Lake County aims to raise awareness and promote the well-being of children and families in our community this month as April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. This year, the Office of Child Abuse Prevention has selected the theme “Powered by Hope, Strengthened by Prevention,” which emphasizes and prioritizes efforts that support families, strengthen communities, and ensure all children have the opportunity for a bright future.
Locally, the Lake County Child Abuse Prevention Council has chosen the theme “Be a Hero,” and they are asking community members to either become their own hero or a hero for someone else. Lake County News says all month long, local organizations and county departments are sponsoring multiple events which will hopefully inspire individuals to take action.
District Attorney David Eyster is one of the top county leaders set to be deposed in Auditor Chamise Cubbison’s pending civil lawsuit against the Mendocino Board of Supervisors. Cubbison’s attorneys say they’ll be taking the depositions of Eyster, county CEO Darcie Antle, and former County Counsel Christian Curtis. Deputy CEO Sarah Pierce, who functioned as county Auditor for the 17 months that Cubbison faced a felony criminal charge, will also be deposed along with Human Resource Director Cheri Johnson. Mendofever is reporting those depositions are set for later this month or early next month.
Mendocino County is hosting the first of five meetings Wednesday night. At issue, current and future policies on short-term rentals and their impacts to local communities, real estate, and tourism. The meeting is set to begin at 6 at the Veterans Hall in Fort Bragg, located at 360 N. Harrison St., and is the only one of the five public meetings scheduled on the Mendocino Coast, which is where the most of the short-term rentals are located. According to county staff, the meetings will present information on current short-term rental policies, adjacent jurisdictions’ policies, and common concerns. The Ukiah Daily Journal says it will be followed by a round-table conversation.
The fight over the best way to teach children how to read is back in Sacramento as representatives duke it out over a bill that would mandate a phonics-based style of reading curriculum. AB 1121, would require all schools to use a method based on the so-called “science of reading,” which emphasizes phonics. Last year, an almost identical bill died in the Assembly after pushback from the teachers union and English learner advocates, who claim the curriculum isn’t effective with students who aren’t fluent in English. You should know that nearly 60% of third graders weren’t reading at grade level last year and it’s even worse for other student groups. CalMatters is reporting that nearly 40 other states require phonics-based reading instruction.
A crowd, estimated to be between 700 and 1,000 people, showed up in front of the Ukiah Courthouse on Saturday for the "Hands Off’ protest that took place nationwide. They showed up to protest the Trump Admiration and its policies including the firing of thousands of federal employees, the closure of some Social Security offices and the fear of illegal deportation among various other issues. Protesters covered the Mendocino County Courthouse, with hundreds of people carrying signs, shuffling on sidewalks at State Street to Perkins to Standley Streets. The Ukiah Daily Journal says cars drove by, showing their support by honking, or their disapproval by gunning their engines. Indivisible Ukiah organized the local event.
On Friday night, the Mendocino College Center Theater was packed as residents showed up for a town hall meeting hosted by Congressman Jared Huffman and Assemblymember Chris Rogers. 400 plus people showed up and packed Mendocino College’s auditorium at the Center for Visual and Performing Arts. One of the more volatile topics of conversation was the decommissioning of the Potter Valley Project and the removal of the Scott and Cape Horn dams. Both Huffman and Rogers tackled a variety of local, state and national issues including immigration, education and tariffs. In closing, both men urged everyone to continue to participate to make their voices heard.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is hosting an interactive webinar for customers in order to share more about what they’re doing to reduce wildfire risk and make the system safer. You’re invited to login tomorrow night from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Lake County News says PG&E experts will provide a brief presentation, and everyone attending will be able to ask questions. Officials say you will learn more about wildfire safety efforts and progress, hear about the resources available and connect with PG&E leaders, including Senior Vice President Aaron Johnson. To learn more, go to pge.com
