LAKE COUNTY
Local musician DJs at festival
Local Lakeport musician, Darrin Slade, 25, was recently tapped to be the exclusive DJ for the Los Angeles Maker Faire’s City of STEM Festival. The event was held downtown on the grounds of the 32-acre Los Angeles State Historic Park over the April 1st weekend and featured keynote speaker Bill Nye, the Science Guy.
Darrin, a summa com laude graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass., performed all original, self-produced electronic dance music (EDM) to tens of thousands of faire visitors for eight straight hours – with no breaks or pauses – as well as broadcasting to a live-stream audience. Said virtual watchers and fans knowing Darrin best as TwistBit.
Entertaining at these types of events is nothing new for Darrin, whose performances earned the Editor’s Blue Ribbon Award for four years in a row at Make Magazine’s annual flagship Maker Faire held in San Mateo (2014-2017). Darrin first began giving professional concerts at the age of 9, playing piano for festivals and special events, as well as entertaining at senior homes. At the age of 17, Darrin wrote a series of comedy shorts for the stage that were performed locally by the Lake County Theatre Company during their “Night of One-Acts.”
Currently, Lake County concert-goers may recognize Darrin as the bass player for the Lake County Community & Youth Orchestra and the videographer/camera operator for the Lake County Symphony home performances at the Soper-Reese Theatre.
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MIDDLETOWN
Low Vision Resource Group to meet at Middletown Library April 27
The meeting is scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m.
As we age, we may need to adjust to changes in our eyesight.
Vision Rehabilitation Educator Patricia Jefferson of the Earle Baum Center of the Blind will give us tools to help with these changes. Attendees will have a chance to share their concerns.
This event is funded through a Lake County Behavioral Health MHSA Mini Grant Program.
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SAN JOSE
California Water Service receives $4.3 million grant from Department of Water Resources
California Water Service (Cal Water) announced this week that it has received a $4,274,800 grant from the State Department of Water Resources (DWR) to connect several disadvantaged communities’ systems near Middlefield Road in the Salinas Valley with Cal Water’s Salinas District system.
“We are committed to protecting our customers’ health and safety, but not all communities have access to a clean, reliable water supply,” said Marty Kropelnicki, Cal Water President and CEO.
The grant, part of DWR’s Small Community Drought Relief Program, will be used to consolidate 195 customer connections in Gabilan, Lagunita, Trihorn, Livingston, Morris, and Martin with the Cal Water system. Grant funding will go toward engineering, design, environmental mitigation, construction, and other related costs to install about 7,300 feet of water main and extend water service to the communities.
Cal Water also partnered with the Rural Community Assistance Corps, which worked on behalf of the communities through the Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) program, to secure the grant. Cal Water expects to complete the project by the second quarter of 2025.
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