The text of the proclamation is below:

PROCLAMATION BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

On September 22, 1862, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, officially ending slavery in the United States of America. It took three more years of war to defeat the upholders of that evil institution, and the toil of generations to erase its awful legacy.

Each year, we celebrate the day known as “Juneteenth” as the true anniversary of the end of slavery. Texas was among the last states to allow ownership of slaves, and on June 18th, 1865, Union troops led by General Gordon Granger landed in Galveston to enforce the President’s order. On the following day, June 19th, General Granger formally announced the end of slavery in Texas and hence the liberation of some of the last men and women to be legally held as slaves in our country.

I call on all Californians to observe Juneteenth as an important milestone in our long march towards equality; a reminder of the great contributions African-Americans have made as free citizens of our nation, as well as the injustices they suffered as slaves; and the courage of our forebears of all races and creeds who gave their lives to the fight against slavery.

NOW THEREFORE I, EDMUND G. BROWN JR., Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim June 19, 2011, as “Juneteenth.”

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 17th day of June 2011.

___________________________________

EDMUND G. BROWN JR.

Governor of California

ATTEST:

__________________________________

DEBRA BOWEN

Secretary of State

For the past eight years the Rural Food Project has given out boxes of food to as many as 300 people per month in the South County, and storage space is critical to the project.

The current 1,000-square-foot food pantry at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Middletown must move by the end of August so finding another space is critical to the people who are hungry in the Lake County area.

If you have space or know of someone that has a reasonable rental which could accommodate the storage of dry goods, shelving, boxes and a few freezers, please call Hedy Montoya at 707-987-8139.

The meeting will begin at 2:30 p.m. in the conference room at the Lake One Stop, 1152 S. Main St., Lakeport.

Agenda items will include approval of the 2011-12 First 5 Lake budget, a recommendation to change First 5 Lake Commission’s regular meeting schedule, and reports from the executive director and commissioners.

From left, new Konocti Lioness President Anna Jones and Installing Officer Joann Williams. Courtesy photo.

Lioness Anna Jones was installed as president by former Lioness District President Joann Williams of Cobb.

The Konocti Lioness Club is a nonprofit service club whose special interest is raising funds to sponsor children with special needs to summer camp.

The club also provides funds that benefit the youngsters of Lake County.

ShakeCast is a software application that uses ground sensors to analyze earthquake shaking data in relation to the performance characteristics of a bridge or other structure. This allows responders to prioritize inspections within minutes of an earthquake.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is using ShakeCast to monitor potential damage to nuclear facilities in Japan following the earthquake that occurred there in March.

The IAEA is also using ShakeCast to monitor close to 200 nuclear power plants around the world.

“I am proud that this innovative technology is helping aid the response to the tragedy in Japan,” said Caltrans Acting Director Malcolm Dougherty. “In the event of an earthquake, ShakeCast helps protect people by allowing us to efficiently and accurately prioritize bridge inspections. Now, it can help emergency responders around the globe to more effectively respond to earthquakes.”

Following an earthquake, one of Caltrans’ most critical tasks is to assess the condition of bridges and roadways. In the past, inspection teams had difficulty setting priorities because they lacked precise information about where the worst shaking and, most likely, the greatest damage had occurred.

“The California Emergency Management Agency works tirelessly with partners like Caltrans and the United States Geological Survey to prepare for and respond to any natural or man-made disaster,” said Cal EMA Acting Secretary Mike Dayton. "It's all about saving lives and property. This technology is

a vital addition to those efforts, and I'm pleased it's already helping people in Japan cope with the devastating losses there."

ShakeCast has already proved to be a valuable tool for Caltrans. During the 7.2 Calexico earthquake in Southern California in April 2010, ShakeCast identified the only bridge damaged in this event as the top priority for inspection.

ShakeCast also is being employed by other public agencies throughout California. The Los Angeles Unified School District, for example, is using it to improve earthquake monitoring and emergency response for over 1000 school buildings.

Caltrans recently executed a new three-year contract with the USGS to continue the development of ShakeCast.

The new version will incorporate improved bridge models and will include assessment of soil liquefaction and landslide hazards to roadways after earthquakes.