ST HELENA
Kelseyville man sentenced to 90 days in jail in connection with Highway 29 fire
Jody Hickey, 39 of Kelseyville, CA who was arrested Sept. 7, 2019 on suspicion of causing a wildland fire while using equipment plead guilty to California Health and Safety code 13001. On Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020, Hickey was sentenced to 90 days in jail and 3 years of probation for the fire that burned 53 acres and forced the evacuation of 300 residents along with the closure of Hwy 29 for several hours near Kelseyville in Lake County, CA.
Health and Safety Code 13001: Every person is guilty of a misdemeanor who, through careless or negligent action, throws or places any lighted cigarette, cigar, ashes, or other flaming or glowing substance, or any substance or thing which may cause a fire, in any place where it may directly or indirectly start a fire, or who uses or operates a welding torch, tar pot or any other device which may cause a fire, who does not clear the inflammable material surrounding the operation or take such other reasonable precautions necessary to insure against the starting and spreading of fire.
CAL FIRE Sonoma Lake Napa Unit Chief Shana Jones would like to remind residents, “Whether working to create defensible space around your home, mowing the lawn or pulling your dirt bike over to the side of the road, if you live in a wildland area you need to use all equipment responsibly. Lawn mowers, weed-eaters, chain saws, grinders, welders, tractors and trimmers can all spark a wildland fire. Do your part the right way to keep your community fire safe.”
—Submitted
LUSD to hold calendar planning meetings Monday
The Lakeport Unified School District is holding a meeting to discuss the school calendars for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years. The meeting is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 3rd at the district office, 2508 Howard Avenue in Lakeport. The gathering is not a governing board meeting.
Parents, staff and community members are welcome. Anyone interested in attending should call 262-3000 prior to the meeting date.
—Submitted
LUCERNE
New Paradigm College offers theatre workshop and public performance on Feb. 15, 2020
New Paradigm College (“NPC”) announced today a Community Creations Theatre workshop to be held at “The Lucerne Castle” Room 333, 3700 Country Club Drive, Lucerne, CA on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and a class performance open to the public at 7 p.m.
In this workshop, students explore timely issues and develop a performance piece for presentation that same evening. The process includes three phases, a creation/inspiration phase, a development/exploration phase, and a presentation that engages the audience with what the group has created.
“Theater allows us to experience different points of view and cultivate our collective imagination,” said John Tomlinson, workshop instructor. Tomlinson, and co-instructor Barbara Clark are long-time contributors to the Lake County Arts scene. “Part of the excitement and joy of a project like this is that it taps into anyone’s innate creativity–and is surprisingly easy.”
Full-day workshop fees vary depending upon the student’s level of enrollment, with early bird options available. The public performance at 7 pm is open to the general public at no cost.
“We invite the community to explore current topics with students in a fresh and new way,” said Denise Rushing, NPC Co-Founder and Executive Director. “Join us for a celebration of their creative expression of issues of the day.”
To learn more about the workshop and performance, visit www.newparadigmcollege.org/winter2020.
—Submitted
CALIFORNIA
China’s toll on California workers
California workers have been especially hard hit by the U.S. trade policy with China, the labor think tank Economic Policy Institute reports.
California lost 654,100 jobs between 2001 when China entered the World Trade Organization and 2018, nearly twice the number of jobs lost by the next hardest-hit state, Texas.
Non-college educated workers have taken it on the chin, as they must compete with lower-wage workers in China for blue collar jobs.
Competition with low-wage countries has suppressed wages of all 100 million U.S. workers without a college degree.
Six of the 10 congressional districts hit hardest by job losses are in California. Districts represented by Silicon Valley Democrats Ro Khanna, Anna Eshoo and Zoe Lofgren were three hardest hit, losing a combined 172,500 jobs.
- The study: “There are substantial questions about the long-run ability of firms in the high-tech sectors to continue to innovate while offshoring most or all of the production in their industries.”
Trump’s trade war: The L.A. Times quoted one of the study’s authors, Robert E. Scott, as praising President Donald Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum but saying other tariffs have not helped.
- The study: “Trade deficits with China and resulting jobs losses continued to grow during the first two years of the Trump administration—despite the administration’s heated rhetoric and imposition of tariffs.”
Other economists questioned conclusions. But the study helps explain California’s economic divide and has implications for the future of work, a focus of Gov. Gavin Newsom, as CalMatters’ Judy Lin has written.
—CALMAtters
