CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – The Lake County Democratic Central Committee will meet on Thursday, May 3.

The monthly meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the Clearlake Oaks United Methodist Church Community Room, 12487 The Plaza.

The agenda will contain reports from the  elections, finance, issues, voter registration and elections committees.

Also on the agenda will be reports from representatives for Congressman Mike Thompson, Assemblyman Wes Chesbro and Sen. Noreen Evans, as well as reports from the Stonewall Democratic Club Chair Mark Wickhamshire and representative from the Lake County Democratic Club Paula Mune.

Updates on the Campaigns of Congress Member John Garamendi and Assembly Member Mariko Yamada also will be heard.

The finishing touches and last minute assignments will be made for the May 5 candidate event at Sons of Italy Hall in Nice.

Guests for the event are Congressman Garamendi, Assemblymember Yamada and all the local Democratic candidates for Board of Supervisors and Lake County Superior Court Department 1.

Reservations in advance cost $15; tickets at the door $20.

Contact Wanda Harris, 707-987-9027 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , to reserve early.

Meetings are open to the public and committee membership is open to all registered Democrats.

The Lake County Democratic Central Committee is the official governing body of the Democratic Party in Lake County.

Contact the Democratic Party of Lake County at 707-533-4885 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Wesley Chesbro (D-North Coast) presented to the Assembly Appropriations Committee this week his bill that would reimburse Mendocino County for expenses incurred for housing and feeding the mutual aid responders who came to assist in a massive manhunt last year.

“AB 1863 was triggered by an unprecedented manhunt for the suspected killer of Matthew Coleman and Councilmember Jere Melo,” Chesbro said. “This manhunt involved 30 agencies and 300 officers. The manhunt spanned 36 days and required K-9 teams, SWAT teams and aerial units. The nature of this event, particularly the terrain involved, required far more resources than the small Fort Bragg community could provide, especially for such an extended duration.”

AB 1863 has two parts.

The first is an appropriation of about $40,000 to Mendocino County to reimburse the cost of hosting mutual aid responders. The second part establishes a framework to allow local law enforcement agencies to seek reimbursement for future extraordinary events such as the Mendocino manhunt.

“This bill is designed for very rare circumstances and in those cases would be very beneficial for small rural counties like Mendocino,” Chesbro said. “Furthermore, this bill includes a number of safe guards to prevent extensive costs such as requiring the Governor’s approval through a Disaster Declaration.”

The Appropriations Committee voted to move AB 1863 to its “Suspense File.”

Bills on “Suspense” are analyzed further to determine their fiscal impact.

The committee will vote on AB 1863 at a later, undetermined date.

NORTH COAST – Caltrans reports that the following road projects will be taking place around Lake County during the coming week.

Included are Mendocino County projects that may impact Lake County commuters.

LAKE COUNTY

Highway 20

– Construction of a roundabout at the Route 20/Nice Lucerne Cutoff Road intersection will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays. Contractor – Granite Construction Inc. of Ukiah.

– AT&T of Ukiah has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for utility repairs from Ogden Road to Paradise Cove beginning Tuesday, May 1. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 5-minute delays.

Highway 53

– Highway widening from 40th Avenue to the junction of Routes 20/53 will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays. Contractor – Teichert Construction of Davis.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

– Replacement of the Greenwood Creek Bridge will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays. Contractor – Golden Gate Bridge Inc. of Martinez.

 – PG&E of Ukiah has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for utility repairs near North Harbor Drive on Monday, April 30. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance from the Blue Slide Gulch Bridge to Abalone Street beginning Monday, April 30. Work hours are 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays. Traffic control will be coordinated with the work at the Blue Slide Gulch Bridge on May 1 and 2.

– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance at the Blue Slide Gulch Bridge on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 1 and 2. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 101

– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance from the Robinson Overcrossing to the junction of Routes 20/101 beginning Monday, April 30. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Southbound traffic will be restricted to one lane. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.  

– Slide repairs just north of the Pomo Lane Undercrossing will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekdays. Southbound traffic will be restricted to one lane. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns. Contractor – Granite Construction of Ukiah.

– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance from just north of the Stanley Creek Road Undercrossing to Piercy on Monday, April 30. Work hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Northbound traffic will be restricted to one lane. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns. The northbound offramp to Piercy (Exit 627) will be closed. Motorists are advised to use an alternate route.

Highway 162

– Slipout repairs 1.6 miles east of the Rodeo Creek Bridge will continue. One-way traffic control with a temporary signal will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate 5-minute delays. Contractor – Mendocino Construction Services of Willits.

Highway 175

– A pavement repair project from the junction of Routes 101/175 to the Lake/Mendocino County line will resume Monday, April 30. Work hours are 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays. Contractor – Granite Construction of Ukiah.

Highway 253

– Slipout repairs about 5.6 miles west of Butler Ranch will begin Monday, April 30. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 5-minute delays. Contractor – Mendocino Construction Services of Willits.

Highway 271

– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance near Piercy on Tuesday, May 1. Work hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

Work on all these projects is weather permitting and subject to change. Caltrans advises motorists to drive with caution when approaching work areas and to be prepared to stop at traffic control stations.

The Caltrans Traffic Operations Office has reviewed each project and determined that individual project delays are expected to be less than the statewide policy maximum of 30 minutes, unless noted otherwise above.

For information pertaining to emergency roadwork or for updates to scheduled roadwork, please contact the California Highway Information Network (CHIN) at 1-800-GAS-ROAD (1-800-427-7623).

NICE, Calif. – The Sons of Italy in Nice will hold a dinner dance in its hall on Saturday, April 28, in Nice.

The dinner will include Italian sausages, red sauce raviolis, fresh veggies and salad, French bread, dessert, coffee or tea.

The bar is open for socializing at 5 p.m., dinner starts at 6 p.m. to be followed by dancing to the band The High Notes starts after the meal.

The cost will be $15 for everything.

Everyone is welcome, no need to be a member.  

The club is located at 2817 E. Highway 20 in Nice.

For information about this event or renting the hall for your own, call 707-274-2244.

Please call to reserve a table so you can sit with your friends or if you plan on bringing a lot of people.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Kelseyville Community Food Bank, a collaborative effort of the Kelseyville United Methodist Church, the Unitarian Universalist Community and Kelseyville Presbyterian Church is open the second and fourth Tuesdays of reach month.

The food bank is located at the Kelseyville United Methodist Church on Main Street in Kelseyville.

They can always use extra hands, as the number of people using their services has more than quadrupled in a month's time.

They prepare and bag food on the Monday before the giveaway at 10:30 a.m. at the Methodist Church, and they are ready to serve our guests at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Donations are gladly accepted daily from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Kelseyville Presbyterian Church or on Sunday mornings at any of the participating churches.

All nonperishable items are greatly appreciated. They especially need peanut butter, hot and cold cereal, powdered milk in individual packets, small bags of rice, Rice-A-Roni, canned peaches and pears, soups, macaroni and cheese, diced tomatoes or tomato sauce and canned tuna, as well as paper bags.

If you have any questions, or would like to help us out with a food drive, call Julie at the KPC office at 707-279-1104.

SACRAMENTO – Academy Award-Winning Actor and Chair of California’s Commission on the Status of Women Geena Davis joined Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) and commissioners Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) and Senator Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa) in announcing plans to re-establish funding and modernize the California Commission on the Status of Women (CCSW).

More than a dozen members of the legislative women’s caucus, along with CCSW commissioners joined the group in support of the announcement this week.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of a game-changing announcement that will re-establish funding for the Commission,” said CCSW Chair Geena Davis. “There is still much to be done to sustain a public dialogue and create real change for women and for our society as a whole, and the Commission will get back to work, doing just that.”

“It’s clear there’s still a great need for the Commission as a voice and advocate for issues impacting women and families,” said Speaker John A. Pérez. “There are still significant gender inequities we cannot ignore, and the Assembly’s transfer of our savings will ensure that the Commission continues to be an effective advocate for policies proposals that will address these critical issues.”

“We’ve all rallied around the Commission, because we know how important it is as a voice for women of all ages and from all backgrounds,” said Senator Evans. She said the announcement “gives us a chance to continue working on vital issues impacting all of us.”

“This is our chance to regroup, refocus and recommit ourselves to the important work of the CSSW,” said Assemblymember Lowenthal, vice-chair of the legislative women’s caucus and CSSW commissioner. “We have a new vision and now have the resources to implement it.”

Senator Evans’ SB 1345 which would create statutory protection for the Commission on the Status of Women regardless of budget action also passed the Senate Government Organization Committee today with a 9-4 vote.  The bill next goes to Senate Appropriations.

The Commission on the Status of Women is a nonpartisan state agency which advocates women’s issues in the public domain and with the Governor, the Legislature and other public policymakers.

Davis announced that the commission would focus on the following key areas: gender inequality in the media, women and families in the military, business, health and safety, and education

Sarah Shealy, assistant professor at Mount Saint Mary’s College, recently released a report that showed women in California made only 84 cents on the dollar to men, with even greater disparities for Latinas and African American women.

State Senator Noreen Evans represents the Second Senatorial District, including all or portions of the Counties of Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma. Senator Evans Chairs the Legislative Women’s Caucus and the Committee on Judiciary.