The party will take place from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Taylor Observatory-Norton Planetarium, 5725 Oak Hills Lane, Kelseyville.

A map to the observatory can be found here: http://lakecoe.org/apps/comm.asp?%241=126.

Join the Taylor Observatory-Norton Planetarium for a fun-filled Halloween.

Find out what's up in the night sky. Amateur astronomers will be on hand to share their telescopes and knowledge with the general public.

Planetarium show tickets cost $5 for adults and $3 for children under age 12.

Lake County Horse Council Trail Committee members ride into Kelseyville for a dinner meeting at the Saw Shop Gallery Bistro. They include, from left to right, Karen Sullivan, Horse Council President Carol Biggs, and Kim and Mike Riley. Courtesy photo.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The annual meeting of the Lake County Horse Council is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 20, 6:30 p.m. at the Lakeport Yacht Club, 15 Fifth St.

Non-members are welcome to attend.

The horse council has been active for one year and has 130 members.

The committees have been active in trail maintenance, trail planning, government relations, working with disaster preparedness and assuring equestrian access to open space.

The group's goal is to promote horses as an industry and assure our continued access to open space. Lake County residents are fortunate to live in an area with such an abundance of Bureau of Land Management land and riding trails. People can virtually ride all year long.

The council educates horsemen about ways to avoid creating erosion during the wet months by riding in areas such as High Valley, Boggs Demonstration Forest and the Old Toll Road, which is quite a nice ride along Adobe Creek.

There is a Tack Sale at Van Eck’s Cole Creek Equestrian Center, 4965 Steelhead Drive, off Soda Bay Road, on Saturday, Nov. 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Call Horse Council President Carol Biggs for donations or information, 707-279-8836.

The presentation will take place from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Taylor Observatory-Norton Planetarium, 5725 Oak Hills Lane, Kelseyville.

A map to the observatory can be found here: http://lakecoe.org/apps/comm.asp?%241=126.

This special keynote presentation will be followed by a planetarium show. A viewing of the night sky will conclude the evening.

Admission is free with a reservation or a ticket.

Tickets can be obtained at the Mt. High Coffee and Books location on Cobb, at Lower Lake High School in office No. 2, or by reserving a space at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

You also can visit the Big Read's Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Lake-County-Big-Read/142212062540955?ref=ts&sk=wall.

The Big Read is a National Endowment for the Arts program, in partnership with Arts Midwest and the Lake County Office of Education, which encourages reading in America and cultural connections to literature.

The closure will take place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. along a portion of Clear Lake Avenue, High Street and a portion of Lakeshore Boulevard, where resurfacing is taking place.

City officials said the contractor on the project will apply a seal coat to the road surface on Oct. 19, necessitating the closure.

The primary detour around High Street consists of 11^th Street to Brush Street, then to Hartley Street and on to 20^th Street, and back on to Lakeshore Boulevard.

A smaller detour around a portion of Lakeshore Boulevard via Giselman Street to Lange Street also will be in effect.

The date of the closure may change subject to inclement weather. In such a circumstance, city officials said they will try to provide additional notice.

Other construction activities taking place in the area will consist primarily of sweeping and traffic stripe installation. The city said those activities will not require a road closure but will cause minor delays and inconvenience for traffic in the area.

City officials apologized in advance for any inconvenience the project causes the public.

For more information contact the city of Lakeport at 7070263-5615.

Middletown celebrates its 18th annual Renaissance Christmas Pageant & Feast. Shown is the 2002 cast. Photo by Voris Brumfield.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The annual Renaissance Christmas Pageant and Feast will return to Middletown this December.

The 18^th annual pageant will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, and Saturday, Dec. 3; 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, and Saturday, Dec. 10; and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, and Sunday, Dec. 11.

The event will feature Renaissance music, food and entertainment.

The entire evening, which takes place in “Greystone Castle” (also known as the Middletown Community United Methodist Church), is set during the Renaissance period, and hosts will be in character throughout the event.

Entertainment includes Renaissance and traditional Christmas music sung by a lavishly costumed choir, an exciting drama plus Renaissance dances and games in which all guests – known for the night as “nobles” – are encouraged to join.

Guests are encouraged to come costumed as nobles, peasants, or pirates – costumes are not required, although best-dressed guests may be recognized by the host.

Also true to the Renaissance era, guests dine on a three-course sitdown feast while all of the drama and music unfold around them.

Advance tickets are $35 to $45 per person. Price discounts are available on tickets purchased before Nov. 15, and on blocks of tickets sold to groups of four or more.

A substantial portion of the ticket price is tax-deductible, as this is a major fundraiser for the support of community services and programs.

Call 707-987-2653 for more information.

All tickets are by advance sale only; tickets will not be available at the door. Vegetarian meals are available if requested at the time of ticket purchase.

The United Methodist Church is located at 15155 Armstrong St., off Washington Street, one block east of Highway 29, www.middletownmethodist.org.

The registration will take place at the Middletown Community United Methodist Church, 11581 Armstrong St. on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Wednesday, Oct. 26, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; and Thursday, Oct. 27, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Bring proof of residence and income please.

If you are registering for the first time for Spirit of the Season and in need of a Christmas gift for your child (ages birth through eighth grade), please bring a copy of birth certificate or school information.

Also bring a list of three items that Santa might be able to choose one to bring for your child.

All folks who are in need and live in Cobb, Middletown, or Hidden Valley Lake are eligible to register for this program.

Folks outside of this south county area are encouraged to sign up for holiday programs in Clearlake and Kelseyville, or through their local church affiliation.

Spirit of the Season wishes to thank Vicki Renfro for allowing them to use her office space for this year’s Christmas food and gift program.

As the volunteers continue to work on this community effort to assist those in need at Christmas, they are pleased that a drop off point for food and boxes has been found in Middletown.

Vicki’s store is behind B&G Tires on Douglas Street. Spirit of the Season also will use that space for the distribution on Dec. 17.

If you have questions please contact JoAnn Harmon at 707-987-4704 or Hedy Montoya at 707-322-5080.