A bill to prohibit the use of the word “squaw” — or the S-word — for geographic features and place names in California by Jan. 1, 2024, has been approved by the state Legislature and is heading to the governor’s desk.
In February, Assemblyman James C. Ramos (D-Highland), the first California Native American elected to the state legislature, and Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), chair of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, along with 13 co-authors introduced AB 2022.
The Legislature approved the Bill on a 72-0-0 vote, Ramos’ office reported.
The bill now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for signing.
It bans the use of the S-word and establishes a process for renaming locations with that derogatory term in their titles.
The word is an idiom that came into use during the westward expansion of America, and it is not a tribal word.
For decades, Native Americans have argued against the designation’s use because behind that expression is the disparagement of Native women that contributes to the crisis of missing and murdered people in our community,” Ramos stated.
Ramos reported that more than 100 places in California contain the S-word.
The United States Department of the Interior has ordered the term “erased from the National landscape and forever replaced” on the almost 700 sites using the name on federal lands.
Montana, Oregon, Maine and Minnesota have already banned the word’s use.
AB 2022 requires every state agency, local governing body or political subdivisions to identify all geographic sites, public lands, waters, and structures under its jurisdiction containing the S-word.
These bodies shall file a report identifying those names with the California Advisory Committee of Geographic Names.
The advisory committee will establish a procedure to elicit input and rename locations that have been identified.
In selecting replacement names, local governments, state agencies, and shall solicit input from tribes maintained on the California Native American Heritage Commission list and prioritize their input, as well as the input of appropriate local communities and members of the public.
The proposal defines a geographic feature as any location or publicly owned structure in the state such as navigable water, parks, local roads, bridges and publicly owned buildings.
A place is defined in the proposal as a natural geographic feature or street, alley, or other road within the jurisdiction of the state or political subdivision of the state.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Two seats on the Lakeport City Council and a measure specifically focused on the proposed South Main Street annexation area will be on the Nov. 8 ballot.
Council incumbents Stacey Mattina and Mireya Turner are seeking reelection. Mattina is now in her third term, Turner in her second.
They were the only two candidates to file for the seats in the November election, the Lake County Registrar of Voters reported.
That was the case four years ago as well, at which point the council decided to forgo an election and appoint them to new terms, as election code allows.
This year, however, the city isn’t pursuing that option due to the fact that Measure P, which is for the South Lakeport annexation, is on the ballot, said City Manager Kevin Ingram.
“Election codes state that the ability to direct appoint only exists when there is nothing else already on the current ballot and given that the Measure P item is a City sponsored measure it seemed the safest to hold the election,” Ingram told Lake County News in a Wednesday email.
He said there are differing opinions on the matter, with Registrar of Voters Maria Valadez concluding that since Measure P involves an area currently outside of the city, the city could move forward with appointing the two incumbents.
However, City Attorney David Ruderman is advising that it is not that clear, Ingram said, thus the decision to move forward with an election, not appointments.
Measure P will be voted on by the less than 20 voters who live specifically in the annexation area, which consists of 50 parcels totaling 137 acres stretching from 2325 South Main St. to 96 Soda Bay Road.
The measure will ask voters if the order to add the annexation area to the city boundaries, adopted on March 30 by the Lake Local Agency Formation Commission, should be confirmed.
If anyone wishes to run as a write-in candidate for the Lakeport council seats, they should contact the City Clerk’s Office at Lakeport City Hall at 707-263-5615 to fill out the required paperwork to qualify.
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. — During a special Monday afternoon meeting, the Clearlake City Council chose not to take action to appoint two of its members to new terms and approved staff hiring an executive search firm to find a new finance director.
Mayor Dirk Slooten and Councilman Russ Cremer filed for reelection, with no other individuals filing to run.
City Clerk/Administrative Services Director Melissa Swanson explained that because there are only two candidates for the two seats, elections code gives the city the option of appointing Slooten and Cremer rather than holding an election in November.
That was the option the city of Lakeport took four years ago, when the Lakeport City Council appointed Stacey Mattina and Mireya Turner, who were seeking reelection.
However, the Clearlake City Council decided against making the appointments due to concerns that it could limit options in the future should a vacancy on the council occur.
That concern is because of Government Code 36512(d), which Swanson said prohibits an appointment that would result in a majority of council members serving by way of appointment.
Swanson said the city already had budgeted the election for November. She said that if the council took no action by Thursday, the election would go forward for the two council seats as well as for the city treasurer’s job.
“I thought this was going to be a pretty simple decision for me,” said Councilman Russ Perdock.
However, he said if another council member left, it would leave the city with no option but to hold a special election, which could be expensive.
Other council members shared that concern. Slooten said he thought they should go forward with an election.
Swanson said no one filed to run for city treasurer, and the council also had the option to make an appointment or let the election go forward.
The city has not had an elected treasurer since 2006, when Elmer Maryatt retired. Since then, the council has appointed a city staffer to hold the job.
In 2016, the city put before voters proposals to make both the city treasurer and city clerk appointed, not elected positions. At that time, voters approved making the clerk an appointed position, but kept the treasurer as an elected job.
Asked by Lake County News during the meeting if the city was considering putting the treasurer selection process back on the ballot, Swanson said the council could approve an ordinance in an upcoming election cycle to put it back before voters.
The council chose to take no action on the appointment, which by default means that the deadline will pass and a municipal election, consolidated with the county’s general election, will take place on Nov. 8.
Swanson said write-in candidates can still seek both the council and treasurer seats.
Registered voters in the city can pick up papers at Swanson’s office and follow a process to become valid write-in candidates. The time frame for registering is Sept. 12 to Oct. 25.
The other item of business on Tuesday was City Manager Alan Flora’s request to immediately start the effort to find the successor to Finance Director Kelcey Young.
Young, who has been with the city just over a year, has accepted a position out of state.
Flora said he didn’t want to wait two more weeks for the next council meeting but asked to get started on the recruitment right away.
Over the weekend, he said some in-county candidates had developed.
He asked for, and received, the council’s unanimous approval to spend up to $30,000 to hire an executive search firm to find a new finance director in the case a local candidate isn’t selected.
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.
SACRAMENTO – Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced the appointment of accomplished public health leader Dr. Diana Ramos as California surgeon general.
Dr. Ramos has more than three decades of cross-cutting experience and expertise with a focus on health equity and reproductive health.
She currently serves at the California Department of Public Health's Center for Healthy Communities, where she oversees the state’s public health and prevention programs.
The governor established the role of surgeon general in 2019 on his first day in office as part of a series of major health care proposals and actions.
The California surgeon general is a key spokesperson on public health issues throughout the state and advises the governor on efforts to address health risks and challenges as effectively and as early as possible.
“California’s surgeon general has a pivotal role in driving focused solutions to tackle the root causes of our most pressing health challenges and inequities,” said Gov. Newsom. “Dr. Ramos is a distinguished leader in medicine and a trusted public health expert who brings a lifetime of experience protecting and promoting the health of vulnerable communities. I look forward to her partnership in advancing urgent priorities for the state on women’s health, mental health, addressing the gun violence epidemic, and more as we continue our work to lift up the health and well-being of all Californians.”
Diana Ramos, M.D., 55, of Laguna Beach, has served as a Public Health Administrator at the California Department of Public Health’s Center for Healthy Communities since 2021.
She has been an adjunct assistant clinical professor at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine since 1999.
Dr. Ramos has been a per diem physician at Kaiser Permanente since 1998. She has been founder and chief executive officer of Gami-Fi Health since 2018.
She was a public health medical officer at the California Department of Public Health from 2017 to 2021 and director of reproductive health at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Division from 2005 to 2017.
She was chief medical officer at Alpha Medical Center Inc. from 2003 to 2005. She was a Senior Regional Medical Research Specialist at Pfizer Inc. from 2000 to 2003 and a Staff Obstetrician at Clinica Humanitaria from 1999 to 2000.
Dr. Ramos is an executive board member of the California Maternal Care Quality Collaborative, secretary of the National Hispanic Medical Association Executive Board and co-chair of the Women’s Preventive Services Initiative Implementation Committee.
She is a chair of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, or ACOG, District IX and co-chair of the American Medical Association’s ACOG Delegation.
She earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of California, Irvine School of Business and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine.
This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $216,420.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to search for an Upper Lake man who they said assaulted a woman earlier this month.
Arturo Pedro Gutierrez, 62, is wanted in connection to the assault, which took place on Aug. 18.
On Wednesday, the sheriff’s office reported that a $500,000 warrant has been issued for Gutierrez’s arrest.
A registered sex offender, Gutierrez is believed Gutierrez to frequent the Willits area of Mendocino County.
Anyone with any information as to his whereabouts is asked to call the Lake County Sheriff’s Central Dispatch at 707-263-2690.
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 Lake County Planning Commission will meet this week to discuss several projects, including one involving a cell tower in Clearlake Oaks and towers to measure wind speeds in Lower Lake.
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link.
The webinar ID is 954 1404 1238, the pass code is 573447.
Access the meeting via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,95414041238#,,,,*573447# or dial in at 669-900-6833.
The meeting also can be viewed on the county of Lake website and on the county’s Facebook page.
At 9:20 a.m., the the commission will consider a proposed major use permit for a 170-foot tall lattice cell tower with a 20-foot tall whip antenna mounted on top, and support equipment within a 100-foot by 100-foot enclosed lease area and mitigated negative declaration based on initial study sought by Comsites West for a project at 20226 E. Highway 20 in Clearlake Oaks.
At 9:30 p.m., the commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing for a proposed use permit and categorical exemption sought by Morgan Valley Wind Tower LLC for four 197-foot tall temporary meteorological towers intended to measure wind speed at 25650 Morgan Valley Road, Lower Lake.
In other business, the commission will consider a 20-year extension for a mine at 12572 White Rock Canyon Road sought by Clearlake Redi-Mix, a subdivision extension and creation of commercially zoned lots for Valley Oaks Partners LLC, an extension for an existing billboard, and a use permit for a corn maze and pumpkin patch at 4405 and 4410 Thomas Drive in Kelseyville.
The full agenda follows.
AGENDA
4a. Approve continuation of resolution authorizing teleconferenced meetings during a state of emergency continue to exist.
4b. Approval of Minutes from the Aug. 11 Planning Commission meetings.
6a., 9:05 a.m.: Continued from July 15, public hearing, consideration of proposed 20-year extension for a mine (UPX 19-04) for Use Permit (UPM 10-01) and Categorical Exemption (CE 19-98); Applicant: CLEARLAKE REDI-MIX ; Project location: 12572 White Rock Canyon Road; Upper Lake (APN: 022-009-06).
6b., 9:10 a.m.: Continued from July 15, public hearing, consideration of proposed one-year subdivision extension (SDX 22-01) for Valley Oaks subdivision; and consider its inclusion under the original final environmental impact report and addendum. Applicant: VALLEY OAKS PARTNERS, LLC / KEITH GAPUSAN; located at 18196 and 18426 S. State Highway 29, Middletown (APNs 014-260-51, 36 and 24).
6c., 9:15 a.m.: Continued from July 15, public hearing, consideration of proposed Parcel Map (PM 21-31), to create three commercially-zoned lots, and an inclusion under the original final environmental impact report and addendum. Applicant: VALLEY OAKS PARTNERS, LLC /KEITH GAPUSAN; located at 18196 and 18426 S. State Highway 29, Middletown (APNs 014-260-51, 36 and 24).
6d., 9:20 a.m.: Continued from Aug. 11, public hearing, consideration of proposed Major Use Permit (UP 22-20) for a 170’ tall lattice cell tower with a 20’ tall whip antenna mounted on top, and support equipment within a 100’ x 100’ enclosed lease area and Mitigated Negative Declaration based on Initial Study (IS 22-21); Applicant: COMSITES WEST; Project location: 20226 E. Highway 20, Clearlake Oaks (APNs: 010-009-39, 40 and 42.
6e., 9:25 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of proposed Use Permit Extension (UPX 22-02) for a five year extension for an existing billboard; Categorical Exemption (CE 19-98); Applicant: LAMONICA OUTDOOR ADVERTISING; Project location: 131 Soda Bay Road, Lakeport (APN 008-019-69).
6f., 9:30 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of proposed Use Permit (UP 22-06) for four (4) 197-foot tall temporary meteorological towers intended to measure wind speed; and Categorical Exemption (CE 22-12); Applicant: MORGAN VALLEY WIND TOWER LLC; Project location: 25650 Morgan Valley Road, Lower Lake (APNs: 012-014-02 and 08).
6g., 9:35 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of proposed Use Permit (UP 18-34) to allow a 12-acre corn maze and 3.8-acre pumpkin patch seasonal event; Applicant: MICHAEL AND TANYA HAT; Project location: 4405 and 4410 Thomas Drive, Kelseyville (APNs 008-033-36 & 008-035-58).
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.
Data privacy in the U.S. is, in many ways, a legal void. While there are limited protections for health and financial data, the cradle of the world’s largest tech companies, like Apple, Amazon, Google, and Meta (Facebook), lacks any comprehensive federal data privacy law. This leaves U.S. citizens with minimal data privacy protections compared with citizens of other nations. But that may be about to change.
ADPPA fills the data privacy void, builds in federal preemption over some state data privacy laws, allows individuals to file suit over violations and substantially changes data privacy law enforcement. Like all big changes, ADPPA is getting mixed reviews from media, scholars and businesses. But many see the bill as a triumph for U.S. data privacy that provides a needed national standard for data practices.
Who and what will ADPPA regulate?
ADPPA would apply to “covered” entities, meaning any entity collecting, processing or transferring covered data, including nonprofits and sole proprietors. It also regulates cellphone and internet providers and other common carriers, with potentially concerning changes to federal communications regulation. It does not apply to government entities.
ADPPA defines “covered” data as any information or device that identifies or can be reasonably linked to a person. It also protects biometric data, genetic data and geolocation information.
The bill excludes three big data categories: deidentified data, employee data and publicly available information. That last category includes social media accounts with privacy settings open to public viewing. While research has repeatedly shown deidentified data can be easily reidentified, the ADPPA attempts to address that by requiring covered entities to take “reasonable technical, administrative, and physical measures to ensure that the information cannot, at any point, be used to re-identify any individual or device.”
How ADPPA protects your data
The act would require data collection to be as minimal as possible. The bill allows covered entities to collect, use or share an individual’s data only when reasonably necessary and proportionate to a product or service the person requests or to respond to a communication the person initiates. It allows collection for authentication, security incidents, prevention of illegal activities or serious harm to persons, and compliance with legal obligations.
People would gain rights to access and have some control over their data. ADPPA gives users the right to correct inaccuracies and potentially delete their data held by covered entities.
The bill permits data collection as part of research for public good. It allows data collection for peer-reviewed research or research done in the public interest – for example, testing whether a website is unlawfully discriminating. This is important for researchers who might otherwise run afoul of site terms or hacking laws.
The ADPPA also has a provision that tackles the service-conditioned-on-consent problem – those annoying “I Agree” boxes that force people to accept a jumble of legal terms. When you click one of those boxes, you contractually waive your privacy rights as a condition to simply use a service, visit a website or buy a product. The bill will prevent covered entities from using contract law to get around the bill’s protections.
Looking to federal electronic surveillance law for guidance
The U.S.’s Electronic Communications Privacy Act can provide federal law makers guidance in finalizing ADPPA. Like the ADPPA, the 1986 ECPA legislation involved a massive overhaul of U.S. electronic privacy law to address adverse effects to individual privacy and civil liberties posed by advancing surveillance and communication technologies. Once again, advances in surveillance and data technologies, such as artificial intelligence, are significantly affecting citizens’ rights.
ECPA, still in effect today, provides a baseline national standard for electronic surveillance protections. ECPA protects communications from interception unless one party to the communication consents. But ECPA does not preempt states from passing more protective laws, so states can choose to provide greater privacy rights. The end result: Roughly a quarter of U.S. states require consent of all parties to intercept a communication, thus providing their citizens increased privacy rights.
ECPA’s federal/state balance has worked for decades now, and ECPA has not overwhelmed the courts or destroyed commerce.
National preemption
As drafted, ADPPA preempts some state data privacy legislation. This affects California’s Consumer Privacy Act, although it does not preempt the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act or state laws specifically regulating facial recognition technology. The preemption provisions, however, are in flux as members of the House continue to negotiate the bill.
If preemption stands, any final version of the ADPPA will be the law of the land, limiting states from more firmly protecting their citizens’ data privacy.
Private right of action and enforcement
ADDPA provides for a private right of action, allowing people to sue covered entities who violate their rights under ADPPA. That gives the bill’s enforcement mechanisms a big boost, although it has significant restrictions.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the tech industry oppose a private right of action, preferring ADPPA enforcement be restricted to the Federal Trade Commission. But the FTC has far less staff and far fewer resources than U.S. trial attorneys do.
ECPA, for comparison, has a private right of action. It has not overwhelmed courts or businesses, and entities likely comply with ECPA to avoid civil litigation. Plus, courts have honed ECPA’s terms, providing clear precedent and understandable compliance guidelines.
How big are the changes?
The changes to U.S. data privacy law are big, but ADPPA affords much-needed security and data protections to U.S. citizens, and I believe that it is workable with tweaks.
Given how the internet works, data routinely flows across international borders, so many U.S. companies have already built compliance with other nations’ laws into their systems. This includes the E.U.’s General Data Protection Regulation – a law similar to the ADPPA. Facebook, for example, provides E.U. citizens with GDPR’s protections, but it does not give U.S. citizens those protections, because it is not required to do so.
Congress has done little with data privacy, but ADPPA is poised to change that.
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife issued a report on Wednesday announcing video footage of the den site of what could be a relatively new wolf family in southwestern Oregon.
This is the first known modern-day instance of a California wolf dispersing to Oregon and likely starting a family.
The mated pair of radio-collared wolves are Oregon-born female wolf OR-115 and California-born male wolf LAS013, who left his birth pack in Lassen County, California and migrated to Oregon in late 2020.
The video of one of the adult wolves near their den site was captured by aerial surveillance technology and shared on the department’s YouTube page. It can be seen below.
“We’re so glad these wolves found each other,” said Amaroq Weiss, senior wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The thrilling story of wolf recovery in Oregon and California is still in its infancy. Since wolves don’t use dating apps to find each other, they need other wolves in their neighborhood to keep the story going.”
This new wolf family, whose territory includes parts of Klamath and Lake counties, has not yet been given a pack name by the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Whether they will count as a “successful breeding pair” for purposes of the department’s annual 2022 report depends on whether the pair has at least two pups that survive until the end of December.
Oregon’s wildlife agency issued its annual wolf report in April 2022 for the calendar year 2021. That report estimated the state’s wolf population to be 175 individuals in 21 packs, with a total of 16 successful breeding pairs.
While LAS013 and OR-115 were first observed together in early 2021, they did not count as a breeding pair at that time since the department had no evidence showing the pair had reproduced that year.
This year marks the first time in which the wolves’ radio-collar signals indicated they had localized at a den-site, and this was subsequently confirmed by the aerial video surveillance. Localized radio-collar signals are frequently how wildlife agencies learn that a pair of wolves has made a den, which often indicates they have given birth to pups.
The department’s report indicates the video footage will allow wildlife officials to focus their efforts to find and count any pups.
“The fact that this California-born wolf likely has pups born in Oregon underscores how essential it is for wolf populations to be legally protected and connected, and not simply relegated to isolated, postage-stamp-size recovery areas,” said Weiss. “Fortunately, we’ve managed to get federal protections restored to wolves in this part of Oregon and California, and we’ll work to ensure those protections remain in place.”
Wolves in Oregon once trekked statewide but they had been killed off by the late 1940s to appease agricultural interests. In 1999 wolves from Idaho began to make their way into Oregon, and the state’s first pack was confirmed in 2008.
Wolves from Oregon began to make their way into California in late 2011, and California’s first wolf family was confirmed in 2015. Currently, California has three known wolf packs, including the pack from which LAS013 originated.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A Lake County water district is among several water systems statewide that has received awards in a new round of state grant funding.
As part of ongoing efforts to help small communities address water supply challenges amid extreme drought and build water resilience for the future, the Department of Water Resources announced its eighth round of funding through the Small Community Drought Relief Program.
In coordination with the State Water Resources Control Board, the program will provide $40 million to 15 projects in Butte, Humboldt, Lake, Madera, Mariposa, Placer, San Luis Obispo, Riverside, Sierra, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Ventura and Yolo counties.
Of the selected projects, 12 will directly benefit disadvantaged communities to implement long-term solutions such as pipeline replacement, well installation, and infrastructure upgrades to improve water resilience and water quality.
In Lake County, where the community's water supply is threatened as the drought causes water levels to decrease in Clear Lake, Mount Konocti Mutual Water Co. will receive $2.3 million to replace leaking water storage tanks that have led to substantial loss and install low water intake pumps.
“Many of our state’s most vulnerable communities still struggle to get access to clean, safe drinking water. These funded projects will increase local water supplies while helping communities adapt to more extreme weather patterns caused by climate change,” said Kristopher Tjernell, deputy director of integrated watershed management at DWR. “As we prepare for a fourth dry year, we will continue to work with the State Water Resources Control Board to expedite assistance to our communities in need.”
Some of the other communities set to receive funding include:
• Oceano Community Services District: In San Luis Obispo County, the water system serving the Oceano Community has several pipelines that are leaking and losing significant amounts of water. The district will receive $268,000 to replace approximately 1,350 feet of pipelines, which will save approximately 270,000 gallons of water per year.
• Banning Heights Mutual Water Co.: In Riverside County, the community of Banning Heights is struggling without a water source due to the prolonged drought and damage to critical water infrastructure caused by the Apple Fire in 2020. The company will receive $3.7 million to construct a new well and water tank and implement a hauled water program.
• Sky View County Water District: In Tehama County, the local disadvantaged community relies on one groundwater well and is struggling to meet water demands for residents and fire protection due to aging pipelines. The district will receive $5 million to provide safe drinking water to residents.
• Burnt Ranch Estates Mutual Water Co.: In Trinity County, the water system serving the small mountain community is stressed due to leaky infrastructure. The company will receive $2.5 million to replace two water storage tanks and leaking pipelines.
• Madison Community Services District: In Yolo County, the water distribution system serving the Madison community is leaking excessively and experiencing catastrophic pipeline failures. Recent fractures have led to the loss of 315,000 gallons of potable water. The district will receive $3.8 million to replace the existing water distribution system and implement well site improvements.
• Garberville Sanitary District: In Humboldt County, three of the community's tanks are leaking and capacity of the tanks has been reduced by 60 percent. As a solution, the district will receive $4.5 million to replace the three leaking tanks with two new tanks.
• City of Exeter (Tooleville): In Tulare County, the community of Tooleville has struggled with securing a safe water supply for years and currently relies on bottled water for drinking water needs. In addition, the current drought has caused the water quantity and quality of the two wells serving the community to deteriorate further. The community will receive $7.2 million to construct a new well and intertie to consolidate with the nearby City of Exeter.
The full list of funded projects can be viewed here.
The Small Community Drought Relief Program has delivered $216 million in financial assistance since receiving funding from the Budget Act of 2021.
In this year’s budget, the program received an additional $121 million that will allow the program to continue to assist small communities and start a new Water Tank Program.
Expected to launch this fall, the new program will provide tanks and hauled water to communities that are in immediate need of potable water supplies.
The program will be led by DWR in coordination with the California Office of Emergency Services, Department of General Services, and the State Water Resources Control Board.
For information about other DWR and State drought response efforts and funding programs, visit http://drought.ca.gov.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — After nearly three decades of taking care of thousands of patients, a Lake County optometrist is closing his doors and heading into retirement.
Dr. Mark Buehnerkemper announced his retirement earlier this month.
He and wife, Monica, own the optometry practice at 120 S. Main St. in Lakeport.
“Aug. 31 is our last day of patient care,” he said.
However, they will work part-time through September to close out the practice, work that includes dispensing glasses, finalizing billing and insurance claims, and finishing up the expected odds and ends after nearly 26 years of practice.
Dr. David Browning, owner of Eye Care Optometric in Lakeport, will take custody of the records for Buehnerkempers’ estimated 3,500 patients at his location at 225 S Main St., next to the Soper Reese Theatre.
“He’ll be taking on many of our patients,” Mark Buehnerkemper said.
“He’s also graciously hired all of our staff. All five of our staff members are going over there,” he added.
Except for wife Monica. “She’s going with me,” he quipped.
The Buehnerkempers also own M-Square Farms in Kelseyville. Monica is an accomplished equestrian who has a successful — and full — horse boarding operation with 18 slots. They also have horses of their own, plus dogs, goats, cats and other pets.
Mark is a musician who has been a part of the popular band, the Lake County Diamonds and has been active in Rotary since 1997, serving as president from 2006 to 2007.
They’ve also been very involved with church activities. They were part of the music ministry for 17 years at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lakeport, where they also were involved in youth ministry. For six years they led music at Our Lady Queen of Peace in Clearlake for 6 years and also helped that church with confirmation class.
Once the office is closed up, the Buehnerkempers will load up their two horses, critters and possession, and head to Rockwall, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, where they plan to make their new home.
They’ve selected that area of Texas because it’s a central location to reach their three adult children — who live in Phoenix, Dallas and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — and four grandchildren, with another on the way.
The couple has been married since 1988. Initially, Mark came out of school with an engineering degree and worked in that field, for two different aerospace companies, before going back to optometry school. Monica, who also worked in aerospace, supported him through optometry school while working as a computer programmer.
They made the move to Lake County from Norco almost 26 years ago, arriving on Nov. 15, 1996, in order for Mark to take his first job out of optometry school working for Dr. Robert J. Blanche.
He worked for Dr. Blanche a month and a half before Blanche retired. The Buehnerkempers purchased the practice from Blanche on Jan. 1, 1997.
Before coming to Lake County, they did have some ties to the area. Monica’s mother, Ada Lou Duacsek, was born and raised in Clearlake when it was known as the Clearlake Highlands, and the family had kept connections here.
In the years since he moved to Lake County, Dr. Buehnerkemper has cared for thousands of Lake County patients, as his wife has kept the office running smoothly.
Their plans to retire have been in the works for some time. However, despite working for almost three years to find an alternative to closing, the Buehnerkempers said they were unable to find a replacement.
They said they’ve been unable to find doctors willing to move to a rural area. They’ve also found that most doctors do not want to take on the responsibility of practice ownership and prefer to work as an employee for a larger entity.
“They just want to see patients,” Mark said. “The hospital has the same problem.”
They said they tried everything, from looking for associates, a buyer and private equity, and approaching Lake County Tribal Health and Adventist Health.
“None of that worked out,” he explained.
The fact that they’re having to close rather than pass the practice on to another optometrist has left Dr. Buehnerkemper with mixed emotions.
The building and M-Square Farms will be listed for sale in mid-September, with Bobby Dutcher being the listing agent for both properties. The Buehnerkempers are hoping someone will buy the ranch and continue the boarding.
The Lake County Diamonds will continue to play local gigs as a trio. “I’m going to come back when I’m available to help out,” Mark said.
The Buehnerkempers also will be working at Dr. Browning’s office for a short time to help with the transition.
If patients want copies of their existing records forwarded to a provider other than Eye Care Optometric, they’re asked to call Dr. Buehnerkemper’s office at 707-263-0101 before Friday, Aug. 26.
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.
Terri Friedline, University of Michigan; Dominique Baker, Southern Methodist University, and John W. Diamond, Rice University
President Joe Biden announced a program to provide student debt relief to millions of borrowers of federal loans. The plan would offer up to US$10,000 in forgiveness for people who earn less than $125,000 – $250,000 for couples – and up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients. Biden also extended the pause on repaying federal student loan debt through Dec. 31, 2022, and has proposed a cap on income that can be used to calculate how much borrowers repay through income-driven repayment.
We asked three experts to explain the decision and its impact.
Relief makes real difference but ignores structural issues
Terri Friedline, Associate Professor of Social Work, University of Michigan
The Biden administration’s plan is an important step that I believe will make a real difference in many people’s lives. The White House estimates that about 20 million of the nation’s roughly 43 million student debt holders will see their entire balance canceled.
Despite this considerable impact, the plan is still limited. I hope it’s just the beginning in much-needed policy conversations about debt and education in the United States.
For one thing, Biden’s plan cuts less than 20% of America’s $1.75 trillion student debt tab.
In addition, the income cap of $125,000 focuses on borrowers’ socioeconomic class while ignoring the roles structural racism and sexism play in terms of who borrows and how much. For example, Black women borrow about $38,000 on average to finance their education, compared with $30,000 for white men. And because interest on student loans quickly accumulates, most Black female borrowers still owe their original balance 20 years after enrolling in school. By comparison, most white borrowers have paid off their loans completely within that time period.
The Biden administration will have to do more if it aims to adequately address these and the many other remaining structural problems with debt and education.
Plan extends much-needed relief to Black borrowers
Dominique Baker, Assistant Professor of Education Policy, Southern Methodist University
When approximately 10,000 student loan borrowers had their private student loans randomly canceled from 2010 to 2017, researchers found that it ultimately enabled them to more easily move, change jobs and earn more money. The borrowers were also 11% less likely to default on credit cards or other loans.
I expect similar outcomes will flow from the Biden administration’s decision to cancel federal student loans. And the decision to cancel up to $20,000 for those who received Pell Grants means that even more relief may flow to borrowers who are Black.
From the standpoint of racial justice, I believe this additional relief for Black borrowers is necessary because of centuries ofsystemic inequities. Such inequities include accumulating education debt through “predatory inclusion,” a practice in which Black people are offered access to things like college or buying a house but on exploitative financial terms that have long-term negative effects.
Black student loan borrowers are also often the mostburdenedbystudentloandebt. As one example, Black bachelor’s degree earners are more likely to default on their student loans than white students who earn a bachelor’s degree – 21% versus 4%, respectively. Even more startling, Black bachelor’s degree recipients default at a higher rate than white students who leave college with no degree – 21% versus 18%, respectively.
The Biden administration also has proposed changes to the income-driven repayment plan, which should help future undergraduate borrowers by reducing the monthly percentage of discretionary income borrowers would pay from 10% to 5% and increasing what counts as nondiscretionary income. That means borrowers will have more money that will not be used to calculate the percentage they owe each month.
I’d argue there is still work to be done to create an affordable college education. But today was an excellent start.
Loan forgiveness could fuel inflation
John W. Diamond, Director of the Baker Institute’s Center for Public Finance, Rice University
While it will provide direct financial benefits for some people who currently owe money on federal student loans, I believe there will be another cost: higher inflation.
The upward pressure on inflation will result from increased spending by those who see their student debts reduced, as well as from the continuing moratorium on federal loan repayments. This higher demand for consumer goods – relative to a world without debt relief or a repayment moratorium – has the effect of driving up prices for current goods and services.
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget found that a similar though more modest version of debt forgiveness would lead to a measurable increase in spending on personal consumption, which would have the effect of driving up prices for all consumers. That was based on a plan to spend roughly $230 billion on debt forgiveness – at least $70 billion less than Biden’s plan.
Another side effect could be that Biden’s debt relief offers incentives to students entering or currently in college to take on additional debt in anticipation of future rounds of forgiveness. Economists call this moral hazard. Other research found that increases in student borrowing can result in bigger tuition increases.
Some research has pointed to positive economic outcomes for those who receive debt relief, such as less future indebtedness, greater job mobility and higher salaries. But these effects are based on a full discharge of student debt and not an incremental reduction like the one Biden announced.
Ultimately, loan forgiveness – whatever its merits – will likely lead to larger federal deficits and higher inflation. While it benefits those with student loan debt, those benefits should be weighed against the costs it imposes on others and the economy.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake resident Douglas M. Harris announced he is running for the position of Area 7 Trustee for the Yuba Community College District Board.
The district administers both Yuba Community College and Woodland Community College.
The Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College is in Area 7. Doug has served as Area 7 trustee since his appointment in March 2022.
Harris has a strong skill set to bring to the district. He is committed to representing students, faculty, staff and southern Lake County on the board.
“The purpose of a community college is to meet the career, technical, and higher educational needs of each student and the unique communities they live in,” Harris said. “Prior to my appointment to a vacancy on the Board of Trustees, I taught at the Lake County Campus for over 20 years in career-technical classes and university prep classes. This gives me insight into the challenges faced by the district’s students — and the opportunities gained by completing a certificate, associate degree or university transfer requirements.”
While teaching, Harris served on the campus’ Site Council and the Academic Senate. He also served as a negotiator in collective bargaining processes.
He has resided in Lake County for 48 years.
In addition to teaching for the district, he has worked for numerous human service agencies serving people with disabilities, seniors, and children at risk in Lake County.
Harris has served on several community boards and committees such as the Social Services Advisory Board, Habitat For Humanity Family Selection and Support Committee.
His educational background includes a bachelor’s degree from University of Wisconsin-River Falls and a Masters of Social Work from San Francisco State University.
His wife, Sissa Harris, was a longtime classified employee, faculty member, and a graduate of the Lake County Campus. Of their numerous children and grandchildren, most attended public schools in Lake County.
Asked why he would like to continue as the Area 7 Trustee, Harris said, “Promoting the efforts of all the district campuses in meeting the needs of students in our communities is my primary reason for seeking this position. Continuity on the board is important in fostering partnerships with our K-12 schools, business communities, and local governments. The district is recruiting a permanent Dean for the Lake County Campus and Chancellor for the district, making continuity doubly important. We are working to enhance course offerings for students, in online and face to face formats. The impact of fires and the pandemic make knowledge of students’ and the community’s needs and resources imperative.”
Harris deeply appreciates support for his candidacy, which he said will ensure continuation of support for our Lake County Campus and the entire Yuba Community College District.
He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..