In a closed door session this week, the Lake County Board of Supervisors hired an Interim County Administrative Officer (CAO). After coming out of session, the Chair of the Supervisors announced publicly that Susan Parker, who has 20 years experience at high levels, will take over as the Interim Officer. She’s been serving under Carol Huchingson as the Assistant County Administrative Officer for three years. Huchingson announced her retirement a few weeks ago. The Board apparently looked at other candidates from a nationwide pool, many with similar experience in other states. Parker commented it is a great honor to be selected and she looks forward to continuing serving local residents.
A motorcyclist has reportedly crashed into Clear Lake and died. The rider on a 2001 Harley Davidson headed east on SR-20 when for unknown reasons he veered off the south side of the highway, hit several boulders, and the shoreline, then went into the lake. A nearby fishing boat apparently saw the rider go into the lake and pulled him to shore and called 9-1-1. But emergency crews tried CPR, with no luck and pronounced the man dead on the shoreline. Police reports say alcohol appears to be a factor in this crash.
A mobile home ordinance in Fort Bragg has been changed to entice more tiny homes to the area. Homeowners and developers are allowed to put up the little houses around Memorial Day on a single residentially zoned property within city limits. The homes would be considered an accessory dwelling unit but could also be the main residence on a property with a second tiny home as an accessory. Those who take part need to follow some rules about where exactly they set down their new tiny home, like using a concrete pad under it as a foundation and setting it 4 feet back from the property boundary. If they have wheels, they must be covered with skirting and their plumbing must be connected to city water and sewer. The homes may not be used as vacation or short term rentals either.
A former employee at Friedman’s Home Improvement in Ukiah says she was sexually assaulted and harassed while on the job. Montana Edgar was a Cashier at the store and says after the incidents she was forced to quit, because she complained. She’s filed a lawsuit in Sonoma Superior Court claiming another employee at the Home Improvement store, David King, was to blame. Court papers say Edgar started working in the store around the beginning of the pandemic and King would come up from behind her and get too close, brushing up against her, stroking her arms, and rubbing her back. She says even though she tried to avoid the guy, he would trap her, and gyrate or grind up against her. She reported it and that other females were also harassed, to no avail.
A free training is being offered by North Coast Opportunities on Community Emergency Response. In partnership with Mendocino County and the Office of Emergency Services, North Coast’s Volunteer Network will offer the workshops in Ukiah and Caspar, on April 30th and May 1st, respectively. The training will include ways to help yourself in an emergency, and your neighbors. They say the training will be fun and an empowering way to learn about disaster preparedness and survival skills, rescuer safety, teamwork, fire safety and suppression, basic disaster medical operations, and light search and rescue. For more info: www.mendocert.com/training. Or call 707-462-1959 for more information.
In person meetings are happening again at the next Middletown Area Town Hall. The meeting is at 7 pm, April 14th in the community meeting room between the Middletown Senior Center and the Library, 21256 Washington St. It will also be hosted on Zoom for those who cannot attend. They will hear from the Lake County Public Services staff on the Clean California grant, they’ll talk fire prevention with the Battalion Chief of South Lake County Fire and there will be an update from the Tree Mortality Committee. They will also hear an update on cannabis projects in town and hear from the grievance committee and review the January minutes and alternate election process.
The Rotary Club of Lakeport is hosting their yearly Easter Egg Hunt in person for the first time since the pandemic hit. The event’s been going on since 1926, but took a two year hiatus due to safety concerns around COVID19. There were modified events the last two years, like drive-thru Easter bunny visits and basket giveaways. The Rotary President says they’re all very excited to return to the tradition in person, and it will be a lot of fun to watch children finding eggs again. It’s all happening this Sunday at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport. Gates open at 1 p.m. There will be some cash prizes in one golden egg and two silver eggs. And of course the Easter Bunny will be there for photos with the kiddos.
A new proposal in Calif. to beef up the amount of zero-emission cars sold in Calif. Clean air regulators propose doing away with any new gasoline powered cars in the state by the year 2035. If agreed to by the California Air Resources Board this summer, Calif. would be the first for these regulations in the world. There are more than a dozen other states who had pledged to follow California’s lead on car standards on previous clean-car rules. The Governor had signed an executive order in 2020 that ordered the Air Resources Board to end the sale of gas powered cars by 2035, so the new proposal by the Board sets it in motion.
A new study says it might be the right time to get rid of some of our most thirsty plants in Calif. And old appliances and leaky pipes can suck pipes dry too. Researchers have put together some guidelines on how to reduce water by over 30% in cities and suburbs by being more efficient. The Pacific Institute study also found ways to save water in urban areas so rivers and aquifers are not weakened. Researchers found huge amounts of water could be saved in the state by following new ways that don’t include reducing water use indoors and outdoors, reusing treated wastewater and collecting more runoff when it rains. The study called those water saving techniques, a “big lie”. Research showed boosting local water could be done by capturing stormwater and storing it in aquifers, not letting it run off. The study shows the state might be able to capture between 580,000 and 3 million acre-feet of stormwater in urban areas each year this way.
A little more information on the accident that killed a dirt bike rider in the Mendocino National Forest. The accident happened Sunday on an off-road vehicle trail on the Upper Lake Ranger District. The man and his son were near a camping area bike riding, when the son stopped due to debris on the road. Dad stopped behind him but was thrown into some bushes where he was impaled by a branch. Medics found him in full protective gear and said despite that he was killed in the accident. The man was treated where he was hurt, then moved to the Middle Creek Campground area and pronounced dead there. Alcohol and/or drugs were not suspected as factors in the crash.
As wildfire risk extends through the entire year nowadays, Pacific Gas and Electric Company says they’re going to use more advanced technology to quickly and automatically shut off power. It can happen, the company says in one tenth of one second if the system detects a potential threat to the electric system, like a tree branch falling onto a powerline. The program started last July as a pilot idea. The Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS) are being expanded to all distribution powerlines in high fire-threat areas this year.
The case against Pacific Gas and Electric Co. after the 2019 Kincade fire has been settled. The Sonoma County DA’s office charged the company after fire investigators found the company’s aging equipment was to blame for the fire. The deal includes $20.25 million in payments to local institutions and for that 22 misdemeanors and 8 felonies were dropped against PG&E. The DA’s office will also have oversight over the energy giant’s fire prevention initiatives for five years. The DA said the company’s “reckless conduct” led to the largest wildfire in Sonoma County’s history. The company is paying out $34.5 million more for the Dixie Fire to avoid criminal charges. That wildfire was the largest single wildfire in California’s recorded history.
