SACRAMENTO – A new law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown will provide a quicker resolution process for victims of identity theft and fraud.

The bill, also known as the Identity Theft Resolution Act, was authored by Assemblyman Bill Dodd (D-Napa) after becoming a victim of identity theft himself last year.

This new law will dramatically reduce the time it takes for victims of identity theft to clear their name, end harassing phone calls, and remove negative credit reporting.

The bill received broad based support from Attorney General Kamala Harris, consumer advocates, and unanimously passed the legislature.
 
“Millions of Californians have suffered identity theft, myself included. It’s an issue that transcends partisan politics, and I want to thank Gov. Brown and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for supporting this important bill,” said Assemblymember Dodd. “Victims of identity theft deserve a transparent and speedy resolution process, and I will continue to fight for consumer protections."
 
Identity theft occurs when perpetrators illegally use a person’s confidential information to make fraudulent purchases or apply for consumer loans in the victim’s name.

The California Attorney General reports that 1.5 million Californians fall victim of identity theft every year.

Nationwide, identity theft has increased more than five-fold during the past 15 years according to the Federal Trade Commission, who estimate it can take an average of 6 months and 200 hours of work to recover from the crime.

Under Dodd’s legislation, the timeframe for recovery will be reduced to a matter of weeks.
 
“Identity theft is a crime that can haunt a victim for years. Too often, they must navigate a complex system to clean up their damaged credit and it can take years to recover from the loss,” said Attorney General Kamala D. Harris. “I am proud to support this sensible legislation that will protect victims of identity theft and fraud and help them clear their name more quickly.”
 
“Assemblymember Dodd is one of many Napa County residents who have unfortunately fallen victim of identity theft. Local law enforcement is committed to protecting residents from this crime, but new criminal techniques are making it more and more difficult to prevent,” said Napa County Sheriff John Robertson. “Assemblymember Dodd’s Identity Theft Resolution Act is common sense approach that will help millions of people in California fix the financial damage that results from identity theft.” 
 
Dodd’s bill dramatically reduces the time frame for debt collection companies to investigate identity theft disputes, and further requires that the results of that investigation be given to the consumer in a timely manner.

Debt collection companies will now be required to provide faster updates to the credit reporting agencies to delete the negative credit reporting, which can raise interest rates or block victims from accessing home loans.

The law will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2017.
 
Dodd represents the Fourth Assembly District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Yolo, Sonoma, Lake, Solano and Colusa counties. Visit his Web site at www.asm.ca.gov/dodd .

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The question of life outside planet Earth fascinates the entire human race. It is perhaps the most intriguing topic in all of astronomy.

This coming Saturday, Sept. 24, Lake County’s Taylor Observatory’s County's Window to the Universe Lecture series presents “The Diversity of Alien Worlds.”

The speaker is Professor Stephen Kane of the Department of Astronomy and Physics at San Francisco State University.

Professor Kane will explain the term “habitable zone” which is used to classify the probability that bodies in the universe could harbor alien life.

Kane is an internationally recognized expert in exoplanet discovery. He has personally identified several hundred exoplanets using novel techniques developed by him and by colleagues in this intriguing branch of astronomy.

In addition, Kane heads a group of 14 scientists searching for potential habitable zone planets using the Kepler Space Telescope: www.kepler.nasa.gov .

The Window to the Universe series is sponsored by Friends of the Taylor Observatory-Norton Planetarium and includes the lecture, a show in the Norton Planetarium and viewing through the observatory’s several telescopes.

The first planetarium show is at 7:30 p.m., followed by the lecture at 8 p.m. and a second planetarium show at 9 p.m., all for an admission price of $5. Lake County K-12 students are admitted with no charge. 

The observatory is at the end of Oak Hills Lane in Kelseyville.

For updates and further information check the Facebook page for Friends of Taylor Observatory or call 415-209-3084.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Lower Lake Community Methodist Church will have its fall yard sale Friday, Oct. 7, and Saturday, Oct. 8, at the social hall.

Hours will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

There will be furniture, electronics, crafts, trash and treasures, with a special offer on Christmas items.

The United Methodist Women will be serving their famous chili and sandwich lunch starting at 11 a.m. each day.

The church was destroyed in the Clayton fire, but the congregation is still here.

The church is located on Second Street, just off Lake Street, in Lower Lake.

Bring your family and friends and join in the fun.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The California Department of Fish and Wildlife's (CDFW) Northern Region Inland Fisheries Program and Heritage and Wild Trout Program staff will soon reintroduce a small population of rare rescued trout to their native waters in the McCloud River in Shasta County.
 
McCloud River Redband Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss stonei) is one of several sensitive and unique fish species that has required human intervention in order to ensure their survival during California's continuing drought.
 
“The drought continues to be devastating on the populations of these important fish,” said Andrew Jensen, a biologist with CDFW's Northern Region Inland Fisheries Program. “If we did not take action to save them during the summers, small, independent populations may have succumbed. Our proactive rescue efforts will help maintain this unique species for the future.”
 
CDFW biologists monitoring McCloud Redband streams (tributaries of the upper McCloud River) from late 2013 through mid-2015 found that drought effects were causing perilous conditions for the fish in both winter (with sections of the streams freezing over) and summer (with sections of the streams going dry). 

McCloud Redband, a state-listed Species of Special Concern, are in no immediate risk of extinction but their populations are small, fragmented and exist only in a few small streams.

Rescue operations by CDFW in 2013-15 greatly reduced the drought mortality of the species.
 
Anticipating potential drought impacts on sensitive wild fish populations, CDFW installed self-contained Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) at several CDFW hatcheries throughout the state last year.

The RAS enable the hatcheries to safely house rescued wild fish until environmental conditions improve.

One of these facilities, CDFW's Mt. Shasta Hatchery, was selected to serve as a drought safe haven for the McCloud Redband due to its proximity to the imperiled streams.

More than 1,000 McCloud Redband were brought to the facility, where many were spawned by CDFW staff.
 
Today much of California remains in a drought, but the upper McCloud River watershed received some relief in the first half of 2016, with near-normal precipitation during the winter and spring.

CDFW fisheries biologists believe that these improved habitat conditions (and forecast conditions) will support the release of the rescued McCloud Redband Trout.
 
Both the rescued adult fish and the hatchery-origin juveniles will be released beginning this week in sections of the stream that will provide the best chance of long-term success with minimal impacts to the existing natural-origin population.

All the released fish will be tagged, allowing fisheries biologists to track their movement and survival after release into the river.

LUCERNE, Calif. – The Northshore Community Center and Lucerne Alpine Seniors Inc. will present its first Rockin' Dancin' BBQ on Friday, Sept. 23, from 3 to 11 p.m.

This will be an all-day music festival featuring your favorite local bands and special guest artists joining in for the day; with a barbecue or vegetarian dinner and no-host beer and wine bar – all to be had for the most reasonable prices in the county.

Your $5 full-day admission (additional donations gratefully accepted) will afford you the many and varied talents of the music line-up: Stonelion (alternative, original blues), The Background Kings (pop/rock), Kurt @ Work (original, eclectic), Hella' Mella' (dance jam), FOGG (classic rock, dance – Open Mic Lucerne's faithful house band), Hearts & Bones (original rock 'n' roll), and special out-of-town guests Amadou Camara, Mariah Soumah & Guest (drumming, music and dance from Guinea, West Africa) and Jeff Curtis (unique, original acoustic guitar compositions, from New York).

David Howard, the stalwart and talented master of ceremonies for Open Mic Lucerne will emcee, as well as perform with his band, The Background Kings.

There will be a no-host beer and wine bar, and a choice of dinner options. Hippie Joe Fernandez is generously donating and cheffing up a tri-tip barbecue with all the fixins', available at $10 per plate. There also will be a vegetarian lasagna dinner for only $5.

All dinners include bread, salad, dessert and a cold drink, and will be served from 5 to 8 p.m.

The Rockin' Dancin' BBQ is sponsored by Odd Fellows Lodge No. 241, Upper Lake; Hippie Joe Fernandez of Upper Lake; the Lake County merchants and vendors who support the efforts to maintain and improve the quality of life on the Northshore; and the staff, volunteers and board of directors of the Northshore Community Center / Lucerne Alpine Seniors, Inc.

All proceeds to benefit the Lucerne Alpine Seniors, Inc. and the programs they support and provide to the Northshore Community.

The Northshore Community Center is located at 3985 Country Club Drive. Lucerne, between Ninth and Tenth avenues. Just turn inland from (north of) Highway 20 at the Foster's Freeze, proceed one block, and you're there.

For program details, please call Peter at 707-998-3121; Verge at 707-671-3465; or call the Northshore Community Center at 707-274-8779.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Public Works Department said that there will be a closure on a portion of First Street on Wednesday, Sept. 21.

From 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. First Street between Main and Park streets will be closed to all traffic while Pacific Gas and Electric crews work in the area.

Community members are asked to drive with caution in the area and be aware of the workers.

On Sept. 14, the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service co-hosted a most interesting and engaging public meeting in Upper Lake, as the first of three important community conversations to discuss the management plan for the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. 

Attendance was so large most of the agency representatives remarked on it, but given the tremendous community support for the proper protection and management of these lands that was expressed during the campaign for permanent protection a large turnout probably should have surprised no one.

The format did not include a formal presentation. Instead, the plan was to give people from our community an opportunity to talk face to face with the folks from our federal agencies, and to examine an impressive array of maps, fact sheets, photographs and other resources, including such specialized items as a rainfall map of the national monument, and a map showing fire scars on the landscape.  

These conversations are powerful opportunities for the public to express what they value most in the management of this region. 

Public input – both oral and written – was requested continually, and agency staff displayed an obvious keen interest in what we had to say.

For those who were not able to attend, do try to get to one of the remaining meetings: Sept. 28 at the Winters Community Center, 201 Railroad Ave;  and Oct. 4 at the Holiday Inn Express, 545 N. Humboldt Ave in Willows. Both take place from from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Victoria Brandon is chair of the Sierra Club Redwood Chapter. She lives in Lower Lake, Calif.