"For too long all the good New Years Eve parties in Lake County have been for adults, but that's going to change this year," says Boone Bridges, the event's lead organizer. "This isn't your standard New Years Eve all-nighter. We're looking at a couple hundred students playing video games, wrestling in sumo suits, playing laser tag, whacking each other with giant boxing gloves … it's going to be madness!"

A team of adult volunteers will be on hand to serve food, organize games, and make sure things don't get too crazy.

"We want to provide a fun, safe event for kids. Parents can rest assured that their kids will be taken care of...just make sure you pick them up the next day!" said Bridges.

The event takes place at Grace Church in Kelseyville, which is located at 6716 Live Oak Drive. Doors open at 7 p.m. on New Year's Eve and students need to be picked up at 7 a.m. the next day. Dinner, breakfast and snacks are provided.

Tickets are $10 at the door.

Call Grace Church at 707-279-8448 for more information.

They will serve prime rib with all the trimmings, baked potato, vegetables, salad, rolls and a special midnight dessert buffet with a champagne toast at the Sons of Italy Club Hall, 2817 E. Highway 20 in Nice.

The bar is open for socializing at 5 p.m. then dinner will be served at 7 p.m.

Enjoy dancing to music of Ukiah's John Rizzo and the Grateful Dawgs, right after the meal.

All tickets are $30 at the door.

Everyone is welcome.

For information about this event or renting the hall for your own, call 707-274-9952.

The EPA expects to award cash prizes up to $2,500 and will be accepting video submissions through February 16, 2010.

The competition “Our Planet, Our Stuff, Our Choice” calls for short, creative videos that examine consumption and recycling and offer community based solutions.

"What we buy, use, and throw away contributes over 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States," said Jeff Scott, the EPA’s director of the Waste Management Division for the Pacific Southwest Region. "We want to get the message out about how important it is for each of us to take personal action to help the environment."

Entries should be 30-60 seconds in length and promote steps individuals and organizations can take to minimize negative environmental impacts within their communities on the following topics: reducing and reusing; recycling; composting; consumption and its effect on environmental footprint.

The winning submissions will be announced in April 2010 in time for the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.

Awards will be given to the top three videos in the following amounts, as well as a special “Student Winner” category exclusively for submissions by persons 13 to 18 years old at the time of entry: first place, $2,500; second place, $1,500; third place, $1,000; two student winners (13 to 18 years old), $500 each.

Quick facts:

• In 2008, Americans produced and threw away 216.8 million tons of trash, much of which is recyclable, compostable or just not necessary.

• Between 1960 and 2008 the amount of waste each person creates has almost doubled from 2.7 to 4.5 pounds per day.

• Recycling and reuse employs approximately 1.1 million people, generates an annual payroll of nearly $37 billion, and grosses over $236 billion in annual revenues.

• Reducing consumption, recycling, and composting can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• 31 million tons of food waste ends up in landfills or incinerators each year. Instead this valuable material could be composted or anaerobically digested to create fertilizer or energy.

For more information on the “Our Planet, Our Stuff, Our Choice,” please visit http://bit.ly/5Vh1Gw .

SAN FRANCISCO – For some motorists, a trip to the auto repair shop can feel like visiting a foreign country. It’s a strange environment that makes them uneasy.

But talking to your auto technician doesn’t have to be stressful if you follow some simple advice from AAA Northern California.

“AAA wants drivers to know that a visit to a repair shop can be much easier, and less stressful, than they might initially think,” said AAA Northern California spokesperson Matt Skryja. “One of the best ways to find a trusted auto technician is going to a AAA Approved Auto Repair facility. These shops meet stringent AAA auto repair standards for quality, integrity and professionalism. Shops can be located online at www.aaa.com/repair .”

When communicating with an automotive technician, AAA offers the following advice:

• Write down notes. Before taking the vehicle to a repair facility, write down notes on the vehicle’s symptoms and performance so important information is not overlooked or forgotten. Include any observations, even if they seem silly or irrelevant.

• Describe the symptoms. Don’t suggest a solution. Instead, explain what has been seen, smelled, heard and felt while driving the vehicle. For example, does it vibrate or pull to the left? Explain under what type of driving conditions the problems takes place and how long ago it started.

• Be precise. For example, explain that a rattle under the hood starts at 40 miles per hour or an issue occurs only on cold days after the engine has been running for 10 minutes.

• Say driver’s side or passenger’s side. When describing symptoms, don’t say they’re on the left or right side of the vehicle. Instead, say driver’s or passenger’s side to avoid confusion.

• Bring copies of recent repair orders. This can help explain a vehicle’s problems.

Motorists should ask questions if a technician uses jargon they don’t understand.

Also, be sure to read over repair orders before signing them and insist that descriptions of parts, not just the serial numbers, appear on the bill.

Before authorizing a repair, be sure to get a written description of any warranty the shop provides.