LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The National Endowment for the Arts, or NEA, in partnership with Arts Midwest, has announced support for 62 nonprofit organizations to hold NEA Big Read programming in 2022-2023.
Among the grantees is the Lake County Library.
In total, the NEA is investing $1,071,140 to support programming centered around one of 15 different contemporary books, with the aim of inspiring meaningful conversations, artistic responses, and new discoveries and connections in participating communities.
The NEA Big Read showcases a diverse range of contemporary titles that reflect many different voices and perspectives, aiming to inspire conversation and discovery.
The Lake County Library is a recipient of a $9,500 grant to host the NEA Big Read countywide with dynamic community reading programs, and has selected Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie Diaz for 2023 programming.
Activities will take place from February 2023 to March 2023.
Winner of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, Postcolonial Love Poem is a collection of poetry by Arizona poet Natalie Diaz — who is Mojave, an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Tribe, Latinx and queer.
The poems push against the forces of racism, environmental destruction, addiction, and mental illness with the power of desire, love, and language.
From publisher Gray Wolf Press, “Postcolonial Love Poem is an anthem of desire against erasure. Natalie Diaz’s brilliant second collection demands that every body carried in its pages — bodies of language, land, rivers, suffering brothers, enemies, and lovers — be touched and held as beloveds.”
Confirmed partners for the 2023 program include the County of Lake Board of Supervisors, Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians, Mendocino College Lake Center, Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College, Lake County Special Districts, Lake County Library Genealogy and Local History Group, Museums of Lake County, Lake County Office of Education, Lake County Farmers’ Finest, Lake County Arts Council, Middletown Art Center and O'Meara Bros. Brewing Company. Organizers expect to add more partners as planning continues.
Follow the Lake County Library on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or sign up for their online newsletter for updates. Visit the Lake County Library’s website at http://library.lakecountyca.gov.
Georgina Marie Guardado is the Lake County Library’s Adult Literacy Program coordinator.
The mirror on the James Webb Space Telescope is fully aligned and producing incredibly sharp images, like this test image of a star. NASA/STScI via Flickr
NASA is scheduled to release the first images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope on July 12, 2022. They’ll mark the beginning of the next era in astronomy as Webb – the largest space telescope ever built – begins collecting scientific data that will help answer questions about the earliest moments of the universe and allow astronomers to study exoplanets in greater detail than ever before. But it has taken nearly eight months of travel, setup, testing and calibration to make sure this most valuable of telescopes is ready for prime time. Marcia Rieke, an astronomer at the University of Arizona and the scientist in charge of one of Webb’s four cameras, explains what she and her colleagues have been doing to get this telescope up and running.
1. What’s happened since the telescope launched?
After the successful launch of the James Webb Space Telescope on Dec. 25, 2021, the team began the long process of moving the telescope into its final orbital position, unfolding the telescope and – as everything cooled – calibrating the cameras and sensors onboard.
The launch went as smoothly as a rocket launch can go. One of the first things my colleagues at NASA noticed was that the telescope had more remaining fuel onboard than predicted to make future adjustments to its orbit. This will allow Webb to operate for much longer than the mission’s initial 10-year goal.
The first task during Webb’s monthlong journey to its final location in orbit was to unfold the telescope. This went along without any hitches, starting with the white-knuckle deployment of the sun shield that helps cool the telescope, followed by the alignment of the mirrors and the turning on of sensors.
The cameras on Webb cooled just as the engineers predicted, and the first instrument the team turned on was the Near Infrared Camera – or NIRCam. NIRCam is designed to study the faint infrared light produced by the oldest stars or galaxies in the universe. But before it could do that, NIRCam had to help align the 18 individual segments of Webb’s mirror.
Once NIRCam cooled to minus 280 F, it was cold enough to start detecting light reflecting off of Webb’s mirror segments and produce the telescope’s first images. The NIRCam team was ecstatic when the first light image arrived. We were in business!
Webb’s Fine Guidance Sensor also went into operation at this time. This sensor helps keep the telescope pointing steadily at a target – much like image stabilization in consumer digital cameras. Using the star HD84800 as a reference point, my colleagues on the NIRCam team helped dial in the alignment of the mirror segments until it was virtually perfect, far better than the minimum required for a successful mission.
3. What sensors came alive next?
As the mirror alignment wrapped up on March 11, the Near Infrared Spectrograph – NIRSpec – and the Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph – NIRISS – finished cooling and joined the party.
NIRSpec is designed to measure the strength of different wavelengths of light coming from a target. This information can reveal the composition and temperature of distant stars and galaxies. NIRSpec does this by looking at its target object through a slit that keeps other light out.
NIRSpec has multiple slits that allow it to look at 100 objects at once. Team members began by testing the multiple targets mode, commanding the slits to open and close, and they confirmed that the slits were responding correctly to commands. Future steps will measure exactly where the slits are pointing and check that multiple targets can be observed simultaneously.
NIRISS is a slitless spectrograph that will also break light into its different wavelengths, but it is better at observing all the objects in a field, not just ones on slits. It has several modes, including two that are designed specifically for studying exoplanets particularly close to their parent stars.
So far, the instrument checks and calibrations have been proceeding smoothly, and the results show that both NIRSpec and NIRISS will deliver even better data than engineers predicted before launch.
The MIRI camera, image on the right, allows astronomers to see through dust clouds with incredible sharpness compared with previous telescopes like the the Spitzer Space Telescope, which produced the image on the left.NASA/JPL-Caltech (left), NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI (right)/Flickr, CC BY
4. What was the last instrument to turn on?
The final instrument to boot up on Webb was the Mid-Infrared Instrument, or MIRI. MIRI is designed to take photos of distant or newly formed galaxies as well as faint, small objects like asteroids. This sensor detects the longest wavelengths of Webb’s instruments and must be kept at minus 449 F – just 11 degrees F above absolute zero. If it were any warmer, the detectors would pick up only the heat from the instrument itself, not the interesting objects out in space. MIRI has its own cooling system, which needed extra time to become fully operational before the instrument could be turned on.
Radio astronomers have found hints that there are galaxies completely hidden by dust and undetectable by telescopes like Hubble that captures wavelengths of light similar to those visible to the human eye. The extremely cold temperatures allow MIRI to be incredibly sensitive to light in the mid-infrared range which can pass through dust more easily. When this sensitivity is combined with Webb’s large mirror, it allows MIRI to penetrate these dust clouds and reveal the stars and structures in such galaxies for the first time.
5. What’s next for Webb?
As of June 15, 2022, all of Webb’s instruments are on and have taken their first images. Additionally, four imaging modes, three time series modes and three spectroscopic modes have been tested and certified, leaving just three to go.
On July 12, NASA plans to release a suite of teaser observations that illustrate Webb’s capabilities. These will show the beauty of Webb imagery and also give astronomers a real taste of the quality of data they will receive.
After July 12, the James Webb Space Telescope will start working full time on its science mission. The detailed schedule for the coming year hasn’t yet been released, but astronomers across the world are eagerly waiting to get the first data back from the most powerful space telescope ever built.
But not all immune systems age at the same rate. In our recently published study, my colleagues and I found that social stress is associated with signs of accelerated immune system aging.
Stress and immunosenescence
To better understand why people with the same chronological age can have different immunological ages, my colleagues and I looked at data from the Health and Retirement Study, a large, nationally representative survey of U.S. adults over age 50. HRS researchers ask participants about different kinds of stressors they have experienced, including stressful life events, such as job loss; discrimination, such as being treated unfairly or being denied care; major lifetime trauma, such as a family member’s having a life-threatening illness; and chronic stress, such as financial strain.
Recently, HRS researchers have also started collecting blood from a sample of participants, counting the number of different types of immune cells present, including white blood cells. These cells play a central role in immune responses to viruses, bacteria and other invaders. This is the first time such detailed information about immune cells has been collected in a large national survey.
By analyzing the data from 5,744 HRS participants who both provided blood and answered survey questions about stress, my research team and I found that people who experienced more stress had a lower proportion of “naive” T cells – fresh cells needed to take on new invaders the immune system hasn’t encountered before. They also have a larger proportion of “late differentiated” T cells – older cells that have exhausted their ability to fight invaders and instead produce proteins that can increase harmful inflammation. People with low proportions of newer T cells and high proportions of older T cells have a more aged immune system.
After we controlled for poor diet and low exercise, however, the connection between stress and accelerated immune aging wasn’t as strong. This suggests that improving these health behaviors might help offset the hazards associated with stress.
Similarly, after we accounted for potential exposure to cytomegalovirus – a common, usually asymptomatic virus known to accelerate immune aging – the link between stress and immune cell aging was reduced. While CMV normally stays dormant in the body, researchers have found that stress can cause CMV to flare up and force the immune system to commit more resources to control the reactivated virus. Sustained infection control can use up naive T cell supplies and result in more exhausted T cells that circulate throughout the body and cause chronic inflammation, an important contributor to age-related disease.
Our study helps clarify the association between social stress and faster immune aging. It also highlights potential ways to slow down immune aging, such as changing how people cope with stress and improving lifestyle behaviors like diet, smoking and exercise. Developing effective cytomegalovirus vaccines may also help alleviate immune system aging.
It is important to note, however, that epidemiological studies cannot completely establish cause and effect. More research is needed to confirm whether stress reduction or lifestyle changes will lead to improvements in immune aging, and to better understand how stress and latent pathogens like cytomegalovirus interact to cause illness and death. We are currently using additional data from the Health and Retirement Study to examine how these and other factors like childhood adversity affect immune aging over time.
Less aged immune systems are better able to fight infections and generate protective immunity from vaccines. Immunosenescence may help explain why people are likely to have more severe cases of COVID-19 and a weaker response to vaccines as they age. Understanding what influences immune aging may help researchers better address age-related disparities in health and illness.
CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. — Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said several projects are underway in Lake County to harden the electric system and build a safer and more resilient power grid for its customers and communities.
In Lake County, PG&E plans to underground approximately 15 miles of overhead distribution power lines and harden 21 miles in high fire-threat areas to reduce wildfire risk in 2022.
“As part of our efforts to evolve with California’s changing weather conditions, we are working year-round to make our system safer, and that includes placing overhead lines underground where we can and installing stronger power poles with covered conductors,” said Ron Richardson, regional vice president for PG&E’s North Coast Region. “Not only will undergrounding reduce ignition risk by 99% on undergrounded circuits, but it will reduce spending on temporary repairs and recurring costs such as vegetation management and curb the need for wildfire safety-related outages.”
Crews have started preliminary work to underground approximately 9 miles of a distribution line in sections from Clearlake Oaks along parts of Highway 20 to Spring Valley.
PG&E has notified customers of field surveys to be conducted through the second half of June.
As part of the surveys, field crews will locate property corners and pick up topographical features. Helicopters may also be used to gather this information.
Residents in these areas may also see different colors of spray paint on the ground and around PG&E equipment. These are markings so workers know where existing underground utilities are located, such as power lines, water, sewer, storm drains and communications.
PG&E will be marking the ground over the next three weeks with red spray paint where electrical equipment is located. Each commodity has a different color to mark the location of their underground equipment.
“Customers in the areas of future undergrounding may also notice markings on the ground that look like “X’s” or a chess board. These are flight panels that help us establish horizontal and vertical control. It’s how everyone working on the project can be on the same coordinate system,” said Brett Brusatori, supervisor for PG&E Land Surveying.
Undergrounding is part of PG&E’s Community Wildfire Safety Program, which the company launched in 2018 to help keep customers and communities safe in the face of growing wildfire risk across our state.
Nearly one-third of the electric power lines that serve PG&E’s customers are now in High Fire-Threat Districts designated by the California Public Utilities Commission.
Undergrounding is just one of the system-hardening tools PG&E uses to reduce wildfire risks.
Depending on the needs of the community, PG&E reviews additional risk-reduction efforts including installing stronger poles, covered power lines and sectionalizing devices; conducting enhanced vegetation management; adjusting power line safety settings; and implementing public safety power shut-offs.
Even though PG&E’s power lines will be moved underground, some of the power poles in these areas could remain in place to carry service lines that feed customer homes and to carry telecommunications equipment for other companies.
On July 21, 2021, PG&E announced a new, multiyear infrastructure safety initiative to underground approximately 10,000 miles of power lines in and near high fire-threat areas. It’s reported to be the largest effort in the U.S. to underground power lines as a wildfire risk reduction measure.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — For the second year in a row, the Clearlake City Council has approved a budget far larger than normal thanks to millions in grants and increasing revenue.
Clearlake’s fiscal year 2022-23 budget has $39,116,857 in expenses and $37,160,179 in revenue, and is structurally balanced, said Finance Director Kelcey Young.
General fund revenue totals $7.9 million, with expenses totaling $8.3 million and the use of $516,000 in fund balance, Young said.
The budget includes a move to contracting out for animal control services with North Bay Animal Services, at a cost of $375,000 annually for 10 years, and the creation of a new recreation and event department, with a city goal that it be self-funded within two years.
The new fiscal year budget is the second-largest in the city’s history.
The largest was passed a year ago this month, with $57.4 million in expenditures and $53.6 million in revenue.
Before its regular meeting on Thursday evening, the council held an hour-long workshop during which Young led council members through a budget overview.
Young, hired this month a year ago, has taken the lead on creating this year’s budget.
When the council went to approve the budget with a unanimous vote during the council’s meeting later in the evening, City Manager Alan Flora said it was the first time since he’s been with the city that he hasn’t been very involved in the budget process, “which has certainly been a pleasure for me.”
Highlights of the budget include $15.4 million in grants and Pacific Gas and Electric settlement funds for the Sulphur fire, and property and sales tax totaling $11.2 million.
The city plans $22 million in capital projects in the coming year, with personnel costs totaling $7.8 million.
When it comes to personnel expenses and staffing, Young said Clearlake’s government is “extremely lean” for a city of its population size.
Overall, she said they are seeing increases in revenues — from sources such as the Measure V road sales tax — “which is exciting.”
Young said the city also is moving forward with its plan to finance additional roadwork with debt financing totaling $14,755,000.
The council on Thursday also approved an 18-month closure of multiple dirt roads in the area of the Cache fire, and Park Street from Sonoma to Oregon, and gave the OK to the 10-year contract with North Bay Animal Services for animal care and control services.
Council members also approved memorandums of understanding between the city and the Clearlake Miscellaneous Employees Association and the Clearlake Police Officers Association, a lease with Dell Financial Services for computer workstations for the police department, an ordinance amending the Clearlake Municipal Code relating to traffic and parking regulations, and job descriptions and placement into salary schedule for certain administrative positions.
Also on Thursday, the city council received a presentation on the Cache fire recovery from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and Lake County Water Resources, and heard about the plan to plant 100 valley oaks at the Anderson Marsh State Historic Park.
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. — The county of Lake has reached a settlement with its former Human Resources director who sued alleging wrongful termination and racial discrimination.
The Board of Supervisors approved the settlement with Pamela Nichols following a closed session discussion at Tuesday’s board meeting.
The announcement was reportedly made in open session, once the board had returned from its confidential discussion of the matter, but the county said the Zoom link was not operating at the time.
As a result, on Wednesday, the county posted a video of Board of Supervisors Chair EJ Crandell announcing the settlement approval vote.
Crandell said the board unanimously approved the agreement, in the amount of $500,000.
“The county will accept Ms. Nichols’ resignation in lieu of prior action, will ensure training in the discrimination harassment complaint process, continue its ongoing process of implementing cultural awareness training and will pay the cost of mediation,” Crandell said.
Crandell said the video was an addendum to the Zoom record to make sure the public was aware of the action.
Nichols was the county’s Human Resources director for a year. She was hired in August 2018 and held the job until the following summer.
On Aug. 30, 2019, then-County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson, with her then-Assistant County Administrative Officer Susan Parker present, “informed Ms. Nichols that today would be her last day as HR Director,” and that she “no longer had confidence in Ms. Nichols’ commitment to her and gave Ms. Nichols two (2) options: either resign or be fired,” according to the lawsuit.
The suit filings said “Huchingson sarcastically offered that Sheriff Martin might have an available position in his department, and if it was something Ms. Nichols wanted, defendant Huchingson would not stand in the way.”
Nichols asked to leave to get more boxes, and when she returned, she found Parker and county staff with 12 boxes of Nichols’ belongings stacked on the front steps of the county courthouse in Lakeport.
Nichols, who is Black, filed her lawsuit in federal court in July 2020 alleging wrongful termination, racial discrimination, infringement of her First Amendment rights to free speech and retaliation. She sued both the county and Huchingson, specifically, and sought unlimited damages.
The case had been on track for the finalizing of discovery by July 1, with a motion hearing set for Sept. 23 in Oakland and a jury trial scheduled to begin on March 23, 2023, as Lake County News has reported.
Huchingson abruptly announced her resignation on March 17, two days after a closed session discussion with the board about the case.
On May 23, the board hired Parker — reported to be Huchingson’s hand-picked successor — as the new county administrative officer. The following day, another closed session discussion on the lawsuit was held during the board meeting.
On May 27, the last filing was made in the case, with the heading, “Defendants’ county of Lake and Carol Huchingson’s notice of pending settlement negotiations; proposed order.”
That two page document stated, “The parties hereby notify the Court that the parties are engaging in an ongoing private mediation and will have a decision as to a comprehensive settlement proposal after the Lake County Board of Supervisors meets on June 14, 2022.”
The filing stated that in the event the case settled, within seven days of the full execution of the settlement agreement, the parties will file with the court a joint stipulation for dismissal pursuant to federal rules of civil procedure.
“In the unlikely event the case does not settle, the parties will file a certification that all supplementation of discovery has been completed no later than June 21, 2022,” the document stated.
The federal court filings also indicated that attorneys hired by the county continue to defend not just the county but Huchingson in the suit.
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.
This week, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) voted to pass H.R. 2773, the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA), a bipartisan conservation bill that will amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Act and provide $1.3 billion to assist in conserving, restoring and protecting wildlife and wildlife habitat in California, territories, tribal lands, and other states across the nation.
This legislation is reported to be one of the most significant investments in wildlife and habitat conservation in a generation.
“The need for wildlife conservation efforts in the United States is more pressing than ever as climate change, invasive species, and habitat loss puts many species at an increased risk of extinction,” said Thompson. “The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act will protect our endangered species and make conservation efforts more efficient. By funding State Wildlife Action Plans and other wildlife conservation and habitat restoration activities, we will take direct action to address the conservation crisis. As an outdoorsman, protecting wildlife and their habitats is personal, and I am proud to support these efforts to combat climate change and preserve our beautiful flora and fauna for future generations to come.”
Included in RAWA is $57 million for California to help manage fish and wildlife species of greatest conservation need.
The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would:
• Provide tribes critical funding for wildlife conservation. RAWA provides a $97.5 million annual noncompetitive Tribal Wildlife Conservation and Restoration grant program to assist Tribes in carrying out wildlife conservation and habitat restoration efforts. • Protect threatened and endangered species. At least 15% of RAWA funding must be spent on species that are listed under the Endangered Species Act or are considered threatened or endangered under tribal law. • Make wildlife conservation more effective and cost-efficient. RAWA funding will help states, territories, and Tribes put conservation measures in place for species before they become threatened or endangered, making species protection less difficult and less costly. RAWA will also provide much-needed funding for non-hunted species. • Address climate change by building more resilient ecosystems. State wildlife action plans often include habitat restoration projects (e.g., removing invasive species, fighting wildlife disease) that simultaneously benefit forest, watershed, and coastal health. These improvements help make ecosystems more resilient to severe weather events caused by climate change, including wildfires, hurricanes, and drought. • Boost the outdoor economy. By supporting wildlife conservation, RAWA funds will boost our $887 billion outdoor economy, which already supports over 7.6 million jobs and is fueled by more than 100 million American wildlife enthusiasts, hunters, anglers, birders, and hikers. A portion of the funds will also support wildlife education.
Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and a public statement on its opposition to the removal of the Scott Dam and the destruction of Lake Pillsbury.
County Counsel Anita Grant and Tax Administrator Patrick Sullivan, also the county’s treasurer-tax collector-elect, presented the documents to the supervisors for their approval.
The letter is addressed to the chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, while the public statement was issued to media outlets, with particular emphasis on targeting publications in the Bay Area and North Coast communities that would be impacted by the loss of the Lake Pillsbury water source.
The documents address the history of the dam and Lake Pillsbury, and discuss the county’s fight to protect them from out-of-county interests who are supporting a “two-basin solution” that has as its key element the removal of the Scott Dam.
During the board’s discussion, Supervisor Bruno Sabatier thanked staff for putting the letter and statement together, noting it’s a difficult topic.
“The powers that are trying to change what is happening in Lake County are difficult to navigate through and get them to hear us, and I appreciate the fact that we are sending this letter to make sure FERC hears our voice. But this is not the end,” Sabatier said.
Sabatier and Board Chair EJ Crandell have been tasked by the board to participate in meetings related to the matter.
Crandell said the other entities involved in the discussions are getting their voices heard, while Lake County isn’t.
“Everyone that’s invested into the two-basin solution has something to benefit from, while we as a county are losing something,” Crandell said, adding that he hopes FERC will appreciate and consider the letter.
The board voted unanimously to approve and send the letter to FERC and, after a brief discussion with Sullivan, also approved releasing the statement to the media.
The public statement is published below in its entirety.
An Urgent and Important Public Statement from Chairman Eddie Crandell and the Lake County Board of Supervisors.
Destroying Lake Pillsbury Is An Expensive Gamble With Our Water Supply
Lake County, CA (June 15, 2022) – The current narrative that dam removal in Lake County is the only viable solution is being pushed forward without proper scrutiny. No real weight is being given to the true potential financial costs and the very real threat to our regional water security. This narrative effectively ignores that the Eel River water diverted from Lake Pillsbury ultimately flows into the Russian River, where it is then routed into pipelines supplying it throughout Sonoma County and Marin County, into the taps of cities like Sonoma, Petaluma, and Novato.
The North Marin Water District has stated the “Russian River, which provides approximately 70% of Novato’s water, originates in Mendocino County and derives supply from both the Eel River and the Russian River watershed.” Without understanding the history behind this, it is likely that many do not know what a gamble special interests are attempting to make with the water needs of 600,000 people as they urge the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to order the destruction of Lake Pillsbury.
In 1922, following the completion of Scott Dam, the Gravelly Valley of Lake County was filled to form what became known as Lake Pillsbury. The Lake County community of Hullville was then submerged under 125 feet of impounded Eel River water. At that time, it was investors from San Francisco who set this transformation into motion, already seeing the need for hydroelectric production to power Ukiah and the diversion of water into Sonoma County. The system of dams and diversion became known as the Potter Valley Project.
During the next 100 years in Lake County, the community of Lake Pillsbury would ultimately develop along the shores of the destroyed town of Hullville. During this same time, development boomed throughout Sonoma and Marin counties fueled by the Eel River bolstered water supply of the Russian River. In 1977, regional representatives presented testimony to Congress on the need for further strengthening of the water supply by constructing the Warm Springs Dam to create Lake Sonoma. Lake Pillsbury, Lake Mendocino, and Lake Sonoma have all come to form the backbone of the Russian River’s ability to meet an ever growing demand.
In those Congressional hearings, a Mendocino County Supervisor stated: “By far the major portion of current summer demand for domestic and agricultural use of water in Southern Mendocino County, Sonoma County and Northern Marin County is met by water released from Lake Mendocino down the Russian River. But, prior to 1908 very little water flowed in the Russian River during the summer months and in dry years the river was usually dry.”
This stands in stark contrast to what many in the region have come to take for granted, that the Russian River has become not just a source of water but also a vacation destination. “As a result of the Van Arsdale diversion and creation of Lake Pillsbury, water flowed in the Russian River all summer, and agriculture developed along the Russian River in Potter Valley, Southern Mendocino County, and Sonoma County. Recreational uses of the Russian also flourished.”
The prospect of the Russian River going dry as it runs along the Mendocino-Lake County line into Sonoma County is frightening, especially in the age of megafires that our region is experiencing. The Eel River in Lake County may go dry and without the water in Lake Pillsbury and Lake Mendocino the regional wildfire danger would seem only to be further heightened.
There have been many assumptions made by dam removal proponents, including that the regional water supply would not be threatened; that the cost to remove the dams is cheaper than providing fish passage; and that the environmental impact on Lake County is minimal. These assumptions simply do not hold up when the broader context is considered.
The most optimistic of projections regarding water supply have been previously used as justification to remove Scott Dam and destroy the water storage provided by Lake Pillsbury. Lake Mendocino has dropped to and remains at historic lows in the midst of this drought. The worst-case scenarios of Lake Mendocino drying up nearly came to pass just in the last year as the water level continued to drop precipitously.
There are many cost-effective methods for fish passage in Lake County that were eliminated from further consideration because they were not viewed as the most desired outcome. Some of these, such as a trap & haul option, or pressurized transport systems, could be implemented quickly without the need for the significant physical infrastructure associated with a fish ladder, even if only on a short-term basis.
Apparently, these options did not fit the narrative that the only viable fish passage option is to remove Scott Dam. In fact, their success would have weakened the argument to destroy Lake Pillsbury and risk our region’s water security. These alternatives were not weighed against the real potential cost of dam removal or realistic threat to regional water supply. Once the dams are removed there is no going back, and it would not be possible to attempt these otherwise cost-effective alternatives.
Even the early, preliminary, cost estimates presented by the Two Basin Solution provided a massive range. The dam removal itself was estimated between $30 and $120 million. What received even less focus were the estimates for Sediment Removal and Vegetation Management. These were each estimated to cost between $25 -$100 million. That put the conservative estimated cost at approximately $80 million, but the more realistic costs at $320 million. When all costs were considered the range came to $400 - $520 million. Lake County did not have a voice in these discussions, so already decisions such as removing the sediment left behind have been noted as infeasible, due to cost. These rough costs could continue to rise as operations are more fully developed.
Dam removal proponents argue that Scott Dam is unsafe. What they carefully omit is that the majority of dams in California, especially those of any substantive size, are considered high risk. In fact, over 90% of the acre feet of dam water storage is classified as high risk just like Scott Dam. This cannot be the basis to begin eliminating water storage across the state.
Forcing dam removal to begin before anyone has the chance to understand the real risks and costs involved seems to be the current strategy. That is why it was necessary to exclude Lake County from the process. Once the dam is out and Lake Pillsbury destroyed, the costs of the resulting environmental harms in Lake County and securing new water sources in Mendocino, Sonoma, and Marin will be forced upon all of us.
For over a century, regional decisions surrounding development have been made in reliance on the water in Lake Pillsbury. The danger of this was foreshadowed in 1977 Congressional testimony:
“The pressure on demand is even greater in Sonoma and Northern Marin Counties because they are closer to the metropolitan San Francisco Bay Area.
For periods of time this pressure may be contained. But we will soon have more wet years. There will be more homes built, businesses started and acres planted in the Russian River Service Area. Every member of this Committee knows this trend cannot be stopped ‘once and for all.’
Some of the later words still ring true to this day: “When the next dry cycle comes - when demand is much higher - the economic loss that will be suffered, if our water supply is not increased, will be shattering to lives and our economy.” These are the words that helped convince Congress to increase the water supply by building a new dam, and they should certainly give proponents of destroying regional water storage at Lake Pillsbury pause as we enter increasingly dramatic drought.
Residents of Marin, Sonoma, and Mendocino counties are encouraged to contact members of their local City Councils, Board of Supervisors, and other governing bodies to request open discussion of these concerns. You can also submit your comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission directly at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx (P-77).
Respectfully submitted, Eddie Crandell, Chair (Lake County Board of Supervisors)
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. — A man convicted of a 1987 murder during a boating excursion on Clear Lake has been denied parole.
On Wednesday, the Board of Parole Hearings denied parole for Edward Keefe Crawford, 63, said Lake County Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.
Deputy District Attorney Art Grothe attended the hearing for the Lake County District Attorney’s Office to argue against Crawford’s release, Hinchcliff said.
Crawford was prosecuted in 1988 by Stephen O. Hedstrom, who was the Lake County district attorney at the time.
A jury found Crawford guilty of first-degree murder for the killing of 28-year-old Glenn Shoemaker.
Crawford was sentenced to 27 years to life by Judge Robert L. Crone Jr. His minimum eligible parole date was Sept. 17, 2006. This was Crawford’s third parole hearing.
The murder was investigated by retired investigator Carl Stein at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
According to investigation reports, Crawford and a co-defendant, Jon Christ, took Shoemaker for a boat ride on Sept. 19, 1987, and stopped at a secluded spot on the shoreline.
Christ reportedly told a witness before the incident that they were taking Shoemaker for a one-way boat ride.
When the three got out of the boat, Shoemaker was shot six times, including twice in the back, with a .22-caliber handgun.
Shoemaker’s body was found 11 days later. Crawford and Christ both reportedly bragged or confessed to others that they had killed Shoemaker.
The motive reported at the time was that Shoemaker had recently stolen the same handgun that he was shot with from Christ, and Christ got the gun back and was angry about the theft.
During the investigation Crawford admitted he shot the victim but claimed it was an accident. Crawford claimed Christ gave him the gun, told him it was unloaded, and told him to scare Shoemaker with it.
Crawford claimed when he pulled the trigger to scare Shoemaker, the gun discharged twice into Shoemaker, then Christ shot him four more times.
Christ also was convicted of the murder and sentenced to 31 years to life in prison.
During his time in prison, Crawford gave officials differing versions of the motive for the murder.
In 1991 Crawford told prison officials he shot Shoemaker because Shoemaker had molested Crawford’s child.
In 2007 Crawford said when he and Shoemaker went water skiing and stopped to use the bathroom, an argument ensued over stolen property and Shoemaker stabbed Crawford in the arm, so Crawford shot Shoemaker.
In January 2012 Crawford said he killed Shoemaker because the victim had molested his neighbor’s children.
At his parole hearing in May of 2012, Crawford claimed he killed Shoemaker because he was a child molester and Shoemaker had stabbed Crawford when Crawford confronted him about it. Crawford admitted it was never proven that Shoemaker was a child molester.
At his parole hearing on Wednesday, Crawford told the parole commissioners he never shot Shoemaker, John Christ did. He also changed his story and said he had been stabbed by Christ, not Shoemaker.
During his time in prison since 1988, Crawford has made no effort to address his alcohol, drug or anger issues. Crawford had taken no drug or alcohol addiction classes and had not participated in any anger management or alternatives to violence classes.
He had been caught making alcohol in prison, and admitted he had been placed in administrative segregation in prison for his own protection for not paying a $100 drug debt for heroin he purchased from other prisoners while in prison.
At the parole hearing Wednesday, Grothe asked the Board of Prison Hearings to deny Crawford parole on the grounds that he still presented an unreasonable risk of danger to the public if released.
The Board of Parole Hearings commissioners agreed that Crawford still poses an unreasonable risk of danger to the public and denied parole for at least three more years. Crawford’s next parole hearing will be in 2025.
“Based on Crawford’s history, it will be interesting to hear what his version of the events will be at the next hearing,” Hinchcliff said.
This is the third parole hearing the District Attorney’s Office has attended in the last week that has resulted in a denial of parole.
On Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom took action to lift additional COVID-19-related executive order provisions as part of the continuing effort to wind down the executive orders implemented in response to the pandemic.
At the same time, officials are maintaining California’s nation-leading testing and vaccination programs and protecting hospital capacity, which are key components of the state’s SMARTER Plan to guide California’s pandemic response.
“As California navigates the evolving pandemic, the state remains laser-focused on keeping Californians safe while advancing our ongoing recovery,” said Gov. Newsom. “We’re continuing to deploy proven strategies and programs that allow us to swiftly and effectively respond to changing pandemic conditions, take on equity gaps, and keep us moving forward."
The governor’s action on Friday immediately terminates five provisions related to Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards, following updated workplace safety rules that took effect last month.
Fifteen additional provisions are set to expire on June 30, after which only 5% of the COVID-19 related executive order provisions issued throughout the pandemic will remain in place.
Important measures still in effect to bolster the state’s COVID response and recovery efforts include provisions that support:
• COVID testing – Providing flexibility to support the state’s testing program, which under the SMARTER Plan will continue being able to process at least 500,000 tests per day. For example, through executive action the Governor has waived a provision that would require a health care professional to review each test result before it was released electronically to patients, and expanded scopes of practice for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to conduct COVID tests. • Vaccinations and boosters – Ensuring flexibility to advance the state’s vaccination and booster programs, which under the SMARTER Plan will continue being able to distribute at least 200,000 doses per day. This includes waiving licensing requirements temporarily to enable pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to administer COVID vaccines and waiving requirements so that the state can offer mobile vaccine clinics. • Protecting hospital capacity and vulnerable populations – Provisions to protect both capacity in our health care delivery system and vulnerable populations, particularly during COVID surges. This includes provisions allowing health care workers from out of state to provide services in California and enabling the Department of Developmental Services to provide remote and expanded nonresidential services for more clients. • Infant formula price gouging protections – Provisions that provide consumer protections against price gouging on infant formula in response to the ongoing supply chain challenges caused by the pandemic and the closure of a manufacturing facility that further impacted supply. To help improve access for parents and caretakers, sellers are generally prohibited from selling formula for a price that is more than 10 percent greater than the price they charged on February 17.
Nona Perez on Erin (aka Rain to her grandkids from the movie Spirit). Courtesy photo.
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. — This weekend’s Middletown Days will honor a longtime resident, photographer and horse enthusiast.
This year’s Middletown Days grand marshal is local photographer Nona Perez. Perez has a long history with Middletown and Middletown Days in particular.
Perez will head up this year’s Middletown Days Parade at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 18.
Perez was born in Middletown to Arval and Nadyne Edwards. Deanie Hardester was her first baby sitter before Perez, her older brother Anthony, and her parents moved to their new home on Mt. Saint Helena and she started school in Calistoga.
Her mother would paint, sculpt, and sketch. Nona did not possess those talents, but found that photography was a way for her to also “freeze the moment and capture it.”
Action shot by Nona Perez: Bronc rider is Guy Petta in the Middletown Days 2011 Ranch Rodeo. She got her first camera from her dad at age 11 and she’s always packed a camera ever since. Her dad had an old Agfa camera that he brought back from Germany in 1950. It had a bellow that popped out and was “100% manual.” She had to set the distance, focus, aperture, shutter speed, and also had to remember to advance the film. Otherwise, she would get a double exposure. It was quite challenging to use and taught her a lot.
When she first got her camera she started taking photos of dogs, cats, horses, and people. She always enjoyed taking photos to preserve memories and recalls that when she was younger, the family tragically lost some family members and didn’t have a lot of photos of them. That episode and what photos mean to people always stayed with her. “Pictures are about memories. That’s why we take them. There is so much more there when you look back at the photo.”
When she was 13, Jim and Donna Kinyon helped her find and train her first horse, a 2 1/2 year-old paint filly named Patches. It was at this time that she met the Weatherwax family, and Rudy and Barbara Yudnich and their family, and formed friendships with daughters Carol, Karen and Sherry.
She started coming to gymkhanas in Middletown. Her first horse show was a halter class during Middletown Days 1970, and she didn't quite know what to do. She also says that she didn’t really like being the one showing as it was not in her comfort zone.
First prize that year was a breeding to Hill Comstock's Quarter Horse stud, Expensive Star. She didn’t win, but years later, she did have Patches bred to Expensive Star and got a colt her dad named Troupe.
It was after she got Patches that she learned that her father had grown up with work horses and had always wanted a riding pony. She says that she had great mentors in horsemanship and her father’s gentle nature influenced her approach to training.
Nona Perez on Patches during the Middletown Days Parade in 1976 as part of the Tail Hold Riders. Courtesy photo. Those early gymkhanas she attended were announced by Bob Donley, “who always made us kids feel like we were doing a great job. He and his wife Pat have been a great influence in my life.” She also has fond memories of the Stimpsons, the Comstocks, and John Emerson. She had never felt like she fit in down in Calistoga and says that she “found her community in Middletown.”
When the family got a second horse, “it fulfilled my dad's lifelong dream of having a ‘riding pony’ and my parents took turns riding with me. My dad began riding in the gymkhanas after a dare from a friend. Wonderful memories!”
She also joined the Pope Valley Ropers and Riders and participated in their gymkhanas, as well. Her favorite event was pole bending.
In 1972, her love of all animals prompted her to begin working for veterinarian Glenn Baker in St. Helena. She was his first employee and worked for him for many years. When he got cattle she helped work them alongside his wife Karen.
When she was 18 or so she helped form a kids horse club with Bob Donley and Pam Wilson called the Tail Hold Riders. The club was formed to do the drill team, regular gymkhanas, and trail rides.
Some of the members included Kathy Dennis, Barbie and Vicky Poni, Joy Donley, Laura and Celena Menzio, Lisa Comstock, Keri and Wendy Johnson, Kat Thomas, Cheryl Evans, and “Greggy” Evans. Perez recalls that they all used to go on the most amazing trail rides at Guenoc, the Comstock Ranch, and at Diamond D Ranch.
Nona Perez's first horse. Courtesy photo. Some years later, after the birth of her first child, she got an SLR with a zoom lens that gave her much more flexibility in her photography. Then, when her kids got involved with horses, she found that taking photos and capturing memories gave her something to do other than just sit around. Both of her daughters showed horses and all of her kids participated in the Middletown Days Parade and 4H where she served as a community leader.
That morphed into Perez shooting a few weddings, sporting events and even helping another local photographer, Craig Eve. Middletown Central Park hired her to record Middletown Days for many years since she was always there with her camera, anyway.
She says that while she enjoys photography it’s never been a full time livelihood for her. She spent her time homeschooling her kids, taking them to various events, and helping her husband, Elias Perez, with his construction business. They met when he was her neighbor “two miles down the road” when he used to help her dad fix fences and haul hay.
She still likes being invisible, behind the camera. But, she spends her time these days focusing on her other passions, training colts and taming horses that have never been handled. She especially enjoys teaching her grandkids to ride. She also spends a fair amount of time sewing. In fact, her grandkids will be wearing some items she has sewn for the parade.
Something that she's always loved about Middletown is the warm inviting atmosphere and the community involvement. Her favorite part of Middletown Days is “getting together with people you don’t see all the time.” It’s one of the few gatherings that she really enjoys. And, even though she’s not fond of the spotlight, she’s happy to be in the parade so long as her family is by her side.
A collage by Nona Perez of Rudy Yudnich and John Emerson, who were famous in Middletown for their hide rides.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake Area Planning Council is updating the Lake County's Transit Development Plan and is seeking the community’s input.
The Transit Development Plan will explore new transit options as well as potential changes to existing Lake Transit services which could improve mobility for Lake County residents.
As part of updating the plan, the Lake Area Planning Council has released a survey and is asking community members to take it.
The survey is quick and easy, and intended for all residents — both those who ride the bus and those who do not.
