CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Following the heavy winter storms that hit last week, peaking on Sunday, the city of Clearlake has issued an emergency declaration.
City Manager Alan Flora, acting as the city’s director of emergency services, issued the declaration on Friday.
The declaration follows one for all of Lake County issued on Monday by Sheriff Rob Howe.
The city did not immediately respond to a question about estimates of damage to public infrastructure.
The Clearlake City Council is expected to ratify the declaration when it meets on Thursday.
The full proclamation follows.
PROCLAMATION BY THE CITY OF CLEARLAKE DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY SERVICES DECLARING A LOCAL EMERGENCY FOR WINTER STORMS
WHEREAS, City of Clearlake Municipal Code Section 2-11.6 empowers the Director of Emergency Services (City Manager) to proclaim the existence or threatened existence of a local emergency when the city is affected or likely to be affected by a public calamity and the City Council is not in session; and
WHEREAS, Government Code Section 8550 et seq., including Section 8558(c), authorize the City Manager to proclaim a local emergency when the City is threatened by conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the City that are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of the City; and
WHEREAS, starting on February 2, 2024 a winter storm resulted in high winds and heavy rain; and
WHEREAS, these conditions have caused a loss of stability to trees and hillsides, including significant damage to property, infrastructure and public safety within the city limits; and
WHEREAS, the mobilization of local resources, ability to coordinate interagency response, accelerate procurement of vital supplies, use mutual aid, and allow for future reimbursement by the state and federal governments will be critical to successfully responding to the impacts of the winter storms; and
WHEREAS, the City Manager, as the City’s Director of Emergency Services, has the power to declare a local emergency as authorized by Government Code section 8630 and Clearlake Municipal Code section 2-11.6.
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED by the City Manager of the City of Clearlake as follows:
A. A local emergency exists based on the existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property, as detailed in the recitals set forth above.
B. The area within the City which is endangered and/or imperiled.
C. During the existence of this local emergency, the powers, functions, and duties of the emergency organization of this City shall be those prescribed by state law and by ordinances, resolutions, and orders of this City, including but not limited to the City of Clearlake Emergency Operations Plan.
D. The City Council shall review and ratify this proclamation within seven (7) days as required by state law, and if ratified, shall continue to exist until the City Council proclaims the termination of this local emergency. The City Council shall review the need for continuing the local emergency as required by state law until it terminates the local emergency, and shall terminate the local emergency at the earliest possible date that conditions warrant.
E. That a copy of this proclamation be forwarded to the Director of California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services requesting that the Director find it acceptable in accordance with State Law; that the Governor of California, pursuant to the Emergency Services Act, issue a proclamation declaring an emergency in the City of Clearlake; that the Governor waive regulations that may hinder response and recovery efforts; that recovery assistance be made available under the California Disaster Assistance Act; and that the State expedite access to State and Federal resources and any other appropriate federal disaster relief programs.
DATED: February 9, 2024
_______________________________________ Alan D. Flora Director of Emergency Services
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Association of Realtors’ latest report showed that median home prices rose in December, while overall sales were down slightly.
Over the month of December 2023, a total of 54 single family homes were sold through the multiple listing service, compared to 59 in November and 73 sold a year ago during the month of December 2022.
These include traditionally built “stick-built” houses as well as manufactured homes on land.
In 2023, the county offices were closed during the last two weeks of the year and there were home sales that were unable to close in December because the Recorder’s Office was not open. This may be part of the reason for the fewer number of sales in December.
There were six sales of mobile homes in parks in December, compared to four in November and five sold a year ago during the month of December 2022.
For bare land — lots and acreage — 16 were sold in December, compared to 25 closed land sales in November and the 15 sold during that time the previous year in December 2022.
There are 347 “stick built” and manufactured homes on the market right now. If the rate of sales stays the same at 54 homes sold per month, there are currently 6.4 months of inventory on the market at the moment. That means that if no new homes are brought to the market for sale, in 6.4 months, all of these homes would be sold and there would be no homes available for sale.
Less than 6 months of inventory is generally considered to be a “sellers’ market” while more than 6 months of inventory is often called a “buyers’ market.”
December’s data is substantially the same as November, when there was 6.6 months of inventory available.
Agents are currently reporting an uptick in requests for property tours in January, so perhaps the market will be picking up somewhat.
The total percentage of homes bought for all cash in December:
• 35%, compared to 41% for November and 34% for December 2022; • 37% were financed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac (“conventional loans”) compared to 29% for November and 44% for December 2022; • 20% were financed by FHA, compared to 17% in November and 10% in December 2022; • 1% were financed by the VA or CalVet, compared to 7% in November and 4% for December 2022; • 4% had other financing such as private loans, USDA, or seller financed notes, compared to 3% in November, and compared to 6% for December 2022.
None of the closed sales in December were reported as assumable loans that were assumed by the buyer.
The homes in December sold at an average of 94.6% of the asking price at the time the property went under contract, but an average of 88% when compared to the original asking price when the property first came on the market. This means that the asking home prices had been reduced from their original list prices on the homes that sold before they actually sold.
In November, homes also sold for 96% of the asking price at the time the property went under contract, and 89% of the original asking price.
In December 2022, homes were selling at 95% of the asking price at the time the property went under contract and at 88%when compared to the original asking price.
The median time on the market in December was 62 days, compared to 32 days in November and 54 days in December 2022.
The median sale price of a single family home in Lake County in December was $305,000, which is higher than the $269,000 median sale price for November but lower than the median sale price of $320,500 during December 2022.
This would indicate that last month, the higher priced homes were selling in greater numbers to bring the median sale price up compared to November 2023.
The median asking price of homes on the market right now is $360,000, which is about the same as November’s $357,000.
In December, 37% of homes sold had seller concessions for an average concession of $7,679; the rate of concessions is higher compared to November 2023’s numbers, when 31% of homes sold had seller concessions with an average concession of $11,286. In December 2022, 29% of homes sold had an average seller concession of $7,614.
In December 2023, average concessions were highest for FHA loans, with an average concession of $14,206.
VA loans had an average concession of $7,600; conventional loans had an average concession of $3,325.
The 19 cash sales had no seller concessions (rather, they show up this month as a lowered sale price instead of seller credits being given in escrow).
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The city of Clearlake will host an open house later this month on the plans to turn the former Pearce Field airport into a commercial hub.
The open house will take place from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 13050 Olympic Drive.
Community members also will be able to comment remotely by emailing input to Senior Planner Mark Roberts at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. prior to the commencement of the open house. Be sure to identify the subject you wish to comment on in the subject line.
Join the city to re-envision the old airport site as clearlake’s community hub, commercial and medical center.
The open house will include a chance to view early programming concepts for the site.
Community members are invited to share their valuable insights and feedback on the proposed Development and to engage in discussions about the project's potential impact on the site and community.
City staff and representatives from the design team will be available to answer your questions and provide insights into the project's environmental review process.
Learn about the steps involved and gain a deeper understanding of how your input can shape the future of this development.
Light refreshments will be provided.
For more information, contact Mark Roberts at 707-994-8201.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — With power still out in some parts of Lake County due to the heavy winter storms that peaked over the weekend, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services shared an update from Pacific Gas and Electric on the effort to restore power to customers.
“This week’s winter storm is now the largest single storm producing multiple customer outages in nearly 30 years, affecting more than 1.85 million customers. High gusts and strong sustained winds caused an incredible amount of damage across our service area, including breaking or toppling 946 poles, requiring us to restring or repair more than 2,839 spans of powerlines and damaging or destroying 485 crossarms and 378 transformers. Parts of Lake County were particularly hard hit,” PG&E said.
PG&E said it has approximately 600 crews on the ground continuing to restore customers throughout the day and night. When customers are restored in one area, they move them into areas where outages remain to speed up restoration there.
In Lake County, PG&E reported that on Friday afternoon it had approximately 539 customers without power due to the storms, including 398 in Cobb, 115 in Kelseyville, 20 in Loch Lomond and 10 in Upper Lake. Those customers were in areas where damage to the system required a more complex restoration as the damage was the most severe and involved the need to remove fallen trees.
By 10 p.m. Friday, that number had been reduced to about 100 customers.
Most of PG&E’s customers are expected to be restored by Saturday night, although a few of the most isolated customers may be without power into the weekend. The company said it provided all of its customers with estimated times of restoration.
PG&E said it’s aware of reports of customers seeing wires on the ground in some Lake County communities. Some of these wires may belong to other utilities, such as phone companies, and some of these may be PG&E wires which will be reinstalled to restore power to customers or will be removed by PG&E in the coming days.
“As a best practice, if you see a wire down in your community, assume it’s energized and stay away from it,” PG&E said.
The statement continued, “It’s important for customers to remember that the timing we provide is an estimate; in some cases, as repair work continues, we may discover additional damage or encounter access issues that change the timing. We want customers to know that we absolutely understand how frustrating it is to be without power, especially for multiple days. This storm was incredibly intense and our crews are out in force making these final repairs. We won’t stop until the last customer has their power restored.”
COBB, Calif. — Cal Fire reported this week that its Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest has experienced significant damage from the winter storms that began last month and culminated with the pineapple express that hit on Sunday.
The storms resulted in downed trees in recreation sites, on roads and trails, creating safety issues for the public, Cal Fire reported.
As a result, Cal Fire said vehicle access will be restricted to the main parking lot until further notice while crews work to clear the roads.
Cal Fire asked community members to use special caution due to the downed trees, limbs and debris.
Boggs has been in winter season management since Nov. 1 but remains open for day use only from sunrise to sunset by foot, bicycle and equestrian use. Forest roads are subject to temporary closure pending wet weather conditions.
Call the Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest office at 707-928-4378 or visit them online at www.fire.ca.gov for more information.
On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom thanked first responders for their efforts over the past few weeks to help keep Californians safe during record-breaking winter storms.
Starting in late January, Gov. Newsom directed an all-of-government response to storms that have impacted nearly all residents.
The response included over 8,500 boots on the ground to support communities with roadways, flood operations, rescue teams, sheltering, and more.
State swift water rescue teams, composed of both California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and Cal Fire assets, made a combined 47 rescues and assisted six locally-led rescue operations. These state operations complemented the work of local governments conducting their own rescues.
The storm brought more than a foot of rain to certain parts of Southern California, hurricane-force wind gusts in Northern California, broke daily rainfall records, and resulted in the second highest amount of rainfall ever recorded in a 72-hour period in downtown Los Angeles.
Since late January, these combined storms have killed at least 12 people.
“Just in the last few weeks, California has lost 12 lives to successive storms. Our thoughts are with their families and friends, as well as with communities across the state as they begin efforts to clean up damage and recover.
During these storms, we mobilized an all-of-government response, including our swift water rescue teams that have made 47 rescues. We’re grateful to our thousands of first responders who have saved countless lives and kept our state going in the face of record-breaking rainfall and snow.”
For the first time since 1972, NASA is putting science experiments on the Moon in 2024. And thanks to new technologies and public-private partnerships, these projects will open up new realms of scientific possibility. As parts of several projects launching this year, teams of scientists, including myself, will conduct radio astronomy from the south pole and the far side of the Moon.
NASA’s commercial lunar payload services program, or CLPS, will use uncrewed landers to conduct NASA’s first science experiments from the Moon in over 50 years. The CLPS program differs from past space programs. Rather than NASA building the landers and operating the program, commercial companies will do so in a public-private partnership. NASA identified about a dozen companies to serve as vendors for landers that will go to the Moon.
NASA buys space on these landers for science payloads to fly to the Moon, and the companies design, build and insure the landers, as well as contract with rocket companies for the launches. Unlike in the past, NASA is one of the customers and not the sole driver.
CLPS launches
The first two CLPS payloads are scheduled to launch during the first two months of 2024. There’s the Astrobotics payload, which launched Jan. 8 before experiencing a fuel issue that cut its journey to the Moon short. Next, there’s the Intuitive Machines payload, with a launch scheduled for mid-February. NASA has also planned a few additional landings – about two or three per year – for each of the next few years.
I’m a radio astronomer and co-investigator on NASA’s ROLSES program, otherwise known as Radiowave Observations at the Lunar Surface of the photoElectron Sheath. ROLSES was built by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and is led by Natchimuthuk Gopalswamy.
The ROLSES instrument will launch with Intuitive Machines in February. Between ROLSES and another mission scheduled for the lunar far side in two years, LuSEE-Night, our teams will land NASA’s first two radio telescopes on the Moon by 2026.
Radio telescopes on the Moon
The Moon – particularly the far side of the Moon – is an ideal place to do radio astronomy and study signals from extraterrestrial objects such as the Sun and the Milky Way galaxy. On Earth, the ionosphere, which contains Earth’s magnetic field, distorts and absorbs radio signals below the FM band. These signals might get scrambled or may not even make it to the surface of the Earth.
On Earth, there are also TV signals, satellite broadcasts and defense radar systems making noise. To do higher sensitivity observations, you have to go into space, away from Earth.
The Moon is what scientists call tidally locked. One side of the Moon is always facing the Earth – the “man in the Moon” side – and the other side, the far side, always faces away from the Earth. The Moon has no ionosphere, and with about 2,000 miles of rock between the Earth and the far side of the Moon, there’s no interference. It’s radio quiet.
For our first mission with ROLSES, launching in February 2024, we will collect data about environmental conditions on the Moon near its south pole. On the Moon’s surface, solar wind directly strikes the lunar surface and creates a charged gas, called a plasma. Electrons lift off the negatively charged surface to form a highly ionized gas.
This doesn’t happen on Earth because the magnetic field deflects the solar wind. But there’s no global magnetic field on the Moon. With a low frequency radio telescope like ROLSES, we’ll be able to measure that plasma for the first time, which could help scientists figure out how to keep astronauts safe on the Moon.
When astronauts walk around on the surface of the Moon, they’ll pick up different charges. It’s like walking across the carpet with your socks on – when you reach for a doorknob, a spark can come out of your finger. The same kind of discharge happens on the Moon from the charged gas, but it’s potentially more harmful to astronauts.
Solar and exoplanet radio emissions
Our team is also going to use ROLSES to look at the Sun. The Sun’s surface releases shock waves that send out highly energetic particles and low radio frequency emissions. We’ll use the radio telescopes to measure these emissions and to see bursts of low-frequency radio waves from shock waves within the solar wind.
Magnetic fields are important for life because they shield the planet’s surface from the solar/stellar wind.
In the future, our team hopes to use specialized arrays of antennas on the far side of the Moon to observe nearby stellar systems that are known to have exoplanets. If we detect the same kind of radio emissions that come from Earth, this will tell us that the planet has a magnetic field. And we can measure the strength of the magnetic field to figure out whether it’s strong enough to shield life.
Cosmology on the Moon
The Lunar Surface Electromagnetic Experiment at Night, or LuSEE-Night, will fly in early 2026 to the far side of the Moon. LuSEE-Night marks scientists’ first attempt to do cosmology on the Moon.
LuSEE-Night is a novel collaboration between NASA and the Department of Energy. Data will be sent back to Earth using a communications satellite in lunar orbit, Lunar Pathfinder, which is funded by the European Space Agency.
Since the far side of the Moon is uniquely radio quiet, it’s the best place to do cosmological observations. During the two weeks of lunar night that happen every 14 days, there’s no emission coming from the Sun, and there’s no ionosphere.
We hope to study an unexplored part of the early universe called the dark ages. The dark ages refer to before and just after the formation of the very first stars and galaxies in the universe, which is beyond what the James Webb Space Telescope can study.
During the dark ages, the universe was less than 100 million years old – today the universe is 13.7 billion years old. The universe was full of hydrogen during the dark ages. That hydrogen radiates through the universe at low radio frequencies, and when new stars turn on, they ionize the hydrogen, producing a radio signature in the spectrum. Our team hopes to measure that signal and learn about how the earliest stars and galaxies in the universe formed.
There’s also a lot of potential new physics that we can study in this last unexplored cosmological epoch in the universe. We will investigate the nature of dark matter and early dark energy and test our fundamental models of physics and cosmology in an unexplored age.
That process is going to start in 2026 with the LuSEE-Night mission, which is both a fundamental physics experiment and a cosmology experiment.
Rodolfo Bonnin, Florida International University; Leonard M. Gralnik, Florida International University, and Nathaly Shoua-Desmarais, Florida International University
In 2021, someone in the U.S. died by suicide every 11 minutes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That rate equates to nearly 50,000 Americans every year. Another 1.7 million people in the U.S. attempted suicide in 2021, and over 12 million more had suicidal thoughts.
Suicide particularly affects younger people – it remains one of the top three causes of death for those between ages 10-34. High school students identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning, or LGBTQ+, attempt suicide four times more often than heterosexual students.
These statistics make it clear that far more attention needs to be given to how to talk about suicide, both with loved ones and in medical and other professional settings.
In turn, many of their students, once they become physicians, are not adequately equipped to identify, assess and refer suicidal patients. Yet, these health care providers are expected to play a key role in the battle to prevent suicide. But as the numbers make clear, this approach is not enough.
Destigmatizing suicide
Suicide has a long history of stigma, made worse by how it’s portrayed in the media. Often, when someone dies by suicide, the media uses euphemistic phrases such as “no foul play suspected,” rather than clear and accurate language describing the death as a suicide. This type of coded language implies the subject of suicide should not be addressed directly and leaves questions about what actually happened.
The verb “commit” in the context of suicide can suggest a criminal act. In contrast, using language such as “died from suicide” or “took her own life” is less stigmatizing and more neutral, which is why these phrases are recommended by advocates of mental health as best practices. Consistent with this approach, many media organizations have developed specific guidelines for reporting about suicide. For example, the Associated Press Stylebook recommends avoiding use of the phrase “committed suicide.”
Similarly – largely because of the societal and historical stigma surrounding suicide, which medical education is not immune to – medical schools do not equip up-and-coming doctors with the language and skills needed to recognize it and properly address it with their patients.
Shortage of mental health care
The first point of contact for patients seeking treatment for mental health conditions is usually their primary care physician. About 44% of those who died by suicide worldwide between 2000 and 2017 had visited their primary care provider within one month of their death.
This could be due to a combination of factors, including the continued stigma of mental health, limited access to mental health professionals and ease of access to and comfort with their primary care practitioner as a first step. Research shows that gaps between general medical services and specialty mental health options are preventing adults and kids from getting the mental health care they need.
In addition, the vast majority of patients with depression are treated by their primary care physicians rather than psychiatrists.
The shortage of available psychiatrists means that primary care physicians provide treatment and prescribe mental health care by default, especially for children, adolescents and geriatric patients. In fact, primary care providers – in other words, practitioners who are not psychiatrists – prescribe more than half of all psychiatric medication. And a 2023 study found that approximately one-third of patients received mental health care from their primary care provider.
Thousands of additional lives might be saved if primary care physicians and other practitioners who are not psychiatrists were better trained to ask the vitally important questions about suicide. In addition, better recognition of the warning signs of suicide, readily available psychiatric care and the elimination of stigma of mental illness would facilitate better quality of care.
Training the next generation of doctors
Why do so many Americans take their lives shortly after seeing a primary care provider?
It may be because many doctors are unprepared or uncomfortable discussing suicide or don’t pick up on the signs of suicidal ideation. It’s also possible that the doctors simply don’t have the necessary time to spend with the patients, even when intervention is needed.
At Florida International University, we train all medical students, beginning in the first year, on how to discuss suicide with patients. This helps to normalize the topic as just another part of their medical training, which, in turn, destigmatizes it.
We then emphasize the need for comfort and familiarity with the topic, as well as the many myths surrounding it. For example, there’s a false belief that asking a patient about suicide will increase the likelihood they will act upon the suicide. Research indicates otherwise.
Finally, students are told that doctors must create a safe environment for their patients to be open about discussing sensitive topics. In short, doctors must ask questions about suicide in a way that’s not pejorative or dismissive. They must not apologize to the patient or shy away from the subject.
Statements like “I’m sorry to have to bring this up” or “I’m sorry if this question seems too personal” can be an indication of discomfort or uneasiness. Instead, doctors should ask direct and specific questions like “Have you had any thoughts about ending your life” or “Are you having any thoughts of suicide?”
After a risk assessment is completed, then a patient would be hospitalized if they are at risk – there is no mandate for doctors to report on or act on depression.
The need for universal suicide screening
Although universal suicide screening has yet to be made the best practice nationally, there are multiple reasons why a standard screening process would be beneficial. Training in suicide assessment and prevention can be made mandatory for medical license renewal, which would include universal screening practices.
For example, adopting best practices could include offering suicide screening during routine health care visits to identify people at risk who might not otherwise be identified.
Another example: More than half of 15,000 children and adolescents who were seen in a pediatric hospital emergency room for nonpsychiatric reasons between March 18, 2013, and Dec. 31, 2018, were also experiencing suicidal ideation and behaviors. These examples emphasize the critical need to train doctors in suicide assessment and prevention. Currently there are fewer than 10 states that require any training on suicide assessment and prevention for doctors to renew their medical license.
In addition, doctors can use empathy, compassion and a nonjudgmental approach, rather than making the patient feel like they are being cross-examined by a lawyer. Interacting empathically leaves the patient feeling more understood and comfortable disclosing sensitive information.
The phenomenon of bullying, harassment and sexual abuse in workplaces throughout North America is widespread and harmful to both individuals and organizations. In fact, bullying at work affects up to 30% of workersover time.
Bullying behaviors range from verbally insulting or socially excluding someone to sabotaging the victim’s work, inflicting psychological terror and engaging in sexual abuse or physical aggression. Manipulation and provocation also play a role in bullying dynamics, and cyberbullying has emerged as a new form of workplace harassment. Research suggests the impacts of workplace bullying affect employee health and safetyand the workplace overall.
In a grocery store line, if someone invades your space, shoves you aside or threatens physical harm, the police may intervene, potentially resulting in an arrest. However, in the workplace, incidents involving bullying, assault, sexual abuse or other forms of violence are typically addressed through internal investigations. Our research suggests that treating workplace bullying as a matter of public health rather than employment law is necessary to protect those being targeted.
Bullying can affect physical health, with symptoms including sleep disturbances, cardiovascular diseases, body aches and pain, loss of appetite and headaches. Targets often describe an inability to concentrate; since they’re spending time worrying about what is going to happen to them next, job performance suffers. The negative impacts can spill over to a target’s personal life and affect their relationships with family and friends.
It’s not unusual for targeted workers to feel uncomfortable coming forward and talking about their experiences. But suffering in silence can lead to an even more toxic climate at work that can undermine your victims’ sense of security, with long-term consequences for their well-being.
Personality traits of bullies and their targets
Workplace bullies often target those who possess qualities highly valued by employers: self-sufficiency, cautiousness and innovativeness. Those targeted typically are motivated, have a kind perspective and prefer to avoid getting involved in office politics or engaging in competitive behavior. They take charge of their work and responsibilities.
Bullying often involves an imbalance of power, where the perpetrator acts to obtain power and control over the target.
Researchers find that bullies tend to have low self-esteem, problems with anger management and even personality disorders. Bullies often target people based on their appearance, behavior, race, religion, educational background, LGBTQ+ identity or because of perceived threats to their own career.
There’s no hard-and-fast profile, but males tend to exhibit more of the traits associated with bullying. Those who possess tendencies toward what psychologists call dark triad traits – Machiavellianism, subclinical psychopathy and subclinical narcissism – often gravitate toward jobs that offer high levels of freedom and hierarchical structures.
Are you being bullied?
Have you noticed a decline in your emotional or physical health? Is your job performance being affected? Feeling constantly stressed, anxious or demoralized are signs that something isn’t right.
Think about whether you feel singled out. Do you sense that you’re being isolated because of how others treat you?
If you do conclude you’re being bullied, your first priority is keeping yourself safe. Defending yourself against workplace bullying takes courage, but there are steps you can take to diffuse, distance and document what is happening to you.
In the moment when bullying is occurring, focus on trying to keep your emotions in check and avoid being reactive. For example, try to gain some psychological distance in an emotionally charged situation – politely walk away, don’t engage, give yourself time to settle your emotions. Taking space by stepping away can disrupt the immediate intensity of the situation. It helps you stay in control rather than allowing a bully to force you to respond impulsively in the moment, which can lead you to say or do something you’ll regret.
Try your best to de-escalate the situation. Some tips for how to stop an interaction from spiraling include:
Using polite, firm language to ask the bully to stop the conversation.
Asking the bully to leave.
Removing yourself from the situation if the bully won’t go.
Informing your supervisor immediately.
If you feel threatened, calmly and politely stop the interaction by removing yourself in a nonthreatening way. As challenging as it can be, the key here is to stay composed and remain respectful.
How to respond to an ongoing situation
It may be helpful to engage in some advanced planning with a friend or colleague. Rehearse a bullying situation and practice how you would respond to help you get comfortable using emotional distancing and de-escalation. Advance practice can help you handle an emotionally charged encounter.
Seek the support and safety of your peers. They can talk things through with you and become your allies if they are asked to describe or even testify about a bullying incident they witnessed.
Strive for an attitude of strength and confidence in yourself. Workplace bullies often choose to attack people they peg as easy targets. Present a strong front, trust in yourself and have confidence in your work – these attributes may make you less likely to be targeted.
Document your experiences when you perceive there is a problem. Be objective: Note the time and date, what happened, who was present, what was said and how it made you feel. Keeping a record helps quantify what is happening. Your organization should have policies and procedures to support you if you believe you are being bullied at work.
A caveat, though: Keep in mind, human resources departments are often ill-equipped to manage these issues, and complaints may be mishandled, improperly dismissed or simply ignored. Sometimes, if you’re able, it is better to look for a new job.
In order to effectively tackle the problem of workplace bullying and harassment, it is important for both employees and organizations to acknowledge and actively address these concerns. By establishing policies against bullying and fostering open lines of communication, workplaces can create safer spaces that enhance the well-being and productivity of their employees.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A certified letter from the State Water Resources Control Board that’s been arriving in the mailboxes of thousands of Lake County residents this month has caused concern and consternation, but officials with the water board and the Lake County Farm Bureau offered guidance on how to meet the requirements.
The letter, dated Jan. 31, is the result of a regulation the State Water Resources Control Board approved in December that allows it to ask for information from a large area around Lake County, said Jessica Bean, assistant deputy for drought and water rights modernization in the Water Board’s Division of Water Rights.
Bean said the Water Board’s quest for information traces back to the Board of Supervisors’ unanimous approval, a year ago this month, of the proclamation of a local emergency as a step toward trying to save the Clear Lake hitch, a native minnow, from potential extinction. The board voted on Tuesday to continue that emergency.
The Board of Supervisors’ action was followed by a direction issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom in March that the Water Board begin to evaluate instream flows, work with tribes and other water users on voluntary actions, and consider emergency regulations to protect the hitch.
As a result, Bean said the Water Board started digging into the available information to see how water use is impacting the hitch.
She said that, often, there is a connection between groundwater and streamflow. “The problem is, we just don’t know much about that in Clear Lake, what is happening,” and the state is trying to understand how it could impact flows, she said.
The Water Board hired an environmental consultant to do a groundwater and surface water study. “We need data to do that,” Bean said.
So in September, the Water Board released draft emergency regulations, which were open for public comment for 60 days, that focused on streams and headwaters across Clear Lake’s watershed, although Bean said the study area doesn’t include the entire watershed. That led to the information regulation accepted in December.
Bean said the letter requesting information has been sent to about 1,300 property owners representing 2,300 parcels in Lake County.
The letter states, “The Order is being sent to people who own or are responsible for properties located within the Big Valley Groundwater Basin; within approximately 1,000 feet of Rodman Slough, Middle Creek, Lyons Creek, Clover Creek, Tule Lake, Blue Lakes, Scotts Creek, Adobe Creek, Kelsey Creek, Cole Creek, Manning Creek, and/or McGaugh Slough; upstream of hitch spawning habitat that may have substantial surface water diversions; and/or in areas where groundwater may be connected to key hitch spawning habitat.”
The Water Board’s information regulation went into effect on Jan. 22 and will continue through Jan. 21, 2025, unless the board readopts it, Bean said. That means that the information gathering going on now is not expected to continue beyond next year.
She said it’s a tight timeline for information gathering, and that it is unlikely that there will be additional reporting requirements from water users in the impacted areas in 2024.
Many of the people who received the order may only have domestic water usage, not usage for agriculture. In that case, Bean said, those with domestic water for home or hobby ranching can complete a simple certification by Feb. 29.
Those who are doing large commercial agricultural irrigation will be required to do more, including measuring groundwater extraction and completing reports. They must also certify that they received the order and choose a reporting pathway — either directly to the Water Board or through the Lake County Farm Bureau — by Feb. 29.
Larger water users must then submit two more reports.
The first, due by March 31, must report on water diversions, extractions and use for the month of March. The second report, due Aug. 31, will cover usage through July 31.
Detailed guidance is available in the information order letter and online at the Water Board’s webpage set up for the hitch order.
Bean emphasized a key point: “We're not requiring people to use meters,” she said, noting that people have been very concerned about that.
Bean said they have so far received a lot of calls and emails from people asking questions — especially domestic water users.
“The main people that have been reaching out to us are folks unfamiliar with the hitch issue,” said Bean.
At the same time, earlier this week the Water Board was still developing its guidelines. The weekend storm caused internet outages that resulted in tech issues for the rollout of their online guidance, Bean said.
Lake County News received reports from those who had received letters that the informational phone number was going immediately to voicemail. Bean said that’s because they don’t have a phone bank and only a small team that’s working on the process.
Bean said they are responding to people as quickly as they can, working with them one-on-one when necessary. Anyone with questions is encouraged to call or email and leave specifics about their concerns along with their parcel number.
“If people can be a little patient with us and know that we are actively working on it even if you haven’t heard back from us,” Bean said.
She said they are happy to walk people through the process. “We respect and understand the fact that it is complex” and that people would need help, Bean said.
Farm Bureau offers guidance and support
At the Lake County Farm Bureau, which is a second reporting pathway, Executive Director Rebecca Harper said she’s been inundated with calls and emails from people who are upset about the order, which is vague in its wording.
She said she’s been contacted by many older people who don’t have computer access to fill out the information online.
“That’s been a good chunk of what I’m hearing,” said Harper.
Harper explained that it’s important for people to read the entire order. She said that there is a tendency to start freaking out when opening a certified letter from the state, and it’s key to be familiar with what is required.
Once they’ve read the entire order, she said people should seek help from the listed resources — either the Water Board or the Farm Bureau.
She emphasized that while domestic water users have exemptions, they still must complete the outlined steps, including certification.
When it comes to the reporting pathways, Harper said those who use the Lake County Farm Bureau — instead of going direction to the Water Board — are given privacy protection.
Call Harper at 707-263-0911 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register for the Farm Bureau’s reporting pathway.
For additional help, an in-person compliance workshop will take place at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 16, in Room 109 at the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St. in Lakeport.
The text of the information order is below.
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.
NOTICE OF INFORMATION ORDER AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CLEAR LAKE WATERSHED
This letter requires your immediate attention. You are receiving this letter because you own, occupy, or are responsible for the properties listed at the end of this letter. As such, you are required to comply with the enclosed Information Order (Order) from the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board or Board). The Order is being issued under the authority of the Emergency Information Order Regulations for the Clear Lake Watershed (Regulations). This letter explains why the Order is needed, when and how to comply with the Order, and where you can find more information.
Purpose of the Order
The purpose of the Order is to gather information from water users in the Clear Lake watershed to better understand how groundwater pumping and surface water diversions affect creek flows critical for the Clear Lake hitch (hitch). The hitch population, which is a threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act, has been declining for some time and recent droughts have further impacted the population. A primary threat to hitch survival is water availability in creeks where the hitch spawn and migrate. Degraded habitat, passage barriers, predation, competition with invasive species, and pollution also can affect the health of the species.
Whv You Are Receiving the Order
The Order is being sent to people who own or are responsible for properties located within the Big Valley Groundwater Basin; within approximately 1,000 feet of Rodman Slough, Middle Creek, Lyons Creek, Clover Creek, Tule Lake, Blue Lakes, Scotts Creek, Adobe Creek, Kelsey Creek, Cole Creek, Manning Creek, and/or McGaugh Slough; upstream of hitch spawning habitat that may have substantial surface water diversions; and/or in areas where groundwater may be connected to key hitch spawning habitat.
Where to Access Reporting Platforms and Resources
All information related to the Order is available on the State Water Board's Clear Lake Order webpage, which is located at waterboards.ca.gov/clearlakehitch/order. This webpage includes links to the Board's online reporting platform, guidance documents, and more. You can also access the webpage from the Board's main Clear Lake Hitch website at waterboards.ca.gov/clearlakehitch/order.
What You Need to Do
Recipients of the Order are required to complete the following activities:
(1) Certify receipt of the Order and confirm reporting pathway by February 29, 2024.
(2) Measure and record groundwater extractions by well from March 1, 2024 through July 31, 2024.
(3) Submit two reports that provide information related to diversion, extraction, and/or use of water relevant to the Board's Clear Lake hitch protection efforts: Report 1 is due by March 31, 2024. Report 2 is due by August 31, 2024. The information you must provide in each report and a list of items to gather before you report are available on the Clear Lake Order webpage.
Even if you are not currently pumping groundwater or diverting surface water, you must comply with the Order. If you fail to comply with the Order, you may be fined or subject to other enforcement action. This Order does not replace any other reporting requirements. Please continue to comply with all reporting requirements you may be subject to.
How to Comply
This section explains how to complete the required activities:
(1) How to Certify Receipt of the Order and Confirm Reporting Pathway
You must certify that you received the Order and confirm your reporting pathway through the State Water Board's online reporting platform. Reporting pathways are discussed below. The link to the Board's online reporting platform can be found on the Clear Lake Order webpage. The platform requires you enter the following access code: ClearLake.
(2) How to Measure Groundwater Extractions
You are required to measure and record weekly groundwater extractions by well from March 1, 2024, through July 31, 2024, using a method acceptable to the Board. You will provide these measurements in Report 2. For a list of acceptable measurement methods and templates for collecting measurements, please visit the Clear Lake Order Webpage.
(3) How to Report
There are two pathways for reporting. You can either directly report to the State Water Board or you can report through the Lake County Farm Bureau Education Corporation (LCFBEC) Alternative Compliance Pathway (Pathway).
• Pathway A: Directly report to the State Water Board
This is the default option for anyone who receives the Order. If you choose this option, you must submit your reports through the Board's online reporting platform. This is the same platform you will use to certify receipt of the Order and confirm your reporting pathway. However, the platform will open for Report 1 submissions no later than March 1, 2024, and Report 2 submissions no later than Aug. 1, 2024.
• Pathway B: Report through the LCFBEC Pathway
To report through the LCFBEC Pathway, you must register with the Lake County Farm Bureau (LCFB) by Feb. 29, 2024. Details are available on the Clear Lake Order webpage.
Once you register for the LCFBEC pathway, you will submit reports to the LCFB and the LCFB will submit report summaries and datasets to the Board. The LCFB will provide instructions on how to report after you register. You must call or email Rebecca Harper with the LCFB at (707) 263-0911 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register for the LCFBEC Pathway.
Due dates are the same no matter which reporting pathway you choose.
How to Learn More and Ask Questions
We understand these are new requirements and you may have questions. The following resources are available to help:
• Clear Lake Hitch Website — waterboards.ca.gov/clearlakehitch Details on the Order, resources to help you comply, and information about other hitch activities are available on the State Water Board's Clear Lake Hitch website. You can access the Clear Lake Order webpage from this website.
• Compliance Workshop — Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, 11:00 am in Lakeport Ask questions and receive details on reporting pathways, deadlines, resources, and more at the in-person workshop (255 N. Forbes St., Room 109, Lakeport, CA 95453).
• Virtual Office Hours We will hold office hours to help you fill out reports. Dates and times will be posted on the State Water Board's Clear Lake Hitch website.
• Email Subscription List Receive key updates from our email subscription list. Sign-up information is available on the Board's Clear Lake Hitch website.
• Email or call us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 916-341-5355.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport City Council on Tuesday night voted unanimously to return to the Lakeport Fire Protection District a surplus ambulance that the district plans to refurbish.
Lakeport Fire donated the vehicle to the city in June 2021. City Manager Kevin Ingram said the city had planned to refurbish it for use as a police command vehicle, but they had not been able to secure the necessary grant funding and so had not done anything on that planned conversion.
Chief Patrick Reitz is moving forward the process of upgrading the district’s existing ambulances, which Ingram said is estimated to take 18 months.
The fire district wants to take the surplus ambulance and refurbish it for use as a backup ambulance while the others are being upgraded, Ingram said.
The ambulance has 141,000 miles on it and an estimated value of under $10,000, according to the staff report.
Councilman Brandon Disney moved to approve the return of the ambulance, with Councilmember Stacey Mattina seconding and the council approving it 5-0.
In other business on Tuesday, Community Development Director Joey Hejnowicz presented a resolution authorizing the submittal of an application to the California State Department of Housing and Community Development for funding under the HOME Investment Partnership Program.
Hejnowicz said the city is seeking $750,000 for the Bevins Street Senior Apartments project at 447 Bevins St.
The project will be a three-story building on an undeveloped parcel. Hejnowicz said it’s proposed to include 40 units, 32 of which will be one-bedroom units, with eight two-bedroom units. One unit will be reserved for a manager.
The income range will be 30 to 60% of the area’s annual median income, which he said is between $22,000 to $44,000 for a family of three.
The funding would actually be loaned to the Pacific Companies, which Ingram said owns another apartment complex at Martin and Bevins streets.
The council approved the resolution unanimously.
The council also approved a design immunity ordinance authorizing Ingram to sign written contracts and conveyances and have design approval authority, and accepted the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for Fiscal Year 2022-23 presented by Assistant City Manager/Finance Director Nick Walker.
Mayor Michael Froio called the audit an “amazing document” that he learns from every year. He added that he appreciated the work Walker put into it and that it was good to see an outside auditor give him high marks.
Ingram acknowledged a lot of work goes into the document and that he also learns a lot from it.
With that work completed, Walker said the budget cycle starts next week.
Froio recommended people read it, adding it’s a government transparency measure. The council approved it unanimously.
Toward the end of Tuesday’s hour-long meeting, during which staff gave updates, Public Works Director Ron Ladd reported on the work by his crews and utility workers to respond to the storms on Sunday night and into early Monday.
He said they called in some people on their day off. “They were here immediately.”
Ladd said every other person in Public Works and utilities also called to see if they were needed. He added that they have a great group of workers that responded to the situation.
“They were amazing. Good job,” said Mattina.
Froio said he was sad to lose the cypress tree in Library Park. That tree fell on Sunday, pushing up the sidewalk and resulting in an overnight closure of Park Street.
Overall, however, Froio said the city of Lakeport seemed to fare well in the storms.
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 has hired a new Health Services director.
At Tuesday’s board meeting, Anthony Arton was formally appointed to the job.
In a Tuesday statement, the County Administrative Office said Arton is “a seasoned leader, with more than two decades of experience in development and oversight of public health, emergency management and community engagement programs.”
In the county’s statement, Arton is quoted as saying he is looking forward to working closely with the Health Services team, community partners and Public Health Officer Noemi Dr. Doohan, “to promote the best possible health outcomes in Lake County.”
He added, “Dr. Doohan has done outstanding work to establish strategic relationships locally and at the state level in recent months, and I am confident we will build on those successes. Effective health programs must serve all residents, and maintaining a connection with our richly diverse communities is essential to that work. I am truly excited to be here, and for the opportunity to serve Lake County.”
Arton most recently served as public health director for Coos County, Oregon, since October 2020.
Before serving in Oregon, Arton was public health director and emergency planner for Missouri’s Johnson County.
Earlier jobs included working with students in the Dallas/Fort Worth area in Texas, at the University of Central Missouri and at Polk State College. He also was a legislative intern at the Missouri State Capitol, according to his LinkedIn page.
The county said his diverse professional background also includes training in firefighting, management of Hazardous Materials and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, compliance.
Arton has effectively planned and implemented strategic programs and capital improvement projects, and written emergency preparedness plans, while successfully managing funds from a variety of state and federal sources, the county reported.
"With a professional and educational background involving emergency services and healthcare, Director Arton is best prepared to forge strong relationships needed to excel as Health Services Director in Lake County," said Board of Supervisors Chair Bruno Sabatier. “Lake County's health metrics avail us of many opportunities, and Director Arton brings Public Health experience to enable change in our health outcomes. We look forward to supporting his efforts."
Arton holds master and bachelor’s degrees from the University of Central Missouri, and graduated near the top of his class as the prestigious Walter Hicklin Government and Public Service Scholar. Furthering his education on a continual basis is a priority for Arton.
He succeeds Jonathan Portney, who the board terminated in September following a tumultuous tenure marked by no confidence letters, a staff exodus and disagreements with other department heads, including then-Sheriff Brian Martin.