As COVID-19 cases continue to increase across the country, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued travel advisories on Friday urging visitors entering their states or returning home from travel outside these states to self-quarantine to slow the spread of the virus.
The travel advisories urge against nonessential out-of-state travel, ask people to self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving from another state or country and encourage residents to stay local.
“California just surpassed a sobering threshold – one million COVID-19 cases – with no signs of the virus slowing down,” said Gov. Newsom. “Increased cases are adding pressure on our hospital systems and threatening the lives of seniors, essential workers and vulnerable Californians. Travel increases the risk of spreading COVID-19, and we must all collectively increase our efforts at this time to keep the virus at bay and save lives.”
In addition to urging individuals arriving from other states or countries to self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival, the states’ travel advisories recommend individuals limit their interactions to their immediate household.
The advisories define essential travel as travel for work and study, critical infrastructure support, economic services and supply chains, health, immediate medical care and safety and security.
“COVID-19 does not stop at state lines. As hospitals across the West are stretched to capacity, we must take steps to ensure travelers are not bringing this disease home with them,” said Gov. Brown. “If you do not need to travel, you shouldn’t. This will be hard, especially with Thanksgiving around the corner. But the best way to keep your family safe is to stay close to home.”
“COVID cases have doubled in Washington over the past two weeks. This puts our state in as dangerous a position today as we were in March,” said Gov. Inslee. “Limiting and reducing travel is one way to reduce the further spread of the disease. I am happy to partner with California and Oregon in this effort to help protect lives up and down the West Coast.”
To learn more about the risk that travel itself poses for COVID-19 exposure, please visit the CDC page on travel risks.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation this week issued new projections for COVID-19 deaths in the United States, anticipating another 200,000 fatalities by March unless mask-wearing increases substantially.
The institute, an independent global health research center at the University of Washington, has issued key forecasts of how the virus will impact the nation and the world throughout the pandemic.
In its latest report issued on Thursday, the institute reported that daily cases are increasing at an accelerating rate with deaths also increasing but at a slower rate.
“Given the experience in Europe, we expect that the increase in deaths will soon begin to match the increase in cases,” the institute’s latest briefing notes.
That’s because the fall/winter surge is evident in nearly all 50 states at this time, the institute reported.
The updated forecast issued this week takes into account evidence from hospital studies showing that the infection-fatality rate has declined 30-percent since April due to improved treatment.
“Despite this, we expect 439,000 cumulative deaths by March 1 and a peak of daily deaths in mid January at 2,200 a day. Although mask use has increased to 67 percent, further increases to 95 percent could save a further 68,000 lives by March 1,” the institute reported.
The projection puts California’s deaths by March 1 at 27,073. Currently, the state has reported more than 18,100 deaths due to the virus.
The institute also estimated that, as of Nov. 9, 12 percent of the people in the United States have been infected with COVID-19. That ranges from 1 percent in Vermont to 24 percent in New Jersey. California’s infection rate is reported as between 7.5 and 9.9 percent.
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. – As the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office continues to process ballots from the Nov. 3 election, elections officials are also working to verify signatures or get signatures on ballots that were returned unsigned.
Registrar Maria Valadez reported that she is planning to have Lake County’s election results certified by Dec. 1, which is the deadline she has to report the results for the presidential election to the Secretary of State’s Office, with other state and local contests having a Dec. 4 deadline.
Valadez previously reported that more than 18,000 ballots remained to be processed following Election Day, by the end of which more than 11,000 had been counted.
Lake County’s unprocessed ballots are among more than 1.4 million across California yet to be counted, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
In a message on the elections office’s website this week, Valadez emphasized that the Nov. 3 election results are not final and that her staff members “are working very diligently on completing all tasks required to certify the election.”
Valadez said there are many checks and balances when certifying the election results. “The process of certifying election results, also known as the Official Canvass, is mandated by state law to make sure the public can have confidence in the integrity of the final results.”
One of those steps is dealing with unsigned vote-by-mail ballots or vote-by-mail ballots where there are discrepancies in signatures.
Valadez’s office sent out signature verification or unsigned ballot envelope statements to voters whose ballots were found to have those issues.
Voters who received the notices are being urged to return the completed forms either by mail, fax, email or in-person by noon on Tuesday, Dec. 1.
Valadez’s office emphasized that it cannot count a voter’s vote-by-mail ballot if the completed and signed statement is not returned by that Dec. 1 deadline.
Valadez also issued an update on her website explaining why Lake County’s preliminary results displayed 70 out of 70 precincts as 100-percent reported despite ballots remaining to be counted.
“Lake County has 70 voting precincts, which are composed of 50 voting precincts and 20 mail ballot precincts. Just as we must do for every election, we are required to make certain reports to the Secretary of State’s office,” Valadez wrote.
She said election code requires officials to conduct a semifinal official canvass by tabulating vote-by-mail and precinct ballots and compiling the results. “The semifinal official canvass shall commence immediately upon the close of the polls and shall continue without adjournment until all precincts are accounted for.”
Valadez explained that, for every election, by the end of the night, after all voting precincts have reported back to her office, her office must report to the Secretary of State’s Office that ballots for all voting precincts – including mail ballot precincts – cast on election night have been counted and reported.
“Therefore our last report to the Secretary of State’s office must indicate that the 70 voting precincts have been reported at 100%.” she wrote.
She said elections law also requires her to transmit the semifinal official results to the Secretary of State’s Office upon closing of the polls, by 8 p.m. and no later than 10 p.m. Afterward, reports must be submitted on a two-hour basis until the semifinal official canvass is completed.
When reporting to the Secretary of State’s Office, Valadez said her final end-of-night report must match the number of reportable precincts – in this case, 70 – before the semifinal official canvass can be considered completed and final.
As the canvass continues, Valadez – as per longtime county protocol – will not update results until the final certified results are completed.
“We do not interrupt the careful steps that we take during the Canvass to release interim unofficial results,” she wrote. “Interim unofficial results have no bearing on the final outcome of the races and contests. Only final certified results will impact the races and contests,” she said in her online statement.
For more information, contact the Registrar of Voters Office at 707-263-2372 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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. – As the number of older drivers continues to grow, the California Highway Patrol is determined to help them maintain their driving independence for as long as they can safely drive.
Through the support of a yearlong federal grant, Keeping Everyone Safe, or KEYS, XII, the CHP will continue its traffic safety program that places an emphasis on roadway safety and mobility for California’s seniors.
The overall goal of the grant-funded Age Well, Drive Smart program is to reduce the number of fatal and injury crashes caused by drivers aged 65 and older. The program focuses on safe driving practices and current California driving laws.
The curriculum also addresses the physical and mental changes associated with aging that can affect a person’s driving skills, while offering possible corrective options.
“As we get older, we gain valuable experience including driving skills. However, age can also introduce new challenges,” said CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley. “The Age Well, Drive Smart program is intended to assist California’s most experienced drivers in evaluating their own abilities and improving on them.”
To attend a free, two-hour Age Well, Drive Smart class, contact the nearest CHP Area office. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, online courses may be available.
The CHP’s Clear Lake Area office can be reached at 707-279-0103.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of safety, service and security.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service is forecasting cloudy skies, rain and cooler temperatures over the coming week.
The agency reported that a strong storm system is forecast to move across Northern California on Friday, with the potential for “widespread beneficial rainfall,” along with gusty south winds and mountain snow.
Rainfall is expected to take place in Lake County between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Friday, according to the forecast.
The National Weather Service said a quarter of an inch to three-quarters of an inch are expected in Lake County.
The forecast calls for chances of rain through Friday night, with a break on Saturday before the possibility of more rain on Saturday night.
Mostly cloudy conditions are anticipated on Sunday and Monday, with slight chances of rain from Tuesday through Thursday.
In the south county, winds of up to 17 miles per hour and gusts of up to 22 miles per hour are forecast on Friday. Lighter winds of up to 7 miles per hour are forecast across the entire county through Sunday.
Temperatures over the coming week will range from the low 50s to high 60s during the day, and drop into the high 30s at night, based on the forecast.
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.
As the nation celebrates our 17 million living veterans, it is also important to know that the number of these heroes who are ending their own lives prematurely is rising.
In the general population, suicide is the 10th most common cause of death, but among veterans with PTSD, it’s fourth. Among veterans younger than 35, it’s second. Suicide rates are also rising among members of the military. Since 2017, rates for active-duty service members have been above those of civilians. The same is true for National Guard service members since 2015 and and nonactive veterans for the past decade.
I’m a researcher who studies risk and resilience in military and veteran families. I can tell you that the single most common stressor for those who attempt or complete suicide is a serious relationship difficulty with an intimate partner or someone else within the previous 90 days. And more than half of service members who attempt or complete suicide had been seen within those 90 days by a medical, mental health or social service professional. Almost one-third communicated a potential for self-harm.
It’s not only medical professionals who can help a veteran who is dealing with despair and contemplating death by suicide. You can also help.
A ‘good catch’
Some recent studies have suggested that a complex array of factors combine to lead a person to contemplate death by suicide. And many things contribute to the feelings of despair that veterans experience.
In addition to post-traumatic stress disorder, other mental health problems and medical challenges, veterans also face unemployment, bereavement and parenting issues. It is easy to understand how veterans might feel overwhelmed and desperate.
Through my work, I’ve heard firsthand the stories of service members and veterans who had decided to take their own lives but did not. Often I’ve observed that it was a “good catch” that did it: a friend or family member answered a call at an odd hour; noticed the person seemed “off” and asked careful questions; stayed with them while summoning professional help; or checked in with them so they wouldn’t feel isolated. Families, friends, neighbors and colleagues all may have opportunities to make these catches.
Peer support programs may also help. Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are effective alone or in combination with clinical treatment for substance use disorders. Results regarding mental health problems such as depression are more mixed, but a consistent finding is that peer support can help promote compliance with treatment, communication with clinicians, improved coping and self-care, and increased feelings of hope and self-efficacy. Studies suggest that peer support can also help people during transition times, particularly when they are leaving military service to return to civilian life.
Veterans themselves are taking action. In the Department of Veterans Affairs, peer facilitators are key to a new “whole health” approach. American Legion members also offer support aimed at preventing suicide. Across the country, veterans treatment courts routinely include mentors to boost the success of clients.
Peer support is out there
Not all peers have to be veterans. Sometimes the strongest connections are with those who have had different challenges and who also can therefore relate – like a family member’s addiction, or one’s own disability or mental health problem.
We can all help to prevent death by suicide. And joining a peer support program or training to make ourselves ready aren’t the only ways. Simply being more attentive as a friend, family member, neighbor or colleague can help.
It is normal for a person to feel awkward when talking to someone contemplating death by suicide. Learning is a great way to prepare. For example, “Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR)” is evidence-based training that can help anyone recognize early warning signs of suicide, learn ways to offer hope and encouragement, and connect with help.
On this Veterans Day, by all means, let’s thank veterans for their service. But perhaps we could challenge ourselves to go further and do service on behalf of others. Who knows what opportunities might arise to make a good catch?
Only 12 light years from Earth, Tau Ceti is the closest single star similar to the Sun and an all-time favorite in sci-fi stories. Habitable worlds orbiting Tau Ceti were destinations of fictional starships like “The Expanse”‘s Nauvoo and “Barbarella”’s vessel. “Star Trek”’s Captain Picard also frequented an exotic bar in the system. Now, thanks to a new approach to analyzing nearby planetary systems, we have a deeper understanding of the actual worlds that orbit Tau Ceti and many other nearby stars.
Exoplanets – worlds around other stars – have long been staples of science fiction but remained mostly inaccessible to scientific investigations. This all changed over the past decade, when NASA’s Kepler and TESS exoplanet hunter space telescopes added thousands of new planets to the previously short tally of alien worlds.
We have now developed a novel way to figure out whether there are yet-undiscovered planets in these systems. We realized that by combining what is known about a given planetary system with simple statistical rules, we can predict where yet-undetected planets may reside and how large they may be – just like guessing what pieces are missing from a partially completed puzzle. The new analysis can guide discoveries of new planets, help complete maps of planetary systems in the solar neighborhood and inform future searches for life.
Building up systems with Dynamite
Our model, nicknamed Dynamite, combines four ingredients to predict hidden worlds. First, Dynamite considers the locations and sizes of all currently known planets in a given system. In general, the more planets that are known in the system, the easier it is to predict whether any are missing. The second consideration is knowing that planets are more likely to be closer to the star than farther out. Dynamite uses a mathematical description – built up through statistical studies of thousands of known exoplanets – of how far from their host star planets are likely to be.
Although planets are likely to be closer to their host stars, they cannot all be jammed together. Planets all attract each other via gravity, which is much stronger when the planets are closer. Thus, planets that are too close will distort each others orbits, often leading to chaotic interactions and even the ejection of one of the planets from their birth systems. This criterion for stability is the third important element that Dynamite uses to predict the architecture of the planetary system.
The fourth component is a mathematical pattern in the lengths of the orbits of adjacent planets (some configurations are more likely than others). Put together, Dynamite tries to build model planetary systems that are similar to actual planetary systems, with a compact and stable collection of planets orbiting their host stars.
We were not sure whether such a relatively simple recipe could be used to successfully predict missing planets. To test Dynamite, we gave it some known multi-planet systems with a twist: In each system we hid one or two of the known planets from the algorithm. In the cases tested, Dynamite successfully predicted whether one or two planets are missing and where those planets could be, and could even guess their sizes correctly.
Today, Dynamite can be tested only on systems with planetary orbits similar to that of Earth’s or smaller. That’s because we lack data on outer planetary systems, so we cannot yet detect far-flung planets – the equivalent of Neptune. More data will allow Dynamite’s four rules of building a planetary system to be refined and its predictions improved. Still, our predictions for over 50 partially explored planetary systems, discovered by NASA’s TESS space telescope, are already guiding the search for hidden worlds.
Searching for life in nearby systems
The most exciting planets to predict and hunt for will be the closest ones to us – the worlds we will likely target in future searches for signatures of extraterrestrial life.
Based on our model, we predict that three of the planet candidates are real planets. What’s more, we predict that another, yet unseen world exists. This new planet, which we call Tau Ceti PxP-4, is particularly exciting as it is within the temperate zone of Tau Ceti – the region around the star where a planet similar to Earth would be habitable. Our analysis shows that PxP-4 may be a gaseous planet, akin to our Neptune, but smaller and warmer. We find, however, that PxP-4 is more likely to be a rocky planet, although larger than Earth.
Such a world may be detectable in the coming years with the newest planet-hunting instruments and, if confirmed, would be a prime target for future searches for life. And, perhaps – one day in the distant future – Tau Ceti’s PxP-4 may even be home to an exotic bar popular among Starfleet officers.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control has a group of big dogs and a little one, too, needing homes.
The following dogs are ready for adoption or foster.
‘Bella’
“Bella” is a female American Bully mix.
She has a short beige and tan coat.
She is dog No. 3537.
‘Cinderella’
“Cinderella” is a small female terrier mix.
She has a short wiry white coat.
She is dog No. 4346.
‘Inky’
“Inky” is a male German Shepherd mix.
He has a long smooth black coat.
He is dog No. 4324.
‘Jack’
“Jack” is a male Labrador Retriever mix with a short yellow coat.
He is dog No. 4155.
‘Smokey’
“Smokey” is a male American Staffordshire Terrier mix.
He has a short gray coat.
He is dog No. 4347.
The shelter is open by appointment only due to COVID-19.
Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions and schedule a visit to the shelter.
Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.
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.
The California Department of Transportation is looking for 150 volunteers for continued research on a road user charge as an alternative to the state gas tax.
The California Road Charge Phased Demonstration will first explore how drivers could be charged for the miles they travel rather than the gasoline they use by testing a user-friendly pay-at-the-pump and electric vehicle charging station system, or through a usage-based insurance approach.
Participants will be eligible to receive up to $100 in incentives each for their time and feedback.
Future phases of the Caltrans demonstration will include testing of app-based payment of rideshare miles and capturing data from autonomous vehicles.
Taxes on fuel are the primary source of state funding for road and highway repairs and upgrades.
With vehicles growing more fuel-efficient and more zero-emission options becoming available, Caltrans is testing various methods to collect per-mileage fees in a system where drivers contribute based on how much they use the road.
“Caltrans is continuing its research to explore how a future road user charge can fund transportation projects throughout the state,” said Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. “We want Californians to join us in testing payment options that will inform our research in designing an equitable and sustainable road charge program.”
The six-month demonstration will start in January 2021 and builds on California’s 2017 Road Charge Pilot, that tested the feasibility of funding road and highway repairs based on how many miles a driver travels instead of how much gas they purchase.
Volunteer for the demonstration by completing the participant recruitment survey. Participants must be California residents over the age of 18, and do not need to own or lease a vehicle in order to participate.
The Road Charge Program is working to develop a fairer, more transparent, and more sustainable way to fund road and highway repairs based on how many miles Californians drive, instead of how many gallons of gas they buy.
Visit www.CARoadCharge.com to learn more about the California Road Charge Pilot and the Road Charge Program.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – After years of work and collaboration by local agencies and organizations, Lake County’s first permanent housing facility dedicated to addressing homelessness officially opened on Thursday.
Hope Center, a project of Hope Rising Lake County in partnership with numerous local agencies and the city of Clearlake, is located at 3400 Emerson St. in Clearlake.
It was celebrated during a small, socially-distanced ceremony on Thursday afternoon, witnessed by local officials, partners and the center’s eight new employees.
The building, which formerly housed medical offices, was purchased by Adventist Health. It’s now been remodeled into a 20-bed transitional housing facility, with a kitchen, conference and meeting rooms, and other amenities.
The project has been the work of years by a number of dedicated partners, but earlier this year it looked like it had stalled, as construction halted and grant funding “vaporized,” according to Hope Rising Executive Director Allison Panella.
But big ideas have a way of overcoming even the greatest of obstacles.
Shelly Trumbo, Adventist Health’s vice president of community integration who was Hope Rising’s interim executive director at its founding, suggested that central to the Hope Center is a “love ethic,” and quoting the definition of love in 1 Corinthians Chapter 13, Trumbo added, “Love never gives up.”
In January, Panella and Shannon Kimbell-Auth, Adventist Health’s manager for community integration who will now head up the staff at Hope Center, went to the Clearlake City Council to request financial assistance to get the center’s doors opened.
The council was open to the proposal and followed up in April by approving a memorandum of understanding with Adventist Health Clear Lake and Hope Rising Lake County in which the city contributed $500,000 in bond funds for the Hope Center.
Then, in September, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that Lake County had received funding as part of the third round of awards for Project Homekey, a program administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development that is making $600 million available to local public entities to provide long-term housing for people experiencing homelessness.
The Hope Center received $3.38 million from that Project Homekey funding round.
Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, on hand in person for the Thursday ceremony, said the Project Homekey grant was “significant,” and will fund Lake County’s first permanent housing center for the homeless.
Aguiar-Curry recognized the strong efforts of local officials and the resulting partnerships in creating the center.
Congressman Mike Thompson, in a video shown at the ceremony, also heralded the work of the public and private partners whose work has made the Hope Center a reality.
Trumbo noted during the ceremony that while love is the motivator for the work, “There’s nothing soft about standing alongside a human being and supporting them through their journey of transformation. That’s the work that’s going to be happening here, and that’s love, and it’s strong and it’s solid.”
She added, “Revolutions don’t just happen in big moments in public view, they happen in small ways of people coming together.”
One of the key partners in creating the Hope Center is Adventist Health Clear Lake.
The hospital’s president and CEO, David Santos, recalled arriving in Lake County in 2009 and seeing the county’s needs, which set him on a path to addressing addiction and mental illness. That, in turn, led to focusing on “high utilizers,” those who frequently use hospital and other services in the community. He said his goal was to instill hope in both patients and health care providers.
“Today, I declare, we’ve reached a tipping point,” said Santos, who believes that Lake County is creating a rural health model not just for California but for the rest of the nation.
Panella said the Hope Center is unique; it exists because of a network of agencies that worked together.
Those agencies include the city of Clearlake, Lake County Behavioral Health Services, Lake County Continuum of Care, Partnership HealthPlan, the Lake County Health Department, the Department of Social Services, North Coast Opportunities, Adventist Health and Redwood Community Services.
Panella recounted earlier this year meeting at the site with Kimbell-Auth, City Manager Alan Flora, City Councilman Russell Perdock, who also is an Adventist Health staffer. At that point, construction had stalled and grant funding – along with their dreams – had depleted.
At the same time, they found the Hope Center sign had been vandalized, with the “Hope” turned to “Nope.”
But the woman who vandalized the sign came to them that day, admitted what she did, then asked to make amends by cleaning the sign. She then asked to help weed the property, which Panella said she did.
Panella said everybody needs the opportunity to go from “nope to hope.”
Following a ribbon-cutting in front of the building, Kimbell-Auth and other staff led an in-person and virtual tour of the facility and invited people to plant flower seeds and bulbs in the flower beds around the building.
Kimbell-Auth said the people who will live at the center will be called “participants” rather than “clients.”
“They’re participating in their own housing navigation plan,” she explained.
As part of their responsibilities, participants will have access to Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings, and do daily chores like mopping floors, emptying trash and cleaning bathrooms.
To become a sponsor, volunteer or provide a meal for Hope Center participants, visit www.hoperisinglc.org.
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.l
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council has voted to shift more than $800,000 from city reserves to cover additional costs of developing the new Lakefront Park.
The council, in a 4-0 vote, approved the proposal from city staff at its Nov. 3 meeting. Councilwoman Stacey Mattina recused herself from the discussion because she owns property nearby.
The seven-acre Lakefront Park is located at 800 and 810 N. Main St.
The city received a $5.9 million state grant in April that included funds to cover the purchase of the two properties for the park, including an acre and a half the city purchased from the Hotaling family for $50,000 and a 5.3-acre parcel purchased for $660,000 from the Lakeport Unified School District in late spring.
City Manager Kevin Ingram went to the council on Nov. 3 to ask for its direction on next steps.
The city had approved the park site plan in August. Key amenities include a lakeside promenade, basketball court, ninja gym, amphitheater, splash pad, skate park, multiuse lawn area, large sheltered picnic area, bathroom/concession building, public art, parking lot, landscaping and lighting. It also sets aside an area that would eventually be the location of a boathouse for the Clear Lake Scullers.
Ingram explained in his written report that city staff, in working with SSA Landscape Architects – the firm the city hired to work on the park’s planning, design, engineering and project management – discovered that it was going to exceed the $4.5 million in the grant to cover construction.
Ingram’s report attributed the cost overruns to factors including “extremely high construction costs and unfavorable geotechnical issues.”
Staff and SSA reevaluated the plan and came up with ways of bringing the project back within its budget, but that would mean curtailing some amenities, such as the skatepark, which was set for a 35-percent cutback, a reduction of about $124,000.
Other park amenities also were slated for cutbacks totaling just over $585,000. The only items not slated for cuts, and which were proposed for increases, included landscaping and pathways, the amphitheater, basketball court, public art and the boat ramp renovation. Ingram said the fitness park was completely removed from those scaled-back plans.
However, Ingram offered another option – using general fund reserves of up to $805,570 to restore some of the amenities.
Ingram told the council at the Nov. 3 meeting that even with proposed cuts, it will still be a great park.
“This is a one-time project. It’s a very exciting project,” he said.
While using reserves is a sticky issue, Ingram said the city has a very healthy level of reserves – about $5 million – and the park is a special project that rises to the level of consideration for use of those funds.
“Parks are economic drivers. They do help us grow our revenues,” he said, noting that they act as anchors for the city’s downtown area.
He also pointed out that the council had been prepared to purchase the property for the park with general fund money before it knew that the grant would cover it.
Councilman Kenny Parlet noted during the discussion, as he has in previous matters relating to capital projects, that putting them off only costs the city more money in the long run.
“I believe that anything we don’t do now is lost forever,” Parlet said, adding that every time they wait even six months, the cost of construction often doubles.
Parlet said he’d spoken with city Finance Director Nick Walker who told him that the city has extremely healthy reserves.
“I believe that we should do everything that we can to put this thing together in its entirety,” even if it requires tapping into reserves, Parlet said.
Parlet said the economy overall is expected to be extremely robust for the coming decade and that the park will be good for the local economy.
Ingram also told the council during the meeting that timing was an issue, that they needed to be able to get the project bid out in time to meet the state grant’s deadline to be open to the public. That was the driving factor for bringing it forward this month for discussion.
Like Ingram, Parlet noted that the city hadn’t expected to get the money to cover the property purchase.
“We knew that this was a great investment,” Parlet said. “We were going to buy that property come hell or high water.”
Councilwoman Mireya Turner moved to approve spending $805,570 in reserves to cover the increased expenses and to amend the budget, which Parlet seconded and the council approved 4-0.
At the same meeting, the council also voted to rename the city’s downtown walking trail in honor of Ann Blue, who worked tirelessly to establish it; and voted to relocate the two 20-minute designated parking spaces adjacent to City Hall from Park Street to Second Street, along with adopting revisions to the Green Zones, or limited parking areas, and two-hour parking resolutions to reflect the changes.
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. – On Wednesday, Nov. 11, the United States will commemorate the service and sacrifices of millions of members of the armed forces during the course of the nation’s history.
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation declaring Nov. 11 as Veterans Day in California.
“Today, nearly 1.6 million veterans live and work in our state, and many more Californians have close family members who are veterans. These individuals continue to serve their communities as small business owners, civic leaders, first responders, volunteers, mentors and in countless other roles and professions,” Gov. Newsom said.
“We set aside this day to recognize the personal sacrifices American heroes have made to defend our Constitution and the freedoms it guarantees, but also to recognize the enduring respect they deserve every day. Some members of our veteran population experience homelessness, mental health disorders and other challenges after military service. In our boundless gratitude for their service, we must continue our efforts to support veterans and address these important issues,” Newsom said.
Newsom quoted President Harry S Truman, "Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices."
The Veterans Day we know today has its origins in Armistice Day, Nov. 11, 1919, which marked the one-year anniversary of the end of World War I. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed that first observance.
Armistice Day became an annual observance when Congress passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926. A bill passed by Congress in May 1938 made Armistice Day a national holiday, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The VA reported that Armistice Day originally focused on honoring World War I veterans. However, in recognition of the efforts of veterans in World War II and the Korea War, in 1954 Congress changed the name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day to make it a day for honoring veterans of all wars.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower, one of the United States’ World War II generals, signed the 1954 bill changing the holiday’s name to Veterans Day, and in October of that year would issue the first Veterans Day proclamation, the VA reported.
Lake County is reported to have one of the highest per-capita veterans populations in the state, and it’s also home to a Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in Clearlake.
In recognition of its veterans, Lake County over the years has been home to a large countywide Veterans Day ceremony, but COVID-19 has not allowed for that celebration in 2020.
In his proclamation, Newsom noted, “The ongoing pandemic will alter the way we recognize Veterans Day this year in many parts of the state. Though it restricts or prevents the parades, picnics and other gatherings that have become tradition over the decades, it cannot and will not diminish our love, respect and continued support for veterans.”
Census Bureau reports on numbers of veterans in California, across the nation
The US Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey gave the following breakdown of veterans, by period of service, nationwide and in California:
• Gulf War (9/2001 or later) veterans: 3,772,708 (US); 320,701 (California). • Gulf War (8/1990 to 8/2001) veterans: 3,834,993 (US); 280,799 (California). • Vietnam era veterans: 6,192,877 (US); 530,839 (California). • Korean War veterans: 1,156,096 (US); 111,163 (California). • World War II veterans: 380,327 (US); 40,005 (California).
The following facts are possible thanks to U.S. Census Bureau surveys.
17.4 million The number of military veterans in the United States in 2019.
1.6 million The number of female veterans in the United States in 2019.
12.3 percent The percentage of veterans in 2019 who were Black. Additionally, 76.2 percent were non-Hispanic White; 1.8 percent were Asian; 0.8 percent were American Indian or Alaska Native; 0.2 percent were Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; and 1.4 percent were some other race. (The numbers cover only those reporting a single race.)
7.2 percent The percentage of veterans in 2018 who were Hispanic.
50.4 percent The percentage of veterans age 65 and older in 2019. At the other end of the age spectrum, 8.4 percent were younger than age 35.
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