Lake County–Small town with big concerns. That’s one way to describe Lucerne.
The local Municipal Advisory Council gathered for its town hall on Thursday night to discuss a few topics with the black cloud of COVID-19 hanging over their heads.
First thing up for discussion was the California statute AB626, otherwise known as the Homemade Food Act, which was the first item on the agenda. The law allows folks to cook and sell food from their own home kitchens. While legal in California, counties must opt into the program, hence why the council discussed bringing it to the Lake County Board of Supervisors for approval.
“This would be kind of a, I want to say, a hand up for the businesses who are in trouble right now,” said Dani Primas, a member-at-large of the council. She continued that she wants “restaurant owners and people who are struggling right now to make ends meet,” to be able to benefit from the statute so they are “able to keep food on their table.”
While California, like the rest of the nation, eases its lockdown restrictions, as COVID-19 hospitalizations rise statewide, the economy is gradually reverting to some version of a new ‘normal’—albeit, just a shadow of its former pre-pandemic self.
On Friday, federal officials reported, according to the L.A. Times, that California’s May unemployment rate is 16.3 percent. That’s minimal improvement as the state unemployment rate in April was 16.4 percent. In comparison, the national jobless rate fell by over 1 percent in the same period.
AB626 can help relieve some of the economic pain that locals are experiencing, said Primas.
“I think it’s just a little spark of hope,” she said. “Hopefully that, you know, like help is coming. We’ll get through this. Just hang in there.”
Another topic brought up during the town hall was masks. A recurring concern during the town hall, echoed by Primas during her phone interview, was the safety of Lucerne’s large senior population. Primas expressed worry over folks she said are not wearing masks, including some seeking services at the local senior center, in which she is a board member of.
“There’s just a group of really kind of reckless people, but they could really have a big impact on the public health for the county,” she said. “Everybody else,” including the local business owners, “seems to be on board, but there’s just this group of people that just does not want to be told what to do. And they’re our biggest risk.”
To add to the local controversy, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced this week that masks are mandatory statewide. Toddlers are exempted from the rule and so are those with disabilities that prevent them from wearing masks. Among a few other exceptions, masks don’t have to be worn while eating.
“For all of the seniors especially and those people who have the immunocompromised systems like I do, we’re working on making it so they’re not going to have to shelter in place forever,” said Primas when asked if she had any words of hope. “We’re trying to create a path for them to be able to come out with everybody else. And to just hang in there. It’s not going to happen overnight, but it’s in the works.”
