GinaBelle Smith, far right, recognized past directors and handed out awards at the Mendo-Lake District's recent annual picnic and awards presentation. Photo courtesy of Sharon Thorne.

The morning brunch was prepared by the members of the North Lake Garden Club.

Mendo Lake District Director GinaBelle Smith convened the meeting and she recognized the past district directors presenting them a lei. She honored all of her chairs with a plant.

Chair Donna Callendar gave a report on the Painted Lady Butterfly, Penny Pines Chair Ann Blue shared information about the program and Anita Decker reported on the tour to Thompson Heather Gardens on Aug. 15.

Smith introduced the presidents of each club as follows, Clear Lake Trowel & Trellis, Linda Waterstraat; North Lake Garden Club Don Smith; Fort Bragg, GinaBelle Smith; Ukiah Garden Club Wil Gonzalez; Potter Valley Garden Club, Lee Patton; and Willits Garden Club, Wilma Schaffer.

Jo Shaul conducted the awards ceremony, recognizing all the club efforts to enter awards to the California Garden Clubs Inc.

A certificate was presented to Sharon Thorne from the National Garden Clubs Inc. in grateful appreciation for her participation in the Garden Entry Contest and commitment to National Garden Clubs Inc., signed by Renee D. Blaschke, NGC President 2009-10.

Each member brought a decorated box lunch and the lunches were numbered and a drawing took place.

Mendo-Lake district is a members of California Garden Clubs Inc. and National Garden Clubs Inc.

Decorated lunch boxes at the Mendo-Lake District meeting hosted by North Lake Garden Club. Photo courtesy of Sharon Thorne.

LOWER LAKE – The Lower Lake Historic School Preservation Committee will host its 17th Annual Quilt and Textile Exhibition from Aug. 7 through Aug. 28 in the Weaver Auditorium.

The public is invited to bring quilts and fiber art work for display. Items can be brought to the museum through July during regular business hours, 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday.

Featured artists will include the Clear Lake Quilt Guild, renowned weaver Sheila O'Hara and her students, and members of the Sheep Thrills Spinning and Weaving Guild.

Works include quilts, weavings, tapestries, clothing and other fiber art items, in soft and subtle pastels to bold colors and textures.

For more information, call the museum at 707-995-3565.

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

– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance from Saratoga Springs Road to Witter Springs Road beginning Monday, July 26. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 a.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance from 0.2 mile west of Bartlett Springs Road to Foothill Drive beginning Monday, July 26. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 a.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

– PG&E of Ukiah has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility maintenance 0.8 mile west of Rosemont Drive beginning Monday, July 26. Work hours are 9 a.m. to 3 a.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

Highway 29

– Chip sealing from the Lake/Napa County line to Hidden Valley Road will begin Monday, July 26. Nighttime work hours are 7 a.m. to 6 a.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays. Contractor – International Surfacing Systems of West Sacramento.

– Paving from the junction of Route 29/175 near Lakeport to Mockingbird Lane will continue. Work hours are 4 a.m. to 4 a.m., weekdays. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction of travel. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns. Beginning Monday, July 26, ramps at Lakeport Boulevard (Exit 102), 11th Street (Exit 103), Park Way (Exit 106) and Nice-Lucerne Cutoff Road (Exit 108) will be intermittently closed. No more than one onramp and offramp will be closed at a time. Motorists will be advised to use an alternate route and may experience minor delays. Contractor – Granite Construction of Ukiah.

Highway 281

– North Bay Construction of Petaluma has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for paving on Soda Bay Road. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 4 a.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect.

Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

– Paving from the Albion River Bridge to Jackson Street will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 3 a.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.

Contractor – Granite Construction of Ukiah.

– Pavement repairs at Blue Slide Gulch, just south of Westport, will continue. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 4 a.m.. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays. Contractor – Mercer-Fraser of Eureka.

– A drainage repair project from 1.4 miles south of Hales Grove to 1.2 mile south of Mill Bank Resort will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 3:30 a.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays. Beginning Monday, July 26, one-way traffic control will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays. Contractor – Green Right O’Way Constructors of Willits.

Highway 20

– Storm damage repair 1.0 mile west of Three Chop Road will begin Monday, July 26. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 a.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays. Contractor – Kapel Construction of Willow Creek.

Highway 101

– Installation of rock slope protection from Reeves Canyon Road to the Haehl Overhead bridge will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 3 a.m., weekdays. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction of travel. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns. Contractor – Granite Construction of Ukiah.

– A highway restriping and signing project from Reynolds Highway to 1.2 miles north of Ryan Creek Road will begin Monday, July 26. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 7 a.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control

will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays. Contractor – Apply-A-Line Inc. of Anderson.

– Bridge deck repairs at the Cummings Road Undercrossing will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 6 a.m., weekdays. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction of travel. Motorists may

experience minor traffic slowdowns. Contractor – DeBruin Construction Inc. of French Camp.

– Paving from the Dora Creek Bridge to 0.5 mile north of the Dora Creek Bridge will continue. Work hours are 6 a.m. to 6 a.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should

anticipate 10-minute delays. Contractor – Mendocino Construction Services Inc. of Willits.

Highway 162

– A bridge widening project at Outlet Creek Bridge will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 a.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.

Contractor – Viking Construction Co. Inc. of Rancho Cordova.

– Storm damage repair east of Sand Bank Creek will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 3 a.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. From 3 a.m. Sunday, July 25, through 3 a.m. Friday, July 30, one-way traffic control will be in effect 24 hours per day. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays. Contractor – Granite Construction of Ukiah.

Highway 222

– Replacement of the Russian River Bridge will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 a.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control with a temporary signal will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays during work hours and five-minute delays at other times. Contractor – CC Myers of Rancho Cordova.

– Rogina Water Company of Talmage has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit to install a water line from Sandford Ranch Road to Talmage Court. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 a.m., weekdays. Intermittent one-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 253

– A bridge widening project at Anderson Creek Bridge will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 a.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

Contractor – Viking Construction Co. Inc. of Rancho Cordova.

– Construction of a retaining wall from Singley Cattlepass to the Soda Creek Bridge will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 a.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists

should anticipate five-minute delays. Contractor – Mendocino Construction Services of Willits.

– A bridge widening project at Soda Creek Bridge will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 a.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

Contractor – Viking Construction Co. Inc. of Rancho Cordova.

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).

KELSEYVILLE – District attorney candidate Doug Rhoades will hold his fall campaign kickoff event on Saturday, Aug. 14.

The evening will begin at 6 p.m. at the Saw Shop Gallery Bistro in Kelseyville.

A light buffet and wine will be served; the cost is $10 per person.

To RSVP or for more information e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 707-279-9769.

Visit Rhoades' Web site at http://dougrhoadesforda.com or his Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Doug-Rhoades-for-Lake-County-District-Attorney/109154492448095?ref=ts.

LAKE COUNTY – Throughout the state, counties are gearing up for the popular tire amnesty program which gives residents the opportunity to dispose of up to nine old tires at no cost.

The program begins on Aug. 2 in Lake County for all residents.

With funds from a grant from the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle, www.calrecycle.com) the county of Lake Public Services Department, Waste Management Division, reimburses Southlake Refuse and Recycling and Lake County Waste Solutions the disposal fees for residents of Lake County who properly dispose of their tires, with or without rims, at these locations.

The funds also are used to reimburse disposal fees for larger watershed tire cleanup events that are overseen by the East and West Lake Resource Conservation Districts.

Old tires can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes, which like to live in the shallow, stagnant water which often collects in discarded tires.

Although West Nile Virus has not been documented in Lake County yet this season according to the state’s Web site, (www.westnile.ca.gov), it has in the past and residents must be vigilant about preventing standing water on their property.

Illegally stockpiled tires pose not only a public health risk, but environmental risks as well. Oftentimes, tires are illegally dumped in creeks, streams, and the lake, or left in large piles overgrown with weeds.

In addition to the potential for groundwater contamination as the tires rot leaching chemicals in to the soil and water, these stockpiles are a serious fire danger as they are highly flammable.

California is faced with the significant challenge of diverting or safely managing more than 44.4 million reusable and waste tires generated each year. Last year Lake County residents properly disposed of nearly 10,000 tires through the Tire Amnesty program. It is estimated that fewer than 250,000 waste tires remain in stockpiles throughout California, but these stockpiles pose a potential threat to public health, safety, and the environment.

The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) is mandated to regulate and manage waste tires within the state. The Legislature recognized the need for waste tire management and passed the California Tire Recycling Act in 1989.

To further strengthen waste tire management, the Legislature passed Senate Bill (SB) 876 in 2000 to augment the California Tire Recycling Act.

Used tires cannot be disposed of in landfills or in curbside recycling bins. The only proper way to dispose of used and old tires is to transport them to Lake County Waste Solutions or South Lake Refuse and Recycling and pay a disposal fee, which is why all residents should take advantage of the Tire Amnesty program, which begins Aug. 2 and funded by a grant from CalRecycle.

It is illegal in the state of California to transport more than nine tires at one time without a proper waiver.

Failure to obtain the waiver can result in fines up to $25,000 per violation per day and increased

administrative penalties up $5,000 per violation per day and is enforced by the California Highway Patrol

The waivers are free. To dispose of 10 or more tires, waivers can be obtained at no cost from Lake County Environmental Health, 922 Bevins Court in Lakeport, 707-263-1164. Application for a waiver must be made before transporting the tires to a facility as it takes a minimum of a full business day to process the paperwork.

Residents (no commercial tire, auto repair, or salvage business) can dispose of up to nine passenger or light truck tires (up to R19.5), with or without rims, free of charge until funding for the Tire Amnesty program runs out. Proof of Lake County residency is required. A form also must be filled out with the number and origin of tires.

Up to nine tires can be transported without a waiver to:

Lake County Waste Solutions

230 Soda Bay Road, Lakeport

707-234-6400 or 1-888-718-4888

Monday-Saturday, April-September:

7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Monday-Saturday, October-March:

7:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

South Lake Refuse & Recycling

16015 Davis Street, Clearlake

707-994-8614

Daily, 7:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

For information on more recycling and disposal programs such as the monthly HazMobile events or Bulky Item Pick-Up, please call the Recycling Hotline at 707-263-1980 or visit www.Recycling.co.lake.ca.us.

NICE – Wear your poodle skirt out to dinner then enjoy a sock hop dance this Friday, July 23, at the Sons of Italy.

They will serve hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and salad plus dessert, at the club hall, 2817 E. Highway 20 in Nice.

The bar is open for socializing at 5 p.m. then dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m.

Enjoy dancing to the music of John Zimmerman, right after the meal.

All tickets cost $15 at the door. Everyone is welcome.

For information about this event or renting the hall for your own, call 707-263-1606.