LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Democratic Central Committee will hold its regular monthly business meeting on Thursday, May 4.

The meeting takes place at 6:30 p.m. in the community room at the Lower Lake Methodist Church, 16255 Second St.

The agenda for the meeting includes reports from representatives for Congressmen Mike Thompson and John Garamendi, Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry and State Sen. Mike McGuire, as well as reports from the representative of the Lake County Democratic Club.
        
Meetings are open to the public and committee membership is open to all registered Democrats.
        
The Lake County Democratic Central Committee is the official governing body for the Democratic Party in Lake County.
        
For more information about the Democratic Party in Lake County visit www.lakecountydemocrats.org or www.facebook.com/LakeCountyDemocrats .
        
Contact the Democratic Party of Lake County at 707-533-4885 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

The 2017 recreational Pacific halibut fishery will commence Monday, May 1, for the first of four open periods.

This season's dates are May 1 to June 15, July 1 to 15, Aug. 1 to 15 and Sept. 1 to Oct. 31, or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier.

The open and closed periods are intended to provide fishing opportunities from spring through fall.
 
The 2017 Pacific halibut quota for the California subarea is 34,580 pounds – about 5,000 pounds more than the 2016 quota.
 
During the annual rulemaking process, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) received input expressing interest in maintaining the 2016 season dates, but also adding additional open fishing days in 2017 that align with holiday weekends.

In response, and in light of the increased quota, CDFW recommended a longer open season to the National Marine Fisheries Service which included Memorial Day weekend, in addition to Independence Day and Labor Day weekends.
 
The season dates are expected to continue to meet the goal of providing as much opportunity throughout the season while ensuring the quota is attained.

As in 2015 and 2016, the open dates are not guaranteed days, and the season could be closed early if it is determined that projected catches will exceed the California quota.

Again this year, field staff will be stationed at public launch ramps and charter boat landings to monitor catches of Pacific halibut along with other marine sportfish.

CDFW will examine this information in comparison to expected catch rates and if the cumulative catch is expected to reach or exceed the quota prior to Oct. 31, a closure date will be determined and the public will be notified.

The public can follow the progress of catch through the season on the CDFW Pacific halibut Web site, which will be updated weekly with the latest catch projection information (see link below).

Before engaging in any fishing activity for Pacific halibut, please check one of the following resources for the most up-to-date information:

– CDFW website, www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut ;
– National Marine Fisheries Service Halibut Hotline, 800-662-9825;
– CDFW Recreational Groundfish Regulations Hotline, 831-649-2801.

Twenty Community Colleges were selected to participate in the California Guided Pathways Project, a venture designed to substantially increase the number of students who earn a certificate or degree at a California Community College by leveraging the significant investments California has made in student success.

The colleges, selected through a competitive application process, will design and implement structured academic and career pathways for all incoming students by 2019.

“I am confident that this project and the twenty participating colleges can positively impact the future of California,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley, who serves on the project’s advisory committee. “I look forward to leading a series of systemwide efforts to implement the Guided Pathway model throughout the California Community Colleges.”

Guided Pathways provides a framework for colleges to help students who face barriers to completing a college education.

By creating structured educational experiences, pathways support each student from the point of entry to the attainment of high-quality postsecondary credentials and employment in a chosen field.

The colleges selected to participate in the California Guided Pathways Project are:

• American River College;
• Butte College;
• Cabrillo College;
• College of the Canyons;
• Cosumnes River College;
• Chaffey College;
• Cuyamaca College;
• Los Angeles Trade Tech College;
• Long Beach City College;
• MiraCosta College;
• Modesto Junior College;
• Norco College;
• Reedley College;
• Rio Hondo College;
• Riverside Community College;
• San Joaquin Delta College;
• Santa Ana College;
• Santa Barbara City College;
• Southwestern College;
• Yuba College.

Over the next three years, colleges will send teams to institutes where they will receive guidance and structured time to create clear pathways to high-quality credentials and develop the change management strategies needed to accomplish this goal.

College teams will be made up of five people including the president and a faculty leader. Each college will also receive support from a team of pathways coaches and information on complementary reform efforts in California that can help support specific facets of their work.

“We look forward to supporting the 20 colleges participating in the project,” said Dr. Rob Johnstone, project director. “We hope that by developing an expanded network of practitioners developing guided pathways, we can support other colleges and partners interested in adopting the student-centered approach to education planning.”

Institute materials will also be available to all California Community Colleges interested in implementing a Guided Pathways approach.

The project, which was launched in December of 2016, is funded by College Futures Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, the Teagle Foundation, and participating colleges. 

The California Guided Pathways project was inspired by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Pathways Project to support increased certificate and degree completion within the California Community Colleges.

The Guided Pathways model helps colleges clarify paths to student end goals, helps students select a program and stay on the path, and ensures quality learning. Pathways include specific course sequences, progress milestones, and defined learning outcomes.

For more information visit www.CAGuidedPathways.org .

SACRAMENTO – State Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones announced that he has authorized health insurers filing rates with the Department of Insurance to file two sets of rates, in light of the market instability created by President Trump's continued undermining of the Affordable Care Act.

Despite the likelihood that health insurers will have to increase rates due to Trump Administration actions, Jones encouraged health insurers to file a second set of rates premised on continued enforcement of the Affordable Care Act, in the hope that President Trump might reverse course and stop undermining the Affordable Care Act.

The actions of the Trump Administration to undermine enforcement of the ACA's individual mandate and the failure of President Trump and Republican House leaders to ensure funding of the Cost-Sharing Reductions in the Affordable Care Act have created immense uncertainly and instability for 2018's health insurance market.

Affordability and availability of health insurance coverage are both threatened by the actions of President Trump and Republicans in Congress.

This week health insurers will submit preliminary proposed rates for 2018 to state regulators and Covered California.

"The Trump Administration and House Republican Leaders continue to undermine the Affordable Care Act, creating instability in health insurance markets and causing health insurers to have to increase rates for the 2018 market," said Commissioner Jones. "Given the actions by President Trump and House Republican leaders, I have taken the unprecedented step of authorizing health insurers to file more than one set of proposed rates for 2018 – one assuming the ACA is enforced and funded and the other assuming that President Trump and House Republican leaders continue to undermine or repeal the law and cause unnecessary premium increases."

The California Department of Insurance receives preliminary health insurance rate filings for individual market products on May 1 of each year for the following calendar year.

These proposed rates are also provided to Covered California for those products that insurers or health plans intend to sell through Covered California. Due to all the uncertainty at the federal level regarding enforcement of the individual mandate, availability of risk adjustment payments to insurers, and the status of Cost-Sharing Reduction funding, Commissioner Jones has notified health insurers in California that they may file more than one set of proposed rates for 2018.

Insurers have been encouraged to file rates assuming that the ACA is enforced and funded as well as rates they are filing that are based on all the uncertainty in the market due to undermining of the ACA by the Trump Administration and House Republican Leaders.

Insurers have been asked to submit rate information about how rates will differ if the individual mandate is not enforced and if the federal funding for Cost-Sharing Reductions is not provided.

UKIAH, Calif. – Mendocino College welcomes award-winning author Reyna Grande on Tuesday, May 2, at the Ukiah Campus.

The author will share her experiences as a writer, Mexican immigrant and writing instructor.

All are welcome to join a special reception from 5:30 to 6 p.m. in the Lowery Student Center at the campus, 1000 Hensley Creek Road, followed by a reading by the author and question/answer session from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Little Theater.

This event is free and open to the public.

Grande is an award-winning novelist and memoirist. She has received an American Book Award, the El Premio Aztlán Literary Award, and the International Latino Book Award.

In 2012, she was a finalist for the prestigious National Book Critics Circle Awards, and in 2015 she was honored with a Luis Leal Award for Distinction in Chicano/Latino Literature. Her works have been published internationally in countries such as Norway and South Korea.

Her novels, “Across a Hundred Mountains” (Atria, 2006) and “Dancing with Butterflies” (Washington Square Press, 2009) were published to critical acclaim and have been read widely in schools across the country.

In her latest book, “The Distance Between Us” (Atria, 2012), Grande writes about her life before and after illegally immigrating from Mexico to the United States.

An inspirational coming-of-age story about the pursuit of a better life, “The Distance Between Us,” is now available as a young readers edition from Simon & Schuster’s Children’s Division–Aladdin.

Grande was 2 years old when her father left for the U.S. to find work. Her mother followed her father north two years later, leaving Grande and her siblings behind in Mexico.

In 1985, when Grande was going on 10, she left Iguala to make her own journey north. She entered the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant, and later went on to become the first person in her family to graduate from college.

After attending Pasadena City College for two years, Grande obtained a B.A. in creative writing and film & video from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She later received her M.F.A. in creative writing from Antioch University.

Now, in addition to being a published author, she is also a sought-after speaker at high schools, colleges and universities across the nation.

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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Republican Party’s May meeting will host a presentation from a state Republican Party representative.

The group will meet on Tuesday, May 9, at Round Table Pizza, 821 11th St. in Lakeport.

Social time starts at 6 p.m. with no host food and beverages, followed by the business meeting at 6:30 p.m.

Jim McCully, Northwest regional representative for the California Republican Party, will outline his plans to make the party and region great again. He also will discuss the local group’s role as Republican Party leaders.

McCully is the former chairman of the Solano County Republican Central Committee. His career highlights include working as a special agent for the U.S. Secret Service, former investigator for the Suisun Police Department, director of security and public safety at the Department of the Navy. He studied law enforcement at the University of Maryland.

All Republicans are welcome to attend.

If you are interested in joining the Lake County Republican Committee, or if you are just interested in learning more about the group, please attend this meeting.

Follow the local Republican Party on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Lake-County-CA-Republican-Party-401224996588222/?fref=ts or for more information contact Lake County Chair Dee Cuney at 707-235-2902.

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The possibility of my identity being stolen is something I worry about frequently, it’s a scary concept.

But what is it really, and how worried should I be?

Simply put, identity theft is the unauthorized use of another’s identity to commit crimes or for financial gain, like opening accounts, filing taxes or making purchases. Unfortunately, it can happen to anyone.

Consumers nationwide reported around 400,000 identity theft complaints to the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC in 2016, making identity theft the third largest category of complaints.

Thankfully, there are steps you can take to mitigate the risk of identity theft. According to the FTC, it’s important to “shred receipts, credit offers, credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements, checks, bank statements, expired charge cards, and similar documents when you don’t need them any longer.”

To further protect yourself against identity theft, keep the following BBB tips in mind.

Secure your information offline

– Limit what you carry. When out and about, only take what you need – leave your Social Security card at home. Lock up financial documents and records in a safe in your home, and lock up your purse or wallet while at work.

– Keep an eye on your mail. Use a secure, locked mailbox if possible. If you don’t have a locked mailbox, take sensitive outgoing mail to the post office or to a post office box and pick up incoming mail as soon as possible. Only order new checks to your home if you have a secure mailbox.

– Don’t overshare. The FTC recommends that “before you share information at your workplace, a business, your child's school, or a doctor's office, ask why they need it, how they will safeguard it, and the consequences of not sharing.” This is especially true for your Social Security Number (SSN). Ask if you can use a different kind of identification, although sometimes you will have to share your SSN. Also be careful sharing health plan information, and destroy the labels on prescriptions bottles before throwing them out.

Stay safe in the digital world

– Dispose of electronics carefully. Your computer, phone and tablet store immense amounts of personal information. Before disposing of or selling your computer, wipe the hard drive. For a mobile device you’ll need to check your owner’s manual, service provider’s Web site or manufacturer’s Web site to learn how to delete information permanently. Always remove the SIM card and delete your contacts, messages, photos, voicemails, folders and Web search history.

– Be proactive about passwords and security settings. Use different, strong passwords for all of your accounts, including your devices. Change passwords frequently and use multi-factor identification if possible. Learn more about password safety at www.bbb.org/passwords . Set the privacy and security settings on web services, devices and apps you use – make sure you aren’t sharing more information than necessary.

– Keep your devices secure and look for encryption when online. Run updated anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-malware on all of your devices, including your phone and tablet. Before sending personal or financial information online, read the Web site’s privacy policy and make sure it’s encrypted. Look for the “https:”, where the “s” stands for “secure,” and the lock icon on the status bar. If you’re unsure about a Web site, look it up at www.bbb.org to see its rating, complaint history and reviews from past customers. Never transmit sensitive information when on public Wi-FI.

– Be social media savvy. Keep your social media accounts as private as possible. Make sure you’re only “friends” with people you know and trust in real life. Be careful about what you share, especially personal information – identity thieves can piece your life together based on seemingly-innocuous posts and use the information to answer account security questions.

If you’ve encountered a scammer, report it to BBB Scam Tracker at www.bbb.org/scamtracker . If you’ve been a victim of identity theft, find out about your options at www.identitytheft.gov .

Rebecca Harpster works for the serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California.

U.S. Air Force Airman Roy C. Ingalls Jr. graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.

The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Ingalls is the son of Roy and Holly Ingalls of Clearlake, Calif. He is also the brother of Elizabeth Ingalls.

The airman graduated in 2015 from Lower Lake High School, Lower Lake.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Tuleyome, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization based in Woodland, is currently recruiting members of the public to be a part of its board of directors. 

Tuleyome works in Yolo, Lake, Napa, Mendocino, Solano, Glenn and Colusa counties and also does some outreach in Sacramento County.

The organization has been working in the Northern Inner Coast Range of California and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument region for 15 years, and is now seeking new board members who can lead it into the future.

Tuleyome works to conserve, enhance, restore and enjoy regional public lands and open spaces, and it does this through a variety of programs.

It builds and maintains trails, gets the public outdoors through its Home Place Adventures program, educates the public through its “Nature and You” lecture series and its upcoming Certified California Naturalist program, implements conservation policy, and also purchases land in the region that is ecologically or recreationally important.

Currently, Tuleyome is helping the Bureau of Land Management and the US Forest Service as they develop the new management plan for the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, is working to establish an Inner Coast Range State Conservancy, and is also playing an integral part in the planning and developing of a new Woodland Earth and Science Center.

The organization is looking for results-driven people who can volunteer as board members, and who have a commitment to science-based conservation and a vision for what can be accomplished in the region over the next five to ten years.

All candidates must be able to work productively with people of diverse backgrounds, and have proven experience in science, business, finance, fundraising, land acquisitions and/or environmental advocacy.

For more information, see Tuleyome’s Web site at http://tuleyome.org/boardinquiry/ or contact Executive Director Sara Husby at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .