UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Winter Wonderland Father Daughter Dance will take place on Friday, Jan. 29, in Upper Lake.

The event will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Upper Lake Middle School gym.

There will be music, dancing, food and a photo booth.

Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for children, and are available at the front offices of Upper Lake Middle School, 725 Old Lucerne Road, and Upper Lake Elementary School, 679 Second St., or contact Lisa Glenn at 707-533-7105.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Democratic Club will host state Sen. Mike McGuire as its guest speaker on Tuesday, Jan. 12.

The meeting will take place beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the social hall at the Lower Lake Community United Methodist Church, 16255 Second St.

McGuire will discuss the current state of Lake County. There also will be time for questions and answers.

Lake County Democratic Club meetings are open to the public. Club membership is open to all registered Democrats.

The Lake County Democratic Club is an officially chartered club of the Democratic Party of Lake County.

Visit www.lakecountydemocraticclub.org or contact the club at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – It’s been many years since many older Lake County residents got their driver’s license.

Yet the driving experience is significantly different from even a decade ago with changing vehicles, changing technology, changing road rules and even changing roadways.

Residents can refresh their skills and have the opportunity to save money on their car insurance with the new, enhanced AARP Smart Driver Course being offered at the Lakeport Senior Activity Center, 527 Konocti Ave., telephone 707-263-4218.

The two-day course is being offered on Jan. 19 and 20 from 1 to 5 p.m. each day.

The volunteer instructor is Steve Hendricks, telephone 707-972-7884.

The cost of the course is $15 for AARP members and $20 for non-AARP members.

The new curriculum was developed following a two-year research study conducted by Eastern Virginia Medical School.

The course helps drivers 50 and older stay current with driving laws and new technologies inside and outside of vehicles.

Participants will also learn defensive driving skills, proven safety strategies and how to manage and accommodate common age-related changes in vision, hearing and reaction time.

“Since 1979, AARP Driver Safety has helped over 15 million drivers stay safe, educated and confident behind the wheel. Every driver can benefit from a refresher,” said Julie E. Lee, vice president and national director of AARP Driver Safety.

Many participants may be eligible for a multi-year insurance discount after taking the course.

Participants are encouraged to check with their insurance agent to see if they are eligible.

Attendance is required but there are no tests required to pass the course.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Public Services interim Director Kim Clymire, announced   that the Eastlake Landfill and the Lakeport Public Services office will be closed Monday, Jan. 18, in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Residential pickup will be on their regular scheduled day. Both facilities will reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 19.             

Normal operating hours at the landfill are 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. 

The Public Services office is normally open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.                                                    

For more information visit the county Web site at www.recycling.co.ca.us or call 707-262-1618.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continue working together to help survivors of the Butte and Valley wildfires.

More and more survivors continue to find temporary housing accommodation; as they do, they should continue to stay in touch with FEMA.

FEMA’s Individual and Households Program – which includes rental assistance and Manufactured Housing Units – is intended as a temporary solution to help bridge the gap for survivors until they can find a permanent housing solution.

Wildfire survivors and their families eligible for and living in temporary housing as of Dec. 28, 2015:
• 838 households are receiving rental assistance.
• 31 households have received Manufactured Housing Units.

Additionally, 521 households have been able to remain in their homes thanks to financial assistance that pays for home repairs or to replace necessary household items so they can remain safely at home.

There are 37 households using the Transitional Sheltering Assistance program, which offers temporary sheltering at hotels and motels for eligible applicants until they secure alternative housing accommodations.

As a reminder, survivors who registered for housing and other federal assistance should keep in touch with FEMA and keep their contact information current, especially if they have changed their phone number, email address or mailing address.

FEMA may need to contact survivors for a number of reasons and without current contact information, the agency will not be able to reach them. After several attempts, cases are put on hold until the survivor contacts the agency.

Applicants can track their case status and should notify FEMA if they receive insurance settlements or discover additional damage.

How to stay in touch with FEMA:

• Go to www.DisasterAssistance.gov .
• Dial the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585.
• For those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay services, call 800-621-3362.
• These toll-free numbers are operated from 6 a.m. to midnight daily.
• Multilingual phone operators are available on the FEMA Helpline. Choose Option 2 for Spanish and Option 3 for other languages.

In addition to temporary housing programs, these services remain available to survivors:

• Crisis Counseling services provided through the Calaveras and Lake County Mental Health Departments. Crisis Counseling is designed to help both children and adults cope with the emotional stress associated with a disaster. Reach the Lake County Mental Health Crisis Hotline by calling 800-900-2075.

• Disaster Legal Services (DLS) are provided to survivors free-of-charge through the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association. Legal advice is limited to cases that will not produce a fee. Services include assistance with insurance claims, advice on landlord/tenant disputes, home repair contracts and contractors, mortgage-foreclosure issues, assisting in consumer protection matters, guidance on replacement of wills and other important legal documents. Disaster Legal Services can be reached at 800-657-0479 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., Monday through Friday. For TTY, dial 711.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A medical cannabis seminar will be held in Lakeport this month to help explain important changes in state and local laws affecting Prop. 215 patients and businesses.

The Lake County Medical Cannabis Seminar will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 13, at Rancho de la Fuente, 2290 Soda Bay Road.

The event is free and open to the public.

The seminar will focus on the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act, a new state law that creates a dual-licensing structure for commercial cannabis activities.

Medical cannabis farmers, manufacturers and distributors also must comply with water quality laws and local zoning ordinances.

Invited speakers include representatives from local governments, the California Legislature, Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board and the State Board of Equalization.

Local growers, businesses and patient advocates also will be on hand to offer their perspectives.

For more information, call 707-533-3012.