Thursday, 28 March 2024

Community

LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office reported that it will conduct a public manual tally for the presidential primary election.

The tally will be of a minimum of 1% of randomly selected precincts which will include each contest voted on at the March 5 Presidential Primary Election.

It will commence on Tuesday, March 12, beginning at 9 a.m.

The selection of the precinct(s) to be included in the manual tally will be randomly chosen on the same date prior to the manual tally.

Observers are invited to view the manual tally of the ballots, but shall not interfere with the election process.

The Registrar of Voters Office is located at 325 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

For additional information call 707-263-2372 or toll-free at 888-235-6730.

LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lake County Library is fostering inclusivity by offering a myriad of free resources specially tailored to empower individuals with low vision.

Informational meetings about the library’s free low vision resources take place on the fourth Thursday of every month from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Lakeport branch.

The next meeting will take place Feb. 29.

Library Technician Amy Patton will explain all the free resources available from the Lake County Library.

Resources covered will include large type books, mp3 players, eAudiobooks, books on CD and more.

Occupational therapist Chloe Karl will present vision support exercises based on Bates and Natural Health methods.

Patton can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Visit the Lake County Library at https:/library.lakecountyca.gov, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary, Twitter @LakeCoLibrary, Instagram@lakecountylibrary, YouTube @lakecountycalibrary, and TikTok @ lakecountycalibrary.

To contact the Lakeport library by phone, call 707-263-8817.

SACRAMENTO — The Bureau of Land Management welcomes Elizabeth Meyer-Shields as the new deputy state director for resources.

In her new position, Meyer-Shields will oversee resource and sustainable use programs for 15 million acres of public lands in California.

“I am thrilled to have Liz join our leadership team at the California State Office,” said Acting State Director for BLM California Gordon R. Toevs. “Her expertise and guidance will be critical to fulfilling our mission to manage important natural resources on public lands.”

Meyer-Shields started her federal career in 2009 in the BLM Washington Office as a Presidential Management Fellow in the Division of Decision Support, Planning and NEPA, and in 2011, moved to Sacramento as a planning and environmental coordinator in the California State Office.

In 2018, she moved up the hill to the Mother Lode Field Office as field manager. In 2022, Meyer-Shields returned to the California State Office as the branch chief for lands, planning, recreation and cultural.

Meyer-Shields will oversee programs including wildlife, aquatics, special status species, wild horse and burro, hydrology, ecology, air, range, vegetation management, botany, cultural/paleontological resources, soils, recreation, lands and realty, National Conservation Lands/Wilderness/Wild and Scenic Rivers, land use planning, National Environmental Policy Act compliance, renewable energy (solar and wind), and partnerships.

Meyer-Shields grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, where she fell in love with public lands, hiking, skiing, fishing, and camping.

She attended Oregon State University, where she received a B.S. in environmental science and the University of Denver School of Law.

In her spare time, Meyer-Shields enjoys watercolor painting and spending time outside with her family.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people.

LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office issued an update on counting for the upcoming election.

Pursuant to Section 12109 of the State Elections Code, the central counting place of the official ballots of all voting precincts for the Presidential Primary Election will be in the Registrar of Voters Office, 325 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The tallying of the official ballots will commence on Election Day, March 5, after the close of the polls at 8 p.m.

For additional information phone 707-263-2372 or toll free at 888-235-6730.

SACRAMENTO — In conjunction with the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the California Legislature officially recognized and condemned an earlier atrocity perpetrated by the Soviet Union — a forced famine that killed millions of Ukrainians — designating November as Holodomor Memorial Month.

“Ninety-two years ago, the Soviet government starved millions of Ukrainian people in an effort to destroy their national movement for independence,” Sen. Bill Dodd said. “It was genocide, pure and simple, a systematic violation of human rights, denying an entire nation the freedom of self-determination. Today, violence against Ukraine continues as the Russians invade their sovereign land and wage a brutal and unjust war on its people. Bringing awareness to this history is important as we support Ukraine in its quest to maintain liberty.”

The Holodomor of 1932 to 1933 was orchestrated by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and the Soviet government in an attempt to break Ukraine’s resistance to collectivization and communist occupation.

The Soviets deliberately confiscated grain harvests in a country known as the “breadbasket of Europe” and sealed Ukraine’s borders to prevent anyone from escaping or receiving international aid.

It also barred journalists from reporting on it. Up to 7 million people died from the man-made famine.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 89, authored by Sen. Dodd, remembers the Holodomor and honors those who were lost.

Further, it condemns the systematic violations of human rights, including the freedom of self-rule and freedom of speech, by the Soviet government.

It also encourages dissemination of information regarding the Ukrainian famine in order to expand the world’s knowledge of this atrocity.

SCR 89 unanimously passed the Legislature, designating November as Holodomor Memorial Month, and November 23, 2024 as Holodomor Memorial Day.

“Honoring the memory of our fellow countrymen who fell victim to the Holodomor in Ukraine, it is noteworthy that the deliberate and purposeful starvation, resulting in the deaths of millions of Ukrainians, was yet another instrument of genocide against the Ukrainian people by Russian imperialism,” said Dmytro Kushneruk, consulate general of Ukraine in San Francisco. “This imperialism persists in its unchanged objective: the destruction of Ukraine and its people. We wholeheartedly welcome this historic recognition, considering it as a significant testament to the robust support from the United States, particularly California. It becomes even more crucial as we approach the second anniversary of the illegal and unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation.”

“We value the ongoing solidarity and commitment demonstrated by the United States, and we believe that such declarations contribute to raising awareness about historical injustices,” the consul general said.

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

The California Legislature has approved a measure from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, in partnership with California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, that would add consumer protections for people investing in annuities, including many vulnerable seniors, to ensure they are not misled or steered into inappropriate products by unscrupulous insurance agents.

“My bill is about doing what’s right for people who can least afford to be ripped off,” said Sen. Dodd. “Annuities can be important investment tools but too often, there is incentive for abuse or exploitation. That’s why I’m glad to partner with Commissioner Ricardo Lara on my latest consumer protection bill, which requires insurance agents to put the best interests of their clients first — ahead of any sales incentives they might make. If they know an annuity is a bad fit, they will not be able to sell it.”

Senate Bill 263 is the latest consumer protection proposal from Sen. Dodd. Sen. Dodd is also authoring SB 278, which would hold financial institutions accountable for not protecting seniors when they are victims of fraud.

Also last year he introduced SB 478, which would outlaw hidden fees in an array of transactions, including banking.

In his continuing effort to protect our state’s most vulnerable, Sen. Dodd introduced SB 263, which would require insurance producers and insurance companies to strengthen suitability standards for the sale of annuities.

The bill would ensure California meets federal and national model standards, while providing additional consumer protections. The goal is to prevent the sale of these financial products to people who do not understand them or would not benefit from them.

The bill is sponsored by Insurance Commissioner Lara and supported by consumer advocates. It heads next to Gov. Gavin Newsom for a signature.

“Consumers’ best interests must always come ahead of insurance company sales,” said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, who is sponsoring SB 263. “SB 263 will protect consumers, especially vulnerable populations like our seniors, by requiring all sales of annuities be based first and foremost on the facts of their individual insurance needs, financial situation and goals. I commend Sen. Dodd for authoring this common-sense consumer protection bill.”

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

Upcoming Calendar

30Mar
03.30.2024 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Lakeport Community Cleanup Day
30Mar
03.30.2024 9:00 am - 11:00 am
Second annual Bunny Brunch
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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