'Stimulus' youth jobs program starts now

<p>Sonoma County young people can apply starting Thursday for summer jobs under the federal economic stimulus package approved by Congress earlier this year. </p><p>At least half of the 250 jobs will be in the Summer Youth Ecology Corps, which works on stream restoration, flood prevention and other environmental projects with Sonoma County agencies and conservation groups. </p><p>The $1.2 million program begins in mid-June and lasts for six weeks. People aged 14 to 24 must attend an application session and meet income and other eligibility requirements </p><p>The first application session is Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 2227 Capricorn Way in Santa Rosa. </p><p>Other sessions will be May 20 in Petaluma, May 21 in Healdsburg, May 26 in Guerneville, May 27 in Sebastopol and May 28 in Sonoma. </p><p>More information is available at www.socoyouth.org.</p>