LAKEPORT, Calif. – Chip Saucer will host the regular last Sunday of the month Flying Saucer Club meeting at McDonald's on Todd Road in Lakeport on Sunday, April 29.

Chip recently acquired some crop circle videos that cover the last five years of activity in an active area in England. The farmers really hate the circles and sometimes mow them over the next day.

Have you seen any crop circles in Lake County? Come to the meeting and talk about them.

The meeting runs from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Everyone is welcome. The meetings are free and are held in the meeting room at the back of McDonald's. There is plenty of parking in the lot.

For more information visit http://meetup.com/lcflyingsaucerclub , email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call Chip at 707-263-3391.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Tickets for the 15th annual Stars of Lake County Community Awards on Sunday, May 6, are currently available through the office of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce.  

Tickets may be purchased by calling the office at 707-263-5092 or coming to 875 Lakeport Blvd. at Vista Point in Lakeport.

Stars is being held this year at PSI Seminars in High Valley above Clearlake Oaks.

The reception begins at 4 p.m., with dinner at 5 p.m. The awards presentations begin at 6:30 p.m.

Apparel for Stars is what you would wear for a special event, dinner, birthday or anniversary.

For additional information call Melissa Fulton at 707-263-5092.

NICE, Calif. – The Sons of Italy in Nice will hold a dinner dance in its hall on Saturday, April 28, in Nice.

The dinner will include Italian sausages, red sauce raviolis, fresh veggies and salad, French bread, dessert, coffee or tea.

The bar is open for socializing at 5 p.m., dinner starts at 6 p.m. to be followed by dancing to the band The High Notes starts after the meal.

The cost will be $15 for everything.

Everyone is welcome, no need to be a member.  

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

For information about this event or renting the hall for your own, call 707-274-2244.

Please call to reserve a table so you can sit with your friends or if you plan on bringing a lot of people.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Pine Mountain Lookout, located approximately 30 minutes northwest of Upper Lake in the Mendocino National Forest, will open for its tenth recreational season Tuesday, May 1.

In 2002 the Forest Service began renting the lookout for $50 a night with a two night minimum.

Inside, the lookout is furnished with four cots, two bunk beds and a small dining room set. Outside, the site has a picnic table, pedestal charcoal grill and fire ring.

There also is a vault toilet a short walk from the main building.

Visitors interested in using the facility should be aware that there is no electricity and no water available.

The facility can be accessed by car without requiring four-wheel drive or high clearance.

“The Pine Mountain Lookout is a lot like camping, only with the benefit of a structure to offer protection from the elements while enjoying the amazing views,” said District Ranger Lee Johnson.

The season for the lookout runs from May 1 through October 31.  Reservations can be made at www.recreation.gov up to 180 days in advance.

To prepare the site for the opening of the season, on Thursday approximately 15 Mendocino National Forest employees gathered to work on the site. This included opening up the lookout, cleaning, fuels reduction and other preparation projects.

Maintenance and upkeep throughout the season is funded in part through the $50 reservation fee. The entire fee is reinvested at the site.

However, public support has played a large part in funding improvements at the site and maintaining the historic integrity.  

The Lake County RAC in 2007 agreed to pay $13,000 for a new chemical toilet building and in 2009 approved $3,500 to paint the lookout.

The lookout’s olive green color is matched to the color used by the Army during its time as an aircraft spotting station.

“We really appreciate the hard work from all of the volunteers and the support of the local community,” said Johnson. “With recreation funds being stretched further each year, the commitment to preserving and maintaining this treasured lookout is an incredible help.”

At 4,400 feet in elevation, the Pine Mountain Lookout is unique in that it has a 180-degree view rather than the typical 360-degree view. The view looks out to the west, providing the opportunity to view spectacular sunsets.

The lookout is located in a mixed forest or Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, black oak and madrone.

The Pine Mountain Lookout was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCCs) for the U.S. Forest Service in 1933.  

From 1933 to 1941, the structure was used as a fire lookout. During World War II, the lookout became an aircraft spotting station for the U.S. Army. This task included watching for Japanese fire balloons.

After 17 years of use, the lookout was closed in 1950 and the building was abandoned.

The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 required buildings 50 years or older to be evaluated for inclusion into the National Register of Historic Places.  

During the 1980s, this brought attention to many of the structures constructed by the CCCs in the 1930s.  

In 1987 the Mendocino National Forest began evaluating historic structures. The Pine Mountain Lookout met the standards for integrity and was determined eligible for listing on the National Register.

In 1989, intentions were made to put the lookout into the national rental program, which made historic cabins and structures available for public use.  

Following 13 years of restoration and work, the lookout finally entered the national rental program during the 2002 season.

Ten years later, the lookout is a popular destination not only for local residents, but also international visitors.

The lookout’s logbook has comments from visitors as far away as Australia, Japan, Denmark and England.

For more information, please contact the Mendocino National Forest at 530-934-3316 or visit www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino .

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – The Lake County Democratic Central Committee will meet on Thursday, May 3.

The monthly meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the Clearlake Oaks United Methodist Church Community Room, 12487 The Plaza.

The agenda will contain reports from the  elections, finance, issues, voter registration and elections committees.

Also on the agenda will be reports from representatives for Congressman Mike Thompson, Assemblyman Wes Chesbro and Sen. Noreen Evans, as well as reports from the Stonewall Democratic Club Chair Mark Wickhamshire and representative from the Lake County Democratic Club Paula Mune.

Updates on the Campaigns of Congress Member John Garamendi and Assembly Member Mariko Yamada also will be heard.

The finishing touches and last minute assignments will be made for the May 5 candidate event at Sons of Italy Hall in Nice.

Guests for the event are Congressman Garamendi, Assemblymember Yamada and all the local Democratic candidates for Board of Supervisors and Lake County Superior Court Department 1.

Reservations in advance cost $15; tickets at the door $20.

Contact Wanda Harris, 707-987-9027 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , to reserve early.

Meetings are open to the public and committee membership is open to all registered Democrats.

The Lake County Democratic Central Committee is the official governing body of the Democratic Party in Lake County.

Contact the Democratic Party of Lake County at 707-533-4885 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Wesley Chesbro (D-North Coast) presented to the Assembly Appropriations Committee this week his bill that would reimburse Mendocino County for expenses incurred for housing and feeding the mutual aid responders who came to assist in a massive manhunt last year.

“AB 1863 was triggered by an unprecedented manhunt for the suspected killer of Matthew Coleman and Councilmember Jere Melo,” Chesbro said. “This manhunt involved 30 agencies and 300 officers. The manhunt spanned 36 days and required K-9 teams, SWAT teams and aerial units. The nature of this event, particularly the terrain involved, required far more resources than the small Fort Bragg community could provide, especially for such an extended duration.”

AB 1863 has two parts.

The first is an appropriation of about $40,000 to Mendocino County to reimburse the cost of hosting mutual aid responders. The second part establishes a framework to allow local law enforcement agencies to seek reimbursement for future extraordinary events such as the Mendocino manhunt.

“This bill is designed for very rare circumstances and in those cases would be very beneficial for small rural counties like Mendocino,” Chesbro said. “Furthermore, this bill includes a number of safe guards to prevent extensive costs such as requiring the Governor’s approval through a Disaster Declaration.”

The Appropriations Committee voted to move AB 1863 to its “Suspense File.”

Bills on “Suspense” are analyzed further to determine their fiscal impact.

The committee will vote on AB 1863 at a later, undetermined date.