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

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

LAKE COUNTY

Highway 20

– PG&E has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility repairs near Floyd Way beginning Thursday, May 18. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Curb and sidewalk repairs from Morrison Creek to Ogden Road will continue. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in both directions from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

Highway 29
 
– Emergency culvert repairs from Spruce Grove Road to Hofacker Lane will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 175

– Emergency highway repairs from Grouss Springs Road to Emerford Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Emergency highway repairs from east of Forest Lake Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
 
MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

– AT&T has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility repairs near Pacific Wood Road through Friday, May 12. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– PG&E has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility repairs from Haven Neck Drive to Old Stageroad Drive on Tuesday, May 16. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Arjay Rafferty has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit to pave a driveway near Philo Greenwood Road through Friday, May 12. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Emergency slide removal near Leggett will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 20

– Bridge deck repairs at the East Fork Russian River Bridge will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect overnight from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 20-minute delays.

Highway 101
 
– Routine maintenance near Frog Woman Rock will continue. Northbound traffic will be restricted to one lane 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

– Storm damage repairs south of Ridgewood Ranch Road will continue. Southbound traffic will be restricted to one lane 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

– Emergency slide repairs on the westbound Route 20 to southbound Route 101 connector ramp will continue. Intermittent ramp closures will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

– Emergency slide removal near Hermitage Vista Point will continue. Northbound traffic will be reduced to one lane 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

– Rumble strip installation at various locations from the junction of Routes 1/101 to Confusion Hill will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

– Emergency slide removal near the Dora Creek Bridge will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate 20-minute delays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, and 15-minute delays at other times.

– Emergency slide removal near Piercy will continue. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in both directions 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

Highway 128

– Roadway repairs west of Yorkville will continue. One-way traffic control with a temporary traffic signal will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 162

– Emergency storm damage repairs near The Middle Way will continue. One-way traffic control with temporary stop signs will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Emergency storm damage repairs near Sand Bank Creek will continue. One-way traffic control with a temporary traffic signal will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 175

– Emergency storm damage repairs at various locations from 1.7 miles east of Buckman Drive to the Lake/Mendocino County line will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate 30-minute delays.

Highway 253
 
– Emergency roadway repairs from Booneville to Ukiah will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 10-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).

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Redbud Audubon Society members and guests are welcome to join the group on Thursday, May 18, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for its annual end-of-the-year picnic and installation of officers.

The event will be held at Lakeside County Park on Park Drive off of Soda Bay Road.

The picnic is a potluck, but Audubon supplies hot dogs, buns and condiments. You are welcome to bring an alternate meat or meat-substitute to grill if you prefer.

Sodas and water will also be provided.

Participants are encouraged to bring salad, beans, chips or dessert to share.

Please arrive at 5:30 p.m. Look for thems down by the lake to the left of the launch ramp.

The event will include installation of officers and is a nice way to visit with and get to know chapter members.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – All branches of the Lake County Library system will be closed May 27 to observe Memorial Day.

Normal hours at all branches will resume on May 30. Call your local branch if you have any questions.

Even though the library will be closed you can still go online to the library Web site at http://library.lakecountyca.gov to download ebooks, audiobooks, movies music and magazines.

You can also check on your account, renew any items you have checked out or requests books from libraries in Lake, Sonoma and Mendocino to pick up at your local branch when the library does reopen.

Lakeport Library, located at 1425 N. High St., is normally open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The phone number is 707-263-8817.

Redbud Library, 14785 Burns Valley Road, Clearlake, is normally open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday, noon to 7 p.m. The phone number is 707-994-5115.

Middletown Library, 21256 Washington St., is normally open Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 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 normally open Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The phone number is 707-275-2049.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – 100+ Women Strong in Lake County is pleased to announce its second meeting will take place at Twin Pine Casino & Hotel event center in Middletown on Thursday, May 11, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

There will be mingling, networking, professional photography with a step and repeat, food and beverages, and most importantly, at the end of the night a local Lake County charity will be selected to receive a very generous donation that is made possible by the local women of Lake County.

Women wishing to join this organization are welcome to pre-register online or to register at the event.

Part of a worldwide coalition of similar organizations, the Lake County chapter was just created in 2017 as a community effort to fundraise for Lake County based non-profit organizations.

The group consists of women in Lake County from all ages, walks of life and professions. What unites them is their commitment to donate $400 per year to different Lake County charities.

The group meets once every three months and three local, pre-vetted, charitable organizations are invited to give brief presentations in hopes of being selected by 100+ Women Strong.

One of the three charities is selected by a majority vote of the group after the presentation and receives $100 from each and every member of 100+ Women Strong. The goal of the group is to be able to raise $10,000 each quarter for local charities.

The first meeting resulted in a donation of $14,600 to Operation Tango Mike, all from local Lake County women who came out in full force to give back to the local community.

“The Feb. 9 event far exceed our expectations,” explained one of the group’s founders, Crystal Martin. “We weren’t sure if we would meet the 100 women mark by our first meeting, but were overwhelmed when we had 146 local women register and donate.”

Martin added, “100+ Women Strong in Lake County is a group of local women who are dedicated to supporting our community. We come from all walks of life and different financial backgrounds. As individuals, we found that it is difficult to make a significant difference, but as a group we have the ability to contribute to the growth of our community and make an impact in ways that we never thought possible.”

On May 11, the doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for about an hour of mingling and networking while light appetizers are served along with a no-host wine and beer bar.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. sharp and the three chosen presenters will each introduce their charity.

The membership has an opportunity to ask questions and then voting will commence. At the conclusion of the event, a winner is chosen and the winning charity then will receive a generous donation, made possible by the local women of Lake County.

This quarter the group has selected Sponsoring Survivorship, Lake County Arts Council, and Totes 4 Teens as the candidates to present and receive the donation on May 11.

For more information or to register to join visit www.100womenstronginlakecounty.com .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Lakeport tradition is once again planned for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.

Saturday, May 27, begins with the Lakeport Kiwanis/4-H Pancake Breakfast, served from 7 to 11 a.m. at 810 N. Main St. in Lakeport.

Pancakes, scrambled eggs, ham, sausage and drinks will be served, with proceeds benefiting the 4-H County-wide Citizenship/Leadership Project.

Breakfast tickets are $7 and are available presale from a 4H Member or at the door. 

The craft fair, held at the same location, will be open Saturday, May 27, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, May 28, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

There will be fun for the whole family – craft booths, face painting, food vendors, kettle corn, live music and more.

The craft fair supports the Lakeport Kiwanis High School Scholarship Fund and Community Projects.

Don't miss out on the Westside Community Park Fun Walk and 5K Fundraiser Sunday, May 28, beginning at 8 a.m. at Westside Park and ending at the craft fair location.

Registration for the event will be available on Saturday at the craft fair.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 8-8 of Lake County, will meet on Saturday, May 13.

The meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Konocti Bay Sailing Club building located at Braito's Marina, 1555 Eastlake Drive, Buckingham Peninsula, in Kelseyville.

The meeting is open to anyone 17 years or older who would be interested in joining this active group. 

For additional information, call the flotilla’s voice mail line at 707-278-8288.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – This year’s Mothers’ Day concert by the Lake County Symphony features both patriotic and traditional American music familiar to most of us, under the talented direction of conductor John Parkinson.

The concert takes place on Sunday, May 14 – Mother’s Day – at 3 p.m. at Lakeport’s Soper Reese Theater and showcases the works of some of our most beloved and prolific composers, many who were born near the turn of the 20th century, including Irving Berlin, George M Cohan, John Philip Sousa, Leroy Anderson, Stephen Foster and George Gershwin.

As is traditional, the Lake County Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Sue Condit, will introduce the concert with two selections.

The first, “Tango Expressivo” is by Matt Turner. The second, “Clinch Mountain Backstep” is an Appalachian folk song arranged for orchestra by Larry Moore.

The young musicians will then surrender the stage to the full Symphony, who will open with a medley of patriotic tunes entitled “From Sea to Shining Sea” by Samuel Ward, followed by works of George Gershwin, George Cohan, Stephen Foster and Aaron Copland.

Traditional Irish and early American selections are also on the list for those who like toe-tapping fiddle music like Leroy Anderson’s “Chicken Reel” and “Horse and Buggy,” along with traditional Irish tunes like “Donegal Reel” and the “Star of the County Down.”

The great American West is featured with a medley of music from popular movie westerns, “The Magnificent Seven,” “The Good the Bad and the Ugly,” and “Hang ‘em High.”

Also not to be missed is an energetic rendition of “Hoe-Down” from Aaron Copland’s 1943 Ballet, “Rodeo” which was drawn from the American Southwest tradition of the afternoon rodeo. In the “Hoe-Down” you will hear themes from the fiddle tunes “Bonaparte” and “McLeod’s Reel.”

The concert will end with Irving Berlin’s heartfelt tribute to his adopted country “God Bless America.”

The annual Mothers’ Day Symphony concert is a sellout nearly every year and LCSA members are urged to get in their reservations soon on-line at www.soperreesetheatre.com or by phone at 707-263-0577.

Tickets are $25 for general admission, or $30 for premium reserved. Members receive a $5 discount in both categories.

In order to encourage greater youth participation, an open rehearsal concert is held at 11 a.m., open to young people under age 18 at no charge; for others there is a modest admission fee of $5.

The Soper Reese Theatre is located at 275 S. Main St., Lakeport.

BERKELEY, Calif. – The first year of elementary school markedly boosts a child’s attentiveness, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley, and the Max Planck Institute in Germany.

The study, led by the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, shows that children who transition earlier to a formal school environment learn to be more focused and less impulsive than their peers at play-based preschools.

The findings were published Wednesday in the online issue of the journal Psychological Science.

“These results demonstrate for the first time how environmental context shapes the development of brain mechanisms in 5-year-olds transitioning into school,” said study co-author Silvia Bunge, a UC Berkeley professor of psychology and neuroscience.

Researchers hypothesized that a controlled educational setting in which young children must learn to sit still, follow directions and avoid distractions would boost certain cognitive skills, such as staying on task.

The experiment, conducted in Germany where preschool is referred to as “kindergarten,” proved their theory.

“Our results indicate that the structured learning environment of school has a positive effect on the development of behavioral control,” said study lead author Garvin Brod, a researcher at the German Institute for International Educational Research.

For the study, researchers used computerized tests and brain imaging to track the cognitive performance of 62 children aged 5.

In comparing the results of tests conducted at the beginning and end of a school and preschool year, the study found that the children who had gone to school showed greater improvement than their preschool peers at maintaining focus and following rules.

Moreover, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of their brains during an attention control task showed the schoolgoers to have a more active right parietal cortex, which supports attentiveness, among other cognitive skills.

While the findings reveal new information in the ongoing debate over the developmentally appropriate age to start school, the researchers are not necessarily advocating for early school start ages.

“Those results should not be taken to mean that the elementary school setting is necessarily better for young children’s development than play-based early schooling,” Bunge said, citing research that shows children do well in hands-on, interactive learning environments.

Moreover, there is enormous developmental variation across children of the same age, she said.

The study is part of the HippoKid project led by Yee Lee Shing at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development.

Yasmin Anwar writes for the UC Berkeley News Center.