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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — State Sen. Mike McGuire is planning a town hall to discuss the latest developments on the coronavirus.
The community meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18.
The town hall will be streamed live on Facebook or on McGuire’s website.
You may also dial in to listen by phone at 1-669-900-6833 and enter the Webinar ID, 975 8621 7852.
Dr. Jose Morales, Kaiser Permanente pediatrician and assistant clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco, and infectious disease physician Dr. Timothy Brewer of the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and Geffen School of Medicine will join McGuire to talk about the facts and dispel the myths surrounding this public health crisis.
They’ll also cover the latest surge and what to expect as we head into the fall for adults and kids in school.
The community meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18.
The town hall will be streamed live on Facebook or on McGuire’s website.
You may also dial in to listen by phone at 1-669-900-6833 and enter the Webinar ID, 975 8621 7852.
Dr. Jose Morales, Kaiser Permanente pediatrician and assistant clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco, and infectious disease physician Dr. Timothy Brewer of the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and Geffen School of Medicine will join McGuire to talk about the facts and dispel the myths surrounding this public health crisis.
They’ll also cover the latest surge and what to expect as we head into the fall for adults and kids in school.
A measure to grant the state’s judicial branch employees the first-ever paid state holiday on California Native American Day was approved Tuesday on a 32-0 bipartisan vote on the Senate floor.
Assemblymember James Ramos, a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe, is the first California Native American lawmaker elected in the state’s 170-year history. He has been working to enact a California Native American Day since 1998.
“I was a San Manuel council member when I started working toward this goal with then-Assemblymember Joe Baca Sr. This is one more step forward in recognizing and building knowledge about the history, culture and contributions of California’s Native Americans,” Ramos said.
Judiciary employee holidays are set in the Code of Civil Procedure and a change requires legislation. Other state employees are covered in the Government Code.
AB 855 would amend the Code of Civil Procedure to recognize California Native American Day as a judicial holiday to provide proper recognition for the state’s First People and celebrate their history.
It would not create an additional paid holiday for court personnel because Columbus Day would be exchanged for another state holiday, California Native American Day which is celebrated on the fourth Friday in September.
Court personnel are currently the only state workers receiving the existing Oct. 12 holiday as a paid day off.
The Judicial Council, a sponsor of the proposal, voted in January to seek authority to ensure California Native American Day is designated as a paid holiday for court employees.
“The Judicial Council is proud to sponsor AB 855, and thanks Assemblymember Ramos for authoring this historic bill,” the council said in a statement. “The judicial branch recognizes that access to justice is served by ensuring all Californians feel seen by the justice system, and this bill recognizes and celebrates the important contributions of Native Americans to this state. The Judicial Council extends its gratitude to the members of the Senate for their support of AB 855.”
“Our state Judicial Council brought the idea for this bill forward, and I thank them for their initiative,” Ramos added. “For more than 20 years, I have worked to help create a day recognizing California’s First People and their history. California has the greatest number of Native Americans residing within its boundaries, and it is fitting that we begin to expand our commemoration of this holiday.”
AB 855 is sponsored by the Judicial Council of California. It is also supported by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and the California Tribal Business Alliance.
Assemblymember James Ramos, a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe, is the first California Native American lawmaker elected in the state’s 170-year history. He has been working to enact a California Native American Day since 1998.
“I was a San Manuel council member when I started working toward this goal with then-Assemblymember Joe Baca Sr. This is one more step forward in recognizing and building knowledge about the history, culture and contributions of California’s Native Americans,” Ramos said.
Judiciary employee holidays are set in the Code of Civil Procedure and a change requires legislation. Other state employees are covered in the Government Code.
AB 855 would amend the Code of Civil Procedure to recognize California Native American Day as a judicial holiday to provide proper recognition for the state’s First People and celebrate their history.
It would not create an additional paid holiday for court personnel because Columbus Day would be exchanged for another state holiday, California Native American Day which is celebrated on the fourth Friday in September.
Court personnel are currently the only state workers receiving the existing Oct. 12 holiday as a paid day off.
The Judicial Council, a sponsor of the proposal, voted in January to seek authority to ensure California Native American Day is designated as a paid holiday for court employees.
“The Judicial Council is proud to sponsor AB 855, and thanks Assemblymember Ramos for authoring this historic bill,” the council said in a statement. “The judicial branch recognizes that access to justice is served by ensuring all Californians feel seen by the justice system, and this bill recognizes and celebrates the important contributions of Native Americans to this state. The Judicial Council extends its gratitude to the members of the Senate for their support of AB 855.”
“Our state Judicial Council brought the idea for this bill forward, and I thank them for their initiative,” Ramos added. “For more than 20 years, I have worked to help create a day recognizing California’s First People and their history. California has the greatest number of Native Americans residing within its boundaries, and it is fitting that we begin to expand our commemoration of this holiday.”
AB 855 is sponsored by the Judicial Council of California. It is also supported by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and the California Tribal Business Alliance.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Organizers of the August Blackberry Cobbler Festival said they are postponing this year’s event due to concerns about rising COVID-19 cases.
“With great concern and love for our community, and out of an abundance of caution, we have made the decision to postpone the Blackberry Cobbler Festival,” said the Cobb Area Council, the event’s organizer, in a statement. “We are aiming to protect our community, our guests, and our beloved festival from negative impacts.”
The event had been planned for Aug. 28 at the Whispering Pines Resort in Cobb.
The festival is part of a larger plan created by the Economic Development Committee of the Cobb Area Council to bring more visitors to the Cobb area to help stimulate economic growth by supporting local businesses and artisans, and to celebrate the community’s unique offerings and fun locations.
Despite the postponement, there will still be an opportunity to enjoy some delicious blackberry cobbler.
Contact the Cobb Mountain Lion's Club to find out how you can order your award winning blackberry cobbler (made by last year's grand prize winner Kelly Stuckey).
Follow their Facebook page for updates on their drive-thru event on Aug. 28.
Several Cobb businesses will still offer smaller events and entertainment that can be enjoyed including:
— Live music at Mandala Springs; weekend packages, www.mandala.org, 707-371-5022.
— Live music in the evening at Adams Springs Golf Course, 707-928-9992.
— Swimming and events at Pine Grove Resort, www.pinegrovecobb.com.
— Blackberry menu items all week at Mountain High Coffee & Books, 16295 Highway 175.
— Guided hike with Friends of Boggs Mountain, contactThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to sign up for the 9 a.m. hike on Aug. 28.
Visit http://ExploreCobbCA.com for more information and to support the artists and businesses in the Cobb community.
The Cobb Area Council said it’s grateful for the generous donation from Calpine Corp. and their commitment to support the event when it can next happen.
The group also thanked the Strickler family of Whispering Pines Resort, Seigler Springs Community Redevelopment Association, Pacific Gas and Electric Co., California Tendai Buddhists, Pat and Jon Meyer, Adventist Health Clear Lake, Boatique Winery, Kelsey Creek Brewery, Shannon Ridge Winery, Fore Family Winery, Pope Valley Winery and many volunteers who have put in hours of work and donations.
“With great concern and love for our community, and out of an abundance of caution, we have made the decision to postpone the Blackberry Cobbler Festival,” said the Cobb Area Council, the event’s organizer, in a statement. “We are aiming to protect our community, our guests, and our beloved festival from negative impacts.”
The event had been planned for Aug. 28 at the Whispering Pines Resort in Cobb.
The festival is part of a larger plan created by the Economic Development Committee of the Cobb Area Council to bring more visitors to the Cobb area to help stimulate economic growth by supporting local businesses and artisans, and to celebrate the community’s unique offerings and fun locations.
Despite the postponement, there will still be an opportunity to enjoy some delicious blackberry cobbler.
Contact the Cobb Mountain Lion's Club to find out how you can order your award winning blackberry cobbler (made by last year's grand prize winner Kelly Stuckey).
Follow their Facebook page for updates on their drive-thru event on Aug. 28.
Several Cobb businesses will still offer smaller events and entertainment that can be enjoyed including:
— Live music at Mandala Springs; weekend packages, www.mandala.org, 707-371-5022.
— Live music in the evening at Adams Springs Golf Course, 707-928-9992.
— Swimming and events at Pine Grove Resort, www.pinegrovecobb.com.
— Blackberry menu items all week at Mountain High Coffee & Books, 16295 Highway 175.
— Guided hike with Friends of Boggs Mountain, contact
Visit http://ExploreCobbCA.com for more information and to support the artists and businesses in the Cobb community.
The Cobb Area Council said it’s grateful for the generous donation from Calpine Corp. and their commitment to support the event when it can next happen.
The group also thanked the Strickler family of Whispering Pines Resort, Seigler Springs Community Redevelopment Association, Pacific Gas and Electric Co., California Tendai Buddhists, Pat and Jon Meyer, Adventist Health Clear Lake, Boatique Winery, Kelsey Creek Brewery, Shannon Ridge Winery, Fore Family Winery, Pope Valley Winery and many volunteers who have put in hours of work and donations.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The National Weather Service on Tuesday issued a red flag warning for Lake County as a windstorm approaches, while Pacific Gas and Electric has expanded the area in Lake County that’s expected to be impacted by a Tuesday evening public safety power shutoff.
The National Weather Service had previously issued a fire weather watch, but that has been upgraded.
The red flag warning is in effect in Lake County from 11 p.m. Tuesday to 8 p.m. Wednesday in areas above the 1,500-foot elevation mark.
A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly as a result of strong winds, low humidity and warm temperatures.
The National Weather Service said northwest to north winds of up to 25 miles per hour, with gusts of up to 35 miles per hour, are possible Tuesday afternoon and evening, and into early Wednesday.
The combination of winds, low humidity and high temperature could result in critical fire conditions, officials said.
That windstorm has caused PG&E to move forward with plans for a potential public safety power shutoff, or PSPS. The company began notifying customers on Sunday night of a possible outage.
As of early Tuesday afternoon, 18 counties, including Lake, are still in the area of the planned outage, but in Lake County the number of customers expected to be impacted has more than doubled since Monday night.
On Tuesday, PG&E said 4,563 customers in Lake County are in the anticipated outage area, with 353 of those in the Medical Baseline program.
The estimated time of shutoff in Lake County is between 7 and 8 p.m. Tuesday, with restoration expected as of 2 p.m. Thursday.
PG&E customers can look up their addresses to find out if their location is being monitored for the potential safety shutoff at www.pge.com/pspsupdates.
Editor’s note: The story has been updated to show restoration may occur in Lake County as late as Thursday afternoon.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
The National Weather Service had previously issued a fire weather watch, but that has been upgraded.
The red flag warning is in effect in Lake County from 11 p.m. Tuesday to 8 p.m. Wednesday in areas above the 1,500-foot elevation mark.
A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly as a result of strong winds, low humidity and warm temperatures.
The National Weather Service said northwest to north winds of up to 25 miles per hour, with gusts of up to 35 miles per hour, are possible Tuesday afternoon and evening, and into early Wednesday.
The combination of winds, low humidity and high temperature could result in critical fire conditions, officials said.
That windstorm has caused PG&E to move forward with plans for a potential public safety power shutoff, or PSPS. The company began notifying customers on Sunday night of a possible outage.
As of early Tuesday afternoon, 18 counties, including Lake, are still in the area of the planned outage, but in Lake County the number of customers expected to be impacted has more than doubled since Monday night.
On Tuesday, PG&E said 4,563 customers in Lake County are in the anticipated outage area, with 353 of those in the Medical Baseline program.
The estimated time of shutoff in Lake County is between 7 and 8 p.m. Tuesday, with restoration expected as of 2 p.m. Thursday.
PG&E customers can look up their addresses to find out if their location is being monitored for the potential safety shutoff at www.pge.com/pspsupdates.
Editor’s note: The story has been updated to show restoration may occur in Lake County as late as Thursday afternoon.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
NORTH COAST, Calif. — It’s as if there is something sacred about this work. No power tools. No heavy equipment. Everything is done by hand. Nothing that would create so much as a spark.
“I like to think that we’re giving the trail a makeover,” said California Conservation Corps Ukiah Corpsmember Madison Troop.
She and a crew of corpsmembers from the California Conservation Corps are undoing some of the damage the August Complex fire did a year ago to the Mendocino National Forest’s hiking trails.
“If there’s a downed log in the trail we have to move it,” said Ukiah Corpsmember Lane Hengel. “I cut a tree by hand with a hand saw the other day. It’s awesome, but it was a lot of work. It took me about ten minutes to get through a log about three feet thick.”
The flames of the August Complex fire downed and weakened trees. The series of lightning sparked fires ignited Aug. 17, 2020, and burned for four months. Many of the fire damaged trees have fallen across the trails, which is where Ukiah Center corpsmembers are putting in the most work as they remove these hazards by hand.
And it’s not just fire damage that needs undoing. The closing of these wilderness trails for the past year, allowed for brush and vegetation to become overgrown and take over.
“We’re clearing the trails 6 feet in width,” said Troop. “If there’s something hanging over the trail, we’re pulling it down. On some of the trails we’ve worked on there was so much brush you didn’t even know it was a trail.”
Troop and Hengel are among 15 corpsmembers tasked with the hands-on work. Wilderness rules and the risk of sparks requires the crew to only use hand tools. No motorized equipment is used.
Instead, teams of corpsmembers are using two-person crosscut saws to clear the way for future hikers, horses, or even vehicles.
“Trail building and maintenance, as well as wildland fire recovery, is what we do best,” said CCC Director Bruce Saito. “Our corpsmembers get hands-on experience that can lead them to careers in our forests and parks. They also get the added benefit of improving and positively impacting their local communities and state with projects like this.”
Corpsmembers from the CCC’s Ukiah Center recently concluded several weeks in the Lower Nye Valley area near Lake Pillsbury. The crew camped near the project site for eight straight days to better access the damaged trails. The scenery provided a great experience for corpsmembers as they hauled themselves and their hand tools throughout the wilderness.
“We’re hiking every day,” Hengel said. “The last trail we worked on we did about 24 miles of hiking over the week. It’s been really fun.”
The 18- to 25-year-olds, and U.S. military veterans through age 29, who enroll in the CCC embrace the motto of “Hard Work, Low Pay, Miserable Conditions, and More!”
Hengel and Troop both know that a year doing project work like this, especially in miserable conditions, can help lead to skills and careers in wildland firefighting, forestry and more.
To learn more, visit http://ccc.ca.gov or call 800-952-5627 to speak to a recruiter today.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council is set to discuss a proposal to purchase a property that once housed a water park for retail development.
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 19, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
The meeting will be broadcast live on the city's YouTube channel or the Lake County PEGTV YouTube Channel. Community members also can participate via Zoom or can attend in person.
The agenda can be found here.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to City Clerk Melissa Swanson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments before 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 19.
Each public comment emailed to the city clerk will be read aloud by the mayor or a member of staff for up to three minutes or will be displayed on a screen. Public comment emails and town hall public comment submissions that are received after the beginning of the meeting will not be included in the record.
The meeting will feature a presentation of August's adoptable dogs and a proclamation declaring Aug. 31 as International Overdose Awareness Day.
Under council business, City Manager Alan Flora will present to the council a proposal to purchase 11.28 acres of property located at 6885 and 7110 Old Highway 53 from the Burbank Housing and Development Corp. for a retail center development. The purchase price is $1 million.
The property, at the former Pearce Field airport, was home to the former Outrageous Waters water park, which closed in 2005.
“The city currently owns approximately 28 acres which comprised the former Pearce Field airport west of Highway 53. The City recently approved the sale of approximately 2.5 acres of the property for development of a Fairfield Inn and Suites and is working with various developers, business owners, retailers and investors with an interest in the overall project,” Flora wrote in his report to the council.
He said the city has been working with the firm Retail Strategies and others to attract retail interest in the retail development that has long been envisioned for the former airport site. “Interest has been quite strong and many of the pieces necessary for a successful development are starting to come together.”
Flora said it became apparent that having control over the bulk of the developable area would be helpful for a consistent and cohesive development plan. He said the 11-acre property, the location of the former water park, was part of the original airport site the city acquired from the county in 1994.
City staff contacted Burbank Housing Development, a Sonoma County-based affordable housing developer, about the property. Burbank, which was given the site and has owned it since 2017, has no plans to do any development in Lake County, Flora said.
“This purchase will give the City control of nearly 40 acres of development area along Highway 53 and will allow more strategic master planning of the entire site. The City is currently working with architecture firm Ankrom Moisan on the site master plan,” Flora said.
Upon closing of the purchase of the property, Flora said the city will begin demolition of the remaining infrastructure from the water park — such as the racetrack and batting cages — in order to prepare the site for development.
Flora said the city expects to begin construction of the road and utility infrastructure at the site in the spring of 2022.
In other business, staff will ask the council to consider a resolution approving an application for funding to the state for Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Response funding not to exceed $1 million for improvements at the Hope Center, a transitional housing facility.
Flora’s report on the item said the city has partnered with Adventist Health, Hope Rising and other local partners to develop the center, but additional improvements are needed, including curb gutter and sidewalks, and an energy microgrid system, which are eligible for funding through the CDBG-CV Home Key program.
“The Hope Center renovation was funded in large part by the first round of Home Key funding in 2020 with the County as a sponsor. The County is not interested in sponsoring the current
application, so the City has stepped up. The City will be the applicant and will pass through the funds to the Hope Center, but will rely on Adventist Health and Hope Rising for reporting and administrative support of the grant process,” Flora said.
The council also will discuss resolutions to be taken up at the 2021 League of California Cities Annual Conference.
On the meeting's consent agenda — items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote — are warrants, minutes of the July 14 Lake County Vector Control District Board meeting, the second ready and adoption of Ordinance No. 256-2021, an amendment to Chapter 17 of the Clearlake Municipal Code repealing and replacing floodplain management regulations, minutes of the July 15 council meeting and authorization of an agreement for a remodel of the City Hall breakroom.
Following the meeting, the council will have a closed session for conference with legal counsel regarding a lawsuit against the county of Lake and Treasurer-Tax Collector Barbara Ringen.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 19, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
The meeting will be broadcast live on the city's YouTube channel or the Lake County PEGTV YouTube Channel. Community members also can participate via Zoom or can attend in person.
The agenda can be found here.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to City Clerk Melissa Swanson at
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments before 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 19.
Each public comment emailed to the city clerk will be read aloud by the mayor or a member of staff for up to three minutes or will be displayed on a screen. Public comment emails and town hall public comment submissions that are received after the beginning of the meeting will not be included in the record.
The meeting will feature a presentation of August's adoptable dogs and a proclamation declaring Aug. 31 as International Overdose Awareness Day.
Under council business, City Manager Alan Flora will present to the council a proposal to purchase 11.28 acres of property located at 6885 and 7110 Old Highway 53 from the Burbank Housing and Development Corp. for a retail center development. The purchase price is $1 million.
The property, at the former Pearce Field airport, was home to the former Outrageous Waters water park, which closed in 2005.
“The city currently owns approximately 28 acres which comprised the former Pearce Field airport west of Highway 53. The City recently approved the sale of approximately 2.5 acres of the property for development of a Fairfield Inn and Suites and is working with various developers, business owners, retailers and investors with an interest in the overall project,” Flora wrote in his report to the council.
He said the city has been working with the firm Retail Strategies and others to attract retail interest in the retail development that has long been envisioned for the former airport site. “Interest has been quite strong and many of the pieces necessary for a successful development are starting to come together.”
Flora said it became apparent that having control over the bulk of the developable area would be helpful for a consistent and cohesive development plan. He said the 11-acre property, the location of the former water park, was part of the original airport site the city acquired from the county in 1994.
City staff contacted Burbank Housing Development, a Sonoma County-based affordable housing developer, about the property. Burbank, which was given the site and has owned it since 2017, has no plans to do any development in Lake County, Flora said.
“This purchase will give the City control of nearly 40 acres of development area along Highway 53 and will allow more strategic master planning of the entire site. The City is currently working with architecture firm Ankrom Moisan on the site master plan,” Flora said.
Upon closing of the purchase of the property, Flora said the city will begin demolition of the remaining infrastructure from the water park — such as the racetrack and batting cages — in order to prepare the site for development.
Flora said the city expects to begin construction of the road and utility infrastructure at the site in the spring of 2022.
In other business, staff will ask the council to consider a resolution approving an application for funding to the state for Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Response funding not to exceed $1 million for improvements at the Hope Center, a transitional housing facility.
Flora’s report on the item said the city has partnered with Adventist Health, Hope Rising and other local partners to develop the center, but additional improvements are needed, including curb gutter and sidewalks, and an energy microgrid system, which are eligible for funding through the CDBG-CV Home Key program.
“The Hope Center renovation was funded in large part by the first round of Home Key funding in 2020 with the County as a sponsor. The County is not interested in sponsoring the current
application, so the City has stepped up. The City will be the applicant and will pass through the funds to the Hope Center, but will rely on Adventist Health and Hope Rising for reporting and administrative support of the grant process,” Flora said.
The council also will discuss resolutions to be taken up at the 2021 League of California Cities Annual Conference.
On the meeting's consent agenda — items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote — are warrants, minutes of the July 14 Lake County Vector Control District Board meeting, the second ready and adoption of Ordinance No. 256-2021, an amendment to Chapter 17 of the Clearlake Municipal Code repealing and replacing floodplain management regulations, minutes of the July 15 council meeting and authorization of an agreement for a remodel of the City Hall breakroom.
Following the meeting, the council will have a closed session for conference with legal counsel regarding a lawsuit against the county of Lake and Treasurer-Tax Collector Barbara Ringen.
Email Elizabeth Larson at