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

LAKE COUNTY

Highway 20

– A highway widening project from Government Street to Upper Lake Lucerne Road will continue, starting on Wednesday, April 22. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays. Contractor – Argonaut Constructors of Santa Rosa.

– AT&T of Ukiah has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility work from Upper Lake Lucerne Road to Rancheria Road. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic

control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– The county of Lake has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for sidewalk upgrades from Fourth Street to Sixth Street in Lucerne. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekdays. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction of travel. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.

– PG&E of Eureka has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility work from 13th Street to 17th Street on Tuesday, April 21. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Intermittent full road closures will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance from Ogden Road to Butler Street beginning Monday, April 20. Work hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 29

– Bridge deck repairs at Putah Creek Bridge will begin Monday, April 20. 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.

Contractor – DeBruin Construction Inc. of Stockton.

– Bridge deck repairs at Siegler Creek Bridge will begin Monday, April 20. 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.

Contractor – DeBruin Construction Inc. of Stockton.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

– Construction of a retaining wall about 3 miles north of Elk 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 10-minute delays. Contractor – Granite Construction of Ukiah.

– AT&T of Fort Bragg has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility work from Little River Airport Road to Cabrillo Drive. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays. Intermittent one-way

traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Caltrans will perform paving from Jefferson Way to Ocean Drive Tuesday, April 21, and Wednesday, April 22, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate

10-minute delays.

– The city of Fort Bragg has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for sidewalk and sewer upgrades from Walnut Street to Pine Avenue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekdays. Southbound traffic will be restricted to one lane. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.

– Construction of a retaining wall about 1.7 miles north of Hardy Creek Bridge will begin Friday, April 17. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays. Contractor – Maggiora and Ghilotti Inc. of San Rafael.

Highway 20

– AT&T of Ukiah will be relocating utilities from 0.8 miles to 0.6 miles west of Wildwood Camp Ground. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists

should anticipate 10-minute delays.

Highway 101

– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance on the northbound off ramp to north State Street on Sunday, April 19, from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. A shoulder closure will be in effect. Motorists are advised to drive with caution through the work area and may experience minor traffic slowdowns.

– Roadway repair due to pavement deterioration from 3.6 miles south of Ridgewood Ranch Road to 1.9 miles south of Ridgewood Ranch Road will continue. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each

direction of travel 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.

– Brian Shuster of Willits has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for paving work at California Street through Friday, April 17. Work hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction of travel. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.

Highway 128

– PG&E of Santa Rosa has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility work 0.3 miles east of Nash Mill Road on Wednesday, April 22. Work hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Intermittent full road

closures will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

– AT&T of Walnut Creek has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility work from 0.9 miles west of Big Oaks Drive to Mountain House Road. 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 162

– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance from the Long Valley Creek Bridge to the South Eel River Bridge Friday, April 10, through Wednesday, April 15. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., weekdays.

One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– A bridge widening project at Outlet Creek Bridge will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.

Contractor – Viking Construction Co. Inc. of Rancho Cordova.

Highway 253

– A bridge widening project at Anderson Creek Bridge will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.

Contractor – Viking Construction Co. Inc. of Rancho Cordova.

– A bridge widening project at Soda Creek Bridge will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.

Contractor – Viking Construction Co. Inc. of Rancho Cordova.

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).

LAKE COUNTY – Celebrating its first year, the Lake County Stonewall Democratic Club continues to participate in the community with its contract with Caltrans, cleanup crew and supporting the CHAP.

In the absence of the President Harold Riley who will be attending the Democratic Convention in Sacramento, Vice President Joey Luiz will chair the meeting April 27.

There will be social potluck at 6:30 p.m. followed by the meeting at 7 p.m.

All lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community members and straight Democrats are welcome as well as friends and allies.

The meeting will be held at the Redbud Library, Conference Room, 14785 Burns Valley Road, Clearlake.

For morer information call 707-995-3905.

Chesbro, whose district includes five Pacific shoreline counties from Bodega Bay to the Oregon border, returns to seats on the California Legislature’s Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture and on the Pacific Fisheries Legislative Task Force. He served on both as a member of the California State Senate (1998-2006).

“This is a continuation of my advocacy for California fisheries while I was in the Senate,” Chesbro said. “I asked the speaker to appoint me to the joint committee and the legislative task force because reviving our distressed fisheries is crucial to the North Coast. Fisheries have a huge impact on the economies of our coastal communities. A healthy environment creates healthy economies in fishing communities.”

The First Assembly District contains four important California fishing ports: Crescent City, Eureka, Fort Bragg and Bodega Bay.

“Our salmon fishery is in crisis, Chesbro said. “The causes of the declines extend beyond California. Fish don’t respect state or national boundaries. It’s critical that legislators from Western states work together to save and rebuild our fisheries.”

The California Legislature’s Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture has eight members, four from each house. Its purpose is to give the fishing industry a voice in Sacramento. The committee is informational, and holds hearings on issues of specific concern to fisheries, the fishing industry, environmental interests and consumers.

The Joint Committee holds an annual forum at Capitol that brings together members of the fishing fleet, policy experts, state regulators and community members to engage with legislators on urgent issues surrounding the critical nexus between stable fisheries and the economies that depend on them.

The Pacific Fisheries Legislative Task Force is made up of legislators appointed from the legislatures of Western states that have an interest in Pacific fisheries management. The Task Force meets twice a year and serves as a clearinghouse for opinion from the various interests involved in Pacific fishing. Duties of its members include reporting to the legislatures and Congressional delegations of the participating states on issues involving the protection and fostering of fishing in the Pacific region.

The Task Force also creates a block of fishery-interested state legislators who can effectively lobby Washington elected officials on the importance of sustaining our unique fisheries.

KELSEYVILLE – The upcoming Heron Festival and Wildflower Brunch, on April 25 and 26, sponsored by the Redbud Audubon Society and the Clear Lake State Park Interpretive Association (CLSPIA), promises an array of fun and interested nature oriented activities, ranging from pontoon boat tours on Clear Lake to a live bird presentation.

The Heron Festival is in its 15th year and since its founding, by the Redbud Audubon Society, the event has grown to become one of Northern California’s most popular nature festivals.

The festival is held at the Clear Lake State Park on Soda Bay Road near Kelseyville. Pontoon boat tours on Clear Lake are a popular feature of the festival, but a huge variety of other activities and programs are offered.

Boat tours are held on both days and last for approximately 90 minutes. Advanced reservations are required for the boat tours. This may be accomplished by going to the Heron Festival website at www.heronfestival.org. Price for a boat ride is just $15 per person.

Other activities on Saturday include an Audubon Bird Walk starting at 8:30 a.m., the popular Wildflower Brunch from 9 a.m. until noon, a “Nature Fair,” which features exhibit booths highlighting education displays and information from nature-related government agencies, local environmental nonprofit groups, and nature-related artists and craftsmen.

Keynote speaker on Saturday is Philip Greene, an internationally known photographer of herons and egrets. His presentation will be presented at the Visitor Center Auditorium at the park. There will also be Visitor Center tours of the interpretive displays of Lake County’s natural and cultural resources.

Children’s activities will consist of a wide range of fun educational programs for children to learn about nature, including owl masks, peanut butter birdseed feeders to take home, and making a personalized bird journal. A family nature walk is also planned.

Pontoon boat tours continue on Sunday along with more bird walks, the nature fair, a presentation by Dr. Harry Lyons on Myths and Music of Clear Lake, and at 1 p.m. a live bird presentation, “Raptor Speak,” by Native Bird Connections, that will give visitors the opportunity to see raptor behavior up close.

All events except the pontoon boat tours and the Wildflower Brunch are free and open to the public. Registration for both the boat tours and the brunch are required and can be made by going to the festival website or by calling the Lake County Visitor Center1-800-525-3743.

The Web site also features the full schedule of events for the two-day Heron Festival at Clear Lake State Park.

Treeanna Brownfield added her own creative touch to a leather pouch she made in the Camp Asbill leather working class. Courtesy photo.

LOWER LAKE – Six Sigma Ranch, Lower Lake, hosted Camp Asbill this past weekend, its first spring break nature camp for kids.

The two-day camp attracted a group of 37 enthusiastic first through sixth graders. Although the

majority of the campers were from Lake County, several were from out of town and joined the camp while visiting friends and family in the area.

Jessica Bullard was in town visiting her godparents and enrolled her son Tyler for both days of the Camp.

“Camp Asbill opened up a door to another world for Tyler,” said Bullard. “We live in Southern California suburbia; for Tyler to have the freedom to experience nature on such a grand scale made his spring break, maybe even his year. He's been telling everyone about it.”

“We were fortunate to have the assistance of many volunteers who gave generously of their time and talents,” said Rachel Ahlmann, camp director. “From showing the kids how to make a tent and cook lunch over a campfire to nature hikes and games, crafts, and horse-drawn cart rides, our volunteers helped to make Camp Asbill an incredibly rich experience for the children.”

The two-day camp benefited Wiloth Equine Therapy and Riding Center (located in Lower Lake and relocating to Middletown May 1), raising funds to underwrite 20 sessions of therapeutic riding

(www.wilothenterprises.com).

Camp Asbill was named after the first recorded settlers who homesteaded in 1859 on what is now Six Sigma Ranch.

Six Sigma Ranch, a 4,300-acre estate in Lower Lake, is the lifelong dream of proprietors Kaj and Else Ahlmann. When they acquired the ranch in 2000, one of their top priorities was to maintain the natural beauty of the land. Only 50 acres have been planted to vines; the bulk of the ranch is dedicated as a nature preserve hrough a conservation easement donated to the Golden State Land Conservancy.

Campers delight in horse-drawn cart rides, one of the many featured activities during the two-day spring break camp at Six Sigma Ranch. Courtesy photo.

Future Tajik homeowners with Richard Birk (far right), president of Habitat for Humanity, Lake County. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY – Richard Birk, President of Habitat for Humanity Lake County, has just returned from a working volunteer trip to Tajikistan where he helped build homes and to consult with the Tajikistan Habitat for Humanity organization.

Tajikistan is the smallest of the “stans” and is bordered by Afghanistan, China and other countries.

After being under the domain of the old Soviet Union, the country formed a new independent constitution in 1992 and then fell into a civil war that ended in 1997.

Since the end of the civil war Tajikistan has struggled with poverty as more than 80 percent of the people live below the poverty line and mostly survive by subsistence farming. Currently many who can work, take jobs in Russia and remit much of their wages back to Tajikistan.

Traveling to Tajikistan is not easy, as it a long travel route from Lake County and there are only two flights a week from Istanbul, Turkey to the capitol city of Dushanbe and you must have a special invitation to obtain an entry visa.

The project that Birk was involved with was the building of 60 homes in order to move families from a mud slide prone village, where mud slides have already caused death and destruction.

Some of the homes are complete, but families are hesitant to move into their new homes because of the lack of water and electricity.

Since the local government does not have the funds, which is about $30,000 to supply water and electricity to all the homes, Birk is trying to find funding here in the United States, so as to get the families out of harm’s way and into decent place to live.

If you are interested in donating funds for this project, please call Birk at 707-994-1100.

If you are interested in volunteering locally for Habitat for Humanity Lake County, please call 707-994-1100.

Tajikistan Habitat for Humanity construction site. Courtesy photo.