CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A caregiver support group for families dealing with memory loss or other cognitive impairments will meet on Wednesday, Feb. 26.

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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Kelseyville teenager who is creating a program to help foster children has been named the winner of this year's Soroptimist International Clear Lake Violet Richardson Award.

Erica Illg, 14, has been named the award recipient for her “Backpacks for Foster Kids” project.

Each year Soroptimist Clubs around the country honor young women between the ages of 14 and 17 who donate their time and energy to causes that make the community and world a better place with the Violet Richardson Award.

Erica is a seven-year member of the Cole Creek 4H Club who has earned gold, silver and bronze stars for her community services, public speaking, 4-H events attended, and honors and recognition. She currently is working for her Emerald Star, the highest rank that can be achieved at her age.

Last April she decided to do the backpacks project, but funds were needed. Erica applied for and received a Revolution of Responsibility Grant of $1,000. Erica's project will be the first Revolution and Responsibility project achieved in Lake County.

She finished the paperwork, organized volunteers, interviewed social workers and foster care agencies, received letters of recommendation and agreement that the backpacks would be useful. She then obtained a letter from Lake County 4-H Director Julie Frazell.

Erica comes from a family that provides foster care for young children. She chose the backpack project by observing that the children who arrived at her home arrived with just the clothes they were wearing and nothing more.

Her backpacks contain essential items like toothbushes, toothpaste, hair brushes, socks, pajamas, blankets and stuffed animals.

The Violet Richardson Award program is named after the president of the first Soroptimist Club in 1921. Violet Richardson believed in personal responsibility and the motto, “It's what you do that counts.”

She lived her life accordingly and was as an active member of her community who was committed to creating opportunities for girls and young women. Soroptimist established the award to honor the memory of this unique woman and her dedication to volunteer action.

The Violet Richardson Award program begins at the local Soroptimist Club level, where the recipient receives a certificate and a cash award. Club level winners then become eligible for several other awards at the region level.

Soroptimist International Clear Lake raises funds for this and many other programs that benefit women and girls with the annual Spring Fling Luncheon and Auction, which is scheduled for March 1 at the Clearlake Senior Senior, 3245 Bowers Ave. The cost is $35 per person.

For more information about Soroptimist or the Spring Fling contact President Wanda Harris at 707-987-9027 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

SACRAMENTO – Quantifying drought impacts and managing California’s water resources during drought conditions using satellite remote sensing will be among the topics of a Feb. 25-26 workshop sponsored by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The workshop at the Sacramento Convention Center, 1400 J. St., will begin at 1 p.m. on Feb. 25 and last until noon on Feb. 26.

The workshop is free to attend and is open to the public.

The workshop will highlight the partnership between NASA and DWR in the development and application of remote sensing research for water management purposes, with a special focus on drought preparedness and response.

Workshop topics will include a water outlook and update from the National Integrated Drought Information System; estimating acreage of fallowed agricultural land; monitoring Central Valley land subsidence; regional groundwater monitoring with orbiting satellite; monitoring and forecasting atmospheric river events; assessing snowpack conditions, and improving subseasonal forecasting of precipitation. Each uses remote sensing data and research to support drought preparedness and response.

Remote sensing offers unique opportunities for filling in data gaps over large geographic areas (such as mountain snowpack) that cannot be cost-effectively covered by ground-based measurements. It also may assist in long-term climate change adaptation.

DWR and NASA began examining opportunities for water resources applications of remote sensing data and research through a partnership established with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Ongoing collaborations have been evolving on a variety of projects ranging from levee monitoring to basic research on groundwater.

DWR projects such as an observing system for extreme precipitation installed as part of the enhanced flood response and emergency preparedness program are developing new data sources that will help support future activities.

NASA and the California Department of Water Resources
Remote Sensing for Drought Monitoring and Response Workshop

February 25th and 26th, 2014
Sacramento Convention Center, Room103
1400 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95814

Tuesday, February 25

9:30 – 11 a.m.: Press Conference

DWR-NASA Partnership, Jeanine Jones, CDWR & Lawrence Friedl, NASA Headquarters
Airborne Snow Observatory, Tom Painter, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Fallowed Area Mapping, Forrest Melton, NASA Ames Research Center-Cooperative for Research in Earth Science and Technology (ARC-CREST)

Subsidence Mapping, Tom Farr, NASA JPL

Atmospheric Rivers & Seasonal Forecasting, Duane Waliser, NASA JPL

Upcoming NASA Satellite Missions, Brad Doorn, NASA HQ

1 – 1:15 p.m.: Welcome and Introduction

Jeanine Jones, California Department of Water Resources
Lawrence Friedl, NASA Headquarters

1:15 – 1:30 p.m.: NASA Applied Sciences Program; Brad Doorn, NASA Headquarters

1:30 – 2:50 p.m.: Remote Sensing of Precipitation and Snow Water Resources; Airborne Snow Observatory, Tom Painter, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Satellite Monitoring of the Snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, Jeff Dozier, University of California, Santa Barbara

Enhancing California's Water Resource Management and Decision Support Systems through Remote Sensing of Precipitation, Soroosh Sorooshian, University of California, Irvine

2:50 – 3:05 p.m.: Break

3:05 – 4 p.m.: Remote Sensing for Drought Impact Assessment and Mitigation

Remote Monitoring of Groundwater with Orbital Radar, Tom Farr, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Fallowed Area Mapping for Drought Impact Reporting and Decision Making, Jim Verdin, USGS / Forrest Melton, NASA Ames Research Center, Cooperative for Research in Earth Science and Technology (ARC-CREST)

Satellite Irrigation Management Support, Forrest Melton, NASA ARC-CREST

4:00 – 4:20: Sub-seasonal Forecasting

Atmospheric Rivers and the Madden Julian Oscillation: Key Phenomena for Predicting California Water Availability and Extremes, Duane Waliser, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

4:20– 4:45: Questions and Discussion

4:45 p.m.: Adjourn

Wednesday, Feb. 26

9 – 9:40 a.m.: 2014 California Water Outlook

2014 California Water Outlook and Update from the National Integrated Drought Information System Workshop, Kelly Redmond, Desert Research Institute

Real-time Satellite Estimation and Mapping of Snow Water Equivalent across the Sierra Nevada, Noah Molotch, University of Colorado, Boulder

9:40 – 10:20 a.m. Drought in the Context of Climate Change and Infrastructure

Adaptation Planning for Climate Change Impacts using Advanced Decision Support and Remote Sensing: Irrigated Agriculture in California's Central Valley, Jonathan Winter, Dartmouth University / NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies

Monitoring of California Levees with Airborne Remote Sensing, Cathleen Jones, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

10:20 – 11 a.m.: Satellite Remote Sensing of Soil Moisture and Groundwater

Remote Sensing of Soil Moisture: The Soil Moisture Active Passive Mission, Narendra Das, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Recent Observations from California and Future Directions for GRACE, Jay Famiglietti, University of California, Irvine

11 – 11:20 a.m.: Questions and Discussion

11:20 a.m.: Adjourn

UKIAH, Calif. – On Monday Feb. 24, at noon the Cal Fire Mendocino Unit will begin conducting a vegetation management control burn in the Mill Creek watershed east of Ukiah.

Burning is planned for Monday, Feb. 24, and Tuesday, Feb. 25, weather and air quality conditions permitting.

The prescribed burning being done under this Vegetation Management Program (VMP) project will be conducted under specific climatic conditions to ensure control and minimize air quality and other impacts.

The primary goal of this prescribed burn is to reintroduce fire as a natural element of the ecosystem.

A second goal is to improve wildlife habitat by inducing new shoots from sprouting species to increase forage production, with islands of unburned fuel left within the burned area to provide shelter for small mammals.

A third goal is to reduce overall vegetation in order to decrease the chance of catastrophic wildfires in the future.

“In light of the current drought conditions, this prescribed fire will also provide a training opportunity for firefighters to practice putting out fire with tactics that don’t include the use of water,” said Cal Fire Mendocino Unit Chief Christopher Rowney.

Historically, areas covered in brush experience a fire every 15 to 20 years. Portions of the project site have not had a fire burn through for over 25 years, allowing the brush to become extremely thick and overgrown.

This has greatly reduced the ability of wildlife to move through the area and has reduced the flow of waters from creeks and springs.

The VMP program and other vital fire prevention and resource management programs received a nearly $12 million boost in funding in the 2013-14 budget from the state’s fire prevention fee.

To ensure visitor safety, the BLM will close the Valley View Trail and North Cow Mountain access road beginning Monday, Feb. 24.

The closure will remain in place during burning operations and possibly longer if forecast heavy rains occur.

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – The public is invited to the meeting of the Hidden Valley Lake Garden Club on Monday, March 10.

Gabriele O'Neil will be speaking on vegetable gardening in Hidden Valley Lake and how to adapt to less-than-ideal growing situations.

She is sharing from her nine years of experience growing vegetables in this area, as well as from the research and experience of colleagues gardening in this and similar environments.

The focus of her talk will be on what crops are most likely to be successful and when, how to deal with bad soil or no soil, adapting to Lake County climate extremes and pest protection for the kind-hearted.

Meetings of the Hidden Valley Lake Garden Club take place on the second Monday of each month, and are free and open to the public. They are held in the activities room of the Hidden Valley Lake Association administration building, 18174 Hidden Valley Road.

A social gathering with refreshments begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by a business meeting and program at 10 a.m.

For further information, contact club President Inge Rankin at telephone 707-987-6010 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

NORTH COAST, Calif. – 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 20

– Upgrades to the changeable message sign near Catholic Church Road will continue. Work hours are 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Upgrades to the changeable message sign just east of the junction of Routes 20/53 will continue. Work hours are 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. Westbound traffic will be restricted to one lane. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.

Highway 53

– Upgrades to the changeable message sign just south of the junction of Routes 20/53 will continue. Work hours are 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 175

– AT&T of Santa Rosa has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for utility repairs from the Cobb Post Office to Anderson Springs Road through Friday, Feb. 21. 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

– AT&T of Fort Bragg has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for utility repairs near Lake Street beginning Monday, Feb. 24. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Bridge repairs at the Garcia River Bridge will continue. Work hours are 24 hours per day, weekdays. One way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

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

– Guardrail repairs at various locations from Elk to Navarro Ridge Road will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays. Contractor – Coral Construction of Wilsonville.

– Bridge repairs at Blue Slide Gulch will continue. Work hours are 24 hours per day, weekdays. One way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– 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 20

– Bridge repairs at the East Fork Russian River Bridge will continue. Nighttime work hours are 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., Sunday evening through Friday morning. One way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Bridge repairs at the Cold Creek Bridge will continue. Nighttime work hours are 6 p.m. to 11 a.m., Sunday evening through Friday morning. One way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

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.

– Upgrades to the message sign near Monica Lane will continue. Work hours are 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays, and 6 a.m. to 11 a.m., Saturday. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 128

– Vegetation removal in preparation for culvert rehabilitation near the junction of Routes 1/128 will continue through Friday, Feb. 21. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 253

– PG&E of Ukiah has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for tree trimming from Slide Creek to the junction of Routes 101/253 through Friday, Feb. 21. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

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).