LAKEPORT
Garden Club installs officers
At a recent potluck meeting at the Scott’s Valley Women’s Clubhouse in Lakeport, the Trowel & Trellis Garden Club, a member of California Garden Clubs, Inc. celebrated another successful year of gardening and supporting civic and student activities in Lake County. Kitty Loberg performed the installation of officers for 2023-2024 term. They are Ginny Cline, President; Kelly Roye, Vice President; Secretary, Ginabelle Smith; Treasurer, Linda Pyers; and Parliamentarians, Hans and Carol Dobusch. Ginny’s Theme is “Butterflies”.
“We will continue to support our mission statement of gardening, civic beautification, conservation of our natural resources and encourage members to participate in local, district and state projects,” Cline said. The planning meeting will be Tuesday, July 25, 10 am at the Umpqua Bank.
The hall was decked out with butterflies, flower arrangements and plants for members to take home and plant in their gardens.
The member also thanked outgoing President, Carol Dobusch, for guiding the club through the COVID restrictions for the last two years by using zoom meetings and participating in outdoor meetings.
The club meets the third Tuesday of the month from September to June. For more information call Ginny 707-489-3511 or visit our web site www.clttgc.org.
—Submitted
LAKE COUNTY
Shakespeare at the Lake
Is marriage a fate worse than hanging? This is just one of many disturbing, yet thought-provoking questions you may ask yourself when you come to see Measure for Measure. Although this is the eighth annual Shakespeare at the Lake production, this year boasts a few notable firsts.
Up until now, all of the live SATL shows have been light-hearted comedies, but Measure for Measure is the first drama. Really, it’s considered a very dark comedy, exploring themes of power (and its abuse), justice (or injustice), and mercy (or lack thereof).
Another first for SATL is the addition of pre-show entertainment. Faire Measure, a string quartet featuring Renaissance-era music, will delight audiences starting about an hour before the actors take the stage. Bring your appetites, because local food and drink vendors will be set up and ready ahead of time as well.
When SATL went online in 2020 and 2021, the cast included several actors from outside Lake County. However, this is the first live production featuring a leading actor hailing from outside the county. Phaedra Swearengin, who portrays the dichotomous Duke, travels from Willits multiple times a week for rehearsal. Though new to SATL, she is not new to Shakespeare. This is her sixth time playing a lead in one of the Bard’s great works.
Other new cast members include Adam McGee, who plays the ruthless Angelo, and his partner, Krista Kenny, portraying the saintly Isabella.
Cast members, both new and veteran, are thoroughly enjoying the rehearsal process. They’ve described it as “engaging, educational, intense,” and “challenging.”
Making sense of what can seem like a foreign language is the central task of the actors, with the help of Tomlinson. “We spend a lot of time analyzing the text so that the performers really know what the characters are saying,” adds Jacobs. “If we don’t know what we’re saying, how is the audience supposed to understand?”
It is the goal of the cast, crew, and production team that audiences will not only understand, but thoroughly enjoy, this year’s presentation of Measure for Measure. Performances take place at Library Park in Lakeport on July 29 and 30, and at Austin Park in Clearlake on August 4, 5, and 6. Performances are free of charge. Pre-show entertainment and food/beverage sales begin at 6pm.
For more information, visit the Lake County Theatre Company website at www.lctc.us.
—Submitted
WASHINGTON
Thompson releases statement on one year of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act
Today, Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Chairman Rep. Mike Thompson (D- St. Helena) released the following statement to mark one year since President Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law.
“One year ago, President Joe Biden signed into law the most significant gun violence prevention legislation in 30 years. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act represented a strong step forward in enacting comprehensive measures to enhance public safety and protect communities from gun violence. It included provisions such as funding for state red flag laws, enhanced background checks for people under 21, closing the boyfriend loopholes, cracking down on gun traffickers, and investing in violence prevention programs.
These efforts reflect a commitment to reducing gun violence and saving lives. Since being signed into law, it has already delivered over $1.5 billion to make schools safer, increase access to mental health services, and help save lives.
“Today, on the one-year anniversary of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, we celebrate the positive impact of this historic law but also renew our commitment to ending gun violence. Every life lost to gun violence is a stark reminder of the urgency and responsibility we bear in creating a society where parents don’t fear sending their kids to school. Together, we can work towards a future where gun violence becomes a tragic memory of the past, replaced by a society built on compassion, prevention, and meaningful change.”
Some of the general provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act include:
- Support for State Crisis Intervention Orders: Creates $750 million for states to create and administer laws that will help keep deadly weapons out of the hands of individuals determined by a court.
- Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence by Closing the Boyfriend Loophole: Adds convicted domestic violence abusers in dating relationships to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
- Penalties for Straw Purchasing: Creates federal straw purchasing and gun trafficking criminal offenses, allowing prosecutors to target dangerous illegal gunrunners.
- Enhanced Background Checks for People Under 21: Requires an investigative period to review juvenile and mental health records, including checks with state databases and local law enforcement, for buyers under 21 years of age, creating an enhanced, longer background check of up to ten days.
- Community Violence Prevention Initiatives: Provides $250 million in funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives.
