LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The latest report on home sales from the Lake County Association of Realtors shows a continued slowing in sales and lower sale prices.
The association said a total of 51 homes were sold through the multiple listing service, or MLS, in February, compared to 55 in January and 86 in February 2022.
Those sales include traditionally built “stick-built” houses as well as manufactured homes on land.
There were five sales of mobile homes in parks, compared to seven in January and one sold during the same time period last year.
The association said there also were 18 sales of bare land (lots and acreage) last month, compared to 21 in January and 50 in February 2022.
Currently, the association said there are 269 stick built and manufactured homes on the market, compared to 285 in January.
If the rate of sales stays the same at 51 homes sold per month, there are currently 5.2 months of inventory on the market at the moment compared to 5.1 months of inventory a month ago in January, and 4.26 months of inventory in December.
That means that if no new homes are brought to the market for sale, in 5.2 months all of these homes would be sold and there would be none available.
Less than six months of inventory is generally considered to be a “sellers’ market” while more than six months of inventory is often called a “buyers’ market, the association said.
The association said the interest rate hikes and inflation have played a major role in reducing the number of active buyers.
In February, 47% of all home sales were for cash, compared to 16% for January and 36% for this same time last year.
Of those total sales, 24% were financed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac — which are considered “conventional loans” — compared to 36% in January and 38% in a year-over comparison.
Sixteen percent of the homes sold in February were financed by the Federal Housing Administration, or FHA, compared to 20% in January and 20% in February 2022, and 15% were financed by the Department of Veterans Affairs of or CalVet, compared to 4% for December and 6% for this time last year.
Another 6 percent had other financing such as private loans, US Department of Agriculture or seller-financed notes, compared to 11% in January. No such financing was used in February 2022, the association said.
The association reported that the homes in February sold at an average of 96% of the asking price at the time the property went under contract, but an average of 91% when compared to the original asking price when the property first came on the market.
In January, homes sold at an average of 95% of the asking price at the time the property went under contract, but an average of 88% when compared to the original asking price when the property first came on the market, according to the report.
And a year ago during February, homes were selling at 100% of the asking price at the time the properties went under contract, and 95% of the original list price when the properties first came on the market, the association reported.
The median time on the market in February was 99 days, compared to 57 days for January and also 57 days for this time last year.
The median sale price of a single family home in Lake County in February was $235,000, lower than the $292,000 for January and lower than the median sale price of $324,950 during this time period last year.
The association said this indicates that the lower priced homes are selling in greater numbers than the higher priced homes.
In February, 30% of homes sold had seller concessions for an average of $10,085. That’s compared to 47% of homes in January that had seller concessions for an average concession of $9,100 and a year ago 16% of homes sold had an average seller concession of $8,225.
NICE, Calif. — A community meeting will be held this week about a new affordable housing project to be built starting this spring in Nice that will serve Behavioral Health clients and low-income families.
The Rural Communities Housing Development Corp., or RCHDC, will hold the meeting from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 22, at the Nice Event Center, 2817 E. Highway 20.
There will be one unit for an on-site manager, with half of the other 39 units to set aside for Lake County Behavioral Health clients who meet the definition of mental disorder — which includes, under state code, bipolar, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, major affective disorders or other severely disabling mental disorders — as well as substance use disorder or those at risk of homelessness.
The remaining units will be split between Redwood Coast Regional Center clients and low income or very low income households.
The Board of Supervisors, as the Lake County Housing Commission, took key votes in January to give financial approvals to clear the way for the project.
The board also took up a special item at its March 7 meeting at the request of Behavioral Health Services staff in order to approve additional loan documents for the project.
The process involving the project has been confusing, and the former county planning department head made a determination to waive state environmental quality act rules that would have ensured more public input.
RCHDC told Lake County News last year that it would hold more community outreach over the summer, but that didn’t happen.
The meeting this week — although very late in the process — is meant to offer the community the chance to find out more about the project.
The flier for the meeting has not been widely publicized and was reportedly only sent to neighbors within half a mile of the project site. It also has not been posted on RCHDC’s website or Facebook page.
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.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. — The Clear Lake hitch’s annual spawning run is now taking place, with thousands of the threatened fish spotted in creeks in the Kelseyville and Lakeport areas.
The hitch, also called the “chi” by Lake County’s Pomo tribes, was listed as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act in 2014.
Now, this winter’s atmospheric rivers and snowstorms have resulted in high water levels, filling up the very creeks that run into Clear Lake that the people who have studied and observed the hitch said are critical to maintaining habitat for the fish to spawn.
The result has been that over the past week thousands of the fish have been spotted in several Lake County creeks, particularly in the Kelseyville area, as part of their annual spawning run.
“It looks like it’s going to be a big hitch run,” said Will Weiss, whose family owns Bella Vista Farming Co. and who is a founding member of the Lake County Land Stewards group.
Longtime Lake County resident and farmer Maile Field, who lives on Cole Creek, said she first saw the hitch on Monday afternoon, alerted to their presence in the creek by predatory birds.
Big Valley Rancheria staff responded and confirmed the fish were hitch. Field said on her Facebook page that the tribal staff counted 1,000 of the fish.
Field gave Lake County News access on Wednesday to walk the stretch of Cole Creek that runs through her property. Dozens of the fish, clustered in small groups, were continuing to make their way up the creek, working along gravel bars and the edge of the creek.
Also this week, other sightings have been reported in Adobe Creek at the low water crossing on Bell Hill Road and in Manning Creek.
Farmers and ranchers are reporting seeing around 300 in Thompson Creek near Merritt Road, said Rebecca Harper, executive director of Lake County Farm Bureau.
The Clear Lake Environmental Research Center’s website also showed reports of fish on Kelsey Creek along Loasa Road in February.
More recently, however, they’ve not been seen in Kelsey Creek.
Weiss, who on March 7 spoke to the state water board to share the farmers’ perspective and their efforts to contribute to finding a solution for the hitch’s challenges, said he spent a good bit of time on Saturday morning walking around Kelsey Creek north of Soda Bay Road and he didn’t see any hitch.
“They’re known to not enter the streams when they’re flowing as strongly as Kelsey Creek is right now,” Weiss said.
He added, “Boy, oh boy, are they in Cole Creek.”
Harper agreed. “They’re definitely present in large numbers in Cole Creek.”
However, with high water has come another challenge — the hitch getting pushed out of the creeks and into nearby flooded fields.
One problem area for the hitch has been a ditch on Clark Drive. That’s where on Thursday Harper found Luis Santana, a fisheries biologist for the Robinson Rancheria Environmental Center, and his team at work rescuing the fish.
She said she pulled over, they gave her a net and she joined the effort to help them, receiving training on how to handle the fish in the process.
That same day, Harper and Taylor Woodruff, fisheries program coordinator for Big Valley Rancheria’s environmental office, were driving to Clear Lake State Park when Harper had a suspicion that a nearby field might be flooded and hitch stranded.
She contacted Carson Holdenried, who leases the field for hay production, asking him to go out and check the field. He went out on Friday morning and confirmed there were quite a few hitch stranded.
Santana and his team, joined by Harper, Holdenried and others, got together to begin rescuing stranded hitch and putting them back in Cole Creek.
Harper said they rescued more than 150 hitch that were in about half an inch of water in puddles in the field. The hitch were exposed and had barely enough water to keep going.
“We were able to get the majority that were in danger of drying up within the next couple of days,” Harper said.
Harper estimated she saw about 450 hitch while working with the tribe on Cole Creek, and that the team was happy and surprised to see the fish in such large numbers.
She recalled Santana saying, “Where were you guys?”
During the rescue, she said they saved quite a few young of the year, measuring about 5 to 6 inches long. That was encouraging, considering that there have been concerns about few juvenile hitch over the last several years.
“So that’s also really, really good for the population,” Harper said.
Harper acknowledged that they couldn’t get all of the fish, and that Santana encouraged them to remember that although not every fish can be saved, even saving one will have a big impact.
She estimated there are a couple hundred more in a three-foot-deep area of water pooling in the field.
Harper said Santana advised that they wait until after the next series of rainstorms to move the fish, as there are concerns more high water could end up pushing them back into the field. After the storms, she said Santana’s team can use seine nets to catch them.
In the meantime, Harper said Holdenried will monitor the field this week to ensure the hitch aren’t in immediate danger.
“The next few weeks will be really important as hopefully hitch are able to spawn successfully and we’re able to collect information on what this year looks like in terms of successful spawning,” Harper said.
Rescuing hitch can become a necessity both in high and low water years.
In April, Lake County Water Resources, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Robinson Rancheria and Habematolel Pomo tribal members worked together to save 240 hitch stranded in an isolated pool in Adobe Creek near Soda Bay in Lakeport, as Lake County News has reported.
Angela DePalma-Dow, the Lake County Water Resources Department’s Invasive Species Program coordinator and the author of the “Lady of the Lake” column for Lake County News, said that people who see hitch cannot touch or move them without a special permit from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, or CDFW.
DePalma-Dow said anyone who sees stranded hitch should call Lake County Water Resources at 707-263-2344 or message the agency on Facebook through its page, @lakecountywater. Water Resources can then send that information to the regional CDFW office and staff immediately.
“We really want/need tips on stranded or dead fish so we can coordinate rescues and sample collection with tribes and CDFW,” DePalma-Dow said.
DePalma-Dow had additional guidance to help protect the fish.
“People should avoid driving or walking in the creeks right now,” she said.
“And people should take only pictures and leave the fish alone,” DePalma-Dow said Saturday afternoon. “I saw some kids throwing rocks at spawning hitch in Cole Creek today it was so sad and disturbing,”
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.
On Monday, following a visit to the San Ysidro Port of Entry, Gov. Gavin Newsom released his administration’s master plan for tackling the fentanyl and opioid crisis.
Recognizing the opioid and fentanyl crisis as a multifaceted public health and public safety issue, the master plan provides a comprehensive approach to save lives, Newsom’s office said.
The master plan builds on the governor's $1 billion investment to tackle this crisis — including an expansion of California National Guard-supported operations that last year led to a 594% increase in seized fentanyl.
The plan outlines aggressive steps to support overdose prevention efforts, hold the opioid pharmaceutical industry accountable, crack down on drug trafficking, and raise awareness about the dangers of opioids, including fentanyl.
“Over 150 people die every day in our nation from overdoses and poisonings related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Enough,” said Newsom. “With this master olan, California is doubling down to combat this crisis and save lives. Our comprehensive approach will expand enforcement efforts to crack down on transnational criminal organizations trafficking this poison into our communities — while prioritizing harm reduction strategies to reduce overdoses and compassionately help those struggling with substance use and addiction.”
Newsom has invested over $1 billion to crack down on opioid trafficking and enforce the law, combat overdoses, support those with opioid use disorder, and raise awareness about the dangers of opioids.
The master plan provides a comprehensive framework to deepen the impact of these investments — including through a new CalRx effort where California will seek to manufacture its own opioid overdose reversal drug Naloxone.
California will further save lives through an additional $96 million in funding in the Governor’s 2023-24 proposed budget:
• $79 million for the Naloxone Distribution Project to meet increased demand and provide more Naloxone to communities than ever before; • $10 million for grants for education, testing, recovery, and support services; • $4 million to make fentanyl test strips more widely available; and • $3.5 million in Prop 98 funding to provide overdose medication to all middle and high schools.
These new investments, coupled with the extensive abatement, enforcement, and treatment efforts outlined in the master plan will save lives and make California safer, Newsom’s office said.
The U.S. has faced an evolving crisis of opioid addiction, overdose and death for over two decades, driven by Big Pharma’s irresponsible marketing of prescription opioids – bringing us to today’s fentanyl crisis.
Millions of Americans suffer from opioid use disorder and more than 71,000 Americans died in 2022 alone from fentanyl-linked overdoses and drug poisonings.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, a vast majority of fentanyl in the U.S. comes via ports of entry at the border – through trafficking by organized crime rings, not by migrants.
Under Newsom’s leadership, and through the state’s efforts to hold Big Pharma accountable, California has worked aggressively to tackle the opioid crisis.
In the current fiscal year alone, the California Health and Human Services agency is investing $450 million in treatment, abatement and prevention efforts.
The 2022 Budget Act Governor Newsom signed into law included $30 million to expand the California Military Department’s existing drug interdiction efforts to thwart drug-trafficking transnational criminal organizations throughout the state, with a particular focus on assisting federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies in combatting fentanyl.
To support the governor’s initiative to reduce deadly fentanyl in communities, the California National Guard has hired, trained, and embedded 144 new members.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors this week will get a presentation on indigent defense services in the county and hold a discussion with Lake County Water Resources staff about its ability to form a fisheries program for the threatened Clear Lake hitch.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 21, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting ID is 924 7782 7326, pass code 944401. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,92477827326#,,,,*944401#.
All interested members of the public that do not have internet access or a Mediacom cable subscription are encouraged to call 669-900-6833, and enter the Zoom meeting ID and pass code information above.
In an item timed for 10 a.m., the board will hear a presentation from Jose Varela regarding the provision of public defender services and the structuring and organization of a public defender services program.
During a February discussion on the indigent defense contract, the County Counsel’s Office recommended that the board consider hiring Varela — the retired chief public defender of Marin County — to ensure the county is providing comprehensive defense services.
In an untimed item, Water Resources staff will discuss with the board the department’s capacity for forming and implementing a fisheries program focused on the Clear Lake hitch, or Chi.
Last month, the board declared an emergency related to the native fish, which in recent years have declined precipitously in numbers.
“The presentation will include anticipated costs, staff, and resources needed to form a program of this nature along with outlining the overall capacity of the Department's ability to do so,” the staff report said.
In an untimed item, the board will consider appointments to the Lake County Recreation Agency Board of Directors.
In other timed items, at 9:07 a.m. the board will present a proclamation commending Library Technician Mickey Price for her efforts to help find housing for an elderly man who was dropped off at the library and at 11:15 a.m. the supervisors will honor retiring County Counsel Anita Grant on her 31 years of service to Lake County.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Approve public defender contract amendment No. 9 between the county of Lake and Lake Indigent Defense LLP for the purpose extending the term of the contract to June 30, 2023, and authorize chair to sign .
5.2: Adopt resolution approving Agreement No. 22-1694-002-SF with the state of California, Department of Food and Agriculture for insect trapping for fiscal year 22-23 in the amount of $48,666.29.
5.3: Adopt proclamation commending Library Technician Mickey Price for going above and beyond and serving the public with compassion and professionalism.
5.4: Adopt proclamation commending County Counsel Anita Grant for her 31 years of service to Lake County.
5.5: Approve Board of Supervisors minutes for Feb. 28, 2023.
5.6: (a) Adopt the Resolution Amending Resolution No. 2022-118 adopting the final budget for Fiscal Year 2022-2023 to increase revenue in the District Attorney's General Fund Budget Unit 2110 and to appropriate the unanticipated revenue and (b) approve the purchase of a 2022 Ford Explorer Hybrid 4x4 and authorize the district attorney to sign a purchase order not to exceed $65,000 to Downtown Ford.
5.7: Approve resolution of intent to conduct a public hearing for the consideration of the vacation of a portion of a roadway known as Robert's Road in the Middletown area.
5.8: Approve out-of-state travel for Emergency Services Assistant Alma Perez to attend the Emergency Management Institute in Maryland from June 11 to 17, 2023.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:07 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation commending Library Technician Mickey Price for going above and beyond and serving the public with compassion and professionalism.
6.3, 10 a.m.: Presentation by Jose Varela regarding the provision of public defender services and the structuring and organization of a public defender services program.
6.4, 11:15 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation commending County Counsel Anita Grant for her 31 years of service to Lake County.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of updated advisory board application.
7.3: Consideration of the following advisory board appointments: Lake County Child Care Council.
7.4: Consideration of update regarding timeline for mandatory advance planning projects and staff resource capacity within the Community Development Department.
7.5: Consideration of presentation and discussion on capacity of Lake County Water Resources Department Development and implementation of a (Clear Lake Hitch) fisheries program.
7.6: Consideration of resolution rescinding Resolutions 92-129 and 2012-98 and re-establishing bylaws of the Lake County Fish & Wildlife Advisory Committee.
7.7: Consideration of Section 20 of the County Policies and Procedures Manual for a facilities capital improvement plan policy.
7.8: Consideration of appointments to the Lake County Recreation Agency Board of Directors.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9 (d)(1) – Penhall v. Lake County Probation Department, et al. and related Public Employees Relations Board claim.
8.2: Public employee evaluation: Special Districts Administrator Scott Harter.
8.3: Public employee evaluation: Public Works/Water Resources Director Scott De Leon.
8.4: Public employee appointment Pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b)(1): Interviews for Behavioral Health director; appointment of Behavioral Health director.
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.
As anyone who has enrolled in it can tell you, the program itself is rather complicated. It’s divided into three parts, known as A, B and D, each of which relies on revenue from a different mix of sources.
Medicare Part A covers care delivered at hospitals and nursing homes, as well as home health care. Part B pays for doctor’s visits and outpatient procedures, and Part D pays for prescription drugs. There’s also Part C, a private insurance option, known as Medicare Advantage. However, its costs are included in the accounting for Parts A and B.
Part A is primarily funded by a 1.45% Medicare payroll tax on both employees and employers. When that tax and the program’s other tax revenues don’t raise enough money to cover Part A’s costs, the program dips into the Medicare Hospital Insurance trust fund to make up the difference. The trust fund, amassed from past surplus payroll taxes, currently stands at around $143 billion.
Without spending cuts, funding increases or a combination of the two, the Medicare program’s trustees have predicted in their annual report that the Medicare trust fund will be exhausted by 2028. The trustees are the secretaries of the Treasury, Labor and Health and Human Services departments, plus the Social Security commissioner. There can be up to two additional trustees, but those seats are vacant.
Should the trust fund be emptied out, the trustees predict that hospital benefits would have to be cut by 10%. But those cuts are widely considered to be politically unacceptable, as illustrated by statements from Biden and his predecessor, former President Donald Trump.
Unlike Medicare Part A, Parts B and D are funded largely by general federal revenue and by premiums paid by retirees.
Because the government is allowed to use general revenue to pay for them, the funding of Parts B and D isn’t jeopardized by the depletion of their trust fund – no matter how fast those costs rise.
Even without Biden’s proposed changes, official Medicare spending projections rise rapidly through the mid-2030s and then plateau as a percentage of gross domestic product.
Unfortunately, history provides little assurance that lawmakers will maintain all of these requirements to restrain future payments to health care providers.
We say this because of what happened after 1997, when Congress approved the sustainable growth rate system, which was intended to limit the annual increase in cost per Medicare beneficiary to the rate of economic growth. Starting in 2002, Congress passed legislation year after year to override it – and only stopped doing that once it did away with the system altogether in 2015.
Reflecting this uncertainty, the annual trustees report features an alternative projection that is arguably more credible and more scary. It indicates that Medicare costs will grow much faster than the economy starting in 2036.
Competing demands
The Social Security program, a national pension program that primarily supports older Americans, faces similar funding shortfalls.
Medicare and Social Security are the nation’s largest entitlement programs. Almost all Americans, if they live long enough, will eventually be eligible to obtain these benefits – regardless of their income or wealth.
While Americans do not yet agree on how to put these programs on a steadier fiscal footing, the math is clear.
Our elected representatives cannot avoid making hard decisions that involve increasing taxes, reducing benefits or both.
The council chambers will be open to the public for the meeting. Masks are highly encouraged where 6-foot distancing cannot be maintained.
If you cannot attend in person, and would like to speak on an agenda item, you can access the Zoom meeting remotely at this link or join by phone by calling toll-free 669-900-9128 or 346-248-7799.
The webinar ID is 973 6820 1787, access code is 477973; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment.
Comments can be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To give the city clerk adequate time to print out comments for consideration at the meeting, please submit written comments before 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 21.
The main item of business on the agenda is a workshop with staff to hear department presentations on the 2022-23 fiscal year accomplishments and 2023-24 fiscal year recommended goals.
In addition to presentations by department heads, the council will take public comment before giving staff direction on the next fiscal year’s recommended goals.
On the consent agenda — items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote — are ordinances; minutes of the regular council meeting on March 7 and the special meeting on March 15; approval of application 2023-007, with staff recommendations, for the 2023 Home Winemakers Winefest; approval of application 2023-008, with staff recommendations, for the Autism Awareness Fair; adoption of proposed rule changes of the Lake County/City Area Planning Council as outlined in the adopted Resolution 19-20-11 of the Lake County/City Area Planning Council; receipt and filing of the 2022 Housing Element Annual Progress Report; adoption of the resolution accepting construction of the Lake Front Park Concession Building, by Public Restroom Co. and authorize the filing of the notice of completion.
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.
Historian Vicki Crawford was one of the first scholars to focus on women’s roles in the civil rights movement. Her 1993 book, “Trailblazers and Torchbearers,” dives into the stories of female leaders whose legacies have often been overshadowed.
Today she is the director of the Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection, where she oversees the archive of his sermons, speeches, writings and other materials. Here, she explains the contributions of women who influenced King and helped to fuel some of the most significant campaigns of the civil rights era, but whose contributions are not nearly as well known.
An activist in her own right
Coretta Scott King is often remembered as a devoted wife and mother, yet she was also a committed activist in her own right. She was deeply involved with social justice causes before she met and married Martin Luther King Jr., and long after his death.
Scott King served with civil rights groups throughout her time as a student at Antioch College and the New England Conservatory of Music. Shortly after she and King married in 1953, the couple returned to the South, where they lent their support to local and regional organizations such as the NAACP and the Montgomery Improvement Association.
They also supported the Women’s Political Council, an organization founded by female African American professors at Alabama State University that facilitated voter education and registration, and also protested discrimination on city buses. These local leadership efforts paved the way for widespread support of Rosa Parks’ resistance to segregation on public busing.
Following her husband’s assassination in 1968, Scott King devoted her life to institutionalizing his philosophy and practice of nonviolence. She established the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, led a march of sanitation workers in Memphis and joined efforts to organize the Poor People’s Campaign. A longtime advocate of workers rights, she also supported a 1969 hospital workers’ strike in South Carolina, delivering stirring speeches against the treatment of African American staff.
Scott King’s commitment to nonviolence went beyond civil rights at home. During the 1960s, she became involved in peace and anti-war efforts such as the Women’s Strike for Peace and opposed the escalating war in Vietnam. By the 1980s, she had joined protests against South African apartheid, and before her death in 2006, she spoke out in favor of LGBT rights – capping a lifetime of activism against injustice and inequalities.
Women and the March
While Scott King’s support and ideas were particularly influential, many other women played essential roles in the success of the civil rights movement.
Take the most iconic moment of the civil rights struggle, in many Americans’ minds: the Aug. 28, 1963, March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, at which King delivered his landmark “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
As the 60th anniversary of the march approaches, it is critical to recognize the activism of women from all walks of life who helped to strategize and organize one of the country’s most massive political demonstrations of the 20th century. Yet historical accounts overwhelmingly highlight the march’s male leadership. With the exception of Daisy Bates, an activist who read a short tribute, no women were invited to deliver formal speeches.
Women were among the key organizers of the march, however, and helped recruit thousands of participants. Dorothy Height, president of the National Council of Negro Women, was often the lone woman at the table of leaders representing national organizations. Anna Arnold Hedgeman, who also served on the planning committee, was another strong advocate for labor issues, anti-poverty efforts and women’s rights.
Photographs of the march show women attended in large numbers, yet few historical accounts adequately credit women for their leadership and support. Civil rights activist, lawyer and Episcopalian priest Pauli Murray, among others, called for a gathering of women to address this and other instances of discrimination a few days later.
Hidden in plain view
African American women led and served in all the major campaigns, working as field secretaries, attorneys, plaintiffs, organizers and educators, to name just a few roles. So why did early historical accounts of the movement neglect their stories?
There were women propelling national civil rights organizations and among King’s closest advisers. Septima Clark, for example, was a seasoned educator whose strong organizing skills played a consequential role in voter registration, literacy training and citizenship education. Dorothy Cotton was a member of the inner circle of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, of which King was president, and was involved in literacy training and teaching nonviolent resistance.
Yet women’s organizing during the 1950s and 1960s is most evident at local and regional levels, particularly in some of the most perilous communities across the deep South. Since the 1930s, Amelia Boynton Robinson of Dallas County, Alabama, and her family had been fighting for voting rights, laying the groundwork for the struggle to end voter suppression that continues to the present. She was also key in planning the 50-mile Selma-to-Montgomery march in 1965. Images of the violence that marchers endured – particularly on the day that came to be known as Bloody Sunday – shocked the nation and eventually contributed to the passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Or take Mississippi, where there would not have been a sustained movement without women’s activism. Some names have become well known, like Fannie Lou Hamer, but others deserve to be.
Two rural activists, Victoria Gray and Annie Devine, joined Hamer as representatives to the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, a parallel political party that challenged the state’s all-white representatives at the 1964 Democratic Convention. A year later, the three women represented the party in a challenge to block the state’s congressmen from taking their seats, given ongoing disenfranchisement of Black voters. Though the congressional challenge failed, the activism was a symbolic victory, serving note to the nation that Black Mississippians were no longer willing to accept centuries-old oppression.
Many African American women were out-front organizers for civil rights. But it is no less important to remember those who assumed less visible, but indispensable, roles behind the scenes, sustaining the movement over time.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — On Sunday, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) named his selection for the 2023 Lake County Woman of the Year.
Thompson has chosen for the honor Sherry Treppa, the tribal chair of the Habematolel Pomo, based in Upper Lake.
Every year, Thompson selects inspiring women from California’s Fourth District to recognize their contributions and efforts over the last year.
“Sherry Treppa has dedicated her life to serving and protecting the Pomo tribe in California,” said Thompson. “As the chairperson for the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, she continues to focus on restoring the Pomo tribe land, while aiming to achieve economic self-sufficiency and preserving their culture and right of sovereignty.”
Thompson added, “Through Sherry’s tireless advocacy, she has been able to represent Native Americans and her tribe, while pursuing economic stability and keeping Native American and the Pomo tribe culture alive for many more generations to come.”
The Woman of the Year Recognition Ceremony was started in honor of Women’s History Month to recognize the service of women in our community.
A complete list of 2023 winners include:
• Sherry Treppa — Lake County. • Fran Lemos — Napa County. • Alexis Koefoed — Solano County. • Jasmine Palmer — Sonoma County. • Brooke Ingleheart Ross — Sonoma County. • Mary Kimball — Yolo County.
Thompson represents California’s Fourth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A stretch of Highway 29 that passes from southern Lake County into northern Napa County is closed due to a Sunday afternoon mudslide, with no estimated time of reopening.
Separate reports from the California Highway Patrol and Caltrans’ District 1 office said the slide occurred on Highway 29 south of Middletown, in the area that passes over Mount St. Helena.
Caltrans identified the area more specifically as between Bradford Road in Lake County to Tubbs Lane in Napa County.
The CHP first reported a hard closure over the mountain just before 2 p.m. Sunday. At that time, the closure was estimated to last three to four hours.
However, at about 6:15 p.m., the CHP said the highway likely would be closed until Monday.
Caltrans said Sunday afternoon that there was no estimated time of reopening.
The slide occurs in the wake of more winter rain, with still more rain in the forecast this week.
The agency encouraged motorists to check its QuickMap website app for road condition updates.
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. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has a growing group of dogs waiting for new homes this week.
Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Australian cattle dog, blue heeler, border collie, boxer, German shepherd, German shorthaired pointer, Great Pyrenees, hound, Labrador retriever, mastiff, pit bull, Rottweiler, shepherd, treeing walker coonhound and terrier.
Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption.
Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online for information on visiting or adopting.
Male German shorthaired pointer
This 6-month-old male German shorthaired pointer has a short brown and white coat.
He is in foster, ID No. LCAC-A-4769.
Male German shepherd puppy
This 3-month-old male German shepherd puppy has a black and tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 2a, ID No. LCAC-A-4845.
Male German shepherd puppy
This 3-month-old male German shepherd puppy has a black and tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 2b, ID No. LCAC-A-4846.
Female pit bull terrier puppy
This 3-month-old female American pit bull terrier puppy has a short brindle coat.
She is in kennel No. 4a, ID No. LCAC-A-4787.
Female pit bull terrier puppy
This 3-month-old female American pit bull terrier puppy has a short black and white coat.
She is in kennel No. 4b, ID No. LCAC-A-4788.
Female pit bull terrier
This 1-year-old female pit bull terrier has a short black and white coat.
She is in kennel No. 5, ID No. LCAC-A-4873.
Male Labrador retriever mix
This 1-year-old male Labrador retriever mix has a short black coat with white markings.
He is in kennel No. 6, ID No. 4841.
‘Able’
“Able” is a 6-year-old male coonhound mix with a short black and tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 7, ID No. LCAC-A-4773.
Female German shepherd
This one and a half year old female German shepherd has a black and tan coat.
She is in kennel No. 8, ID No. LCAC-A-4898.
Female border collie
This 1-year-old female border collie has a black and white coat, and one brown eye and one blue eye.
She is in kennel No. 11, ID No. LCAC-A-4903.
‘Luigi’
“Luigi” is a 2-year-old male pit bull terrier with a short red and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 12, ID No. LCAC-A-4742.
‘Oreo’
“Oreo” is a 2-year-old male treeing walker coonhound with a short tricolor coat.
He is in kennel No. 13, ID No. LCAC-A-4738.
Female Rottweiler
This 5-month-old female Rottweiler has a black and tan coat
She is in kennel No. 14, ID No. LCAC-A-4912.
Female German shepherd-hound mix
This 2-year-old female German shepherd-hound mix has a black and tan coat.
She is in kennel No. 15, ID No. LCAC-A-4816.
Male German shepherd mix
This 2-year-old male German shepherd mix has a red and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 16, ID No. LCAC-A-4835.
Female pit bull-Labrador retriever mix
This female pit bull-Labrador retriever mix has a short tricolor coat.
She is in kennel No. 17, ID No. LCAC-A-4692.
Male pit bull terrier
This one and a half year old male pit bull terrier has a black coat with white markings.
He is in kennel No. 19, ID No. LCAC-A-4843.
Female Australian cattle dog-blue heeler
This 2-year-old female Australian cattle dog-blue heeler has a short blue and black coat.
She is in kennel No. 20, ID No. LCAC-A-4836.
Male Anatolian shepherd
This 1-year-old male Anatolian shepherd has a black and tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 22, ID No. LCAC-A-4844.
‘Bruno’
“Bruno” is a 9-month-old male mastiff-pit bull mix with a short tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 23, ID No. LCAC-A-4789.
Male Australian cattle dog-blue heeler
This one and a half year old male Australian cattle dog-blue heeler has a short red and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 25, ID No. LCAC-A-4837.
Male boxer-pit bull mix
This 8-year-old male boxer-pit bull mix has a short brown brindle coat.
He is in kennel No. 26, ID No. LCAC-A-4678.
Male Great Pyrenees
This 2-year-old male Great Pyrenees has a long white coat.
He is in kennel No. 28, ID No. LCAC-A-4821.
Female terrier
This 1-year-old female terrier has a black and tan coat.
She is in kennel No. 30, ID No. LCAC-A-4920.
Male border collie puppy
This 3-month-old male border collie puppy has a short black coat with white markings.
He is in kennel No. 32, ID No. LCAC-A-4783.
Female German shorthaired pointer pup
This 6-month-old female German shorthaired pointer pup has a black and white coat.
She is in kennel No. 34a, ID No. LCAC-A-4771.
Female German shorthaired pointer pup
This 6-month-old female German shorthaired pointer pup has a black and white coat.
She is in kennel No. 34b, ID No. LCAC-A-4772.
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.