LAKEPORT
Pianists combine talent to benefit education and the arts
The Soper Reese Theatre will host the popular Pianists Benefit Concert on Sunday, March 3. The performance will feature six professional pianists combining their diverse musical styles to raise funds for the theatre’s Renovation Fund and scholarship programs of the Lake County Friends of Mendocino College.
The afternoon begins at 2 p.m. with a no-host reception followed by the concert at 3 p.m.
Premium reserved seat tickets may be purchased for $30; general assigned seats are $25 and youth 18 and under are admitted free of charge. Tickets are available online at www.soperreesetheatre.com or by calling the Box Office at (707) 263-0577.
Performers from Lake and Mendocino counties include Spencer Brewer, Elena Casanova, Tom Ganoung, Elizabeth MacDougall, Barney McClure and Ed Reinhart. The concert will feature all the pianists on stage throughout the performance as they converse about their life experiences and play a variety of musical selections, ranging from classical to jazz, boogie woogie to Cuban, original compositions to popular favorites.
Jennifer Strong of Strong Financial Network, a financial planning firm based in Lakeport, will be the host and Mistress of Ceremonies.
Sponsors of this eleventh benefit concert include the Law Office of Mary Heare Amodio, the Law Office of Judy Conard, Lakeport Furniture, Strong Financial Network, Steve and Carol Schepper, Brock Falkenberg,
Wilda Shock, Pat and Lori McGuire, Susie LaPointe, Peggy Campbell, and Educational Leadership Solutions.
To be included in the program, additional sponsorships will be accepted through Feb. 21 at $500 for six tickets, $300 for four tickets, and $100 for two tickets, all premium reserved seats.
Proceeds from the event will be dedicated to the Renovation Fund of the Soper Reese Theatre for continuing efforts to modernize and expand its facilities, and to the annual scholarship fund of the Lake County Friends of Mendocino College which also supports the summer production of Shakespeare at the Lake in Clearlake and Lakeport.
The Soper Reese Theatre is located at 275 S. Main Street in Lakeport. Autographed CDs and other materials by the artists will be available for sale during the reception and intermission.
—Submitted
CALIFORNIA
Unemployment benefits just got more inclusive
According to the United States Census Bureau, between 2018-22 approximately 43.9 percent of Californians above the age of five speak a language other than English at home. For those who speak a language other than English:
- 28.2 percent speak Spanish.
- 9.9 percent speak Asian and Pacific Islander languages.
- 4.6 percent speak Indo-European languages.
People who speak some of these languages can now apply for unemployment benefits in their preferred language at the Employment Development Department (EDD). In addition to Spanish, we have recently expanded language access to include Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and Vietnamese. In early spring, we will be adding Armenian, Tagalog, and Korean to the list of supported languages.
In our opinion, when government is more accessible to diverse communities, it:
- Overcomes trust barriers with the communities who rely on vital services.
- Reduces errors in the benefits application which speeds payments.
- Encourages applications from those who won’t apply in another language.
Improves the customer experience for everyone!
—Submitted
SACRAMENTO
California Maj. Leader Gonzalez introduces legislation to create a master plan for healthy, climate-resilient schools
Senate Majority Leader Lena Gonzalez introduced a bill this week that would require the state to create a master plan for climate resilient schools. SB 1182, The Climate Resilient Schools Act, would coordinate state-wide action to provide schools with clear information, direction and support to adapt and modernize their facilities and operations in alignment with the state’s climate adaptation, decarbonization, and extreme heat goals, while also ensuring the state is positioned to utilize new federal incentives resulting from the Inflation Reduction Act for clean energy upgrades.
]In response to the introduction of SB 1182, Jonathan Klein, co-founder of UndauntedK12, released the following statement:
“Far too many schools – and especially schools in communities of color – lack the essential infrastructure in the face of climate-fueled extreme weather. The Climate Resilient Schools Act will provide the sound, statewide planning we need to achieve scalable, equitable and cost-effective solutions for climate change impacts on school facilities. The passage of SB 1182 would also help reduce upfront costs for schools by helping unlock federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act. We must ensure schools do not leave this funding on the table.
“State-wide planning for schools is needed. Children struggle to learn in a classroom above 90 degrees. Unfortunately, we see this play out in test scores and learning inequities. Children of color, low-income children and children living in rural communities are more likely to attend a school with lack of cooling, and 5% of the gap in test scores between Black and Hispanic students and white students can be directly attributed to disproportionate exposure to extreme heat in classrooms.
“Passing the Climate Resilient Schools Act will help position schools to better achieve lifesaving cooling, greater resilience to the impacts of climate change, cleaner air, and cost savings – it’s a win for students, schools and communities. We stand ready to work with the California State Assembly, Senate,” said Newsom.
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