LAKEPORT
Lake County Libraries hold Winter Reading Challenge starting today
Here’s a great way to fulfill your New Year’s resolution to read more books – sign up for the Lake County Library’s Winter Reading Challenge which starts today and ends February 29. January is a perfect time to catch up on all those great books you’ve been eager to read by challenging yourself to read more through the library this winter.
Everyone can participate – babies, toddlers, children, teens and adults are all welcome in the challenge. If your children don’t read on their own yet, you can still sign them up and read with them. If you don’t have a library card, it’s easy to get one by bringing your photo ID to your nearest library branch.
Children who sign up will receive reading logs from the library. When they return their library books, the library staff will log the reading points. Every page read counts as one point toward the challenge goal of 1,000 points. Kids get stickers for their reading logs and they receive small prizes as they hit reading milestones.
Adults and teens can sign up and start reading library books. When they return the books, they get credit for pages read, and for every 200 pages they get tickets for the raffle jar. Contestants can read eBooks or listen to audiobooks to participate in the reading challenge.
If you complete the 1,000 point challenge you get to pick out a brand new book donated by the Friends of the Lake County Library, sign your name in it, and be the first person to check it out.
Each branch library will award a raffle prize for teens and one for adults. The raffle drawings will take place at the end of the program and the winners will be announced on March 3. Raffle baskets contain books and cold-weather treats for adults. Teens get candy bouquets.
For more information about the Winter Reading Challenge can be found at library.lakecountyca.gov under Events
The Lake County Library is on the internet at http://library.lakecountyca.gov and Facebook at Facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary.
—Submitted
KELSEYVILLE
Church schedule for Galilee Lutheran
Happy New Year! Here’s hoping the coming year is a little less “interesting” than 2019. But regardless, our mission continues…to grow in our individual faith, strengthen the church in the world, and bring the Gospel of Jesus to our neighbors and all people.
Growing in our faith…Tuesday night Bible Studies resume at 7 p.m. on January 7.
Strengthening our church…Sunday morning at 10 with Rev. Galen Gallimore, with a church council meeting after the service. The second half of our annual congregational meeting is (probably) January 26. But pay attention in case that changes.
Bringing the Gospel to our communities…Hope Harbor warming center continues through March. Opportunities to cook or help serve dinners are still available (see Laisné Hamilton.) Gospel music at Rocky Point Skilled Nursing in Lakeport every Sunday at 2:45 pm (join us!) Road pickup (see MaryBeth Ingvoldstad.) LifeLine Screening on January 7 at the community center.
And an exciting opportunity coming up…Galilee is applying for a grant to host a Neighbor Fest block party to address emergency and disaster preparedness. If the grant request succeeds, we’ll be looking forward to a May neighborhood party with food, live music, and information on how we can help each other. The theme is “neighbors meeting neighbors…so no one gets left behind.” Whether we need power to charge medical devices and phones, or an awareness of vulnerable people in our neighborhood, or a system for effective evacuations in case of fire…we will learn how to take care of our community. Look for details and developments as we head into 2020!
—Submitted
SACRAMENTO
Not so fast
Not every new law is getting a New Year’s welcome. As the start date approached this week for AB 5, California’s new law for contract workers, it was met with a flurry of lawsuits filed by gig companies, trucking companies and freelance journalists who attacked it with what one legal blogger termed “the entire economic liberty kitchen sink.”
The San Francisco Chronicle described the furor: “Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Postmates and Instacart are mounting a $110 million ballot campaign seeking to exempt their workers. Some out-of-state companies are dropping California freelancers while others are requiring them to incorporate. Some companies are reclassifying workers as employees; others are not. The law’s author plans to introduce additional legislation soon to clarify more aspects.”
But as the final hours of 2019 ticked down, a judge granted a temporary restraining order blocking AB 5, at least in part, according to The San Francisco Chronicle and Scott Lay of the Nooner. For context, see this Future of Work explainer by CalMatters’ Judy Lin.
AB 5 isn’t the only new law facing litigation. A Florida-based corporation, GEO Group, filed a federal lawsuit Monday challenging AB32 — a California law that will ban new private-prison contracts across the state starting today.
Also blocked:
- A new law barring job applicants and workers from having to submit to mandatory arbitration as a condition of employment, amid legal challenges from business groups including the California Chamber of Commerce.
- A law banning the import and sale of alligator and crocodile products, challenged by the state of Louisiana.
- A law aimed at preventing increased billing costs at dialysis clinics, by a federal judge who cited the health concerns of low-income patients who depend for insurance on the status quo.
—CALMatters
