Lakeport
LPD wants you to focus on road
The Lakeport Police Department is encouraging drivers to put down their mobile devices and concentrate on the road. Throughout the month of April Lakeport officers will be focusing on educating the public on the dangers of distracted driving and enforcing distracting driving law.
Current California laws make it illegal for drivers to hold a phone or other electronic device while behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. Drivers who are under the age of 18 are not allowed to use a phone for any reason, including hands-free.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2019 distracted driving
killed 3,142 people. This is a 10 percent increase from 2018.
To help us and our allied agencies across the state in our collective mission of reducing the
number of distracted driving-related collision deaths, the Lakeport Police Department is asking the community to take action against distracted driving.
If you need to send a text you should wait until you can pull over at a safe location and park. Don’t scroll through any smart phone apps while driving. If you have any passengers in your vehicle you should designate one of them as your “texter.” Remind your friends and family when they are in the driver’s seat that driving is the only thing they should be focused on. If your driver is texting or otherwise distracted, tell them to stop and focus on driving. Ask your friends to join you in pledging not to drive distracted.
— Submitted
Lake County
Mediacom recognized
Mediacom Communications Corporation is proud to announce it has been selected as a 2021 U.S. Best Managed Company. Sponsored by Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal, the program recognizes outstanding U.S. private companies and the achievements of their management teams.
The 2021 designees are U.S. private companies that have demonstrated excellence in strategic planning and execution, a commitment to their people and fostering a dynamic, resilient culture, as well as strong financials, all while facing the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite major challenges and immense pressure, they continued to lead with purpose and the vision to make significant contributions to their industries, communities, workforces and the economy.
“For over a quarter of a century, the dedicated men and women of Mediacom have worked tirelessly to ensure the smaller markets we serve receive the same or better telecommunications services as America’s largest cities,” said Rocco B. Commisso, Mediacom’s founder, Chairman and CEO. “During this past year, the team at Mediacom has gone above and beyond for our communities by rapidly connecting thousands of homes with low-cost internet services, supporting local food banks and preparing our advanced broadband network to meet the demands of more people than ever before working and studying from home. To be recognized as a 2021 US Best Managed Company in the midst of the economic and operating challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic is a testament to our employees’ steadfast commitment to the core tenets of our business, and I thank them for making this honor possible.”
Applicants are evaluated and selected by a panel of external judges focused on assessing hallmarks of excellence in four key areas: strategy, ability to execute, corporate culture and financial performance. They join a global ecosystem of honorees from more than 30 countries recognized by the Best Managed Companies program.
— Submitted
Lakeport
Support your local restaurants
Dine Out Lake County, which is sponsored by the Lake County Chamber of Commerce and the Lake County Certified Tourism Ambassador Program, wants to remind county residents that many Lakeport coffee houses, cafes and restaurants are now available for your dining pleasure the week of April 12-18.
Lakeport restaurants ready to serve you include Gaslight Grill, Juicy’s Pizza, Renee’s Cafe, TNT on the Lake Mexican Restaurant, Howling Dog Cafe, Shoreline Coffee Shop. The Wholly Bowl. Chalerm Thai Bistro, Stonefire Pizza Co., Marcel’s French Bakery & Cafe, Angelina’s Bakery & Espresso, Park Place Restaurant, Pogo’s Pizza, Round Table Pizza, C & E Corner Creamery and Jitter Bean Coffee.
— Submitted
Lucerne
Town hall meeting Friday
The next Lucerne Town Hall meeting takes place Friday beginning at 6 p.m. via Zoom.
This month’s agenda includes Lucerne docks in need of repair along the scenic Highway 20 corridor.
Another item of discussion will be fixing Lucerne roads, possible remedies and solutions.
Please feel free to reach out to Chairman Lani Urquiza about future agenda items you would like to discuss by phoning 349-5457.
To join the Zoom meeting, go to https://lakecounty.zoom.us/j/98284819212?pwd=bFp3UFllb2tLQmVVTWowUitZN2dGUT09
The meeting ID is 982 8481 9212 and the meeting passcode is 133046.
– Submitted
Upper Lake
WAMMY Jazz Quintet on May 2
Jazz and blues at its best will be held during a Tallman Hotel concert with conversation to benefit the Soper Reese Theatre. The virtual concert will be shown on YouTube from 3-4 p.m. on May 2 featuring the WAMMY Jazz Quintet of Nancy Wright, saxophone; Pierre Archain, upright bass; Jeff Massanari, guitar; Barney McClure, piano; and Gabe Yanez, percussion.
Tickets are $10, $15 or $20.
You can reach the Tallman Hotel at 275-2245 for more information.
— Submitted
Cloverdale
Celebrating art April 24
The Cloverdale Sculpture Trail is paying homage to local well-known ceramic sculptor Joe Hawley for his body of work, creativity, boldness in sculptures and public events during his 50-plus year of sculpting.April 24 as part of the seventh annual International Sculpture Day.
Homage to Joe Hawley will be the Cloverdale Sculpture Trail’s contribution to the worldwide celebration of sculpture that day.
International Sculpture Day is celebrated on the last Saturday in April.
Go to www.cloverdalesculpturetrail.org for more information on Hawley’s body of work, which will be celebrated with a series of Zoom interviews and articles on the website.
– Submitted
Snow Mountain
BLM seeking input
The Bureau of Land Management Ukiah Field Office is hosting a second virtual Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Trails and Travel Management Planning workshop on April 21 from 5:30-8 p.m. Similar to the first workshop, the public will be able to use an online map and survey tools to help the BLM build a database of existing trails and routes within the monument, understand how each route is used and the amount of use.
During the workshop, the BLM will provide an overview of public input received to date, summarize the points of interest identified on the interactive map, explain the travel management planning process and timeline, as well as highlight the additional public input still needed. Travel Management Planning can help the BLM provide better access to public lands, improve route connectivity to ensure a more enjoyable experience, increase efficiency and reduce impacts to the environment.
The BLM Trails and Travel Management Planning Workshop will focus on identifying existing routes and is designed to engage stakeholders and members of the public about the vision for travel management at the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. The plan will be important for designating a wide variety of roads and trails for motorized, non-motorized and non-mechanized recreational opportunities. This summer, when scoping begins for an environmental assessment, the public will have an opportunity to propose new routes within the monument.
The BLM and Mendocino National Forest co-manage the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and believe partnerships and inclusion are vital to managing sustainable, working public lands. This workshop and associated planning efforts are specific to travel management on public lands administered by the BLM within the monument.
To participate in the workshop, please register at least 30 minutes prior to the event at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/5815845177969242640. Please contact us for reasonable accommodations to participate. For specific questions, please contact Rebecca Carr Wong at 707-468-4023 or BLM_CA_BSM_NM@BLM.gov.
— Submitted
North Coast
Before you dig, dial 811
With the arrival of spring, many Californians are thinking of starting projects to make their outdoor spaces more livable, and many of these projects require digging. To help ensure these projects can proceed safely and without disruptions to essential utility services that we all depend on to be able to stay connected during the ongoing pandemic, April is recognized as National Safe Digging Month. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and more than 1,000 other utilities support this nationwide public safety initiative to supported by to raise awareness about the importance of calling 811 to have underground utility lines marked in advance of any digging project.
Throughout the pandemic, many homeowners are using their extra time at home to complete projects that require digging, according to a recent national survey conducted by the Common Ground Alliance (CGA). In fact, the survey shows that one in five homeowners (20 percent) have been more likely to do a do-it-yourself home improvement involving digging since the pandemic began — particularly gardening projects, and 56 percent of homeowners who are planning to plant a tree or shrub this year said they were more likely to dig while having extra time at home. The most popular planned projects cited among surveyed homeowners who plan to dig include
Additionally, of the millions of homeowners who plan to dig this year for projects like gardening, building a fence or deck, installing a mailbox and more, nearly two in five will put themselves and their communities at risk by digging without contacting 811 beforehand to learn the approximate location of underground utilities.
According to the Common Ground Alliance’s damage information reporting tool, an underground utility line is damaged every nine minutes in the United States. This adds up to more than 200,000 preventable hits to underground utility lines nationwide annually. PG&E is urging customers to help prevent dig-ins by placing a toll-free call to 811 or an online request to have gas and electric lines marked free of charge three working days before the project begins.
In 2020, there were over 1,400 third-party dig-ins on PG&E’s underground infrastructure across Northern and Central California.
There were 21 incidents of accidental strikes on gas lines in 2020 in North Coast counties.
811 is a designated toll-free number for homeowners and professional excavators and is serviced by regional offices. Operators answering calls and emails will dispatch all necessary utilities to properly mark underground utility lines with paint or flags. Underground Service Alert of Northern/Central California and Nevada (USA North) is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will provide Spanish and other translation services.
— Submitted
Mendocino National Forest
Input sought on fuel management
Mendocino National Forest staff are seeking input on a proposed multi-phase, forest-wide prescribed fire and fuels management strategy. The project would use low intensity fires ignited under controlled conditions, along with manual and possibly mechanical removal methods to reduce debris and vegetation that could fuel more extreme wildfires in the future.
Comments are due by May 8.
The public is invited to attend one of two virtual open houses on April 20 to learn more about the project and to ask questions. The first meeting is from 3-4 p.m. via Microsoft Teams at http://bit.ly/RxFire1. A call-in only option is also available at 202-650-0123 (conference ID: 920 502 883#).
The second meeting is from 7-8 p.m. via Microsoft Teams at http://bit.ly/RxFire2. A call-in only option is also available at 202-650-0123 (conference ID: 312 405 752#). Both meetings will be identical in content and format.
The Mendocino Prescribed Fire and Fuels Management Project would allow for a landscape-scale environmental analysis for the explicit purpose of prescribed burning and fuel-reduction treatments across the entire forest, excluding designated wilderness areas. This would afford additional opportunities for the Mendocino National Forest to treat more acres in a timely fashion by taking advantage of geographic and seasonal conditions, while avoiding delays and inefficiencies associated with developing individualized, smaller-scale proposals.
Reducing the buildup of hazardous fuels supports forest officials’ goals of promoting healthier, more resilient forest stands.
The project also includes an alternative proposal to use mechanical methods, in addition to manual treatments, to remove vegetation or thin dense stands of trees in combination with prescribed fire. A project description and maps can be found online at https://go.usa.gov/xHC52.
The Mendocino National Forest consists of 913,306 acres along Northern California’s coastal range. The forest is headquartered in Willows and maintains district offices in the communities of Covelo and Upper Lake. More information is available at www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino.
— Submitted
