The Lake County Board of Supervisors has written a letter to Congressman Mike Thompson, urging him to support a bill authorizing additional money for areas with large amounts of untaxed federal land. The Secure Rural Schools program expired in June and is not a part of the federal budget up for discussion in Washington. Before it expired, the county got nearly $500,000 from the programs to offset the cost of 258,602 acres of the Mendocino National Forest that it can’t collect taxes on. Supervisors say the funds are critical to Lake County schools, and without them, there could be cuts to staff and programs when the current funding runs out this month. Supervisors say they know Thompson supports the funding, but want to make sure they are on the record with their concerns. Overall, California saw more than 33 million dollars from that program last year.-
This is National Library Week, and Lake County Libraries are taking part by training new literacy volunteers. Training starts next week for new tutors, who the library says are in high demand throughout the county. One study shows that 26 percent of those in the country have poor literacy skills–and that many of those people want to improve but are hampered by a lack of qualified tutors. The training starts Wednesday at the Redbud Library. You can visit the library website for more information.
Cal Fire is launching its annual fire prevention campaign as we get closer to the start of another fire season. This year’s theme is ”Prepare your home and property. Start at the house and work your way out.” Cal Fire says they want to remind people about two important concepts–home hardening and creating a defensible space around your home. Cal Fire says the LA Fires in January show that fires can happen anytime, with potentially devastating consequences. The state says it is ready with 4 billion dollars allocated for fire prevention and response, but says property owners need to do their part too to reduce risk and know what to do in a worst-case scenario.
