LAKEPORT
Second-Year Spanish Class At Mendocino College In Spring 2024
A second year Spanish class is being offered this Spring at the Lake Center in Lakeport. Students who have completed one year or more of Spanish are welcome to join the class, as are native speakers. The class will be held Tuesdays and Thursday at 5:30 pm starting on Tuesday, Jan. 23. Students will master more advanced skills and participate in group activities designed to foster grammatical competency and communicative skills. Four units of college credit will be earned for completing the class. For more information, contact the professor at dsammel@mendocino.edu or call the Lake Center at 707-263-4944.
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LAKEPORT
Radium Girls performances at the MAC at Clear Lake High School
The year was 1926. Dinner table conversations featured Babe Ruth’s latest home run, the newly opened Route 66, and Ford’s revolutionary 40-hour workweek. Marie Curie had recently discovered radium, the miracle cure, but also a key component in paint for luminous watches, which were quickly becoming all the rage. Enter the Radium Girls. These factory workers meticulously painted watch faces day after day, pointing the tips of their brushes with their lips, unknowingly ingesting radium poisoning with every stroke. A lawsuit was filed and, eventually, major changes were made to occupational hazard and labor laws.
In 2000, this fascinating and tragic true story was written as a play. This week, nearly 100 years after the events occurred, the play will take the stage at Clear Lake High School. Tim Barnes, CLHS drama teacher, previously directed The Idiot and the Oddity and Puffs, both lighthearted comedies. When he took his theater students to a drama festival in Sacramento last year, they saw another school’s production of Radium Girls, and promptly decided this had to be their next play.
“They were ready for the challenge of a serious play,” says Barnes, “and they have risen to the challenge.” Barnes’ students are abuzz with anticipation for opening night. Carolina Rodriguez, who has been in all of Barnes’ productions, was a bit surprised to discover that likes being in a drama much more than a comedy. “It’s more intense, more challenging,” she says. Madi Muniz-Espinoza, who plays protagonist Grace Fryer, explained that she has loved “getting into the emotions of the role and really making the character come to life.” Phillip Sparkes portrays Markly, attorney for the U.S. Radium Corporation. He has truly enjoyed “helping bring the vision of the set to life, and watching all of [his] fellow actors on stage doing what they love.” Anna Schott-Burress, who plays Irine (one of the first casualties of watch factory radium poisoning) is thrilled to be a part of her first serious show. “I am so excited for this play,” she gushes. “It’s the biggest scale production we’ve done so far and I am grateful to be able to do this show with this cast my senior year.”
Come support Carolina, Madi, Phillip, Anna, and the rest of the cast of Radium Girls. They have been rehearsing for months and are ready to tell this story to a live audience. Performances take place Friday, January 19 at 7pm, Saturday, January 20 at 2pm and 7pm, and Sunday, January 21 at 2pm. All performances take place at the MAC at Clear Lake High School in Lakeport. Tickets are $10 and will be available at the door. For more information, contact Tim Barnes at 707-972-5787.
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LAKE COUNTY
Lake County Climate Resiliency Officer provides update at Next Sierra Club Lake Group community meeting
The Sierra Club Lake Group will host Terre Logsdon, Climate Resiliency Officer for the County of Lake, at their next community meeting on Wednesday, January 17, 2024 at 6 PM. The discussion will be held via Zoom video conference and live-streamed on Facebook. The meeting is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required to attend via Zoom.
Logsdon spearheads the development of a comprehensive local climate strategy in collaboration with community organizations and other stakeholders. She will share progress identifying challenges and capabilities, and addressing the gaps between the two.
“Terre holds a critical role in leading Lake County’s response to climate change,” noted Sierra Club Lake Group Chair, Deb Sally. “Doing the work now to improve our resiliency in the future is essential. As citizens we can take this opportunity to learn about what our Office of Climate Resiliency is doing and how we can participate.”
The Office of Climate Resiliency was formed in 2022 after the County of Lake received a grant from the California Office of Emergency Services. The office reports to the County Administrative Officer.
To register for the event, visit the Lake Group’s online calendar at: www.sierraclub.org/redwood/lake. Registrants will receive access information upon registration and a confirmation reminder the morning of the event. Zoom space is limited, so the event will also be live-streamed via the Lake Group’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sierraclublake.
The Sierra Club Lake Group represents more than 400 Sierra Club members living in Lake County and is part of the Redwood Chapter of the Sierra Club that represents the northwest region of California. The group works to preserve Lake County’s wild heritage; protect and restore Clear Lake and its watershed; and promote smart growth, sustainable practices and environmentally friendly development. It also fosters a meaningful connection to the environment for the community to value and enjoy through guided hikes and community events. If you are interested in becoming a hike leader, contact JoAnn Saccato at sierraclublakegroup@gmail.com. For more information about the Sierra Club Lake Group, visit www.sierraclub.org/redwood/lake or call 707-994-1931.
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