CLEARLAKE OAKS
Community Methodist Church of Clearlake Oaks’ Easter outreach
Our Easter Children’s Outreach is Currently Underway!
Last year we served over 120 kids in the Oaks with Easter baskets and a visit with the Easter Bunny.
We have a goal this year of 250 Easter baskets for kids in our Community. We need your support, All gifts are 100% Tax deductible and are sincerely appreciated. If you would like to donate Easter ba0sket items directly please call Pastor Cory Paine at 707-262-2617
If you would like to send a monetary gift, please send to:
Community Methodist Church of Clearlake Oaks – PO Box 962 Clearlake Oaks CA 95423
Or Visit our Facebook page for other ways to get involved: www.facebook.com/onechurchclearlake
—Submitted
TULARE COUNTY
State’s vaccine approach challenged
Ahead of his big speech, Newsom on Monday visited a Tulare County vaccination site to highlight the state’s progress on equitably distributing doses — even as some state lawmakers challenged his recent move to allocate 40% to 400 ZIP codes. Newsom said more than 210,000 education workers across the state have received their first vaccine dose, nearly three times his administration’s weekly goal of 75,000. He also said “likely another dozen counties” will exit the most restrictive purple tier today, permitting them to reopen restaurants and other businesses indoors at limited capacity.
- Newsom: “More and more progress every day as we’re reopening our economy and reopening our schools safely for in-person public instruction.”
Ironically, Newsom’s comments came a day after the state blocked several school districts in San Diego County from reopening their middle and high school campuses, infuriating local superintendents. The governor’s comments also followed pushback from Bay Area lawmakers who said the state’s equity formula prioritizing 400 ZIP codes excluded their communities.
- State Sen. Dave Cortese, a San Jose Democrat: “We are working collaboratively with (the governor’s office) and are optimistic that hard-hit areas in the Bay Area that were overlooked will now be included in the state’s prioritization.”
—CALmatters
SACRAMENTO
The high cost of EDD fraud
One of the biggest problems confronting Newsom — and which he hasn’t yet addressed as substantively as other pandemic-era issues — is California’s beleaguered unemployment department, which may have paid as much as $31 billion to fraudsters even as more than 1 million jobless claims remain backlogged. As the Employment Development Department prepares for another extension of federal jobless benefits, CalMatters’ Byrhonda Lyons and Lauren Hepler recently posted a video report on the winners and losers in California’s unemployment fraud scandal. (One winner, ironically, may be EDD itself, which reaped $22.5 million from March to October last year thanks to unemployment debit card transaction fees.)
—CALmatters
NORTH COAST
PG&E kicks of Arbor Week with web resource for customers and communities
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is kicking off California Arbor Week (March 7-14) by unveiling its new comprehensive web resource for its customers and communities that includes rules, tips and guides for planting trees safely near electric and gas lines. The Right Tree, Right Place web resource can be found at pge.com/righttreerightplace and includes free downloadable brochures on how to plant with fire safety in mind and creating defensible space.
“Trees play a vital role in our environment and make California a beautiful place to live, work recreate. They also need space to grow both above and below ground. Planting the right tree in the right place helps promote fire safety, reduces power outages, provides shade benefits, enhances property values and ensures beauty for years to come,” said Eric Haggerty, PG&E Vegetation Management Supervisor for the North Coast. “If the right tree is not planted in the right place and too close to power and gas lines, it can create public safety issues and power outages.”
Using the free safety guides, customers can learn which trees are safe to plant near electric and gas lines, and in which regions; information on what to do before planting; how to plant and care for a tree; characteristics of recommended small trees and more. For example, residents and business should always call 8-1-1 at least two days before landscaping or planting trees to have underground lines and other utilities marked to ensure safe digging.
Before planting trees near overhead lines, it’s also recommended to know if you live in an area of increased fire risk by visiting the California Public Utilities Commission’s High Fire-Threat District (HFTD) map.
- If the property is outside a HFTD, any trees that can grow taller than 25 feet at maturity should be planted at least 50 feet away from power lines.
- If the property is within a HFTD, follow safety clearances of the following zones, which are categorized by the horizontal distance between power lines and desired plant:
- Small zone: Within 15 feet away from the power line easement (along the ground), plant only low-growing plants less than 12 inches at maturity that have high moisture, and low sap or resin content.
- Medium zone: From 15 to 50 feet away from the power line easement, plant trees that reach no taller than 40 feet at maturity.
- Tall zone: At least 50 feet away from the power line easement, trees that grow taller than 40 feet at maturity are acceptable.
PG&E reminds its customers and the communities in Central and Northern California that everyone can do their part to help reduce wildfire risks by choosing the right plants, trees and shrubs and by following vegetation and fire safety standards that require greater clearances between trees, limbs and power lines.
—Submitted
