LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – This August 11 (8/11), Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) reminds customers to always call 811 before digging.

This number is not just for professional contractors. PG&E urges customers who, for example, have trees to plant, sprinkler systems to install or fences to fix to be mindful of underground natural gas and electric lines and call 811 in advance.

The 811 hotline is a free service to obtain important information on what utilities exist beneath the excavation area.

It is available to homeowners, excavators and professional contractors who plan to dig, grade, excavate or drill. In many cases, it is required by law to call 811 before digging.

Safety is PG&E’s highest priority. Since the depth of natural gas and electric lines buried underground can vary, PG&E wants customers to know that even simple digging projects can cause damage. Contacting these lines can be extremely dangerous and even fatal.

Once every three minutes nationwide, a utility line is damaged by digging. Many of these incidents could have been prevented with a call to 811.

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Stone House Museum is open for public tours this Saturday, Aug. 11, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  

Built in 1853 as Lake County’s first stone house, the museum reflects family life of the era.

Filled with donated period furnishings and lovingly restored by community residents, the historic residence is located at 18174 Hidden Valley Road in Hidden Valley Lake.

Original 2 by 12 redwood timbers are visible in the interior of Stone House.

Visitors must enter HVL’s gated community via Hartmann Road.

For details, see www.lakecountystonehouse.com .

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Entertainment for the Midsummer Fantasy Fest on Saturday, Aug. 11, will feature Bob Culbertson, world-renowned virtuoso of the Chapman Stick, which is commonly referred to as the Stick.

He has become one of the most influential Stick soloists today. His recordings have been described as "the sound of the Stick in its purest form.”

Culbertson has performed in many countries throughout the world including: Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan and almost every state in the US, and included a concert at Carnegie Hall.

His performance at the festival will begin at 6:30 p.m., on the main stage, and some of his CDs will be available for sale.

The festival will also feature New Vintage Productions of Lake County.  

King Oberon and Queen Tatiana, king and queen of the Fairies, will be in attendance with their fairy court, presenting scenes from A Midsummer Night's Dream, music, dance, workshops and rehearsals.

Fairies of all ages will be wandering the fair, spreading magic and performing onstage at set times throughout the day.

There is fun for the whole family, a very special children’s area with delightful activities for the wee fairies in training. Wine, food and beverages, crafts, dancing, drumming, and magic for the young and the young-at-heart.

Admission is free.

Hours are from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Raffle proceeds will benefit the Clearlake Youth Center.  

For more information call Steele Wines at 707-279-9475 and ask for Tasting Room Manager Pam Prisco, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .  

The Web site is http://midsummerfantasyfest.wordpress.com .  

Find the festival on Facebook as Midsummer Fantasy Fest.  

Steele Wines is located at 4350 Thomas Drive, just off Highway 29, Kelseyville.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Lake County Wine Studio (LCWS) is hosting an encore wine tasting event featuring the new 2007 wine releases from Snows Lake Vineyard with Bonnie Sears, and artist reception with paintings by Judy Cardinale.

The reception will take place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11.  

Musical entertainment during the receptions will be Jim Waters on keyboard.

Judy Cardinale has studied art for the past 35 years. Prior to becoming a Lake County resident, she rendered wildlife and animal portraits in pastel.  

Since moving to the county in the early 1990s, Cardinale began to explore the medium of oil. Her introduction to this medium was with Wayne Coats at Yuba College. There she added another love to her already existing love of animal portraits – that of seascapes.  

Many of her seascapes and animal portraits grace the walls of homes in private collections throughout the United States.

With the use of watercolor medium, Cardinale has added a new dimension to her collection, to which she comments, “There is a quite a difference between the various mediums. The approach to a successful watercolor is basically the same as any other medium, however, the medium itself always has a surprise in store for the artist with each new study!”

Recent sojourns to Yellowstone National Park have inspired Cardinale’s most recent work: “The ever-changing landscape, water, wildlife and beautiful sunsets depicted in both Yellowstone and Lake County are the essence of my work.”

The $10 wine sampler with appetizers will feature 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon; 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, the newly released 2007 Cabernet/Cabernet Franc blend and new release 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon paired with a chocolate bark containing organic Lake County walnuts from Dancing Tree People Farm, dried cherries and cocoa nibs. Appetizers designed by Cache Creek Catering.   

Lake County Wine Studio is both a gallery for display of arts and a tasting room, wine bar and retail shop for the fine wines of Lake County. Artists’ shows are held on a monthly basis with art and wine receptions held the first Friday and subsequent Saturday of each month.

The gallery is located at 9505 Main St. in Upper Lake. It is open Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Cardinale art show will be on display for the full month of August.  

For more information call Lake County Wine Studio at 707-275-8030.

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

– Construction of a roundabout at the Route 20/Nice-Lucerne Cutoff Road intersection will continue. Temporary all-way stop signs are in place. A shoulder closure will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists are advised to drive with caution through the area and may experience minor traffic slowdowns. Nice-Lucerne Cutoff Road is closed at Route 20; a detour is available. Contractor – Granite Construction Inc. of Ukiah.

– PG&E of Ukiah has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for utility work from Island Drive to Shady Lane beginning Monday, Aug. 13. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– PG&E of Ukiah has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for utility work from New Long Valley Road to just east of Gravel Plant Road on Tuesday, Aug. 14, and Wednesday, Aug. 15. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 29

– Pavement repairs from Clayton Creek Road to Lee Barr Road will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. A shoulder closure will be in effect. Motorists are advised to drive with caution through the area and may experience minor traffic slowdowns. Contractor – Teichert Construction of Davis.

Highway 53

– Pavement repairs from the junction of Routes 29/53 to 40th Avenue will continue through Friday, Aug. 10. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. A shoulder closure will be in effect. Motorists are advised to drive with caution through the area and may experience minor traffic slowdowns. Contractor – Teichert Construction of Davis.

– Preston Pipe Inc. of Sacramento has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for utility work near Old Highway 53/D a.m. Road beginning Thursday, Aug. 16. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays. Turns onto Old Highway 53 will be restricted. Motorists will be advised to use an alternate route.

– Highway widening and rehabilitation from 40th Avenue to the junction of Routes 20/53 will resume. Work hours are 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays. Contractor – Teichert Construction of Davis.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

– PG&E of Eureka has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for tree trimming from 0.2 mile south of Fish Rock Road to 0.2 mile north of Iversen Road beginning Monday, Aug. 13. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 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.  Contractor – Golden State Bridge Inc.

– A highway realignment project near Navarro Bluffs Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect 24 hours per day from 6 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 13, through 3 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 17.
Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays. Contractor – Mendocino Construction Services of Willits.

– Metal beam guardrail repair from the Soldier Point Viaduct to the junction of Route 1/271 will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.  Contractor – Coral Construction of Wilsonville.

Highway 20

– Orca Towing of Albion has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for fuel spill cleanup 1.3 miles east of Three Chop Road. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

– A pavement repair project from Road 300 to Irmulco Road will continue. Work hours are 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.
Contractor – Granite Construction of Ukiah.

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.

– Crosswalk improvements at Gregory Lane will continue. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., weekdays. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction of travel. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns. Contractor – Cal Electro Inc. of Redding.

– PG&E of Eureka has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for tree removal 0.5 mile north of Ryan Creek Road (south) on Monday, Aug. 13, and Tuesday, Aug. 14. Work hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

– Paving from Bell Springs Road to Hermitage Vista Point will continue. Work hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.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.

Highway 128

– PG&E of Ukiah has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for utility repairs from Philo Greenwood Road to Indian Creek beginning Monday, Aug. 13. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Paving from Con Creek to Robinson Creek will begin Friday, Aug. 10. Work hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays. Contractor – Argonaut Constructors of Santa Rosa.

– Pavement repairs from 0.9 mile west of Big Oaks Drive to 0.9 mile east of the Mendocino/Sonoma County line will continue. Work hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays. Contractor – OC Jones and Sons of Berkeley.

Highway 162

– Metal beam guardrail repair at various locations from the junction of Routes 101/162 to the Town Creek Bridge will begin Monday, August 13. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays. Contractor – Coral Construction of Wilsonville.

Highway 253

– Slipout repairs about 5.6 miles west of Butler Ranch 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 – Mendocino Construction Services of Willits.

Highway 271

– Metal beam guardrail repair at various locations from Cummings to the Humboldt/Mendocino County line will continue through Friday, Aug. 10. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 7 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).

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Soroptimist International of Clearlake recently inducted four new members at a program meeting at Howard’s Grotto in Clearlake.

The group holds its meetings twice monthly at Howard’s Grotto – a business meeting on the second Thursday of each month and a program meeting with a speaker on the fourth Thursday.

The group’s next board meeting is Thursday, Aug. 9, at noon at Howard’s Grotto. Lunch is $12; all interested women are invited to attend.

Soroptimist is a term that means “Best For Women.”

The objective of the group is to promote the advancement of women through volunteer service to the community, and to serve as a global voice on issues of importance to women.  

There are three classes of membership: regular, retired/unemployed and embarking.  

Women who are interested in learning more about the organization are encouraged to contact President Wanda Harris at 707-987-9027 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..