This story is being updated as new information becomes available.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A fast-moving vegetation fire in Clearlake is prompting evacuations as state and local firefighters attempt to stop it.
The fire in the area of Wilkinson and Dam Road was first reported shortly after 5 p.m. Monday.
Radio traffic indicated the fire began with a passenger car fire spreading into vegetation.
Dispatch reported receiving calls about multiple explosions in the area as well as downed power lines.
Initial reports from the scene put the fire’s size at about half an acre.
Incident command called for evacuations on Wilkinson from Dam Road to Eighth Avenue, with that area expanding as the incident has progressed.
The Clearlake Police Department reported that Dam Road at Lake Street has been closed because of the fire.
At 5:25 p.m., Cal Fire air attack reported the fire was two to three acres with a rapid rate of spread.
Other air resources, including tankers and a helicopter, are reported to be working at the scene.
Two nearby mobile home parks are being told to shelter in place.
Clearlake Police have requested an ambulance respond to Wilkinson and Dam Road to transport one patient.
Shortly before 6 p.m., incident command reported that the fire was seven to eight acres with a southwest wind on it, and is moving into the Avenues in the city with structures and vehicles actively threatened and the evacuation zone expanding.
There is short-range spotting and the high-tension power lines from the Kugelman to Highland substations are threatened, incident command said.
As of 6:03 p.m., power was reported to be out to 2,584 customers in an area stretching from Clearlake to Hidden Valley Lake. As of that time, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. had not confirmed that the outage was a direct result of the fire.
However, Sheriff Brian Martin later confirmed to Lake County News that PG&E had deenergized the lines due to the fire threat, with the fire just under the lines.
Just before 6:45 p.m., incident command reported the fire to be 15 acres, with multiple spot fires continuing.
At 7:16 p.m., the Lake County Sheriff’s Office sent out a Nixle alert reporting an evacuation advisory for the area north of 18th Avenue, east of Phillips Avenue, south of 32nd Avenue and west of the Clearlake city limits.
The sheriff’s office said an evacuation shelter has been set up at Kelseyville High School.
Incident command reported shortly after 8 p.m. that the fire was at 20 acres and 75-percent contained, with the spot fires mitigated and the winds reducing. Overall, incident command said things were going well and they were looking at beginning to release engines soon.
Sheriff Martin told Lake County News at 8:15 p.m. residents in the area were still evacuated and that his agency was working with the Clearlake Police Department on starting to get everyone home safely.
No one appeared to have been seriously injured during the incident, he said.
Martin said PG&E is anticipating getting power back on to all but about 20 customers by about 10 p.m.
About 15 minutes later, a Nixle alert was issued advising community members that the evacuation advisory for the following areas had been lifted as of 8:17 p.m.: north of 18th Avenue, east of Phillips Avenue, south of 32nd Avenue and west of the Clearlake city limits.
Radio traffic shortly after 10 p.m. indicated fire crews would remain on the scene through the night.
Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.
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.
A Pacific Gas and Electric Co. outage map showing nearly 2,600 customers in southern Lake County, California, were out of power early on the evening of Monday, June 21, 2021, at the same time as a wildland fire was burning in Clearlake, California.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Superior Court reported that it is changing rules for masking and social distancing both for those doing business in the court and for employees.
On Thursday, the Cal/OSHA Board voted to modify the current emergency temporary standards to allow fully vaccinated employees to go without a face covering in the workplace. Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order to make the modified emergency temporary standards effective immediately, as Lake County News has reported.
On June 9, the California Department of Public Health released similar guidance for members of the public, which, in part, require unvaccinated persons to wear a face covering for indoor public events.
In accordance with the current public health directives, the Lake County Superior Court presiding judge’s general order on the requirement of wearing face coverings and maintaining physical distancing, dated June 4, 2020, will be modified, officials reported.
Effective June 21, the revised general order will eliminate the physical distancing requirements for the public and will end the face covering requirements for fully vaccinated individuals.
As a result, beginning Monday, June 21, those persons who are fully vaccinated will no longer be required to wear a face covering when attending court proceedings or to conduct business with the court.
The order will continue to require that all individuals who are not fully vaccinated continue to properly wear an appropriate face covering at all times while physically present at the court unless determined to be subject to an exemption under the public health directives.
Effective June 21, and continuing until further order, the court will implement compliance verification of vaccine status by permitting vaccinated persons to self-attest that they are fully vaccinated upon entry into the court.
In addition, the physical presence of a person while at the court and not wearing a face covering will be considered to self-attest that the person is fully vaccinated.
A violation of the order requiring face covering for unvaccinated persons may result in a person to be unable to physically enter the court facility and to potential sanctions.
The order will apply to persons appearing for jury service (and to trial jurors) and will require unvaccinated persons to wear a proper face covering at all times physically present at court including jury selection.
As a result of the Cal/OSHA emergency temporary standards, the court will implement a compliance verification process whereby the court will verify and document vaccination status of prospective jurors at the time of reporting for jury service.
Pending further order, the court will continue to conduct jury selection at the fairgrounds facility and will continue to implement physical distancing for juror seating.
In accordance with the Cal/OSHA emergency temporary standards, the employees and staff of the court who are fully vaccinated are no longer required to wear a proper face covering while present at the court.
The court said anyone may choose to wear a face covering while attending court. The fact that an individual is wearing a face covering should not be interpreted to conclude that the individual is unvaccinated.
The court will undertake appropriate action, including contempt, against abusive, harassing or other inappropriate behavior toward employees, parties, attorneys or others, while present at the court, related to the wearing of face coverings, as an interference with the process of the court.
As set forth in the public notice of June 11, in many instances, the court continues to permit appearance and participation in court by video-conference and telephone in lieu of in-person attendance. The option is available to the public regardless of vaccination status.
As the nation celebrates Father’s Day, data released in the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual Current Population Survey, or CPS, shows that the number of children living without a father in the home has dropped to a nearly 30-year low.
The Census information shows that children living without fathers is down to 18.3 million. Or 25.1% of U.S. children, the lowest number of children in father-absent homes since 1993.
National Fatherhood Initiative, or NFI, a nonprofit organization working to end father absence, credits this significant reduction to the tireless work of individuals and organizations at the local, state, and federal level to proactively engage fathers in their children’s lives.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, when children are raised with a father or father-figure in the home, they are:
— Four times less likely to live in poverty; — Two times less likely to drop out of high school; — Seven times less likely to become pregnant before the age of 18; — Less likely to commit crime and be sentenced to prison.
Based on the data reported in the 2020 CPS, there are 2.3 million fewer children in father-absent homes since that figure peaked at 20.6 million in 2012.
The proportion of U.S. children living without a father in the home has also reached its lowest point since 1990.
This positive data comes as fathers across the U.S. have seen improvements in their relationships with their children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a study conducted by the Making Caring Common Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, 68% of dads report that the pandemic has brought them closer to their children — with large numbers of fathers reporting having more meaningful conversations with their children, getting to know their children better and sharing more with their children about their own lives.
Involved dads have a positive impact on their children’s overall emotional and social well-being. Over the past 27 years, NFI has worked to equip human services agencies to serve fathers through the delivery of nearly 10 million skill-building resources and the development of responsible fatherhood programs used by thousands of human services agencies across the country.
These agencies have pivoted dramatically during the pandemic to offer services and peer-to-peer engagement on virtual platforms, reaching fathers they wouldn’t have been able to with in-person facilitation and helping them be the best dads they can be.
“Our nation’s children depend on us to give them the best environment in which to grow into healthy adults,” said Christopher Brown, president, National Fatherhood Initiative. “The latest data from CPS, coupled with new trends toward stronger father-child relationships during the pandemic, are cause for celebration. Despite these shifts, the number of children living in father-absent homes is still unacceptably high. We will continue to build capacity in communities to address father absence through evidence-based programming, training, and resources.”
The annual CPS gathers data from a sample of U.S. households to identify estimates of America’s families and their living arrangements.
Data are categorized by how many children under the age of 18 live in different households: two-parent (married and not married), mother-only, father-only, or neither-parent (i.e. other relatives or no relatives).
NFI uses this data to track father absence in the intervening years between the decennial census.
The 2020 U.S. Census, with data to be released throughout 2021, will reveal greater trends related to father absence through data gathered from all U.S. households.
In 2019, NFI released the eighth edition of Father Facts. This publication is the most comprehensive source of data on father absence at the national and state levels and on the consequences of father absence and benefits of father involvement for children.
Highway encroachment work at the site of the future horse park in Lakeport, California, recently was completed. Photo courtesy of Dennis Rollins. LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Westside Community Park Committee reported it’s making progress on its future horse park.
The committee recently completed the encroachment from State Highway 175 along with the entrance into the eight-acre site where the horse park will be located.
It is on the north side of the state highway just west of the intersection with Mathews Road outside of Lakeport.
Chair Dennis Rollins said this project was a collaborative effort.
Mike Lucchetti of Lucchetti Excavating approached the Westside Community Park Committee with an offer to provide labor and equipment for this project. Rollins said the committee eagerly accepted his very generous offer.
“This community has been supportive of our business and we would like to do this to help the community,” Lucchetti said.
The city of Lakeport Public Works Department under the leadership of Public Works Director Doug Grider and Foreman Jim Kennedy, provided additional labor and equipment when needed.
Bob Peters, owner of RB Peters in Lakeport, offered to haul asphalt to the site.
Granite Construction sold the asphalt at a significant discount to further assist with the completion of the horse park entrance.
Members of the Westside Community Park Committee volunteered to provide traffic control on the day of the paving.
“Even with the donations of labor and equipment as well as the discount on materials, this project still cost nearly $15,000,” said Rollins.
He added, “The committee raised these funds from its annual Grillin’ on the Green BBQ Cook Off and other donations from a generous community.”
Rollins said the Westside Community Park Committee is currently working on a grant application to fund the design and construction of the horse park.
Public support is always needed and appreciated. Donations can be mailed to Westside Community Park Committee, 1350 Berry St., Lakeport, CA 95453.
“Cozette” is a female domestic longhair in cat room kennel No. 6, ID No. LCAC-A-969. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Cozette’
“Cozette” is a female domestic longhair with a brown tabby coat.
She is estimated to be 6 years old.
She is in cat room kennel No. 6, ID No. LCAC-A-969.
This female Siamese mix is in cat room kennel No. 68, ID No. LCAC-A-963. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female Siamese mix
This female Siamese mix has a short coat and blue eyes.
She is 2 years old.
She is in cat room kennel No. 68, ID No. LCAC-A-963.
This male yellow tabby kitten is in cat room kennel No. 70b, ID No. LCAC-A-987. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male domestic shorthair kitten
This male yellow tabby kitten has a short coat.
He is in cat room kennel No. 70b, ID No. LCAC-A-987.
This male yellow tabby kitten is in cat room kennel No. 70d, ID No. LCAC-A-989. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male domestic shorthair kitten
This male yellow tabby kitten has a short coat.
He is in cat room kennel No. 70d, ID No. LCAC-A-989.
This male domestic shorthair is in cat room kennel No. 120, ID No. LCAC-A-874. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male domestic shorthair
This male domestic shorthair has a gray and white coat.
He is 1-year-old and weighs nearly 6 pounds.
He is in cat room kennel No. 120, ID No. LCAC-A-874.
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. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has many dogs this week ready for new homes for the summer.
Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of American bulldog, Chihuahua, German shepherd, hound, husky, Labrador retriever, McNab, pit bull, Rottweiler and shepherd.
Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control website not listed are still “on hold”).
“Marshmallow” is a 4-year-old female Havanese in kennel No. 7, ID No. LCAC-A-1042. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Marshmallow’
“Marshmallow” is a 4-year-old female Havanese.
She is in kennel No. 7, ID No. LCAC-A-1042.
This 8-year-old male American bulldog is in kennel No. 8, ID No. LCAC-A-958. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male American bulldog
This 8-year-old male American bulldog has a short black and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 8, ID No. LCAC-A-958.
This female Rottweiler-shepherd mix is in kennel No. 12, ID No. LCAC-A-791. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female Rottweiler-shepherd
This 2-year-old female Rottweiler-shepherd mix has a medium-length black and red coat.
She is in kennel No. 12, ID No. LCAC-A-791.
“Ren” is a young male McNab mix in kennel No. 15, ID No. LCAC-A-785. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Ren’
“Ren” is a 2-year-old male McNab-sheepdog mix with a short brindle and white coat.
He has been neutered.
He is in kennel No. 15, ID No. LCAC-A-785.
This young male American pit bull is in kennel No. 18, ID No. LCAC-A-1028. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male pit bull
This young male American pit bull has a short brown coat.
He is in kennel No. 18, ID No. LCAC-A-1028.
“Boo” is a 10-year-old male Chihuahua-dachshund mix in kennel No. 19, ID No. LCAC-A-1039. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Boo’
“Boo” is a 10-year-old male Chihuahua-dachshund mix.
He is in kennel No. 19, ID No. LCAC-A-1039.
This 1-year-old female German shepherd is in kennel No. 23, ID No. LCAC-A-975. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female German shepherd
This 1-year-old female German shepherd has a medium-length black and tan coat.
She is in kennel No. 23, ID No. LCAC-A-975.
“Koko” is a 10-year-old male Chihuahua mix in kennel No. 24, ID No. LCAC-A-897. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Koko’
“Koko” is a 10-year-old male Chihuahua mix with a short tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 24, ID No. LCAC-A-897.
This female Rottweiler-pit bull mix is in kennel No. 27, ID No. LCAC-A-731. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Rottweiler-pit bull mix
This 1-year-old female Rottweiler-pit bull mix has a short black coat.
She has been spayed.
She is in kennel No. 27, ID No. LCAC-A-731.
“Brutus” is a male pit bull terrier in kennel No. 28, ID No. LCAC-A-670. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Brutus’
“Brutus” is a 5-year-old male pit bull terrier with a short gray and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 28, ID No. LCAC-A-670.
“Seager” is a young male pit bull-hound mix in kennel No. 30, ID No. LCAC-A-1011. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Seager’
“Seager” is a young male pit bull-hound mix.
He is in kennel No. 30, ID No. LCAC-A-1011.
“Apollo” is a male husky mix in kennel No. 31, ID No. LCAC-A-783. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.‘Apollo’
“Apollo” is a 2-year-old male husky mix with a medium-length red and white coat and blue eyes.
He is in kennel No. 31, ID No. LCAC-A-783.
This 2-year-old male husky is in kennel No. 32, ID No. LCAC-A-1024. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male husky
This 2-year-old male husky has a medium-length red and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 32, ID No. LCAC-A-1024.
This female pit bull terrier puppy is in kennel No. 33b, ID No. LCAC-A-853. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female pit bull terrier puppy
This female pit bull terrier puppy has a short black coat with white markings.
She is in kennel No. 33b, ID No. LCAC-A-853.
This male pit bull terrier puppy is in kennel No. 33d, ID No. LCAC-A-855. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male pit bull terrier puppy
This male pit bull terrier puppy has a short black coat with white markings.
He is in kennel No. 33d, ID No. LCAC-A-855.
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. — With new workplace guidelines now approved by the state, the Board of Supervisors is set to consider ratifying final updates to the county’s COVID-19 safety protocol.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 22, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting ID is 987 2645 5306, pass code 519842. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,98726455306#,,,,*519842#.
All interested members of the public that do not have internet access or a Mediacom cable subscription are encouraged to call 669-900-6833, and enter the Zoom meeting ID and pass code information above.
In an untimed item, the board will consider amending the Lake COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Worksite Protocol to come in line with updated Cal/OSHA regulations adopted on Thursday.
Last week, county administrative staff and the supervisors discussed the challenge the county was having due to conflicting guidance between federal and state health agencies and Cal/OSHA, as Lake County News has reported.
The board voted to allow staff to keep the county’s current protocols in place and allow an exception if the Cal/OSHA board updated its regulations ahead of the supervisors coming back to adopt and updated protocol document on Tuesday.
Cal/OSHA did, indeed, update its regulations to come into line with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and California Department of Public Health guidance on Thursday, with Gov. Gavin Newsom signing an executive order to allow the new regulations to go into place immediately, without the 10-day review period.
Deputy County Administrative Officer Matthew Rothstein told Lake County News in a Friday email that on Thursday evening, the county’s Human Resources Division distributed notice to all county employees of the changes, offering a self-certification process, through which employees can attest to being fully vaccinated.
“Fully vaccinated employees that have submitted the self-certification form to HR have the option of not wearing a mask, pursuant to CalOSHA’s rules,” said Rothstein.
He said the Tuesday discussion “will undoubtedly touch upon the self-certification process.”
“Administration and Human Resources recognize some fully vaccinated employees and members of the public may still choose to wear a mask, and we celebrate people continuing to take common sense precautions, particularly in light of the fact COVID-19 is still present in Lake County communities,” Rothstein said.
He also encouraged community members in this new phase to treat each other with dignity and respect, regardless of any perception surrounding vaccination status.
“We also must individually make choices that consider the safety of ourselves, our families and our broader communities,” he said, adding that Lake County is stronger when everyone works for the healthiest possible outcomes for all residents.
“The Health Services Department will continue to provide resources and support,” he added.
In other business, at 9:06 a.m., the board will present a proclamation commending Dave Deakins for his 33 years of service to the residents of Lake County.
At 9:07 a.m., the supervisors will honor Jeff Rein for his 30 years of service to the county of Lake. He currently works as risk manager in the County Counsel’s Office and is retiring at the close of the fiscal year.
At 9:10 a.m., the board will consider a hiring incentive policy and updated employee referral program.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Adopt proclamation commending Jeff Rein for his 30 years of service to the county of Lake.
5.2: Adopt proclamation commending Dave Deakins for his 33 years of service to the residents of Lake County.
5.3: Approve revised committee appointments for Emergency Medicare Care Committee .
5.4: Approve leave of absence request for Behavioral Health employee Judith Krings from Sept. 6, 2021, through Nov. 17, 2021, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.5: Approve memorandum of understanding between the Golden State Finance Authority and the county of Lake regarding the development/update of a broadband strategic plan and authorize chair to sign.
5.6: Approve the first amendment to 2019 agreement between the city of Clearlake, city of Lakeport and the county of Lake relative to operation of a local public, educational, governmental (PEG) cable television channel, extending the term through June 30, 2023.
5.7: Adopt resolution approving unanticipated revenue to fund Aquatic Weed Control Program.
5.8: Approve agreement with California Department of Food Agriculture for Certified Farmer’s Market Program investigation and enforcement in the amount of $1,425 Agreement No. 21-0163-000-SA.
5.9: Approve Agreement No. 21-0037-000-SA with the state of California, Department of Food and Agriculture and authorize the execution of the Fuels, Lubricants, and Automotive Products Program agreement for periods July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022, in the amount of $2,475.
5.10: Adopt resolution establishing 2021-2022 appropriations limit for the county of Lake and Special Districts governed by the Board of Supervisors.
5.1: Adopt resolution authorizing cancellation of audit settlement reserve designations in the amount of $835,000 to provide required funds for the support and care of persons and for profession and specialize accounts.
5.12: Adopt resolution defining Lake County Behavioral Health Services position on Laura’s Law implementation.
5.13: Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meeting on May 25, 2021.
5.14: Approve amendment to contracts for abandoned vehicle towing and disposal services with Jones Towing and Kelseyville Auto Salvage.
5.15: Approve the continuation of a local health emergency related to the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) as proclaimed by the Lake County Public Health officer.
5.16: Approve the continuation of a local health emergency and order prohibiting the endangerment of the community through the unsafe removal, transport, and disposal of fire debris for the LNU Complex wildfire.
5.17: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Mendocino Complex fire incident (River and Ranch fires).
5.18: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to COVID-19.
5.19: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Pawnee fire incident.
5.20: Approve the continuation of an emergency declaration for drought conditions.
5.21: Approve the continuation of a local emergency In Lake County in response to the LNU Lightning Complex wildfire event.
5.22: Adopt resolution authorizing cancellation of capital improvement reserve designations in the amount of $11,000 to pay off the loan acquired for the Lampson Field Runway Pavement Rehabilitation Project.
5.23: Adopt resolution to establish a list of projects proposed to be funded in FY 2021/2022 pursuant to the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (SB1).
5.24: Adopt resolution establishing county maintained mileage for 2020.
5.25: Adopt Resolution authorizing the acceptance of the 2021/22 Boating Safety and Enforcement financial aid funding from the state of California, Department of Parks and Recreation, Division of Boating and Waterways in the amount of $315,312.
5.26: Approve Addendum 2 to Trinity Food Services agreement between Trinity Services Group and Lake County for the implementation of a meal take out program and authorize the chairman to sign.
5.27: Approve background investigations contract with Christopher Eggers in an amount not to exceed $25,000 and authorize the chairman to sign.
5.28: Authorize the sheriff to enter into an agreement with the Office of Education for reimbursement of three deputy sheriffs to participate as school resource officers to be assigned to various school districts.
5.29: Approve lease agreement with the US Forest Service for placement of a repeater vault on Goat Mountain and authorize the chairman of the board to sign.
5.30: Approve Amendment No. 2 of inmate telephone and video visitation service agreement with Inmate Calling Solutions LLC and authorize the chairman to sign.
5.31: Waive 900-hour limit for extra-help field worker Austin Pratt.
5.32: Sitting as the board of directors for the Lake County Watershed Protection District, approve the purchase agreement with Francisco Ortega and Angela Ortega for property within the Middle Creek Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration Project in the amount of $170,000 and authorize the chair of the board of directors to sign the agreement.
5.33: Sitting as the board of directors of the Watershed Protection District, approve Amendment No. 1 for the Big Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency charter document.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:06 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation commending Dave Deakins for his 33 years of service to the residents of Lake County.
6.3, 9:07 a.m.: presentation of proclamation commending Jeff Rein for his 30 years of service to the county of Lake.
6.4, 9:10 a.m.: Consideration of hiring incentive policy and updated employee referral program.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of agreement for investment advisory and management services.
7.3: Consideration of amendment to the county of Lake COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Worksite Protocol.
7.4: (a) Consideration to Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) consideration of Amendment 1 to the agreement between the county of Lake and Redwood Community Services Inc. for the Family Stabilization Program provided at The Nest during Fiscal Year 2021-22 for an increase in the contract maximum to $280,632.08 and authorize the board chair to sign the amendment.
7.5: (a) Consideration to Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) consideration to approve Amendment 1 to the agreement between the county of Lake and Redwood Community Services Inc. for the MHSA Transitional Age Youth Drop-In Center for Fiscal Year 2021-22 for an increase in the contract maximum up to $261,000.00 and authorize the board chair to sign the amendment.
7.6: Consideration of the following advisory board appointments: Emergency Medical Care Committee, First 5 Lake Commission and Community Visioning Forum Planning Committee.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(1) — Center for Biological Diversity v. County of Lake, et al.
8.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(1) – California Native Plant Society v. County of Lake, et al.
8.3: Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to Litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9 (d)(2), (e)(1) – One potential case.
8.4: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9(d)(1) – City of Clearlake v. County of Lake, et al.
8.5: Sitting as the board of directors of the Lake County IHSS Public Authority: Conference with (a) Chief Negotiator M. Long and County Negotiator C. Markytan; and (b) employee organization: California United Homecare Workers Union Local 4034.
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.
The origins of chili are mysterious, but one thing is certain — there are strong opinions as to what constitutes the proper version of this quintessential comfort food. Photo by Esther Oertel. Who would’ve thought that chili — that blessed concoction that warms the tummy and the heart — would be controversial? But it is.
To bean or not to bean? Are tomatoes acceptable or anathema? Just when and how did it originate? These questions cause consternation and disagreement among many chili aficionados.
But why in the world am I even talking about chili in the middle of a heat wave? Well, because — dads!
Since today is Father’s Day, let’s dig into a figurative bowl of what is, at least to me, one of the most quintessential dad foods on the planet.
I also happen to be one of those people who thinks a good bowl of chili is comforting, soulful and delicious whatever the season.
Some people are chili purists, while others like to experiment. Purists believe chili shouldn’t include much beyond meat, hot chili peppers and spices. (Certainly not beans!)
Those who experiment add all kinds of things to their chili, including some that don’t sound too unusual (molasses, beer or coffee, for example), and some that I find truly unexpected (like peanuts, artichoke hearts or bamboo shoots).
A sharp divide exists in the chili world related to beans, specifically whether or not adding them prevents it from being true chili.
Texas journalist and chili cook Wick Fowler said (rather strongly), “If you know beans about chili, you know that chili has no beans!”
This isn’t surprising coming from a Texan, where in 1977 the legislature voted to make beanless chili, known there as a “bowl of red,” its official state dish. The proclamation states that “the only real ‘bowl of red’ is that prepared by Texans.”
The International Chili Society, which oversees roughly 150 chili cook-offs each year, allows the use of beans and other nontraditional ingredients in one of the four categories of chili in its contests. Hopefully, that settles it: chili can be called chili even with beans.
Personally, I like beans in my chili. In fact, if not for beans, I couldn’t make chili at all since I favor vegetarian versions over meat-laden ones.
Kassie Koontz, who along with husband Reuben own and operate the Koontz Mercantile in Middletown, agrees that beans belong in chili, at least in her version.
Koontz is the current champion of the annual Middletown Senior Center chili cook-off. She also won second- and third-place ribbons in the two contests before that.
She favors a mixture of three types of beans: black, red and white. The white beans cook down and dissolve like a thickening agent, while the other two, both heartier, remain intact, adding texture.
Koontz recommends using the freshest meat possible as it makes a big difference in flavor. She grinds her own from the steer they buy each year through the high school’s FFA chapter.
Koontz shared another secret: a surprise ingredient in her chili is brown sugar. Its sweetness balances the heat that comes from chili peppers and it also serves to thicken the chili. Between the white beans and brown sugar, there’s no need to use a thickener like masa flour.
Though they grow chili peppers in their home garden, they’re not ready by the time the cook-off rolls around in May, so she uses a combination of whatever chili peppers look good at the local market, Hardester’s.
The pandemic prevented the senior center from holding its annual contest this year and in 2020. We all hope it will be back in 2022.
Beef is the meat of choice for most chilis, but as you might expect, chili has been made with almost everything — venison, buffalo, pork, chicken, spicy sausage, goat, and even skunk, jack rabbit and rattlesnake.
Outback chili in Australia is made with kangaroo, in Norway chili is made with reindeer and in Alaska, moose is a favorite.
As to the history of chili, no one is entirely sure exactly how and in what form it originated. There are almost a dozen theories that attempt to answer that question. I’ll throw out a few just for fun and you can determine what you think is most plausible.
Some say the dish hails from Mexico. In a 1568 publication, “The True History of the Conquest of New Spain,” author Bernal Diaz del Castillo describes an Aztec stew made from the remains of sacrificed conquistadors, hot peppers, wild tomatoes and oregano.
Personally, I really hope chili didn’t originate that way.
Another tale tells of a 17th century Spanish nun, Sister Mary of Agreda, whose spirit, the story goes, was transported from Spain to Texas by angels while her body was in a trance. While there, she preached to the Jumano Indians and in exchange was given a recipe for a chili-like stew made from venison or antelope, onions, tomatoes and chili peppers. The recipe, which Sister Mary recorded, was the first written version of chili con carne.
Others cite the lavenderas, or washerwomen, who served the Mexican Army in the 1830s and 40s, as the first chili makers.
Chuckwagon cooks on the cattle trails of the American West are also credited. These “cooks on the go” pounded dried beef, fat and chili peppers into easily transportable bricks which were reconstituted in boiling water over campfires for hardworking cowboys.
Or, as another story goes, was chili brought to Texas in the early 18th century by transplants from the Canary Islands?
In this scenario, King Philip V of Spain hoped to thwart French settlers from expanding westward from Louisiana by sending Canary Islanders to settle in San Antonio. Apparently, Canarians added copious amounts of cumin, a key ingredient in today’s chilis, to their slow-simmered stews which also included meat, chili peppers, garlic and wild onions.
It’s possible that the spicy stews of the Canary Islanders influenced the 19th century “Chili Queens,” who famously sold chili in San Antonio’s Military Square to passersby for decades, eventually leading to the wide popularity of the dish.
To complicate the question of chili’s origin even more, Rudy Valdez, a member of Colorado’s Ute Indian tribe, won the world chili championship in 1976 with a native recipe he claimed dated back 2,000 years.
Perhaps versions of chili developed in a variety of places at different times.
However it happened, one thing’s for certain — chili continues to evolve and grow thanks to cooks who experiment with techniques and ingredients. At the same time, purists ensure that their time-honored version of chili remains the same.
I’m pleased to offer a recipe today from the Six Sigma Ranch and Winery of Lower Lake, which, in addition to wine, sells ranch-raised meats at their tasting room.
Ranch manager Christian Ahlmann tells me they currently have grass-fed ground beef available for making this chili.
The recipe was developed by their tasting room manager, Mr. T, who also happens to be a great chef.
Six Sigma Chili from Mr. T’s Kitchen
Ingredients
1 pound Six Sigma ground beef 1 pound Six Sigma bacon ends 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 large onion, diced, and divided in half 2 ounces tomato paste 1 can crushed tomatoes 2 cans red kidney beans 2 cans cannellini beans Salt and pepper to taste Cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper and paprika to taste Optional toppings: cheese, jalapeño and sour cream
Directions
Brown chopped bacon ends in a large pot. Remove when crispy.
Remove half of the bacon fat and cook ground beef in the remaining fat.
Move the browned beef to one side of the pan and add garlic and half of the onion to the other side. (Reserve the other half of the onion for topping.) Cook until the onion is translucent.
Add browned bacon, tomato paste and crushed tomatoes to the pot. Stir until incorporated.
Drain beans and add to pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat.
Season to taste. (Don’t be shy with spices — remember, salt is your best friend until it’s your worst enemy.)
Cook for one hour.
Spoon into bowls, add toppings and enjoy!
Recipe by Tameron Detrinidad (Mr. T).
Esther Oertel is a writer and passionate home cook from a family of chefs. She grew up in a restaurant, where she began creating recipes from a young age. She’s taught culinary classes in a variety of venues in Lake County and previously wrote “The Veggie Girl” column for Lake County News. Most recently she’s taught culinary classes at Sur La Table in Santa Rosa. She lives in Middletown, California.
Lucas Zeller, a graduate student at Colorado State University, measures accumulated snow at an interval board at Cameron Pass, Colorado. Credit: Courtesy of Dan McGrath, Colorado State University.
As the last snow melts, NASA’s SnowEx teams are packing up the snowshoes, skis, and scientific instruments they’ve used all winter to study snow in mountains and prairies.
Now, they’re turning their attention to a different kind of mountain — all of the data they collected.
This year, SnowEx teams took snow measurements at six sites across the Western United States, on the ground and with drones and airplanes flying overhead.
This information will help scientists determine how much water the winter snowpack holds, which is crucial for managing water resources for drinking, agriculture, hydropower, flood forecasting, drought and wildfire management and more.
In addition to studying snow, SnowEx researchers are also evaluating how accurately various techniques can measure snow in different environments.
In the future, NASA hopes to launch a satellite dedicated to studying snow — and the water it stores — from space, in order to understand how changes in the snowpack affect droughts, wildfires, and more.
One of the main goals of the multiyear SnowEx campaign is figuring out which instruments may be best suited for the job.
Randall Bonnell (left), Ph.D. student at Colorado State University, and Lucas Zeller (right), Master’s student at Colorado State University, pull the GPR sled at Cameron Pass, Colorado. Photo courtesy of Alex Olsen Mikitowicz. “We’re not going to solve the snow monitoring problem from space with one technology,” said HP Marshall, an associate professor at Boise State University and SnowEx 2021’s co-project scientist. “A big part of SnowEx is figuring out the best way to combine field work, remote sensing, and modeling into one framework.”
In 2020, the SnowEx campaign was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the team couldn’t finish their airborne experiments.
For 2021, the science team had three major goals: conduct a time series of L-band Interferometric Synthetic Aperture radar (InSAR) observations in diverse snow conditions, measure the reflectivity of the snow surface, and study snow distribution in a prairie landscape.
A Gulf Stream 3 aircraft, carrying the Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture radar (UAVSAR) instrument from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, flew over seven sites in Colorado, Utah, Idaho and Montana from mid-January until the end of March. UAVSAR is an L-band InSAR, a special kind of radar, that SnowEx is using to measure changes in the mass of the snowpack.
The snowpack’s mass can change drastically from one UAVSAR flight to the next. For example, a large snowstorm may dump massive amounts of snow in one area over a short period of time. Some of the snow may melt or sublimate — skipping the liquid phase and going straight from solid to gas. It may also get redistributed by high winds.
Isis Brangers, a visiting Ph.D. student from KU Leuven in Belgium, examines snow crystals near Stanley, Idaho. Credits: Courtesy of HP Marshall, Boise State University. The SnowEx team is testing how well the UAVSAR sensor can detect these different changes in the snow’s mass. Summing up the changes in snow mass over the winter season will help the team calculate how much water is stored in the seasonal snowpack, or snow-water equivalent, or SWE.
“With UAVSAR, what we’re looking at is change in SWE from one flight to the next,” said Carrie Vuyovich, lead snow scientist for NASA’s Terrestrial Hydrology Program, at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Scheduled for 2022, NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) plan to launch the NISAR satellite to study changes in Earth’s surface from space. NISAR will carry an L-band radar instrument similar to UAVSAR, and the SnowEx team is testing how they may use NISAR observations to study snow.
As the planes flew overhead, scientists collected data on the ground below. They measured snow characteristics such as snow depth and density, the size of individual snow grains, temperature, how reflective the snow surface is, and how much of the snowpack is ice, snow or liquid water.
Randall Bonnell and Lucas Zeller, graduate students at Colorado State University, collect a snow-water equivalent core sample at the site in Cameron Pass, Colorado. Credit: Courtesy of Dan McGrath, Colorado State University. The team collected these measurements from snow pits — car-sized holes dug in the snow. From inside the pits, scientists took samples at different depths to see how the characteristics of the snowpack varied from layer to layer.
The SnowEx observers also measured the snowpack using ground-based remote sensing tools similar to those used from the air and space.
The data collected during SnowEx is publicly available from the National Snow and Ice Data Center; more data sets are published every month as scientists from across the country complete processing each of the raw data sets and carefully checking them for errors.
Scientists on snowshoes or skis also used handheld spectrometers to measure albedo, or how bright and reflective the snow surface is. Albedo plays a huge role in how fast the snow melts. It depends on a range of factors, such as the size and shape of individual snow crystals, how much of the snow has melted already, and impurities like dust on top of the snow.
From the air, researchers measured albedo using the Airborne Visible / Infrared Imaging Spectrometer Next Generation instrument from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Comparing the airborne and ground measurements will help the scientists identify how different factors contribute to the snow albedo.
This year, SnowEx added a site in a prairie, which is an important but understudied landscape when it comes to snow science.
While the amount of snow in prairies is much less than what falls in the mountains, “a large percentage of the snow-covered Earth is considered prairie. Snow in those areas is important for agriculture and contributes to flooding,” said Vuyovich.
Ella Bump, a graduate student at Colorado State University, examines snow crystals within a snow pit near Cameron Pass, Colorado. Credit: Courtesy of Dan McGrath, Colorado State University. These exposed landscapes often have high winds that move snow from one area to another, forming deep snow drifts in some areas and leaving only a light dusting of snow in others. Because of these variations, the SnowEx team wanted to see how well remote sensing can detect these large changes in snow cover over short distances.
All of the experiments went smoothly despite the pandemic, said Marshall. “There are always challenges,” he said, citing risks of hypothermia, avalanches and dangerous roadway conditions. “But COVID was a big additional challenge that we weren’t used to dealing with.” To ensure that everyone was safe, the team implemented routine COVID-19 testing, masks, social distancing protocols, and limited passengers in vehicles.
SnowEx teams also recruited local snow scientists to help collect data in the field. “These teams were completely instrumental in making this campaign a success,” said Vuyovich. “That was the only way we were able to continue SnowEx this winter.”
After a successful winter in the field, the SnowEx team is changing their focus from snowshoes and spectrometers to laptops and high performance computers.
In mid-July, 90 members of the community will participate in a weeklong hackathon, which will provide tutorials for working with SnowEx data and group projects to build software for analysis of the large data sets.
Next winter, the SnowEx team plans to conduct experiments in the Alaskan tundra and boreal forest. Full data analysis involving broader community participation will continue into the future.
Sofie Bates is a member of NASA’s Earth Science News Team at the Goddard Space Flight Center.
Sheena L. Gilbert, University of Nebraska Omaha; Emily Wright, University of Nebraska Omaha, and Tara N. Richards, University of Nebraska Omaha
Lawmakers in the nation’s capital have an opportunity to fix a longstanding problem with the landmark legislation to prevent domestic violence: its failure to protect Indigenous women.
The 1994 Violence Against Women Act, or what is commonly called “VAWA,” was the first federal law criminalizing domestic violence. VAWA aimed to protect women by making battering a federal crime, allocating federal funding for both sexual assault and domestic violence prevention and services, and requiring states to enforce all legal orders of protection.
But VAWA’s provisions have not adequately shielded Indigenous women, who experience higher rates of sexual assault, domestic violence, intimate partner violence and stalking compared to women of other racial and ethnic identities. They also suffer injuries at the hands of their rapists that require medical care more than non-Indigenous women.
Indigenous women were not specifically named in VAWA until its 2005 reauthorization. The 2005 reauthorization included funding for tribal governments to serve victims of violence and provided access to national criminal justice data for tribal law enforcement agencies. It also mandated that research on violence against Indigenous women be undertaken.
Now, the U.S. Senate is about to consider another reauthorization of VAWA, HR 1620, which has already been passed by the House of Representatives. Lawmakers have the opportunity to address this longstanding inequity.
A maze of different law enforcement agencies assume jurisdiction when Indigenous women have been attacked. Here, mailboxes outside of Sutcliffe, Nev., on the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation.AP Photo/Sam Metz
Colonization bred violence
According to U.S. Census estimates, the majority of people living on Indian reservations are not American Indian or Alaska Native. Further, most violence perpetrated against Indigenous women is committed by non-Indigenous men.
Violence against Indigenous women can be largely attributed to the longstanding effects of colonization – the elimination and destruction of a society, including their beliefs, values, culture, norms and traditions – by European settlers.
Indigenous legal scholar Sarah Deer explains that violence, and specifically rape, was used by colonizers to conquer and control Indigenous women and disconnect them from their land and bodies.
Indigenous social work scholar Hilary Weaver further describes how colonization also bred stereotypes regarding Indigenous people, insinuating that they are less than human and savages, and that Indigenous women specifically do not deserve protection from violence.
Taking away power to protect
Over the past 150 years, the federal government has drastically reduced tribal sovereignty and the power of tribal courts to prosecute crimes that happen on Indian reservations.
In 1885, Congress passed The Major Crimes Act, imposing the federal criminal justice system on tribal nations. With this legislation, the U.S. federal government asserted jurisdiction over “major crimes” such as rape and homicide occurring on the approximately 56.2 million square miles of Indian reservations in the U.S.
Then, in 1978, the Supreme Court ruling in Oliphant v. Suquamish further limited the sovereignty of tribal nations. The U.S. government, the court ruled, would have jurisdiction over all offenses committed by non-Indigenous perpetrators on Indian reservations, including cases where the victim is Indigenous.
Criminal jurisdiction on Indian reservations is also complicated by Public Law 280 from 1953, which returned jurisdiction of crimes committed on Indian reservations in six states, not to the tribes, but to the state where the Indian reservation is located.
Thus, in those six states – Alaska, California, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon and Wisconsin – the state has jurisdiction over crimes committed on the Indian reservation. Sarah Deer notes that the federal government did not provide those states with any additional funding to expand their criminal justice authority to Indian reservations.
Sarah Deer, a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and a lawyer, scholar, author and chief justice for the Prairie Island Indian Community Court of Appeals, speaks about ending violence against Native women at a 2019 Smithsonian symposium.
Depending on where the crime happened, who the victim is, who the perpetrator is or what type of crime occurred, a different law enforcement agency assumes jurisdiction – whether tribal, local, state or federal law enforcement.
For Indigenous women who manage to navigate this maze and report a crime, the likelihood that the perpetrator will be prosecuted by the federal government is low. U.S. federal prosecutors consistently decline to prosecute much of the crime reported on Indian reservations.
The 2013 reauthorization of VAWA recognized some of these gaps in protection for Indigenous women and attempted to increase protections by strengthening tribal sovereignty.
VAWA 2013 created Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdictions, or what are known as “SDVCJ,” for tribes. The SDVCJ return to tribes the power to prosecute dating violence, domestic violence and violations of protection orders, even in incidents when the perpetrator is not Indigenous.
In order to assert the powers provided by SDVCJ, tribes must meet extensive requirements set by the federal government. Tribes must have adequate facilities to house non-Indigenous defendants and provide defense counsel for poor defendants among other requirements.
As described by criminologist Jennifer Hartman, depending on the changes necessary, the process may require significant time or financial investment by the tribe. By February 2021, less than 5% of the federally recognized tribes, only 27 of 574 tribes, had exercised the SDVCJ. The National Congress of American Indians has reported that implementing the SDVCJ is just too expensive for some tribes.
The 2013 VAWA did not extend authority to tribes to prosecute sexual assault and stalking, of which Indigenous women experience disproportionate rates.
Thus, on Indian reservations, Indigenous victims of physical violence by acquaintances or strangers, and all victims of sexual assault and stalking, have little recourse other than to rely on a federal criminal justice system that has consistently failed to prosecute their attackers.
One way to remedy this longstanding problem is for the reauthorization of VAWA to expand tribal jurisdiction to cover all crimes of violence against women committed on Indian reservations, irrespective of the race or the relationship of the victim and perpetrator.
To be effective, the federal government would also need to work directly with tribes to ensure that tribes have the resources they need to assert this jurisdiction.
This change would close a significant public safety gap in the Violence Against Women Act and move VAWA closer to its aim of protecting all women from violence.
When my oldest son, now nearly 13, was born in July of 2008, I thought I could easily balance my career and my desire to be far more engaged at home than my father and his generation were. I was wrong.
Almost immediately, I noticed how social policies, schools and health care systems all make it difficult for dads to be highly involved and engaged at home. Contradictory expectations about work and family life abound.
As a fatherhood researcher with four kids of my own, I am convinced that fathers are transformative figures for children, families and communities.
But a man’s mere presence, paycheck and willingness to punish misbehaving children is not nearly enough. Many of the benefits of fathering for children come from dads being nurturing, loving and engaged in all aspects of parenting.
When fathers are caregivers – when they provide emotional support and act affectionately toward their kids – the effects go well beyond growth, development, good health and solid grades. My research shows the benefits also include having children who value emotional intelligence, gender equality and healthy competition.
Nurturing versus stoic dads
Thinking about the broad impact fathers have, I analyzed how fathering affects different social values – such as a belief in gender equality – in May 2021.
Surveying more than 2,500 American fathers 18 and older, I found that involved fathering has a long-lasting impact on the personal principles and cultural perspectives of children.
In my survey, the differences between the least nurturing and the most nurturing fathers are stark.
Surveyed fathers who reported that their own fathers were highly withdrawn tended to be hypercompetitive, emotionally stoic and unappreciative of women’s contributions outside the home.
In contrast, surveyed fathers who said they had highly nurturing dads were much more likely to achieve their goals in a healthy manner, be more emotionally open and believe in equitable partnership.
How dads instill values
Several decades ago, many fathers were unwilling or unable to provide their children with emotional support or physical care. Instead, they focused on bread-winning, children’s discipline and simply being present in the home.
These traditional norms left many contemporary fathers ill-equipped for modern parenthood. Contemporary social norms set broad expectations for fathers: rule enforcement and economically supporting the family while also providing for children’s physical and emotional needs.
Boys, for better and worse, often mirror the habits, interests and values of their own fathers.
My colleague Scott Easton and I found that how one’s father behaves is especially powerful given that cultural, social and institutional norms about fatherhood are much weaker than they are for motherhood.
For example, mothers have traditionally been known for showing children affection and providing emotional support. Social expectations for these behaviors are not well defined among fathers. As a result, dads have a much larger impact on their sons’ fathering behaviors than moms have on their daughters’ mothering behaviors.
Positively, this means that a sizable portion of men replicate the best attributes of their own fathers – such as being loving and affectionate. Negatively, this means bad behaviors – such as extremely harsh discipline – are sometimes repeated across generations.
However, some men compensate for their own fathers’ poor or nonexistent parenting by forming their own ideas and values about parenting.
Men often replicate the best attributes of their own fathers – such as being loving and affectionate.Robert Alexander/Getty Images
Mothers and other parenting partners are healthier and happier when fathers are highly engaged with their kids. Men who care for and support their kids benefit too – with improved self-image, life purpose and relationships. And communities gain increased trust and safety from the relationships built when fathers positively participate in their kids’ activities, schooling and social networks.
Valuing supportive fathers
How can American society ensure that healthy competition, emotional openness and respect for women are widespread among future generations of men and fathers? Part of the answer is by valuing loving, supportive fathering.
Many fathers increased their share of child care tasks during the COVID-19 pandemic. These shifts may become permanent, ultimately changing cultural values around parenting and gender roles.
Society also needs to provide clearer messaging to fathers about what does and does not work in parenting. For example, my colleagues and I have shown that men who believe they should be nurturing parents are more involved in their children’s lives. Fathers who demonstrate healthy masculine traits like assertiveness and strong goal orientation also tend to be sensitive, engaged parents.
Thus, there are many routes to transformative fathering. And this is not simply behavior for biological fathers. Fatherhood is broadly defined, and people often look to nonbiological father figures like relatives, stepfathers, foster fathers and unrelated mentors.
All men who support and care for children have a critical role to play in instilling positive social values in future generations.
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The 2021 Middletown Days Royal Court includes Queen Emalee Pickens and Princess Rylie Slaight, and Kaitlyn Counter, Jadyn Owens, Emmy Hayes, Ciara Francis, Gracie Schnabl, Kailey Snell, Lynzi Snell, Payton Schuster, Faith Crawford, Emilia Lord and Stella Brand.
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. — This year’s Middletown Days Queen and Princess contest had a big turnout, with 13 talented girls coming out to participate in the two-day competition after months of practice.
This year’s Royal Court includes Queen Emalee Pickens and Princess Rylie Slaight, and Kaitlyn Counter, Jadyn Owens, Emmy Hayes, Ciara Francis, Gracie Schnabl, Kailey Snell, Lynzi Snell, Payton Schuster, Faith Crawford, Emilia Lord and Stella Brand.
They will be participating in this year’s Middletown Days Parade at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 19.
The parade will be followed by food, Kids Playday, vendors, and more at the Middletown Central Park stage and arena. Visit the Middletown Days website for a complete schedule of events.
Organizers said the group of 13 did not disappoint during the competition.
Day one took place at the Central Park Arena on Saturday, June 12, where they had to show off their skill with their horses.
The following day they had to switch gears and clothes for the final three events.
In addition to mastering each skill, the girls are responsible for selling 500 beef raffle tickets each. But, it’s all for a good cause. Middletown Days is the single largest fundraiser for the Middletown Central Park Association and the money from each ticket sold goes toward maintaining the arena.
This year the beef is donated by Benjamin Ranch & Mobile Slaughter. First place is half a beef and a second and third ticket will be pulled for a quarter beef each. Tickets are a dollar and you need not be present to win. So, if you see one of the girls this weekend at the park, buy a ticket.
Greg Evans, real estate agent and horseman, has been working with the girls to prepare them for the first day’s six events. They worked on horse mastership which includes haltering, grooming and explaining what’s in their caddy; showmanship and halter which involves walking and maneuvering the horse through patterns and inspection; Western pleasure which measures skills while walking, jogging or loping; and the reigning pattern, controlling and guiding the horse.
They also practiced barrel racing, basically maneuvering in a clover leaf pattern on their horse (their time serves as the tiebreaker).
Lastly, they worked on the queen’s waive, which several of the younger contestants said was their favorite event. It involved riding one and a quarter laps, while waving, in a safe and controlled manner.
There were 11 girls vying for princess, and the competition was stiff with several strong contestants.
In fact, no one girl swept the competition on Saturday: Stella Brand, 7, won showmanship and halter and also the reigning pattern; Jadyn Owens, 11, won the horse mastership category; Rylie Slaight, 8, took Western pleasure; Payton Schuster, 9, won the barrels; and Kailey Snell, 9, won the queen’s waive.
For the queen competition there were two contestants. Kaitlyn Counter, 15, made a strong showing on her quarter horse, Levi. But, Emalee Pickens, 18, had an excellent day showing her horse, OG (Original Gangsta) and won all six events.
Day two started out with the girls actually taking a written test to measure their horse knowledge and Schuster got the highest score. After that, it was all about poise as each girl presented a speech for the judges and modeled western wear.
Owens won for western wear and Emilia Lord, 6, won with her “All About Me” speech where she revealed the age of her mother and stated that her two younger brothers’ job is “being trouble.”
Queen contestant Counter gave a beautiful speech about the history of Middletown Days, Middletown Central Park and Hope City. She began by asking members of the audience a series of questions and to stand if they had ever run for queen or princess, helped out at the park, or been grand marshal. She won for speech in her division.
In keeping with Counter’s theme of community, all of the girls bonded and helped each other throughout the competition. A former queen even stepped in to help.
Alisha Mackey, the 2014 queen, lent Schuster her horse, Chicken, a few days before the event because Schuster’s wasn’t cooperating. She also lent her saddle to Counter.
Alisha Mackey’s mom, teacher Michelle Mackey, came down on Sunday to help the younger princess contestants read their tests. This year there were six contestants who were aged 6 to 8.
At the end of the hard-fought competition, Rylie Slaight was crowned princess. She is a third grader at Middletown Christian School. Her favorite rodeo event is steer daubing. She enjoys showing goats and chickens for Middletown 4-H, playing soccer and spending time with her friends.
Emalee Pickens was crowned queen. Pickens just graduated from Middletown High and enjoys pole bending and goat tying, but her favorite event is barrels because “it's fast and it’s just you and your horse.”
Neither girl had ever competed in the Middletown Days competition before.
Evans was proud of all the girls for sticking with the long process and improving so much.
The girls have already stated that they will be returning for next year’s competition and several new girls have expressed interest, as well.
