LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Redbud Audubon Society is celebrating 47 years of conservation work in Lake County.
The month of April was declared Bird Appreciation Month in Lake County by the Board of Supervisors.
The Redbud Audubon Society requested the proclamation to celebrate Earth Day on April 22 and to recognize the value of birds to the residents, visitors and businesses in Lake County.
The Redbud Audubon Society is the oldest conservation organization in the county. It was founded in 1974 by Evelyn Thompson of Kelseyville and a group of friends who recognized the need for an active environmental group here.
Redbud Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society and functions under its umbrella which includes filing activities and fiscal reports every year, shared memberships and following the lead of the national organization’s bird conservation recommendations.
As a nationally recognized Audubon chapter, Redbud must conduct activities each year, provide educational birding field trips, and follow the standards and best practices for a nonprofit organization. Redbud is a charitable 501c(3) nonprofit and all donations are tax-deductible.
As part of its obligations to the community and as part of its mission, Redbud holds monthly speaker meetings from September through April, and conducts field trips, both in and out of the county, concluding with its annual Heron Days boat tours on Clear Lake at the end of April and beginning of May.
The chapter holds a yearly Christmas Bird Count and reports the data collected from that event to the National organization. Redbud also facilitates the placement of Osprey nesting poles.
Over the last year, Redbud programs and field trips have been curtailed because of COVID-19.
The chapter was able to conduct its annual Christmas Bird Count and offered five Zoom speaker programs and is hoping to start in-person meetings in the fall, along with resuming monthly field trips and Heron Days in the spring of 2022.
Other activities carried out by Redbud Audubon include commenting on proposed development projects that require California Environmental Quality Act review, providing educational materials to local schools and creating and monitoring a Blue Bird Trail of nest boxes.
The chapter is also available to answer questions about birds and wildlife, maintains a website, and is active on Facebook.
If you would like to join in the efforts of Redbud Audubon Society you can either volunteer, become a member, or do both.
For information on how to become a member, go to the chapter’s website at www.redbudaudubon.org.
For other inquiries email the chapter at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 707-263-8030.
What's up for May? This month, a rocky planet round-up, and a super blood Moon eclipse.
May 3: The bright planet Saturn will appear to the left of the half-lit Moon.
May 4: The Moon forms a large triangle in the east-southeast with the bright planets Saturn and Jupiter.
Mid-May: You'll have an opportunity to see all four of the rocky, inner planets of our solar system at the same time, with your own eyes.
May 26: Watch for a total lunar eclipse during the second supermoon of 2021. Beginning mid-May, if you can find a clear view toward the western horizon, you'll have an opportunity to see all four of the rocky, inner planets of our solar system at the same time, with your own eyes.
Starting around May 14, cast your gaze to the west about half an hour after sunset, local time to see if you can spot Mercury, Venus, and Mars. (And well, Earth is kind of hard to miss.)
To see near the horizon, you need an unobstructed view – free of nearby trees and buildings. Some of the best places for this are the shores of lakes or the beach, open plains, or high up on a mountain or tall building.
In addition to the planets, from around the 14th through the 17th, the crescent Moon joins the party for a lovely planetary tableau. Now, Venus will be really low in the sky. (It'll be easier to observe on its own later in the summer.) But for now, take advantage of this opportunity to observe all of the inner planets in a single view.
May 26 brings a total lunar eclipse. Over several hours, the Moon will pass through Earth's shadow, causing it to darken and usually become reddish in color. The red color comes from sunlight filtering through Earth's atmosphere – a ring of light created by all the sunrises and sunsets happening around our planet at that time.
Because of the reddish color, a lunar eclipse is often called a "blood moon." Just how red it will look is hard to predict, but dust in the atmosphere can have an effect. (And keep in mind there have been a couple of prominent volcanic eruptions recently.)
Lunar eclipses take place when the Moon is full, and this full Moon happens when the Moon is also near its closest point to Earth in its orbit, often called a "supermoon."
Unlike solar eclipses, which you should never look at, it's safe to view lunar eclipses with your eyes. And unlike solar eclipses, which tend to have a narrower viewing path, lunar eclipses are at least partly visible anywhere on the planet's night side.
Now, eclipses happen at the same moment no matter where you are on Earth, but what time your clock reads during the eclipse depends, of course, on your time zone. The best viewing for this eclipse is in the Pacific Rim – that's the western parts of the Americas, Australia and New Zealand, and Eastern Asia. For the U.S., the best viewing will be in Hawaii, Alaska, and the western states.
For the Eastern U.S., the eclipse begins for you during dawn twilight. You may be able to observe the first part of the eclipse as the Moon just starts to darken, but the Moon will be near or on the horizon as Earth's shadow begins to cover it.
The farther west you are, the more of the eclipse you'll be able to see before the Moon sets that morning. Those in the western half of the country will be able to see almost the entire eclipse.
So if you're in the path of this eclipse, check your local times for the best viewing near you. And if you're in the U.S., be prepared to get up early if you want to see this rare celestial event: a super blood moon eclipse.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control has eight dogs it’s offering for adoption this week.
The following dogs are ready for adoption or foster.
“Bear.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Bear’
“Bear” is a male American Pit Bull Terrier and Labrador Retriever mix with a short brown coat.
He is dog No. 3476.
“Chiquita.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Chiquita’
“Chiquita” is a female shepherd and Labrador Retriever mix.
She has a short brindle and white coat.
Chiquita is house-trained.
“Dorito.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Dorito’
“Dorito” is a male American Staffordshire Terrier mix with a short white and gray coat.
He has been neutered and is house trained.
He is dog No. 4576.
“Dusty.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Dusty’
“Dusty” is a male American Pit Bull Terrier with a tan and white coat.
He is dog No. 4750.
“Hector.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Hector’
“Hector” is a male American Pit Bull Terrier mix with a short brindle coat.
He is dog No. 4697.
“Inky.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Inky’
“Inky” is a male corgi and collie mix with a long black coat.
He has been neutered and is house-trained.
He is dog No. 4324.
“Sassy.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Sassy’
“Sassy” is a female Labrador Retriever and pit bull mix with a short black with white markings.
She is house-trained.
She is dog No. 4602.
“Toby.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.
‘Toby’
“Toby” is a friendly senior male boxer mix.
He has a short tan and white coat.
Toby is house trained and neutered.
He is dog No. 4389.
Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions and schedule a visit to the shelter.
Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Edenberry Farm at the Tuesday Market in Library Park in Lakeport, California. Courtesy photo. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Farmers’ Finest will open its seasonal market in Lakeport’s Library Park on Tuesday, May 4.
The Lakeport City Council voted in late April to give the downtown markets the go-ahead.
Lake County Farmers’ Finest operates a year-round market on Saturdays at the Lake County Fair’s Floriculture Building and a seasonal one on Tuesdays at Library Park from May to October.
Both are in Lakeport and are open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine.
“Shopping at a Certified Farmers’ Market provides you with healthy, fresh food, a sense of well-being and hope, and a connection to your community,” said Market Manager Cornelia Sieber-Davis. “Farmers have faith in the future. Is there anything that requires more faith than putting a seed in a bit of dirt and having it grow into a tomato, in spite of unpredictable weather, hornworms, and yes, disease?”
Certified Farmers Markets offer fruits and vegetables grown in season in the same geographical area, not thousands of miles away or in another country.
Shopping at farmers markets also supports local farmers and keeps the money you spend on food closer to your neighborhood.
Fresh and healthy produce grown by Rafael Garcia year-round. Courtesy photo.
The word “certified” does not denote a growing practice such as “organic.” Rather, it certifies that the produce being sold is grown by the farmers selling it, Sieber-Davis said.
She said this is important as it allows customers to create a relationship with the person producing their food. Shoppers can ask the farmers about their growing practices and find out what they use on their farms.
Shoppers also will find beautiful handmade crafts, honey, olive oil, artisan foods, live music and information booths.
The markets accept WIC and CalFresh/EBT and offer Market Match at both markets. When customers use their federal nutrition benefits, they match them dollar for dollar, up to a daily limit per card.
Market Match supports job creation, local economic development and civic engagement by leveraging the benefits of farmers markets for a broader community.
To apply for CalFresh anytime visit www.getcalfresh.org or call 707-995-4200 for information on other ways to apply.
For more information or to order online for curbside pickup, visit www.lakecountyfarmersfinest.org or call the manager at 707 263-6076.
David Neft playing at The Market Square at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport, California. Courtesy photo.
From left, Chief Jeffrey Thomas, Sean Thomas, firefighter/EMT; Odell Landers, captain/paramedic; and Derek Reisbeck, firefighter/paramedic. Thomas and Reisbeck joined Lakeport Fire last year at about the time the pandemic was starting, Landers was just promoted and Thomas arrived as the new chief on April 1, 2021. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Fire Protection District earlier this month held a badge-pinning ceremony to honor new firefighters and those who had received promotions.
Participating in the April 13 event, held during the Lakeport Fire Board’s regular meeting, was new Lakeport Fire Chief Jeffrey Thomas, who joined the department at the start of this month.
Three firefighters were officially promoted to captain during the ceremony: Captain/Paramedic Odell Landers, Captain/Paramedic Jordan Mills and Captain/Paramedic Spencer Johnson.
Also in attendance was new Firefighter/EMT Sean Thomas, but new Firefighter/Paramedic Derek Reisbeck was not able to attend. Both were hired last year about the time the COVID-19 pandemic started.
Retiring Chief Rick Bergem, left, and new Chief Jeffrey Thomas at the Lakeport Fire Protection District badge pinning ceremony on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, in Lakeport, California. Photo courtesy of the Lakeport Fire Protection District. Captain/Paramedic Odell Landers, girlfriend Tiffany and daughter Kira at the Lakeport Fire Protection District badge pinning ceremony on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, in Lakeport, California. Photo courtesy of the Lakeport Fire Protection District. Captain/Paramedic Jordan Mills and wife Annie at the Lakeport Fire Protection District badge pinning ceremony on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, in Lakeport, California. Photo courtesy of the Lakeport Fire Protection District. Captain/Paramedic Spencer Johnson, wife Danielle and son Reese at the Lakeport Fire Protection District badge pinning ceremony on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, in Lakeport, California. Photo courtesy of the Lakeport Fire Protection District.
Retiring Chief Rick Bergem and wife Cindy at the Lakeport Fire Protection District badge pinning ceremony on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, in Lakeport, California. Photo courtesy of the Lakeport Fire Protection District.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to approve a proposal to reallocate state disaster recovery funds for housing development to the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport.
The 2018 Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery Multi-Family Housing Program is meant to develop low- to moderate-income multifamily housing units for those who lost housing as a result of the Mendocino Complex fire in 2018.
The county is eligible to receive $7,594,201 and the city of Lakeport is eligible for $2,433,284, the county reported.
However, officials said the county hasn’t been able to pursue the program’s funding because it lacks an affordable housing program and relevant policies and procedures.
The county previously reallocated Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds to the city of Clearlake that were given to the county following the 2017 Sulphur fire and meant to be used for housing, county staff reported.
During the discussion, Board Chair Bruno Sabatier would voice his frustration that the county can’t pursue the funds, noting, “It’s not where we want to be.”
Deputy Administrative Officer Susan Parker told the board on Tuesday that the city of Lakeport approached the county to request the reallocation of the funds. At that time, she said she was unaware of any county department pursuing use of the money. Since then the city formally submitted the request for the reallocation.
Then on Monday Parker said she found out indirectly that the city of Clearlake also is interested in a portion of that funding allocation.
“Unlike the city of Lakeport, the city of Clearlake did not receive a 2018 CDBG allocation,” said Parker.
However, she said she confirmed on Monday with the state Housing and Community Development Department that the board has the discretion to reallocate its funds to the city of Clearlake should it choose to do so.
“I think it’s in our best interest to keep all of these monies within the county of Lake to serve our communities,” said Parker.
She said she asked Lakeport City Manager Kevin Ingram to share an alternative for handling the funds in order to prevent them from being returned to the state.
Ingram, who attended the meeting via Zoom, told the board that over the last few months the city of Lakeport has had conversations with three affordable housing developers – two of them he termed as “serious,” with the third not yet having a final proposal – interested in some sites in the city for projects.
The $2.4 million set aside for Lakeport is enough to get a project off the ground, Ingram said.
He said he reached out to the county to ask for the reallocation of its funding in an effort to prevent those funds from being returned to the state.
Once the money is allocated, Ingram said the city would issue a call for projects in the beginning of June and would review them shortly thereafter. “Determining the amount of money available would determine the number of projects.”
Ingram said that in addition to speaking with Parker, he had discussed the funds with Clearlake City Manager Alan Flora. He said Clearlake can potentially use the funds for some projects they are pursuing. “We’re completely open to that.”
He said he was not sure how Clearlake would get the money and if it would they need to submit a due diligence packet. Lakeport had to submit such a packet in mid-March.
Ingram said there may be an avenue for creating a subrecipient agreement to allow Clearlake to use the money. That might also be an option if there are project proposals in the unincorporated county.
Supervisor Jessica Pyska said it’s a great opportunity that can’t be allowed to slip by, but she said the county needs to take this seriously and have projects in the pipeline to be ready to use the funds in the future.
“The last thing we want to do is return money back to Sacramento if we’re able to use it here,” said Supervisor Tina Scott.
Scott said many of the issues the board talks about go back to the county’s housing inventory, and she agreed with Pyska, wishing the county was prepared with a project. She added that she was concerned about piecemealing the funding.
Sabatier said it was frustrating to read through the report and to see $7.5 million slip through the cracks. He said the board needs to bring back a future discussion about having a housing coordinator or another plan to use the money.
“There will be more funding that comes along and we cannot afford to lose this,” he said, adding that he agrees with sharing this allocation with the cities.
Scott asked if the funds were on a first-come, first-served basis. Parker said the program has fairly stringent requirements and she said points and criteria are needed to meet the obligations.
Ingram agreed, explaining that he would speak to Housing and Community Development to find out about the best plan of action, and whether it’s to split the funds between the cities or to do a subrecipient agreement. He also suggested that the county could participate in drafting a request for proposals and also be on the selection committee.
County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson said they appreciated Ingram’s offer to let the county have a seat at the table during the process. “We all have a vested interest in the development of housing.”
She said she feels strongly that the county needs to do something to develop its own capacity to move forward with such housing projects. “It’s been a regular conversation of the Economic Development Task Force and needs to become some form of recommendation the board can act on soon.”
Scott moved to authorize having Huchingson draft a letter to the Housing and Community Development Department authorizing the reallocation of the county’s funds to the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport, which Supervisor Moke Simon seconded. The board vote was 5-0.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Karen D. Holl, University of California, Santa Cruz and Pedro Brancalion, Universidade de São Paulo
As ecologists who study forestrestoration, we know that trees store carbon, provide habitat for animals and plants, prevent erosion and create shade in cities. But as we have explained elsewhere in detail, planting trees is not a silver bullet for solving complex environmental and social problems. And for trees to produce benefits, they need to be planted correctly – which often is not the case.
Planting trees can have both positive and negative effects, depending on how projects are planned and managed and where they are done.Vanessa Sontag, modified from Holl and Brancalion 2020., CC BY-ND
A monoculture of exotic eucalyptus trees (background) planted into a a native grassland within the Brazilian Cerrado, a global hot spot for conservation priorities. Transforming an open ecosystem into a shaded monoculture plantation harms native plant and animal species and reduces the water supply for local people and aquatic creatures.Robin Chazdon, CC BY-ND
Planting fast-growing, nonnative trees in arid areas may also reduce water supplies. And some top-down tree-planting programs implemented by international organizations or national governments displace farmers and lead them to clear forests elsewhere.
Large-scale tree-planting initiatives have failed in locations from Sri Lanka to Turkey to Canada. In some places, the tree species were not well suited to local soil and climate conditions. Elsewhere, the trees were not watered or fertilized. In some cases local people removed trees that were planted on their land without permission. And when trees die or are cut down, any carbon they have taken up returns to the atmosphere, negating benefits from planting them.
To achieve benefits from tree-planting, the trees need to grow for a decade or more. Unfortunately, evidence suggests that reforested areas are often recleared within a decade or two. We recommend that tree-growing efforts set targets for the area of forest restored after 10, 20 or 50 years, rather than focusing on numbers of seedlings planted.
And it may not even be necessary to actively plant trees. For example, much of the eastern U.S. was logged in the 18th and 19th centuries. But for the past century, where nature has been left to take its course, large areas of forests have regrown without people planting trees.
This forest in southwestern Virginia was logged in the 1800s and has since regrown naturally, like most forests in the eastern United States.Leighton Reid, CC BY-ND
Helping tree-growing campaigns succeed
Tree-growing is expected to receive unprecedented financial, political and societal support in the coming years as part of the U.N. Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and ambitious initiatives such as the Bonn Challenge and World Economic Forum 1t.org campaign to conserve, restore and grow 1 trillion trees. It would be an enormous waste to squander this unique opportunity.
Protecting existing forests often requires providing alternative income for people who maintain trees on their land rather than logging them or growing crops. It also is important to strengthen enforcement of protected areas, and to promote supply chains for timber and agricultural products that do not involve forest-clearing.
Include nearby communities in tree-growing projects. International organizations and national governments fund many tree-growing projects, but their goals may be quite different from those of local residents who are actually growing the trees on their land. Study after study has shown that involving local farmers and communities in the process, from planning through monitoring, is key to tree-growing success.
A farmer and representatives from an international NGO and a restoration company. discuss where to plant native trees on a cattle ranch in the Brazilian Amazon.Pedro Brancalion, CC BY-ND
Start with careful planning. Which species are most likely to grow well given local site conditions? Which species will best achieve the project’s goals? And who will take care of the trees after they are planted?
It is important to plant in areas where trees have grown historically, and to consider whether future climatic conditions are likely to support trees. Planting in areas that are less productive for agriculture reduces the risk that the land will be recleared or existing forests will be cut down to compensate for lost productive areas.
Plan for the long term. Most tree seedlings need care to survive and grow. This may include multi-year commitments to water, fertilize, weed and protect them from grazing or fire and monitor whether the venture achieves its goals.
We encourage people who support tree-growing efforts to ask where the money is going – to the organization’s managers, or to landowners who are actually growing the trees? Who is monitoring the effort and how long will they track it?
Growing trees can help solve some of the most pressing challenges of our time. But it is important to understand that planting seedlings is just the first step.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Firefighters were hard at work on both sides of the county on Thursday fighting vegetation fires.
Work on the Sky fire near Lower Lake continued from the afternoon into the evening, while a shorter response was required for an escaped control burn near Scotts Valley.
The Sky fire was first spotted shortly before 12:45 p.m. running up a ridge in the area of Morgan Valley Road and Sky High Ridge Road, according to scanner traffic.
Cal Fire later gave the location as Morgan Valley Road and Sloan Ranch Road.
The fire response was slowed as firefighters tried to access it behind a locked gate and through steep terrain.
Officials reported over the air that they found a large cannabis operation nearby.
When they first were able to access the fire from the 21000 block of Morgan Valley Road, the fire was about five to seven acres.
Sheriff Brian Martin was on the scene a short time later and posted an online update in which he said the fire was in a relatively unpopulated area so their concerns about threats to homes were minimal.
The firefighting force during the day included both ground and air resources, many of which were released by evening.
On Thursday night, Cal Fire reported that the Sky fire was 45 acres and 50 percent contained.
An engine was reported to be monitoring the scene overnight with more firefighters to return on Friday morning.
As firefighters were at work on the Sky fire, they received a report that a burn in the 4600 block of Laurel Dell Road near Scotts Valley Road and Upper Lake had gotten outside of its control lines shortly before 5 p.m.
That escaped control burn was to the north of a location that had an escaped control burn on Wednesday, firefighters reported.
A helicopter working the Sky fire was dispatched to the new incident along with engines.
The last radio report on that fire indicated it was about two to three acres.
Lake County’s seasonal burn ban goes into effect on Saturday.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The employment picture continues to strengthen in Lake County, as well as across the state and nation.
Lake County’s March jobless rate was 7.9 percent, which ranked it No. 35 statewide. It was down from 8.3 percent in February. The county’s March 2020 rate was 6.6 percent.
California’s overall unemployment rate was 8.3 percent in March, down from 8.5 percent in February. A year ago, California’s overall unemployment rate was 4.5 percent. California also posted an 8.3-percent rate in November.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said the federal unemployment rate reached 6 percent in March, compared to 6.2 percent in February and 4.4 percent in March 2020.
California’s jobless rate peaked at 16 percent last April, the same month that federal unemployment rose to its highest pandemic level, 14.8 percent.
In March, both California and the nation reached their lowest unemployment rates since COVID-19 began to impact the economy a year ago.
Lake County’s civilian workforce totaled 29,180 in March, up 90, or 0.3 percent, over February and showing a 1.6-percent rise over last year.
Within Lake County, Hidden Valley Lake had the lowest unemployment in March, 1.8 percent; followed by north Lakeport, 2 percent; Nice, 2.1 percent; Lucerne, 3.6 percent; the city of Lakeport, 4.9 percent; Cobb, 5.5 percent; Clearlake Oaks, 8.1 percent; Middletown, 8.2 percent; Lower Lake, 9.2 percent; Upper Lake, 11.8 percent; Kelseyville, 13.1 percent; and the city of Clearlake, 16.9 percent.
The EDD said Lake’s neighboring counties had the following jobless rates and ranks in the latest report: Colusa, 15.4 percent, No. 57; Glenn, 7.3 percent, No. 23; Napa, 6.6 percent, No. 16; Sonoma, 6 percent, No. 7; and Yolo, 6.4 percent, No. 11.
A snapshot of the state’s industries
The EDD report said the number of Californians with jobs in March was 17,342,600, an increase of 9,900 jobs from February’s total of 17,332,700, but down 962,000 from the employment total in March of last year.
At the same time, the number of unemployed Californians was 1,560,400 in March, a decrease of 49,600 over the month, but up by 696,300 in comparison to March of last year.
California has now regained almost 44 percent of the 2,714,800 total nonfarm jobs lost in March and April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the EDD said.
The EDD said all but one of California’s 11 industry sectors gained jobs last month.
Financial activities was the lone sector that posted losses totaling 600 jobs statewide. In Lake County, that sector grew by 40 jobs in a month-over comparison, for a total of 320 jobs in March, a 14.3 percent increase. However, it’s down by 5.9 percent compared to last year.
Leisure and hospitality, with an increase of 42,200 new jobs, continued to have the state’s largest month-over increase thanks to full-service restaurants.
That sector in Lake County was at 1,040 jobs in March, down by 10, for a loss of 1 percent since February and a 10.3 percent loss since March 2020.
Trade, transportation and utilities also had large gains, growing by 32,200 jobs, thanks to strength in clothing stores and transportation and warehousing.
Locally, that industry grew by 50 jobs, or 1.7 percent, for a total of 2,990 in Lake County. That sector also is up 4.5 percent over 2020.
Another sector showing strong gains also were posted in professional and business services, which gained 22,000 jobs, led by accounting, tax preparation and bookkeeping firms.
In Lake County, the professional and business services sector has had month-over and year-over gains, growing by 40 jobs, or 5.9 percent, to a total of 720 in March. Job numbers for that sector are up by 4.3 percent compared to March 2020.
Other industries showing improvement, with statewide and Lake County numbers growth presented, were:
– Other services, 7,300 jobs gained statewide, with no growth for the month in Lake County, where the total jobs in that sector number 520. That sector is down 1.9 percent locally over 2020.
– Mining and logging, and construction, up 6,100 jobs statewide. Lake County had no growth in that sector, with 790 jobs total and a 7.1-percent loss since last year.
– Information, 5,400 jobs gained statewide, none in Lake County. Total jobs in the sector locally is 90, with a 10-percent drop since 2020.
– Government, up 2,200 jobs across California, 140 new jobs in Lake County for a total of 4,190 jobs, a 3.5-percent growth over February and a 1-percent increase over March 2020.
– Manufacturing, 1,400 gained statewide, 10 jobs lost in Lake County, which is a 2.7 percent loss for the month and is down by 5.3 percent for the year. Lake County has 360 total manufacturing jobs.
– Education and health services, 1,200 jobs gained statewide and 10 jobs gained in Lake County. Lake County has 4,450 such jobs, which is up by 0.2 percent since February but down by 4.7 percent since March 2020.
In related news, the EDD said there were 680,279 people certifying for Unemployment Insurance benefits during the March 2021 sample week, compared to 794,348 people in February and 424,645 people in March 2020.
The state said 96,212 initial claims were processed in the March 2021 sample week, which was a month-over increase of 5,500 claims from February, but a year-over decrease of 90,267 claims from March 2020.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Dennis Fordham. Courtesy photo. In California, “an individual 18 or more years of age who is of sound mind may make a will.”
California law presumes that a person has the testamentary capacity to execute a will.
However, a person does not have a sound mind – and so cannot execute a will – if he or she fails either of two tests found in section 6100.5 of the Probate Code.
“The presumption is always that a person is sane, and the burden is always upon the contestants of the will to show affirmatively, and by a preponderance of the evidence, that the testatrix was of unsound mind at the time of the execution of the will.” In re Estate of Perkins (1925) 195 Cal. 699, 703.
The first testamentary capacity test is whether the individual has sufficient mental capacity to, “(A) Understand the nature of the testamentary act; (B) Understand and recollect the nature and situation of the individual’s property; and (C) Remember and understand the individual’s relations to living descendants, spouse, and parents, and those whose interests are affected by the will.”
This is a very low capacity threshold. Only getting married has a lower capacity threshold. Let’s examine.
First, a person understands the nature of the testamentary act if he or she understands their will leaves their assets when at their death to beneficiaries.
Second, understanding and recollecting the nature and situation of the individual’s property requires only a general knowledge and appreciation of one’s assets and depends on the complexity of a person’s estate. The more assets one owns, and the more complicated their estate, the greater the necessary, “understanding and recollection.”
Third, a person must remember their living heirs and understand how the will affects them.
Next, the second testamentary capacity test is whether a person, “suffers from a mental health disorder with symptoms including delusions or hallucinations, which delusions or hallucinations result in the individual’s devising property in a way that, except for the existence of the delusions or hallucinations, the individual would not have done.”
This test was recently reexamined by the First Appellate Court in “Eyford v. Nord” 2021 WL 1034192.
In “Eyford v. Nord”, the deceased testator (will maker) erroneously believed that her heirs were stealing her money and jewelry (and many other false accusations) and decided to disinherit her heirs who were apparently trying to help her.
The court applied the standard in section 6100.5 that a person must suffer from a mental health condition involving delusions or hallucinations that are the “but for” cause as to why he or she devised (left) his or her estate in the will.
Because the testator did not suffer from a mental condition at the time when she executed her will the issue of whether she was delusional was not even relevant.
The court also distinguished between irrational beliefs that are “tethered to facts” (shown to exist) and delusions created by a mental health condition. Irrational beliefs that are “tethered to facts” are not wholly delusional and so are insufficient to show an unsound mind.
The foregoing section 6100.5 tests for testamentary capacity may be applied to executing a simple trust amendment or a simple trust if it is more like a will in its complexity. Andersen v. Hunt (2011) 196 Cal.App.4th 722.
The foregoing is not legal advice. Anyone confronting the issue of testamentary capacity should consult a qualified estate planning attorney.
Dennis A. Fordham, attorney, is a State Bar-Certified Specialist in estate planning, probate and trust law. His office is at 870 S. Main St., Lakeport, Calif. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and 707-263-3235.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport is asking residents to prepare for wildfire season by clearing defensible space around their homes and properties.
Creating and maintaining defensible space is essential for increasing your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire.
It’s the buffer that homeowners are required to create on their property between a structure and the plants, brush and trees or other items surrounding the structure that could catch fire.
This space is needed to slow the spread of wildfire and improves the safety of firefighters defending your home.
The spacing between grass, shrubs and trees is crucial to reduce the spread of wildfire. The spacing needed is determined by the type and size of the shrubs and trees, as well as the slope of the land.
For example, a property on a steep slope with larger plant life will require greater spacing between trees and shrubs than a level property that has small, sparse vegetation.
One hundred feet of defensible space is required under the Public Resources Code 4291. California Building Code Chapter 7A requires certain construction materials and methods for homes in wildland areas.
Go to www.ReadyForWildfire.org for more detailed information to prepare for and survive a wildfire.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Approximately 120 educators and community members from Lake County recently attended an all-day training entitled “Breaking the Iron Cage of Poverty.”
The presenter was Dr. Donna Beegle, who was born into a migrant labor family and married at 15.
She is the only member of her family who has not been incarcerated. By age 25, Dr. Beegle earned her GED and then, within 10 years, received her doctorate in educational ;leadership.
“This training is important for Lake County because some in our community have become stuck in that cycle of poverty,” said Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg.
Over 75% of Lake County students qualify for free and reduced lunches. Household income must be at or less than 130% (free) and 185% (reduced) of the federal poverty guidelines. Because of the high percentage of qualifying students, Lake County is considered a high poverty area.
“I contend that education and schools are the key to breaking this cycle. Education is the key to a fulfilled and productive life,” said Falkenberg. “This is why I am in education.”
This training was impactful to the attendees. One educator wrote on Facebook, “One of the best trainings I have attended in my 24-year career in education!”
The Lake County Office of Education’s Educational Services department will be providing several more trainings for local educators in the next few months, with a focus on social and emotional learning. Dr. Beegle will return in July to work with Lake County teachers.
Visit lakecoe.org/calendar for the most current information on upcoming trainings.