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THE US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY HAS UPGRADED THIS EARTHQUAKE FROM 3.4 TO 3.6 IN MAGNITUDE.
THE GEYSERS – A 3.6-magnitude earthquake occurred near The Geysers steamfield late Friday.
The quake occurred at 11:52 p.m., according to the US Geological Survey.
Its epicenter was located two miles east of The Geysers, four miles southwest of Cobb and four miles west northwest of Anderson Springs at a depth of 2.7 miles, the US Geological Survey reported.
Several smaller quakes were reported shortly afterward, with the largest measuring 2.9, according to the report.
US Geological Survey records showed that the agency received numerous reports from people who said they felt the quake.
Responses came from as close as Kelseyville and Middletown and in Sonoma County, and more than 300 miles away in Coursegold.
On Oct. 22 a 3.1 quake was reported near The Geysers, as Lake County News has reported.
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“Cal Fire advocates the ‘Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery’ campaign, to help families stay safe and save lives,” said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) Director Del Walters. “By taking the time to replace the battery in your smoke alarm, you can sleep better knowing that you’ve provided one of the best ways to alert your family should a fire occur.”
When smoke alarms fail to operate, it is usually because batteries are missing, disconnected or dead.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the households with non-working smoke alarms now outnumber those with no smoke alarms.
Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries.
Cal Fire has the following tips on smoke alarms:
Test smoke alarms once a month;
Replace batteries in all smoke alarms twice a year;
Never remove the batteries from smoke alarms, not even temporarily;
Regularly vacuum or dust smoke alarms to keep them working properly;
Replace smoke alarms every 10 years;
Don’t paint over smoke alarms;
Practice family fire drills so everyone knows what to do if the smoke alarm goes off.
Find more information visit the Cal Fire Web site at www.fire.ca.gov .
It is promoted as asset protection against creditors and income tax freedom from the Internal Revenue Service. Unfortunately, the opposite is true.
The California courts and the IRS have been combating these trusts for years (see People vs. Lynam, 261 Cal App 2d 490 (1968) & IRS Notice 97-24 at www.irs.gov ).
Now let’s unravel some of the mystery.
According to pure trust promoters, American/English common-law allows the creation of separate legal entities into which anyone can irrevocably transfer their property for management and protection by others.
As the entity “is created” under the English common law (and not any state’s own statute), the pure trust is allegedly independent of any state’s sovereign law and not subject to any state law nor answerable to legal enforcement under state statutory laws.
The promoters argue that the United States Constitution and certain US Supreme Court cases validate pure trusts.
As anyone with formal legal training recognizes, however, the proof is a very misleading and purely argumentative. There is no true legal support for the pure trusts as they are drafted.
Promoters often use guile and charm to deceive people wanting to believe all the “good things” about pure trusts.
Not attorneys themselves, they justify avoiding licensed attorneys because attorneys only prepare ordinary “statutory trusts” under state law and because attorneys either do not understand pure trusts or they do not wish to let you in on their inside secret.
Like the story of the emperor’s new clothes, however, many people simply are unwilling to admit to themselves that they do not see what in fact does not exist when it comes to the lack of legal substance; yes, ladies and gentlemen, the emperor really is exposed when it comes to pure trusts.
So what is the truth?
The truth is that these “trusts” are shams that can get you into a great deal of trouble with the IRS and otherwise create a great legal mess.
These trusts will NOT provide you with any legitimate asset protection against your creditors. Moreover, as these trusts are not drafted by attorneys, they are technically deficient in how they operate.
So, even if they potentially provided asset protection and tax minimization, the internal flaws of these trusts make them hard, if not impossible, to administer.
All that glitters is not gold. Make sure you secure your future wisely, rather than buying into something that really is too good to be true.
Dennis A. Fordham, attorney (LL.M. tax studies), is a State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law. His office is at 55 1st St., Lakeport, California. Dennis can be reached by e-mail at
In July Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger used his blue pencil to eliminate state funding for all aging programs, an action that saved the state about $10 million in general fund expenses but is costing much more to a system that serves about four million seniors, according to an estimate from the California Association of Area Agencies on Aging.
The specific programs affected include support for Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers, care management and food distribution.
“The governor cut everything,” said Derrell Kelch, executive director, California Association of Area Agencies on Aging.
Impacted were services critical to seniors, frail people and the poor that are provided by an aging services network that has, over the years, leveraged state funds to generate millions of dollars to help frail seniors maintain their independence, said Kelch.
The governor's cuts mean a tough scenario not just for the state's 33 area agencies on aging, but on local delivery programs such as Adult Day Care-Respite of Clearlake, which offers two days of care in Clearlake and one day in Lucerne weekly. Kelch said Alzheimer's cuts amount to about $1.2 million statewide.
As of July 1, “No state money is supporting this program,” said Adult Day Care-Respite of Clearlake Director Eva Johnson.
The program used to get about $16,000 – often more – from the state to provide respite care for Alzheimer's patients. This year, they're only getting around $5,000, said Johnson.
“There used to be a lot of respite money out there,” she said.
Kelch said the explanation for the cuts is that health and human services is the largest area of discretionary dollars, and an area where the state has the potential to make cuts.
He explained that the cuts to aging programs originally weren't on the governor's cut list, but by the time of his third budget proposal revision, those programs were included.
“The problem with these cuts is these are on top of some huge cuts we took last year,” said Kelch.
Over the last five years, aging programs have experienced cuts totaling 45 percent, he added.
The concern now is that cuts to the programs will put seniors at risk, and end up with many of them being placed in nursing homes because of loss of services, according to Clay Kempf, president of California Association of Area Agencies on Aging and director of the Area Agency on Aging for Santa Cruz and San Benito counties.
Kelch and his agency pointed to a recent study by UCLA and the Insight Foundation indicates that 40 percent of older Californians struggle daily to meet their basic expenses of food, shelter and health care.
Lori Sweeney, senior program manager for the Lake and Mendocino Counties Area Agency on Aging, said the concerns for aging programs started in the fall of 2008, when longterm ombudsman funding was pulled.
She said Alzheimer's day care programs in both Lake and Mendocino were facing a $65,000 cut if all funding was eliminated.
Sweeney said nutrition programs are OK at this point, with about $70,000 for both counties coming from stimulus funds. She said the money had to be spent by 2010.
The local gleaners programs also were looking at losing $19,000 in funds, said Sweeney, and the Linkages program, which crosses both counties and receives about $300,000 a year, also was in danger. It offers case management for seniors who don't qualify for medical services.
Sweeney said a saving grace for Johnson's Lake County respite program is a small amount of federal AAA Funding, which offers her about $3,000. A similar Alzheimer's program in Fort Bragg doesn't have that funding stream, said Sweeney.
Since the local respite group was founded in 1997, it has served more than 150 people, according to Johnson, whose late husband suffered from the disease.
Having recently turned 80, Johnson continues to work hard to lead the program, which is a more challenging proposition with less funding.
Because of the cuts, and the fact that local respite services now are serving about 10 people – five people less than normal – Johnson said she had to lay off two full-time and one part-time employees. Volunteers are helping cover more of the services now.
The cuts are especially scary, said Johnson, because people are living much longer. She cited a statistic that 50 percent of those who live into their 80s will develop Alzheimer's.
“Memory loss is one of the biggest difficulties for caregivers,” said Johnson.
Johnson said clients don't have to have Alzheimer's to participate.
“We're out there to help people,” she said.
She said a year's worth of respite – on a two-day-a-week, 100-day-per-year schedule for clients – costs $3,500. Clients and their families used to get $300 per month to cover services, but now they can only get, at most, $1,000 annual scholarships.
However, even if they can't pay that amount, “We never turn anybody away,” Johnson said.
She said the clients have a lot of fun during their time at respite, which gives their caregivers a break from the constant care that is needed for some seniors.
Activities include hands-on projects, said Johnson. This past Tuesday, they made Halloween cupcakes.
“We really have a wonderful program,” she said.
Johnson said she thinks her program will squeak through, although programs such as AAA's Alzheimer's day care resource center have disappeared, and the Redwood Caregiver Resource Center – which provides respite vouchers and case management – took a 70-percent budget cut.
To keep going, Johnson is marshaling her local resources.
The Redbud Health Care District gives Adult Day Care-Respite of Clearlake a large grant annually, and the group recently received about $260 through a donations matching program offered by Mendo Mill and Lumber Co.
A recent fundraising effort, in which she put out a letter to community members, brought in $5,500, but more is needed.
“We're not gonna give up easy,” Johnson said.
To find out more about the services offered by Adult Day Care-Respite of Clearlake or to donate, call Eva Johnson at 707-279-4836 or write to 3067 Willow Road, Kelseyville, 95451.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
On Wednesday at around 9 a.m. the Lakeport Fire Protection District responded to a reported chimney fire at Hartley Road and 20th Street, according to a Thursday report from the agency.
The Lakeport Fire Protection District responded with one chief officer, one truck company and
one advanced life support engine.
Chief Ken Wells arrived on scene within four minutes to find a single story, single family home with a confirmed fire in the chimney and possible fire extension to the attic.
Under his direction, entry and roof teams made a “swift and coordinated attack” and contained the fire in the chimney before further structure involvement, the district reported.
Salvage and overhaul lasted just over hour and no injuries were reported.
While the fire investigation has not been competed yet, possible contributing factors include inadequate chimney maintenance, according to the district.
The Lakeport Fire Protection District reminds all residents to follow the National Fire Protection Agency recommendation for annual chimney cleaning and inspection by trained professionals.
In addition to fires, poorly maintained chimneys can lead to toxic carbon monoxide poisoning, the district reported.
With winter fast approaching, it is imperative that homeowners adequately maintain heating systems to prevent tragedy from occurring, officials said.
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More than $1 million in grant funds is being used to fund California’s Designated Driver Program through August 2010.
“There’s no excuse for operating a motor vehicle after you’ve been drinking,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “Not only is it against the law, you’re putting your life and the lives of fellow motorists at risk every time you do.”
Last year in California, 1,112 people were killed at the hands of an impaired driver. In 2007, another 1,272 victims were killed under similar circumstances.
"While the numbers of DUI fatalities has dropped in recent years, we still have a long way to go with young males," said Christopher Murphy, Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. "This grant to the CHP gets the message of designating a sober driver right in front of that group."
Last year, according to the Department of Justice, 217,201 people were arrested statewide for driving under the influence (DUI). Among those arrested for DUI in California, roughly 80 percent were male, and 53 percent of the men were between the ages of 21 and 34.
A DUI conviction for a first-time offender could result in jail time, loss of license and fines and
penalties of $13,500 or more.
“The best way to avoid becoming a statistic or spending the night in jail is to be responsible and make a plan ahead of time; designate a non-drinking driver,” added Commissioner Farrow.
The Designated Driver Program consists of community education presentations and information booths staffed by CHP officers throughout the state.
Funding for the program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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