Lake County's chapter of the California Women for Agriculture include, from left to right, Bonnie Sears, Sausha Racine, Toni Scull, and Paula Bryant. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY – Members of the Lake County Chapter of California Women for Agriculture recently elected and installed new officers of the all-volunteer, agricultural support organization.

Leading the group in 2010 will be Toni Scully, president; Sausha Racine, vice president; and Bonnie Sears, secretary, all of Lakeport; and Paula Bryant, Hidden Valley Lake, treasurer.

Marilyn Holdenried, Kelseyville, chapter founder and first president, conducted the installation at a recent luncheon meeting.

Also serving on the board of directors as area representatives will be Linda Juntunen, Lakeport; Matilda Robinson and Rachel Quist, Upper Lake; Sue Steiner and Sally Beckner, South County; and Nellie Dorn, Kelseyville.

Past president Margaret Eutenier will continue to edit and produce the chapter’s newsletter.

Members attending the recent gathering included the new officers, Juntunen, Holdenried, Eutenier, and past presidents Carolyn Henderson Rohner, Laura Hodgkinson and Wilda Shock. Also present were active members Colleen Rentsch, Janice Stokes, Diane Henderson and Sara Dorn.

CWA members are advocates for agriculture. Initially, when formed in 1976, members were directly involved in farming; now the statewide membership includes professionals working in banking, law, business, regulatory agencies, sales, politics, communication, and education.

Many members, including those in the Lake County Chapter, are also community leaders, volunteers, and consumers interested in and concerned about agriculture in California.

The new officers are professionally allied with agricultural interests in Lake County.

Scully’s family owns and manages Scully Packing Co., growers and shippers of Lake County pears, and is based in Finley. Racine is the assistant manager of Scully Packing. Sears is the administrative manager of Snows Lake Vineyard, Lower Lake. Bryant is vice president/relationship manager for Umpqua Bank, Lakeport.

“I’m honored to become president of the Lake County Chapter of CWA,” said Scully. “Some of our members have been farming pears, grapes, walnut, or cattle here for generations. Other members come from various walks of life and recognize what a contribution these family farms and farmers make to our local quality of life. We are dedicated to helping this important segment of our economy survive and prosper.”

She added, “These Lake County farms and ranches have been sustainable over the course of many generations, and their owners and operators, along with CWA members, are committed to seeing them continue to supply fine Lake County products to domestic and international markets.”

The role of CWA is to convey the benefits of a vibrant farm economy to those in positions to impact the future of agriculture in California. The members do so by providing the information, skills and network so that volunteers can make a difference, both locally and statewide, sharing their perspectives with the media, teachers and students, elected officials, opinion makers, and community leaders.

More information about the Lake County CWA may be obtained from Toni Scully at 707-263-3710 or by writing to P.O. Box 279, Finley 95435. Annual activities include the awarding of scholarships to college students pursuing careers in agriculture or allied businesses, using proceeds from the popular sales of pear pies during the Kelseyville Pear Festival.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at Loconoma Valley High School, located at 21256 Washington St., Middletown.

The agenda will include unfinished business items such as the Middletown Community/Youth Center Survey, a letter to the Planning Commission regarding Bottle Rock Power Use Permit Violations, the Middletown Swimming Pool and a MATH and MMA Redevelopment meeting.

New business will include a “meet the candidates” period, replacement of Northern District Board Member Scott Fergusson, and a bylaws amendment providing for an at large board seat.

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 20

– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance from Gravel Plant Road to the Colusa/Lake County line though Friday, Dec. 4. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance from Abbot Mine Road to the Colusa/Lake County line beginning Monday, Dec. 7. Work hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

Highway 175

– Nancy Kayman of Lakeport has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit to install a driveway near Forestry Station Access Road through Friday, Dec. 4. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

– Pavement repair 0.2 mile north of Big Gulch Road will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Contractor – Rege Construction Inc. of Cloverdale.

– Construction of a retaining wall about three miles north of Elk 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 10-minute delays. Contractor – Granite Construction of Ukiah.

– The city of Fort Bragg has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit to hold the Holiday Lights Parade between Oak Street and Manzanita Street on Saturday, Dec. 5. Event hours are 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. A full road closure will be in effect. A detour will be available.

Highway 20

– AT&T of Sacramento has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility maintenance from Trillium Lane to Noyo Acres Drive beginning Wednesday, Dec. 9. Work hours 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.,

weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Construction of a retaining wall 0.4 mile east of Three Chop Road 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. Contractor – Granite Construction of Ukiah.

Highway 101

– Bridge deck repairs at the Cummings Road Bridge will continue through Friday, December 4. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., weekdays. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction of travel.

Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns. Contractor – DeBruin Construction Inc. of French Camp.

Highway 128

– AT&T of Walnut Creek has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility relocation from 1.5 to 3.5 miles east of Mountain House Road. Work hours 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

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).

LAKE COUNTY – The 17^th annual Lake County Toy Run takes place this Sunday, Dec. 6, circling Lake County to help gather toys for children in need.

The Toy Run departs the Kmart parking lot on S. Main Street at 11 a.m. Rider will travel around the lake, with the run ending at the Kelseyville Lions Club House on Sylar Lane in Kelseyville for a great barbecue lunch. Be a part of the solution to help our less fortunate Lake County Kids enjoy the Holiday.

A very generous Santa is paying for the lunch on Sunday, Dec. 6, for everyone who participates in and donates a new toy for the event. Prior to doing this, it would have cost everyone $10 per person.

Santa, in recognition of these strained economic times, wants to be sure folks help out our Lake County kids this year by donating as many toys as possible, so he's paying for the lunch.

All toy run participants (motorcycles, cars, trucks) check in at Kmart with the Clear Lake Road Riders on Sunday, Dec. 6, in the parking lot, where registration opens at 9 a.m.

There are discount coupons for all registered participants, to buy their toys and cash donations are welcome also.

The commission will meet at the Lake County One-Stop conference room, 55 First St., Lakeport.

The agenda includes the 2008-09 Annual Evaluation Report, a presentation on the Oral Health Program, the executive director’s report, commissioners' reports, public comments and announcements.

For more information contact First 5 Lake County, telephone 707-263-6169.

To help facilitate these discussions, AAA is providing a variety of free resources at www.aaa.com/seniordrivers .

People age 65 and older represent the fastest growing segment of the country’s population, which means the ability of a senior to drive safely is an issue for millions of Americans. Also, given age-related frailties, seniors have the highest crash death rate per mile of everyone except teenagers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“Many people do not know where to turn for help to address the safety and mobility challenges often faced by older drivers and their families and AAA is here to help,” said AAA Northern California spokesperson Matt Skryja. “At www.aaa.com/seniordrivers , we have tools to help manage the inevitable consequences of aging, and the effects of that aging on driving ability.”

For many seniors, conversations about continued safe driving can spark strong emotional reactions. Fortunately, these conversations also can serve as opportunities for constructive communication and problem solving.

There are some common questions that come up:

• Is it safe to continue driving?

• Are there tools to help older drivers be safer?

• When is it time to hang up the keys?

• What options exist when seniors can no longer drive?

To address this growing concern among families, AAA provides expert advice, research-based tools, and resources through its safety and mobility web site www.aaa.com/seniordrivers .

The information and tools on the site are designed to aid in prompting conversations, assessing abilities, developing and implementing action plans, and improving the comfort and safety of older drivers.

Here’s a sampling of the resources:

• Online Mature Driver Course helps older drivers decrease their risk of traffic violations, collision, and injury and can qualify them for a AAA insurance discount.

• AAA Roadwise Review is a CD-ROM program designed to assess a driver’s functional abilities important to safe driving.

• CarFit and AAA’s Smart Features for Mature Drivers help enhance seniors’ comfort and safety while driving.

• Drive Sharp is a computer-based brain fitness training program for driver safety.