SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Community Colleges Board of Governors on Monday elected Cecilia V. Estolano to serve as president and Thomas Epstein to serve as vice president for 2017.

The board, appointed by the governor, nominates and elects its president and vice president each November.

“I couldn’t be happier or more honored to be elected as board president by my colleagues,” said Estolano, who served previously as board vice president. “This is a very exciting time for our system, as we prepare to welcome a new chancellor. I’m very much looking forward to working with the board, in partnership with the governor and the Legislature, to help our 2.1 million students to accomplish their educational goals.”

More on the two officers:

Cecilia V. Estolano of Pasadena, was appointed to serve on the board in 2014. She is co-founder of Estolano LeSar Perez Advisors, which provides consulting services to public agencies, foundations, business associations and other stakeholders looking to grow vibrant communities.

Estolano previously served as chief executive officer of the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA). Prior to joining CRA/LA, Estolano was of counsel at the law firm of Gibson, Dunn, and Crutcher. Her career also includes service on the California Coastal Commission.

Estolano is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and holds a master’s in urban planning from the University of California, Los Angeles. She received her bachelor’s degree in social studies with honors from Harvard-Radcliffe Colleges.

Thomas Epstein is vice president of public affairs at Blue Shield of California, a statewide not-for-profit health plan based in San Francisco. Prior to joining Blue Shield, he was vice president of communications for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and served in the Clinton White House as a special assistant to the president for political affairs.

Before moving to Washington, Epstein was deputy commissioner for consumer protection and communications in the California Department of Insurance. He earned a J.D. from UCLA School of Law and a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and is a senior fellow at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.

He is a member of the California Bar and serves on the board of trustees of the Coalition for Clean Air, Enroll America and the Blue Shield of California Foundation.

The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation composed of 72 districts and 113 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year.

For more information about the community colleges, please visit http://californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu/ , https://www.facebook.com/CACommColleges or https://twitter.com/CalCommColleges .

California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Director and State Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith this week warned holiday travelers to protect themselves from mosquito bites when traveling to areas with known transmission of Zika virus, including Latin America.

Many areas of Mexico are now experiencing transmission of the Zika virus, particularly popular tourist destinations, including Cancun, Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa, and Mazatlan.

The states of Baja California Sur, where Cabo San Lucas is located, and Sonora, which borders Arizona, have recently reported local Zika virus transmission.

While the state of Baja California bordering California has not reported local Zika virus transmission, the mosquitoes that transmit the virus are present along the border.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers any travel to Mexico to be a potential risk for Zika virus infection.

“Pregnant women and couples contemplating pregnancy need to be particularly cautious because of the severe defects that can be caused to a fetus by the Zika virus,” said Dr. Smith. “Both state and federal public health officials urge pregnant women not to travel to areas with known Zika transmission.”

Zika virus can be spread through mosquito bites and can also be transmitted by both men and women during sex.

All individuals, particularly women of childbearing age, should take steps to protect themselves against mosquito bites while traveling and when they return home.

Sexually active adults who travel to areas with Zika transmission should use condoms or other barriers to avoid getting or passing Zika during sex.

Couples planning pregnancy when either partner has been exposed to Zika virus should speak with a health care provider about a safe time to try to get pregnant. Men should wait six months to conceive after Zika exposure. Women who have been exposed should wait a minimum of eight weeks before becoming pregnant.

“The mosquitoes that can carry and infect people with Zika live in many areas of California,” said Dr. Smith. “If one of these mosquitoes bites an infected person, it can spread the virus by biting another person. That is why we ask people traveling to Mexico, or any other place where Zika exists, to take steps to prevent mosquito bites for three weeks after a trip, even if you don’t feel sick.”

While there has been no local transmission of Zika virus in California to date, CDPH has confirmed 362 cases of travel-associated infections in the state.

To prevent mosquito bites, apply repellents containing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-registered ingredients such as DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535 to exposed skin and/or clothing (as directed on the product label).

Individuals should wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, socks and shoes when outdoors. Be sure window and door screens are in good condition to prevent mosquitoes from entering your home.

Most people who are infected with Zika do not experience any symptoms. However, symptoms of infection can include fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis (red eyes).

The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. There is currently no vaccine or treatment for Zika other than rest, fluids and fever relief.

More information about Zika can be found in the November 2016 CDPH Health and Travel Advisory, and on the CDPH and CDC Web sites. In addition, the Mexico Ministry of Health Web site contains more Zika-related information, www.cdph.ca.gov .

Dana Gioia is the Poet Laureate of California. For six years he served the nation as Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.

His new book, “99 Poems: New & Selected, has just been published by Graywolf Press.

This beautiful poem remembers his first son, Michael Jasper, whom Gioia and his wife Mary lost in infancy.

Prayer

Echo of the clocktower, footstep
in the alleyway, sweep
of the wind sifting the leaves.

Jeweller of the spiderweb, connoisseur
of autumn's opulence, blade of lightning
harvesting the sky.

Keeper of the small gate, choreographer
of entrances and exits, midnight
whisper traveling the wires.

Seducer, healer, deity or thief,
I will see you soon enough—
in the shadow of the rainfall,

in the brief violet darkening a sunset—
but until then I pray watch over him
as a mountain guards its covert ore

and the harsh falcon its flightless young.

American Life in Poetry does not accept unsolicited submissions. It is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Introduction copyright © 2016 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Redbud Audubon is pleased to welcome Bob Lewis to its November meeting on Thursday, Nov. 17.

Refreshments will be offered at 7 p.m. and the program begins at 7:15 p.m. in the Glebe Social Hall, St. Peter’s Catholic Church, 4085 Main St. in Kelseyville. The program is free and are open to the public. 

The title of Lewis' talk is “A Bird’s Rainbow,” and is a look at the fascinating mysteries of the color of birds.

Many birds are brightly colored; others use patterned feathers for camouflage. How do these colors originate? What’s the difference between colors from pigments and physical colors? From yellow warblers to Anna’s Hummingbirds, from snow geese to Brewer’s Blackbirds, each species makes unique use of the feather colors it possesses.

What do the colors indicate to other birds? And do birds see the same colors we do? Lewis will unravel some of the mysteries of color in birds with a little chemistry, a bit of physics and a lot of brightly colored slides.

Lewis trained as a chemist and worked for Chevron for 33 years. He’s taught birding classes in the Bay Area for over 20 years, and served as the chair of Golden Gate Audubon’s Adult Education Committee.

Currently he’s co-teaching a popular master birding class at the SF Academy of Sciences with Jack Dumbacher and Eddie Bartley, and birds of the Bay Area with Rusty Scalf.

He loves to travel and photograph birds, and has recently returned from a trip to Peru, chasing the brightly colored birds of that area.

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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

– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance from Long Valley Road to New Long Valley Road on Tuesday, Nov. 15. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 29

– Pavement marker replacement from .3 miles north of the Siegler Canyon Bridge to just north of Cruikshank Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect overnight from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., or from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
 
– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance 1.5 miles south of Konocti Forestry Camp beginning Wednesday, Nov. 16. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

Highway 53
 
– Rocky fire cleanup near 40th Avenue will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
 
MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

– AT&T has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility repairs near Westward Ho Road beginning Tuesday, Nov. 15. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance from Old Stageroad Drive to Lighthouse Road beginning Tuesday, Nov. 15. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

– Bridge deck repairs at the Brush Creek will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
 
Highway 20

– Pavement repairs from the North Calpella Overcrossing to Cold Creek Bridge No. 3 will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect overnight from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 20-minute delays.

Highway 101

– Routine maintenance near Frog Woman Rock will continue. A northbound lane restriction will be in place. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

– PG&E has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility repairs from Feliz Creek to Rosetti Creek beginning Monday, Nov. 14. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
 
– Bridge rail upgrades at the South Willits Overhead will continue. Northbound traffic will be restricted to one lane 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

– Rumble strip installation at various locations from Willits 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 15-minute delays.

– Emergency culvert repairs just north of the north Willits railroad crossing will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

– Emergency slide repairs just south of Standish-Hickey State Park 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 five-minute delays.

Highway 253
 
– Highway repairs east of Cattle Pass will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 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).

SAN FRANCISCO – Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) is joining utilities throughout North America to make customers aware of telephone, mail, email and door-to-door/in-person scams that involve criminals posing as utility company representatives and demanding immediate payment or personal information.

The “Utilities United Against Scams” collaboration has designated Nov. 16 as “Utilities United Against Scams Day.”

This day will be supported by a week-long campaign, beginning Nov. 14, with information focused on exposing the tricks scammers use to steal from customers, and how customers can protect themselves.

“The safety and security of our customers is the foundation of how we operate, so it’s heartbreaking when you hear about people being affected by these types of scams,” said Deb Affonsa, vice president, PG&E Customer Care. “Awareness is a key part of stopping this type of crime and we are working hard to continue getting the word out to our customers.”

The North American-wide collaborative encourages the public to share these messages to help guard against scam activity.

To date in 2016, PG&E has received more than 2,400 scam reports. Scammers continue to employ increasingly more sophisticated tactics to exploit customers.

PG&E continues to work with law enforcement agencies that are conducting investigations as well as supporting ongoing efforts to help educate customers about scams.

Scam red flags and how to protect yourself

• A scammer tells the customer his or her account is past due and service will be disconnected if payment isn’t made through prepaid cash card – usually within an hour.
• PG&E never requires a customer to purchase a prepaid debit card to avoid disconnection. Customers behind on their bill receive multiple advance disconnection notifications – never a single notification one hour before disconnection. Customers can make payments online, by phone, automatic bank draft, mail or in person.
• Hang up on suspicious calls. Contact local police on their non-emergency number and then call PG&E.
• Never dial phone numbers scammers provide or assume caller ID is accurate. Scammers use sophisticated systems where they can mimic caller ID that appears to be PG&E’s number.
• An in-person scammer wears a hard hat, an orange vest and holds a clip board and asks to see your utility bill or to be let inside your home.
• If someone is at your door claiming to represent PG&E and is unwilling to show their ID or is otherwise making you uncomfortable, don’t let them in and call local law enforcement immediately. PG&E employees carry identification and are always willing to show it to you.
• Expect to receive an automated call from PG&E 48 hours before a scheduled visit. You may also receive a personal call from a PG&E gas service representative before a scheduled visit. You can also call PG&E to verify an appointment.
• A scammer sends an email that demands immediate payment, asks for financial information or contains suspicious links.
• Beware of emails requesting your personal information. Never click on suspicious links or open attachments that demand immediate payment or financial information.

Customers who suspect or experience fraud, or feel threatened during contact with one of these scammers, should contact local authorities and then PG&E 1-800-743-5000.

For more information visit www.pge.com .

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – With tremendous gratitude, Habitat for Humanity Lake County held its annual fundraising dinner on Nov. 7 at the Saw Shop Bistro in Kelseyville.

Graciously hosted again by Marie Beery and her staff for the 15th year, the appreciative guests were treated to the warm atmosphere of community and friendship, a spectacular meal, and welcoming music donated once more by local Habitat friend David Neft.

With food and wine donated by the Saw Shop, this year the benefit raised $19,000, all of which will go directly to the Fire Rebuild fund to provide homes for the victims of the Lake County fires of 2015 and 2016.
 
If you would like to contribute to the Fire Rebuild Fund or if you are interested in volunteering for the rebuild effort, please call Habitat for Humanity Lake County at 707-994-1100 or come by the new office at 15312 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake to discuss how you might be able to help.

Donations may be made via PayPal by visiting www.lakehabitat.org or by mail to PO Box 1830, Lower Lake CA. 95457.

Thank you, District 4. I am honored to be to the top vote getter to date for District 4.

I have befriended some of the most amazing people in the last year and know I have made some life-long friends because of my campaign.

I have learned there is passion in this county, and people wanting to work together for the greater good of us all.

It is going to take every one of us to move Lake County forward, and this will be done by working together. I look forward to hosting monthly meetings to get to know even more people that want the best for Lake County.

I would like to personally thank my husband Doug and my children for their dedication with my determination to make a difference in my community.

I would also like to thank Gillian Parrillo for all the guidance and support making my victory possible.

There was also countless others that came out spending countless hours to spread the positive word about my candidacy.

I promise I will not let you down and will always work hard for Lake County.

Now the real work begins.

Tina Scott lives in Lakeport, Calif.

On Tuesday, Nov. 15, commercial Dungeness crab season will open from Point Reyes in Marin County south, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced.

But at the recommendation of state health agencies, the CDFW Director is moving to close the commercial Dungeness crab fishery between Point Reyes and the Sonoma/Mendocino County line and to close the commercial rock crab fishery north of Pigeon Point in San Mateo County.

This has the effect of closing approximately 60 miles of coastline to commercial Dungeness crab fishing that otherwise would have opened on Nov. 15. The fishery north of the Sonoma/Mendocino county line is not scheduled to open until Dec. 1.

The commercial Dungeness crab fishery had been scheduled to open all the way up to the Sonoma/Mendocino county line (about 60 miles north of Point Reyes) on Nov. 15 and the rock crab fishery is otherwise open year round, but some crabs collected and tested showed elevated levels of domoic acid. The naturally occurring toxin can sicken people who consume crab.

At the recommendation of the state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham submitted to the Office of Administrative Law an emergency rulemaking to keep the commercial Dungeness crab fishery closed north of Point Reyes (38°00' N. lat.) and to close the commercial rock crab fishery north of Pigeon Point (37°11' N. lat.).

Last fall and winter, domoic acid along the West Coast interrupted Dungeness and rock crab fisheries from Santa Barbara to the Oregon state line.

"Given the very difficult season endured by commercial crabbers and their families last year, we were hopeful to open all areas on time this year," said Director Bonham. "Fortunately, domoic acid levels are much lower than this time last year and, despite this action, we are optimistic we will still be able to have a good season."

The recreational season for Dungeness crab opened on Nov. 5 with a warning from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to recreational anglers not to consume the viscera of Dungeness crab caught north of Point Reyes. State and federal laws prohibit the commercial distribution of seafood products that contain domoic acid levels above the federal action level of 30 parts per million in the viscera.

Because of this, OEHHA in consultation with CDPH recommended to CDFW to close or delay the start of the commercial Dungeness crab season north of Point Reyes and close the commercial rock crab fishery north of Pigeon Point.

Closure of the above-referenced commercial fisheries shall remain in effect until the Director of OEHHA, in consultation with the Director of CDPH, determines that domoic acid levels no longer pose a significant risk to public health and recommends the fisheries be open, and the Director of CDFW provides notification to the commercial fisheries.

Recreational fisheries will remain open under a warning to anglers not to eat the viscera of crab caught in the affected areas.

CDFW will continue to coordinate with CDPH and OEHHA to test domoic acid levels in crab along the coast to determine when the fisheries can safely be opened.

CDPH, in conjunction with CDFW, has been actively testing crabs since early September and results from the most recent tests showed that select crabs from the closed areas had elevated levels of domoic acid in their viscera.

Domoic acid is a potent neurotoxin that can accumulate in shellfish, other invertebrates and sometimes fish. It causes illness and sometimes death in a variety of birds and marine mammals that consume affected organisms. At low levels, domoic acid exposure can cause nausea, diarrhea and dizziness in humans. At higher levels, it can cause persistent short-term memory loss, seizures and can in some cases be fatal.