LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lakeport Library will host a free workshop on beading on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Class members will make an easy crystal bead bracelet under the direction of the library’s Amy Patton.

The workshop is free and all supplies will be provided.

The Friends of the Lake County Library will provide light refreshments for the workshop guests.

Signups are required. The library is located at 1425 N. High St. Patton can be reached at 707-263-8817, Extension 17105.

Visit the library on the Internet at http://library.co.lake.ca.us or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lakecountylibrary .

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Democratic Club will meet at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9.

The meeting will take place in the Russell Rustici Park Club House at the Lower Lake Community Park, 16375 Second St.

The club's guest speaker will be Kristy Kelly, director of Lake County Behavioral Health.

Lake County Democratic Club meetings are held on the second Saturday of the month at 11 a.m.

The public is always welcome and membership is open to all registered Democrats.

Contact the Lake County Democratic Club at 707-533-4885, by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit http://lakecountydemocrats.org .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Two new PaintCare drop-off locations have been established in Lake County.

The California PaintCare program, which started in October 2012, provides locations for people to take unwanted, leftover paint to be recycled.

The new collection sites include:

• LAKEPORT – Plaza Paint & Supplies, 555 S Main St., telephone 707-263-2936;
• MIDDLETOWN – Hardester Market and Hardware, 21088 Calistoga Road, telephone 707-987-2325.

California was the second state in the country to implement this program and has almost 500 collection sites across the state.

PaintCare is a nonprofit organization established by the American Coatings Association to implement Paint Stewardship Programs on behalf of the paint manufacturers in states that pass paint stewardship laws.

For more information about the California Paint Stewardship Program, the importance of recycling and using up leftover paint, or to find a drop-off site near you, visit www.paintcare.org .

MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif.– As of Friday, Nov. 1, Christmas tree permits are available from the Mendocino National Forest for the 2013 holiday season.

Permits are available for purchase in person or by mail from Mendocino National Forest offices, as well as at area vendors. Vendors are listed below with contact information for the Forest Service.

Permits are $10 per tree at Forest Service offices. Customers are advised to call vendors to verify permit price and availability.

The permits will be sold at Forest Service offices through Monday, Dec. 23.

Trees may be cut and removed any day of the week in authorized areas of the Mendocino National Forest. Please check current forest fire closure areas in case your annual tree cutting spot is within the closure.

There is a limit of one permit per household, with each permit using a valid name and address. Up to four additional permits may be purchased for additional households, using separate names and addresses. Individuals must be 18 or older to purchase a permit.

All Christmas tree permit sales are final, with no refunds. Permittees will receive a tree tag and forest map.

To purchase a permit by mail, send a printed name and mailing address for each permit purchased, a daytime telephone number, and a check or money order made out to “USDA Forest Service” for $10 for each permit to either the Willows, Stonyford, Upper Lake or Covelo offices with “Christmas Tree Permit” written on the outside of the envelope.

Mail-in requests received after Dec. 14 will not be filled.

A form can be found online at www.fs.usda.gov/main/mendocino/passes-permits/forestproducts under “Christmas Tree Permits.”

If you are planning on cutting a Christmas tree for someone who isn’t present, a Third Party Authorization must be in the possession of the cutter. This form is also available on the Forest website and should be completed prior to leaving for the forest.

Permit holders should be aware that federal and state quarantines to prevent the spread of sudden oak death (SOD) are in effect for Lake and Mendocino counties. Any Christmas tree cut in these counties can only be transported into other SOD quarantine counties, including Alameda, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Marin, San Francisco, Monterey, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma.

All Mendocino National Forest offices will be closed Thursday, Nov. 28, in observance of Thanksgiving.

Christmas tree permits can be purchased from the following forest offices for $10.

Mendocino National Forest Supervisor’s Office
825 N. Humboldt Ave.
Willows, CA 95988
530-934-3316
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Stonyford Work Center
5171 Stonyford-Elk Creek Road
P.O. Box 160
Stonyford, CA, 95979
530-963-3128
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-noon, 1- 4:30 p.m.

Paskenta Work Station
13280 Paskenta Road
Paskenta, CA 96074
530-833-5544
Hours: Saturday, Dec. 7 and 14 ONLY, 9 a.m.-noon, 12:30-3 p.m.

Covelo Ranger Station
78150 Covelo Road
Covelo, CA 95428
707-983-6118
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-noon, 12:30-4:30 p.m.

Upper Lake Ranger Station
10025 Elk Mountain Road
Upper Lake, CA 95485
707-275-2361
Hours: Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-noon, 1-4:30 p.m.

Christmas tree permits are available from the following vendors. Please call for prices and availability:

Sacramento River Discovery Center
(Only 40 permits available)
1000 Sale Lane, Red Bluff
530-527-1196
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Hi-Way Grocery
160 E. Hwy 20, Upper Lake
707-275-2380
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.

M&M Feed and Supply
74540 Hill Road, Covelo
707-983-6273
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Keith’s Family Foods
76201 Covelo Road, Covelo
707-983-6633
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday 8 a.m.-10 p.m.

Cutting a Christmas tree on the National Forest is a great holiday tradition for many families and also helps with hazardous fuels reduction by removing smaller trees from the forest.

Following are some tips to make your experience more enjoyable.

• Plan your trip. Check the weather, bring plenty of warm clothes, water, emergency food, tire chains, shovel, a saw or axe to cut your tree, and a tarp and rope to bring it home. Make sure you have a full tank of gas when you leave and are prepared for changing conditions in the mountains! Also, let someone know where you are going and when you plan to be back.
• Keep vehicles on designated roads and be aware of changing weather and road conditions. Wet dirt roads can quickly turn to mud, making it possible to get stuck and causing damage to road, soil and water resources. If there are puddles in the road, mud flipping off the tires or you can see your ruts in the rearview mirror, consider pulling over and taking a hike to look for a tree, or turning around and finding a different area to cut your tree.
• Cut your tree early in the season before favorite cutting areas can’t be reached because of snow.
• Make sure you are cutting a tree on approved areas on the Mendocino National Forest and not from other federal, state or private lands.
• Cut the tree as close as possible to the ground and leave as little of a stump as possible.
• Attach the permit on the tree where it will be easily visible with the tree packed or tied on your vehicle for transport home.
• To help keep your tree fresh, cut at least one inch off the base when you get home and stand the tree in a container of water in a cool, shaded area, checking the water level daily.

For more information, please contact the Mendocino National Forest or visit www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino .

NORTH COAST – Caltrans reports that the following road projects will be taking place around the North Coast during the coming week.

Included are Mendocino County projects that may impact Lake County commuters.

LAKE COUNTY

Highway 53

– Highway widening and rehabilitation from Crawford Avenue to the junction of Routes 20/53 will continue through Friday, Nov. 1. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays. Contractor ‐ Teichert Construction of Davis.

Highway 175

– AT&T of Santa Rosa has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for utility repairs from Anderson Springs Road to Bush Street. 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.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

– Guardrail repairs at various locations from Pirates Drive to DeHaven Creek Road 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.

– 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. of Martinez.

– Replacement of a culvert with a bridge at Dunn Creek 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 ‐ Shasta Construction of Redding.

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.

Highway 271

– PG&E of Ukiah has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for tree trimming from about 1.0 mile south of the Caltrans Leggett Maintenance Station to the Humboldt/Mendocino County line beginning Monday, Nov. 4. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

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).

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – November marks the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's famous “Gettysburg Address,” and the Redwood Empire Civil War Roundtable will be discussing this speech and how spiritualism played a part in Lincoln's life when it meets Tuesday, Nov. 5.

The group will meet beginning at 6:15 p.m. at the Tallman Hotel, 9550 Main St. in Upper Lake.

Michelle L. Hamilton will give a presentation on the Lincoln's interest in spiritualism, and how seances and ghost sightings became a regular part of the Lincoln White House.

“The timing of this topic is perfect coming right after Halloween,” said Phil Smoley, co-founder of the roundtable. “Michelle has weaved together a very provocative narrative about Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln. I was told it is even a bit spooky.”

Hamilton is a historian, lecturer, Civil War reenactor and grad student working on her master's degree in history at San Diego State University.

Hamilton will be followed by President Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President, as re-enacted by Dr. Bill Cornelison, professor of history at Yuba College.

“Mr. Lincoln” will set the stage of his greatest speech by explaining how and why he wrote it, and describe the setting of venue. Then, he will commence with “Four score and seven years ago...” and re-tell the Gettysburg Address, and remain to answer audience questions after he completes his speech.

The Redwood Empire Civil War Roundtable was formed to honor the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War and typically meets on the first Monday of each month to review the events that month 150 years ago. Admission is free, all are welcome.

For more information, contact Zane Jensen at 707-349-6390 or Phil Smoley at 707 264-4905.