Thursday, 28 March 2024

Community

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Water Resources reported that Aeroflite Tactical Training CL415 will be occurring on Clear Lake between March 12 and 22.

During this training time, expect to see the scooper aircraft “practicing” their descent, scoop and ascent from various areas around Clear Lake.

Training is not expected to take place every day.

For more information call Water Resources at 707-263-2344.

More than 100 nonprofit organizations and other water advocates have signed on to a statement that urges California leaders to lean into conservation as the first line of defense against future droughts and unreliable precipitation patterns in this era of climate change.

Supporters of the statement range from environmental justice groups, including Clean Water Action, Community Water Center and Save California Salmon; conservation groups like the California Native Plant Society and the Center for Biological Diversity; labor group LAANE; and climate advocacy groups like Climate Resolve.

“Too many underserved communities have been unable to access the benefits of existing conservation programs,” noted Kyle Jones, policy and legal director with the Community Water Center. “Solutions like direct installation of water-efficient appliances and drought-resilient outdoor landscaping provide multiple benefits at the community level while helping to keep water bills down for households. It’s both possible and essential to make conservation work for low-income communities and communities of color.”

The California Legislature passed two laws in 2018 to Make Conservation a California Way of Life, and Governor Newsom’s Water Supply Strategy calls for conserving at least 500,000 acre-feet of water every year by 2030.

For context, 500,000 acre-feet is roughly equivalent to the amount of water used by the entire City of Los Angeles in a year or the amount of water that could be delivered by about nine new desalination plants similar to the Carlsbad plant.

“The groups that signed on to these principles recognize that investing in conservation, especially in urban areas, is the fastest and cheapest way for us to bring California’s water demand into balance with our increasingly unstable and unpredictable water supplies,” said Tracy Quinn, president and CEO of Heal the Bay and a longtime advocate for conservation. Quinn also serves as a Board Director of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the largest water supplier in the United States.

“The good news is, California has a tremendous untapped potential to reduce urban water use by 30% to 48% if we make the most of water conservation and efficiency opportunities,” added Heather Cooley, Director of Research with the Pacific Institute. “And from now through 2026, water districts have an extraordinary opportunity to take advantage of funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support these investments.”

Compared to other major water supply projects, like seawater desalination and recycled water, water savings from conservation improvements can be realized faster and with fewer environmental impacts.

And conservation comes with a wide range of benefits, including reducing energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing habitat for native species, and lowering water bills for everyone — including low-income Californians.

“There are so many upsides to conservation,” added Martha Davis, Board Member with the Mono Lake Committee. “Thirty years ago, water conservation programs led by Los Angeles community groups helped save Mono Lake — one of our state’s most treasured natural areas – by reducing demand for imported water. Since that time, water agencies in many of the state’s urban areas have doubled down on improving their efficiency, but there still is so much more they can do. California needs more conservation — not less — now more than ever.”

For more information, go to https://conserve4ca.org/.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Friends of the Lake County Library invite families to visit the new STEM station at their local branch library.

Children can explore the world of science, technology, engineering and mathematics with hands-on activities.

Check out the hidden wonders of the world with a microscope and slides.

Learn how your body is built with an anatomy model.

Build a structure and see how it stands up in an earthquake.

Get up close and personal with insects and spiders with a bug identification guide.

Check out one of the many animal specimen kits.

And there is so much more.

Each branch has its own station located in the children's area and available whenever the library is open.

Redbud and Lakeport have similar items while Upper Lake and Middletown have smaller collections that fit better in their branch. Visit them all!

The Friends are so pleased to have made this dream of library staff possible with the generous award given us by 100 Women Strong of Lake County last November. The group offers its thanks to 100 Women Strong.

Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, has introduced a resolution designating March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month in an effort to bring attention to an addiction affecting more than a million Californians and connect people with treatment.

“For anyone struggling with addiction — and that includes those facing gambling problems — awareness and access to services are critical,” said Sen. Dodd. “Problem gambling is not only an addiction, it’s a serious public health concern. So we must promote a better understanding and prompt people struggling with problem gambling to seek help.”

Sen. Dodd introduced Senate Resolution 67, creating California's month-long awareness campaign.

National Problem Gambling Awareness Month was established in 1972 by the National Council on Problem Gambling. Gambling disorder is classified by the American Psychiatric Association as an addiction that is similar to alcohol and drug dependence in many of the causes and consequences. The disorder is not only an addiction, but can include co-occurring physical and mental health issues.

“More than a million Californians will experience a gambling problem in their lifetimes,” said Robert Jacobson, the executive director of the California Council on Problem Gambling.

“Gambling addiction is a disease of the brain which can result in severely harmful financial, mental and even physical consequences to the gambler, and can also cause harms to individuals close to them – including their family, friends, and others who care about them,” Jacobson said. “We call it the hidden disease, because there are so few outward signs, which makes it all the more important to raise awareness about the help and prevention services available — at no cost — for those who have been harmed by their own, or someone else’s gambling.”

The Office of Problem Gambling and the UCLA Gambling Studies Program operate the California Gambling Education and Treatment Services, which has provided treatment for more than 17,000 problem gamblers and people with gambling disorder since 2009. The collaborative offers a wide array of services, including self-help workbooks, telephone counseling and outpatient and residential care.

Call the confidential, 24-hour problem gambling helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER (426-2537). Or visit the website at https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OPG/Pages/opg-landing.aspx

Dodd represents the Third Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Solano, Yolo, Sonoma, Contra Costa and Sacramento counties.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. — Chase away the winter blues and grab some luck of the Irish at the Kelseyville Rotary 2024 Joker’s Wild Poker Run on Saturday, March 16, presented by titanium sponsor Lake County Tribal Health.

The fundraiser will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. in Kelseyville.

You will kick off the poker run at Chacewater Winery & Olive Mill where you will check-in and pick up your game card with instructions and draw your first card.

You will visit six more stops, drawing a card at each location to make your best hand of five including Sophie's Day Spa, Fore Family Vineyards, Kelsey Creek Brewing Company, A + H General Store, Oak and Bottlerock Candle Studio.

Win prizes along the way if you draw a joker. The top three hands will win a prize. Buy raffle tickets for a chance to win more prizes and play "Spin the Wheel" for more raffle tickets.

The last stop is Saw Shop Public House where you turn in your hand by 5 p.m. and enjoy a corned beef dinner prepared by the Saw Shop team.

Winners will be announced at 5:30 pm. Must be present to win prizes in a “Spin the Wheel” raffle. Keep the fun going with music at the Saw Shop.

Join them for an afternoon of fun, supporting Kelseyville Rotary's community projects and downtown Kelseyville merchants. Ticket includes entrance into the Poker Run game, chance to win prizes, and dinner.

Tickets for the Poker Run can be purchased here.

If you are unable to make the event but still want to give back and support many of our worthy projects from youth scholarships to community beautification, be sure to bid on the online auction.

The auction will go live at 9 a.m. March 15 and closes at 6 p.m. March 17.

There are a ton of great items from baseball tickets, to Pear Festival dinner tickets to a Ride in the Kelseyville Fire Truck.

Sponsors are Lake County Tribal Health, Reynolds Systems, Calpine, California Exterminators, Bella Vista Farming, Cats Paw Vineyard, Lake County Waste Solutions, Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Duncan Shine Vineyards & Pabst Blue Ribbon Construction.

The Rotary Club of Kelseyville Sunrise is made up of local business, professional and civic leaders. Members meet regularly, get to know each other, form friendships, and get things done in the community.

For membership and other information about the Rotary Club of Kelseyville Sunrise, visit www.kelseyvillerotary.org or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Be sure to follow up on Facebook and Instagram.

On Friday California took another step in implementing the nation’s most comprehensive measure to tackle the rise in plastic waste polluting our communities and ecosystems.

Plastic waste is a major contributor to climate and trash pollution, with less than 9% of plastic recycled in California and the rest of the U.S.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54) in 2022, which requires producers to cut single-use plastic waste and ensure the packaging on products they sell is recyclable or compostable.

The state on Friday released draft regulations for the measure, kicking off the formal rulemaking process.

“For too long, plastic polluters have passed the buck on the growing burden of plastic waste contaminating the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat,” said Gov. Newsom. “California is leading the way to hold producers responsible, drive sustainable innovation and green jobs, and support the most impacted communities. We have to act now, with urgency, to give our kids a future without plastic pollution.”

This landmark law requires that by 2032, industry must:

• Sell 25% less single-use plastic packaging and food ware in the state.
• Make all single-use packaging and plastic food ware recyclable or compostable.
• Recycle 65% of single-use plastic packaging and food ware.

In addition, the law creates a fund that will raise $5 billion from industry members to be used by the state to address plastic pollution in the most impacted communities.

The groundbreaking shift in the way we produce and consume plastic will create thousands of jobs. CalRecycle is now accepting applications for $40 million in redemption innovation technology grants on top of $15 million in workforce development grants rolling out this year to build the future of recycling in California.

The state will also promote workforce development in this space through the California Jobs First Council, which includes a focus on the circular economy, among other sectors for future growth as part of California’s strategy to prepare students and workers for high-paying careers and for the workforce of tomorrow.

More information on this development and additional recycling reforms can be found here.

Upcoming Calendar

28Mar
03.28.2024 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Vision resource group
30Mar
03.30.2024 9:00 am - 11:00 am
Second annual Bunny Brunch
30Mar
03.30.2024 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Lakeport Community Cleanup Day
30Mar
03.30.2024 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Lake County poet laureate inauguration
31Mar
03.31.2024
Easter Sunday
31Mar
03.31.2024 1:15 pm - 1:45 pm
Lakeport Rotary Club Easter Egg Hunt
1Apr
04.01.2024
Easter Monday
1Apr
10Apr
15Apr
04.15.2024
Tax Day

Mini Calendar

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