SACRAMENTO – Caltrans and the Western Road Usage Charge Consortium (RUC West) have been awarded $750,000 and $1,500,000, respectively, through the Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives grant program within the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.

California’s award will enhance the existing Road Charge Pilot Program while the funds for RUC West will support the development of a multi-state road usage charge system regional plan.

“California and RUC West have made great inroads into studying mileage-based user fees as an alternative to the gas tax. These FAST Act grant awards will help further our efforts in researching and developing innovative transportation financing methods not only for California and the Western States, but potentially the nation,” said Malcolm Dougherty, Caltrans Director and RUC West Board of Directors Chairman.

The FAST Act grant award affords Caltrans the opportunity to expand upon the ongoing efforts to engage the public on transportation funding and alternative methods of future revenue generation, while continuing to formulate and strengthen a streamlined system of administration, oversight and compliance for a road charge program.

The current work on the California pilot has demonstrated that the pilot could improve its organizational structure, expand education and outreach, and explore alternative mileage reporting and recording options.

This expanded research will provide additional information for the final report to better inform the Administration and the Legislature.

The RUC West grant award will help develop a regional plan that addresses critical policy, organizational, technological, and operational challenges for finding an equitable and innovative way to generate and collect revenue to fund transportation infrastructure.

In the FAST Act, Congress recognized the need to demonstrate user-based alternatives for raising revenue using a mileage based user fee model (road charge) to maintain the long-term solvency of the Federal Highway Trust Fund.

The enactment of the FAST Act created a five-year, $95 million grant program which is eligible for a state or group of states to test the design, acceptance, and implementation of a future road charge alternative revenue mechanism.

In July 2016, California launched its nine-month pilot, the largest in the nation, enlisting over 5,000 vehicles representing the diverse demographic, geographic and socio-economic aspects of California.

At the conclusion of the pilot, a final findings report will be submitted by the California State Transportation Agency to the California Legislature, California Transportation Commission and the Technical Advisory Committee in June 2017.

More information about the California Road Charge Pilot Program is available at www.CaliforniaRoadChargePilot.com .

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Lake County Fire Recovery Blues Benefit No. 3: Valley Fire Tribute Concert will be held on Saturday, Sept. 10.

The event will take place from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Ely Stage Stop & Country Museum, 9921 Soda Bay Road, one mile off Highway 29 at Kit's Corner in Kelseyville. 

This is the second blues benefit produced by Spotlight On Productions for Hope City, which has located in Middletown to rebuild homes lost to the Valley and Clayton fires.

Gates open at 1:30 p.m.

From 2 to 6 p.m. there will be music by Dave Broida & Blues Farm of Lake County, Mighty Mike Schermer of Austin, Texas, and Bay Area vocalist Miz Dee.

Local vendors will be selling candles, jewelry, home decor, crocheted items, tie dye, essential oils and salves, personal protection items and massage. 

Cactus Grill and Nay Nay's BBQ of Clearlake are returning for this benefit, joined by A Smoothie Sensation of Lakeport. Craft beers and locally made wine will also be on sale.

Members of The Time Bank of Lake County and the community will be staffing the event. Lake County PEG TV, Ch. 8 for Mediacom subscribers, is a working partner and will share an information booth with members of Team Lake County.  The new management of The Art House Gallery in Clearlake will also be on site to explain new plans for community outreach.

Tickets are $15, cash at the gate. Children ages 12 and under may attend for free.

The concert will be held on the field in front of the old trolley car, so bring folding chairs, hats and sun umbrellas.

Carpooling is recommended; ATV and golf cart transport will be available from the parking areas.  Limited parking near the barn will be available for those who need close access. ADA accommodations will be available.

For more information call 707-278-7126 or visit the Lake County Fire Recovery Blues Benefits on Facebook.

SAN FRANCISCO – Wells Fargo & Company announced it is donating $25,000 to the American Red Cross for relief efforts to support those impacted by the Clayton fire in Lake County.
 
“The Clayton Fire has been devastating for many people including Wells Fargo customers and team members. As a community bank, we remain steadfast in our support of the communities we serve – especially in times of need. We are glad our contribution will help provide relief for those who lost their homes or suffered damages,” said Ashoo Vaid, SVP and area president of Wells Fargo’s North Bay market.

“Thanks to Wells Fargo’s donation, American Red Cross disaster responders will be able to help people affected by the fire by providing shelter, food, hydration, emotional support and health services as long as there is a need,” said Jeffrey Baumgartner, executive director of the American Red Cross of the California Northwest Chapter.
 
Wells Fargo is here to help impacted customers. Impacted customers may discuss their needs and financial situation by visiting their nearest Wells Fargo branch, or by contacting the company, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 1-800-TO-WELLS (1-800-869-3557).

LAKEPORT, Calif. – After a summer break, the Lake County Green Party is resuming meetings for the fall.

The next meeting will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18, at Round Table Pizza, 821 11th St. in Lakeport.

Guest speakers will be District 4 supervisorial candidate Tina Scott from 4 to 5 p.m. and District 1 supervisorial candidate Monica Rosenthal from 5 to 6 p.m.

Everyone is welcome, especially Bernie Sanders Progressives. Meetings are free and open to the public. There will be no host pizza and beverages.

For more information call 707-263-3391 or visit http://www.cagreens.org/ .

New research from North Carolina State University finds that having a positive attitude about aging makes older adults more resilient when faced with stressful situations.

“There has been a lot of research on how older adults respond to stress, but the findings have been mixed: some studies have found that older adults are less resilient than younger adults at responding to stress; some have found that they’re more resilient; and some have found no difference,” said Jennifer Bellingtier, a Ph.D. student at NC State and lead author of a paper describing the work. “We wanted to see whether attitudes toward aging could account for this disparity in research findings. In other words, are older adults with positive attitudes about aging more resilient than older adults with negative attitudes?”

The answer is yes.

For the study, researchers had 43 adults between the ages of 60 and 96 fill out a daily questionnaire for eight consecutive days.

At the beginning of the study, participants were asked about their attitudes toward aging. For example, participants were asked if they felt they were as useful now as they had been when they were younger, and whether they were as happy as when they were younger.

The daily questionnaire asked participants about any stress they’d experienced that day, as well as the extent to which they experienced negative emotions, such as fear, irritability or distress.

The researchers also accounted for the personality of study participants. Were they optimistic and upbeat about everything, or are there benefits tied specifically to an individual’s attitudes about aging?

“We found that people in the study who had more positive attitudes toward aging were more resilient in response to stress – meaning that there wasn’t a significant increase in negative emotions,” Bellingtier said. “Meanwhile, study participants with more negative attitudes toward aging showed a sharp increase in negative emotional affect on stressful days.”

“This tells us that the way we think about aging has very real consequences for how we respond to difficult situations when we’re older,” said Shevaun Neupert, an associate professor of psychology at NC State and senior author on the paper. “That affects our quality of life and may also have health ramifications. For example, more adverse emotional responses to stress have been associated with increased cardiovascular health risks.”

“Our findings are likely applicable to other Americans, but it’s not clear to what extent the findings would be relevant elsewhere,” Bellingtier said. “Attitudes toward aging vary widely across cultures, and more work would need to be done to determine the importance of aging attitudes in other settings.”

The paper, “Negative aging attitudes predict greater reactivity to daily stressors in older adults,” will be published online at 8 a.m. on Aug. 3 in the Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences. The work was done with funding from NC State.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Several Lake County residents recently received degrees from Western Governors University.

The university held its 31st semi-annual commencement ceremony in Salt Lake City on July 16 and celebrated the graduation of more than 8,000 graduates.

Among the graduates were:

• Ryan Clair of Lakeport, who received his Bachelor of Science degree in information technology with an emphasis in security;

• Kim Cooper of Upper Lake received her Master of Science degree in nursing-leadership and management.

• Paul Lane of Upper Lake has received his Master of Business Administration degree in management and strategy.

At its commencement, the university awarded 4,944 undergraduate and 3,103 graduate degrees in business, information technology, K-12 teacher education, and health care professions, including nursing.

Graduates reside in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, as well as Armed Forces personnel stationed overseas. Dell Loy Hansen, founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Wasatch Group, delivered the commencement address.

Established in 1997 by a bipartisan group of U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, WGU is the pioneer and leader in competency-based education.

The nonprofit, online university has been recognized by the White House as what works in post-secondary education.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Recent Clear Lake High School graduate Cord Falkenberg has received the Alexander Memorial scholarship at the FFA and 4-H Awards event at the Lake County Fair on Sunday, Sept. 4.

Falkenberg is currently enrolled in UC Berkeley with the intent to pursue a career in Aerospace Engineering. 

Falkenberg’s involvement with the 4-H youth program as well as evidence of his leadership and community service all contributed to his selection as the recipient of the $500 award.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Team Smokin’ Aces, led by Adam Bruch, took top People’s Choice honors at this year’s Grillin’ on the Green barbecue cookoff while the Delta Iota Tau sorority earned “Best Decorated Booth” honors.

The grilling team known as Beef Cake, led by Jesse Richardson, was runnerup in the cookoff, and the Lakeport Lions took third place in the voting. Walt Southard took Best Car honors with his 1931 Chevy.

The winners were selected following the competition and festivities Saturday, Aug. 6, at the seventh annual fundraiser at Westside Community Park.

Last year’s Rookie of the Year choice Fresh & Bangin’ Eatery was this year’s winner of the Celebrity Judges’ Choice award.

Celebrity judges Dave Faries, managing editor of the Lake County Record-Bee, retired Superior Court Judge David Herrick, and Certified Financial Planner Jennifer Strong, owner of Strong Financial Network in Lakeport, selected the “Wingin’ It” team put together by People Services as Rookie of the Year.

Organizers deemed this year’s event a success with over $19,000 in revenue from ticket and drink sales, sponsorships and donations.

More than 370 people attended the fundraiser and enjoyed tastes from 10 grilling teams, dancing to music by the Funky Dozen, kids’ activities, a beach handball demonstration featuring players from the Bay Area, horse-drawn wagon rides, and a show of classic and vintage cars.

“The Westside Community Park Committee is grateful for the support of the community for this year's Grillin',” said Dennis Rollins, chair of the Westside Community Park Committee. “It was our biggest crowd yet – a wonderful turnout. The grillers and other food providers, our sponsors, volunteers, the car clubs, the Horse Council, and the people who came out to enjoy the evening in the park all made for a highly successful event. We thank Paul Larrea who acted as our master of ceremonies and kept the program moving between announcements and music.”

Cookoff teams this year included One-Fifty-One Squad Club (sponsored by Jimmy’s Deli), JQ (led by Jason Strickler), Passion for Food, and Livin’ Made EZ.

“We have enjoyed the best barbecue every year and super support from the community,” said Cindy Ustrud, chair of the event committee. “The food is outstanding. I can't thank the grillers enough for their enthusiasm and generosity.”

Competing teams and their sponsors supply the food and volunteer their time and services to the fundraiser.

Attendees were treated to additional dishes to complement the barbecue tastes. Salads, beans, desserts and beverages were provided by Lakeview Market, the Lakeport English Inn, the Main Street Bicycles, Lake Event Design, Nancy Ruzicka and Ruzicka Associates, and the Park Committee. Snow cones were available from Marta and Domingo Avillea.

Several attendees took advantage of free horse-drawn wagon rides sponsored by the Lake County Horse Council and provided by Susan and Kenn McCarty of the Live Oak Belgians Ranch.

“For the second time at the Grillin’ event, the wagon rides were well received,” said Rollins. “Dozens of people took the rides through the future equestrian area. The committee thanks the McCartys and the Lake County Horse Council for providing the popular activity.”

In addition, the committee is grateful to the car enthusiasts who showed off their vehicles. “The display of vintage vehicles is always a favorite of attendees,” said Rollins.

Participating clubs included the No Name Car Club, Clear Lake Car Club, The Model A’s, The Lake Lords and The Antique Automobile Club of America, Mt. Konocti Division.

Rollins recognized this year’s major sponsors: the Keeling-Barnes Family Foundation, which pledged matching funds up to $4,000, Sutter Lakeside Hospital,  which added an additional $2,500 in matching funds, and Rotary Club of Lakeport ($1,000).

Special sponsorships of grilling teams were acknowledged: City of Lakeport sponsored Beefcake; Lakeport Rotary sponsored Wingin’ It; and the Kiwanis Club of Lakeport sponsored both JQ and Livin’ Made EZ.

Additional sponsors this year were the Ustrud-Rollins Family, the Kiwanis Club of Lakeport, Clear Lake Redi-Mix, Kathy Fowler Auto Center, Lake County News, Lake Event Design, Mendo Lake Credit Union, Alexander McGeoch, DDS, Brian Grey, DDS, Savings Bank of Mendocino County, Susie LaPointe, William Kranz, Attorney at Law, Lakeport Tire & Auto Service, Yin McDonald’s, Lake Parts/NAPA Auto Parts, Jim and Wilda Shock, Ruzicka and Associates, and Kelseyville Lumber & Supply Co.

In-kind contributions were made by Lake County News, KNTI, Lake County Publishing and the Lake County Record-Bee, S2 Tutoring & PR, Lake Event Design, Main Street Bicycles, RAHamilton, Disney Trophies and Awards, UCC Rental Center, Thorn Hill Winery, Moylans Brewery, and Lakeport Disposal.

Rollins also thanked the Grillin’ on the Green committee of volunteers: Cindy Ustrud, Wilda Shock, Beth Havrilla, Alice Holmes, Sue Stout, Tami Cramer, Val Schweifler, Jessica Kelley, and Cathy Brennan.

Westside Community Park is a city of Lakeport recreational facility that has been in development since 1998.

The nonprofit Park committee is developing the park in conjunction with the city of Lakeport, volunteers, and numerous contributions by individuals and businesses dedicated to constructing a recreational facility for the youth and adults of Lake County.

More information can be found on the park’s Web site, www.westsidecommunitypark.org .