NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – As the nation continues to respond to the killing of George Floyd, members of Congress are presenting legislation meant to help dismantle racism, racial inequality and systemic injustice.
Bay Area Congresswoman Barbara Lee is helping lead the charge on a package of bills meant to address racial inequality and its broader social impacts.
One of the key efforts is Lee’s legislation to establish the first United States Commission on Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation.
It’s an approach that Lee said 40 other countries – including Rwanda – have taken to transform their countries by effecting social change and addressing racial disparities.
Lee’s announcement on the legislation said the commission’s purpose is to properly acknowledge, memorialize and “be a catalyst for progress toward jettisoning the belief in a hierarchy of human value based on race, embracing our common humanity and permanently eliminating persistent racial inequities.”
She said the commission will examine the effects of slavery, institutional racism, and discrimination against people of color, and how history impacts laws and policies today.
Members of Congress included in the coalition signing on to support the legislation include Rep. John Lewis (GA-05), a legendary Civil Rights leader; Rep. Karen Bass (CA-37), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus; Rep. Deb Haaland (NM-01), co-chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus; as well as Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-05), who represents the southern portion of Lake County.
Lee discussed the proposal and answered questions from North Coast residents during a virtual June 4 town hall meeting hosted by Thompson, her colleague and longtime friend, and a co-author of the legislation.
Lee and Thompson have served in government beginning with their time in the California Legislature. Both were elected to Congress in 1998.
Thompson’s virtual town hall on June 4, one in a series that has been used to discuss current issues, focused on Floyd’s killing, which he said “has rocked the nation, from one corner of the country to another.”
He said it’s a reminder about the discrimination that some people in the community face every day and, for the rest, a reminder that we need to do a better job.
During the discussion, he recounted how a member of his own staff, who is Asian American, told him recently about an encounter with an individual who acted in a bigoted and threatening way toward her in a store.
Bigotry and prejudice, he said, are "alive and well in every corner of my district, in your district, in this country and people are real quick to point out that that it's not them but it's there. It is absolutely there. We see it all the time."
Thompson said he and his colleagues have been discussing providing legislative responses to fix some of these systemic problems that have been plaguing the United States.
“I’m heartened that our colleagues are focused on this and they want to do something,” he said.
He added, “Congressional action is going to happen and it’s going to happen quick.”
In addition to working on legislation to collect data on bad cops, Thompson said they will also focus on areas including education, justice and civil rights, health care, labor and employment, and housing.”
On Monday, the Justice in Policing Act was introduced, with Thompson an original coauthor. The bill includes four main categories to allow for structural change that will begin the process of reforming policing nationwide. Thompson’s office said the bill includes accountability for police through the judiciary; improved transparency, widespread changes to the training programs that will address bias, ban practices such as chokeholds, and change the use of force standards; and making lynching a federal crime.
During the June 4 town hall – the same day that Lee’s legislation to create the Commission on Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation was formally introduced, with 114 cosponsors – Lee recounted how that when she and Thompson were in the California Legislature, they started the California Commission on the Status of African American Males, the first commission of its kind in the United States.
They worked on that effort for seven years, studying gaps and disparities in health care, and coming up with specific policy recommendations on what to do in California, which has one of the biggest prison populations.
“I hope people resurrect that here in California because we did quite a bit of work on that,” said Lee.
Despite this being a moment when people are sad and angry, “I see a lot of hope with our young people,” said Lee, describing protesters of different backgrounds and races coming together to call for change, not a return to the old ways.
“The old ways for some of us have been deadly,” she said.
At the same time, Lee said the black community is in a counter pandemic, with blacks dying at higher rates of COVID-19. She said the health system has been discriminatory and blacks have higher rates of underlying conditions.
African Americans and Latinx people also tend to be essential frontline workers and so more exposed to the virus, she said.
“We’re at that moment, that moment where we see a convergence of all of these injustices coming together,” she said.
In response, she and her colleagues are putting forward a package of bills that include her commission, as well as legislation to promote accountability and transparency for police departments, and a bill to establish the Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys.
“Forty countries have done it, we’ve never done it,” she said of her proposed commission, explaining that most people don’t understand what has taken place when it comes to slavery and a wide range of other human rights violations against groups including Native Americans and Chinese immigrations.
She said many people also don’t see the connection between the past and historical context and George Floyd’s murder.
Lee was asked by a member of the virtual audience about how she would measure progress in reducing racism and discrimination in the United States.
She said that first it would be measured in a reduction of deaths involving police and health disparities, expunging records of African Americans and Latinx young people disproportionately impacted by marijuana arrests and offering them restorative justice, and seeing more of the tech industry include African Americans.
“The measurements would be clear. We would see more racial equity everywhere in the country and we would see less discrimination,” she said.
Lee also noted the huge wealth gap, with measures of success to include seeing more of the country’s low-wage workers making a living wage that allows them to take care of their families.
“So there are clear measures that we could see and it wouldn't take long if in fact we have the political will to do this,” Lee said.
In her final comments, Lee noted that the essence of patriotism is “liberty and justice for all.”
“I think we’re witnessing the birth of a new nation,” she said.
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.
Bees in salvia. Photo by Kathleen Scavone. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Like so many others sheltering at home lately, I find myself looking more closely at flowering plants whether they grow in the garden or are found in the wild.
Each flower is like a cup of light, illuminating miniature worlds occurring on the asterisks of honeysuckle or within the nectary of a bright blue Ithuriel's spear inflorescence.
I've been taking a number of classes online, via Zoom, such as the free webinars offered by Sonoma State University's Center for Environmental Inquiry, California Native Plant Society and also by Pepperwood Preserve, etc.
In the webinar, "A Match Made in Evolution: Plants and Pollinators" presented by professional botanist and instructor of botany at Santa Rosa Junior College and Napa Valley College, Caprice Disbrow discussed the diversity and evolution of California native plants.
The up-close-and-personal relationships between flowering plants and their pollinators happen all around us during this time of profuse flowering, and presents a free show entailing both active and passive pollination.
Then, as Darwin outlined in his publications, the special coevolution between flowering plants and pollinators continues with the transfer of pollen grains from an anther to the stigma of each flower.
We all know that the great Central Valley is the fruit basket of the country, and without plant pollination, a significant portion of which occurs by honey bees, we would not eat as well as we do.
Our own gardens' zucchinis, tomatoes and peppers profit from the most critical events of their flowering lives with the help of a variety of native bees, honey bees, butterflies, wasps, beetles and birds' assistance.
Moths and bats also get in on the action of pollination, but they visit during the night hours when they scope out flowers that contain long corolla tubes and are, usually, white in color.
Mother nature did not waste energy providing night-blooming flowers with color, however, when they open during the night their scents attract many pollinators.
The California native soap plant is one such plant. Although plenty of passive pollination in plants occurs via wind or water, over time plants evolved from simple structures to those that encouraged pollination by insects. The pollen transfers in those cases proved to be more efficient and less pollen was needed.
Several differing methods of pollination evolved over time with generalist pollinator plants developing which encouraged a variety of insects to visit such as the aforementioned bees, butterflies, wasps, beetles, etc.
The generalist pollinators developed strategies for proliferating with colorations such as yellow, white, green-tinted and scented flowers.
Along with generalist pollinators there are those that specialize in order to invite hummingbirds and other visitors to sip their nectar and which, while the bird is imbibing on a treat, they also provide a pollen transfer service.
Now botanists know that bees can see ultraviolet along with yellow and blue pigments, and butterflies are also endowed with photoreceptors that allow them to see in ultraviolet.
This specialized behavior encouraged floral traits to occur over time as they were driven by natural selection between pollinator and plant.
To encourage native pollinators, Bay Nature Magazine recommends planting a garden incorporating wildflowers that are native to our area.
It's important to select flowers with differing sizes and shapes and those with staggered bloom times. Bees are especially attracted to the colors yellow, white, blue and purple.
You may want to think of leaving a portion of the garden bare to encourage beneficial ground-nesting bees, and of course, steer clear of pesticides and herbicides.
Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is a retired educator, potter, freelance writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.”
A bumblebee in penstemon. Photo by Kathleen Scavone.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has more new dogs of different ages and breeds ready to go to new homes
Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of cattle dog Catahoula Leopard Dog, Chihuahua, German Shepherd, Lhasa Apso, pit bull and West Highland White Terrier.
Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).
This female Chihuahua is in kennel No. Q1, ID No. 13659. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female Chihuahua
This female Chihuahua has a short tan coat.
She has been spayed.
She’s in kennel No. Q1, ID No. 13659.
“Lady” is a female pit bull mix in kennel No. 22, ID No. 13703. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Lady’
“Lady” is a female pit bull mix with a short tan coat.
She has been spayed.
She is in kennel No. 22, ID No. 13703.
This senior female West Highland White Terrier is in kennel No. 23, ID No. 13744. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. West Highland White Terrier
This senior female West Highland White Terrier has a medium-length white and tan coat.
She is in kennel No. 23, ID No. 13744.
This young female Catahoula Leopard Dog is in kennel No. 27, ID No. 13752. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Catahoula Leopard Dog
This young female Catahoula Leopard Dog has a short white coat with black spots.
She is in kennel No. 27, ID No. 13752.
This young male Catahoula Leopard Dog in kennel No. 28a, ID No. 13751. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Catahoula Leopard Dog
This young male Catahoula Leopard Dog has a short white coat with black spots.
He is in kennel No. 28a, ID No. 13751.
This young male Catahoula Leopard Dog is in kennel No. 28c, ID No. 13753. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Catahoula Leopard Dog
This young male Catahoula Leopard Dog has a short black and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 28c, ID No. 13753.
This female Lhasa Apso is in kennel No. 29, ID No. 13747. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female Lhasa Apso
This female Lhasa Apso has a long tan and white coat.
She is in kennel No. 29, ID No. 13747.
This young male German Shepherd is in kennel No. 31, ID No. 13706. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male German Shepherd
This young male German Shepherd has a fully brown and black coat.
He is in kennel No. 31, ID No. 13706.
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.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – Authorities in Sonoma County on Saturday made an arrest for a hate crime, taking into custody a Ukiah man with a violent criminal history who also is under investigation for similar incidents in Mendocino County.
Sgt. Juan Valencia of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said Anthony James Pelfrey, 43, was arrested in the case.
Valencia said Sonoma County deputies, working together with the Ukiah Police Department, arrested Pelfrey for a hate crime, felon in possession of pepper spray and illegal use of pepper spray.
The incident unfolded at approximately 10:18 a.m. Saturday when deputies were dispatched to Pinnacle Gulch Trail in Bodega Bay for a male intentionally pepper-spraying people, Valencia said.
Valencia said the first victim, an Asian male, was sprayed in the face with bear deterrent spray by Pelfrey for no apparent reason in the parking lot. The second victim, a Hispanic male, was walking out of the restroom and was sprayed as well.
Pelfrey walked to his car, a white Honda Civic, as witnesses took photos of him and his car, Valencia said.
Witnesses at the scene recognized the male as Pelfrey from their yoga class. Pelfrey was at the location, attending an outdoor yoga session. Pelfrey left the scene in his car, Valencia reported.
A records check revealed the car belonged to Pelfrey with an address in Ukiah. Valencia said the Ukiah Police Department was notified and conducted surveillance at Pelfrey's home, where. Pelfrey subsequently was arrested.
Ukiah Police Department and Mendocino County Sheriff's Office were both investigating two similar incidents involving Pelfrey last week in which he used bear deterrent spray on people, Valencia said.
Valencia said Pelfrey was convicted of attempted murder in Mendocino County in 2009 after attacking two men with a machete.
Pelfrey was arrested and later transported to the Sonoma County Jail and booked for a hate crime, felon in possession of pepper spray and illegal use of pepper spray. Pelfrey is currently in custody and being held on $50,000 bail after a judge approved a bail enhancement, Valencia said.
Jail records show Pelfrey is due to be arraigned on Tuesday afternoon.
“We want to thank the community members who called us with information. This case is another example of how we can better protect our community when we all work together,” Valencia said.
NASA has awarded Astrobotic of Pittsburgh $199.5 million to deliver NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER, to the Moon’s South Pole in late 2023.
The water-seeking mobile VIPER robot will help pave the way for astronaut missions to the lunar surface beginning in 2024 and will bring NASA a step closer to developing a sustainable, long-term presence on the Moon as part of the agency’s Artemis program.
“The VIPER rover and the commercial partnership that will deliver it to the Moon are a prime example of how the scientific community and U.S. industry are making NASA’s lunar exploration vision a reality,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “Commercial partners are changing the landscape of space exploration, and VIPER is going to be a big boost to our efforts to send the first woman and next man to the lunar surface in 2024 through the Artemis program.”
VIPER’s flight to the Moon is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, which leverages the capabilities of industry partners to quickly deliver scientific instruments and technology demonstrations to the Moon.
As part of its award, Astrobotic is responsible for end-to-end services for delivery of VIPER, including integration with its Griffin lander, launch from Earth, and landing on the Moon.
During its 100-Earth-day mission, the approximately 1,000-pound VIPER rover will roam several miles and use its four science instruments to sample various soil environments. Versions of its three water-hunting instruments are flying to the Moon on earlier CLPS lander deliveries in 2021 and 2022 to help test their performance on the lunar surface prior to VIPER’s mission. The rover also will have a drill to bore approximately 3 feet into the lunar surface.
“CLPS is a totally creative way to advance lunar exploration,” said NASA’s Associate Administrator for Science Thomas Zurbuchen. “We’re doing something that’s never been done before – testing the instruments on the Moon as the rover is being developed. VIPER and the many payloads we will send to the lunar surface in the next few years are going to help us realize the Moon’s vast scientific potential.”
VIPER will collect data – including the location and concentration of ice – that will be used to inform the first global water resource maps of the Moon. Scientific data gathered by VIPER also will inform the selection of future landing sites for astronaut Artemis missions by helping to determine locations where water and other resources can be harvested to sustain humans during extended expeditions. Its science investigations will provide insights into the evolution of the Moon and the Earth-Moon system.
NASA has previously contracted with three companies to make CLPS deliveries to the Moon beginning in 2021. Astrobotic is scheduled to make its first delivery of other instruments to the lunar surface next year.
In April, the agency released a call for potential future lunar surface investigations and received more than 200 responses. CLPS is planned to provide a steady cadence of two delivery opportunities to the lunar surface each year.
“It is an enormous honor and responsibility to be chosen by NASA to deliver this mission of national importance,” said Astrobotic CEO John Thornton. “Astrobotic’s lunar logistics services were created to open a new era on the Moon. Delivering VIPER to look for water, and setting the stage for the first human crew since Apollo, embodies our mission as a company.”
VIPER is a collaboration between various NASA entities and agency partners. The spacecraft, lander and launch vehicle that will deliver VIPER to the surface of the Moon will be provided through NASA’s CLPS initiative as a partnership with industry for delivering science and technology payloads to and near the lunar surface.
CLPS is part of the Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program managed by the agency’s Science Mission Directorate, or SMD, at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
The VIPER mission is part of SMDs Planetary Science Division. NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley is managing the VIPER mission, as well as leading the mission’s science, systems engineering, real-time rover surface operations and flight software.
The rover hardware is being designed and built by NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and the instruments are provided by Ames, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and commercial partner Honeybee Robotics in Altadena, California.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Department said it has located a teenage girl who had been reported missing after last being seen on Friday evening.
Police said Saturday that Yessinia Michelle Rodriguez, 16, was found safe.
The agency had put out a Nixle alert shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday asking for the community’s help locating the girl.
The agency said several hours later that she was safely located.
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