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The steering committee has selected the stories and poems of Edgar Allan Poe as the focus of the Big Read, and is in the process of developing a number of fun, interesting and creative community events.
Following is a partial list of volunteer opportunities:
Sept. 24 – Pear festival kickoff;
Oct. 15-16 – film festival volunteers;
Oct. 15 – teen-focused film festival at the Lower Lake School House Museum;
Oct. 16 – film festival at Moore Family Winery.
Oct. 22 – keynote session and planetarium show at the Taylor Observatory.
A short film contest will be held, and the winners will be shown at both film festivals.
A traveling art exhibit will accompany the film festivals and other Big Read activities. Artists will be invited to create interpretations of Poe’s works.
Criteria for the short films and art submissions will be published soon.
According to Robin Shrive, Big Read director, “The Big Read works when the community embraces it and people start reading together. Lake County is home to so many creative people; I’m excited about the potential of these activities to bring our communities together to celebrate literature, art and culture.”
To volunteer and find out more information about the Big Read and upcoming activities and events, email
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“If you’ve ever wondered how you can be more involved in our schools, running for a seat on one of our school boards is a great way to make a difference,” said Lake County Superintendent of Schools Wally Holbrook. “This workshop is designed for individuals interested in running, and who may need more information to make that decision.”
The agenda will include information on the role of a board member, brown act review, and major areas of responsibility.
Additionally, a panel of experienced board members will share their knowledge and advice.
Even though this workshop is designed for interested potential board members, seated board members are also welcome to attend.
Following is a list of Lake County school board vacancies:
Kelseyville Unified School District: Three vacancies, four-year terms;
Lake County Board of Education: Trustee Area No. 1, one vacancy, four-year term; Trustee Area No. 2, one vacancy, four-year term;
Lakeport Unified School District: Three vacancies, four-year terms;
Lucerne Elementary School Board: One vacancy, four-year term;
Upper Lake Union Elementary School District: Two vacancies, four-year terms
Candidate filing documents will be available at the Lake County Registrar of Voters between July 18 and Aug. 12.
For more information and to register for the workshop, contact Jan Bailey at 707-262-4102.
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The interest rate on subsidized student loans were cut to 3.4 percent on July 1 – the last of four steps to cut this interest rate in half over four years under the 2007 College Cost Reduction and Access Act.
Due to these cuts, the typical student borrower who started college in 2008 will have saved $2,570 over the life of their loan, according to North Coast Congressman Mike Thompson's office.
Under this legislation, the interest rate on subsidized student loans has been cut as follows:
On July 1, 2008, the interest rate was cut from 6.8 percent to 6.0 percent;
On July 1, 2009, the interest rate was cut from 6.0 percent to 5.6 percent;
On July 1, 2010, the interest rate was cut from 5.6 percent to 4.5 percent; and
On July 1, 2011, the interest rate will be cut from 4.5 percent to 3.4 percent.
Also as of July 1, new college affordability information became available to young people and their families on the Department of Education Web site.
This information will help prospective college students and their families shop for the best value – based on their individual circumstances – for a college education.
Students and their families will be provided with early estimates of their expected college costs, and allowed to estimate the annual and total cost of a college education at the individual colleges or universities they are interested in.
The site will also provide information on incentives for attendance that individual colleges and universities may be offering, such as need-based aid.
In addition to cutting interest rates in half and requiring new online college affordability information, Congressman Thompson and his colleagues have taken numerous other steps to make college more affordable, including:
Increasing the Maximum Pell Grant. Between 2007 and 2010, Congress increased the maximum Pell Grant from $4,050 to $5,550. Currently, there are about 9 million students receiving a Pell Grant to help pay for the costs of college. In California’s First Congressional District alone, over 18,400 students have received more than $68 million in estimated available aid.
Implementing an Income-Based Repayment Program. Starting on July 1, 2009, Congress established the Income-Based Repayment Program to make student loan payments more manageable for student borrowers. The program guarantees that borrowers will not have to pay more than 15 percent of their discretionary income in loan repayments.
Establishing Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Congress also established the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which allows graduates who enter into public service careers – as teachers, public defenders, firefighters, nurses, non-profit workers, and more – to be eligible for complete loan forgiveness after 10 years of qualifying public service and loan repayments. The program has been in effect since Oct. 1, 2007.