SANTA ROSA, Calif. – In 2011, the American Red Cross helped reconnect more than 4,200 families across the United States who were separated by disaster, war and humanitarian crises, including one family in Sonoma County.

Restoring Family Links, a free service of the Red Cross, utilizes millions of volunteers across the International Red Cross and Red Crescent networks to locate missing loved ones or give closure to families who are uncertain as to the fate of their relatives.

Often in cases of war, sudden attacks on a village or city can send families scurrying for safety in many different directions. This can also happen during natural disasters when children are at school and parents are working in various parts of a city.

In these situations, it can often take years to find loved ones, and in cases of war, people can end up in different countries as they try to rebuild their lives.

One Sonoma County woman used Restoring Family Links to gather information about her grandmother, who was a resistance fighter during World War II.

While the woman was unable to discover ultimate fate of her grandmother, she did discover that her great uncle was alive and well on the East Coast and was able to connect with him using the tracing process.

Another woman escaped Ethiopia shortly after war broke out, but had to leave her oldest daughter behind.

Using the tracing service via Washington D.C., to the Yemeni Red Crescent, she was able to make contact with her daughter despite many years apart. The entire family now hopes to reunite in Sonoma County.

Restoring Family Links, originally set forth by the Geneva Convention, is one of the oldest services offered by the Red Cross.

Restoring Family Links International Tracing Services includes:

• Locating missing loved ones;

• Exchanging messages;

• Making family welfare inquiries during and after disasters overseas;

• Making health and welfare inquiries about family members around the world in non-disaster situations;

• Securing travel documents from the International Committee of the Red Cross to reunite separated family members;

• Provide information and referral services when another agency can better meet a particular need.

For more information, send email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., call 707-577-7606 or visit www.redcross.org/familylinks.

American Red Cross is a neutral, humanitarian organization that provides relief to victims of disasters, and prepares people to prevent and respond to emergencies. Like all Red Cross chapters, the local chapter is self-sustaining and is funded by local contributions.

All assistance to disaster victims and to members of the armed forces provided by the Chapter is free and made possible by voluntary donations of time and money by the people of Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties.

Donations can be made at www.arcsm.org, www.redcross.org, via mail to American Red Cross, 5297 Aero Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95403, or by phone at 707-577-7627 (Sonoma and Lake Counties), 707-463-0112 (Mendocino County).

NORTH COAST – Caltrans reports that the following road projects will be taking place around Lake County during the coming week.

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

LAKE COUNTY

Highway 175

– PG&E of Eureka has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for utility work from the junction of Routes 29/175 near Kelseyville to 1.5 miles west of Socrates Mine Road through Friday, Feb. 10. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– A pavement repair project from the junction of Routes 29/175 near Kelseyville to the junction of Routes 29/175 in Middletown will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays. Contractor – Granite Construction of Ukiah.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

– Replacement of the Greenwood Creek Bridge will continue. 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. Contractor – Golden Gate Bridge Inc. of Martinez.

Highway 20

– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance from the Cold Creek Bridge to Potter Valley Road beginning Monday, Feb. 13. Work hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

Highway 101

– A pavement repair project from Perkins Street to West Road will continue. Work hours are 5 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. Contractor – Granite Construction Inc. of Ukiah.

– PG&E of Eureka has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for utility work from Madrone Street to just north of Walnut Street through Friday, Feb. 10. Work hours are 8 a.m. to noon, 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 issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for an aerial crossing 0.3 mile north of Branscomb Road on Wednesday, Feb. 15. Work hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Intermittent full road closures will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Work on all these projects is weather permitting and subject to change. Caltrans advises motorists to drive with caution when approaching work areas and to be prepared to stop at traffic control stations.

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).

UKIAH, Calif. – On Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Redwood Empire Fairgrounds in Ukiah, parents, leaders, and youth gathered for one of the most educational ag events around.

4-H clubs and FFA chapters from counties including Lake, Mendocino and Del Norte brought more than 400 children between the ages of 5 and 18.

Each one got the chance to learn about interesting subjects concerning livestock.

What is this wonderful event? It's called the "Hands-On Junior Livestock Expo."

Each of those 400+ kids was given a choice on which type of livestock session they would attend.

These included beef, swine, goats, sheep, rabbits and poultry. At each of these hands-on breakout sessions, topics ranged from cuts of meat to animal selection to nutrition facts.

Learning labs included dissection by the UC Davis Vet Center, biosecurity, tractor safety, horseshoeing and more.

Lake County 4-H All Star candidate Asia Jones designed a quiz bowl called "Wheel of Livestock" with questions specific to six different species covering knowledge from how to show an animal to how many people die annually from cow attacks (20).

Everyone had a great time both spinning the wheel and playing the game.

In addition to this, there was an ethics training – mandatory to attend some fairs including the California State Fair – which covered proper ways to treat animals both at shows and at home.

Local vendors offered special sales on feeds, show sticks, brushes, even jewelry; you name it, they had it.

These vendors also gave out tickets for a drawing at the end of the day. Some of the prizes included Carhart jackets, feed buckets, and a wheelbarrow! Nonprofit groups provided a food court with many tasty options.

All and all this was a wonderful event. Each person left with a smile on their face; many left with a great door prize as well.

“All of our presenters were so professional and helpful to the attendees. We truly have a wonderful network of industry professionals at our fingertips here in north coastal California,” said Shanna Braught, chairperson of the expo steering committee.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – All branches of the Lake County Library system will be closed Saturday, Feb. 18, to observe Presidents’ Day. Normal hours at all branches will resume on Feb. 21.

Call your local branch if you have any questions.

Lakeport Library, located at 1425 N. High St., is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday, noon to 8 p.m. The phone number is 707-263-8817.

Redbud Library, 14785 Burns Valley Road, Clearlake, is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday, noon to 8 p.m. The phone number is 707-994-5115.

Middletown Library, 21267 Calistoga Road, is open Tuesday to Friday, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The phone number is 707-987-3674.

Upper Lake Library, 310 Second St., is open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Wednesday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The phone number is 707-275-2049.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – An update on the progress of the soon-to-be-built Middletown community center progress will be offered at this month’s Middletown Luncheon Club meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 15.

Lake County Public Services Director Carolyn Chavez and Project Manager Eric Seely will discuss the center, which includes a senior center, library and park.

The program takes place at the Middletown Methodist Church Social Hall, 15155 Armstrong at Washington, Middletown, starting at noon.

Lunch costs only $5 per person and will be served by the Middletown Senior Center this month.

Lunch reservations are requested if you are coming with a group or don’t usually attend.

For more information about the Middletown Luncheon Club, or to be a speaker, contact Linda Darms at 707-987-3494.

Upcoming programs include a Middletown Unified School District update in March and a supervisorial candidates forum in April.

The Middletown Luncheon Club meets every third Wednesday of the month from January through November, providing informative speakers and presentations to the community.

Different local nonprofit organizations provide lunch each month and receive a donation.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Democratic Central Committee members will attend the state convention in San Diego this weekend.

Delegates planning to attend include Committee Chair Becky Curry of Kelseyville, Secretary Wanda Quitiquit from Nice; members Johnnie and Wil Flato from Lower Lake; and Sorhna Jordan from Hidden Valley Lake. Wanda Harris, also from Hidden Valley Lake, will be a delegate representing Assembly Member Wes Chesbro's Assembly District 1.

Special guests at the convention are Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Sen. Al Franken from Minnesota and Van Jones, co-founder of Rebuild the Dream. For fun the convention will feature Eli "Paperboy" Reed in concert.

Delegates will be voting on the new updated party platform and candidates for the Democratic National Committee.

The Women's Caucus will feature House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi.

The Democratic Central Committee meets each month on the first Thursday and meetings rotate between Clearlake Oaks and Lakeport.

Meetings are open to the public and committee membership is open to all registered Democrats. There are several openings on the committee from each of the supervisorial districts in the county.

The Lake County Democratic Central Committee is the official governing body of the Democratic Party in Lake County.

Contact the Democratic Party of Lake County at 707-277-0713 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The committee's Web site is www.lakecountydemocrats.org.