SACRAMENTO – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced one appointment and four reappointments to the Little Hoover Commission.

“Vickie, Marilyn, Loren, Eugene and David bring a diversity of educational and professional experiences to the Little Hoover Commission,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “I am happy to appoint these five individuals to the Commission and am confident they will help make California better by examining government from many perspectives.”

Victoria Bradshaw, 62, of Sacramento, has served as secretary of the Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) since 2009. She served as deputy chief of staff and cabinet secretary to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger from 2008 to 2009. Prior to that, she served as secretary for the LWDA from 2004 to 2008 and was undersecretary and acting secretary from 2003 to 2004. She served as executive director of the Employment Training Panel from 1999 to 2001.

Bradshaw worked in the Office of Governor Pete Wilson as deputy chief of staff and cabinet secretary from 1998 to 1999 and deputy cabinet secretary from 1996 to 1998. She was director of the Employment Development Department from 1995 to 1996 and was state labor commissioner from 1991 to 1995. She is a member California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, where she has served as a member and most recently as chair since 2005.

Bradshaw earned a Master of Public Administration degree from California State University, Sacramento and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Bradshaw is a Republican.

Marilyn Brewer, 73, of Newport Beach, has served as a member of the Little Hoover Commission since 2006. Prior to her retirement, she served in the California State Assembly, where she represented the 70th Assembly District from 1994 to 2002.

Brewer was an executive assistant to Orange County Supervisor Thomas F. Riley from 1986 to 1994 and co-founder of C. Brewer Company in 1965, where she worked until 1983. She is the founding chair of the Orange County Coalition of Comprehensive Mental Health Services and member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the University of California, Irvine College of Medicine.

Brewer earned an Associate of Arts degree from Fullerton College. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Brewer is a Republican.

Loren Kaye, 54, of Sacramento, has served as a member of the Little Hoover Commission since 2006. He has been president of the California Foundation for Commerce and Education since 2006.

Previously, Kaye was a partner at KP Public Affairs from 1996 to 2005 and undersecretary for the California Trade and Commerce Agency from 1993 to 1996. Kaye earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, San Diego. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Kaye is a Republican.

Eugene Mitchell, 54, of Carlsbad, has served as a member of the Little Hoover Commission since 2004. He has been regional vice president of external affairs for San Diego Gas and Electric Company since 2005 and was vice president of public policy and communications for the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce from 1999 to 2005.

Previously, Mitchell was director of government affairs for American Medical Response from 1997 to 1999 and assistant director of intergovernmental relations for San Diego Mayor Susan Golding from 1996 to 1997.

From 1994 to 1996, he was director of governmental relations for San Diego City Firefighters Local 145. Mitchell earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Redlands. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Mitchell is a Republican.

David Schwarz, 50, of Beverly Hills, has served as a member of the Little Hoover Commission since 2007. He has been an attorney and a partner with the law firm of Irell and Manella since 1991 and previously served as special assistant to Ambassador Morris Abram, U.S. permanent representative to the European Office of the United Nations from 1989 to 1991.

Prior to that, Schwarz served as a law clerk to the Honorable Alex Kozinski in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Schwarz earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Duke University of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Schwarz is a Republican.

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

LAKE COUNTY

Highway 20

– PG&E of Ukiah has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility maintenance from 0.3 mile west of Red Hill Lane to 0.2 mile west of Nice-Lucerne Cutoff Road. Work hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

– The county of Lake has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for sewer repairs from 0.3 mile west of Red Hill Lane to Nice-Lucerne Cuttoff Road. Work hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 29

– Pavement repairs from the Lake/Napa County line to Hidden Valley Road will continue Tuesday, Jan. 4, and Wednesday, Jan. 5. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays. Contractor – International Surfacing Systems of West Sacramento.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 101

– A metal beam guardrail repair project at various locations from the El Roble Overcrossing to the Doolan Creek Bridge will continue. Work hours are 6:30 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. The southbound offramp to Route 222 (Talmage Road Exit 548A) will be intermittently closed from 10 p.m. Sunday to 7 a.m. Friday. Motorists will be advised to use an alternate route and may experience minor delays. Contractor – Wahlund Construction of Eureka.

– A pavement repair project from the Robinson Creek Bridge to Uva will continue. Work hours are 4 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. Contractor – Granite Construction Inc. of Ukiah.

– A metal beam guardrail repair project at various locations from Lake Mendocino Drive to the northern Long Valley Creek Bridge will continue. Work hours are 6 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 – Wahlund Construction of Eureka.

– Pavement striping from 0.1 mile south of Harwood Road to 2.5 miles south of Rattlesnake Summit will continue. 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. Contractor – Mercer-Fraser Company of Eureka.

– A metal beam guardrail repair project at various locations from the Cummings Road Overcrossing to 0.6 mile south of the junction of Route 101/271 near Reynolds will continue. Work hours are 6 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 – Wahlund Construction of Eureka.

– Eel River Transportation and Salvage of Fortuna has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for fuel spill cleanup just north of the Dora 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.

Highway 222

– Replacement of the Russian River Bridge will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control with a temporary signal will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per

week. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays during work hours and five-minute delays at other times. Contractor – CC Myers of Rancho Cordova.

Please keep in mind work on all these projects is weather permitting and subject to change. Caltrans wishes to advise motorists to drive with caution when approaching work areas and to be prepared to stop at traffic control stations.

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).

A board meeting will be held beginning at 11 a.m., with a social time starting at noon.

The flower roll call will take place at 12:30 p.m. with the 1 p.m. meeting to be followed by a program, “Welcome to the Wonderful World of Succulents.”

The club meets at noon on the third Tuesday of the month, except July and August, at the Scotts Valley Women's Club House, 2298 Hendricks Road, Lakeport.

Members, guests, and all who are interested are most welcome. President Linda Waterstraat, telephone 707-245-4731, invites interested gardeners to join them.

Clear Lake Trowel & Trellis Garden Club is a member of Mendo-Lake District, California Garden Club Inc., Pacific Region and National Garden Clubs Inc.

For more information see www.clttgc.org .

The meeting will start at 4:30 p.m. at Catholic Charities of Lake County, 21257 Calistoga Road, Middletown.

Agenda items include discussion and consideration of a redevelopment fact sheet and alternate petition for merchants, and an action item on the strategy for moving forward.

For more information, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Democratic Central Committee will hold its first meeting of the new year on Thursday, Jan. 6.

The meeting will take place beginning at 7 p.m. at the Lake County Tax Services office, 1210 S. Main St, Lakeport.

Agenda items include nomination and election of officers for 2011-12, election of convention delegates for 2011-12 and discussion of goals for the new two-year term.

Also, on the agenda will be reports from the representatives for Congressman Mike Thompson and Assemblyman Wes Chesbro.

Meetings are open to the public and committee membership is open to all registered Democrats.

The Lake County Democratic Central Committee is the official governing body of the Democratic Party in Lake County.

Contact the Democratic Party of Lake County at 707-277-0713 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The committee's Web site is www.lakecountydemocrats.org .

The meeting will begin promptly at 6:15 p.m. and run until 8 p.m.

The topics covered at this meeting will include “The Election of 1860” and “The Secession Crisis.” These will be presented in a PowerPoint presentation by Phil Smoley and Zane Jensen.

There will be ample opportunity for those attending to ask questions or bring up anything Civil War-related.

Smoley will take lead on “The Election of 1860” that triggered the Secession Crisis, and eventually led to war.

“The election of 1860 was unique in that there were four viable candidates. Lincoln won with less than 40 percent of the popular vote,” Smoley said. “Today we think Lincoln was universally loved, but back then, over 60 percent of voters were against him. Here in California, over 60 percent voted for a Democrat, but because there were two Democratic presidential nominees, Lincoln won here with less than 33 percent of the vote. Lincoln did not even appear on the ballot in nine states, yet he still won in what has to be the most bizarre election in history. We will explore that is some detail.”

It was Lincoln's victory that was the final factor in South Carolina's decision to declare independence, and they were quickly followed by six other states, creating a monumental crisis.

Zane Jensen will explore the issue of secession. Was it legal? Did states have the right to secede? Did Lincoln have the Constitutional authority to invade those states? What was their motivation to secede?

“The answers will surprise a lot of people,” said Jensen. “It really comes down to whether or not they had the right to secede, and whether it was right to forcefully coerce them back into the Union. Just because someone has the right to do something, does not necessarily make it right. We will look at both sides of the issue in a fresh approach that will challenge the conventional wisdom of both sides.”

Today, people still debate the meaning of the 10th Amendment, states rights and the real causes of the Civil War. “With the sesquicentennial of the war upon us, what a great time it is for us to revisit these issues to gain an accurate historical perspective,” Smoley said.

There is no cost for attending. Food and drink is “no-host.”

For more information, contact Phil Smoley at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Zane Jensen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .