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

– The County of Lake has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for the construction of Alpine Park. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekdays. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction of travel. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

– Replacement of signal heads from the junction of Routes 1/20 to Chestnut Street will continue. 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. Contractor – Republic ITS of Novato.

Highway 101

– A metal beam guardrail repair project at various locations from the El Roble Overcrossing to 2.3 miles north of Reeves Canyon Road will continue. Work hours are 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., weekdays. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction of travel. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns. Contractor – Wahlund Construction of Eureka.

– A pavement repair project from the Treatment Plant Overcrossing to Uva Drive will continue. Work hours are 8 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Sunday evening through Friday afternoon. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction of travel. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns. Contractor – Granite Construction Inc. of Ukiah.

– Pavement striping from 0.1 mile south of Harwood Road to 2.5 miles south of Rattlesnake Summit will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction of travel. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns. Contractor – Mercer-Fraser Co. of Eureka.

– PG&E of Eureka has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility maintenance 1.0 mile south of the Dora Creek Bridge on Tuesday, Dec. 14. Work hours are 9 a.m. to noon. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

Highway 222

– Replacement of the Russian River Bridge will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control with a temporary signal will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays during work hours and five-minute delays at other times. Contractor – CC Myers of Rancho Cordova.

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).

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The lucky winners of $500, $250 and $100 in cash prizes will be announced at Museum Square on Main Street in downtown Lakeport at noon on Tuesday, Dec. 21.

The “Shop for Cash” drawing is open to all shoppers who have purchased a minimum of $250 from participating merchants by noon on Dec. 21.

Participating merchants are Campos Casuals, the Game Shop, ENVY Tanning Salon, Healing Earth Gifts, Hillside Honda, the Kitchen Gallery, Lakeport Tire & Auto, Main Street Gallery, Main Street Gifts, Pieces Boutique, Shari’s Secret Garden and Watershed Books.

Rules for the drawing are available at all participating merchants, or go to www.lakeportmainstreet.com/w/id/34/calendar-details.asp, or call 707-263-8843.

The “Shop for Cash” program is sponsored by the Lakeport Main Street Association.

The event will take place on Saturday, Dec. 11.

A happy hour from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. will include appetizers and drinks from the cookbook as well as beer and wine. Dinner begins at 6 p.m.

Each food sample will be just a dollar a dip.

The Lions Club is located at 4335 Sylar Lane in Kelseyville.

Call 707-279-1125 for tickets or more information.

Holiday lights bring joy to the season, but they can also bring hazards and added costs to your energy bill.

PG&E offers the following holiday lighting tips for customers.

Holiday lighting energy efficiency tips

– Purchase energy-efficient LED (light-emitting diode) holiday lights. LED lights can reduce energy consumption by as much as 90 percent when compared to traditional holiday lights and can shine brightly for up to 20 holiday seasons.

– A string of 300 LED holiday lights can cost less than $0.50 to operate during the holiday season, compared to nearly $70 for a string of 300 large incandescent holiday lights.

– LED holiday light strings are available at many retailers in northern and central California. For more savings, look for the blue and gold PG&E rebate sticker. The rebate amount is included in the price, so you receive instant savings at the time of purchase. For more information on participating stores, visit http://www.pge.com/myhome/saveenergymoney/savingstips/seasonaltips/winter/led/index.shtml.

Holiday lighting safety tips

– In addition to being shatterproof and shock resistant, LED lights produce almost no heat, making them safe to touch and greatly reducing the risk of fire.

– Look up and live! Before stringing outdoor lights, check for overhead power lines. Never place yourself or any object in a position where you or it may come in contact with a power line – the result can be fatal. Look up before raising ladders or other objects. Keep at least 10 feet away from overhead lines.

– Before stringing lights on outdoor trees, make sure tree limbs haven't grown into or near power lines. Branches, entire trees and even the ground adjacent to a tree can become energized when trees contact power lines.

– Make sure lights used to decorate the outside of the house are approved for outdoor use. Never use indoor lights outdoors.

– Follow the manufacturer's limits for the number of light strings that can be connected together safely.

– Check all light strands for cracked or broken plugs, frayed insulation or bare wires. Worn cords can cause fires, so discard damaged sets of lights.

– Route cords inside your home so they won't trip anyone. Don't place them under rugs, furniture or other appliances. If covered, cords can overheat or become frayed, increasing the risk of fire.

– Always turn off decorative lights – indoors and outdoors – when leaving the house and before going to bed.

– Do not place your tree near a heat source such as a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree, making it more susceptible to fires caused by heat, flame or sparks.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The regular meeting of the Lake County Flying Saucer Club, scheduled for Dec. 25, has been canceled due to the Christmas holiday.

The group's next meeting will be held on Jan. 29, 2011, in the meeting room at the Lakeport McDonald's, located on Lakeport Boulevard.

The groups are seeking donations of unwrapped gifts and toys for children under the age of 17.

Wish gift tags are available at WestAmerica Bank's Upper Lake branch.

Choose a tag, buy a gift and return the unwrapped gift to one of the following locations: WestAmerica Bank, Upper Lake; fire stations in Nice, Lucerne or Upper Lake; and Pet Acres on Highway 20 in Upper Lake.

Cash donations also are welcome if you do not have time to shop.

Donations of nonperishable food, or frozen turkeys or ham also will be accepted at the fire stations or Pet Acres.

Canned food drives for the program are being held at Upper Lake's elementary, middle and high schools, and by various other organizations in the Northshore area.