NORTH COAST, Calif. — Mendocino College organized a series of events to promote CalFresh Outreach Week Feb. 22 to 24 to increase awareness about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and the food insecurities college students and the community face.
On Wednesday, February 23, MC staff handed out DIY food kits to students so they could prepare a healthy and easy Quinoa Bowl dish at home. The recipe, provided by MC Culinary Arts Instructor, Nicholas Petti, went along with the meal and a demo video was posted to the college website.
On Thursday, February 24, cars lined up as MC staff and volunteers from MC athletic programs helped distribute food to students and the community at the Ukiah campus. The food was generously provided by the Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB) and included a variety of grocery items such as fruit, vegetables, rice, lentils, milk, peanut butter, pork loin, bread, cereal, diapers, and more.
“We are grateful for the support from our partners at the Center for Healthy Communities at Chico State and the REFB that allows us to provide opportunities like this to our students and the community,” says MC Director of Community Relations & Communication, Janelle Meyers. “CalFresh is such a great resource for those looking to supplement their food budget, especially with the rising cost of goods. We look forward to hosting more events in the future that address local food insecurities.”
2022 is the first year the Center for Healthy Communities at Chico State has cultivated an intersegmental partnership effort for CalFresh Outreach Week. Campuses from all three segments of public higher education hosted in person and virtual events, along with posting tips and facts on social media using the hashtag #CalFreshWeek.
Mendocino College student Dylan says, “CalFresh is truly outstanding with what security they provide; giving assistance to students who may not have access to the food they need. Many people may see these as simple programs, when in reality they’re saving lives.”
Megan, a California State University student who received CalFresh Food explained, “I was working three jobs to pay all my bills... I didn’t think I would qualify, but I did! [I'm] able to have freedom to buy enough food and not worry about how I'm going to make breakfast.”
Students who are eligible for CalFresh are able to receive a maximum of $250 each month to purchase groceries at the grocery store, Farmers’ Markets, and online. Those who the county approves to receive benefits can focus on their studies to ensure they are successful in the classroom while having the ability to purchase nourishing food.
State Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire and a broad, bipartisan coalition of California state legislators will be introducing legislation to divest state public funds from Russia and Russian-state entities following the unprovoked war against Ukraine.
While the federal government has taken swift and aggressive action advancing unprecedented sanctions against Russia and its leaders, California is the world’s fifth largest economy and enhanced action taken by the state could help the people of Ukraine by putting additional financial pressure on the already beaten-up Russian economy.
“The world is watching the atrocities taking place in Ukraine. It’s sickening,” McGuire said. “We must stand strong for the people of Ukraine. That’s why we all must mobilize to stop Russia in its tracks. California has unique and remarkable economic power in this circumstance. As the fifth largest economy in the world, we must use this power for good. We can help stop this autocratic thug, Putin, by advancing this critical legislation and enacting our own financial divestments.”
Senate Majority Leader McGuire and the legislative coalition will be advancing a bill that will call on all state agencies, including the Golden State’s massive pension funds, CalPERS and CalSTRS, to divest from any and all Russian assets immediately.
It’s believed California has Russian investments exceeding over $1 billion, primarily in its pension funds. At this point there can be no excuse to invest in and support Putin, his oligarchs and the Russian economy.
Russia’s economy, not even in the top 10 of world economies, is one of their big pressure points and California should use its power to exert influence where it can.
The delegation will also ask private companies based in California to divest their investments in the Russian economy. In addition, the legislation would block the awarding of state contracts to any company that is conducting business with Russia.
This bill is supported by a broad and growing bipartisan coalition of senators and Assembly members, including senators Susan Eggman, Scott Wiener, Dave Cortese, Bill Dodd, Tom Umberg and Susan Rubio, and Assembly members Kevin Mullin, Suzette Martinez Valladares, Jesse Gabriel, Evan Low, Phil Ting, Jim Wood, Marc Berman, Chad Mayes, Jordan Cunningham, Cristina Garcia, Laurie Davies, Cottie Petrie-Norris, Randy Voepel and Miguel Santiago.
“Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine is a threat to democratic freedoms and global stability. The loss of life to satisfy the ego of a fragile tyrant is unconscionable and there must be consequences. This legislation builds upon the strong economic sanctions being pursued by the Biden Administration and our allies,” Assistant Senate Majority Leader Susan Eggman said.
“As the fifth largest economy in the world, California cannot stand on the sidelines while this rise of authoritarianism threatens democracy and freedom around the globe. The aggression of Vladimir Putin against Ukraine demands severe sanctions and I am in full support of California taking aggressive steps to divest from Russian assets and financial institutions. I am proud to co-author this legislation and the significant message it conveys,” Assembly Speaker pro Tempore Kevin Mullin said.
Chair of the Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee Sen. Dave Cortese said, “As a state, it is our responsibility to ensure we are not fueling this global crisis that has caused tremendous human suffering. I hope that other governments follow California’s lead in standing for peace and taking swift action against this unjustified attack on Ukraine.”
“Putin is a brutal fascist dictator,” said Sen. Scott Wiener. “His attempted conquest of Ukraine is an extreme violation of international law and is creating a humanitarian disaster. We must not allow this destructive invasion — which will have long-term consequences for peace and security in Europe — to stand. California should not in any way support Putin’s corrupt oligarchy. We must divest now.”
Sen. Bill Dodd said, “California stands with the Ukrainian people. It gives me no joy to sanction Russia, but the terrible invasion and murder of Ukrainian civilians by Vladimir Putin demand it. I call on other states and businesses to follow suit — we must hold Russia accountable and help our Ukrainian brothers and sisters.”
“Like Californians across the state, I am disgusted by Putin’s thuggish and unlawful invasion of Ukraine,” said Assemblymember Suzette Martinez Valladares. “I’m proud to co-author this bill, which will leverage California’s economic strength to put significant pressure on Russia and support our friends in Ukraine. California’s state agencies and public pensions cannot help fund a dictator's attempts to take over sovereign nations.”
“An unprovoked and illegal invasion of a sovereign nation is grounds for divestment. California must stand with the people of Ukraine,” said Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham said.
Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel said, “As the world’s fifth largest economy and home to many of the world’s most iconic companies, California is perfectly positioned to inflict tremendous economic pain on the Putin regime. Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked attack on Ukraine demands a swift and severe response. This legislation makes clear that California will use its full economic and political power to reinforce U.S. and international sanctions, and that the Golden State will stand proudly with our international partners and the Ukrainian people at this difficult moment.”
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lakeport City Council this week will consider approval of a road safety plan and a contract for a project to make Hartley Street safer for pedestrians.
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The council chambers will be open to the public for the meeting. In accordance with updated guidelines from the state of California, in-person attendees, regardless of vaccine status, are required to wear a face covering at this meeting.
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 1.
Under council business, Public Works Superintendent Ron Ladd will ask the council to approve a local roadway safety plan and authorize the city manager, or designee, to implement the plan.
The council also will consider awarding a construction contract in the amount of $1,605,632 to Granite Construction Co. for the Hartley Street Pedestrian Improvement Project.
Ladd’s report to the council explains that the project will provide Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant access on Hartley Street from 20th Street to the east-side access of the school complex. It will result in 1,550 feet of new sidewalk, curb and gutter, new retaining walls, and flashing pedestrian warning signs near the school as part of this project.
In other business, City Manager Kevin Ingram will ask for the council’s approval of a memorandum of understanding to establish a cost sharing agreement with the county of Lake and city of Clearlake for community visioning forum facilitation.
The total agreement cost is $33,000, with the county of Lake to pay $22,500, the city of Clearlake $8,000 and the city of Lakeport $2,500.
On the consent agenda — items usually accepted as a slate on one vote — are ordinances; minutes of the council’s regular meeting on Feb. 1; adoption of a resolution authorizing continued remote teleconference meetings of the Lakeport City Council and its legislative bodies pursuant to Government Code section 54953(e); confirm the continuing existence of a local emergency for the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency; approval of event application 2022-009, with staff recommendations, for the 2022 Mental Health Matters Resource Fair; approval of event application 2022-010, with staff recommendations, for the 2022 Home Amateur Winemakers Winefest; and adoption of a resolution amending and adopting an updated Conflict of Interest Code.
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.
Moving to support the Ukrainian people and protect the interests of Californians, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday sent a letter to the leaders of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, California State Teachers’ Retirement System and the University of California retirement system calling for the state to leverage its sizable global investment portfolio to sanction the Russian government.
“Russia’s brazen and lawless military assault on Ukraine demands our support for the Ukrainian people and exacting an immediate and severe cost upon the Russian government,” the Governor wrote. “The California Constitution is explicit in the fiduciary duties that are required of us on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of Californians who have invested in these systems. These fiduciary obligations and our moral imperative before these atrocities demand that you act to address Russia’s aggressions and immediately restrict Russian access to California’s capital and investments.”
The combined assets of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, or CalPERS, California State Teachers’ Retirement System, or CalSTRS, and the UC retirement system amount to $970 billion — equivalent to 60% of Russia’s gross domestic product last year.
Over $1.5 billion of these California investments are held in various financial instruments linked to Russia’s financial markets.
The governor called for the funds to halt the flow of money from the state to Russia, ban the purchase of Russian debt and conduct an assessment to ensure their actions protect the interests of current and future retirees.
Newsom also requested recommendations from CalPERS, CalSTRS and the UC on additional measures that can be implemented to protect the state’s investments amid global financial sanctions on Russia.
The text of the letter is published below.
February 28, 2022
Theresa Taylor Cecilia Estolano Chair, CalPERS Chair, University of California Regents 400 Q St. 1111 Franklin St.,12th Floor Sacramento, CA 95811 Oakland, CA 94607
Harry Keiley Chair, CalSTRS 100 Waterfront Pl. West Sacramento, CA 95605
Dear Chairs:
Russia’s brazen and lawless military assault on Ukraine demands our support for the Ukrainian people and exacting an immediate and severe cost upon the Russian government in response to its continuing aggression. California has a unique and powerful position of influence given the state’s substantial global investment portfolio.
Alone, our Public Employees’ Retirement System holds roughly $480 billion in assets. In addition, our Teachers’ Retirement System holds $320 billion in assets, and the University of California’s Retirement System another $170 billion. This combined amount, $970 billion, is equivalent to 60 percent of Russia’s entire gross domestic product last year.
Of these California investments, over $1.5 billion are held in a variety of financial instruments — including stock of multinational corporations, private equity and real asset investments, and debt — that have some nexus or relation to Russia’s financial markets.
The California Constitution is explicit in the fiduciary duties that are required of us on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of Californians who have invested in these systems. These fiduciary obligations and our moral imperative before these atrocities demand that you act to address Russia’s aggressions and immediately restrict Russian access to California’s capital and investments. Given heightened financial risks, no fund shall purchase Russian debt and no money shall flow from the state of California to Russia. Furthermore, the funds should immediately assess risk to the retirees of our state and ensure that the actions you take protect the interests of your current and future retirees.
In addition to taking these actions, I would appreciate your recommendations of any additional safeguards that can be put in place to protect California’s investments as the U.S. and the world continue to implement financial sanctions on Russia. Please advise me of the steps that you are taking in this effort within 10 days.
I stand ready to work with you to further this important effort.
A bill to recruit and support homes for Native American foster youth and another bill to improve county compliance with state and federal child welfare laws have been introduced by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland).
“These measures will help increase stability and care for Native American who have among the lowest rates of placements and permanency for children and youth in our foster care systems,” said Ramos, the first and only California Native American serving in the state’s legislature.
He noted that a 2021 report by the Capacity Building Center for Courts reported that in child dependency cases where a tribe was present at the initial hearing, families were reunified at a rate of 52% rather than only 40% in cases where the tribe was not present.
According to data from UC Berkeley, despite having federal protections in place since 1978, Native children continue to be overrepresented in California’s child welfare system at a rate four times that of white children.
Ramos added, “Last year, I successfully introduced AB 873 and AB 1055 which brought support to tribal communities and tribal students in the foster care system. We must ensure that governmental systems are following through with the protections already in place so that tribal communities have the necessary resources to keep families together or place children in positive, culturally supportive homes where they thrive.”
AB 1862 would fund eligible tribes and tribal organizations that recruit and approve homes for foster or adoptive placement of Indian children.
On average, according to California Department of Social Services data, only 44% of Indian children in California’s foster care system are placed according to federal requirements, so improvement is greatly needed.
“The Indian Child Welfare Act is central to our tribal sovereignty and our ability to protect our most vulnerable tribal citizens,” said Pala Band of Mission Indians Chairman Robert H. Smith. “As chairman of the Board of the California Tribal Families Coalition, I support both these bills and thank Assemblymember Ramos for his tireless work on behalf of California tribal families.”
AB 1950 aims to improve county compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act, or ICWA, and its California counterpart.
The bill would provide counties with increased funding for remaining in compliance with state and federal laws.
The concept has proven to work in the state of Minnesota which implemented a similar program four years ago and, according to officials with the Minnesota Department of Human Services, improved legal compliance by 35%.
“The Indian Child Welfare Act has been federal law for almost 50 years, and yet California still misses the mark on compliance. I support this effort to reward those counties that get it right; they will serve as models for how we achieve compliance across the state,” said Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians Tribal Councilwoman Catalina Chacon.
Tribal Chairman Tilford P. Denver of the Bishop Paiute Tribe also praised the introduction of the bill. “The Bishop Tribe applauds this bill to increase compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act. Assemblymember Ramos is again demonstrating leadership that will improve the lives of Native children and improve our child welfare system.”
Both AB 1862 and AB 1950 are sponsored by the California Tribal Families Coalition.
As an engineer, I have been working with colleagues on a way to both protect water supplies and boost renewable energy to protect the climate.
We call it the solar-canal solution, and it’s about to be tested in California.
About 4,000 miles of canals transport water to some 35 million Californians and 5.7 million acres of farmland across the state. As we explained in a 2021 study, covering these canals with solar panels would reduce evaporation of precious water – one of California’s most critical resources – and help meet the state’s renewable energy goals, while also saving money.
The first prototypes in the U.S. for both wide-span and narrow-span canals are now in development in California’s Central Valley. Researchers at the University of California, Merced, are involved in the project, and we will be trying to determine how this can become a large-scale solution.
Conserving water and land
California is prone to drought, and water is a constant concern. Now, the changing climate is bringing hotter, drier weather.
At the same time, California has ambitious conservation goals. The state has a mandate to reduce groundwater pumping while maintaining reliable supplies to farms, cities, wildlife and ecosystems. As part of a broad climate change initiative, in October 2020 Gov. Gavin Newsom directed the California Natural Resources Agency to spearhead efforts to conserve 30% of land and coastal waters by 2030.
Most of California’s rain and snow falls north of Sacramento during the winter, while 80% of its water use occurs in Southern California, mostly in summer. That’s why canals snake across the state – it’s the largest such system in the world. We estimate that about 1%-2% of the water they carry is lost to evaporation under the hot California sun.
In a 2021 study, we showed that covering all 4,000 miles of California’s canals with solar panels would save more than 65 billion gallons of water annually by reducing evaporation. That’s enough to irrigate 50,000 acres of farmland or meet the residential water needs of more than 2 million people. By concentrating solar installations on land that is already being used, instead of building them on undeveloped land, this approach would help California meet its sustainable management goals for both water and land resources.
Climate-friendly power
Shading California’s canals with solar panels would generate substantial amounts of electricity. Our estimates show that it could provide some 13 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, which is about half of the new sources the state needs to add to meet its clean electricity goals: 60% from carbon-free sources by 2030 and 100% renewable by 2045.
Installing solar panels over the canals makes both systems more efficient. The solar panels would reduce evaporation from the canals, especially during hot California summers. And because water heats up more slowly than land, the canal water flowing beneath the panels could cool them by 10 F, boosting production of electricity by up to 3%.
These canopies could also generate electricity locally in many parts of California, lowering both transmission losses and costs for consumers. Combining solar power with battery storage can help build microgrids in rural areas and underserved communities, making the power system more efficient and resilient. This would mitigate the risk of power losses due to extreme weather, human error and wildfires.
We estimate that the cost to span canals with solar panels will be higher than building ground-mounted systems. But when we added in some of the co-benefits, such as avoided land costs, water savings, aquatic weed mitigation and enhanced PV efficiency, we found that solar canals were a better investment and provided electricity that cost less over the life of the solar installations. And this is before factoring in the human health benefits of improved air quality and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Benefits to the land
To be clear, solar canals are about much more than just generating renewable energy and saving water. Building these long, thin solar arrays could prevent more than 80,000 acres of farmland or natural habitat from being converted for solar farms.
By generating clean electricity, solar canals can improve air quality.
Another benefit is curbing aquatic weeds that choke canals. In India, where developers have been building solar canals since 2014, shade from the panels limits growth of weeds that block drains and restrict water flow.
Fighting these weeds is expensive, and herbicides threaten human health and the environment. For large, 100-foot-wide canals in California, we estimate that shading canals would save about US$40,000 per mile. Statewide, savings could reach $69 million per year.
Bringing solar canals to California
California’s aging power infrastructure has contributed to catastrophic wildfires and multiday outages. Building smart solar developments on canals and other disturbed land can make power and water infrastructure more resilient while saving water, reducing costs and helping to fight climate change.
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Turlock Irrigation District, in California’s San Joaquin Valley, will build the first solar canal prototype in partnership with project developer Solar Aquagrid, researchers and others and supported by the state Department of Water Resources.
The prototypes in this mile-long demonstration project, along with future pilots, will help operators, developers and regulators refine designs, assess co-benefits and evaluate how these systems perform. With more data, we can map out strategies for extending solar canals statewide, and potentially across the West.
This is an update of an article originally published on May 3, 2021.
The state of California’s latest phase in pandemic-related health guidance begins on Tuesday, when it will no longer require — although will continue to recommend — masking in indoor public places, with plans later this month to change from mask requirements to recommendations in schools.
With declining case rates and hospitalizations due to COVID-19 across the West, California, Oregon and Washington are moving together to update their masking guidance.
California Health & Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly discussed the changes on Monday, explaining that dropping case numbers and hospitalizations had led to the state making the changes.
He said that while public indoor masking is no longer required regardless of vaccination, it is still strongly recommended.
Ghaly said that after March 11, schools and child care centers also will be able to move from required masking, but with a strong recommendation for the practice to remain in effect.
Masking will continue to be required in health care facilities and high risk congregate settings such as long term care facilities, and jails and prisons, Ghaly said.
He said local government jurisdictions and schools may keep additional requirements in place beyond what the state announced.
The changes Ghaly discussed on Monday come 10 days after Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled the SMARTER plan, the seven pillars of which are shots, masks, awareness, readiness, testing, education and RX, or treatments.
As California enters this next phase of the pandemic, Ghaly said the future may bring new surges and variants.
He said state officials will continue to be ready and build on what they’ve learned so they can keep Californians safe.
The data trends the state used to make the change in regulations included a 66% reduction over the past two weeks in the case rate, which is expected to continue to drop, Ghaly said.
Ghaly said hospitalizations are down by 48% for adults and 47% for children, with test positivity down 53%.
He said different regions of the state don’t experience the pandemic the same way, so some areas of California may have hospitals that are impacted while other locations are doing better.
When new variants arise, Ghaly said they will try to understand them by looking at data trends and test positivity. “It will be a fluid, California-specific approach moving forward.”
He urged people to be kind, accepting, respectful and safe as the changes go into effect.
Later on Monday, Gov. Newsom signed an executive order that updates the Division of Occupational Safety and Health COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard in keeping with the current guidance.
In California, starting March 1, masks will no longer be required for unvaccinated workers indoors, consistent with the updated CDPH guidance, but will be strongly recommended for all individuals in most indoor settings. Employers must still provide a face covering upon request of an employee, the state reported.
The order also extends the current Emergency Temporary Standard through May 5 to ensure the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board has time to review the new guidance in anticipation of the next readoption of the Emergency Temporary Standard.
Plans at the county level
Regarding what the county of Lake plans to do with regard to the regulations, Deputy County Administrative Officer Matthew Rothstein told Lake County News that face coverings will remain required indoors in county facilities, pending future action by the Board of Supervisors.
“Otherwise, Lake County is in alignment with statewide requirements,” Rothstein said.
A COVID-19 update is expected as part of Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, but no item regarding changes to face covering requirements is currently scheduled, he said.
At the board’s Feb. 15 meeting, supervisors Jessica Pyska and Tina Scott said they wanted to have the newly named Public Health officer, Dr. Erik McLaughlin, collaborate with the Public Health team to make recommendations to the board.
Rothstein said the board’s consensus at the Feb. 15 meeting was to bring back a discussion on county rules to the board within the first two weeks of March.
He said that discussion will probably take place at the board’s meeting on Tuesday, March 8.
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. — An Upper Lake man has been convicted of the January 2021 murder of his stepmother.
Matthew Daniel Mora, 36, was convicted on Feb. 18 of the murder of 56-year-old Christine Mora of Upper Lake, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.
Hinchcliff said Judge Andrew Blum sentenced Matthew Mora to the statutorily required term of 15 years to life for second degree murder. He was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and the court reserved restitution for Christine Mora’s estate.
On Jan. 26, 2021, Lake County Sheriff’s deputies and investigators responded to a residence on Highway 20 in Upper Lake on the report of a shooting. When they arrived they found Christine Mora deceased on the floor of her living room with a single gunshot wound.
A few hours later, investigators were able to determine Matthew Mora had checked into the Super 8 Motel in Upper Lake, where they arrested him. At the time of his arrest it was determined that he was intoxicated.
During the subsequent interview of Mora, he claimed to have no memory of the shooting, even though he was able to remember events that had occurred earlier in the day before the shooting.
As the investigation into the shooting continued during the next several weeks, it was determined that Mora had had an ongoing alcohol abuse problem for several years, and had a fascination with firearms.
He purchased the handgun he used to kill Christine Mora in March of 2020. On April 14, 2020, while living with his mother in Santa Maria, Mora was in his bedroom, intoxicated, and handling his handgun when he accidentally discharged it into the bedroom wall. The Santa Maria Police Department responded and investigated, and seized the gun, but no criminal charges were ever filed and the firearm was eventually returned to Matthew Mora.
The investigation also revealed that before the shooting of Christine Mora, Matthew Mora had made several threats toward and negative comments about his father, Christine Mora’s husband.
A couple of months before the shooting, Matthew Mora had allegedly stolen a gun from a relative while in Colorado on a trip with his dad, and on the drive back to California had pointed it at his dad and threatened him with it.
At the time of the January 2021 shooting, Matthew Mora had been living with his dad and stepmother, who had let him move into their home to try to help him with his alcohol problem and get his life on a better path.
On the day of Christine Mora’s murder, Matthew Mora had been drinking at Running Creek Casino in Upper Lake. He got kicked out of the casino because he was intoxicated, was being belligerent and had threatened a bartender.
He walked home, where his dad told him to leave and get a motel room for the night, because Matthew Mora was intoxicated and his dad did not want him at the house when Christine Mora got home from work.
Matthew Mora was apparently angry and left the house with his backpack and his two loaded handguns in it. He walked down the road to a local store and bought some beer. When he left the store, witnesses saw him discharge one of his guns into the air as he was walking across the bridge on Highway 20 in Upper Lake.
Instead of getting a motel room, Matthew Mora returned to his dad’s house shortly after Christine Mora arrived home from work. His dad tried to convince him to leave again. Instead of leaving, Matthew Mora kicked open the gate to the residence and entered the front door and pointed the handgun at his dad.
When he saw his dad’s reaction he made a comment about his dad being scared. He then pointed the handgun at the face of Christine Mora, who was standing about 2 feet away from the gun.
The gun then discharged, killing Christine Mora. Matthew Mora’s father told investigators that when the gun discharged, Matthew Mora made a comment that indicated he might not have intended to discharge the firearm.
Whether or not Mathew Mora intended to discharge the gun, his conduct and actions before firing the gun were intentional and showed an extreme indifference toward human life and had the same deadly consequences, Hinchcliff said.
Hinchcliff, who prosecuted the case, said that on Jan. 19, Matthew Mora pleaded no contest to second degree murder. Dana Liberatore was the public defender appointed to represent Matthew Mora.
At Matthew Mora’s Feb. 18 sentencing — which lasted almost two hours — numerous friends and relatives gave victim impact statements to the judge about all the positive impacts Christine Mora had on their lives, and how devastating her loss was to the family.
Both Hinchcliff and Judge Blum stated at the sentencing that given Matthew Mora’s conduct and the impact the murder had on Christine Mora’s family, that he should never be granted parole.
If Mora ever has a parole hearing in the future, family members will be allowed to attend the hearing with the parole commissioners to argue against parole, Hinchcliff said.
The lake water over by Lucerne to Glenhaven looks brown, is this a spill or leak from something? What’s going on with the lake right now?
Thanks!
- Water that’s brown has got me down Walter
Hello Walter,
Thanks for the question! This is a common observation this time of year, and I am glad you provided the opportunity for me to discuss this in my column.
The first question to ask when trying to “diagnose” a lake situation, when it comes to water issues, is to identify the scope and size of the specific situation. In this case, the area you describe is pretty large - according to my trusty Google My Maps measuring feature, the open water area along the shoreline between Glenhaven and Lucerne is about seven (7) miles. That is really a long distance and includes a large expanse of water. The area around the Narrows is fast moving water, as the current from the Upper Arm into the Lower and Oaks Arm is quite significant, even on non-windy days.
Based on the size of the area and the type of water movement, I would immediately eliminate the possibility of there being a spill or leak in the area causing this brown coloration. The area impacted is just too vast for any type of spill or leak. I also checked with the California Governor’s office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) online HazMat Spill Release Reporting Database <https://w3.calema.ca.gov/operational/malhaz.nsf/$defaultview> , and there have not been any reports of spills or leaks in that area and of that magnitude.
In addition, spills in areas with rough water or water with current tend to dilute and break up quickly over time. So if you are observing continuous brown coloration between the Upper Arm and through the Narrows to Glenhaven, then this most definitely is not a spill, but something within the water column itself.
Back to the Beautiful Basics: Colors of Light and Lakes
There are several possibilities that influence the color of lake water. Before we dive into what causes the browning of water or the lake, we need to remember the basics about how we see colors and what physical processes in water determine the colors that we can see.
Think about a time in winter or spring, when you have looked at Clear Lake from a hill or mountain. When looking at the lake from afar, the water color we see is what is most of the time the color light wavelengths that are scattered back, or refracted, from penetrating the water column.
According to the WebExhibits interactive Museum of Science, Humanities, and Culture, Causes of Color Series: "Visible light is merely a small part of the full electromagnetic spectrum… humans can detect the range of light spectrum from about 400 nanometers (violet) to about 700 nanometers (red). Humans perceive this range of light wavelengths as a smoothly varying rainbow of colors, otherwise known as the visual spectrum.”
This means that blue and green wavelengths are shorter than red, yellow and orange wavelengths. The longer wavelengths (lower energy) are being absorbed in the water column, and the shorter wavelengths (higher energy) are scattering or refracting back. Hence, when we look at deep, clear water lakes, such as Lake Tahoe, we see those lakes as very vibrant blue, because all the other colors are being absorbed except for the blues.
When we look at a blue lake, if we went down to the shore, and scooped up a cup of that lake water, it would appear very clear, and not blue at all. That’s important to note, because the depth of a lake can influence the blue color we see too. Deeper lakes can appear a darker blue, more frequently, while shallower lakes, while still appearing blue, are more bright blue more often then darker blue or other colors. The deeper the lake, the longer the space available for red, yellow, and orange wavelengths to become absorbed and for the blues to reflect, refract, and scatter back to be visible by our eyes.
Some very shallow lakes, or portions of lakes, like the Upper Arm in Clear Lake, do appear blue on occasion, usually when the lake is in its most clear water state, such as winter and early spring. Some times during the year, materials in the water can cause the blue light to become absorbed and other colors to reflect.
Browning lakes
Materials in the water column can influence the color of a lake. There are several scenarios where this is the case, but for today we are going to focus on the scenarios that will cause a lake or lake water to look brown.
Note that this discussion will focus on Clear Lake specifically, and may not apply to other lakes. For example, lakes in the Northeastern US are going through a “browning” phase, which visually looks alarming, especially to those who grew up with blue, clear lakes in the Northeast, the browning is actually a sign of potential lake recovery since the reduction of acidic rain deposition between 1990 and the 2020s.
The passage of the 1990 Clean Air Act, which mandated reductions in nitrogen and sulfur containing compounds from industry, and increase of precipitation in a heavily forested region, is responsible for helping lakes in the Northeast regain their brownness. It’s a fascinating story, one which you can learn more here in this publicly accessible special Issue from the North American Lake Management Society Magazine, Lake Line “Lake Management in a Browning World: Beyond the Holy Grail of Nutrients” by C.E. Williamson (2020). Particles in the water column
Okay, well back to our neck of the woods: Clear Lake! Walter had mentioned that areas off shore of Lucerne down to the narrows, looked brown. This observation occurred recently, within the month of February. For this time of year, there can be several explanations.
First, the brown water could be literally just stirred up brown sediments or clay floating around in the water column. These materials can be either dissolved (less than 22 micrometers in size) or particulate particles (greater than 22 micrometers and easily able to be filtered out) in the water column.
The Upper Arm of Clear Lake is relatively shallow; when the lake is at the high water mark, or 7 ft Rumsey, the deepest point of the Upper Arm is roughly between 7-8 meters or 22-26 feet deep. But the majority of the Upper Arm is much shallower than this, meaning that a large wind event that last several days can easily stir up the mud, muck, and silt on the bottom of the lake and mix it into the water column, which when dissolved, can take several days to weeks to filter out and settle to the bottom.
We all know that January through April can bring some very windy conditions out on the lake, with white caps and waves dashing any relaxing ideas of paddle boarding, canoeing, or kayaking. Just imaging the impact of that wave energy on the loose sediment layer laying at the bottom of the lake, it’s easy to see how the brown water can just be remnants of sediment and water mixing from windy conditions.
Back to light wavelengths. Particles in the water column can both absorb and reflect different light wavelengths. Sometimes there is so much material in the water column that light is being absorbed immediately and can’t penetrate through the water column, meaning that none of the blue light can be reflected or scattered back, since it too, is being absorbed.
Carbon sources in lakes
Second, the brown water we see in parts of the Lake can be reflections of carbon materials in the water column. Carbon is the building block of everything living, our bodies are made of carbon through the food we eat, trees and plants take in CO2 from the atmosphere and convert the carbon gas into carbon structure, and organisms in the lake use carbon for similar purposes. Sources of carbon found in a lake can come from two sources, external or internal. External sources of carbon can be anything that is carbon-based that flows or falls into the lake from the terrestrial landscape.
Leaves falling off a tree into a river that flows down into the lake is a perfect example of an external source of carbon. The leaves are broken down into smaller carbon building blocks, first in the river then once they flow downstream, in the lake. The leaves also contain lots of other nutrients such as nitrogen.
Internal sources of carbon include those that are already located within the lake, such as algae, dead aquatic critters, and aquatic plants, to name a few. Submersed aquatic plants are ones that grow entirely under the water surface. They use carbon to create their growing, branching structure, then in the fall and winter when they die and decompose, the carbon is released back into the water column and sediments.
Like sediments and clays, carbon can be particulate and dissolved. Dissolved carbon can influence lake water color. For example, externally sourced carbon, from heavy non-deciduous forested areas, can be brown or red in color. You might have heard of this coloration called tannins. It’s similar to tea, with the tea leaves or tea bags being the external carbon source (like leaves or pine needles) that is leaching dissolved carbon into the water and changing the color to brown or reddish.
In lakes with high dissolved organic carbon matter, they can appear brown or almost reddish. This is because the dissolved particles in the water column are really good at absorbing the shorter blue and green wavelengths and not as good at absorbing the longer red wavelengths. So these high tannin and carbon lakes can look red, brown, or even sometimes black, since the colors being scattered back to our eyes are at the low energy red end of the light spectrum.
Generally, areas covered in coniferous trees (pines, redwoods, firs, cedars etc.) will have lakes or streams with more tannins and more dark brown/red waters. Areas surrounded by agriculture or deciduous trees (oaks and madrones) will tend to have less tannins and less brown waters.
Now in general, there is not enough forested area in the Clear Lake watershed to turn all of clear lake brown, and especially this year there was not enough precipitation to wash all the downed coniferous tree materials into the lake. In years when there is enough precipitation to have large runoff events, there is lots of precipitation from non-coniferous areas, so it balances out that in general, tannins are not a huge coloration factor on Clear Lake water color.
Diatoms
Third, watercolor can be influenced by the very small phytoplankton (green algae) and cyanobacteria that grow in the lake and feed off the carbon and nutrients provided by the internal and external sources of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. Some of these phytoplankton are more dominant and abundant at certain times of the year, and recognizing patterns in these seasonal dynamics can help us determine what we are seeing out in the water, particularly if it’s brown in color.
Winter and early spring, lakes usually see increases in populations of diatoms. Diatoms are probably some of the coolest and unique types of phytoplankton, or algae, found in freshwaters across the world.
According to the amazing reference online of Diatoms of North America (diatoms.org) diatoms “are algae that live in houses made of glass. They are the only organism on the planet with cell walls composed of transparent, opaline silica. Diatom cell walls are ornamented by intricate and striking patterns of silica.” Diatoms are very unique, but they have evolved to coincide in lakes with increased green algae and cyanobacteria bloom periods in the warmer periods of spring and summer.
Diatoms tend to be the most abundant in north american freshwater lakes in late fall through winter and into early spring, when the water is still relatively cold and there is limited sunshine. This time of year the growth of green algae and cyanobacteria is relatively low, and the lake water is relatively clear, leaving the diatoms the most ideal conditions to take advantage of the available sunlight and reproduce in abundance.
Diatoms, due to their glass structure, are prone to sinking and do well in times of water turbulence from wind events and lake mixing. As we discussed earlier, Clear Lake in the winter and spring is prone to mixing from wind events during the early parts of the year, so in addition to seeing brown sediments in the water in February, you might also be spying some diatom blooms.
The seasonal dynamics of diatoms, green algae and cyanobacteria is worth considering as climate change and a warming planet continue to disrupt “normal” temperature and storm cycles, in Clear Lake and other freshwaters across the globe. As the summer season expands, allowing longer periods of warm weather to dominate, the suitable range for diatoms will grow shorter, and it’s unclear if they can co-evolve fast enough to meet the challenge.
Some cyanobacteria can be brown too
Lastly, blooms of the cyanobacteria Gloeotrichia can cause brown looking water when blooming in the lake. However, Gloeotrichia can also be shades of green, but unlike some of the other cyanobacterias, more strains of Gloeotrichia have brownish hues. If you have been out on the lake over the last two summers (2020-2021) gloeotrichia has been responsible for making some large brown stripes throughout the center of the Upper Arm and Lower Arm in summer and fall.
The brown water observed this last February (2022) could very well have been a bloom of Gloeotrichia, especially since recently we have had some spring-like warm weather, but it’s more likely to see these brown bloom events in the warm and sunny summertime in Clear Lake.
Gloeotrichia, although a cyanobacteria, has so far in Clear Lake not been observed to produce toxins like Microcystis, the most common toxin-producing genus of cyanobacteria in Clear Lake. That doesn’t mean that it won’t sometimes in the future, but until now that has not been observed and it’s only offense has been the occasional brown bloom in the middle of the lake during prime water-skiing weather.
Both diatoms and gloeotrichia are still considered particles that float in the water, and they absorb blues and green light wavelengths and reflect red and orange wavelengths, that’s why when you see these particles floating around in the lake they appear brown and when they are very abundance, large areas of water can appear very brown and almost reddish at times.
So why is the water brown now?
In summary Walter, based on the large expanse of brown water, given the time of year and the weather conditions we have been experiencing, my best guess as a lake biologist is that you are witnessing some sediment material turbidity from the recent wind events. To further substantiate my claim, I would argue that when we do get winds, they tend to normally (although, not always, I admit) come from the North or North West and blow east, towards the shores of Lucerne and the Narrows.
Further, this leads me to believe that during these westerly winds, the lake sediments and silts on the bottom of the shallow Upper Arm were stirred up, pushed towards that part of the lake, and the dissolved particles contained within that moved water, were floating around in the water column on the eastern shores of the lake.
I would also not be surprised that if we took some samples of water from those locations, and looked under the microscope at some slides, we might find the water rich and abundant with diatoms, which can greatly contribute some brown hues to the water. January and February are indeed diatoms' preferred time of year and they like being suspended in water that has been stirred up by wind and waves.
However, as the growing season marches along and the air and water temperature increases and the sunlight periods lengthen, if you are still seeing brown water, my diagnosis will of course, change. As many things in life, lakes are always variable and hardly consistent, but they are always consistently variable.
Sincerely,
Lady of the Lake
In addition to those linked within the article, some valuable resources used in this column include:
Angela De Palma-Dow is a limnologist (limnology = study of fresh inland waters) who lives and works in Lake County. Born in Northern California, she has a Master of Science from Michigan State University. She is a Certified Lake Manager from the North American Lake Management Society, or NALMS, and she is the current president/chair of the California chapter of the Society for Freshwater Science. She can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — At the request of city staff, the Clearlake City Council is set to hold a discussion on options to finance more city road projects.
The council will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday, March 3, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive, for a midyear budget workshop before the regular meeting begins at 6 p.m.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to City Clerk Melissa Swanson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments before 4 p.m. Thursday, March 3.
Each public comment emailed to the city clerk will be read aloud by the mayor or a member of staff for up to three minutes or will be displayed on a screen. Public comment emails and town hall public comment submissions that are received after the beginning of the meeting will not be included in the record.
On the agenda is a discussion about financing options to facilitate additional road maintenance projects.
“Over the last several years the City has discussed the option of financing a number of road projects in order to expedite the Measure V capital improvement plan. Staff have been working with NHA Advisors on various options for financing and an analysis of what the City could afford to borrow in order to complete a larger group of projects in a shorter period of time,” City Manager Alan Flora wrote in his report to the council.
“While we were planning to present some information to the Council for consideration in the next couple of months, staff believe that the window is increasingly short for attractive interest rates and this should be considered in the next several weeks,” Flora wrote. “The unrest in Ukraine is leading to additional uncertainty and market volatility that could impact costs.”
Flora said additional detail and a presentation of possible options will be reviewed at the meeting.
If the council is interested in taking action, Flora said they would ask for direction to bring back the final plan for approval as soon as the March 17 council meeting.
In other business on Thursday, the council will consider the first reading of the amendment to Clearlake Municipal Code Chapter 18-20.130.c Water Efficient Landscaping, consider the first reading of amendment to Clearlake Municipal Code Chapter 9-1 Building and Housing, waive further reading and set second reading and adoption for March 17, discuss a cost sharing agreement with the county of Lake and city of Lakeport for expenses related to facilitation of community visioning forums, and present a proclamation declaring March 2022 as March for Meals Month.
On the meeting's consent agenda — items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote — are warrants; adoption of Resolution 2022-11 amending the fiscal year 2021-22 budget with midyear adjustments; and minutes of the Jan. 12 Lake County Vector Control District Board meeting.
After the public portion of the meeting, the council will hold a closed session for a performance evaluation of the city manager and a discussion regarding the city’s lawsuit against AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp.
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 Board of Supervisors this week will proclaim Lake County’s poet laureate, discuss a skate park project and get an update on COVID-19.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 1, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting ID is 924 2066 8728, pass code 412740. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,92420668728#,,,,*412740#.
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.
At 9:15 a.m., the board will present a proclamation appointing Georgina Marie Guardado as Lake County poet laureate for the years 2022 to 2024, to be followed by a proclamation designating March 2022 as Social Work Month.
The board will get an update from Public Health at 9:30 a.m. regarding the COVID-19 situation.
The Lake County Cannabis Alliance is scheduled to give the board a presentation at 10 a.m., and at 10:30 a.m. the board will get a presentation on the Central Valley Flood Protection 2022 update.
In untimed items, the board will consider a request from Supervisor Bruno Sabatier to approve a letter of intent for a regional skate park project that’s proposed to be located in Clearlake.
Also on Tuesday, the board will continue a discussion regarding possible renegotiations of certain provisions of an agreement between the county and the Rural Communities Housing Development Corp., along with a potential audit for financial activity regarding loan and loan forgiveness regarding a housing project on Collier Avenue in Nice.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.1, as an extension of an annual agreement; and (b) approve agreement for provision of satellite imagery services by Planet Labs to the county of Lake.
5.2: Adopt resolution authorizing the county administrative officer on behalf of the Lake County Board of Supervisors to submit the Public Defense Pilot Program Grant proposal for funding and execute the grant agreement with the state of California, Board of State Community Corrections.
5.3: Approve memorandum of understanding between the county of Lake and Rural Communities Housing Development Corp. for the No Place Like Home Permanent Supportive Housing Project on Collier Avenue in Nice and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.4: Approve agreement between county of Lake — Behavioral Health Services as lead agency for the Lake County Continuum of Care and Elijah House Foundation for fiscal years 2021-26 in the amount of $232,500.00 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.5: Approve amendment to the agreement between county of Lake and the Lake County Office of Education — Safe Schools Healthy Students Program for School-Based Specialty Mental Health Services to increase the contract maximum to $200,000.00 for FY 2021-22 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.6: Approve amendment to the agreement between the county of Lake and Vista Pacifica Enterprises Inc. for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services for FY 2021-22 to decrease the total compensation payable under the agreement by $8,000.00 for a new contract maximum of $52,000.00 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.7: Adopt proclamation appointing Georgina Marie Guardado as Lake County Poet Laureate for the years 2022-2024.
5.8: Approve Board of Supervisors meeting minutes for Feb. 8, 2022.
5.9: Consideration of resolution establishing a continuous records retention and destruction schedule and electronic storage for the Community Development Department.
5.10: Approve continuation of resolution authorizing teleconferenced meetings during a state of emergency to continue to exist.
5.11: Approve inspection agreement for integrated community development.
5.12: a) Waive the formal bidding process pursuant to county Ordinance 3109 Section 28.3 (A) due to the unique nature of services provided; and b) approve contract between Social Services and Evident Change for Safe Measure Internet Access in the amount of $27,330.67 for the Term of Oct. 1, 2021, to Sept. 30, 2023, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.13: Adopt proclamation designating March 2022 as Social Work Month.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:15 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation appointing Georgina Marie Guardado as Lake County Poet Laureate for the years 2022-2024.
6.3, 9:20 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating March 2022 as Social Work Month.
6.4, 9:25 a.m.: Sitting as the Lake County Housing Commission, consideration of Housing Choice Voucher Program Administrative Plan for 2022 and signing of the Annual Civil Rights Certification (HUD Form HUD-50077-CR).
6.5, 9:30 a.m.: Consideration of update on COVID-19.
6.6, 10 a.m.: Consideration of presentation from the Lake County Cannabis Alliance.
6.7, 10:30 a.m.: Presentation of Central Valley Flood Protection 2022 update.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of letter of intent for skate park regional project in District 2.
7.3: a) Discussion and possible renegotiations of certain provisions of agreement approved on September 28, 2021 with RCHDC b) discussion and direction on audit for financial activity regarding loan and loan forgiveness regarding Collier Avenue project.
7.4: Consideration of resolution authorizing the county administrative officer to execute a funding agreement with Pacific Forest and Watershed Lands Stewardship Council approving the county’s receipt of $824,583 in lieu of property taxes related to the transfer of 907 acres, located near the Eel River, Lower Trout Creek area, from the Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to the United States Forest Service.
7.5: Consideration of the following advisory board appointments: Glenbrook Cemetery District and Lake County Vector Control District.
7.6: Consideration of the county's participation with the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center in Cal Fire funding programs.
7.7: Consideration of continuation of a local health emergency by the Lake County Health officer for the Cache fire.
7.8: Consideration of continuation of a local health emergency related to the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) as proclaimed by the Lake County Public Health officer.
7.9: Consideration of continuation of a local health emergency and order prohibiting the endangerment of the community through the unsafe removal, transport, and disposal of fire debris for the LNU Complex wildfire.
7.10: Consideration of continuation of a local emergency in Lake County in response to the LNU Lightning Complex wildfire event.
7.11: Consideration of continuation of a local emergency due to COVID-19.
7.12: Consideration of continuation of an emergency declaration for drought conditions.
7.13: Consideration of continuation of a local emergency by the Lake County sheriff/OES director for the Cache fire.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Public employee evaluation: Community Development director.
8.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9 (d)(1) — City of Clearlake v. County of Lake, et al.
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.
BERKELEY — California’s child care providers and teachers are earning such low wages that many need government assistance to make ends meet, and conditions are so dire that “radical reform” is needed to support them and to stabilize the entire child care system, says a new UC Berkeley study.
Among nearly 8,000 child care staff surveyed in 2020, median wages are below or near federal poverty levels, says the report from Berkeley’s Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CCSCE). About a third reported that they are enrolled in Medi-Cal or other forms of public assistance, and a like percentage reported basic food insecurity.
The new study found that early educators — mostly women of color and immigrant women — struggle in “a grim financial bind” because of California’s low public investment in the child care system.
This financial stress has been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made the low wages educators depend on even more unreliable. The stress is reflected in a shortage of child care services for working families, and that creates risks for the California economy, said CSCCE Director Lea Austin. There are at least 1 million children on the waiting list for subsidized child care.
“We need long-term solutions to ensure early educators’ economic well-being,” Austin said in an interview. “Without that, parents are going to keep having trouble finding the quality child care they need.”
“The economy can’t work without child care,” Austin added. “And child care can’t work without teachers.”
One early childhood educator quoted in the report is an immigrant with a bachelor’s degree from her home country in Asia and extensive training in early childhood education. But even after five years working at a center in California, she still earns only $15 per hour — a little more than $30,000 a year, before taxes.
“This profession surely requires education to give better quality care, but it seems like it is not being respected enough, in terms of salary,” she told the Berkeley researchers. “Even if I work full time, 40 hours a week, my annual salary is still below poverty level.”
"‘The Forgotten Ones’ — The Economic Well-Being of Early Educators During COVID-19” is based on the largest study in 15 years of California child care business owners and teachers. It offers troubling insight into conditions that affect nearly 140,000 child care providers, teachers and administrators working at California’s child care centers and care programs based in family homes.
The new report was researched and written by Austin; CSCCE analysts Anna Powell, Elena Montoya, Yoonjeon Kim and Abby Copeman Petig; and consultant Raúl Chávez.
It underscores the dire conclusions that emerged nearly two years ago in a separate CSCCE report on how COVID-19 had forced hundreds of California child care centers to close and put countless others at risk.
A child care system based on poverty-level wages
Today’s crisis dates back decades, but according to the new report, one condition has been constant: California’s child care system “relies on paying poverty and near-poverty-level wages.”
The impact on child care workers — and on child care homes and centers — is stark.
• The median wage for a California child care worker in 2019 was $13.43 per hour, while preschool teachers earned $16.83 per hour. By comparison, however, a kindergarten teacher earned $41.86 per hour — and even that was just above the California living wage for a single parent with one child.
• In the first year of the pandemic, more than 40% of family child care providers and nearly a third of center-based teachers were enrolled in public assistance programs, such as Medi-Cal or food support.
• Roughly one-third of early childhood teachers experienced food insecurity, with either not enough food to eat, or not enough quality or nutritional food. For women of color, the prevalence of food insecurity rose to 39%, and to 42% for immigrant educators.
• Almost one in three family child care providers in the early months of the pandemic were behind on rent or mortgage payments for the homes where they provide care.
The pandemic dramatically compounded the stresses on early care and education professionals in other ways, too, the report found. Some providers shut down their operations, temporarily or permanently. Workers were laid off and furloughed. Forty percent of family care providers and a third of center teachers in the state applied for unemployment after the pandemic hit in 2020.
As staffs were reduced, some educators had to put in longer hours. Meanwhile, 43% of those who operate child care centers from their homes said they were unable to pay themselves salaries for periods in 2020.
Black educators were far more likely to experience such negative business consequences, the report found.
“It's no wonder that programs are understaffed, and many have closed, which means families can't find the child care they need,” Austin said. “There was already a shortage before the pandemic, and the people who remain are under incredible financial, emotional and physical stress.”
The importance of long-term public funding for child care
According to the study, however, centers with federal Head Start or California State Preschool funding were more sheltered from COVID’s negative impact. Policymakers in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento implemented measures to shield the centers from dramatic income loss. And, the researchers found, 90% of administrators and staff at those centers had no problem paying the program’s rent or themselves and did not have to take on debt to cover costs.
That, the authors said, points to the “radical reforms” that could address economic disparities between different types of providers and between those who do and do not have public funding.
One priority for policymakers, they wrote, should be to establish contract-based models with state and federal funding for both centers and home-based providers. This is similar to how Head Start and state preschool funds are currently distributed.
They urged policymakers to set a minimum wage for California’s early educators, based on regional costs of living and by taking into account workers’ education and experience. An ideal target would be parity with kindergarten and elementary school teachers, they said. The CSCCE has found that among the state’s early childhood educators, the majority have college degrees.
Policymakers should also develop solutions to end inequality that harms women of color and immigrants in the early child care and education field.
Without such solutions, the Berkeley report warned, the pandemic’s damage to California’s child care system could be permanent. Some care facilities that closed during the pandemic may never reopen, and younger child care professionals may leave the field for work that pays a living wage.
“We can’t fault people for leaving for jobs with better pay and health insurance and not coming back to child care,” Austin said. “We can’t get to good, stable child care if we can’t stabilize and support the early care and education workforce. Until we intervene with public resources, the problem will not go away.”
With hopes cautiously rising that the pandemic will ease, “I just want to work and recover my life, little by little,” said one care provider who was interviewed for the report. “If there were support for us providers, even loans, so I could pay the mortgage and keep my house, that would be great.
“I don’t want to have to close and look for another job, because I really like working with children.”
Edward Lempinen writes for the UC Berkeley News Center.