News

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Middletown Rotary Club’s 25th annual fundraiser on Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Twin Pine Event Center in Middletown.

This year's event will feature a number of great auction items, including a condo stay in Cabo San Lucas, a day trip on the Delta, a behind-the-scenes tour and lunch for six at Golden Gate Fields, a fabulous Italian dinner for eight at Fults Family Vineyards that includes an original framed watercolor painting of Venice by local artist LaDonn Morgan-Garcia and an RV vacation.

Individual tickets are $60 per person. Hors d’oeuvres are served at 5 p.m., a prime rib dinner starts at 6 p.m. with a no-host bar. Vegetarian meals are available upon request. Reserved tables for groups of eight are also available.

The club is also soliciting more donations and sponsorships. This popular event draws large crowds, is usually sold out, providing a tremendous marketing opportunity. All contributions are acknowledged publicly. Business/corporate sponsorships include tickets. If a donation cannot be mailed, club members will arrange a pick up.

This lively event is usually sold out, so please contact Kathey Crothers for tickets or for more information at 707-355-0393, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information about how you can participate in this well-known event.

Rotary is a volunteer organization, so all fundraiser proceeds go to projects and programs. The club meets every Friday morning at 7:15 a.m. at the Greenview Room in Hidden Valley Lake.

For more information about the Rotary Club of Middletown, contact club President Ron Roberts at 707-987-9824.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The first Sierra Club Lake Group community meeting of the new year will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, at the Lower Lake Methodist Church social hall, 16255 Second St., and will feature a presentation by Dr. Harry Lyons on the biology, economics and politics of the Middle Creek Marsh Wetland Restoration Project.

It is generally agreed that this multi-agency effort at flood damage reduction and ecosystem restoration is the single most important action we can take to improve the long-term health of Clear Lake: It would eliminate dwellings on low ground, add 1,400 acres of wetland to the Clear Lake watershed and reduce nutrient input to the lake.

Achieving the long-term economic and ecological benefits of the project requires an investment of more than $50 million by the county, state and federal governments, and requires cooperation among a dozen agencies and support from a score of stakeholder organizations.

The project is far from a done deal; Dr. Lyons, as a member of the Middle Creek Restoration Coalition, has joined other citizens in an effort to generate the endless patience and political push to remove roadblocks.

To encourage patience and push, Dr. Lyons will perform a relevant tune or two.

As always, the meeting is free and open to the public.

For more information contact Lake Group Chair Ed Robey at 707-994-8304 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The United Methodist Church, 604 Clover Valley Road, Upper Lake will host a “Church Growth and Evangelism” seminar in the church fellowship hall on Saturday, Jan. 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The seminar will be lead by Rev. Kelly Green who has post-graduate degrees in biblical theology and global leadership.

Rev. Kelly has 25 years experience in church growth and evangelism work in Medellin and Bogota, Columbia. He is currently employed by Frontier Missions.

Prior to working at Frontier he worked for Latin American Missions. He is the son of Upper Lake United Methodist minister, Rev. Bob Green.

There will be a lunch break from noon to 1 p.m.

You are encouraged to bring a sack lunch or eat at one of the six restaurants located in Upper Lake, not far from the church. Coffee, tea and water will be provided throughout the day.

There is no charge to attend the seminar, however, a free will offering will be gratefully accepted and appreciated. The seminar is open to everyone and is not tied to any one denomination.

All who are interested in attending should RSVP to the church office, telephone 707-275-2459, no later than Jan. 19, with the number of people in your party.

Presidential candidate: We will build a wall and Mexico will pay for it.

Presidential candidate: Who will pay for the wall?

Crowd at rally: Mexico!

Presidential candidate after meeting with president of Mexico: Mexico will pay for the wall.

President of Mexico: Mexico will not pay for the wall

President-elect: The United States’ taxpayers will pay for the wall and Mexico will reimburse them.

Foreign Minister of Mexico: There is no way Mexico will pay for the wall.

Who speaks for the government of Mexico? Who will pay for the wall?

Stay tuned.

Dennis Rollins lives in Lakeport, Calif.

Mike Wolfe, Frank Fritz and their team from the television show “American Pickers” are returning to California.

Episodes of the hit series will be filmed throughout the region in this spring.

“American Pickers” is a documentary series that explores the fascinating world of antique “picking” on
the History Channel.

The hit show follows Wolfe and Fritz, two of the most skilled pickers in the business, as they hunt for America’s most valuable antiques.

They are always excited to find sizable, unique collections and learn the interesting stories behind them.

As they hit the back roads from coast to coast, Wolfe and Fritz are on a mission to recycle and rescue forgotten relics. Along the way, the pickers want to meet characters with remarkable and exceptional items.

The pair hopes to give historically significant objects a new lease on life, while learning a thing or two about America’s past along the way.

Wolfe and Fritz have seen a lot of rusty gold over the years and are always looking to discover something they’ve never seen before. They are ready to find extraordinary items and hear fascinating tales about them.

“American Pickers” is looking for leads and would love to explore your hidden treasure. If you or someone you know has a large, private collection or accumulation of antiques that the pickers can spend the better part of the day looking through, send your name, phone number, location and description of the collection with photos to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 855-OLD-RUST.

“American Pickers” is produced by Cineflix Productions for History. New episodes air Mondays at 9 p.m. on History.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Neighborhood Watch will hold a community meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 17.

The group will meet beginning at 6 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, 14550 Pearl Ave.

Organizers said a Clearlake Police officer will be in attendance for the meeting.

There will be a discussion of problems in the Clearlake area, which in addition to crime include code enforcement violations.

There also will be refreshments and a raffle.