning Monday, Jan. 28. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

Highway 20

– PG&E of Ukiah has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for utility repairs from 0.5 mile west of Wildwood Campground to Forestry Station Road on Wednesday, Jan. 30. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

– A pavement repair project from 1.4 miles west of Little Lake Road to Three Chop Road will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays. Contractor – Argonaut Constructors of Santa Rosa.

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.

Highway 128

– Metal beam guardrail repair at various locations from Route 1 to Anderson Valley Way will continue through Friday, Jan. 25. 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 – Coral Construction of Wilsonville.

Highway 253

– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance from Slide Creek to 0.6 mile west of Stipp Lane on Friday, January 25. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 271

– Metal beam guardrail repair at various locations from the southern junction of Routes 101/271 to the Humboldt/Mendocino County line will continue on Tuesday, Jan. 29. 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 – Coral Construction of Wilsonville.

Work on all these projects is weather permitting and subject to change. Caltrans advises motorists to drive with caution when approaching work areas and to be prepared to stop at traffic control stations.

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).