NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – With graduation season in full swing, Pacific Gas and Electric Company is warning customers about the public safety risks associated with helium-filled metallic balloons.

If your graduation celebration involves balloons make sure they are secured with a weight. Otherwise they can float away and come into contact with overhead power lines, causing a public safety risk.

The company reported that there were several outages last year in Mendocino and Lake counties caused by mylar balloons coming into contact with power lines, which affects power to thousands of customers – usually around holidays.

In the first five months of 2017, metallic balloons striking electric lines have caused nearly 132 power outages in PG&E's service area alone, disrupting service to more than 76,000 customers.

These power outages can interrupt electric service to critical facilities such as hospitals, schools and traffic lights.

PG&E typically sees a spike in the number of outages caused by metallic balloons during the graduation season.

“It may look fun and festive to release balloons in the air during graduation ceremonies, but when helium-filled metallic balloons come into contact with overhead lines they can cause a widespread power outage. PG&E encourages grads to celebrate safely by keeping metallic balloons secured with weights,” said Pat Hogan, senior vice president, PG&E Electric Operations.

Metallic balloons have a silvery coating, which is a conductor for electricity. If the balloons float away and make contact with power lines, they can short transformers, cause power outages and melt electrical wires, causing public safety risks.

Last year, a homecoming parade in the North Coast turned dark after a group of metallic balloons slipped away from a float and hit a power line, which came down energized. More than 2,700 customers lost power for most of the day and the homecoming dance was cancelled.

To help ensure that graduation balloon celebrations are enjoyed responsibly, PG&E reminds customers to follow these important balloon safety tips:

• "Look Up and Live!" Use caution and avoid celebrating with metallic balloons near overhead electric lines.
• Make sure helium-filled metallic balloons are securely tied to a weight that is heavy enough to prevent them from floating away. Never remove the weight.
• Keep metallic balloons indoors, when possible. For everyone's safety, never permit metallic balloons to be released outside.
• Do not bundle metallic balloons together.
• Never attempt to retrieve any type of balloon, kite or toy that becomes caught in a power line. Leave it alone, and immediately call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000 to report the problem.
• Never go near a power line that has fallen to the ground or is dangling in the air. Always assume downed electric lines are energized and extremely dangerous. Stay far away, keep others away and immediately call 911 to alert the police and fire departments.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Roy Brian Everhart Jr. passed away on May 25, 2017, at the age of 58. He was in a tragic accident while boating on Clear Lake, doing what he loved.

Brian was born on June 3, 1958, in Santa Rosa and moved to Lakeport as a child. He was a lifelong resident of Lake County, living in the area for 50 years.

He also spent time living on the East Coast while serving in the United States Army as a Combat Engineer.

Brian worked for the county of Lake and the city of Lakeport in the field of planning and development. He was also a friendly face to many in the community over the years at Kelseyville Lumber, where he had recently gone back to work part-time after retiring from the city.

Brian spent his free time fishing, camping, boating and enjoying the outdoors.

Brian is survived by his wife of 27 years, Theresa; son, Kevin; daughter-in-law, Rosemary; daughter, Angela; son-in-law, Chris; and granddaughter, Thalia.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Nancy, and siblings, Ken and Patty.

He is survived by his stepmother, Shirley; sisters, Kathy (Jim) and Cindy; cousin, Lacy; and many other aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary in Lakeport on Saturday, June 3, at 11 a.m.

For further information please contact Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary at 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com .

SACRAMENTO – Legislation to introduce media literacy education into school curriculums passed the State Senate on Tuesday afternoon.

Senate Bill 135, authored by Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa), aims to combat fake news and ensure students have the tools to succeed in the digital age.

Media literacy is the ability to analyze and evaluate information consumed from various media sources such as Web sites, social networking sites, television, print and radio.

“While we already require critical thinking skills in our school, those skills haven’t kept up with the emerging technologies. Crafting a comprehensive curriculum for media literacy education is essential to combating fake news,” said Sen. Dodd. “While information is more accessible than ever, many people lack the tools to identify fake or misleading news and information. By giving students the tools to analyze the media they consume, we can empower them to make informed decisions.”

A rise in fake news was widely noted during the most recent presidential election, where it became increasingly difficult for the public to note the difference between a reputable news publication and Web sites that publish false or misleading claims.

The practice of advertisements masquerading as news has also seen an increase in recent years.

A recent Stanford study found that 82 percent of middle school students struggled to distinguish advertisements from news stories.

The same study also found a significant percentage of high school and college students scored poorly in media literacy evaluations.

"There has never been a more important time to address the issue of media literacy in schools,” said Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, executive director for the National Association for Media Literacy Education. “Our students are growing up in the midst of a complicated and diverse media landscape which they need to understand in order to fully engage and participate in today’s world. We must continue to fight for media literacy education for students of all ages. We applaud Sen. Dodd for taking on this important issue and moving it forward.”

Dodd’s bill would empower the California Board of Education’s Instructional Quality Commission to develop a model framework necessary for incorporating media literacy into school curriculums.

The legislation will also advance media literacy training opportunities for teachers in California.

The bill now moves on to the Assembly, where it will be heard in the Assembly Education Committee this summer.

 

SACRAMENTO – A bill by Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa) to protect victims of mass fraud and identity theft passed the state Senate on Tuesday.

Dodd’s bill was introduced in response to the recent Wells Fargo scandal where millions of accounts were fraudulently opened without consent, using consumer’s personal information from preexisting accounts.

The legislation, co-sponsored by California State Treasurer John Chiang, would give victims their day in court by preventing financial institutions from using forced arbitration clauses in cases of fraud committed by the institution.

“My bill will bring justice for victims of bank fraud and help prevent future fraud, before it spreads,” said Senator Dodd. “The idea that consumers can be blocked from our public courts when their bank commits fraud and identity theft against them is un-American. Allowing victims their day in court helps them recover and can prevent more victims by putting an end to illegal business practices. If SB 33 was already law, Wells Fargo would have been publicly held to account years ago, preventing the fraud from spreading.”

Late last year it came to light that Wells Fargo Bank employees had fraudulently used their customers’ personal information to create over two million fake accounts without consent over the course of five years.

Recent reports suggest the number of fake accounts may exceed three million and that Wells Fargo targeted seniors, immigrants, non-English speakers, and students for this fraud.

Some of these fraudulent accounts harmed the credit of victims and incurred fees that were passed along to the victims.

In the aftermath of the scandal, California State Treasurer John Chiang suspended business dealings with Wells Fargo as a sanction.

The bank has had to pay more than $185 million in regulatory fines for their illegal use of consumer information.

“Instead of allowing victims to have their day in court where an independent judge or jury can arrive at a verdict following an open and fair trial, Wells Fargo is pushing customers seeking justice into forced arbitration,” said Treasurer John Chiang in a recent statement. “While the bank’s latest marketing slogan is ‘On the side of customers,’ it continues to deny its victims their right to be made whole by coercing its customers into a secretive process that tilts in favor of corporations.”

Many of the victims attempted to sue the bank for damages and to recover their losses. However, Wells Fargo successfully argued that their customers waived their right to sue when they opened their original, legitimate accounts, which were the source of the personal information used to create the fraudulent accounts.

The only recourse left to victims was through binding arbitration. Arbitration cases tend to favor the corporate defendant as they are able to select the arbitrator overseeing the case.

“Wells Fargo’s customers were ripped off twice,” said Richard Holober, executive director of Consumer Federation of California. “First, the bank created two million fraudulent accounts. Then when consumers tried to sue, the bank forced them into company-dominated arbitration hearings. SB 33 will guarantee that the victims of a bank’s identity theft will get their day in court.”

Dodd’s bill, SB 33, will prohibit the use of forced arbitration in cases where a financial institution has wrongfully used consumer information to commit fraud.

Dodd’s bill has already gained support from the Consumer Federation of California, the Consumer Attorneys of California, and numerous consumer advocates.

The bill now heads to the state Assembly, where it will be heard in the Assembly Judiciary Committee in June or July. 

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Lake County Democratic Central Committee will hold its regular monthly business meeting on Thursday, June 1.

The meeting takes place at 6:30 p.m. at Kelseyville Senior Center, 5245 Third St.

The agenda for the meeting includes reports from representatives for Congressmen Mike Thompson and John Garamendi, Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry and State Sen. Mike McGuire, as well as reports from the representative of the Lake County Democratic Club.
 
Meetings are open to the public and committee membership is open to all registered Democrats.
 
The Lake County Democratic Central Committee is the official governing body for the Democratic Party in Lake County.
 
For more information about the Democratic Party in Lake County visit www.lakecountydemocrats.org or www.facebook.com/LakeCountyDemocrats .
 
Contact the Democratic Party of Lake County at 707-533-4885 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Mark Victor Basili
May 27, 1954 – May 23, 2017

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Born in San Francisco in 1954 to Frank and Shirley Basili (Asplin). Mark grew up in Alexander Valley and attended Healdsburg High School, graduating in 1973.

Mark is survived by his wife, Patti Basili (Dutra); daughters, Wendy and Adam Tillgren (Basili); grandchildren, Alexis, Lydia and Kyle Tillgren; youngest daughter, Lisa Basili; ans siblings, Jeff, Robert and Marcia Tosti (Basili).

He began his career with Cil Rossi Construction. His work was with companies and on projects which he believed in through the years. The last 30 years have been spent with Kiewit Construction and his work can be seen throughout California.

Mark worked hard and played just as hard. His humor and mischievous smile were contagious and everyone knew him as a jokester who could light up a room. He had a gift for bringing people together.

Family was the most important aspect and part of Mark’s life. He will be forever remembered as a kind man, a great husband, father, brother and friend who helped others and took care of those around him.

Mark died unexpectedly in an accident and he will be missed by all who knew him.

A celebration of life will be held at the Middletown Mansion Event Center, 20650 S. State Highway 29, Middletown on Thursday, June 1, at 2 p.m.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Ladies of the Lake Quilt Guild will hold its 16th annual Falling Leaves Quilt Show on Saturday, Oct. 7, and Sunday, Oct. 8.

The show will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin St., Lakeport.

Admission for adults is $8 presale or $10 at the door, and $2 for children under age 12.

This year’s featured quilter is Lynn Wilder; visit her Web site at http://sewnwildoaks.blogspot.com/ .

The event will include a judged, open-entry show of 200-plus quilts, plus a vendor mall, country store, opportunity quilt, challenge and round robin exhibits, door prizes, silent auction, demonstrations, food and more.

Entry deadline is Aug. 12. Quilts must be ready to hang on Thursday, Oct. 5.

Download entry forms and get entry information at www.LLQG.org , or contact show chair Linda Morrison at 707-263-4504 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .