UPPER LAKE, Calif. – This week the Upper Lake Unified School District Board will consider approving job descriptions and contracts with firms for professional services, and hold a hearing on classified negotiations.

The board will meet for a 4 p.m. closed session before the regular public session at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12, in the library/student center at Upper Lake High School, 675 Clover Valley Road.

Documents and background information for agenda items are available to the public at http://www.boarddocs.com/ca/ulusd/Board.nsf/Public . 

On the agenda is a public hearing for the sunshine openers on the contract negotiations between the district and the Upper Lake Classified School Employees Association.

The board also will receive a special technology report from Ron Rosser and Sandy Coatney, and informational reports from Business Manager Sue Milhaupt and Superintendent Patrick Iaccino.

Under action and discussion items, the board will consider approving a resolution for workers' compensation coverage for volunteer personnel, and also will take up whether or not to approve contracts with School Innovations & Achievement and Caldwell Flores Winter Inc., the latter offering professional state aid services.

In other business, the board will review job descriptions for the positions of food services manager; building, grounds and maintenance supervisor; and technology director.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

On average, California women employed full-time, year round are paid just 84 cents for every dollar paid to men – a yearly pay gap of $8,053.

That means, in total, women in California lose more than $39 billion every year, which is money that could strengthen the state economy and the financial security of California’s women and families, including the nearly 1,751,000 California households headed by women.

These are some of the findings of a new analysis conducted by the National Partnership for Women & Families and released for Equal Pay Day on Tuesday.

The analysis spans all 50 states, all 435 congressional districts in the country, and the District of Columbia. It can be found at www.NationalPartnership.org/Gap .

The full set of findings for California, which can be seen below, include that, for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men in California, African American women, Latinas and Asian women who work full time, year round are paid 63 cents, 43 cents and 72 cents, respectively.

“This analysis is a sobering reminder of the serious harm the wage gap causes women and families all across the country,” said Debra L. Ness, president of the National Partnership. “At a time when women’s wages are so critical to the economic well-being of families, the country is counting on lawmakers to work together to advance the fair and family friendly workplace policies that would promote equal pay. There is no time to waste.”

According to the new analysis, if the gap between women’s and men’s wages in California were eliminated, each woman who holds a full-time, year-round job in the state could afford to buy food for 1.1 more years, pay for mortgage and utilities for four more months, or pay rent for more than six additional months.

Basic necessities like these would be particularly important for the 28 percent of California’s woman-headed households currently living below the poverty level.

California is not the only state with a wage gap. In fact, every state and 98 percent of the country’s congressional districts have one.

The National Partnership’s national analysis finds that the 10 states with the largest cents-on-the-dollar wage gaps in the country – from largest to smallest – are Louisiana, Utah, Wyoming, West Virginia, North Dakota, Alabama, Idaho, Oklahoma, Montana and Michigan.

A ranking of all 50 states and the District of Columbia can be found at http://www.nationalpartnership.org/research-library/workplace-fairness/fair-pay/americas-women-and-the-wage-gap.pdf .

Nationally, women who are employed full-time, year round are paid, on average, 79 cents for every dollar paid to men.

The gap is larger for African American women and Latinas who are paid 60 cents and 55 cents, respectively, for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.

For Asian women in the United States, the gap is smaller but persists. On average, Asian women are paid 84 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men, although some ethnic subgroups fare much worse.

“It is unacceptable that the wage gap has persisted, punishing the country’s women and families for decades,” Ness continued. “Some state lawmakers have taken steps to address the issue by passing legislation to combat discriminatory pay practices and provide other workplace supports. It is past time for federal lawmakers to do the same. We need Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which is a common sense proposal that has languished for much too long.”

Currently before Congress, the Paycheck Fairness Act is meant to close loopholes in the Equal Pay Act, help to break patterns of pay discrimination, and establish stronger workplace protections for women.

The National Partnership argues that the bill, along with other supportive policies – such as paid sick days, paid family and medical leave, minimum wage increases, fair scheduling and protections for pregnant workers – are what is needed to close the gap and should be top priorities for lawmakers.

The National Partnership’s analysis of the wage gap was released in advance of Equal Pay Day on Tuesday – which marks how far into the new year women must work in order to catch up with what men were paid the year before. The analysis uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

California Women and the Wage Gap

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee this week will continue its work to prepare the city's economic development strategic plan.

The meeting will take place from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 13, at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

The main item on LEDAC's agenda is the working session on the Lakeport Economic Development Strategic Plan.

As part of preparing that final plan, LEDAC working groups have been reviewing documents including the city's former redevelopment agency five-year implementation plan; the 2016 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy; Lake County 2030 – A Blueprint for our Future (Lake County/City Area Planning Council); Lake County Economic Development & Marketing Strategic Plan, 2011-2013; and the Downtown Improvement Plan, Phase II.

Chair Wilda Shock said LEDAC members will hold the final discussion on those documents ahead of finalizing the plan.

In other business, there will be an update on the vacant commercial buildings and lands inventory, with an informational presentation on alternative design approaches.

There also will be time for citizen input.

LEDAC advocates for a strong and positive Lakeport business community and acts as a conduit between the city and the community for communicating the goals, activities and progress of Lakeport’s economic and business programs.

Members do not have to be Lakeport residents.

In addition to Shock, the membership includes Vice Chair Christine Hutt, Secretary Rebecca Southwick, and members Bill Eaton, Melissa Fulton, Pam Harpster, Chris King, George Linn, Taira St. John and Panette Talia.

Lakeport City Community Development Director Kevin Ingram and City Manager Margaret Silveira serve as ex-officio committee members.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Northshore Fire Protection District firefighters responded to two separate fires on Sunday morning and Monday afternoon that displaced residents.

At 9:15 a.m. Sunday, firefighters were dispatched to a structure fire at 4178 Country Club in Lucerne, according to Northshore Fire Chief Jay Beristianos.

The fire occurred in a modular home. The home's sheetrock helped slow the spread of the fire, Beristianos said.

The fire destroyed a room and its contents, and resulted in smoke damage throughout the rest of the house, displacing its five residents, Beristianos said.

The fire killed a dog, but two to three puppies were saved, he added.

Beristianos said the fire is being attributed to an electrical issue.

Then, on Monday at around 3 p.m., Northshore Fire personnel responded to Everglade Boulevard in Clearlake Oaks on the report of a fire there, according to radio reports.

Beristianos said units arriving on scene found a travel trailer – parked in the front yard of a home – that was on fire.

Radio reports indicated that firefighters quickly knocked down the fire, which Beristianos said destroyed the trailer.

A young man was living in the trailer, Beristianos said.

Units at scene called for Red Cross to assist the trailer's resident with clothing and other needs, according to scanner traffic.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control has seven dogs ready to join new families this week.

The dogs available include mixes of American Bulldog, boxer, coonhound, Doberman Pinscher, Labrador Retriever, pit bull, Rottweiler and Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

To meet the dogs, contact Marcia Taylor, the animal control outreach technician, at 707-994-8201, Extension 103, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, or contact Animal Control Officer Jenna Tuller at Extension 115 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. those same days.

Also follow Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook for the latest updates.

Below are this week's available dogs.

'Bailey'

“Bailey” is a 7-month-old male Labrador Retriever-pit bull mix who came in with two other female littermates.

Shelter staff said he would make a wonderful family member. He likes to play, gets along with cats and would be good with kids, and has that “Labrador personality.”

'Blacky'

“Blacky” is a male Doberman Pinscher and coonhound mix.

He is a favorite at the shelter. Staff said he a laid back kind of a guy and gets along with everyone – including cats and dogs.

He's also a bit of a goofball that loves to chase flies, which staff said is very entertaining to watch.

He's kind-hearted, and gentle easy to walk on a leash. He was already neutered when he came in so his adoption fee is only $40.

'Buster'

“Buster” is a 3-year-old male pit bull terrier mix.

He walks nicely on leash and has a mellow personality.

Shelter staff said he's good with cats and will make a good family member.

'Katie'

“Katie” is a young female Labrador Retriever and pit bull terrier mix.

Shelter staff said she is a kind girl who will be your best friend. She's a littermate to Bailey and Molly.

Katie would be great in all sorts of activities, from camping trips to going for a job or a walk.

'Molly'

“Molly” is a 7-month-old Labrador Retriever and Pit Bull mix, and a littermate to Bailey and Katie.

Shelter staff said she is very sweet, loves to play and will make a wonderful family addition. She must be seen to be appreciated.

'Mona'

“Mona” is a young female Rottweiler-boxer mix with a low-key personality.

She is already spayed.

Shelter staff said she walks well on a leash, and is good with children, cats and other dogs.

'Toby'

“Toby” is a mix of Staffordshire Bull Terrier and American Bulldog.

Shelter staff said he is strongly built but is an absolute love bug.

He gets along well with other dogs, and walks great on a leash.

Toby also is potty trained, vaccinated and very friendly, and ready to go to a new home.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Planning Commission will meet this week to discuss matters including a fence variance, the application for a lot line adjustment, the progress report on the city's housing element and an update on projects awaiting city approval.

The commission will meet beginning at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 13, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

Commissioners will discuss an application from Arnold and Denise Pomeroy for a fence variance at 410 Fairview Way.

The Pomeroys are asking that the city allow an additional 3-foot hog wire fence located on top of an existing 3-foot wood fence, which would create a 6-foot fence along Sayre Street and replace the existing 6-foot fence along the eastern property boundary.

Also on the agenda, Ruzicka and Associates has applied for a lot line adjustment to reconfigure two adjacent legal lots of record located at 1405 S. Main St. and 100 Kimberly Lane.

In other business, the commission will review the housing element annual progress report for 2014 and 2015.

City staff also will give the commission an update on projects pending approval by the Lakeport Planning Department as of April 7.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.