WASHINGTON, DC – On Thursday, Congressman John Garamendi (D-Fairfield, Davis, Yuba City, Calif.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, announced the introduction of H.R. 6319, the National Guard Pay Integrity Act.

The bill is meant to protect nearly 10,000 soldiers from attempts by the Department of Defense to reclaim the bonuses and incentives they were paid upon enlisting reenlisting during our nation’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“These brave men and women signed up to serve our country, and believed in return that the country would have their back. We need to have their backs too,” said Garamendi. “The Department of Defense has taken a necessary first step by stopping collection efforts, but that is far from enough. My legislation will solve the problem by eliminating these debts entirely for those who accepted bonuses in good faith.”

Congressman Garamendi’s comprehensive legislation will not only protect guardsmen from future collection efforts, but also allow any guardsman who has already paid back a bonus wholly or in part to obtain reimbursement.

It also includes measures to protect student loan payments that were made on guardsmen’s behalf as part of a recruitment or re-enlistment bonus, while excluding anyone who obtained a bonus through their own fraud or misrepresentation.

“Our veterans made tremendous sacrifices, and should not pay the price for mistakes made by recruiters. Congress should act as soon as possible to honor the promises we made,” Garamendi said.

The legislation is co-sponsored by Reps. Sherman (D-CA), DeFazio (D-OR) and McGovern (D-MA).

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Construction of house No. 20 is in full swing and Habitat for Humanity Lake County is seeking volunteers to help the Pantoja family through the building process. 

Trancito and Juana Pantoja currently live in an overcrowded, rundown home with their five children and have been working hard to bring their dream of a better home for their family to fruition.

Volunteering can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience, and gets you custom-designed shirt for your efforts, as well as the camaraderie with other volunteers and the satisfaction of knowing you have built a home for those in need of a decent place to live. 

If you have construction experience, or are interested in gaining some, and are interested in helping the Pantojas celebrate the upcoming holidays in their new home, please contact Laurie at 707-994-1100, Extension 103, or email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to find out how you can help.

SACRAMENTO – The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office this week is recognizing and celebrating the second annual National Apprenticeship Week.

It runs Nov. 14 through 20 and is designed to provide the apprenticeship community the opportunity to recognize success stories of apprentices, businesses, labor, education and other entities that contribute to longstanding, successful and sustainable apprenticeship programs.

“Apprenticeships are a proven for training a strong workforce, through which one generation of skilled workers pass essential skills to another,” said Van Ton-Quinlivan, vice chancellor for workforce and economic development. “Our community colleges are proud to support tens of thousands of students every year through apprenticeships that put them on a fast track to well-paying, lifelong careers.”

More than 430,000 Americans participate in apprenticeship program each year across the country. With more than 70,000 registered apprentices in more than 300 occupations, California has the largest apprenticeship system in the country.

It is also one of the most diverse, serving a substantial number of woman, veterans and under-represented populations in every region of the state. And, apprenticeship programs will only continue to expand in California.

With the passage of the 2015-16 and 2016-17 state budgets, Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature have approved $30 million to develop new and innovative apprenticeship programs in regionally focused priority and emerging industry sectors, occupations and trades.

Many of the state’s existing programs are connected directly with California Community Colleges. The system has approximately 25,000 apprentices enrolled in more than 160 apprenticeship programs comprised of a total of 66 trades/crafts titles located on 39 campuses.

The Chancellor’s Office works in close collaboration with the California Labor Agency, Division of Apprenticeship Standards, California Workforce Investment Board, Employment Training Panel and Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development to ensure the success, investment and growth of apprenticeship programs.

More on the California Community Colleges apprenticeship program can be found at: http://extranet.cccco.edu/Divisions/WorkforceandEconDev/PolicyAlignmentandOutreach/Apprenticeship.aspx .

Hundreds of events are under way across the nation this week to showcase apprenticeship programs. A full listing of National Apprenticeship Week events in California can be found at http://www.dir.ca.gov/das/National_Apprenticeship_Week.htm .

The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation composed of 72 districts and 113 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year.

For more information about the community colleges, please visit http://californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu/ , https://www.facebook.com/CACommColleges or https://twitter.com/CalCommColleges .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Marvin Ellentuck, 90, died Oct. 29, 2016, at Clearlake after a brief illness.

Born July 3, 1926, in Los Angeles to Hyman Ellentuck and Edith Rose Rosenthal, Marvin was a World War II veteran. He entered the service on Nov. 15, 1944, at San Francisco, Calif., having completed his high school education, graduating from Commerce High School in 1944.

He completed Cavalry Basic Training at Fort Riley, Kansas, achieved a rifleman qualification, served with military occupation as a personnel clerk-typist, and was deployed overseas with the 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division at Luzon and Japan.

He received awards including the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and the Army of Occupation Medal. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant November 1946 at Camp Beale, Calif.

Marvin married Norma Ilene Pierson, daughter of Albert A. Pierson and Lorene E. Baldwin, in San Francisco on Sept. 6, 1961. Together, they had one child, who died as an infant in 1962.

Marvin worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad Co. for approximately 15 years after the war from 1946 to 1961.

He was predeceased by his wife, Norma Pierson Ellentuck; infant daughter Ellentuck; step-daughter, Susan L. Bryant; brothers, PFC Lawrence Block, killed in action during World War II, and Bernard Block Barrett; and sisters, Selma Evelyn (Block) Schechtman Carparella and Ruth Riva (Block) Hand Haight.

He is survived by his adopted grandson and loving caregiver, Anthony Williams, and young great-grandson, Aiden Williams, both of Lake County, and a niece and great-niece in Texas.

Arrangements for cremation are being handled by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary in Lakeport, Calif.

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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NORTH COAST, Calif. – Caltrans reports that the following road projects will be taking place around Lake County and the North Coast during the coming week.

Included are Mendocino County projects that may impact Lake County commuters.

Caltrans will suspend work on Northern California highways from Wednesday, Nov. 23, through Sunday, Nov. 27, in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, it may be necessary for Caltrans Maintenance forces to respond to emergency situations.

LAKE COUNTY

Highway 20

– Pavement repairs from Sayre Avenue to Paradise Cove will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.
 
Highway 29

– Pavement marker replacement from .3 miles north of the Siegler Canyon Bridge to just north of Cruikshank Road will continue through Friday, Nov. 18. One-way traffic control will be in effect overnight from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., or from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
 
Highway 53

– Rocky Fire cleanup near 40th Avenue will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

– AT&T has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility repairs near Westward Ho Road through Friday, Nov. 18. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance from Old Stageroad Drive to Lighthouse Road through Friday, Nov. 18. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

– Bridge deck repairs at the Brush Creek will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 20
 
– Pavement repairs from the North Calpella Overcrossing to Cold Creek Bridge No. 3 will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect overnight from 7 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 20-minute delays.

Highway 101
 
– Routine maintenance near Frog Woman Rock will continue. Northbound traffic will be restricted to one lane 25 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

– Bridge deck repairs at the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge will continue. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in both directions from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

– PG&E has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility repairs from Feliz Creek to Rosetti Creek through Friday, Nov. 18. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
 
– Pavement marker replacement from just south of Uva Drive to the new junction of Routes 20/101 will continue. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in both directions from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., or overnight from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

– Bridge rail upgrades at the South Willits Overhead will continue. Northbound traffic will be restricted to one lane 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

– Rumble strip installation at various locations from Willits to Confusion Hill will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.

– Emergency slide repairs just south of Standish-Hickey State Park will continue. One-way traffic control with a temporary signal will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 253
 
– Highway repairs east of Cattle Pass will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

The Caltrans Traffic Operations Office has reviewed each project and determined that individual project delays are expected to be less than the statewide policy maximum of 30 minutes, unless noted otherwise above.

For information pertaining to emergency roadwork or for updates to scheduled roadwork, please contact the California Highway Information Network (CHIN) at 1-800-GAS-ROAD (1-800-427-7623).

SACRAMENTO – Continuing California’s groundbreaking effort to better treat and prevent diseases through advanced computing, Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. and the University of California, San Francisco on Thursday announced six new projects have been selected for the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine, or CIAPM.

“These grant winners will harness the power of advanced computing to better treat and prevent diseases,” said Gov. Brown.

Precision medicine aims to use data-driven tools and analysis to develop new diagnostics, therapies and insights into disease.

Last year, California became the first state in the nation to launch a precision medicine initiative when Gov. Brown announced the creation of CIAPM.

Through this program, California is developing demonstration projects that harness the power of advanced computing to better diagnose, treat and prevent disease for all Californians.

“What an exciting time to be a Californian,” said Atul Butte, director, Institute for Computational Health Sciences, Professor of Pediatrics, UCSF and Principal Investigator, California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine. “With these state resources, we are helping to launch six exciting projects in precision medicine, bringing together academics, physicians, small and large businesses, and patients. These projects cover individuals who are healthy and ill, from the youngest to the oldest, and make use of the latest mobile, imaging, wearable, and deep learning technologies, all to push the boundaries of what is possible in medicine.”

The six projects announced Thursday were selected following a rigorous assessment by a selection committee of nationally and internationally recognized experts in genomics, statistics, ethics, cancer, computation and other sciences.

More than 20 organizations from academia, private sector, patient advocate groups, hospital systems and entrepreneurs will be partnering to complete these projects, which will use research, clinical, environmental and population data to better diagnose, treat and prevent disease.

These projects include efforts to:

• Improve the early treatment of prostate cancer through a complex assessment of patient characteristics, cancer severity indicators and genomics.
• Help patients better manage chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and depression by gathering personal health data through their mobile phones.
• Speed the diagnosis of traumatic brain injury, stroke or aneurysm by applying state-of-the-art artificial intelligence technology to computed tomography scanning.
• Create a catalogue of DNA variants to better understand harmful mutations and better identify the causes of disease in children that suffer from difficult to diagnosis conditions.
• Combine several types of clinical data and real-time patient data in an interactive tool that patients with multiple sclerosis and doctors can use to better predict how the disease may develop over time and what can be done to improve outcomes.
• More quickly identify the early signs of cardiovascular disease by, among other activities, providing patients with specialized watches that transmit sleep, heart rate and other health data to their doctors.

UC Health and UCSF host CIAPM with the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research.

Each grant awardee is eligible for up to $1.2 million in grant funding, which will then be leveraged with other non-state funding sources to complete the projects.

In addition to developing demonstration projects, CIAPM is conducting an inventory of California’s vast technological and medical resources that make precision medicine possible.

The 2016 Budget Act includes approximately $10 million for the CIAPM.

For more information about the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine, including further details on selected projects, visit: http://www.CIAPM.org .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Spring cleaning … in fall?

Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College recently organized a cleanup of the property between the campus and the local Clearlake Walmart. 

Many students and pedestrians walk up the hill between the two properties, and with garbage accumulation becoming obvious, the Associated Students of Lake County Campus chose to organize a cleanup. 

“It’s part of our view when on our campus, and we thought it was important to offer a clean view and a clean area for all who choose to be on our campus,” said Lena Murphy, the Associated Student president. “Plus, it’s a neighborly act promoting our clean and beautiful environment.”

The Lake County Campus has its Spring 2017 schedule up online at http://lcc.yccd.edu . New students can apply to the college right now and can register for classes as of Nov. 23.

You can make an appointment with a counselor at 707-995-7900 or visit their beautiful campus at 15880 Dam Road Extension.

MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – Operations started Tuesday, Nov. 15, on the Log Springs Timber Sale about 14 miles southwest of Paskenta.

Trucks will be hauling west from the sale area on the M9 Road to County Road 55 at the Log Springs station, west to the M4 intersection and then east down the M4 Road.

Approximately 15 truckloads a day are expected to exit the sale area and hauling could continue into the spring depending on the weather. Truck traffic and active felling signs are posted. Please drive with caution in this vicinity.

For additional forest road information check here: http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd524846.pdf .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Senior Center will sponsor a bus trip to Reno on Nov. 29 through Dec. 1.

Highlights of the outing will be a dinner show musical, “Miracle on 34th Street,” based on the classic 1947 movie starring Maureen O’Hara and Natalie Wood.

The three-day trip includes the bus ride, two-night stay at the Eldorado, two breakfast buffet, a cocktail party and the dinner show.

The cost per person for double occupancy is $176 and single occupancy is $224.

To make reservations or for more information please call Bob at 707-279-0187 or call Nanette at 707-263-4218.