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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Fair Board has another new member.
Steven Brown, 33, of Kelseyville, has been appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown to the 49th District Agricultural Association's Board of Directors.
Brown, the son of Lake County Supervisor Rob Brown, has been an attorney at Crump, Bruchler and La Velle since 2010. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Empire College School of Law.
The position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Brown is registered without party preference.
“I thought it would be a good experience,” said Brown of his decision to apply after seeing a recent Lake County News story about the efforts to fill the seats on the board.
He said he thought he could offer the perspective of someone who was involved in youth organizations like 4-H, FFA and K-Corps.
Brown also has three young sons, one of whom is involved in 4-H and another involved in rodeo events.
“I just want to be an advocate for those important youth programs, and for the preservation of what I think are the traditional events that are community staples,” Brown said.
Brown was sworn in at the fair board's Monday night meeting, and got to meet other board members and administrative staff.
With the fair about a month away – it takes place over the Labor Day weekend – Brown said he expects he will be spending a lot of time at the fairgrounds in the weeks ahead and during the event itself.
He said he's excited about joining the board. “I think it's going to be fun.”
Brown's appointment to the fair board followed by nearly two months the appointment of another new member, Katherine McDowell of Cobb, and came a month after the reappointment of longtime members Janeane Bogner of Clearlake Oaks, Marcia Chauvin of Clearlake, James Cochrane of Kelseyville, Annette Hopkins of Lakeport, Meyo Marrufo of Upper Lake and Jerry McQueen of Lakeport, as Lake County News has reported.
The board has nine members, so one vacancy remains.
The fair board typically meets once a month on a Monday afternoon in the administration office at the fairgrounds, 401 Martin St., Lakeport.
Anyone interested in serving on the fair board should go to the governor's appointment page at https://www.gov.ca.gov/m_appointments.php and submit an application.
Fair Chief Executive Officer Debbie Strickler also invites interested community members to call her for more information at the fair office, 707-263-6181.
Visit the Lake County Fair online at www.lakecountyfair.com .
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Local, state and nationwide unemployment rates edged up slightly in June, according to a new report.
Lake County's June unemployment was 6.7 percent, up from the revised 5.8 percent in May but still improved over the 7.2 percent reported in June 2016, according to the California Employment Development Department.
California's overall unemployment was 5.4 percent in June, compared to 5.2 percent in May and 6.2 percent in June 2015, the Employment Development Department reported.
Nationwide, June's unemployment rate was 4.9 percent, up from 4.7 percent in May and 5.3 percent in June of last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Lake County's unemployment rate ranked it No. 33 statewide. San Mateo County had the lowest rate with 3.3 percent, while Imperial had the highest, 23.7 percent.
The “total farm” category of employment in Lake County continued to show strong growth in June due to the summer harvest season. Jobs were up by 3.2 percent in June over May and rose 14.2 percent in a year-over-year comparison.
In the “total nonfarm” category, goods producing was up by 2.5 percent; private service producing, 0.5 percent; and service providing, 0.1 percent.
Across the state, in June nonfarm jobs totaled 16,459,700, an increase of 40,300 jobs over the month, according to a survey of 58,000 California businesses. The year-over-year change, from June 2015 to June 2016, showed an increase of 461,100 jobs, or a 2.9-percent increase.
In Lake County, the civilian labor force was estimated to be 29,520 in June, compared to 29,270 in May and 29,310 in June of last year.
The number of unemployed residents totaled 1,980 in May, compared to 1,700 in May and 2,120 in June 2015, according to the report.
On the state level, a federal survey of 5,500 households showed a decrease in the number of employed people, estimating that the number of Californians holding jobs in June was 18,078,000, down 4,000 from May but up 308,000 jobs from the employment total in June of last year.
The number of people unemployed in California was 1,022,000 in June, up 27,000 from May,
but down 160,000 from June of last year.
During the June survey week, 345,159 people throughout California were receiving regular Unemployment Insurance benefits, compared to 362,535 in May and 362,157 in June of 2016, according to the Employment Development Department report.
At the same time, new claims for Unemployment Insurance were 49,975 in June compared with 42,929 in May and 45,591 in June of last year, the agency said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Richard Lee Watson, born Dec. 29, 1955, and Karen Lynn Watson, born Dec. 24, 1955, have entered into eternal rest together on Sunday, July 10, 2016.
Richard and Karen are survived by their daughter, Kimberly (Mike) Pesonen; granddaughters, Caitlin and Carley; their son, Rich (Lorena) Watson; and grandsons, Joshua and Joey.
Friends are warmly invited to attend memorial services at the Lower Lake Brick Hall on Saturday, Aug. 6, beginning at 2 p.m.
Arrangements under the care of Jones & Lewis Clear Lake Memorial Chapel.
Please share your loving thoughts and memories of Richard and Karen by signing their online guestbooks at www.jonesandlewis.com and www.legacy.com .
SOUTH LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Many property owners impacted by the Valley fire need to remove dead trees and other woody debris from their land before they can begin to rebuild, but disposal is difficult at this season when burning is not allowed.
Not only is recovery impeded, the increased fuel load also heightens wildfire hazards for the current fire season.
Help is on the way. The Lake County Resource Conservation District has partnered with the Lake County Air Quality Management District to offer chipping of brush, branches and tree trunks up to 10 inches in diameter to owners of small parcels in the Valley Fire Recovery Area.
The service is available at no cost to the landowner, who must first cut down the trees, limb them out, and haul woody materials (please no blackberries or poison oak) to the edge of the road.
All owners of small residential parcels (one acre or less) in the Valley Fire Recovery Area are eligible for this free service, with scheduling priority given to those who intend to rebuild.
Properties of up to two acres will be considered as capacity is available, and owners of larger properties may also be able to participate on a cost-sharing basis.
Chipping services outside the recovery area can be provided for a fee.
For more details and to apply, download the application form from www.lakercd.org/lc-rcd-chipper-program.html or contact Lake County Resource Conservation District at 707 262-7089 and leave a message.
For general program information you can also call the Lake County Air Quality Management District at 707-263-7000.
This project is made possible by a generous donation from #LakeCountyRising, a collaborative fundraising effort of the Lake County Winegrape Commission, Winery Association and Wine Alliance.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Contra Costa County health officials and the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board are advising people in Discovery Bay to avoid playing in bodies of water in the area after preliminary field tests indicated the presence of potentially harmful blue-green algae.
Exposure to blue-green algae can cause rashes, skin and eye irritation, allergic reactions, gastrointestinal upset, and other effects.
At high levels, exposure can result in serious illness or death, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Dogs are especially vulnerable to getting sick and there have been several reports through the years of dogs dying following exposure.
“We want people in the area to be on the lookout for water with green material floating in the water,” Dr. Marilyn Underwood, the director of the Environmental Health Division of Contra Costa Health Services, the county health department. “Even if you’re not sure it’s blue-green algae, it’s best if your family and your dogs do not to go in the water. When in doubt, stay out.”
So far, no one in Discovery Bay has reported becoming ill because of the algae.
Blooms of blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, can look like green, blue-green, white, or brown foam and scum floating on top of or suspended in the water.
County health officials performed the field tests in private-access areas of the man-made bay following complaints from residents.
Since the field tests indicated that the water may contain cyanobacterial toxins, samples have been sent to state and federal labs to confirm the preliminary findings. Those test results are expected back in about a week, said Dr. Underwood.
If test results confirm the presence of blue-green algae, Dr. Underwood said warning signs would be posted in Discovery Bay. Dr. Underwood added that potential contamination only affects recreational water areas, not drinking water from the tap in Discovery Bay.
For more information visit the following:
– California Department of Public Health: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/healthinfo/environhealth/water/Pages/Bluegreenalgae.aspx ;
– State Water Resources Control Board - California CyanoHAB Network: http://www.mywaterquality.ca.gov/monitoring_council/cyanohab_network/index.html ;
– California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, information on microcystin: http://oehha.ca.gov/ecotoxicology/general-info/information-microcystins ;
– US Environmental Protection Agency CyanoHAB Web site: https://www.epa.gov/nutrient-policy-data/cyanohabs ;
– US Environmental Protection Agency, Anatoxin-a report: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-06/documents/anatoxin-a-report-2015.pdf .
UKIAH, Calif. – Mendo Lake Credit Union has been providing quality financial services to residents of Mendocino and Lake county since 1959.
The credit union’s vision is to empower both individual and community prosperity to assist in making Lake and Mendocino counties great places to work.
With that in mind, Mendo Lake Credit Union is proud to announce a new strategic partnership with Golden State Wealth Management to expand the financial services available to credit union members.
Golden State Wealth Management is a team of well-established local financial advisors providing comprehensive investment strategies and retirement planning.
Together, Mendo Lake Credit Union and Golden State Wealth Management will be bringing expanded financial opportunities to the residents of Mendocino and Lake counties.
Members in all branches will enjoy free, comprehensive meetings with a registered financial advisor who will help them further their financial plan and define their financial goals.
Golden State Wealth Management advisors provide a range of services, including: equity investments, business retirement accounts, estate planning, life insurance, financial planning, and more.
"Mendo Lake Credit Union is excited to announce our partnership with Golden State Wealth Management,” said Richard Cooper, CEO of Mendo Lake Credit Union. “We look forward to them providing our members with investment opportunities, comprehensive asset management, and the added benefits of retirement and estate planning."
Golden State Wealth Management was organized in Mendocino County in 2005, and is a Registered Investment Advisor offering comprehensive investment strategies based on timely, unbiased research and industry-leading technology.
With founding partners that bring over 50 years of financial experience, they are dedicated to addressing the financial planning needs of individuals, businesses and families across the nation.
Golden State Wealth Management is aligned with LPL Financial, the nation’s largest independent broker-dealer, to provide comprehensive tools and research necessary in today’s complex markets.
“As a member of Mendo Lake Credit Union and a resident of Mendocino County, I am thrilled to provide our community with the services that our financial advisors offer,” said Daniel Catone, president of Golden State Wealth Management. “My hope is that this partnership brings further financial freedom and prosperity to Mendocino and Lake counties.”
Wealth manager Jim Goetz will be serving the Ukiah, Clearlake and Lakeport branches. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Goetz has been serving the financial needs of the residents of Mendocino and Lake counties for more than eight years.
Wealth manager Bradley Gardner will be serving the Fort Bragg credit union branch. Gardner has been a financial advisor for more than 15 years and is a founding partner of Golden State Wealth Management. He was born and raised in Northern California.
Credit union members can schedule an appointment by contacting their local branch. For more information, visit www.MLCU.org and www.GoldenStateWM.com/MLCU .