NORTH COAST, Calif. – Janie Rezner's guest on Women's Voices, KZYX, on Monday, Jan. 20, will be American mountaineer, writer and environmental health scientist Arlene Blum.

The show will begin at 7 p.m.

Blum is best known for leading an all-woman ascent of Annapurna, a climb that was also the first successful American ascent.

She is currently on a crusade against chemical flame retardants, which are found in almost all upholstered furniture.

High concentrations have been found in the bodies of creatures as geographically diverse as salmon, peregrine falcons, cats, whales and polar bears.

A recent study of toddlers in the United States conducted by researchers at Duke University found flame retardants in the blood of every child they tested.

The chemicals are associated with an assortment of health concerns, including antisocial behavior, impaired fertility, decreased birth weight, diabetes, memory loss, undescended testicles, lowered levels of male hormones and hyperthyroidism.

The show will air at 90.7 FM Philo, 88.1 FM Fort Bragg, 91.5 FM Willits and streaming live at www.kzyx.org . It also will be archived at http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/contributor/4206 along with past shows.

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Branch 133 of the Sons In Retirement will hold its next meeting on Friday, Jan. 17.

The group meets at the Greenview Room, Hidden Valley Lake Golf Course, 19210 Hartman Road, on the third Friday of each month.

The meeting starts at 11 a.m., with lunch served at noon.

Sons In Retirement is a social organization for men of retirement age who are pursuing the goal of enjoying their later years. It has 142 branches with 18,000 members throughout the state.

Anyone interested in learning more about Sons In Retirement is encouraged to contact Secretary Buddy Clayton at 707-995-1673 or Membership Chairman Bill Brewster at 707-987-9352, or visit www.sirinc.org .

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Gibson Museum and Cultural Center will host an old-fashioned, 1930s-style afternoon of fun and entertainment on Saturday, Jan. 18.

The event will take place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Middletown Senior Center, 21256 Washington St.

Join the group for a kickoff fundraiser supporting the Gibson Museum and Cultural Center, to be located in the historic Gibson Library building.

Karen Melander-Magoon will shed her operatic persona for the day to offer up songs made famous by jazz stars of old – Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Anita O'Day and others – backed by the able fingers of AJ Franks on his keyboard.

Seating is limited to 70 persons, so reservations are required.

To reserve your space online visit www.cgibsonmuseum.com. The cost is $15 per person. PayPal and all major credit cards are accepted.

Checks also may be mailed to the Gibson Museum, P.O. Box 31, Middletown, CA 95461, or call 707-987-2349, 707-987-2045 or 707-987-9721 for more information.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The next HazMobile event will be held Friday, Jan. 24, and Saturday, Jan. 25, at Kmart, 2019 S. Main St. in Lakeport.

Hours will be from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Households can bring up to 15 gallons of toxic items free of charge.

Fees will be charged for amounts over 15 gallons.

Items that are accepted include paint, solvents, fuels, five-gallon propane tanks, pool chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, batteries, fluorescent light tubes (up to 60 linear feet), and other toxic materials that cannot be put in the trash.

Items that cannot be accepted include televisions, computer monitors, ammunition, explosives, radioactive materials or infectious wastes.

To learn how and where to properly dispose these items, please visit www.recycling.co.lake.ca.us or contact the Recycling Hotline at 707-263-1980.

HazMobile services are provided to residential households by the Integrated Waste Management Division of the Lake County Public Services Department and the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle).

Businesses also are welcome to use this convenient service to properly dispose of hazardous waste and protect our environment, however, businesses must pay for this taxpayer-funded service and first make an appointment.

Business appointments can be made by calling the Mendocino County Solid Waste Authority, the contracted agency that provides this service in Lake County at 707-468-9786.

Free recycling options for residents and businesses:

Recycled paint is available to both residents and businesses at Lake County Waste Solutions on first-come, first-served basis in five gallon containers. Colors include tan, brown, gray and pink.

Used cooking oil can be dropped-off by businesses and residents, which will be recycled into BioDiesel by Yokayo BioFuels. Drop-off at Lake County Waste Solutions, South Lake Refuse & Recycling Center, and the Northshore Fire Protection District station at 6257 Seventh Ave. in Lucerne.

Used motor oil can be dropped-off by residents for recycling year round at a number of sites in the county. Visit www.recycling.co.lake.ca.us for locations.

Electronics (E-waste) can be dropped-off at Lake County Waste Solutions, South Lake Refuse & Recycling Center, and monthly at the Goodwill E-Waste collection held in Lakeport.

Lake County Waste Solutions
230 Soda Bay Road, Lakeport
888-718-4888 or 707-234-6400
Monday – Saturday, 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
www.candswaste.com 

South Lake Refuse & Recycling Center
16015 Davis Street, Clearlake
Open daily 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
707-994-8614
www.southlakerefuse.com 

The HazMobile program is subsidized by the Lake County Public Services Department, Integrated Waste Management Division and CalRecycle as a public service to Lake County residents.

For more information about recycling, reusing, and reducing, please visit www.recycling.co.lake.ca.us or call the Recycling Hotline at 707-263-1980.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Rotary Club of Middletown celebrates its 22nd annual Crab Feast and Auctions on Saturday, Jan. 25, at the Middletown Lions Clubhouse, Central Park Road.

One of the live auction items is an exciting overnight package for two.

It includes a flight from Lampson Field in Lakeport, a sail out of Point Richmond Yacht Club to Angel Island for a gourmet picnic lunch with local wines, a return to Point Richmond for an overnight stay at the historic Hotel Mac, plus the flight back home the following day. The package is valued at $3,000.

All proceeds from this fundraiser are used for humanitarian programs here and internationally: about 80 percent locally and 20 percent internationally, including eradicating polio worldwide.

The vast majority of local support annually goes to Middletown area youth: scholarships, dictionaries for all third-graders and youth leadership camps for Interact Club members.

In addition to youth activities, Rotary donates to local nonprofits that serve the Middletown, Cobb and Hidden Valley Lake areas.

Auction Chair LaDonn Morgan added, “Be prepared to eat well, have fun and do good while getting a good deal.”

Reserved seating for groups of three or more is once again offered with tickets prepaid by Jan. 16.

Tickets are $50 per person and include a door prize chance.

For more information and tickets, call Tina at Middletown Florist & Gifts, 707-987-9500.

Tickets also are available at Middletown Animal Hospital and Morgan Lane Real Estate, Hidden Valley Lake.

For auction donations or information, contact LaDonn Morgan at 707-245-3355.

Some sponsorships are still available. Contact Helen Whitney at 707-928-9812 for sponsorship information.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is seeking public comment on a proposal to list the Townsend’s big-eared bat as an endangered or threatened species.

Townsend’s big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii) range throughout much of western North America, including most of California.

They are active at night and roost in colonies or individually in caves, mines, large old trees, large undisturbed spaces in buildings and other structures with large quiet spaces.

Disturbance and loss of large colony roosts sites during the maternity and hibernation seasons are considered primary factors that may negatively impact the species in California, although disease, climate change, pesticide use and other factors may also negatively affect populations.

In November 2012, the Center for Biological Diversity submitted a petition to the California Fish and Game Commission to formally list the Townsend’s big-eared bat as a threatened or endangered species.

The commission published findings of its decision to advance the species to candidacy on Dec. 27, 2013, triggering a 12-month period during which CDFW will conduct a status review to inform the commission’s decision on whether to list the species.

As part of the status review process, CDFW is soliciting public comment regarding the species’ ecology, biology, life history, distribution, abundance, threats and habitat that may be essential for the species, and recommendations for management of the species.

Comments, data and other information can be submitted in writing to:

California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Nongame Wildlife Program
Attn: Scott Osborn
1812 9th Street
Sacramento, CA 95811.

Comments also may be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

All comments received by May 1, 2014, will be included in a CDFW report to the commission.

Receipt of the report will be placed on the agenda for the next available meeting of the commission after delivery and the report will be made available to the public at that time.

Following the receipt of the CDFW report, the commission will allow a 30-day public comment period prior to taking any action on CDFW’s recommendation.

CDFW’s petition evaluation report for Townsend’s big-eared bat is available at www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/nongame/publications/ .