If you were affected by the 2017 wildfires, listen up. A key homebuyer workshop for the ReCoverCA Homebuyer Assistance Program will be held this evening in Ukiah. The workshop is free and if you qualify, you could receive $350,000 in financial assistance to buy a home in the lower-fire-risk areas of California. Applicants to the program will have owned or rented a primary residence in Redwood Valley, Zip Code 95470 in 2017, within a high or very high fire severity zone. There are also low-to-moderate income eligibility requirements. Tonight’s meeting runs from 7 to 8 at the Mendocino Board of Supervisors chambers in Ukiah.
Spring showers, although not quite spring, bring the first spring flowers to Low Gap Park. The Ukiah Daily Journal reports the first of three monthly wildflower walks hosted by the Sanhedrin chapter of the California Native Plant Society is set for this weekend. You’ll be able to see purple Shooting Stars, white Milk Maids and other early blooms this Saturday, with the first walk scheduled this Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. You’re advised to wear comfortable hiking shoes and fyi…the walk will be cancelled if it’s raining. More wildflower walks are planned in the upcoming months.
A group that supports the solar power industry is slamming the California Public Utilities Commission before a state senate committee hearing about high electric rates. The California Solar and Storage Association says the PUC is wrongly blaming rooftop solar users for higher bills. The group says there is no evidence that solar users contribute to higher rates and that the PUC is ignoring utility spending as a reason you’re paying more to keep the lights on. The CSSA claims energy costs have soared because the PUC allows utilities a 10 percent profit margin for every dollar spent, costing consumers millions. The Senate oversight committee wants to determine if the PUC is doing enough to get electric rates under control.
A new bill in California’s state legislature seeks to recognize the elusive Bigfoot as the state’s official cryptid. The legislation, proposed by Assemblymember Chris Roger, would designate Bigfoot as an official mascot of the Golden State — which has been a hotbed of sasquatch sightings since the late 1950s, according to SFGate. Cryptid is a term used for mythical creatures that are known through folklore but which have not been definitively proven to exist. The question of ‘which mythical creature best represents California’ is a hairy one,” Rogers said in comment to The New York Post, “But we feel like it’s time to ‘sqautch the beef. It’s not the Tahoe Tessie or El Chupacabra that generates buzz and interest from outdoor enthusiasts, it’s Bigfoot.” Rogers represents Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma and Trinity counties described by some bigfoot hunters as Sasquatch territory…..Only in California!
The Ukiah Valley Fire Authority says they still don’t know the cause of a fire that burned a residential structure in Talmage Monday night. UVFA Battalion Chief Ryan Nelson says crews were sent to the home in the 2900 block of Guidiville Reservation Road. The Ukiah Daily Journal reports when crews arrived, they discovered downed power lines and the house completely on fire. Nelson said firefighters did what they could while they waited for PG&E to shut off the gas. Only then, could crews move forward to aggressively put the fire out before it spread. Nelson went on to say while the official cause of the fire has not been determined, there is no evidence that points to arson being the cause.
