MENDOCINO COUNTY
Savings Bank is refreshing their Mendocino Banking Center
The excitement is building among the employees at Savings Bank of Mendocino County’s Mendocino Banking Center! On Friday, April 7, 2023, the Mendocino Banking Center will be temporarily closed for one day as the refresh of the lobby begins. The walk-up ATM is available 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. Regular hours will resume on Monday, April 10, 2023. The hours of operation in the lobby will remain unchanged during the remodel.
“It’s important to the Bank to retain the much-loved character of our banking center, and we’re excited about how the upcoming refresh will blend with the existing historic charm!”, said Ericha Eagleton, Mendocino Banking Center Manager. “We want to thank our customers for their business and ask that they please excuse the mess while we’re open during the remodel.”
The beautiful redwood teller line and brass cages, reminiscent of the early 1900s, will be preserved. Additionally, routine operational processes are being moved to the back office to support an enhanced customer service experience.
“We are very happy that the refresh will soon be underway and are excited about the new space we’re creating”, said Denise Roumbanis, Savings Bank Chief Operations Officer. “We feel it will be a more comfortable and efficient environment for customers and employees and will allow us to spend more time focusing exclusively on our customers’ needs.”
Savings Bank of Mendocino County is the only locally chartered bank and is a strong independent financial institution which provides Mendocino and Lake Counties the dependability of a local community bank.
—Submitted
SACRAMENTO
Assemblymembers Aguiar-Curry and Ward bill to prevent weaponized defamation lawsuits against survivors of abuse passes Assembly Judiciary Committee
Assemblymembers Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) and Chris Ward (D-San Diego) announced today that their Assembly Bill 933 passed the Assembly Committee on Judiciary with an 8–0 vote. The bill will protect survivors of sexual assault, harassment, and discrimination from weaponized defamation lawsuits. Specifically, AB 933 will strengthen the legal protection of survivors who may face retaliatory defamation lawsuits from speaking publicly about their personal experiences.
“Survivors of sexual assault, harassment, and discrimination are our family, our neighbors, our friends, and our colleagues” said Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), Vice Chair of the Legislative Women’s Caucus. “We have to empower anyone who would expose those who’ve done them harm, because their courageous act will protect others.”
The #MeToo movement gave many assault and harassment survivors the opportunity to bravely join countless others in sharing their stories on a national platform, in solidarity. At the same time, it unveiled a toxic and predatory culture that persists across all sectors of employment and society. While survivors courageously came forward, many were served with defamation lawsuits by those who abused them. In fact, defamation lawsuits have become the weapon of choice by perpetrators to intimidate, punish, and silence their accusers. Existing law makes certain publications and speech – including complaints of sexual harassment – privileged and protected from civil defamation actions. However, these protections are limited. AB 933 expands protections for speech made by a survivor, without malice, about their own experience of sexual assault, harassment, or discrimination. This bill would make it harder for perpetrators to retaliate against survivors with legal threats and intimidation, but does not apply to unfounded claims. This bill also helps take the burden off of survivors by providing reasonable attorneys’ fees and damages if they successfully defend themselves against meritless defamation lawsuits.
AB 933 now heads to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
—Submitted
LAKE COUNTY
Poets Laureate reading to conclude 2023 NEA Big Read
As the Lake County Library’s 2023 NEA Big Read comes to a close, a Poets Laureate Reading will be offered as the final event to conclude this year’s programming.
The Lakeport Library, located at 1425 N. High Street in Lakeport, invites the public to attend the closing event on Saturday from 1 to 2 pm. The reading will feature Lake County’s Poet Laureate for 2020-2024, and Literacy Program Coordinator for the Lake County Library, Georgina Marie Guardado, and special guest Lee Herrick, California’s new State Poet Laureate. A curated lineup of Poets Laureate will join Guardado and Herrick.
This event is hosted by the Lake County Library, and supported by the Friends of the Lake County Library and Lake County Literacy Coalition. The 2023 NEA Big Read is supported by a number of community and business partners, and supporters, who are also invited to attend to celebrate the program’s successful return for the first time since before the Coronavirus pandemic.
According to the National Endowment for the Arts’ 2017 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, poetry readership is the highest on record since 2002, with the poetry-reading rate among young adults more than doubling in the last five years.
Visit arts.gov/neabigread for more information about the NEA Big Read. Organizations interested in applying for an NEA Big Read grant in the future should visit Arts Midwest’s at https://artsmidwest.org/ for more information.
