SACRAMENTO – The State Water Resources Control Board has approved the use of $10 million to help protect the state’s coastline and the public by improving aging sewer infrastructure at three California State Parks beaches.

Upgrading these sewer systems, through funds from the Clean Beaches Initiative Grant Program, will improve water quality and help protect beaches that are enjoyed by more than one million people annually.

The three parks designated for these funds include Doheny State Beach in Dana Point; El Capitán State Beach in Goleta; and Carpinteria State Beach, located 12 miles south of Santa Barbara.

The Clean Beaches Initiative has funded projects that have restored and protected water quality and the environment at coastal waters, estuaries, bays, and nearshore waters.

This program was created due to poor water quality and high levels of bacteria found at state beaches.

Studies have shown high bacteria levels to be associated with pathogens that can cause gastroenteritis, infections and respiratory illnesses.

The grant program has provided approximately $100 million to projects throughout California.

A total of four projects have been proposed at the three beaches. At Doheny the tasks include replacing an aging sewer main and line, rehabilitating a sewer lift station and relining 10,000 linear feet of sewer pipe.

At El Capitán the proposed project is to design and construct an on-site wastewater treatment facility to increase system capacity.

Carpinteria’s project will consist of replacing 60 recreational vehicle (RV) hookups and upgrading 5,000 linear feet of sewer pipe.

While the final costs for the four projects are not finalized, the State Water Board and California State Parks are committed to ensuring the $10 million in grants will address the highest priority water quality threats at the three state beaches.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Due to its potential health risks, federal, state and county agencies are urging swimmers, boaters and recreational users to avoid direct contact with or use of waters containing blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), now blooming in a reach of the Pit River Arm of Shasta Lake in Northern California.
 
Sampling has confirmed the presence of cyanobacteria (Anabaena spp.) in the upper Pit River Arm of Shasta Lake approximately between the “No Ski” buoy markers near the middle arm and the buoys at the head of the Pit Arm. Wind and currents can move the bloom in the upper Pit Arm.

The presence of toxins has not been confirmed as toxin testing is currently underway. Until toxin testing results are completed, residents and recreational water users of the Pit River Arm of Shasta Lake are urged to use caution and avoid getting in the water or letting dogs swim near these bloom areas.
 
Blue-green algae can pose health risks, particularly to children and pets. We urge people to choose safe activities when visiting the affected reaches of the Pit River Arm of Shasta Lake and recommend that people and their pets avoid contact with water in locations with blooms, and avoid swallowing or inhaling water spray in an algal bloom area.
 
The algal bloom appears as bright green in the water with streaks that look like spilled paint. The blooms can also appear as blue-green, white or brown foam, scum or mats that can float on the water and accumulate along the shore.

Recreational exposure to toxic blue-green algae can cause eye irritation, allergic skin rash, mouth ulcers, vomiting, diarrhea, and cold and flu-like symptoms.

Liver failure, nerve damage and death have occurred in rare situations where large amounts of contaminated water were directly ingested. Pets can be especially susceptible since they tend to drink the water and lick their fur after going in the water.
 
The Statewide Guidance on Cyanobacteria and Harmful Algal Blooms recommends the following for blue-green algae impacted waters:

– Take care that pets and livestock do not drink the water, swim through algae, scums or mats, or lick their fur after going in the water. Rinse pets in clean water to remove algae from fur.

– Avoid wading, swimming, or jet or water skiing in water containing algae blooms or scums or mats.

– Do not drink, cook or wash dishes with untreated surface water from these areas under any circumstances; common water purification techniques (e.g., camping filters, tablets and boiling) do not remove toxins.

– People should not eat mussels or other bivalves collected from these areas. Limit or avoid eating fish from these areas; if fish are consumed, remove guts and liver, and rinse filets in clean drinking water.

– Get medical treatment immediately if you think that you, your pet, or livestock might have been poisoned by blue-green algae toxins. Be sure to alert the medical professional to the possible contact with blue-green algae.

WASHINGTON, DC – The Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Veterans Choice Program (VCP) has reached a key milestone in improving access to health care for veterans.

More than two million appointments have been scheduled through the program.

“While two million appointments have been scheduled using the Choice Program and we are making progress, we will not rest until all veterans who choose VA to be their healthcare provider are receiving the care they need, when they need it,” said VA Secretary Robert McDonald. “We will continue to make strides towards an integrated care network, and I urge Congress to enact our Plan to Consolidate Community Care so we can continue to build upon our progress.”

The Choice Act, which included the VCP, was passed in August 2014 to help veterans access timely health care both within VA and the community.

VA was required to implement a new, national program in just 90 days, with new requirements that complicated the way VA provides community care.

VA recognized many of these challenges very early in the implementation of the program and VA and all our stakeholders have been working together to make needed changes while implementing this new nationwide program.

VA has outlined a path to improve community care and create a program that is easy to understand, simple to administer, and meets the needs of veterans, community providers, and VA staff. VA submitted this plan to Congress in October 2015.

Within the plan are several legislative proposals that VA and Congress need to work on together to improve the experiences for Veterans and community providers.

The first proposal would increase veterans’ access to community care providers by allowing VA to enter into agreements with local community providers.

The second would streamline when and how much VA pays for health care services by having VA be the primary payer.

The third fix would allow VA to more accurately account for healthcare purchased in the community.

Finally, the last request is for funding and funding flexibility to improve access to care, reimburse the cost of emergency treatment, and create value-based payment models to best serve veterans that need community care.

“VA is developing innovative ideas and solutions to enhance the veterans experience and strengthen partnerships with community providers” said Dr. Baligh Yehia, assistant deputy undersecretary for Health, Community Care. “The Choice Program of today is a very different program than the one rolled out in November 2014. Many improvements have been made and we continue to work to deliver care to veterans where and when they need it.”

VCP progress to date

More than two million appointments scheduled using the VCP significantly increases veterans access to care.

Since the start of VCP we have seen a dramatic increase in utilization. From October 2015 to March 2016 VCP authorizations for care have increased 103 percent.

Over the course of the last 12 months, the Choice Provider Network has grown by 85 percent. The network now has over 350,000 providers and facilities.

Improved timeliness of payments to community providers by removing the requirement that VA receive the veteran’s entire medical record prior to payment.

Reduced administrative burden for medical record submission for community providers by streamlining the documentation required.

To enhance care coordination for veterans, we have embedded contractor staff with VA staff at select locations.

Created dedicated teams from across the county to deliver community care improvements.

VA has also partnered with Congress to change laws to improve the community care experience by:

– Removing the enrollment date requirement for Choice, allowing more veterans to receive community care.

– Implementing criteria of 40-mile driving distance from medical facility with primary care physician to increase number of veterans accessing the program

– Implementing the unusual or excessive burden criteria to increase access for veterans that do not meet other eligibility criteria.

– Expanding the episode of care authorization from 60 days to up to one year to reduce the administrative burdens of veterans, community providers and VA staff.

 “VA needs Congress’s continued support to keep driving progress forward,” added VA Secretary Robert McDonald. “Several legislative barriers remain which inhibit improvements outlined in our Plan to Consolidate Community Care Programs.”

LAKEPORT, Calif. – On July 1, 2016, Cadillac Pat Sperling lost the love of his life and high school sweetheart, Sue, when she passed away in her sleep.

Sue was born in Santa Monica, Calif., to George and Dorothy Heinz. The family moved to Lucerne in the late 1960s and then to Lakeport.

Sue and Pat met in high school and dated for awhile before she moved to Texas to live with her dad and stepmother. A short time later Pat gave her a call and she moved back to Lakeport where they were married in 1978.

Sue's parents, George and Dorothy, and her brother, William, preceded her in death. She is survived by her sister, Debra Heinz of San Jose; stepmother, Bernice Heinz of Texas; husband, Cadillac Pat and Mickey, their beloved cat.

Many thanks to everyone for their support during this sad time. God bless all of you wonderful people. There will be no services at this time.

For further information contact Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary at 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611 or www.chapelofthelakes.com .

Please share your memories by signing the guest book at www.legacy.com .

SACRAMENTO – The California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office has announced the promotion of Mario Rodriguez to the role of vice chancellor of the College Finance and Facilities Planning Division.

Rodriguez had filled the position on an acting basis since April.

“I am thrilled Mario is officially filling the role of vice chancellor,” said California Community Colleges Interim Chancellor Erik E. Skinner. “He hit the ground running when he stepped into the job several months ago, and has proved time and time again he has the knowledge and expertise to successfully lead the division and oversee the system’s budget and facilities programs. We are incredibly lucky to have him as a member of our team.”

Before stepping into the role of acting vice chancellor, Rodriguez had served as assistant vice chancellor of finance for the Chancellor's Office since August 2014.

Prior to that, he was a finance budget analyst with the Department of Finance and a project manager with the Office of the Governor. Rodriguez began his career in state government in 2007 as a budget analyst with the Department of General Services.

Rodriguez is a member of the San Juan Unified School District Citizens Oversight Committee and a board member on the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from California State University, Sacramento.

The College Finance and Facilities Planning Division oversees the formulation of policies that determine the distribution of local assistance and capital outlay funds for the 72 community college districts.

The division staff oversees the construction and remodeling of new buildings and centers and uses web-based tools to assess facilities, coordinate planning and manage projects efficiently.

The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation composed of 72 districts and 113 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year.

Community colleges supply workforce training, basic skills education in English and math, and prepare students for transfer to four-year institutions.

The Chancellor’s Office provides leadership, advocacy and support under the direction of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges.

For more information about the community colleges, please visit http://californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu/ , https://www.facebook.com/CACommColleges or https://twitter.com/CalCommColleges .

MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – Construction will occur on Mendocino National Forest roads starting Aug. 1.

Forest visitors should be prepared for traffic delays on the M10 road and a temporary closure on the M6 road while roads are reconditioned and a culvert is replaced.

These measures are necessary to provide for public safety.

Forest officials said they appreciate the public's patience while they are working to improve travel on the forest.

 
Letts Road construction

· Start date: Aug. 1.

· Location: Roads M10, 17N02, 17N09. Between Dixie Glade Campground and Letts Lake Campground.

· Type of work: Roadway reconditioning

· Anticipated hours of work: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

· Traffic Delays: 30 to 45 minutes.

· Expect to see warning signs in the area. Traffic control devices used on this project will include traffic cones, delineators, barricades and signage.

Trout Creek Road construction

· Start date: Aug. 1.

· Location of Work: M6 Kneecap-Cabbage Patch Road.

· Type of work: Replacing a culvert located at the intersection of M6 road and Trout Creek.

· M6 road will be closed for 90 days. Barriers and signs will be placed at Low Gap (junction of M6 and M61 roads), Cabbage Patch (junction of M1 and M6 roads) and at Sunset Point intersection with M1. As a detour, use M61 and M1 roads.
 
For more information please visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino .

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Antone “Tony” Pierucci, curator of Lake County Museums, and David Leonard, principal of Cobb Mountain Elementary School, will offer a broad scope of the challenges faced in bringing the best possible education to the children of Lake County at the Gibson Museum on  Sunday, July 17.

The presentation will take place from 3 to 5 p.m.

Pierucci has compiled photos from the collections of the Courthouse Museum in Lakeport and the Schoolhouse Museum in Lower Lake, together with prized pictures procured from other resources and informative captions, to present Lake County Schoolhouses.

Leonard will update neighbors on the challenges faced by Cobb School after 30 percent of its students and staff were burned out in the Valley fire.

He, like Superintendent Catherine Stone, had been in office only since the first of September when the fire occurred. The Leonard family home was among those destroyed.

Pierucci’s book is too rich to appropriately describe. It is hard to imagine the lives of those barefoot children posed in front of teeny one-room wood-frame schoolhouses. It astonishes with a reminder that public high schools were introduced as late as 1907.

The book, released only June 27, is among recent additions to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series, which now numbers more than 7,500 books of hyper-local history.

Three other Lake County histories are in the series: Lake County, The Pomo of Lake County, The Resorts of Lake County. Those, and Lake County Schoolhouses, may be purchased at Gibson Museum, Ely Stage Stop, Courthouse Museum and Schoolhouse Museum. The usual price is $22.

Gibson Museum & Cultural Center is located at 21267 Calistoga St. (Highway 29), directly opposite Middletown’s Community Center. For further information, call Nina Bouska at 707-987-2349.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Caltrans reports that the following road projects will be taking place around Lake County and the North Coast during the coming week.

Included are Mendocino County projects that may impact Lake County commuters.

LAKE COUNTY

Highway 20
 
– Pavement repairs from Sayre Avenue to the Paradise Cove subdivision will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m., weeknights. One-way traffic control will also be in effect from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

– Paving operations between New Long Valley Road and Gravel Plant Road will begin Monday, July 18. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

– The Mine Restoration Project has been issued a long-term Caltrans Encroachment Permit to allow trucks to access their worksite near the Colusa County Line. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.
 
MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

– Drainage work just north of Elk will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Highway repairs a quarter-mile north of Ocean Meadows Circle will continue. One-way traffic control with a temporary signal will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 20

– Paving operations between Harmon Lane and the Wildwood Campground will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.

– Paving operations between South Route 101 and Old Lake County Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.

Highway 101

– Digouts and paving work between the South Willits Overhead and Outlet Creek will begin Sunday, July 17. One-way traffic control will be in effect overnight from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.

– The city of Willits has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit to repair a water main between State Street and Casteel Lane on Friday, July 15. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.

– Paving operations between Sherwood Road and Casteel Lane will begin Tuesday, July 19. A southbound lane closure will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.

– Mowing operations between Ryan Creek Road and Wheelbarrow Ranch will begin Monday, July 18. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

– Paving operations between Old Sherwood Road and Rattlesnake Creek will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.

– Emergency slide repairs just south of Standish-Hickey State Park will continue. One-way traffic control with a temporary signal will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 128

– Drainage work from Masonite Timber to approximately 1.8 miles east of the junction with Route 1 will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. through July 8. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

– AT&T has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit to perform utility work near Greenwood Road just outside Philo. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 162

– Paving operations between East Lane Road and Short Creek will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

– The Round Valley Indian Tribe has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit to pave a driveway near Barnes Lane. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 253

– Highway repairs from Cattle Pass to Butler Ranch will continue. One-way traffic control with a temporary signal will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

The Caltrans Traffic Operations Office has reviewed each project and determined that individual project delays are expected to be less than the statewide policy maximum of 30 minutes, unless noted otherwise above.

For information pertaining to emergency roadwork or for updates to scheduled roadwork, please contact the California Highway Information Network (CHIN) at 1-800-GAS-ROAD (1-800-427-7623).