SACRAMENTO – Democratic Assemblymember Wesley Chesbro (D-North Coast) teamed up with Republican Assemblymember Kevin Jeffries (R-Lake Elsinore) to solve a Department of Motor Vehicle licensing problem that had grounded many rural firefighters, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed their jointly authored, bipartisan bill into law.

“AB 1648 removes a bureaucratic barrier at DMV that had made it very difficult for rural fire departments to license their firefighters to drive heavy equipment,” Chesbro said. “You had situations where firefighters could not respond to fires because they were not licensed to drive fire engines. Rural fire departments had to send two firefighters sometimes hundreds of miles on a round trip to a DMV office and take a vital piece of equipment out of service for an entire day just to license one firefighter. This situation was unacceptable and I heard about it from many chiefs of rural fire departments all over the First Assembly District. I’m grateful Assemblymember Jeffries joined me to craft a legislative solution, which the governor has now approved.”

AB 1648 allows firefighters who already possess a Class C license to earn a “Firefighter Endorsement” that authorizes them to drive fire equipment after completing 30 hours of classroom and behind-the-wheel training under supervision of a qualified fire chief.

“To complete the process, firefighters will still have to submit to the DMV their health questionnaires and written documentation from the fire chiefs who trained them and pass a written test," Chesbro said. “But it eliminates the requirement of having an already licensed firefighter also travel to a distant DMV office. It put too many rural communities at risk to have personnel and equipment taken out of service for an entire day, especially during fire season.”

Both houses of the Legislature approved AB 1648 without a “no” vote and the governor signed it on Sept. 29. It takes effect on Jan. 1, 2011.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lakeport residents will have the chance to meet city council candidate Stacey Mattina at an event on Friday, Oct. 8.

A fundraiser for Mattina's campaign will take place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Lakeport Yacht Club, 15 Fifth St.

The cost is $10 per person, which includes one glass of wine, hors d'oeuvres and a raffle ticket.

For more information call Lori Holmes, 707-263-9359.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Cooking classes will now be offered at The Kitchen Gallery in Lakeport.

The culinary program will kick off on Sunday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m. with a class on local fall bounty taught by Esther Oertel, personal chef, culinary instructor, and “The Veggie Girl” columnist for Lake County News.

Oertel will demonstrate the preparation of a butternut squash soup with pears, a mixed olive risotto and a rustic pear tart.

Ingredients sourced from Lake County farms include squash, pears, olive oil, walnuts and wine. The class is vegetarian friendly.

To sign up for the class, contact The Kitchen Gallery at 707-262-0422. A class fee of $25 includes the cooking demo, servings of each dish and a recipe booklet.

Space is limited so please reserve you spot early.

The Kitchen Gallery is located at 301 N. Main St. in Lakeport.

NICE, Calif. – The Sons of Italy in Nice will hold two events this Saturday, Oct. 2, and Sunday, Oct. 3.

On Saturday, there will be a flea market with seller tables for $10. The market is held 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Bring a pop or cover to go over it. There also will be sausage or hot dog sandwiches and drinks for sale.

On Sunday the group will hold its monthly spaghetti feed from noon to 6 p.m.

Diners will get a scrumptious Italian meal of red sauce pasta, garlic bread and salad for $8 per person, plus you can add a choice of meatballs or sausages for a total of $10 per person.

Call 707-274-2244 the day of the event for more information or take outs.

The club is located at 2817 E. Highway 20 in Nice.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The 17th annual Lake County Democratic barbecue, honoring elected Democratic legislators who represent Lake County at all levels of government, is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 16.

The event will be held from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Highlands Senior Center, 3245 Bowers Ave., Clearlake.

During the event they will honor the career and contributions of state Sen. Pat Wiggins.

Clearlake City Council candidate Joey Luiz will serve as master of ceremonies.

Endorsed Democratic candidates for Lake County offices, and Clearlake and Lakeport city council races will be in attendance.

Lieutenant Governor candidate Gavin Newsom has been invited to speak.

Congressman Mike Thompson, State Senate candidate and current Assemblywoman Noreen Evans and Assemblyman Wes Chesbro have confirmed they will attend.

Early labor sponsors include Operating Engineers Local 3, Sonoma Lake and Mendocino County Building & Trades Association, the California School Employees Association, Plumbers Union Local 38, SEIU Local 1021, the North Bay Labor Council and the California Teachers Association.

Individual sponsors to date including Thompson, Chesbro, Wiggins and Evans.

A silent auction and a raffle for a presentation flag that has been flown over the Capitol building, donated by Thompson, are on the program.

Tables for US Sen. Barbara Boxer and Attorney General Jerry Brown's gubernatorial campaign, as well as all local and state candidates, are planned. The tables will provide attendees with an opportunity to pick up campaign literature and campaign visibility items.

Music for the event is the Blue Moon Duet, featuring Sarah and David Ryan.

The meal will feature barbecued tri-tips prepared by barbecue master Evan Willig, with Mexican side dish trimmings courtesy of Luisa Acosta.

A variety of local wines will be will be poured. Beer as well as nonalcoholic beverages will also be available.

The cost is $35 per person, $25 for seniors and children under 12 attend free.

Reservations can be made in advance by calling 707-987-9027 or 707-277-0713 or by sending an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

All tickets are held at the door and tickets are available the day of the event.

COBB, Calif. – The next scheduled public meeting with Bottle Rock Power LLC will be held at the Power Plant Conference Room in Cobb on Wednesday, Oct. 6.

The meeting will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Bottle Rock Power LLC will present an update on the project and progress on several items of interest to the community and regulatory partners.

The Bottle Rock Power Plant is located at 7385 High Valley Road, Cobb.

Call 707-928-4578 or visit www.bottlerockpower.com for more information.