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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
The Summer Book Club, part of the First Partner’s California for ALL Kids initiative, is an annual program and partnership with the California State Library that aims to reduce learning loss by encouraging kids and caregivers to read throughout the summer.
Research has shown that many students, particularly children from disadvantaged backgrounds, experience summer learning loss — falling behind in reading by at least two months.
And studies show that access to reading and learning opportunities between the ages of 0 and 5 are a foundational part of an individual’s future health, education, and economic participation.
“When we read with children early and often and encourage young readers to dive in and explore a new story, we help cultivate in kids a lifelong love of reading and a healthy curiosity about the world around them. We also provide children with an opportunity to expand their creativity and ability to regulate their emotions,” said First Partner Siebel Newsom. “In California, we value diversity and pride ourselves on equity and inclusion. So while other states ban books and stifle curiosity, we’re uplifting books that educate and introduce children to an array of diverse authors, stories, and characters to build their capacity for empathy and show them a world filled with possibilities as limitless as their imagination.”
“Reading opens a door to another world — but it’s also the key to understanding our own world. As states across the country chip away at learning opportunities and silence diverse voices — California is encouraging our kids to read voraciously, to put themselves in someone else’s shoes, and learn through experience,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “Here in California, everyone has the right to read, to learn, and to think freely.”
"The First Partner is always incredibly generous to California's kids and our libraries. It's a privilege for us to be her partner," said California State Librarian Greg Lucas. "We're excited to jump into another summer of great books, excited kids, and building stronger readers."
This year's Summer Book Club list was curated by the First Partner in partnership with librarians across the state. The books highlight themes such as navigating mental health struggles, identity and belonging, and the importance of exploration and curiosity.
The books range in reading levels from preschool to high school and are available for check-out at most public libraries across the state.
In addition to promoting early and regular reading, the First Partner’s Summer Book Club also encourages California families to learn about and engage with programming at their local library.
In particular, First Partner Siebel Newsom has championed the California State Library Parks Pass – a partnership with the State Library and State Parks. Through the Pass, library card holders can check out a State Parks vehicle day use pass at their local public library for use at over 200 participating California State Parks. To date, over 50,000 passes have been checked out.
Through California For All Kids, First Partner Siebel Newsom is working to give California children the best start in life by taking a whole child approach to their well-being.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
Nationwide, there were more than 5,300 incidents involving dogs and mail carriers last year.
To better understand the potential danger to mail carriers, and even people in your community, the Postal Service is sponsoring the annual National Dog Bite Awareness Week, June 4 to 10.
“One bite is far worse than any bark,” said San Francisco Postmaster Doug Smith “Dogs that are not secured pose a threat to our carriers making their appointed rounds. We ask that our customers keep their dogs secured before their carrier arrives.”
National Dog Bite Awareness Week is a USPS-sponsored public service campaign that offers safety tips and emphasizes the need for increased owner responsibility in the prevention of dog attacks. Its theme this year is “Even good dogs have bad days.”
More than 5,300 postal employees were attacked by dogs last year. Many attacks could be avoided if dog owners would take a few extra moments of precaution.
Pet owners can help support safe mail delivery
Mail carriers know all dogs can bite, even those perceived as nonaggressive. Dogs are generally protective of their turf and dog owners have an important responsibility to control them to ensure safe mail delivery.
Most people know the approximate time their letter carrier arrives every day. Securing your dog before the carrier approaches your property will minimize any potentially dangerous interactions.
When a letter carrier comes to your home, keep dogs:
• Inside the house or behind a fence;
• Away from the door or in another room; or
• On a leash.
Pet owners also should remind children not to take mail directly from a letter carrier as the dog may view the carrier as a threat to the child.
Inform yourself, see the mail before it arrives
By using Informed Delivery, a free USPS service, customers can digitally preview incoming mail and packages from a computer, tablet or mobile device.
More than 52 million customers have enrolled since it was launched in 2017. Sign up is at https://www.usps.com/manage/informed-delivery.htm. This service can help dog owners anticipate when their carrier will arrive.
Many attacks reported by letter carriers came from dogs whose owners regularly stated, “My dog won’t bite.” Dog bites are entirely preventable. One bite is one too many.
Letter carriers are trained to observe an area where they know dogs may be present. They are taught to be alert for potentially dangerous conditions and to respect a dog’s territory.
Letter carriers are trained to:
• Not startle a dog;
• Keep their eyes on any dog;
• Never assume a dog will not bite;
• Make some noise or rattle a fence to alert a dog if entering a yard;
• Never attempt to pet or feed a dog; and
• Place their foot against an outward swinging door to prevent a dog from escaping.
If a dog attacks, carriers are also trained to stand their ground and protect their body by placing something between them and the dog — such as a mail satchel — and to use dog repellent, if necessary.
Even though postal officials ask customers to control their dogs, bites still happen and may result in injuries to carriers and costly medical expenses for dog owners. Please heed the above best practices to help stop dog bites and protect your mail carrier.
Carriers have tools to alert them to dogs on their routes. A dog alert feature on carriers’ handheld scanners can remind them of a possible dog hazard, and dog warning cards may be used during mail sorting to alert carriers to routes where a dog may interfere with delivery.
Lastly, when a carrier feels unsafe, mail service could be halted — not only for the dog owner, but for the entire neighborhood. When mail service is stopped, mail must be picked up at the Post Office. Service will not be restored until the aggressive dog is properly restrained.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
The program is called the Climate Health Adaptation and Resilience Mobilizing, or CHARM for short.
Clear Lake in Lake County is California’s largest freshwater lake, providing drinking water to over 60% of the county’s residents, and driving the local economy through recreation and tourism.
The lake is also an important cultural and natural resource for seven local Native American tribes, including the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians.
Severe heat events increase the chance of illness and death, especially among vulnerable populations.
A warming climate may also be related to the local increase in harmful algal blooms, or HABs, which produce a toxin called microcystin that can affect the water supply and impact community health.
“We found that homes that rely on private drinking water supplied by Clear Lake have been contaminated with microcystin during harmful algal blooms. We know HABs are increasing in Lake County, and we’re concerned that more people will be at risk,” said Paul English, principal investigator of CHARM, referring to a recent study from Cal-WATCH, a program that he leads in collaboration with Big Valley and which prompted the development of the CHARM project.
“Within the tribal community and seemingly throughout Lake County, people of this area are not fully prepared to face increasing heat waves and HABs. While it’s critical to continue monitoring these issues, we know there needs to be a plan in place to protect the sensitive populations from these impacts. There’s a lot to do – for example there aren’t any established cooling centers in the area. This project will help build resiliency for our communities,” explained Sarah Ryan, environmental director at Big Valley and co-investigator for the CHARM project.
To guide the project and the development of the action plan, the CHARM project is establishing a working group of representatives from local tribes, county government and community-based organizations that are engaged in emergency response.
“This project is an opportunity to begin addressing these critical issues in a collaborative way, and I’m honored to participate in this effort on behalf of the Lake County community,” said Terre Logsdon, chief climate resiliency officer for the county of Lake.
The two-year project will also include an information-gathering phase, including data analysis, review of other emergency response plans, and collecting input from local residents about their knowledge, beliefs, and experiences related to extreme heat and HABs in Lake County. Results will be used by the working group to develop the action plan.
The CHARM project is a collaboration between the Public Health Institute’s Tracking California program and the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians. It is funded by the National Institutes of Health’s Climate and Health Initiative.
For more information about the project, please contact
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
“Hundreds of volunteers and nonprofit groups devote their time and effort into making California parks the truly remarkable places they are,” Sen. Dodd said. “My proposal would allow these vital partnerships to continue, ensuring our parks are sustainable and the best they can be for generations to come.”
Existing law allows the state to partner with nonprofits for the improvement, restoration, maintenance and operation of state parks.
In Lake County, such partnerships are in effect between State Parks and the Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association and the Clear Lake State Park Interpretive Association.
However, that authorization under state law is set to end on Jan. 1, 2025.
Under Sen. Dodd’s proposal, Senate Bill 668, operating or co-management agreements with nonprofits would be allowed to be extended.
Among other things, the agreements allow qualified nonprofit organizations to operate or co-manage a park unit, taking on functional and financial responsibilities for the park unit with the department.
These partnerships have been vital to over a dozen state parks across the state, preventing closures during the recession in 2011, and making critical capital investments in preserving and enhancing parks.
SB 668 passed the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife committee on Tuesday. It previously was approved by the full Senate.
“Nonprofit partners have provided important, stable funding to California’s state parks that allows them to remain open and allow continued public access,” said Rachel Norton, executive director of California State Parks Foundation, which is sponsoring the bill. “But these partnerships are a two-way street. Partners need support and a measure of autonomy to thrive while they help parks thrive. That support and limited autonomy depends on the authority the park agency is granted through legislation like SB 668. We envision a future where every state park has a dedicated partner that helps with financial support, programming, staffing and community engagement, and SB 668 is a crucial step in reaching that future.”
“This forward-thinking legislation allows for the continuation of proven, successful nonprofit partnerships that provide essential support to parks like Jack London State Historic Park, to keep them thriving,” said Matt Leffert, Jack London Park Partners’ executive director. “Our state parks are California’s most precious resources and Jack London Park Partners is grateful for Sen. Dodd’s leadership to ensure we have the tools necessary to care for California’s most precious resource, the California state park system.”
“With a simple approach, SB 668 allows partnerships to continue to support our vital public trust resources,” Richard Dale, executive director of Sonoma Ecology Center. “These partnerships have brought thousands of new faces, tens of thousands of volunteer hours, and millions of dollars to our state parks, including several threatened with closure, while deepening relationships between the state and local communities.”
Dodd represents the Third Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Yolo, Contra Costa and Sacramento counties. Dodd previously represented Lake County in the State Assembly.