LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Public Service Director Caroline Chavez announced that the Eastlake Landfill and the Lakeport Public Services office will be closed Friday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day.

Residential and commercial collection for Friday will be on Saturday. Normal collection schedules will resume the week following the holiday.

The Eastlake Landfill will reopen Saturday, July 5, and the Public Services office will open Monday, July 7. 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 4 p.m.

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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Enrollment is open for the Devil Pups Southern California youth summer camp.

A limited number of healthy and nondelinquent boys or girls ages 14 to 17 will be accepted for the 10-day encampment, to be held at the Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton.

If you are interested in this once-in-a-lifetime experience your last chance to apply will be at 8 a.m. Saturday, June 28.

They will accept applications and conduct physical fitness tests at any one of three locations.  

Each candidate must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and satisfactorily complete a physical fitness test that involves push ups, pull ups, sit ups and a one-mile run.

You can learn more about the enrollment and testing process, minimum requirements and watch videos of previous encampments at www.devilpups.com .

Grab your workout clothes and join them at any one of three different try-out locations all held June 28.

Former Marine Adrian Lopez will conduct the Ukiah tryouts at the Pomolita Track, former Marine Catherine Banks will meet with candidates at the Willits Body Works Gym, 1511 S. Main St. in Willits, and Sgt. Jeffrey Atkinson will accept applications and conduct the fitness testing at Clear Lake High School in Lakeport.

The Devil Pups Youth Program was started in 1953 by a group of former Marines. Their goal was to help instill character values such as, learning to take responsibility for our own actions, never giving up on themselves, and honesty.

The Devil Pups name derives from the nickname of “Devil Dogs” given to the U.S. Marines during World War I.

Join the summer fun by trying out at 8 a.m. June 28 at the Willits, Clearlake, or Ukiah locations.

If you know of a young person that wants to learn more about the Devil Pup Youth Program please contact Mendo-Lake liaison representatives Catherine Banks at 707-331-8136 or Wayne McBride at 707-489-7948.

If you would like to contribute financial support it is important to know that the Devil Pups Inc. is a 501 3(c).

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A caregiver support group for families dealing with memory loss or other cognitive impairments will meet on Wednesday, June 25.

The group meets at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 14310 Memory Lane in Clearlake from 9:30 to 11 a.m.

Social worker Jenny Johnson is the facilitator.

The groups are sponsored by Redwood Caregiver Resource Center (1-800-834-1636) and the Social Day Programs in Lake County.

For more information call Jenny Johnson at 707-350-3030 or Caroline Denny at 707-263-9481.

Respite is provided by the centers at no charge.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The grandstand arena at Lake County Spring Fair will come alive on Saturday, June 21, with the sights and sounds of tuff truck, buggy and ATV racing.

The fair is hosting an early season points race, with the state finals eventually scheduled to occur at the Lake County Fair in August.

Special event contractor WGAS Motorsports, of Cool, California, will transform the fairgrounds arena into a specially built off road racetrack consisting of multiple jumps, moguls and stutter bumps.
 
“We're really excited to host the California State Finals once again because they are always great races, and picking up an early points race worked out really well for our Spring Fair schedule this year,” said Fair Chief Executive Officer Richard Persons.

Local off road enthusiasts are encouraged to enter their vehicles in the competition. Tuff truck and buggy will race one at a time against the clock for the quickest lap time and their share of a cash purse.

Entry is open to all street legal trucks, 4x4s, dune buggies and open off road class vehicles. Drivers of trucks and buggies must the 16 years old or over. Each entry receives one driver pass and two crew passes.

Advanced entry is available at www.wgasmotorsports.com .

Other events in the grandstand arena the second race of four in the Mendocino/Lake Bomber Shootout Series on Sunday evening.

All grandstand shows start at 7:30 p.m.

Regular admission prices for the 2014 Lake County Spring Fair are $5 for a regular ticket, good for anyone aged 6 or older. Children under 6 years old are admitted free every day. Parking is $5, and benefits the Kelseyville High softball team.
 
Lake County's new Spring Fair opens for its second year this Friday, June 20, and runs through Sunday, June 22.

The Lake County Spring Fair includes a Butler Amusements carnival, commercial exhibits, a car show, and vocational education exhibits.

Other attractions include a variety of fair food, two stages of local entertainment, motorized grandstand activities and a laser tag building.
 
Events in the grandstand arena include mud bogs on Friday evening, tuff truck and buggy and ATV races on Saturday evening, and stock car races on Sunday evening. Local participants are also encouraged all three nights.

Spring Fair gates open all three days at 2 p.m., and admission is $5 per person for ages 6 and older. Children under age 6 may enter for free. Carnival unlimited ride wristbands are $25 each. Parking is $5 per car and benefits the Kelseyville High School softball program.
 
More information about the Lake County Spring Fair can be found at www.lakecountyfair.com or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-Fair/138978582794813 .

UKIAH, Calif. – The North Coast Opportunities Governing Board will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, June 25.

The meeting will begin at 2 p.m. at the North Coast Opportunities office, 413 N. State St. in Ukiah.
                    
Timed items are as follows:

2 p.m.: Call to order.
2:05 p.m.: Public expression.
2:10 p.m.: Closed session for an update from human resources on the ongoing Head Start investigation.
3 p.m.: Report out of closed session.
3:05 p.m.: Consent items.
3:10 p.m.: Report from Nomination Ad-Hoc Committee.
3:15 p.m.: Board member term update.
3:20: Human resources update on personnel policies.
3:25: Program report.
3:45: April financials.
3:50: Executive director report.
4 p.m.: Food Hub presentation.    
4:25 p.m.: Wellville Program opportunity.
4:30 p.m.: Brief reports and announcements.
4:40 p.m.: Parking lot (presentation of topics for consideration/agenda for future meeting).        
4:45 p.m.: Adjourn.

For information, or if you need disability modification or accommodation in order to participate in this meeting, please contact the NCO executive secretary 48 hours before the meeting at 707-462-3200, Extension 201.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Butler Amusements has issued an updated ride list for the Lake County Spring Fair, planned for Friday, June 20, through Sunday, June 22, at the fairgrounds in Lakeport.

As the season progresses, various scheduling conflicts and ride maintenance of foreign made rides, such as the availability of parts, can require that the carnival change its plans for which rides will be active at any given event. Such issues have affected a number of carnival dates this spring.

As an example, the ride called the Raptor, which was scheduled to be in Lakeport, is still in the Butler Amusements mechanical shop while staff waits for parts from the ride manufacturer, which is located in Europe.

“We had planned to have the Raptor at Lakeport and a number of other events this spring, but unfortunately the parts just aren’t here yet,” said Butler Amusements Chief Executive Officer Mick Brajevich. “The mechanical safety of the rides is our number one priority, and while we’d like to provide the Raptor at every event, we just won’t do it until the parts are installed and the ride is fully tested and inspected.”

Spectacular rides expected to be at the Lake County Spring Fair include the Giant Gondola Wheel, which towers nearly 100 feet into the sky. Each gondola holds up to eight adults and provides sweeping views of the entire fair.

The wheel is equipped with a state-of-the-art LED lighting system that puts on an ever-changing light show while saving energy compared to traditional carnival lighting.

Other spectaculars include the Gravitron, the Thunderbolt, which is a ride with intense speed that travels in an undulating circular motion and the Zipper.

The Zipper “cages” hold two passengers each, each cage is flipped and spun head over heels while rising high into the air and speeding back down.

The complete updates carnival ride list is as follows:

• Giant Gondola Wheel;
• Thunderbolt;
• Zipper;
• Gravitron;
• Scrambler;
• Cliff Hanger;
• Tilt A Whirl;
• Merry Go Round;
• Lolli Swing;
• Looney Tooter Train;
• Voyager;
• Orient express Kid Coaster;
• Airport 8;
• Motorcycle Jump.

For more information on the 2014 Lake County Spring Fair, please contact the fair office at 707-263-6181.

For more information on Butler Amusements Inc.’s ride offering at the 2014 fair, please contact 707-429-4788.