The presentation will take place from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Taylor Observatory-Norton Planetarium, 5725 Oak Hills Lane, Kelseyville.

A map to the observatory can be found here: http://lakecoe.org/apps/comm.asp?%241=126.

This special keynote presentation will be followed by a planetarium show. A viewing of the night sky will conclude the evening.

Admission is free with a reservation or a ticket.

Tickets can be obtained at the Mt. High Coffee and Books location on Cobb, at Lower Lake High School in office No. 2, or by reserving a space at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

You also can visit the Big Read's Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Lake-County-Big-Read/142212062540955?ref=ts&sk=wall.

The Big Read is a National Endowment for the Arts program, in partnership with Arts Midwest and the Lake County Office of Education, which encourages reading in America and cultural connections to literature.

The closure will take place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. along a portion of Clear Lake Avenue, High Street and a portion of Lakeshore Boulevard, where resurfacing is taking place.

City officials said the contractor on the project will apply a seal coat to the road surface on Oct. 19, necessitating the closure.

The primary detour around High Street consists of 11^th Street to Brush Street, then to Hartley Street and on to 20^th Street, and back on to Lakeshore Boulevard.

A smaller detour around a portion of Lakeshore Boulevard via Giselman Street to Lange Street also will be in effect.

The date of the closure may change subject to inclement weather. In such a circumstance, city officials said they will try to provide additional notice.

Other construction activities taking place in the area will consist primarily of sweeping and traffic stripe installation. The city said those activities will not require a road closure but will cause minor delays and inconvenience for traffic in the area.

City officials apologized in advance for any inconvenience the project causes the public.

For more information contact the city of Lakeport at 7070263-5615.

Middletown celebrates its 18th annual Renaissance Christmas Pageant & Feast. Shown is the 2002 cast. Photo by Voris Brumfield.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The annual Renaissance Christmas Pageant and Feast will return to Middletown this December.

The 18^th annual pageant will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, and Saturday, Dec. 3; 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, and Saturday, Dec. 10; and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, and Sunday, Dec. 11.

The event will feature Renaissance music, food and entertainment.

The entire evening, which takes place in “Greystone Castle” (also known as the Middletown Community United Methodist Church), is set during the Renaissance period, and hosts will be in character throughout the event.

Entertainment includes Renaissance and traditional Christmas music sung by a lavishly costumed choir, an exciting drama plus Renaissance dances and games in which all guests – known for the night as “nobles” – are encouraged to join.

Guests are encouraged to come costumed as nobles, peasants, or pirates – costumes are not required, although best-dressed guests may be recognized by the host.

Also true to the Renaissance era, guests dine on a three-course sitdown feast while all of the drama and music unfold around them.

Advance tickets are $35 to $45 per person. Price discounts are available on tickets purchased before Nov. 15, and on blocks of tickets sold to groups of four or more.

A substantial portion of the ticket price is tax-deductible, as this is a major fundraiser for the support of community services and programs.

Call 707-987-2653 for more information.

All tickets are by advance sale only; tickets will not be available at the door. Vegetarian meals are available if requested at the time of ticket purchase.

The United Methodist Church is located at 15155 Armstrong St., off Washington Street, one block east of Highway 29, www.middletownmethodist.org.

The registration will take place at the Middletown Community United Methodist Church, 11581 Armstrong St. on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Wednesday, Oct. 26, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; and Thursday, Oct. 27, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Bring proof of residence and income please.

If you are registering for the first time for Spirit of the Season and in need of a Christmas gift for your child (ages birth through eighth grade), please bring a copy of birth certificate or school information.

Also bring a list of three items that Santa might be able to choose one to bring for your child.

All folks who are in need and live in Cobb, Middletown, or Hidden Valley Lake are eligible to register for this program.

Folks outside of this south county area are encouraged to sign up for holiday programs in Clearlake and Kelseyville, or through their local church affiliation.

Spirit of the Season wishes to thank Vicki Renfro for allowing them to use her office space for this year’s Christmas food and gift program.

As the volunteers continue to work on this community effort to assist those in need at Christmas, they are pleased that a drop off point for food and boxes has been found in Middletown.

Vicki’s store is behind B&G Tires on Douglas Street. Spirit of the Season also will use that space for the distribution on Dec. 17.

If you have questions please contact JoAnn Harmon at 707-987-4704 or Hedy Montoya at 707-322-5080.

Meet the artists on Saturday, Nov. 12, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Choose unique, creative holiday gifts from high quality fine art, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, art glass, gourds, whimsical handmade animal towels and “blankie buddies” for kids and more.

A silent auction will include art items and services donated by the community and door prizes will be given away every hour.

The Cobb Mountain Artists’ mission is to enrich the community with events where local art and craft designers can mingle with people of all ages who appreciate art.

A portion of the proceeds is donated to support local elementary art programs.

All work offered for sale is juried and meets the highest standards of quality, craftsmanship and originality.

Don’t miss this wonderful, one-time holiday event.

For more information, call 707-494-6285 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The public may notice smoke in various parts of the forest during the next few months as part of the continued commitment to protect communities and natural resources from wildfires.

Forest visitors, including hunters, are asked to be aware of their surroundings and watch for prescribed burning operations to maintain personal safety.

Areas where prescribed burning operations are taking place will be well signed with increased fire personnel in the area.

If visitors are uncertain, they are encouraged to contact the forest at 530-934-3316 before their visit to see where prescribed burns are planned for the day.

As cooler weather and higher humidity move in, there is an opportunity to bring fire into the forest in a controlled setting. Prescribed fires are used to clear the forest floor of small fuels and brush without burning or killing large trees.

Prescribed burns are conducted when there is a window of opportunity and specific conditions and criteria are met before, and will be sustained, during and after the burn. These include temperature, wind conditions, relative humidity and fuel moisture levels. The Forest also takes air quality into consideration.

“Prescribed burning is an important tool for the Forest to use for hazardous fuels reduction and forest health improvement, including wildlife habitat,” said Grindstone Ranger District Fuels Officer Mike Steele. “The fires are intended to be slow, low-intensity creeping fires on the forest floor. Although there are only a few opportunities for prescribed burns, they produce less smoke and there aren’t the resource impacts typically created by large wildfires.”

The season traditionally runs from early October through December as weather permits. The burning operations are monitored and patrolled frequently to ensure public safety.

During the prescribed burning season, fire crews also burn piles of wood debris and fuel that are the result of fuel reduction activities in the forest.

This year the Grindstone Ranger District also plans to burn piles at the Chico Resource Conservation Center as well as Lake Red Bluff Recreation Center.

In addition to the pile burning in Chico and Lake Red Bluff, there are plans to burn additional piles across the Grindstone Ranger District.

The district also plans to conduct prescribed burning activities on approximately 2,500 acres, including understory burning in Alder Springs, Oak Ridge and Little Stony, and a combination of pile burning and understory burning on the forest floor.

On the west side of the forest, prescribed burning is planned for the following general areas on the Upper Lake Ranger District: Along Elk Mountain Road, in the areas of Howard Mill, along the 17N39 Road in the Willow Creek area, along the M10 Northeast of the Three Crossings area, Boardman Ridge, High Valley, Streeter Ridge, Pine Mountain, Lake Pillsbury, Little Round Mountain, and in the vicinity of Bredehoft Place and Pinto Ridge on the Covelo Ranger District. Selected campgrounds, guard stations and miscellaneous pile burning will also be included in the prescribed burning operations.

Prescribed burning announcements will be placed at local ranger stations prior to ignition. Mendocino National Forest employees are committed to a safe and successful prescribed burning season for both the public and employees.

For more information, please contact the Mendocino National Forest at 530-934-3316, the Upper Lake Ranger District at 707-275-2361 or visit www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino.