Thursday, 28 November 2024

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SACRAMENTO – Legislation from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that would greatly improve internet connectivity by removing local government roadblocks to the expansion of broadband service — especially in low-income and underserved communities — passed its final policy committee on Wednesday on its way to the Assembly floor.

“Californians are now a step closer gaining more reliable and equitable access to high-speed internet service,” Sen. Dodd said. “This is so important when families are relying more on the internet for remote school and work. I applaud committee members for taking this action to remove unnecessary delays and help close the digital divide.”

The approval of Senate Bill 556, or the California Connectivity Act, follows the recent passage of the state’s $262.6 billion budget, which includes $6 billion for broadband expansion.

SB 556 would make high-speed internet more widely available for schools and businesses by removing local discretion to put hurdles before small cell deployment – something that is critical for reliable high-speed internet.

It builds on existing law setting timelines and reasonable fees for processing and approving broadband projects.

The bill was introduced as employers and schools across the state have shifted to virtual participation, highlighting disparities of access faced by low-income families and people of color.

Nearly 42% of California families said unreliable internet access was a challenge for them during distance learning according to a recent poll by Ed Source and FM3 Research.

Sen. Dodd’s proposal is widely supported by businesses, schools and equity groups. It passed the Assembly Communications and Conveyance committee with overwhelming support.

The bill, previously approved by the full Senate, will now go to Assembly Appropriations before a final vote on the Assembly floor.

“SB 556 is a long-term solution to remove barriers and expand deployment of wireless infrastructure, ensuring that families have options in affordability and service for accessing education, health and more,” said Sara Bachez of the California Association of School Business Officials. “This critical legislation will help school districts across California increase broadband access and services for students, families and staff as we continue to provide online learning opportunities.”

“This bill provides a framework for 5G deployment for the benefit of both our community as well as the overall state of California,” wrote the leaders of Tech Latino, a network of 15 nonprofit advocacy groups, in a support letter. “We would like to ensure that Latinos will be a part of the smart and connected society of the future. We strongly support enactment of SB 556 to ensure the efficient deployment of the next generation of wireless infrastructure.”

Dodd represents the Third Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Solano, Yolo, Sonoma, Contra Costa, and Sacramento counties. For more information visit his website.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. — The city of Lakeport reported that construction work will take place this week on Lange Street.

The Lakeport Public Works Department advised that a closure on Lange Street will take place from Tuesday, July 6, through Friday, July 9.

The closure will be in effect on Lange Street from Giselman to the Terrace School entrance.

Drivers are asked to avoid the area if possible and to be cautious of workers.
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As part of a shared commitment to supporting those most in need, Lions Clubs International Foundation and Special Olympics International are celebrating two decades of kindness and inclusion through service as part of a growing global partnership.

Both organizations announced the milestone celebration during Lions Clubs International’s virtual International Convention in late June.

The Lions Clubs International Foundation-Special Olympics partnership began in 2001 with the international expansion of the Special Olympics Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes program, an eye health and vision screening program made available to participating athletes and people with intellectual disabilities in general at Special Olympics events worldwide.

Through the support of industry leaders, including Essilor International, Safilo Group and Liberty Sport, the Opening Eyes program provides corrective prescription eyewear, UV-protected sunglasses and protective sports eyewear.

Since the Opening Eyes program inception, more than 445,000 vision and eye health assessments have been conducted, and more than 260,000 prescription eyeglasses have been provided to athletes at no cost.

In 2013, Lions Clubs International Foundation, or LCIF, and Special Olympics expanded the partnership to include additional areas of service and inclusion, creating an expansive partnership platform, “Mission: Inclusion,” which offers family health education, inclusive sports, refugee programming, leadership and national partnership development, club creation and development and more.

Through this expansion, Special Olympics and LCIF, together with local Lions clubs and national Special Olympics organizations, work in communities in some 100 nations to improve and empower the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Together, the organizations continue to demonstrate the transformative power of inclusive development to one of the most marginalized populations in the world.

“LCIF is proud to celebrate 20 years of service in support of Special Olympics athletes,” said Gudrun Yngvadottir, whose term as LCIF chairperson came to a close June 30. “Individuals with intellectual disabilities often face deep social isolation, discrimination and stigmatization, which have regrettably deepened for many during the pandemic. Together with Special Olympics, we continue to witness the positive and transformative power that kindness and inclusion through service can have – not only on Special Olympics athletes, but on the entire community. As part of the 20th anniversary celebration, Lions International encourages everyone worldwide to commit to acts of kindness and inclusion.”

Special Olympics Chairman Dr. Timothy Shriver said, “The movement of Special Olympics is immensely grateful to Lions Clubs International Foundation, and the over one million Lions Clubs members throughout the world who give of themselves to improve and enrich the lives of our athletes. For over two decades, Lions have shown the Special Olympics community what it means to serve, to make kindness the focus, and to build bridges of compassion. At a time in human history when we remain so divided and distant, Lions Clubs International Foundation and its global network of community leaders continue to empower the lives of our athletes and families for the better. ‘Mission: Inclusion’ has become a definitive cornerstone of our work across the world, and for that we extend our deep gratitude to Lions worldwide.”

LCIF and Special Olympics wish to expand “Mission: Inclusion” to all nations as part of a concerted effort to strengthen inclusive development programming for those most in need, further strengthen the urgency of service for marginalized populations including individuals with intellectual disabilities and support a shared commitment to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Founded in 1968, Special Olympics is a global movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. Learn more at www.SpecialOlympics.org .

Lions Clubs International Foundation is the charitable arm of Lions Clubs International. Established in 1968, LCIF provides grant funding to support the compassionate works of Lions, empowering their service and addressing the needs of their communities both locally and globally. To learn how to support LCIF, visit lionsclubs.org/WaysToGive.
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The microfilm viewer at the Lakeport branch of the Lake County Library lets residents peer into the past. Photo courtesy of the Lake County Library.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — “Life in the Past Lane,” a free genealogy class, will resume meeting at the Lakeport Library on 1425 N. High St. on Saturday, July 10, at 2 p.m. in the Children's Room.

The class will be held the second and fourth Saturday afternoons every month. The class is a collaboration between the Lake County Library and the Lake County Genealogical Society, or LCGS.

It’s free and open to anyone interested in pursuing family history. Registration is not required.Publishing

Rose Davidson, president of the LCGS, will lead the class, which will explore an array of genealogy topics through class discussions, presentations, lessons and online webinars. For more information about the class, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Participants will learn about the different resources available at the library and within the community to research family history. The library has many historical resources about Lake County.

The library’s Lake County Collection contains books and other materials about Lake County history, genealogy, and other topics.

The library also has a collection of local newspapers on microfilm that cover Lake County history. These microfilm have newspapers going all the way back to 1863.

The class will be held in person. If you are planning to attend, please be advised face coverings are required to enter the library for people that are not vaccinated.

Library visitors self-attest they are fully vaccinated by entering the building with no mask on.

Visit the Lake County Library Website at http://library.lakecountyca.gov.
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SACRAMENTO – With wildfire season off to an early start, a pair of bills advanced on Monday from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that would help local government deal with preemptive electric power shutoffs and create a new office to foster emergency equipment innovation.

“The wildfire threat is not going away and we must take decisive action to protect life and property,” Sen. Dodd said. “The passage of these bills ensures our communities have adequate resources to respond when power is turned off and that we are working on new and better ways to prevent and respond to wildfire. I thank committee members for seeing the value in these proposals and look forward to approval by both houses of the Legislature.”

Senate Bill 52 follows a series of de-energizations from PG&E over the past two years that were intended to prevent fallen power lines and damaged equipment from sparking fires. It makes clear that such public safety power shutoffs are eligible for official emergency declarations, freeing financial assistance for local government under the Emergency Services Act.

SB 52 is supported by Napa County, California Fire Chiefs Association, Fire Districts Association of California, Regional Council of Rural Counties, Disability Rights California and the California Association of Public Authorities.

SB 109 Creates the Office of Emergency Technology Research and Development to study, produce and test new equipment to battle wildfires and other emergencies. Public, private and non-profit organizations and companies would join forces and become a state hub for firefighting advancements. SB 109 is supported by numerous groups including the California Fire Chiefs Association, the League of California Cities, Breathe California and the counties of Napa and Yolo.

Both bills passed the Assembly Utilities and Energy committee on Monday with overwhelming support after previously being approved by the full Senate. SB 52 heads to the Assembly floor and SB 109 goes to Assembly Appropriations.

Dodd represents the Third Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Yolo, Sonoma, Solano, Sacramento and Contra Costa counties. Visit his website for more information.
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California Volunteers, Office of the Governor announced the deployment of California Climate Action Corps Fellows for Summer of 2021.

Over the last two weeks, California Volunteers and partners have hosted a series of virtual events to welcome the summer fellows of the statewide climate corps, culminating in a pledge ceremony administered by California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday.

In January, the program launched a pilot fellowship of 59 fellows who have spent the last six months advancing climate action projects such as urban tree planting, food sustainability, and wildfire resilience in some of the state’s most vulnerable communities.

The new Summer Fellowship builds on the pilot term by placing up to 200 fellows for a two-month summer of service in urban and rural communities throughout the state.

“I am thrilled to welcome this new group of energetic fellows from diverse ages and backgrounds who have joined us in service to dedicate their time to their communities,” said California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday. “The Climate Action Corps Fellowship is the first of its kind in the United States and can lead the way forward as we look to harness human potential to combat the global climate crisis. Our fellows are an inspiration for others across the nation to take on climate action in their communities and homes.”

California Volunteers is supported by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s vision to lift up all communities in California. Fellows will mobilize and organize climate action at scale in principally front-line and low-income communities across the state.

As AmeriCorps members, the summer fellows will serve 300 hours with local governments, nonprofits, universities, and colleges to support climate action and climate education projects in areas such as edible food recovery, urban greening, wildfire mitigation, community energy, and habitat conservation.

Through project-based service work with committed community organizations, fellows will have a chance to learn real-world climate action skills.

In addition to the Fellowship program, California Climate Action Corps engages people through a variety of levels and activities, from those who have an hour to commit at home to those who can commit a year of service, and everything in between.

In partnership with VolunteerMatch, California Volunteers has launched a statewide online volunteer hub of climate-focused volunteer opportunities. Environmental and climate-focused organizations can post service opportunities for local volunteers, allowing every Californian to make a difference in their own community.

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