NORTH COAST, Calif. – Mendocino County’s popular longtime sheriff said he is stepping down.

In a post published on his Facebook page shortly after 12 a.m. Thursday, Tom Allman said he is retiring as sheriff effective Dec. 28.

“This is a decision that I have made based on many things, but one of the most important is the fact that we have a very good undersheriff, Matt Kendall, who is ready to take the helm,” said Allman.

Allman has worked in law enforcement for Mendocino County since 1985, and has been sheriff for 13 years.

He said “there are no words which would adequately describe how proud I am to have been Sheriff of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. As the transition takes place, I have to thank the men and women who work very hard to keep our county safe. I’m leaving at a time when things are very good and I’m not taking this for granted.”

Allman said he’s not moving from the North Coast and he intends to devote time to improving the mental health services throughout Mendocino County, an issue he’s been passionate about over the years.

“Together, we’ve accomplished a lot, yet the hardest work is still ahead of us. The current ambulance crisis is another project which I will be working on,” Allman wrote.

“I am very lucky to have so many people who have supported me in my time as your Sheriff and I will never forget how fortunate I have been,” Allman wrote. “Together, we have faced fires, floods, droughts, a tsunami and several other incidents which have gone down in our county history as major. In 2008, we had 134 lightning fires in one night and in 2011, we had the most expensive and extensive manhunt in our county history. In 2017, we experienced the most tragic disaster in our history, where 9 citizens perished. The sadness and pain of that tragedy which we all experienced will always linger. Throughout all of these disasters, we have had First Responders step up and do the necessary work which had to be done. Many of these first responders are volunteers and they have my heartfelt appreciation. Our volunteer firefighters and our search and rescue volunteers are citizens who strive to work very hard to make our county a better place, for little or no pay. Thank you very much.”

Allman offered his thanks and appreciation to the men and women of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. “You are appreciated for what you do and how you conduct yourself. I know each of you and I am very proud of you. Continue wearing your uniform with the rich pride that has been established by the past employees who have built our good reputation.”

He concluded, “I’m going to sum it up in very few words: Thank you for allowing me the privilege of being your Sheriff for the past 13 years. I have made many friends throughout my tenure as your Sheriff and will never forget the kindness which has been shown to me.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom joined the California Museum to induct the 13th class of icons who embody the state’s spirit of innovation and achievement into the California Hall of Fame Tuesday evening in Sacramento.

“California is a state not just of dreamers, but of doers who pride themselves on being on the leading edge,” said Gov. Newsom. “That entrepreneurial spirit and the incredible diversity, daring and perseverance of our beloved state is demonstrated in the lives and the journeys of those honored tonight.”

“These inductees exemplify the beautiful diversity of our state and we are honored to induct them into the California Hall of Fame,” said First Partner Siebel Newsom.

The inductees of the California Hall of Fame 13th class are writer, poet, performer and teacher Dr. Maya Angelou; actor, model, singer, songwriter, television personality and author RuPaul Charles; athlete and Olympic medalist Brandi Chastain; astrophysicist Dr. France A. Córdova; skateboarder, entrepreneur and philanthropist Tony Hawk; author and activist Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston; civil rights leader Rev. James M. Lawson Jr.; actor and comedian George Lopez; chef, restaurateur and entrepreneur Wolfgang Puck; and winemaker and vintner Helen M. Turley.

The California Hall of Fame was established in 2006 to honor legendary people who have made their mark on history through achievements across a variety of fields, including the arts, education, business and labor, science, sports, philanthropy and public service.

California Hall of Fame inductees are selected yearly by the governor and first partner.

The governor and first partner announced the inductees in a social media video last month. This year’s honorees join 122 inspirational Californians previously inducted for embodying the state’s spirit of innovation.

Inductees were presented with “Spirit of California” medals by the governor and first partner in an official ceremony held at the California Museum.

In addition, the lives and legacies of the new inductees will be featured in an all-new artifact exhibit at the California Museum that opened on Wednesday.

For more information on the California Hall of Fame, visit http://www.californiamuseum.org/california-hall-fame.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council this week will hold discussions on possibly establishing a new meeting schedule and offering hiring bonuses to address vacancies in the police department.

The council will meet in closed session beginning at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, to discuss labor negotiations and hold a performance evaluation of the city attorney before the public portion of the meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the council chamber at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

At the start of the meeting, the council will meet Clearlake Animal Control’s adoptable dogs, make a presentation of appreciation to former Planning Commissioner Nathalie Antus for her service and hear a presentation by First 5 Lake County on a new report titled the “State of Our Children.”

On Thursday, the council will consider its annual meeting calendar and whether or not it should change its regular meetings from the second and fourth Thursdays in order to accommodate the schedule of City Attorney Ryan Jones.

In a report to the council, Administrative Services Director-City Clerk Melissa Swanson explained that the city has contracted with Jones & Mayer for city attorney services for several years, and Jones has acted as city attorney since the contract began in 2015.

She said Jones has recently been assigned to another city to appear at their council meetings on the same night as the Clearlake City Council. In his absence, deputy city attorneys have been attending the meetings.

“If your Council wishes to continue City Attorney Jones’ services, the dates of the meetings would need to be moved to a different night. If this is the direction of the Council, staff proposes holding Council meetings on the first and third Thursdays of the month. Due to the New Year holiday and the need to prepare at a staff level for the proposed changes, staff recommends beginning the changes in February 2020,” Swanson wrote.

Alternatively, Swanson said the council could continue with having deputy city attorneys attend the council meetings and Jones could assist staff and council in all other matters.

Also on Thursday, the council will consider approving a hiring bonus and referral incentive program for police officers in a proposed resolution.

In his report to the council, Police Chief Andrew White notes that while the department has made considerable progress in recruitment of police officers over the past 18 months – hiring six officers and promoting two others to supervisorial or management positions – he said it’s still a struggle to hire police officers, a problem seen across the nation.

“Despite significant efforts in terms of outreach and advertising, the overall candidate pool has drastically decreased,” White said, noting the department has two vacancies, one of which has been open for 18 months.

“The impact of just a single vacancy, let alone two, is significant in an agency with only 24.5 FTE [full-time equivalent] sworn positions. These two vacancies represent the minimum staffing of officers for an entire patrol shift,” White wrote.

In order to address vacancies and the negative impacts they have on the department, White is proposing hiring bonuses similar to those implemented by other agencies locally, across the state and elsewhere. The Lakeport Police Department offers a $6,000 bonus in the form of an academy reimbursement and the Lake county Sheriff’s Office offers a $5,000 hiring bonus.

“Statewide the bonuses go as high as $30,000 with payments made in various increments,” White said.

He is proposing establishing a $15,000 hiring bonus for police officers on a trial basis through June 30, 2020, with the approval of City Manager Alan Flora required.

He said lateral police officers would receive $10,000 payable during the first pay period following hiring and $5,000 payable at the first pay period following successful completion of the field training program. A lateral police officer would be any currently employed police officer with a Basic POST Certificate who is successfully hired by the Clearlake Police Department.

Academy graduate police officers would receive $5,000 payable at the first pay period following hiring and $10,000 payable at the first pay period following successful completion of the field
training program.

White also is asking the council to consider implementing a trial referral incentive – to run concurrent with the hiring bonus program – that would reward current employees.

“Experience has shown that current employees are amongst the best referral sources for qualified candidates, especially with difficult to recruit positions. Staff proposes a $1,500 referral incentive which would be paid half upon hiring of the referred candidate and half when the candidate completes probation. The bonus would not be payable to an employee involved in the hiring process or when assigned to a recruitment detail,” White wrote.

“While the effectiveness of the initiatives will be borne out with time, given the significant negative impacts of failing to act, staff believes it is prudent to try both programs,” he added.

White said the costs will be covered with salary savings in the current fiscal year budget.

On the meeting's consent agenda – items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote – are warrant registers; continuation of a local emergency issued on Oct. 9, 2017, and ratified by council action on Oct. 12, 2017; appointment of Sheryl Almon to the Traffic Safety Committee; consideration of adoption of Resolution 2019-051 approving the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan; the second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 234-2019, approving a development agreement with Jason Jones and DM Compassion Center LLC for a cannabis microbusiness.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Rotary Club of Clear Lake invites community members to its 27th annual Community Christmas Dinner & Celebration on Saturday, Dec. 14.

The dinner will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Burns Valley School multipurpose room, 3620 Pine St., Clearlake.

Join the community for a warm delicious meal prepared by The Rotary Club of Clear Lake, one of the area’s most generous service clubs.

The meal is free for everyone.

In addition to a delicious meal for all attendees, children also will get to visit Santa and his elves. Each child will receive a photo and a toy.

New this year is an oral health table with free toothbrushes and toothpaste to all who visit. This program is brought to you by the Lake County Oral Health Advisory Committee, chaired by Wendy Gattoni assisted by Dr. Mark Cooper, DDS.

The Warm for the Winter program will be on hand again this year. The program offers free new and gently used coats, winter clothing, sleeping bags and blankets. These gifts are also free of charge. Thank you to Joyce Overton for starting this program.

Worldwide Healing Hands will also be on hand at this community event. Dr. Paula Dhanda along with medical and community volunteers will be on hand to offer free health screenings and referrals to attendees of the Christmas dinner and celebration.

We invite you to join us in a warm and joyful celebration of the holidays!

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – In the wake of last week’s cancellation of Upper Lake’s holiday light parade due to weather, another community event to celebrate the season will be held on Friday, Dec. 13.

The holiday party and visit from Santa will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on Main Street and at the IOOF Hall.

Santa will visit with children and the Upper Lake High School Senior Class will serve hot cocoa.

Upper Lake High wrestling team members will sell tri-tip sandwiches, chili and whole tri-tips, while the Upper Lake eighth graders will sell hot cocoa and hot cider.

Community members are encouraged to bring an unwrapped gift and donate it to Northshore Fire’s toy drive on Dec. 20 or drop it off at the Nice Fire Station, or stop in at Vintage Deli BBQ and donate to its inaugural Lake County Toy Drive Giveaway on Dec. 14 at the Upper Lake Grange Hall.

Lighted holiday floats and vehicles also will be on display.

 

The holiday season brings up memories and emotions for people of all ages, but elders are often overlooked. This time of year also can provide an opportunity to become more alert to signs of elder abuse, aware of how to help and available to begin sincere conversations with older adults about their perceptions of abuse and the remedies they recommend.

The World Health Organization estimates that one in six older adults worldwide is a victim of elder abuse. As the global population grows grayer, this issue is only expected to increase. There are now more adults age 65 or older than there are children under five, and the number of adults age 85 or older is projected to triple from today, exceeding 425 million by 2050, according to the United Nations.

As director of the Secure Old Age Lab at the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, I have spent the past several decades devoted to researching issues and interventions around elder abuse. It is important to recognize that there are actions family members and friends can take to prevent abuse while respecting the dignity and autonomy of their older relatives.

Financial abuse of older adults

Financial fraud is rife this time of year. That’s because the holidays can be a peak season for scammers who capitalize on the generosity of their victims.

Financial elder abuse is a growing problem that, while likely underreported, can cost older Americans approximately US$3 billion to $37 billion each year, according to National Council on Aging estimates.

Here are some examples:

• An older adult is contacted by someone claiming to represent a charity and is convinced to wire a donation right away.
• A grandparent gets a call from an alleged grandchild facing an emergency – they could be in jail in a foreign country, or in an accident out of state – and in urgent need of money to save them from a horrific fate.
• An unsuspecting senior is congratulated for winning a sweepstakes and told to pay a processing fee with a gift card that is then quickly depleted of its value.

Beyond stranger danger

While it is important to be on the lookout for the variety of scams targeting older adults, it is also important to know that most elder abuse is committed by family members. And, abuse by family members often goes beyond the financial to the emotional and even the physical.

The consequences cost lives: One study found that older adults who have been abused have a more than 200% higher risk of death when compared to those who have not been mistreated. Additional research associates elder abuse with serious social and physical injuries, including increased risk for depression, emergency room visits, hospitalizations and nursing home placements.

Why it’s hard to stop

One of the most challenging aspects in addressing elder abuse is in determining what is and is not a good outcome. Of course, putting an end to all forms of abuse is desired but at what cost? If the solution to being abused by a family member at home involves the older adult being placed in a facility against his or her will, many people might, correctly in some cases, not consider that a successful resolution.

In addition to stigma, shame and fear of retribution, these concerns may prevent victims from seeking help. Medical providers, who are mandated to report abuse to Adult Protective Services, have also expressed concerns that filing reports can sometimes lead to more harm being done if patients lose trust or resist treatment as a result.

Several state and national studies, largely funded by the National Institute of Aging and the National Institute of Justice, are currently underway to help inform the development of improved programs and effective treatment options. My USC colleague Diana Homeier and I designed a pilot program that, according to preliminary reports, may show promise. In this program, a team member is assigned to visit victims at home. He or she then represents the victim’s perspective to our team of medical and legal professionals, who discuss cases and determine the best course of action.

At the individual level, there are small steps we can all take to prevent and address elder abuse.

• Provide social support: It is important to ensure that older adults don’t become isolated. Be sure to check in on them or ask others to do so if you are not close by.
• Give caregivers a break: Caregiver stress may contribute to forms of abuse. It can be alleviated by making sure they get the support and respite they need.
• Pay attention to details: Notice the appearance of bruises on the body and the disappearance of money from bank accounts.
• Start conversations: Older parents should be clear with their children and caretakers about what they want as they age. Elder abuse should be openly discussed as the stigma around it only helps hide it.
• Know where to go: Call 911 in an emergency, or Adult Protective Services in your county. Also The National Center on Elder Abuse has resources available online.

Perhaps the most meaningful gift you can give an older adult, and your future self, is attention to their health and safety and wishes not just during the holidays but all the days of the year.

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Kathleen Wilber, Professor of Gerontology, University of Southern California

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.