The hotline is the first of its kind to emerge in response to the foreclosure crisis. Tenants Together announced the hotline to address a growing problem – the harassment and displacement of tenants who are innocent victims of the mortgage crisis.

California tenants can reach the Tenant Foreclosure Hotline at 415-495-8012.

California is seeing a steep rise in foreclosures. In 2008, nearly a quarter of a million properties were sold in foreclosure in California. This is more than double the number in 2007.

Approximately 25 percent of buildings in foreclosure in 2008 were renter-occupied, including more than 9,000 multi-family buildings.

A single foreclosure filing on a rental building can affect dozens or hundreds of tenants. According to a recent study by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, an estimated 40 percent of the people in foreclosed properties are renters.

Innocent tenants are paying a steep price for the mortgage mess. Tenants face evictions and poor housing conditions across the state as a result of foreclosures.

Tenants have the right to habitable homes at all stages of the foreclosure process, but many tenants are experiencing nightmare situations – being locked out of their homes, having utilities shut off because the defaulting landlord or the bank fails to pay the bills, being displaced without getting their security deposits back and other related problems.

While foreclosures extinguish most leases, tenants in California are generally entitled to a 60-day notice to vacate in foreclosure situations. The 60-day notice requirement became law in July 2008, but many owners still do not comply with it.

In cities with local “just cause” eviction protections, such as Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Oakland and San Francisco, most tenants are not legally required to move as a result of a foreclosure, but many owners ignore this limitation and seek to evict anyway.

Too often, tenants in these situations are unaware of their rights. They are misled into believing that they must vacate immediately upon foreclosure or that because of the foreclosure the landlord has no responsibility to continue providing heat, water and other services to the tenants.

To make matters worse, tenants are often the last to know about the foreclosure. While defaulting homeowners know about the possibility of foreclosure for many months, tenants have little time to adjust to the situation and seek assistance. Most tenants don’t know where to turn for help.

To address this urgent situation, Tenants Together is launching its new statewide hotline. The hotline will provide information and referrals to tenants whose landlords are at some stage of the foreclosure process. The hotline is staffed by specially-trained volunteers, including a team of law students from University of California Hastings College of the Law.

Heather Freinkel, one of the hotline volunteers, commented: “The stories we hear are heartbreaking – tenants denied the most basic services like water and heat, and forced out of their homes for no good reason. We will do everything we can to arm tenants with the knowledge and tools to stand up to abusive conduct by defaulting landlords and foreclosing banks.”

Hotline volunteers will assist in many ways, including helping tenants:

• Find out if a particular rental property is in foreclosure;

• Identify the new owner after a foreclosure sale;

• Learn about what to expect as the property goes through foreclosure;

• Connect with local activists engaged in anti-eviction organizing;

• Locate organizations that provide legal representation for tenants in foreclosures;

• Keep utilities on and get repairs done in all stages of the foreclosure process;

• Protect and recover security deposits;

• Share tenant foreclosure stories with media, policymakers and the public;

• Report illegal conduct to local law enforcement agencies and officials;

• Stand up to abusive and unfair conduct during the foreclosure process.

Tenants Together encourages California tenants in foreclosure situations to call the Tenant Foreclosure Hotline at 415-495-8012.

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The talk will take place from 10 a.m. to noon.

Ransley will show off her seasonal crops already in the ground and will discuss topics such as soil types, amendments, which crops are generally good in this climate, and issues like microclimates created by hills, buildings, etc.

She also will cover the virtues of raised beds versus growing in the ground and how to live with sometimes losing significant amounts of plants to gophers, voles and other unidentified underground critters and deer.

This is a great no-cost opportunity to become more knowledgeable on how to grow your own garden that provides for a more productive local and sustainable harvest.

The public is welcome. Carpooling is available by meeting at the regular co-op location at 14773 Lakeshore Drive at 9:30 a.m.

For more information, contact Lori Patotzka at 994-1618.

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The host of the show, Harold Riley, admits that he has wanted to play the role of “Big Daddy” for many years, one of the the characters in the scene. His alcoholic son, whom he attempts to rescue from his addiction, will be played by Joey Luiz, who has acted in several local productions.

The show will be broadcast from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, then rebroadcast the following day from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

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

LAKE COUNTY

Highway 20

– The County of Lake has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for sidewalk upgrades from 4th Street to 6th Street. 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.

Highway 29

– A slide repair project from Lupiyoma Creek Bridge to Bar X Ranch will continue through Friday, March 6. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.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. Contractor – Argonaut Constructors of Santa Rosa.

– Caltrans will continue routine maintenance from Bar X Ranch to Hidden Valley Road through Friday, March 6. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance from 0.7 miles north of Bar X Ranch to 0.1 miles north of Spruce Grove Road beginning Monday, March 9. Work hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

– Caltrans will continue routine maintenance from Cole Creek Bridge to Hill Creek Bridge. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

– PG&E of Eureka has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility work just south of Creamery Lane on Friday, March 6. Work hours are 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– PG&E of Eureka has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for tree trimming from 0.2 miles north of Airport Road to 0.3 miles south of Abalobadiah Circle on Friday, March 6. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Intermittent one-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 101

– 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 utility work at California Street. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction of travel. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.

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).

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The event is a fun, family-oriented weekend that features pontoon boat tours, birding and nature walks, exhibits, nature talks and children’s activities.

The annual Wildflower Brunch, prepared by the Clear Lake State Park Interpretive Association, will be held on Saturday, April 25, from 9 a.m. to noon. It features a build-your-own omelet with choice of fillings, served with pastries, fruit and coffee. The cost for the brunch is $15. Advance brunch reservations and payment are requested and may be made online by visiting www.heronfestival.org or by calling 800-525-3743.

On Saturday and Sunday, pontoon boat excursions will take visitors along the shoreline of Clear Lake to view nesting herons, egrets, grebes, and other shorebirds. The 90-minute boat trips will be offered from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Experienced Audubon birding guides will accompany each boat to share information about the birds and wildlife seen on each trip.

The excursions will leave from the Clear Lake State Park marina and cost is $15 per person for the pontoon boat trips. Advance reservations are required and may be made online by visiting www.heronfestival.org or by phone at 800-525-3743.

The Visitor Center at Clear Lake State Park will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Throughout the weekend, the Visitor Center Auditorium will feature speaker presentations, slide shows, and videos on local birds and wildlife. Topics will range from the weekend’s featured herons, wildflowers, and hummingbirds.

The center features interpretive displays of Lake County’s natural and cultural resources including an erupting volcano, a Pomo Indian village, a mountain lion cave, and dioramas of the woodland and riparian habitats in the park. The gift shop offers educational and entertaining nature items.

Nature and bird walks will be led by local park docents and Audubon guides who are specialists in the park’s birds and wildlife. A nature fair with numerous outdoor exhibit booths will present conservation and nature displays, and educational materials. Nature-related arts and crafts also will be available.

Another highlight of the weekend, especially for children, is “Raptor Speak,” where live owls and other birds of prey join Curator Jenny Papkas from Native Bird Connections to offer an opportunity to see raptor behavior up close. Learn about these lively non-releasable raptors in a fun and informative talk and bird demonstration which is offered twice on Sunday.

Dr. Harry Lyons, Professor of Biology and Ecology at the Clear Lake Campus of Yuba College, offers an entertaining program on Sunday that mixes biology, music, and humor to tell the story of Clear Lake. In “Myths and Music of Clear Lake,” Dr. Lyons gives the history and biology of the lake’s more than two million years of existence and the importance of its ecosystem to the birds, fish, and wildlife of Lake County.

During Heron Festival weekend, admission to Clear Lake State Park is free. Except for the boat rides and brunch, all other festival activities also are free. Camping sites are available through the state park reservation system. Local resort, motel, and bed-and-breakfast reservations are available through www.lakecounty.com or by calling 800-525-3743.

For more information, call 800-525-3743 or visit www.heronfestival.org.

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