News

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Helen Smith Ryder, 91, peacefully passed away Sunday, April 2, 2017, at Evergreen Health Care in Lakeport.

A wonderful loving mother, she is survived by her four daughters, Susan Weir (Clearlake, Calif.) Carol Rohlfing (Kelseyville, Calif.) Peggy Parker (Clearlake) and Shirley Sullivan (Southport, North Carolina); 10 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

She was a successful Avon manager and loved her ballroom dancing.

Her celebration of life will be performed by Dignity Celebrant Sirre J Reed at Jones Mortuary on Thursday, April 13, at 11 a.m.

The family asks in lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the ASPCA in Helen’s name.

Arrangements entrusted to Jones Mortuary, www.jonesmortuary.com , FD311, Lakeport.

California revenues of $7.63 billion for March beat projections in the governor’s proposed 2017-18 budget by $1.73 billion, or 29.2 percent, State Controller Betty T. Yee reported.

March revenues were just $56.5 million above estimates in the 2016-17 Budget Act signed last summer. 

For the first nine months of the 2016-17 fiscal year that began in July, total revenues of $80.91 billion are $607.3 million below last summer’s budget estimates, but $837.1 million ahead of January’s revised fiscal year-to-date predictions.

March personal income tax (PIT) receipts of $3.93 billion topped projections in the governor’s proposed budget by nearly $1.09 billion, or 38.2 percent.

In the current fiscal year, California has collected total PIT receipts of $54.90 billion, or 1.1 percent more than January’s revised estimate. Controller Yee has launched an online tracker to show daily PIT receipts through April, the busiest filing period.

Corporation tax receipts of $1.37 billion for March were 29.1 percent higher than assumptions in the proposed 2017-18 budget.

Fiscal year-to-date corporation tax receipts of $5.19 billion are 9.0 percent above projections in the proposed budget.

March sales tax receipts of almost $2.00 billion exceeded expectations in the governor’s proposed 2017-18 budget by $266.8 million, or 15.4 percent.

For the fiscal year to date, sales tax receipts of $18.29 billion are $346.7 million below the revised estimates released in January – the only one of the “big three” General Fund revenue sources to miss the mark.

The state ended March with unused borrowable resources of $22.50 billion, which was $3.53 billion more than predicted in the governor’s proposed budget. Outstanding loans of $17.87 billion were $304.3 million lower than projected in early January. This loan balance consists of borrowing from the state’s internal special funds.

As the chief fiscal officer of California, Controller Yee is responsible for accountability and disbursement of the state’s financial resources.

The controller also safeguards many types of property until claimed by the rightful owners, and has independent auditing authority over government agencies that spend state funds.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – The 27th annual Ecumenical Good Friday Service will take place at noon on April 14.

This year’s service, sponsored by the Lake Ministerial Association, will be held at the Clearlake Oaks United Methodist Church, located at 12487 The Plaza, next to the Live Oaks Senior Center.

Join them as congregations of Lake County Churches come together to explore the seven last sayings of Christ on the cross.

Some of the churches gathering this day will be Clearlake Oaks United Methodist Church, First Lutheran in Lucerne, Galilee Lutheran Church, Kelseyville United Methodist Church, Lake County Bible Fellowship, Lakeport Community Seventh-day Adventist Church, Lower Lake United Methodist Church, New Hope Community Church in Lucerne and United Christian Parish of Lakeport.

For more information please call Pastor Dawn Roberts at 707-972-5122.

If you don’t have an automotive emergency fund, you’re not alone.

According to a new AAA survey, 64 million American drivers – or one in three motorists – would not be able to pay for an unexpected vehicle repair without going into debt.

An average repair bill can set a driver back between $500 and $600, a figure that is expected to grow as vehicles become more advanced.

Complex vehicle systems are more costly to fix. Additionally, the technical skill and specialized equipment necessary to execute repairs are also more expensive.

“Newer cars come equipped with systems to make driving more safe and comfortable, but this technology also makes them more expensive to repair,” said John Moreno, spokesperson for AAA Northern California. “Many consumers struggle with costs associated with auto repair as a result of failing to set aside a car care fund to pay for the upkeep of their vehicles.”

Repair costs soar when a vehicle has been poorly maintained. A previous AAA survey found that one-third of U.S. drivers skip or delay recommended service or repairs.

AAA advises drives to save $50 per month for a car care fund.

“While car payments eventually end over the lifetime of a vehicle, operating costs do not,” Moreno said. “A small savings plan can go a long way in reducing the anxiety of unexpected auto repair costs.”

To avoid an unexpected car repair, AAA recommends vehicle owners follow the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule and identify a repair shop they trust.

If faced with an unexpected repair, AAA suggests drivers:

· Get a written estimate for the repair and clarify with the shop the work that needs to be done on the vehicle. Consider getting a second opinion to confirm the diagnosis.

· Negotiate the repair bill. Ask if the shop offers any discounts or payment plans that can reduce immediate out-of-pocket costs.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake has welcomed AmeriCorps VISTA member Kate Gitchell to its community wellness team.

Gitchell’s volunteer service will support Hope Rising, a collective impact movement of community partners, including St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake, focusing on improving quality of life in Lake County.

Gitchell’s AmeriCorps VISTA service will encompass a full year and bring helpful support to the SafeRx opioid initiative, a signature project of Hope Rising.

The AmeriCorps VISTA grant for her position was submitted by North Coast Opportunities Inc.

AmeriCorps is a national volunteer program that engages more than 80,000 Americans in intensive service each year at sites including nonprofits, schools, public agencies, and community and faith-based groups.

“In the true spirit of collaboration and shared investment, NCO ‘contributed’ one of its VISTA members to Hope Rising,” said Shelly Mascari, community wellness director at St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake and leader of Hope Rising. “We spent several months recruiting and interviewing potential volunteers and were excited when we met Kate. Her education, experience and interests align well with the work of Hope Rising and SafeRx.”

Gitchell’s arrival comes at a busy time for Hope Rising, a collective impact organization that includes representatives from local health care, education, nonprofit community services and partners such as The Way to Wellville, who work together to improve quality of life in Lake County.

Hope Rising recently received a grants from Partnership HealthPlan of California and from the California Department of Public Health.

SafeRx is one of the signature projects of Hope Rising; it was formed as a collaboration of local health care organizations and other public agencies operating in Lake County in recognition that access to opioids, or pain medications, involves prescriptions from local physicians.

The task force has set a goal to reduce deaths due to the use and misuse of prescription pain killers by 50 percent by 2020. St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake is the backbone agency of SafeRx and an active leader in Hope Rising.

Gitchell, a native of upstate New York, graduated from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Cortland in 2016. It was during college that she developed a love for community health and wellness.

She regularly volunteered at a local food pantry and worked as the intensive outpatient program coordinator at SOL Stone eating disorder clinic.

Later, she interned at Binghampton University in the health and wellness department, focusing on nutrition and mental/physical health. At Binghamtpon, she organized a seminar on the heroin and opioid crisis affecting the city and surrounding counties in New York State.

“I am so excited to utilize my skills and education in partnership with St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake,” said Gitchell. “I believe in the vision of the Hope Rising collaborative and look forward to helping with the progress of SafeRx over the coming year.”

Learn more about Hope Rising at www.hoperisinglakecounty.com .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Utilities Department reported that traffic control will be in place in the area of Parallel Drive and Westside Park Drive over the next few weeks due to a sewer main project.

The traffic control will be in effect through April 21, the agency said.

Officials ask that drivers be aware of workers in this area and drive with extreme caution.