LAKEPORT, Calif. — Mendocino College and the Lake County Theatre Co. are presenting the eighth annual Shakespeare at the Lake production on Saturday, July 29, and Sunday, July 30, in Lakeport’s Library Park and on Friday, Aug. 4, through Sunday, Aug. 6, in Clearlake’s Austin Park.
This year’s play, “Measure for Measure,” begins at 7 p.m. each day, preceded by Renaissance music from Faire Measure, a string quartet of local musicians.
The free performances are made possible through generous support from businesses, community organizations and individuals who support live theater in Lake County.
Additional presenters include the Lake County Friends of Mendocino College, Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce, and the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport.
Director John Tomlinson and producer Laura Barnes have worked with students enrolled in Mendocino College acting and stage production classes to craft an edited version of one of Shakespeare’s dark comedies, exploring themes of power (and its abuse), justice (or injustice), and mercy (or lack thereof).
Sex, religion and mistaken identity — a Shakespearean tradition — are also sprinkled in, for good measure.
Audiences will be transported to the Renaissance era with the captivating allure of traditional Shakespearean costumes and live music.
Sponsorships are being provided by the Lake County Friends, the Law Office of Judy Conard, Clear Lake Chamber, Rotary Club of Clearlake, Rotary Club of Lakeport, Green Heron Dispensary, Lakeport Main Street Association, Lower Lake Community Action Group, Community First Credit Union, Steve and Carol Schepper, Clear Lake Campground, Harry and Roberta Lyons, Wilda Shock and the Kiwanis Club of Lakeport.
Additional supporters include Education Leadership Solutions, Monica Flores, Susie LaPointe, Pat and Lori McGuire, and Gillian Parrillo and Pierre Cutler.
Tax-deductible contributions are being accepted to provide scholarships for the student actors and stipends for the technicians providing scenic design, costumes, sound and lighting, plus rehearsal and set-building rental space.
Donations payable to Mendocino College may be directed to Mendocino College Lake Center, 2565 Parallel Drive, Lakeport CA 95453.
Seating at each performance is first-come, first-served. Bring your own comfortable chairs or blankets for the grass.
Local food and beverage vendors will be available before show time and during intermission. Shakespeare swag will be offered to purchase as a souvenir.
Come out and support live theater in your community.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. — The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office has welcomed to its ranks one of the newest officers to graduate from the CHP Academy.
Officer Cameron Ramsey was among the 101 officers who graduated from the CHP Academy in West Sacramento on June 30.
At the ceremony, Ramsey and his fellow cadets officially became officers and were sworn in after 26 weeks of intense training.
Ramsey is now among the more than 6,550 sworn CHP officers across California. The CHP is the largest state police agency in the United States.
The Clear Lake Area office reported that Ramsey is from Redwood Valley and the son of a CHP officer who works in the Ukiah Area office.
While the academy is behind him, there is more education ahead.
He is set to receive extensive in-field training with experienced officers for approximately four months and later be on his own, the Clear Lake Area office reported.
“Lake County is a unique area and different than large metropolitan areas. It will challenge this officer’s skills,” the office said.
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.
State Controller Malia M. Cohen has published the 2022 self-reported payroll data for state departments, superior courts and California State University, or CSU, institutions on the Government Compensation in California website.
The data covers more than 397,000 positions and approximately $27.83 billion in total wages.
The newly published data were reported by:
• 24 CSU institutions (118,282 employees); • 53 superior courts (18,748 employees); and • 156 state departments (260,183 employees).
The data show that in 2022 the Lake County Superior Court had 44 employees, earning wages totaling $3,129,773, with total retirement and health contributions of $559,648.
That’s compared to 2021, when the court had 41 employees earning total wages of $2,771,228, with total retirement and health contributions at $482,524.
For 2022, the four Lake County Superior Court judges made between $210,963 and $218,653 in annual wages and total retirement and health contributions ranging from $1,064 to $20,703.
The fifth highest-paid employee for the Lake County Superior Court last year was the executive officer, who earned annual wages of $201,246 and total retirement and health benefits of $35,128.
California law requires cities, counties and special districts to annually report compensation data to the State Controller’s Office.
The state controller also maintains and publishes state and CSU salary data.
No such statutory requirement exists for the University of California, California community colleges, superior courts, fairs and expositions, First 5 commissions, or K-12 education providers; their reporting is voluntary.
Five superior courts either did not file or filed a report that was noncompliant. Those are the courts for Alameda, Del Norte, Glenn, San Diego and Tuolumne counties.
The Government Compensation in California website contains pay and benefit information on more than two million government jobs in California, as reported annually by each entity.
Users of the site can view compensation levels on maps and search by region, narrow results by name of the entity or by job title, and export raw data or custom reports.
As the chief fiscal officer of California, Controller Cohen is responsible for accountability and disbursement of the state’s financial resources. The controller has independent auditing authority over government agencies that spend state funds.
On Thursday, Reps. Mike Thompson (CA-04) and Doug LaMalfa (CA-01) introduced a revised version of their bipartisan legislation that would shield thousands of fire victims from taxation on compensation received in the aftermath of a wildfire.
This protection would cover payments made from the Fire Victim Trust, a $13.5 billion wildfire settlement for nearly 70,000 victims of the 2018 Camp Fire, 2017 North Bay Wildfires and the 2015 Butte Fire.
“Wildfire survivors should not have to pay taxes on compensation to which they’re entitled,” said Thompson. “I have worked closely with Rep. LaMalfa, the Joint Committee on Taxation, the Ways and Means Committee and Congressional leadership to ensure that we swiftly pass legislation protecting survivors from taxation. The revised bill I introduced today with Rep. LaMalfa is a retroactive approach that protects our communities — and this tax relief remains my top priority in Congress. I am optimistic Congress will pass our bill.”
“Camp Fire survivors have waited long enough to have tax clarity. I believe that these changes will make this essential legislation easier to incorporate into a larger disaster relief or tax package. This initiative has been a top priority and it has gathered broad bipartisan support. Congress must be timely and enact this bill into law to get wildfire survivors the financial certainty they need,” said LaMalfa.
Earlier this year, Congressmen Thompson and LaMalfa introduced H.R. 176, a similar version of this legislation which was designed only to cover the Fire Victim Trust claimants.
The bill introduced Thursday has been expanded to remove requirements that limited payments to settlement trust funds, thereby expanding protection to anyone receiving disaster aid payments to reimburse wildfire-related losses.
The updated language also represents bipartisan agreements between the House and Senate committees that oversee tax policy.
Last year, Thompson and LaMalfa were nearly able to secure passage through inclusion in the Fiscal Year 2023 government funding package, before all tax-related provisions were removed by the Senate.
NORTH COAST, Calif. — On Tuesday, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) announced the opening of the military academies’ nomination process for eligible students from California's Fourth District.
This prestigious opportunity allows aspiring young leaders to pursue a world-class education and embark on a path of service.
Congressman Thompson encourages all eligible students in the Fourth District to apply for nomination to the United States Military Academy at West Point, the United States Naval Academy, the United States Air Force Academy, and the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
"I am excited to announce that my office is now accepting applications for nominations to our esteemed military academies. These academies provide an unparalleled education while instilling values of honor, integrity, and dedication to serving our country,” said Thompson. “I encourage eligible students to take advantage of this incredible opportunity to make a positive impact on our nation and embrace a path of leadership and service."
Interested applicants must meet specific eligibility requirements, including U.S. citizenship, age restrictions, and medical qualifications.
Additionally, candidates must demonstrate outstanding academic achievements, leadership abilities, and a strong commitment to serving the nation. Learn more here.
All applications, along with the required supporting documents, must be hand-delivered or postmarked by the first Monday in October.
It is recommended that applicants begin the process early and gather all necessary materials to ensure a complete and timely submission.
For more information on the military academies nomination process or to obtain an application packet, interested students and families can contact Congressman Thompson's office at 707-542-7182. Additional details are available here.
Thompson is proud to represent California’s 4th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
The Bureau of Land Management has awarded agreements with Cal Fire, Caltrans and the California Conservation Corps, to increase restoration work, fuels reduction and forest health projects on BLM-managed public lands in California.
The three cooperative agreements are being funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, also known as BIL.
Within the next five years, the Department of the Interior will receive $1.5 billion in BIL funding to invest in wildfire preparedness, fuels management, post-fire restoration and fire science — with BLM California receiving more than $15 million to date.
From that amount, the BLM will provide $800,000 of BIL funding to our partner agencies to complete the restoration work near important infrastructure such as roads, recreation areas and private homes.
These agreements were made through the Good Neighbor Authority, which enables the BLM to collaborate with state agencies to complete projects on BLM-managed lands statewide.
“We are excited to partner with Cal Fire, Caltrans and the California Conservation Corps on important projects on BLM-managed public lands throughout California,” said BLM California State Director Karen Mouritsen. “These agreements will result in better coordination for activities to reduce fuels that feed wildfires, protect wildlife habitat, improve forest health, and restore important watersheds.”
The BLM has used BIL funding for diverse projects throughout the state and will continue to add funding from other sources like appropriated, in-kind partnerships or donated funds, for restoration.
The BLM is excited to improve upon cross-jurisdictional coordination with partners for landscape-scale restoration. Good Neighbor Authority projects have a five-year project period and a lifetime funding cap of $12.8 million.
The California Conservation Corps agreement allows up to $4.2 million of funding to be added for restoration work. Activities will include adding fuel breaks, planting, post-fire burned area rehabilitation, prescribed fire, proactive forest and range restoration to improve wildlife habitat and livestock forage, noxious weed and invasive species treatments and wildland-urban interface fuels reduction.
The California Department of Transportation agreement allows up to $4.2 million of funding to be added to the agreement. In partnership with Caltrans, the goals of this project are to scale up forest management, reduce wildfire hazards, and enhance wildlife habitats on BLM-managed public lands near highways.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection agreement allows up to $4.5 million of funding to be added to the agreement. This project focuses on ecological resilience on BLM-managed lands.
The restoration work includes treating insect and disease-infested trees, reducing hazardous fuels, and other activities to restore and improve forest, rangeland, and watershed health, including fish and wildlife habitat.
For more information about the BLM’s restoration efforts under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, visit www.blm.gov/infrastructure.
The arduous task of cleaning up from catastrophic flooding is underway across the Northeast after storms stretched the region’s flood control systems nearly to the breaking point.
Managing these flood control systems is a careful balancing act. Do managers release water to make room for the storm’s runoff, increasing the risk of flooding downstream, or hold as much as possible to protect downstream farms and communities, which could increase the chance of larger floods if another storm comes through?
The earlier decisions can be made, the better the chance of avoiding downstream damage. But forecasts aren’t always reliable, and waiting for the rain to fall may mean acting too late.
I managed flood control reservoirs in Iowa and locks and dams along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers for a decade, and I now research the operation of large systems of reservoirs for flood control at the University of Iowa’s Iowa Flood Center. Here’s what reservoir managers think about during storms, and how efforts to improve forecasting may soon be able to reduce flood damage:
The many roles of dams
The United States is home to over 50,000 operable reservoirs that are overseen by dozens of state and federal agencies. Cumulatively, these dams store more water than Lakes Erie and Tahoe combined. Thousands of square miles of rainfall may run off the landscape into rivers and streams and ultimately drain into a single reservoir.
Using a gated outlet, reservoirs smooth streamflow throughout the year by storing water during heavy rains and releasing it to offset the effects of drought. This helps ensure a reliable water supply for agriculture, power generation and residential use.
Importantly, the reservoirs also provide flood protection for downstream communities.
Extreme storms can mean difficult trade-offs
Reservoir management can be drastically complicated when rainfall occurs in concentrated bursts.
Reservoir operators are ready around the clock to respond to heavy rain. By adjusting gates within a reservoir’s outlet, water can be stored behind the dam, just like a bathtub with the drain partially blocked. That allows operators to release water slowly, in a controlled manner, to avoid flooding downstream communities.
Operators can also help downstream communities at risk of flash flooding by limiting the amount of water they release from the reservoir. That decision has to be made quickly, though – water takes time to move downstream. If the flow is cut too late, the manager may squander the opportunity to help.
It’s when the entire region is getting heavy rain – both upstream and downstream from the reservoir – that reservoir operators face the greatest stress.
When rainfall is heavy or multiple storms occur in a short period, there often is not enough time to release the accumulated water from one event to make room for the next storm. If a reservoir is full, an overflow spillway will likely be activated, routing additional water around the dam to avoid damaging the dam itself. Though this maintains the structural integrity of the dam, it can drastically worsen downstream flooding.
What the manuals say
To help managers make these tough decisions, most flood control reservoirs have a regulation manual that outlines the process for operating the gates during floods.
Every flood control reservoir is unique, and these documents account for the specific priorities associated with each location. A flood control manual may stipulate maximum allowable outflows as reservoir levels rise. It also may constrain flows based on downstream river gauges to reduce flood impacts.
Managers still have to make choices, though. While the manual may give specific storage or downstream flow targets, no two floods are the same. It is up to reservoir operators to determine how to meet those targets. Releasing too little water can increase the risk of even larger floods in the future if more storms are on the way.
This trade-off between current and future flood risk is known as “hedging.”
Years of research with complex computer models and simulation have helped optimize this decision-making process. Unfortunately, what looks good on paper isn’t always easy to put into practice, particularly when many of the nation’s aging dams require manually opening or closing the gates. Further, these decisions are often made during heavy rainfall, when conditions change quickly, and the operators do not have the gift of hindsight.
Accurate forecasts are essential
To make the best possible decisions about water releases, accurate forecasts are essential. This is an area ripe for improvement.
The value of a rainfall forecast for reservoir operation can be thought of as a three-legged stool built on where, when and how much rain falls. A rainfall forecast that only gets two of these three variables correct may do more harm than good. For example, a manager could preemptively release water for a storm that is expected upstream of a reservoir – only to see the storm hit downstream instead, potentially causing flood damage when combined with those preemptive releases.
To mitigate this risk, many flood control reservoirs are operated using a “water on the ground” approach. Rather than using a forecast, this approach waits to see where the rain falls and then reacts. Though this often results in a delayed reservoir response, it also reduces the risk of operational mistakes.
Recent projects using “forecast-informed reservoir operation” have shown how advancements in hydrologic forecasting may lead to better reservoir management. Though many of these projects are in early phases, studies show that there may be potential to use forecast-informed reservoir operation to help manage floods, while also maximizing water supply within regions that are prone to droughts. This trade-off has historically been particularly hard to navigate.
As climate change makes extreme rainfall more common, it will further test the nation’s flood-fighting capabilities and reservoir networks’ finite storage.
Expanding the number and size of reservoirs could help, but the social and ecological impacts make reservoir construction a tough political sell. Optimizing existing storage is the next-best strategy. Regardless, reservoir managers and forecasters are positioned at the front line of a battle that will become more challenging in a warming future.
The Conversation asked Jason Miller, a supply chain scholar at Michigan State University, to explain what happened and to sum up the significance of this deal, which is slated to keep 300,000 workers on the job.
What does this deal say about the supply chain and labor?
This deal further reinforces the strong bargaining position of unions representing workers in the logistics sector – not just in the U.S. but also in Canada, Europe and elsewhere.
That said, TForce Freight – formerly UPS Freight – reached its own new five-year contract with the Teamsters earlier in July, as did competitor ABF Freight. Unionized pilots at Delta Airlines and American Airlines also recently agreed to new contracts with large raises – a 34% boost, in Delta’s case.
My view is that UPS was more willing to accept the Teamsters’ demands because current economic conditions favor labor. In addition, the company realized that a strike could have cost it substantial market share, up to 30% of volume by one estimate. Combined with the company’s recent high profits, it was not in UPS management’s interest to let a strike proceed.
Based on my years of researching transportation operations and supply chain disruptions, the impact of a UPS strike would have stretched far beyond delayed delivery of everything from pet food to tennis rackets that U.S. consumers buy online.
A UPS strike could have disrupted the availability of spare parts for cars and wholesale medical supplies, just to name a few essentials. Consumers would also have found it harder to get clothing and shoes in stores, as retail locations are typically replenished by parcel carriers.
Even a 10-day strike could have cost the U.S. economy an estimated $7.1 billion, according to research firm Anderson Economic Group. That would have made it potentially the costliest strike in U.S. history. These costs stem from the 340,000 striking workers losing an estimated $1.1 billion in wages and UPS losing $816 million in earnings. The balance of this estimate would result from the disruptions incurred by UPS customers.
What’s next?
The tentative agreement now must be ratified by Teamsters employed by UPS. Voting is expected to conclude on Aug. 22. My expectation is that the union’s rank-and-file members will approve this contract.
Portions of this article appeared in a prior article published on July 20, 2023.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — While California’s unemployment rate showed a small uptick in June, Lake County’s jobless rate ticked down as the county moved further into its economically critical summer agricultural season.
The California Employment Development Department’s new jobless report for June showed that Lake County’s unemployment rate for last month was 5.5%, down from 5.6% in May and 4.6% in June 2022.
California’s overall unemployment rate was 4.6%, up from 4.5% in May and 3.9% in June 2022.
The number of Californians employed in June was 18,554,300, an increase of 7,900 persons from May’s total of 18,546,400 and up 42,200 from the employment total in June.
At the same time, the number of unemployed Californians was 889,100 in June, an increase of 5,700 over the month and up 143,300 in comparison to June 2022.
Over the past year, California has gained 397,400 nonfarm jobs, which averages out to 33,117 jobs per month. California’s June nonfarm job gain was 5.6 percent of the national job gain of 209,000, the Employment Development Department reported.
On the national level, unemployment in June was 3.6%, in May it was 3.7% and also was 3.6% in June of last year.
In Lake County, total farm jobs were down by 7.4% in June, while total nonfarm jobs rose by 0.6%.
Among Lake County’s job subcategories, the top five for increases in a month-over comparison were information, 12.5%; leisure and hospitality, 6%; transportation, warehousing and utilities, 5.5%; state government, 5%; and nondurable goods, 3.7%.
Decreases from May to June in Lake County occurred in wholesale trade, 15.4%; retail trade, 1.3%; trade, transportation and utilities, 0.7%; and private education and health services, 0.6%.
Lake County’s unemployment rate ranked it No. 38 of California’s 55 counties.
Lake’s neighboring county jobless rates and ranks were: Colusa, 12.2%, No. 57; Glenn, 6.5%, No. 46; Mendocino, 4.6%, No. 23; Napa, 3.5%, No. 4; Sonoma, tied at 3.7%, No. 7; and Yolo, 4.8%, No. 27.
In related data that figures into the state’s unemployment rate, the Employment Development Department said there were 384,841 people certifying for Unemployment Insurance benefits during the June 2023 sample week. That compares to 391,004 people in May and 296,570 people in June 2022.
Concurrently, 43,455 initial claims were processed in the June 2023 sample week, which was a month-over decrease of 918 claims from May, but a year-over increase of 88,271 claims from June 2022, the report said.
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.
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. — The Middletown Art Center invites the public to join the first of many “Reciprocity” events that will revitalize the EcoArts Sculpture Walk at Trailside Park.
On Saturday, July 29, and Sunday, July 30, renowned Pomo basket weaver Corine Pearce and sculptor Laura Kennedy will lead community-engaged artmaking to cocreate sculptures of animal species that once inhabited park lands from natural materials.
This and all Reciprocity events are free and open to people of all ages and abilities.
Gathering at the park at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Pearce will share with the group stories and the wisdom and practice of caring for the trees, land, and all of its inhabitants as we work together to create larger than life animal sculptures from oak and manzanita branches.
Participants will spend some time learning to tend to sprouting oaks at the park with sensitivity to their role in, and health of, the ecosystem.
Before it gets too hot, the group will move to the MAC studio where they will work together as the sculptures begin to take on life.
No experience is required. Please bring clippers, loppers and gloves if you have them, plenty of water and a lunch as work will continue into the afternoon.
Everyone is invited to join again, or for the first time on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. at MAC with hopes to install the first sculpture later that day.
This event is sure to be not only fun and educational, but meaningful as well. Please RSVP at MACLake.org.
The MAC received grant funding from Upstate California Creative Corps and the California Arts Council for Reciprocity.
MAC has brought 19 artists and culture bearers together to embark on an artmaking journey designed to bring people together in nature as we learn about what it means to be stewards of the land and honor one another’s cultural and personal identity.
Over the course of a year, free public art-making workshops will be held offering variety of opportunities to create from natural and discarded materials, learn about fire mitigation, native and nonnative species, the role of pollinators in our environment, the plight of the Clear Lake hitch, organism habitat, cultural diversity and using plants to make cordage, as they engage in creative expression and problem solve collaboratively.
Following 12 years of annual, temporary exhibits, the 13th annual EcoArts sculpture walk was destroyed in the 2015 Valley Fire. Tens of thousands of trees and shrubs were removed from the park.
In 2019 EcoArts reopened in a fire damaged venue with half the number of artists. COVID, combined with park conditions, discouraged artist participation. The sculpture walk has been dormant for three years.
“We designed Reciprocity with tremendous enthusiasm, hope, and commitment to the people, land, and all living things in this beautiful place we all call ‘home’ — Lake County,” said project lead artist and MAC’s Artistic Director Lisa Kaplan. “Reciprocity is a vision not only to revitalize the sculpture walk, but to utilize the trail as a way to bring diverse people together in a meaningful experience that models healthy and sustainable ways of living with the land and each other.”
Drawing on ancient and traditional knowledge that modern society haphazardly discarded in the name of progress, organizers recognize that it is vital in these rapidly changing times to slow down and reevaluate how we choose to move forward together.
The MAC believes It is imperative to find a new way of being that embraces old wisdom, to be willing to learn from the past, and cultivate an openness to creating a more beautiful and sustainable world our hearts know is possible. As we learn about how to tend the land through the lens of the first people of this place, we also learn how to work, learn and grow together.
Middletown Art Center is a Lake County nonprofit dedicated to engaging the public in art making, art education, and art appreciation. Through exhibitions, performances, workshops and community events, the Art Center provides a platform for diverse voices and perspectives, striving to create an inclusive and accessible space for all.
The MAC is located at 21456 State Highway 175. Trailside Park is located about three minutes away at 21435 Dry Creek Cutoff off Highway 175.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — While a heat wave continues to intensify across other parts of the nation, Lake County and the rest of Northern California are expected to see more normal summer temperatures this week.
The respite is welcome after a weekend of temperatures topping the century mark combined with high humidity.
The National Weather Service’s forecasters said they expected a reduced chance of temperatures topping 100 degrees this week, with heat risk forecast to drop to minor levels.
With dryer conditions, there are no expectations of thunderstorms, based on the forecast.
Daytime temperatures this week are forecast to reach the high 90s in the south county, and to be as much as 10 degrees cooler in other parts of Lake County.
Nighttime temperatures are expected to drop into the low 50s.
Light winds also are forecast through Thursday evening.
The forecast calls for temperatures to begin to rise again next weekend.
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.