State Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones is encouraging all Californians to understand their financial needs as they move toward retirement in honor of National Retirement Planning Week, April 3 through 7.

People are living longer than ever before so it is important consumers evaluate how much money they will need to retire. Annuities can provide a steady income after retirement and increase financial security.

"Whether you are a Baby Boomer, Gen Xer or a Millennial, you need to be proactive and have a plan for retirement," said Insurance Commissioner Jones. "It is crucial that Californians are aware of their retirement options, including annuities, to ensure their future financial security."

Each day 10,000 Baby Boomers across the nation leave the workforce and enter retirement and by 2030, one in five Californians will be 65 or older.

Many of those entering retirement today are largely unsure of their financial futures, but there are steps everyone can take. The first step is developing a plan for retirement to help realize retirement dreams and ensure future financial security.

Another step to consider is purchasing annuities, which can ensure a steady income after retirement, but can also be very confusing and not suitable for everyone.

An annuity is an investment so it is important for consumers to be cautious and determine their needs before signing a contract. The Department of Insurance has created a list of things to consider before buying annuities.

Informed consumers are less likely to make mistakes. Consumers are urged to make sure their agent's license is current and the company is licensed by the California Department of Insurance.

If consumers have questions or concerns the Department's Consumer Services Division is available to assist at 1-800-927-4357.

National Retirement Planning Week is a national effort to help consumers focus on their financial needs in retirement.

While National Retirement Planning Week is only one week every year, resources and tools to help Californians plan for retirement are available year round at www.RetireOnYourTerms.org .

Bryce Warren Smith Sr.
June 18, 1933 - April 3, 2017

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Longtime Lake County resident Bryce W. Smith, age 83, passed away on April 3 in Clearlake losing his fight against lymphoma.

Bryce was a fifth generation Lake County resident. He was born in Upper Lake to Wilbert “Webb” and Effie Smith.

As a boy, he said he used diamonds he found for slingshot ammunition. He was raised by his Grandmother Effie in Cobb Valley at the old Smith home site. He would make a sandwich for lunch and walk throughout the Kelseyville area returning in the evening, something unheard of today.

When his father forced him to dig a septic tank in clay around their Lakeport house he joined the Navy instead.

His first naval job was an aircraft mechanic. In his first year a chief grabbed him after he slipped on a tire almost falling into a running propeller.

He decided to change careers and worked on simulators for the rest of his time in the Navy where he was stationed in Hawaii, Mare Island and San Diego.

He later continued his career in simulators by working on driving trainers in high schools all along the west coast and Alaska.

He loved hunting and enjoyed serving with the Safari Club and the Elks. He had four children with his first wife: Bryce Jr., Frank, Kenneth and Monica. His marriage with Bessie brought step-daughter Janet and step-son Russell into the family.

He is survived by his wife, Bessie; son, Frank; daughter, Monica; step-daughters, Janet and Deena; step-son, Russell; and grandchildren, April, Jessica, Caleb “CJ,” Justin and Logen.

Visitation will held at Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 1625 N. High St. in Lakeport, on Saturday, April 8, from 10 to 11 a.m., with funeral service to follow at 11 a.m.

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

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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – On Saturday, April 8, the Spring of Hope fire benefit will be held from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at Big Valley Hall, 1510 Big Valley Road.

Proceeds will be utilized by Hope City to purchase materials to rebuild homes lost in the Valley and Clayton fires with insufficient or no insurance.

Hope City is a project of the disaster relief agency Hope Crisis Response Network from Elkhart, Ind.  They can be found locally at their new office at 21277 Calistoga Street in Middletown, at the former sheriff’s substation.

Spring of Hope will feature dinner music by Levity, a seven-piece acoustic folky-rock band with a sense of humor.

Their members play an interesting array of instruments including: accordion, banjo, dobro, mandola, mandolin, melodica, harmonica, percussion, bass, guitar, saxophone and violin.

Double Standyrd from Ukiah will bring dancing music from 7:15 to 9:30 pm. The six-piece band performs classic rock and blues, Southern rock and other favorites to keep audiences dancing.

Tickets are $10, at the door only. Dinner will be sold for $8, as a benefit for Big Valley Hall renovations.

Big Valley Hall, formerly known as Big Valley Grange, is well known for their first Sunday breakfasts and holiday craft fairs. 

Dinner will be homemade beef or vegan Tuscan bean stew on mashed potatoes with salad and homemade dressing. Dessert, soft drinks, wine and beer will be sold separately. Bring extra for the raffle and silent auction. 

Thanks to sponsors Jonathan Smith of CANI Painting in Lakeport, Horn's Pest Control in Lakeport, Brad White of American Plumbing Co. in Kelseyville and Lake County Contractors, who have been busy rebuilding on Cobb.

Spring of Hope is produced by Spotlight On Productions in partnership with The Time Bank of Thrive Lake County, KPFZ and individual community members.

More information and photos are on Facebook at Lake County Fire Recovery Benefits. Questions can also be left at 707-278-7126.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Edward “Big Ed” Peters was born on Aug. 24, 1945, and passed away peacefully on April 1, 2017.

He is survived by his wife, Georgine; sons, Jason (Heather) Hunt and James Peters; grandchildren, Neveah Peters and Danny Hunt; and brother, John Peters.

Ed enjoyed fishing, working on old cars, open-wheel sprint car racing, drawing, playing the piano and his beloved cats.

Anyone who came across Ed always had a story to tell. He was truly one of a kind. Ed will be missed by his family and his vast amount of friends.

The family wants to thank everyone for their condolences during this difficult time.

A celebration of life will be held on June 10 at 1 p.m. at Highland Springs in Lakeport. Everyone is invited to come and share stories.

Rest in peace, “Big Ed.”

Arrangements entrusted to Jones Mortuary FD311 Lakeport, www.jonesmortuary.com .

On Wednesday, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) joined Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) and more than 150 original cosponsors in introducing the Social Security 2100 Act.

This bill would increase Social Security benefits for all beneficiaries, reduce taxes and prevent seniors from retiring into poverty.

“Social Security is the bedrock of our retirement program and a lifeline for seniors,” said Thompson. “Millions of seniors rely on Social Security for most of their income – especially after the 2008 financial crisis wiped out so many traditional pensions. Congress needs to make sure Social Security continues to fulfill its promise to men and women who worked hard, played by the rules, and paid into the system all their lives.”

He added, “This is personal for me. My grandmother worked her entire life, but when she retired, she received a pension of only about $53 a month. If it weren’t for Social Security, she wouldn’t have survived. Millions of American families can share similar stories. I’m proud to join Rep. Larson in introducing this plan to raise benefits and strengthen Social Security for generations to come.”

The Social Security 2100 Act would:

– Increase benefits by 2 percent for all beneficiaries.
– Cut taxes by raising the income thresholds before Social Security is taxed. Currently, individuals who earn $24,000 a year and couples who earn $32,000 a year are taxed on benefits they receive. This plan would raise those thresholds to $50,000 and $100,000 respectively, resulting in a tax cut for about 11 million Americans.
– Raise the new minimum benefit for Social Security to 120 percent of the poverty line, preventing seniors from being able to retire into poverty.
– Change the formula for calculating the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) to better reflect the actual expenses seniors face.
– Ensure millionaires and billionaires continue to pay into the Social Security Trust Fund at the same rate as everyone else.

Later this month, Reps. Thompson and Larson will hold a series of Town Hall Meetings in California’s Fifth Congressional District to discuss this proposal and hear from local seniors. Additional details will follow.

President Trump and his disastrous Environmental Protection Agency has, as one of its first actions, chosen not to ban chlorpyrifos, a chemical that is shown in peer-reviewed study after study to damage our children’s brains.

Instead they chose to protect the profits of a pesticide maker – Dow AgroSciences. Maybe if our kids had $1 million to contribute to the president’s inaugural committee, as Dow AgroSciences did, they could have gotten a life-saving reprieve.

Twenty percent of this pesticide usage is in California, some right here in Lake County.

In a report in 2015, the EPA, under a different administration where science counted, expressed concern for "workers who mix, load and apply chlorpyrifos to agricultural and other non-residential sites and workers re-entering treated areas after application."

In several studies, the chemical has been found it in the urine of kids who live near treated fields.

Once again, President Trump shows that his Make America Great Again strategy is designed for billionaires and corporations and “everyday people” (including our vulnerable kids) will be left behind.

Please write your state representatives and the governor and ask them to ban this dangerous pesticide in California. At least we can try to save ourselves.

Gillian Parrillo lives in north Lakeport, Calif.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – In honor of California Safety Seat Checkup Week, April 2 to 8, AAA is reinforcing its commitment to Child Passenger Safety by promoting free child seat inspections at participating branches, throughout the year to the general public.

Membership with AAA is not required to receive this free public service.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 90 percent of child safety seats are used incorrectly.

Helping to reduce that statistic is the cause of AAA’s Child Passenger Safety program, which is committed to ensuring parents are confident knowing that their child is safe because their car seat was properly installed.

“AAA has been a leader and advocate for traffic safety for over a 100 years, and one area we’ve been particularly committed to is child passenger safety. That’s why we offer this free service to the entire community,” said John Moreno, spokesperson for AAA Northern California. “We want to help give families some peace of mind knowing that they’re traveling as safe as possible if an accident were to occur.”

AAA offers free inspection services with certified child passenger safety technicians at most branches in Northern California to educate families on how to properly secure their children in car and booster seats.

To book an appointment, or to find a AAA technician near you, visit www.aaa.com/carseats .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Richard Douglas Pierceall, age 71, went to be with the Lord on Friday, March 24, 2017 in Clearlake.

A native of San Francisco, and formerly of San Mateo, he lived in Lake County for 14 years.

Richard worked as a Teamster for United Parcel Service for over 35 years. He was a member of the American Legion Post 437, Moose Lodge #2284, he was a “Godfather for Life” at St. Vincent’s School for Boys, a season ticket holder San Francisco 49ers fan.

He served his country as a PFC in the United States Marine Corps. As a young man, Richard was a Devil Pup.

When he was 12 years old, his first job was delivering papers for the Call Bulletin in San Francisco delivering in the Sea Cliff area, where he lived. Throughout Richard's life, his closest friend, mentor, and confidant was the owner of the Call Bulletin, Mr. Ken Ingles, who passed away in 2008 and they spoke every single day on the phone.

He is survived by his loving wife of 34 years, Diane Pierceall of Clearlake; son, Ric Silva of Redwood City; a half-sister, Celine Pierceall-Heinze of Seattle; and many friends.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, April 5, at Jones & Lewis Clear Lake Memorial Chapel, where a Catholic funeral service will begin at 10 am. Military Honors to be rendered by the United States Marine Corps under the auspices of Lake County Funeral Honors Team.

Interment will be on Thursday, April 6, at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, Colma beginning at 1 p.m.

Please make a generous donation in Richard’s memory to St. Vincent’s School for Boys, 1 St. Vincent’s Drive, San Rafael, CA 94903.

Arrangements under the care of Jones & Lewis Clear Lake Memorial Chapel. Please share your loving memories of Richard by signing his online guestbook at www.jonesandlewis.com and www.legacy.com .

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