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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Tim Gill, a veteran educator who the district board hired at the end of October, confirmed to Lake County News that he resigned effective Tuesday.
“At this time I don't have any comment regarding my reasons for resigning,” Gill said.
Board President Misha Grothe said Gill submitted the letter of resignation to the board on Monday.
“No reason was given in his letter of resignation and I don’t feel it is my place nor the community’s to speculate,” she said.
“It was my absolute honor to have been able to work with Tim Gill in his short tenure as Middletown USD’s superintendent. His passion for education and dedication to bettering the district while here was unparalleled and he will be sorely missed. I wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” Grothe said.
The Middletown Unified School Board held a special Tuesday night meeting to discuss the matter. It met in closed session and then held an open session, during which it took public comment before voting to accept Gill’s resignation.
While neither Gill nor the district gave reasons for his sudden departure, speakers at the Tuesday night meeting attributed his leaving directly to an escalating political divide that has formed in the district around COVID-19 mandates.
Over the past several months, the district board meetings have been filled with parents and community members arguing against masking and vaccinations.
In the fall, two board members — LaTrease Walker and Thad Owens — resigned their seats, with Walker opposing COVID-19 mandates and Owens giving no reason.
At the same time, Gill’s selection as the new superintendent had appeared to promise some stability to the district, which at that point had three superintendents in two years.
Then, in December, the board selected Annette Lee — a college professor with a doctorate in educational administration — and Allison Berlogar to fill the seats of Walker and Owens, respectively.
When, at her first board meeting two weeks later, Lee suggested alternate wording to a proposed resolution against mandates, she became the target of a petition — whose proponents included Walker — opposing her provisional appointment.
Enough signatures were gathered and Lee’s provisional appointment ended in January. At the same time, Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg called a special election to fill Walker’s seat that is expected to cost the district tens of thousands of dollars and leave the board’s fifth seat vacant until the June election, which will be combined with the state primary.
District starting ‘to crack and now crumble’
Despite the deep differences that have developed in the district, the teachers and community members who spoke to the board on Tuesday universally praised Gill and expressed regret at his departure.
Coyote Valley Elementary Principal Matt Coit, wearing a t-shirt with the words “Be Kind” on it, referred to all of the district’s issues in speaking to the board on Tuesday night.
Himself a graduate of district schools, Coit said Middletown has always been an amazing district. However, over the past year, and especially in the past five months, “I’ve seen our district start to crack and now crumble.”
Coit said he’s sat through meetings watching teachers be called child abusers, and compared to Nazis and those who enforced apartheid in South Africa. “We’re in this business because we genuinely love students. So to be called these things is absolutely soul-crushing.”
He added, “This sustained hate-filled hyperbolic rhetoric is destroying our community and the district that we love with it.”
Coit said he’s seen teachers bullied online and in person, and qualified members pushed off the board. “I’ve now seen the best superintendent of my career pushed over the edge.”
He said he’s afraid for the district and its students. “If this hate and vitriol continue unchecked I fear that soon there may be no district left.”
Coit issued a plea to the silent majority in the middle of the political spectrum, asking them to help combat hate with love and say enough is enough.
He quoted Martin Luther King Jr.: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Middletown High teacher Jennifer Pyzer, a previous county educator of the year, thanked Gill and the board for finding him, and said she hopes they can find another good superintendent.
“These last few months have been the most productive months our school district has had in three years,” she said, adding they have more work to do.
She said people are willing to step up and help carry the workload. “We want to see our district succeed,” and not to lose its momentum.
“I really want to focus on how great we are,” said Pyzer. “We have some great things going on here.”
Allisun Moore, a fourth grade teacher at Coyote Valley Elementary, read the board a letter she had planned to present at its regular meeting later this month lauding Gill. She thanked them for hiring him and said they may never be able to find another Tim Gill.
Jeremy Rarick also lauded Gill, who he said he deeply respected. However, Rarick blamed “highly political teachers” for forcing their views on students and contributing to the tensions in the district.
“Tim Gill cannot stand to be in the middle of this COVID fight any longer,” said Rarick, who added that Gill is probably one of the best superintendents the district has ever had.
After hearing public comment, the board voted 4-0 to accept Gill’s resignation.
In a statement issued to Lake County News after the meeting, the Middletown Unified School Board thanked Gill for his extraordinary service and dedication to the district in his short tenure as superintendent.
“His vision and guidance will endure and continue to carry this district forward,” the statement said.
The board said it will fill the superintendent vacancy through the appointment of an interim superintendent as soon as possible.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that underserved communities throughout the state will receive $296 million in Clean California grants to remove litter and transform public spaces into points of pride.
The 105 community projects will generate an estimated 3,600 jobs as the latest piece of Newsom’s Clean California initiative, a sweeping $1.1 billion, multiyear clean-up effort led by Caltrans to remove trash, create thousands of jobs and engage communities to transform public spaces.
“Clean California is an historic investment transforming unsightly roadsides throughout our state into places of community pride for all Californians,” said Newsom.
He said the latest awards demonstrate the commitment the state is making to remove unsightly litter from local streets and highways. “Clean California will not only help to clean up our state, but this program will also create thousands of jobs and revitalize neighborhoods in every corner of California.”
The projects include a wide range of community enhancements, such as litter removal, landscaping and art installations, walking and bike paths, and other complete streets features that enhance safety and access to transportation.
The grant recipients must complete their projects by June 30, 2024.
The Governor’s California Blueprint proposes an additional $100 million to fund another round of Clean California local projects.
“California is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and the trash cluttering our roadways tarnishes that image,” said California State Transportation Agency Secretary Toks Omishakin. “These Clean California grants empower communities to highlight the beauty of our state by turning public spaces littered with trash into places to treasure.”
The city of Clearlake will receive $1,557,158 to clean and beautify the downtown corridor with the installation of wayfinding signage and murals on exterior walls of businesses painted by local artists.
The project also calls for reducing the amount of litter overflow and illegal dumping by providing education and outreach, additional waste receptacles throughout Austin Park, the organization of community clean-up days, eight free dump days over the duration of the project and the installation of shade structures at Austin Park.
The county of Lake has been awarded $1,358,545 for its beautification project, which consists of both infrastructure and non-infrastructure components.
The infrastructure components include amenities such as restrooms and public art at two county parks: as well as shade structures, trees, drinking fountains, benches, trash/recycling receptacles and signs at a total of 15 parks countywide. The non-infrastructure component of the project is a countywide marketing outreach and educational campaign.
The local projects announced today are in addition to the $312 million for 126 beautification projects along state highways announced last month.
Since launching Clean California in July, Caltrans has removed nearly 7,400 tons of litter from the state highway system — enough to fill 134 Olympic-size swimming pools — and hired 623 new team members as part of Clean California, including 498 maintenance workers who collect litter and remove graffiti.
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- Written by: Mendocino College
On Wednesday, February 23, MC staff handed out DIY food kits to students so they could prepare a healthy and easy Quinoa Bowl dish at home. The recipe, provided by MC Culinary Arts Instructor, Nicholas Petti, went along with the meal and a demo video was posted to the college website.
On Thursday, February 24, cars lined up as MC staff and volunteers from MC athletic programs helped distribute food to students and the community at the Ukiah campus. The food was generously provided by the Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB) and included a variety of grocery items such as fruit, vegetables, rice, lentils, milk, peanut butter, pork loin, bread, cereal, diapers, and more.
“We are grateful for the support from our partners at the Center for Healthy Communities at Chico State and the REFB that allows us to provide opportunities like this to our students and the community,” says MC Director of Community Relations & Communication, Janelle Meyers. “CalFresh is such a great resource for those looking to supplement their food budget, especially with the rising cost of goods. We look forward to hosting more events in the future that address local food insecurities.”
2022 is the first year the Center for Healthy Communities at Chico State has cultivated an intersegmental partnership effort for CalFresh Outreach Week. Campuses from all three segments of public higher education hosted in person and virtual events, along with posting tips and facts on social media using the hashtag #CalFreshWeek.
Mendocino College student Dylan says, “CalFresh is truly outstanding with what security they provide; giving assistance to students who may not have access to the food they need. Many people may see these as simple programs, when in reality they’re saving lives.”
Megan, a California State University student who received CalFresh Food explained, “I was working three jobs to pay all my bills... I didn’t think I would qualify, but I did! [I'm] able to have freedom to buy enough food and not worry about how I'm going to make breakfast.”
Students who are eligible for CalFresh are able to receive a maximum of $250 each month to purchase groceries at the grocery store, Farmers’ Markets, and online. Those who the county approves to receive benefits can focus on their studies to ensure they are successful in the classroom while having the ability to purchase nourishing food.
To apply, visit www.mendocino.edu/calfresh or call 707-468-1081 for application assistance.
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- Written by: GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
“Russia’s brazen and lawless military assault on Ukraine demands our support for the Ukrainian people and exacting an immediate and severe cost upon the Russian government,” the Governor wrote. “The California Constitution is explicit in the fiduciary duties that are required of us on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of Californians who have invested in these systems. These fiduciary obligations and our moral imperative before these atrocities demand that you act to address Russia’s aggressions and immediately restrict Russian access to California’s capital and investments.”
The combined assets of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, or CalPERS, California State Teachers’ Retirement System, or CalSTRS, and the UC retirement system amount to $970 billion — equivalent to 60% of Russia’s gross domestic product last year.
Over $1.5 billion of these California investments are held in various financial instruments linked to Russia’s financial markets.
The governor called for the funds to halt the flow of money from the state to Russia, ban the purchase of Russian debt and conduct an assessment to ensure their actions protect the interests of current and future retirees.
Newsom also requested recommendations from CalPERS, CalSTRS and the UC on additional measures that can be implemented to protect the state’s investments amid global financial sanctions on Russia.
The text of the letter is published below.
February 28, 2022
Theresa Taylor Cecilia Estolano
Chair, CalPERS Chair, University of California Regents
400 Q St. 1111 Franklin St.,12th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95811 Oakland, CA 94607
Harry Keiley
Chair, CalSTRS
100 Waterfront Pl.
West Sacramento, CA 95605
Dear Chairs:
Russia’s brazen and lawless military assault on Ukraine demands our support for the Ukrainian people and exacting an immediate and severe cost upon the Russian government in response to its continuing aggression. California has a unique and powerful position of influence given the state’s substantial global investment portfolio.
Alone, our Public Employees’ Retirement System holds roughly $480 billion in assets. In addition, our Teachers’ Retirement System holds $320 billion in assets, and the University of California’s Retirement System another $170 billion. This combined amount, $970 billion, is equivalent to 60 percent of Russia’s entire gross domestic product last year.
Of these California investments, over $1.5 billion are held in a variety of financial instruments — including stock of multinational corporations, private equity and real asset investments, and debt — that have some nexus or relation to Russia’s financial markets.
The California Constitution is explicit in the fiduciary duties that are required of us on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of Californians who have invested in these systems. These fiduciary obligations and our moral imperative before these atrocities demand that you act to address Russia’s aggressions and immediately restrict Russian access to California’s capital and investments. Given heightened financial risks, no fund shall purchase Russian debt and no money shall flow from the state of California to Russia. Furthermore, the funds should immediately assess risk to the retirees of our state and ensure that the actions you take protect the interests of your current and future retirees.
In addition to taking these actions, I would appreciate your recommendations of any additional safeguards that can be put in place to protect California’s investments as the U.S. and the world continue to implement financial sanctions on Russia. Please advise me of the steps that you are taking in this effort within 10 days.
I stand ready to work with you to further this important effort.
Sincerely,
Gavin Newsom
Governor of California