Save the date. Next Sunday, from noon to 2, the Grass Roots Institute and the League of Women Voters Mendocino County will host Assemblymember Chris Rogers for a Town Hall Meeting at the Caspar Community Center. Rogers will speak about the environmental challenges California faces as only he can, given his record on sponsoring legislation promoting wind and geothermal electricity generation. Locally, both groups have vigorously supported climate action to protect the environment. The Redheaded Blackbelt says they look forward to collaborating with Rogers to put in place environmental reforms and bring climate adaptation resources to the County.
On Wednesday night, the Ukiah City Council voted unanimously to allow city staff to move the proposal to annex the Willow area south of Ukiah and a portion of Millview forward. That allows Ukiah’s Community Development Department to submit an application to the Mendocino Local Agency Formation Commission, LAFCo. They are a government agency that oversees boundary changes in cities, counties and special districts. The Mendocino Voice says staff will now submit a complete analysis to LAFCo and present final docs to the Ukiah City Council this summer. If all goes well, the annexation will happen at the end of 2025.
Home brewers and winemakers throughout Northern California have attended past Winefests, supplying samples of their product for judging by the public, in hopes of winning the “Peoples’ Choice” award for their home fermented adult beverages. Lake County News says Home winemakers will also be able to enter their wines for judging by experts the night before the Winefest. Vendor booth fees are $35. To secure your spot, go to lakecountywinefest.com and download the application. Good Luck!
Heads up. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has received reports regarding a scam that’s targeting the elderly. Scammers are calling and pretending to be from banks or tech support, asking victims to screen share their banking information. They then falsely claim that money was "accidentally" deposited into the victim’s account and try to pressure them to send it back, often through Bitcoin or direct transfers at the bank.This is a scam and you are advised to not share your personal or banking information with anyone over the phone. No legitimate company will ask for funds back through Bitcoin. If you do receive a suspicious call, hang up immediately. To report a scam, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov
Concerns are growing over the upcoming federal cuts and layoffs that could affect the county’s most vulnerable residents. The Lake County Board of Supervisors discussed possible issues during the 90 minute session Tuesday, saying federal spending cuts to health care and food banks among other vital programs could hit hard. Lake County News says programs potentially impacted include but are not limited to Medi-Cal, CalFresh, CalWORKs, Meals on Wheels, the Older Americans Act, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, Head Start, Foster Care, and Child Support. The Lake Family Resource Center and the Area Agency on Aging of Lake and Mendocino Counties could be dealing with financial setbacks as soon as next month.
The National Park Service is waiving entrance fees to sites like Yosemite and Sequoia National Park to celebrate National Park Week. You can visit any of California’s nine national parks for free on Saturday, April 19th. This only covers entrance fees and not other costs for activities like camping or boating. National Park Week runs across the country from April 19th, to Sunday, April 27th.
