FERNDALE, Calif. – Northern California’s favorite barn owl is due to welcome the first owlets to hatch live on the Ferndale Owl Cam at the end of April.

Since the owl cam was installed this January in the tower of The Old Steeple – a historic former church turned concert hall in the scenic North Coast town of Ferndale – a fast-growing flock of followers has been tuning in to watch resident owl “Truman” and her mate swoop in, share their latest rodent catches and, recently, set up a nest.

The owl cam has even become a regular segment on popular morning show Good Day Sacramento.

Truman laid her first egg on March 25 and is currently sitting on a clutch of six.

Barn owl eggs hatch in approximately 30 days, in the order they are laid. Once hatched, owlets spend about eight weeks in the nest developing downy feathers, jostling and screeching for food, and learning to run, jump and pounce, before testing their wings and ultimately fledging the nest in early summer.

Of course, it’s not all cuteness and fluff. Owlets that hatch last, especially in larger broods, often don’t survive when they are unable to compete with older, larger siblings.

It’s also quite common for one or two eggs to fail. But while there’s no way to control nature, there is one way we can help protect the families of Truman and other raptors, said Paul Beatie, owner of The Old Steeple.

“Barn Owl diets consist largely of rodents,” said Beatie. “By avoiding rodenticide, we can keep these awesome birds safe and allow them to do their job keeping down the rodent population naturally.”

Join the egg watch and enjoy sweeping views of the Victorian village of Ferndale and the North Coast of California at www.FerndaleOwlCam.com .

The Old Steeple and its parent company, Ferndale Music Co., are located at 246 Berding St. in Ferndale (next to the cemetery). Special thanks to FerndaleTech for providing the owl cam.

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NAPA, Calif. – Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) announced his office is now accepting entries for the 2017 Congressional Art Competition.

High school students from across the Fifth Congressional District have until April 26 to submit their artwork for consideration.

This annual competition showcases the artistic talents and ability of students in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories. All winning pieces are displayed in the United States Capitol.

“The Congressional Art Competition gives our students the opportunity to showcase their work on the national stage,” said Thompson. “Every year, I am blown away by the talent, creativity, and passion of our young artists. I always look forward to seeing their work and learning what inspires them, and I am eager to see this year’s submissions. I strongly encourage all of our students to submit their work.”

Since 1982, the Congressional Art Competition has given Members of Congress the opportunity to encourage the artistic talents of their young constituents. Each Member of Congress hosts a competition among high school students in his or her district.

The grand prize winner will be flown with a guest to Washington, D.C. to attend an awards ceremony in June and see their work installed in the Capitol.

All artwork must be submitted by 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, to one of Thompson’s District Offices:

– Napa office, 2721 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa, CA 94558; telephone 707-226-9898.
– Santa Rosa office, 2300 Country Center Dr, Suite A100, Santa Rosa, CA 95403; telephone 707-542-7182.
– Vallejo office, 985 Walnut St., Vallejo, CA 94592; telephone 707-645-1888.

A panel of judges will select the winning entry from each county in our district. The grand prize winner will be chosen from those finalists, and that winner will be announced in early May.

The guidelines for the Congressional Art Competition are as follows:

– Artwork must be two-dimensional.
– Artwork can be no larger than 26” x 26” x 4” including the frame.
– If selected as the winning piece, your artwork must arrive in Washington, DC framed.
– Framed artwork should weigh no more than 15 pounds.
– Each entry must be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate U.S. copyright laws.
– Any entry that has been copied from an existing photo or image (including a painting, graphic, or advertisement) that was created by someone other than the student is a violation of the competition rules and will not be accepted.

Accepted mediums for two-dimensional artwork are as follows:
– Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
– Drawings: colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal (it is recommended that charcoal and pastel drawings be fixed).
– Collages: must be two-dimensional.
– Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints.
– Mixed Media: use of two or more mediums, such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
– Computer-generated art.
– Photographs.

Complete rules and guidelines can be found here, or at http://www.house.gov/content/educate/art_competition/pdf/2017-Rules-for-Students-and-Teachers%20.pdf .

Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.

FORT BRAGG, Calif. – Each year, the Noyo Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society, or ARS, partners with Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens to showcase some of the best rhody specimens on the west coast.

The 40th Annual John Druecker Memorial Rhododendron Show will be held at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens on Saturday, April 22, and Sunday, April 23.

The juried show is the largest in California with more than 700 entries submitted annually filling the big tent with cascades of color and fragrance.

The rhododendron show is free to attend and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

In addition to hundreds of individual flower entries, there will be plants, bonsai, photos, floral arrangements, raffle gifts, educational displays and a silent auction. Rhody’s Garden Café will be open both days, serving snacks, lunch, and ice cream.

A large selection of rhododendrons and other plants will be available for purchase in the big tent and at Nursery on the Plaza. Local growers and Noyo Chapter ARS members will be on hand to answer questions and discuss the best plants for your garden.

Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens will be open to visitors during the rhododendron show (regular admission rates apply) with memberships to the gardens on sale at a 10-percent discount all weekend long.

The Gardens is home to one of the nation’s largest collections of rhododendrons – many hybridized on the Mendocino Coast – and they will fill the formal gardens and woodlands with riotous color.

The Gardens’ Rhododendron Collection includes over 122 species and 315 taxa. More than 1,000 rhododendrons can be seen blooming throughout the Gardens from early spring until June.

All rhody growers are welcome to enter their best trusses for judging. Those wishing to participate should bring their entries to the Gardens on Thursday, April 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. or Friday, April 21, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Chapter members will be available to assist in filling out entry forms. Judges will award ribbons and trophies to top entries in a wide range of categories.

Please visit www.gardenbythesa.org for details on the event or www.noyochapterars.com for more information on entry rules and procedures.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Redevelopment Oversight Board will hold a special meeting on Monday, April 17.

The board will meet at 9 a.m. in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

The reason for Monday’s meeting is to discuss approval of the issuance of refunding bonds in order to refund certain outstanding bonds of the dissolved Clearlake Redevelopment Agency.

City Finance Director Chris Becnel’s report explained that the redevelopment agency has two series of bonds on its required obligation payment schedule with outstanding balances of a total of $14 million. The refunding bonds would help reduce the interest rate and save the city money.

As part of the Monday discussion, the board will consider approving the execution and delivery of a form of indenture of trust relating to the bonds and requesting oversight approval of the issuance of the refunding bonds, as well as requesting a certain determination by the oversight board.

Board members include Mayor Russell Perdock, City Manager Greg Folsom, Supervisor Jeff Smith, Lake County Fire Protection District Chief Willie Sapeta, Lake County Board of Education appointee Dana Moore and Yuba College Chancellor’s Office appointee Dean Annette Lee.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Due to safety concerns over high water and unsafe conditions, the annual Susan River Youth Fishing Derby will be postponed.

Sponsored by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, or CDFW, the 28th annual derby was scheduled to be held on Saturday, April 22 on the Susan River in Susanville, Lassen County.

“With all the rain we have had and the accompanying snow melt, the Lassen Sportsmen’s Club and CDFW felt it was best to postpone the event until the river conditions improve,” said CDFW Fisheries Biologist Paul Divine. “We will be working closely with the Lassen Sportsmen’s Club to find a weekend later this year to hold the event.”

Fishing derbies are held in several locations around the state and are designed to promote fishing to young people and their families.

At most events, all fishing tackle, gear, bait and equipment are provided free of charge and volunteers from local angling groups help with baiting hooks to cleaning the fish.

In California, anyone under 16 can fish without a license.

For complete regulations on fishing in California, as well as fish planting locations, state fishing records and more, please go to www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing .

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – You are invited to participate in one of Lake County’s unique events on the morning of Saturday, April 29, from 9 a.m. to noon.

The Friends of Clear Lake State Park organization will produce its 19th annual Wildflower Brunch in our handy, local State Park.

This nearly two-decade-old annual event will again feature your very own individually-designed omelets, cooked to your liking, while you watch.

This event is the major fundraiser for the Clear Lake State Park Interpretive Association, or CLSPIA.

The cost for the event is $20 and includes, with the omelet, juice, coffee, fresh fruit and breakfast pastries. And of course you will choose your own toppings for your omelet. There will be 10 toppings in all including bacon, onion, roasted peppers, mushrooms and salsa.

Despite considerable flood damage to Clear Lake State Park you’ll be impressed by its fresh spring beauty, and dine with music by Lake County’s very own David Neft and his keyboard.

The food and surroundings for this Wildflower Brunch are unbeatable. And in 18 years they have never been rained out.

Purchase your tickets very soon to help the cooks plan. You can do this by visiting the CLSPIA web site at www.clearlakestatepark.org or phoning 707-279-4395.

There will be no charge for entrance to the park for those attending this event.

The visitor center with its displays of Lake County’s natural history will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

SACRAMENTO – State agencies, local and tribal governments, as well as certain private nonprofit organizations, which sustained damage during severe winter storms from Feb. 1 to Feb. 23, 2017, have until April 25 to submit requests for public assistance to the state of California.

Submitting an RPA to the State is the first step in applying for funding under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance program.

On April 1, the president approved a major disaster declaration for the state of California. The declaration provides federal funds to help communities recover from severe winter storms, flooding, and mudslides that occurred from Feb. 1 to Feb. 23.

Federal funding is available to state, tribal, eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by severe winter storms, flooding and mudslides in 42 counties: Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Marin, Mariposa, Merced, Modoc, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Plumas, Sacramento, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, Yolo and Yuba.

Applicants are asked to submit their RPAs to the state by 5 p.m. on April 25.

The state will then submit the requests to FEMA. Requests for public assistance must be received by FEMA within 30 days of the declaration date.

FEMA reimburses applicants for no less than 75 percent of eligible expenses – the remaining 25 percent is the non-federal share. The federal portion is paid directly to the state, which disburses the funds to the applicants.

In addition to Public Assistance Program grants, funds will be available in California under FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, or HMGP, which is a cost-share program administered by the state.

HMGP provides supplemental financial assistance to public entities and certain private nonprofits to reduce risks to life and property in future disasters.

More information about the Public Assistance Program is available at www.fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit . More information about the HMGP is available at www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-grant-program .

Additional information about the declaration is available at www.fema.gov/disaster/4308 . More information about applying for the Public Assistance Program is available at www.caloes.ca.gov/for-governments-tribal .

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Redbud Audubon Chapter’s April program will focus on bats, led by a University of California Farm Advisor.

All are welcome to attend this free program on Thursday, April 20, in the Lower Lake United Methodist Church Social Hall, 16255 Second St.

Refreshments will be offered at 7 p.m. with the program starting at 7:15 p.m.

Rachael Long, farm advisor with the UC Cooperative Extension Service in the Sacramento Valley, will lead the program.

Bats will soon be migrating back to Northern California from their overwintering sites from as far away as Mexico. Others will be waking up from a long winter’s sleep, after hibernating in caves.

There are 26 species of bats in California and most all are insectivorous. Their voracious appetite for bugs make them superb predators of insect pests.

Farmers and garden enthusiasts who want their help in controlling pests are putting up boxes to attract colonies of bats. The secret to success is to put the bat boxes on the side of a building, at least 10 feet high, where it gets morning sun and afternoon shade to ensure occupancy.

Bats are some of the most interesting mammals; contrary to popular belief, bats are not blind, they do not get tangled in your hair, they’re not flying rats and they’re not aggressive. Instead they echolocate to see in the dark, they’re very shy and cute, and they live for over 30 years.

While bats can carry rabies, this disease is preventable. Never pick up a bat with bare hands, as they’ll bite in self-defense, and always vaccinate your pets.

Some of the threats to bats include wind turbines and white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that attacks bats.

Long has been studying bats and their impacts on pest control in crops for nearly 25 years. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley and UC Davis.

She lives on a farm and is the author of “The Black Rock Desert Trilogy,” a children’s chapter book series that brings kids into a world of bats in a highly adventurous way.

Join her for an engaging evening to learn more about the natural history of bats in California.