LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The trailer for the movie Francis Ford Coppola filmed in Lake County last year has made its debut.

The three-and-a-half-minute trailer for “Twixt” was posted to YouTube on Tuesday, Aug. 2.

Lake County residents will recognize downtown Kelseyville and Clearlake, and “The Woodpecker” shop on Highway 20 in Nice, with its assortment of bat and bird houses and recycled wood furniture.

The gothic horror tale stars Val Kilmer, Elle Fanning, Bruce Dern and Ben Chaplin, and follows the story of a mystery writer's visit to the small town of Swann Valley and his subsequent exploration of a young girl's murder.

According to writer Russ Fischer, Coppola appeared on a panel at Comic Con last month and shared a look at his plans for the film, including presenting parts of it in 3D.

Coppola also plans to take an interactive approach to presenting the film. Fischer reported that Coppola will undertake a 30-city tour later this year in which he and his team will create different versions of the movie depending on where it's viewed and audience reaction.

The movie will have its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September.

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Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA), a senior member of the House Committee on Ways and Means, was among those who voted for the bill, which made it through the house following weeks of haggling over the debt ceiling.

“I voted for the compromise legislation to avoid defaulting on our nation’s debt,” Thompson said in a statement issued in his office Monday evening.

He added, “Given that our nation was hours away from defaulting on its obligations, I felt a responsibility to vote yes.”

Thompson, who had criticized previous proposals – including a bill put forward by House Speaker John Boehner – didn't offer further comment on the bill.

As the House of Representatives was voting on the bill, Thompson's friend and colleague Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), shot seven months ago while holding a meeting with constituents, returned to the House for the first time to cast her vote for the legislation.

Thompson's Facebook page later featured the message, “Welcome back Gabby!”

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While federal legislators and President Barack Obama said late Sunday they had reached an agreement to deal with the nation's debt ceiling crisis, a weekend report showed the potential crisis on the local and state level if an agreement didn't take place.

US Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) released a county-by-county report detailing the impact on California of a default on the nation’s debt.

According to the report, California received $345 billion in retirement, disability, Medicare and other federal payments in 2009, with more than $608 million of that coming to Lake County alone.

If the debt ceiling is not raised – as it has been 89 times since 1939 – the revenue coming into the U.S. government will not be enough to cover its obligations, which could put Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, veterans’ benefits, military payments, student loan payments and many other government services at risk of being disrupted, Boxer's office reported.

“The consequences of a default would be devastating for every American and could lead to lost jobs, higher interest rates and disruptions in military pay, veterans’ benefits and Social Security checks,” Boxer said.

Residents of each of California’s 58 counties as well as state and local governments could be hurt if the federal government is unable to fund these priorities, according to Boxer.

Nationally, the consequences for seniors who rely on Medicare and Social Security, for veterans who receive benefits, for active-duty military and their families, and for state and local governments could be deep and painful in the case of a default, Boxer warned.

Among the potential consequences concerns that more than 54 million Americans’ Social Security benefits are in danger of being disrupted, the benefits of more than 45 million Americans who rely on Medicare would be put in jeopardy, with U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner warning Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in a Jan. 6 letter that Medicare benefits payments “would be discontinued, limited, or adversely affected” if Congress failed to raise the debt ceiling.

If the deal isn't finalized, there also could be ramifications for 22.5 million veterans whose benefits could be disrupted, stoppage of payments to more than 204,000 active duty military personnel, an estimated $8.8 billion in unpaid Pell Grants to students and cuts to local and state services, Boxer's office said.

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“The California Department of Public Health is actively supporting the federal government’s multi-state investigation of salmonella cases reported and is coordinating with local health departments across California to monitor for additional cases,” Kathleen Billingsley, chief deputy director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), said Tuesday.

On Monday the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified ground turkey as a possible source of the salmonella contamination and CDPH is in regular contact with our federal partners as the investigation about the source of contamination continues.

To guard against salmonella infection, CDPH urges consumers to thoroughly cook poultry to 165 degrees, wash all surfaces immediately after contact with raw meat or poultry and to refrigerate raw and cooked meat within two hours of purchasing or cooking.”

The illnesses in this outbreak are from Salmonella Heidelberg – a bacteria that is resistant to many commonly prescribed antibiotics.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the outbreak has sickened 77 people in 26 states. The illnesses first emerged in March and have been reported as recently as last month.

On Aug. 1, the CDC and USDA identified ground turkey as a possible source of the salmonella contamination.

In California, one fatality was reported from Sacramento County, which also reported one additional case linked to the outbreak. The other four cases were from the following counties: Los Angeles (1), Riverside (1), San Diego (1) and San Francisco (1).

Most people infected with salmonella bacteria develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection.

The illness usually lasts four to seven days and most people recover without treatment. In some cases, however, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient must be hospitalized.

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Avocados come in a variety of sizes. These were purchased at Lola's Market and the Rosales Market, Mexican markets in Lower Lake and Middletown, Calif., respectively. Photo by Esther Oertel.

On busy days that leave me little time for lunch, a half avocado and a spoon are all I need to feel refreshed, nourished and ready to work again.

Slices of avocado layered on whole-wheat toast make for a quick and healthful breakfast that’s immensely satisfying, and bits of diced avocado give a salad richness and body.

My favorite quick and easy salad with avocado includes greens, thinly sliced red onions and fresh orange slices drizzled with some strong extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

A topping of diced avocado provides balance for a plethora of favorite dishes. Its freshness lightens up hearty black bean soup, while it provides pleasant “heaviness” to a light and refreshing bowl of gazpacho.

Of course, avocado is perfect for accompanying anything with a Mexico or South American spin, no surprise since they’re a time-honored part of their culinary tradition.

Fish tacos cry out for avocado, and magic is made when avocados are mashed in a bowl with lime, cilantro, cumin and the like for guacamole.

Oval, egg or pear-shaped, these fruits have a luscious, creamy green interior and the dark, pebbly exterior of some cultivars has earned them the nickname “alligator pear” for its resemblance to the skin of that beast.

Native to central Mexico, they grow on a flowering tree related to those that produce bay leaves, cinnamon and camphor. They’ve been cultivated for more than 10,000 years in a wide swath that extends southward from the Rio Grande to Peru.

Mexico dominates the world market for avocado exports, but California is king when it comes to avocados here in the states, growing 95 percent of the crop produced in the nation, the bulk of it in San Diego County.

They’re also widely cultivated in Asia, where they’ve become part of its varied cuisine over the centuries, as well as in South America. This subtropical species needs a climate without frost and little wind, which dehydrates the flowers and affects pollination.

They’re a climacteric fruit, meaning, like the banana, they reach maturity on the tree, but only ripen off of it. They must be picked at the mature stage to ripen properly, and will usually reach optimum ripeness within a few days at room temperature.

In years past, avocados were used in place of butter for seamen who made the long voyage between Europe and the Caribbean, giving rise to one of its more ancient monikers, midshipman’s butter. When compared to butter, however, there’s a vast difference in nutrition.

Two tablespoons of avocado has 50 calories, while the same amount of butter has 204. In addition, that amount of butter has 23 grams total fat (with 14.6 grams of it saturated) while avocado has 4.5 total grams, 0.5 grams of it saturated. The butter has 61 milligrams of cholesterol and 176 milligrams of sodium (assuming it’s the salted variety); the avocado has none of either.

Does that make you want to put avocado in your butter dish? It does me.

Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium (more than potassium-rich bananas), vitamin E, B vitamins and folic acid.

They also act as a nutrient booster because they help the body absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, like alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit.

While avocados are high in fat (about 85 percent of its calories comes from it), the fat in avocado is unusual and provides research-based health benefits. One fat found in avocados exists mainly in sea plants, being rarely found in those that grow on land.

Similar to olives and olive oil, avocados contain high amounts of oleic acid, a mono-saturated fatty acid that has been shown to be beneficial in preventing heart disease.

While the flesh of these avocados looks similar, the smaller Hass avocado has a higher fat content, giving it a richer taste. Photo by Esther Oertel.

Fats found in avocados also have wide-ranging anti-inflammatory benefits, as well as assisting in regulating blood sugar.

There are many varieties of avocados, ranging in size from the one-ounce “avocadito” (also known as the cocktail avocado) to one that weighs nearly four pounds.

In addition to near-black, thick, pebbly skin, avocados can have smooth bright green or black skin that’s thin, making it difficult to peel. There’s a tiny Mexican avocado that can be eaten like a plum, skin and all.

The world favorite is the Hass avocado, with its high fat content and pleasant-tasting, dense flesh. Fully 85 percent of the avocado crop worldwide is devoted to its cultivation.

Avocados may be stored in the fridge if they’re the desired ripeness (yielding to gentle pressure for typical use or very soft for guacamole); otherwise, leave them at room temperature to ripen up. (The ripening process can be sped up if avocados are stored in a paper bag with a banana, which emits a gas that hastens ripening.)

Since avocados turn brown when exposed to air for more than a few minutes, sprinkle them with a bit of fresh lemon juice if they won’t be used right away.

In various parts of the world, including the Philippines, Brazil, Indonesia, Vietnam and India, avocados are frequently used for milkshakes and in desserts.

Today’s recipe, a fruity tropical salad with a grain base, was inspired by a dish prepared by a friend’s Filipino wife, a sweet dessert made with avocado, mango and condensed milk that she remembers from her native country. While my salad has a bit of natural sweetness from the fruit, it’s not overly sweet and works well as a side dish.

The recipe utilizes quinoa (pronounced keen-WAH), a gluten-free, high-protein grain. Unlike many grains, quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it provides all the essential amino acids. I’ve used two colors of the grain for presentation, but any type of quinoa may be used. Enjoy!

Tropical quinoa salad with avocado and mango

¼ cup red quinoa

¼ cup traditional quinoa

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup water (for cooking quinoa)

Juice and zest of one lime

Juice and zest of ½ orange

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 small clove garlic, crushed with a pinch of salt

¼ teaspoon cumin

2 scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens

About 2 tablespoons each of chopped fresh cilantro and mint

½ mango, diced

½ cup diced pineapple

½ avocado, diced

¼ cup toasted almonds, chopped (or toasted slivered almonds)

Combine quinoa, salt, and water in pot and bring water to a boil. Cover pot and simmer until all water is absorbed into quinoa and grain becomes tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer quinoa to a large serving bowl to cool.

Combine juices, zest, oil, garlic, and cumin in small bowl. Mix well and pour over quinoa while it is still a bit warm.

Add scallions, mint, cilantro, mango, pineapple, and avocado to salad. Toss to mix well.

Just before serving, add almonds to salad. (This helps them stay crunchy.)

If making ahead of time, salad will keep well in fridge several hours. If making the night before, dress quinoa, but add fruit and herbs the next day.

This recipe makes enough for at least four.

Recipe by Esther Oertel.

Esther Oertel, the “Veggie Girl,” is a culinary coach and educator and is passionate about local produce. Oertel teaches culinary classes at Chic Le Chef in Hidden Valley Lake, Calif., and The Kitchen Gallery in Lakeport, Calif., and gives private cooking lessons. She welcomes your questions and comments; e-mail her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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The real culprits were a deeply distressed economy, which drove prices down, and a logical process, set up 40 years ago, to track inflation and adjust federal payments to protect their purchasing power.

Those who did complain about absent COLAs might soon have a more legitimate reason to grouse: a new yardstick for setting COLAs called the Chain Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (or C-CPI-U)

First, let’s review why COLAs stopped for two years.

Starting in the last quarter of 2008, the cost of goods and services fell sharply while housing and financial markets collapsed. Yet the last COLA, of January 2009, had been shaped by price data collected months earlier after gasoline prices had hit new highs.

So federal entitlements jumped 5.8 percent, the largest bump in 25 years, as prices slid across the marketplace.

The tool long used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to track inflation and set COLAs is the Consumer Price Index of All Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).

After the 2009 increase, no COLA could be paid until prices for a market basket of good and services surpassed levels reported in the third quarter of 2008, and used to set the 5.8 percent COLA.

The CPI-W only cleared that milestone in January 2011. Through June this year, CPI-W shows retirees in line for at least a 3.2 percent COLA next January, with inflation from July through September still to be measured.

For traditional indices like the CPI-W, BLS creates a market basket, using spending patterns for the covered population, and tracks inflation over time based on the overall change in the price of the basket.

The knock on such indices is that they overstate inflation through “substitution bias,” ignoring how consumers respond to price changes.

For example, if a family spent $100 last month on beef and the price doubles, their cost of living won’t actually rise by $100, economists contend. Instead the family will buy less beef and more of something else like chicken.

CPI-W assumes consumers buy the same basket of goods regardless of price. Critics say it fails to capture behavioral changes that soften the blow of higher prices through purchase of relatively cheaper goods.

This issue surfaced 15 years ago in a study of the CPI known as the Boskin Commission report. Since then BLS changed how it calculates CPI-W and another index, CPI-U, which is used to adjust tax brackets and poverty thresholds.

But the BLS changes could only address substitution bias within product categories, to capture how consumers might buy more of a regional brand of hot dog versus a more popular national brand.

Economists say CPI-W and CPI-U still ignore “upper level substitution” which occurs across product category, as when consumers decide to buy more apples when the price of oranges rises.

The C-CPI-U, which BLS established in 2002, addresses this, tracking not only prices but changes to a representative market basket month to month. It then “chains” months together to calculate overall cost of living.

Adopting the Chain CPI to adjust entitlements has been recommended by every group looking for ways to address the federal debt crisis.

That includes two bipartisan commission reports from last winter; Vice President Joe Biden’s debt-relief working group of Republicans and Democrats, and the “Gang of Six” senators whose blueprint for combining spending cuts and tax increases won an enthusiastic nod late last month from President Obama.

Besides providing a more accurate measure of inflation, the C-CPI-U would save roughly $300 billion on entitlement spending over just the first decade after it took effect.

It has its critics, however. They argue the Chain COLA ignores the fact that quality of life is impacted if consumers replace products they prefer with products they can better afford.

For individual federal retirees and social security recipients, the Chain CPI would dampen current COLAs an average of .25 to .3 of a percentage point per year.

If we assume over time CPI-W will show a 3 percent inflation rate, the C-CPI-U would be 2.7 percent to 2.75 percent. That difference is expected to grow more pronounced over time.

Let’s look at how a .3 percent difference would impact a retiree receiving retired pay of $2000 a month.

With a 3 percent COLA, retired pay would climb the first year to $2060 a month versus $2054 with a 2.7 percent adjustment.

After 10 years, the retiree would be drawing $2687.83 a month using CPI-W but only $2610.56 using C-CPI-U. The $6-a-month difference after a year becomes a difference of $77.27 a month over decade.

BLS itself doesn’t endorse using one index over another for adjusting federal entitlements. But Steve Reed, a BLS economist, helped put perceived strengths and weaknesses in perspective.

“Economic theory certainly suggests that demand for a particular good is related to price. As price goes up, compared to other goods, we tend to demand less of it,” Reed said.

The Chain CPI strives to capture the impact of substitution across product categories, Reed explained. It does so by measuring actual expenditures more often and readjusting the weighting of products and services in the consumer’s market basket.

“The weight arguably could be said to be more accurate because it is mostly free of substitution bias,” Reed said.

Expenditure data to support the Chain CPI isn’t available immediately however. BLS month-to-month can only make estimates and the index must be revised twice before it becomes final two years after initial publication. Critics contend that makes the Chain CPI unsuitable for setting COLAs.

Ken Stewart, another economist at BLS, said any legislation to move to the Chain CPI for adjusting COLAs “would have to have a mechanism for how those revisions would be handled.”

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Sixteen-year-old Haasan Ford was abducted from Antioch at 3:50 p.m. Monday, Aug. 1, according to the alert.

Ford is described as a black male, with black hair and brown eyes, 5 feet, 4 inches tall and 110 pounds. He was last seen wearing black jeans, a red coat and red Cincinnati Reds baseball hat.

The suspect in the kidnapping is a black male with black hair and brown eyes, 5 feet, 7 inches tall, 25 years old and weighing 180 pounds. He was reportedly wearing oversized black jeans, blue jean jacket and a blue knit cap with a white stripe.

Officials said the suspect was armed with a sawed-off shotgun and was last seen driving a stolen black two-door GMC Yukon with shiny rims, a “Harley Davidson” sticker on the rear window and “GT” in orange on the side of the vehicle, with a California license plate of 4WAY944.

If they're seen call 911.

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The store belonging to Godwin Scudamore and Dr. R. G. Reynolds in Upper Lake appears in this undated prefire photograph. No one in the picture has been identified. Scudamore and Reynolds also owned stores in Lakeport and Bartlett Springs. Photo courtesy of the Lake County Museum.

In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of Lake County this year, Lake County News is publishing a series of historical stories about the county, its people and places. This week the fires that ravaged Upper Lake in the early 20^th century is the focus, thanks to the staff at the Lake County Museum.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – In the early 20th century major fires destroyed large sections of several Lake County towns. Lakeport, Middletown, Kelseyville and Upper Lake all suffered disastrous fires at one time or another.

Today Upper Lake’s business district looks very different than it did a century ago, thanks to fires in 1915 and 1924.

The wooden buildings that constituted much of the town were no match for the flames. The Second Street business section lost several buildings in September 1915 and a major fire in 1924 destroyed most of downtown Main Street. Property owners learned from the disaster and rebuilt with fire-resistant buildings.

On the night of Sept. 22, 1915, a fire burned one house, one store, a garage and a combined machine and blacksmith shop near the intersection of Main and Second Streets.

Early in the evening, the fire began in the machine shop/blacksmithing business that belonged to Messrs. Jackson and Polk and spread quickly to the other buildings.

Main Street in Upper Lake following the 1924 fire. Riffe

Adam Jublain Connolly, 25, died as a result of the crash, according to Yolo County Chief Deputy Coroner Robert LaBrash.

The crash occurred shortly before 6 p.m. Friday, July 29, according to reports from the California Highway Patrol's Woodland office and the Yolo County Sheriff-Coroner.

The CHP report said Connolly was driving a 2006 Chevy Silverado pickup – with 29-year-old Melody Staats of Clearlake riding as his passenger – in a southerly direction on an unnamed dirt road off of Country Road 40 in unincorporated Yolo County when the crash occurred.

Connolly, according to the report, was driving “at an excessive rate of speed for the roadway conditions” when he lost control of the pickup, which overturned.

As the pickup was rolling Connolly – who was not wearing a seat belt – was ejected and the vehicle came to rest on top of him, according to the CHP.

LaBrash said Connolly was pronounced dead at the scene just before 7 p.m.

He said an autopsy determined the cause of death to be blunt force head injuries.

Staats, who was wearing a seat belt, sustained minor injuries and was transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport by REACH helicopter, the CHP said.

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On Saturday the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake received the go ahead for construction of the new Running Creek Casino in Upper Lake, according to Tribal Chair Sherry Treppa of the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake Executive Council.

The Department of Interior’s authorization is the final action the tribe needed to move forward with the compact, which was first signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in March, as Lake County News has reported.

“This is truly a significant achievement and a major victory for the people of Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake,” said Treppa. “The compact and the DOI’s determination are long, long overdue.”

She added the the approval “is the critical component we needed to open our small casino and ensure the tribe’s ability to become self sufficient, provide job opportunities and improve the overall quality of life for our people and our future generations.”

Treppa said the casino will provide badly needed jobs for the local community and mitigation funds directly to county agencies through various memoranda of understanding.

She estimated that work should be able to resume on the project in September, with the new facility opening next spring.

“The tribe has gone well beyond the county of Lake’s expectations in its extraordinary efforts to include county officials and the community at-large in the preparation and planning of its gaming project, over a period of several years,” Lake County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox said in a written statement.

The Habematolel tribe also had faced opposition from some larger California tribes, according to Treppa.

“While we were disheartened that a minority of very large California gaming tribes opposed the Upper Lake Compact it was merely another impediment that was not insurmountable,” she said. “One would hope those wealthy tribes would recognize that their economic ambitions to expand their lush gaming resorts is far different than our tribe’s attempt to build a small casino that will enhance the lives of our entire Indian and non-Indian community.”

Running Creek Casino will be built on an 11-acre site next to the county park on Highway 20 outside of Upper Lake.

In a previous interview Treppa said the casino will include a gaming floor complete with 349 machines, six game tables, sitdown and fast food restaurants, a cocktail lounge, retail shops, a players club and administrative offices. The phased project eventually would include a hotel and total more than 76,000 square feet, according to a tribal fact sheet.

Previous estimates have put the cost to build the facility at $25 million, with the estimated number of jobs to be created at 145.

The compact was ratified by the state in the form of AB 1020, which was signed into law by Gov. Brown on June 13. Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro and state Sen. Noreen Evans sponsored the bill, which passed the Assembly with a unanimous vote of 69-0 on May 23 and passed through the Senate on June 9 with a vote of 40-0.

It was the second compact for the Habematolel that had been approved by the state.

A previous compact negotiated between the tribe and former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2009 was turned down in August 2010 after the Department of Interior ruled it violated the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act with revenue sharing requirements that were too onerous, as Lake County News has reported.

That denial nearly ended the tribe’s bid for a casino due to mounting debt, according to the tribe's Sunday statement.

However, compact negotiations began with Brown, with the resulting compact to run through Dec. 31, 2031, and allow a maximum of 750 slot machines at one gaming facility.

Under the terms of the compact, the tribe will share up to 15 percent of annual net win revenues with the state by making tiered payments to the legislatively controlled Special Distribution Fund (SDF) based on the number of devices the tribe actually operates under the compact.

The SDF provides grant funds to local communities for mitigation of local impacts of gaming, funding for the California Gambling Control Commission and Bureau of Gambling Control, as well as providing funding for problem-gambling prevention.

The tribe entered into a local intergovernmental agreement with the county of Lake in 2006 and Treppa said the tribe looks forward to fulfilling its obligations under that agreement in order to mitigate any impact the gaming facility may have in the local community.

Additionally, the tribe has entered into a fire and emergency service agreement with the Northshore Fire Protection District, which provides an annual payment of $80,000 from the tribe to the fire district to offset the cost of potential service calls the district may make to the tribe’s proposed gaming facility.

Other agencies involved in the tribe’s proposed project include the California Department of Transportation and the Lake County Special Districts Administration.

In 2009, the tribe and Caltrans completed a safety corridor improvement project along Highway 20 just east of Upper Lake which provided over $500,000 in highway safety improvements including safety lighting, lane widening, bike lanes and sidewalks.

In 2008, the tribe invested $378,000 with the Lake County Special Districts for wastewater system improvements and service to the proposed facility.

“This tribe has done everything possible to ensure that its gaming project will benefit our community and that there will be a long-standing positive working relationship between the tribe and the county of Lake,” said Special Districts Administrator Mark Dellinger.

In addition to the numerous intergovernmental agreements, the tribe also has cooperatively worked with the county of Lake to ensure the Middle Creek Flood Protection Project adjacent to the Tribe’s proposed gaming site will not be impeded in any manner with the construction of the Tribe’s gaming facility.

Through this cooperative effort, the tribe has set aside over 45 acres that eventually will be turned over to the county of Lake as part of the joint flood protection project.

Treppa said the tribe “has worked tirelessly from the inception of the project to be a good neighbor, to be forthright and honorable with its dealings with county, state, legislature, federal government and other tribes while exercising its sovereign right and duty to provide for and to protect its people and tribal lands.”

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Starting at 5:30 p.m. each evening, great bands will perform on the veranda of the restored Tallman Hotel with the audience gathered in the intimate garden between the hotel and saloon.

It’s a great time of day and a great spot to enjoy world-class music with a tasty barbecue dinner included in the price of admission.

Advance tickets are $50 and are available for purchase by calling the Tallman Hotel at 707-275-2244. Tickets may also be purchased the day of the event for $55.

The lineup is as follows:

• Friday, Aug. 5 – David Landon to open followed by Alvon Johnson and band.

• Saturday, Aug. 6 – Pat Wider to open followed by Delta Wires.

• Sunday, Aug. 7 – Blues Kitchen opens for John Lee Hooker Jr.

In addition, on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 5, the Blue Wing Labor Day Blues Festival welcomes Starlight, who opens for Rick Estrin and The Nightcats.

For more information on the Blues Festival or other musical events at the Blue Wing Saloon & Café, call 707-275-2244 or visit www.tallmanhotel.com or www.bluewingsaloon.com.

For visitor information, contact the Lake County Visitor Information Center at 800-525-3743 or www.lakecounty.com.

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