How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
Letters
- Details
- Written by: Phil Myers
This April, in recognition of Parkinson’s Awareness Month, I urge our neighbors to volunteer for Parkinson's research studies.
This week President Obama announced a bold new research initiative, the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative.
The BRAIN Initiative ultimately aims to help researchers find new ways to treat, cure, and prevent many diseases of the brain, including Parkinson's.
The only way that new treatments and a cure for Parkinson’s can happen is by ordinary people taking the extraordinary step of joining studies.
Some studies involve testing a new medication, while other studies can be as simple as taking a quick survey.
As a Parkinson’s Disease Foundation research advocate, I have spoken with many people who are excited to find out that we also need volunteers who do not have Parkinson’s for these studies.
To learn more about how you can help bring about better treatments at a faster pace, please contact the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation or a research institution such UCSF and the Parkinson’s institute in Sunnyvale.
The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation is a leading national presence in Parkinson’s disease research, education and public advocacy.
Since its founding in 1957, PDF has dedicated over $96 million to fund the work of leading scientists throughout the world and over $40 million to support national education and advocacy initiatives for more information, go to www.pdf.org .
Phil Myers lives in Lakeport, Calif.
- Details
- Written by: Mike Adams and Wilda Shock
Thank you to the professional pianists – Spencer Brewer, Elena Casanova and Elizabeth MacDougall from Mendocino County, and Tom Aiken, Tom Ganoung and David Neft from Lake County – who performed recently in the Professional Pianists Concert at the Soper Reese Theatre.
Thank you to young piano student Hana Consterdine who opened the show for the professionals.
The Soper Reese in association with the Lake County Friends of Mendocino College is proud to sponsor this annual program of talented musicians.
We are grateful to the generous sponsors who recognized the partnership opportunity this concert provided to support the arts and education in Lake County: Mendo Lake Credit Union; Lakeport Furniture; Peggy Campbell, CPA; Lincoln-Leavitt Insurance Agency; John Tomkins Tax Consultants; Rick and Judy McCann; Wright Contracting Inc.; David Browning, OD; Susie LaPointe; Jim and Wilda Shock; and Pat and Lori McGuire.
Thank you to the donors of baskets and fine wines: Cheating Daylight and the Gill Family, Gloria Flaherty and the Lake Family Resource Center, Mendocino College Foundation, Judy Conard, Wally Holbrook, Susie LaPointe, Trena Pauly and Polestar Computers, Wilda Shock, Margaret Silveira, Rebecca Southwick and the Tallman Hotel.
We appreciate the team of volunteers from the Soper Reese and the Lake County Friends that assisted with ticket sales, ushering, concession sales, raffle ticket sales, sound, lights and announcements. Thank you to Doug Rhoades for being a masterful master of ceremonies.
We appreciate the Lake County media – Lake County Publishing, Lake County News, Middletown Times Star, Bicoastal Media and KPFZ-FM – for their continuing support.
Proceeds from ticket sales, the sponsorships, raffle ticket sales for bountiful baskets of Lake County products, and wines and refreshments sales resulted in proceeds that exceeded fundraising goals of both organizations.
Thank you to our entire community for recognizing the value and importance of supporting our institutions and our partnership.
Michael Adams is executive director of the Soper-Reese Community Theatre in Lakeport, Calif., and Wilda Shock is chairperson of the Lake County Friends of Mendocino College.
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News Reports
Last week President Obama took bold action to preserve our nation’s cultural and natural heritage by naming five new national monuments, including the San Juan Islands on the Pacific Coast.
By protecting these special places he is fashioning an enduring legacy for the benefit of our children and grandchildren: thank you, Mr. President!
Here in on the North Coast we’re also blessed with a wealth of exceptional places where people can connect with nature.
For example, last Friday I had the privilege of attending an enthusiastic public gathering on the headlands above Arena Cove, hosted by Congressman Jared Huffman to announce his intention to introduce legislation adding the spectacular Stornetta Public Lands to the California Coastal National Monument.
The bill would also add 10 miles to the California Coastal Trail, making it possible to hike along the bluffs all the way from Point Arena to the Lighthouse and on to Manchester State Park.
This bill will be cosponsored by Congressman Mike Thompson and paired with companion legislation introduced by Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein.
It’s a great idea with apparently unanimous public support, but with little likelihood of success under current Congressional leadership: the 112th Congress was the first since World War II to fail to protect so much as one new acre of public land as a park, national monument or wilderness area.
So I’m joining Congressman Huffman in urging President Obama to step forward to permanently protect this irreplaceable natural treasure by adding the Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands to the Coastal National Monument by executive order.
Victoria Brandon is chair of the Sierra Club Redwood Chapter. She lives in Lower Lake, Calif.
- Details
- Written by: Ellen Karnowski
In a recent 307 page senate report, $6.2 billion were gambled and shifted on the books at JP Morgan (Chase) bank.
The Dodd-Frank legislation was supposed to keep our system safe from the kinds of reckless banking activities that brought our economy to its knees in recent years.
I am appalled that these kind of callous and careless activities are allowed to proliferate at our financial institutions. As a teacher, our new standards as well as the old ones ask us to teach with “rigor” and “relevance.”
Well, perhaps it is time for the banking industry to also act with the same values in mind. Protecting the “bottom line” at all costs is not an effective practice, whether it is a school’s progress in testing data or a bank’s balance sheet.
The committee that brought this practice to light was headed up by Sen. Levin from Michigan. This is the second time since 2008 that the findings have been discovered. If one of our most predominant banks has utilized the practice of covering up losses, we can only imagine what goes on at smaller institutions.
Also responsible for uncovering the coverup was John McCain, who was also a part of the committee. However, the ultimate responsibility lies with Michael Cavanagh, who was also a task force member and co-CEO of JP Morgan’s corporate and investment bank.
Trillions of dollars on balance sheets are being manipulated to hide trading losses. Vice Chairman Douglas Braunstein stated that compensation for top executives has been reduced. That is putting a Band-Aid on the problem.
Taxpayers should not have to bear the burden of corporations trying to look good to their investors and the public, all the while playing a hiding game with their true net worth.
Let us have some rigor in your pursuit of balanced systems, and stop feeding at the public trough.
Ellen Karnowski lives in Kelseyville, Calif.