LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Parks and Recreation Commission will meet on Thursday, Jan. 9.

The commission will meet beginning at 3 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

Commissioners are Lynn Andre, Cindy Ustrud, Ann Blue and Suzanne Russell.

Agenda items include reports on Library Park, Westside Park and Westshore Pool.

Under new business, commissioners will discuss a policy for vending at city parks, review a policy to lift resident requirement for committee membership and consider improvement of Library Park behind the Carnegie Library.

Under old business, commission members will discuss fencing at the city's dog park.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Redwood Empire Civil War Roundtable is kicking off its 2014 series Tuesday night, Jan. 7, at the Tallman Hotel in Upper Lake.

The roundtable begins at 6:15 p.m.

Tom Lajcik will present “Secession Precession: A trifecta of slavery expansion events leading to secession and the Corwin and Crittenden efforts to avoid it.”

The root causes of the breakup of the Union are still controversial today, and Lajcik will try to bring some clarity to the debate.

Zane Jensen will do a short presentation on “Total War and International Law.”

Jensen will review the evolution of the war from a “Gentlemen's War” to something far more barbaric, and how the international community viewed it.

The Civil War Roundtable meets once a month to discuss topics related to that war.

The group was founded to coincide with the Sesquicentennial of the conflict.

Admission is free and everyone is welcome.

For more information, contact Phil Smoley (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707 264 4905) or Zane Jensen (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707 349 6390).

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Friends of Middletown Library will have a drawing for a new Kindle Fire reader at its Tuesday, Jan. 21, meeting.

The meeting begins at 4:30 p.m. at the library, 21256 Washington St. The public is invited.

To be entered into the drawing you must renew or start a new membership with the Friends of the Middletown Library.

The cost is $10 for a family, $20 for a business or $1 for the junior level.

Please mail your check to P.O. Box 57, Middletown, CA 95461 with your name, address and phone number to enter the drawing.

You need not be present to win.

For more information contact Fran Rand, 707-349-8985.

NICE, Calif. – The Sons of Italy club will hold one of its popular dinner and dance events on Saturday, Jan. 18.

The bar opens at 5 p.m., with dinner at 6 p.m.

Dinner will be an Italian-style buffet with three sauces, salad, garlic bread and dessert.

After dinner, there will be dancing to the music of the High Notes.

Tickets cost $15 per person. Everyone is welcome.

The Sons of Italy Hall is located at 2817 E. Highway 20 in Nice.

Call 707-274-9952 to reserve a table or 707-274-2244 the day of the event.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Attorney Dennis Fordham will host a free educational seminar titled, “Why a trust and not a will?" at his Lakeport office on Saturday, Jan. 25.

The seminar will begin at 10 a.m. at 870 S. Main St.

Fordham is a State Bar-certified specialist on estate planning.

Refreshments will be offered.

An RSVP is appreciated; please call 707-263-3235.

NORTH COAST – Caltrans reports that the following road projects will be taking place around the North Coast during the coming week.

Included are Mendocino County projects that may impact Lake County commuters.

LAKE COUNTY

Highway 53

– Construction from 40th Avenue to the junction with Route 20 will continue beginning Monday, Jan. 6. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

Highway 175

– AT&T of Santa Rosa has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for utility work from the Cobb Post Office to just west of Anderson Springs Road beginning Monday, Jan. 6. Work hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

– Replacement of the Greenwood Creek Bridge will continue. One-way traffic control with a temporary signal will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays. Contractor – Golden State Bridge Inc. of Martinez.

– Replacement of a culvert with a bridge at Dunn Creek will continue. One-way traffic control with a temporary signal will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays. Contractor – Shasta Construction of Redding.

Highway 101

– Caltrans will perform slide repairs near the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge (near Frog Woman Rock). Northbound traffic will be restricted to one lane 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.

Highway 128

– Tetra Tech Inc. of Rancho Cordova has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for utility work just west of the Mendocino-Sonoma County Line beginning Monday, Jan. 6. Work hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Work on all these projects is weather permitting and subject to change. Caltrans advises motorists to drive with caution when approaching work areas and to be prepared to stop at traffic control stations.

The Caltrans Traffic Operations Office has reviewed each project and determined that individual project delays are expected to be less than the statewide policy maximum of 30 minutes, unless noted otherwise above.

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).