LUCERNE, Calif. — In light of worsening drought conditions, California Water Service requested to move into Stage 2 of its Water Shortage Contingency Plan in the Redwood Valley District with the California Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday.

The utility will host a public meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 10, to educate Redwood Valley District customers about Stage 2 restrictions, which include outdoor watering limits and increased water waste penalties, and provide information on conservation programs and tools available to help customers reduce their water use.

The workshop will be held virtually at 6 p.m. on Zoom at https://calwater.zoom.us/j/96087482453.

Cal Water representatives will provide details about new irrigation restrictions as part of Stage 2 and discuss current prohibited uses of water.

Some of the restrictions include:

· Outdoor landscape irrigation is limited to two days per week between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8 a.m., unless local ordinances state otherwise. Odd addresses water on Tuesday and Saturday, even addresses water on Wednesday and Sunday, and properties without street addresses water on Wednesday and Sunday.

· All leaks, breaks, or other malfunctions in a customer’s plumbing fixtures and/or irrigation system must be repaired within five business days of written notification by Cal Water.

· Vehicles may only be washed with a hose that has a shutoff nozzle or similar device.

· Water may not be used on driveways or sidewalks, unless for health and safety purposes.

· No watering of outdoor landscapes may occur during and within 48 hours after measurable rainfall.

· Restaurants may only serve water upon request, and hotels and motels must provide guests with the option of not having towels and linens laundered daily.

Customers will be receiving detailed information in the mail about Stage 2 and the meeting. The presentation will be available online at www.calwater.com after the meeting. If approved by the CPUC, Cal Water’s application would become effective Dec. 14, 2021.

“Just like the last drought, we are taking a customer-first approach and are here to help residents and businesses understand the requirements of Stage 2 of our Water Shortage Contingency Plan — which we have been preparing for since the last drought,” said Tavis Beynon, interim district manager.

“We also want our Redwood Valley District customers to know that we are here to help them reduce their water use as we face increasingly serious drought conditions. As part of our promise to provide customers quality, service, and value, we offer a variety of conservation programs and encourage them to take advantage of these resources to help save water every day,” Beynon said.

At the meeting, representatives will also provide details about Cal Water’s industry-leading conservation programs to help save water every day, including:

· Lawn-to-garden rebate of $3 per square foot of lawn removed and replaced with low-water use landscaping

· Spray-to-drip rebate of $0.50 per square foot of landscaping converted from standard spray irrigation to a drip system

· Rebates on high-efficiency appliances and devices, with certain rebates recently doubled

· A free smart landscape tune-up program that includes an irrigation system evaluation along with installation of efficient devices and repair of most irrigation leaks

· A free conservation kit that includes a garden hose nozzle with shutoff valve, high-efficiency showerheads, faucet aerators, and more for residential customers

Program details and additional conservation resources can be found on www.calwater.com/conservation.

Cal Water’s Redwood Valley District serves approximately 3,200 people through 1,900 service connections in Lucerne, Duncans Mills, Guerneville, Dillon Beach, and a portion of Santa Rosa and about 2 million people through 492,600 service connections in California. The utility has provided water service in the area since 2000. Additional information may be obtained online at www.calwater.com.

LAKEPORT, Calif. — Due to the forecast for rain, the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day event hosted by the Lakeport Police Department on Saturday, Oct. 23, will take place indoors.

It will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the lobby of the Lakeport Police Department, 2025 S Main St.

This will not be a drive-through event, as previously announced.

Please park in either the front or side parking lots and proceed to the lobby. Masking and social distancing requirements relative to vaccination status remain in effect.

Lakeport Police Department to participate in Prescription Drug Take Back Day Oct. 23

Items they will accept are all over-the-counter or prescription medication in pill, tablet, liquid, cream or capsule form including schedule II-V controlled and non-controlled substances.

Pills need to be emptied out of their containers and placed in a Ziploc-style plastic bag. They do not take pills in paper, as they need to easily see the contents to make sure there is nothing in the bag they can't take.

They also will collect vape pens or other e-cigarette devices from individual consumers only after the batteries are removed from the devices. The agency stressed it will not be responsible for removing the batteries from the devices.

Items they will not accept are illegal drugs, needles, inhalers or aerosol cans.

Since the Lakeport Police Department started participating in the prescription Take Back Program in January of 2019, it has collected 706 pounds of prescription drugs, many of which were dangerous narcotics including opioids.

“This protects our community by keeping these drugs from being diverted to illegal use and keeps it out of our environment and water,” the department said.

NORTH‌‌ ‌‌COAST, ‌‌ ‌‌Calif.‌‌ ‌‌ — ‌ ‌Caltrans‌‌ ‌‌reports‌‌ ‌‌that‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌following‌‌ ‌‌road‌‌ ‌‌projects‌‌ ‌‌will‌‌ ‌‌be‌‌ ‌‌taking‌‌ ‌‌place‌‌ ‌‌‌around‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌North‌‌ ‌‌Coast‌‌ ‌‌during‌‌ ‌‌the‌‌ ‌‌coming‌‌ ‌‌week. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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Included‌‌ ‌‌are‌‌ ‌‌Mendocino‌‌ ‌‌County‌‌ ‌‌projects‌‌ ‌‌that‌‌ ‌‌may‌‌ ‌‌impact‌‌ ‌‌Lake‌‌ ‌‌County‌‌ ‌‌commuters, as well as work in Del Norte and Humboldt counties.
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Caltrans‌‌ ‌‌advises‌‌ ‌‌motorists‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌drive‌‌ ‌‌with‌‌ ‌‌caution‌‌ ‌‌when‌‌ ‌‌approaching‌‌ ‌‌work‌‌ ‌‌areas‌‌ ‌‌and‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌be‌‌ ‌‌‌prepared‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌stop‌‌ ‌‌at‌‌ ‌‌traffic‌‌ ‌‌control‌‌ ‌‌stations. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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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. ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
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For‌‌ ‌‌updates‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌this‌‌ ‌‌list‌‌ ‌‌check‌‌ ‌‌QuickMap‌‌ ‌‌at‌‌ ‌‌‌www.dot.ca.gov‌‌‌ or‌‌ ‌‌1-800-GAS-ROAD‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌(1-800-427-7623). ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌

LAKE‌‌ ‌‌COUNTY‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌
‌‌‌ ‌
Highway‌‌ ‌‌20

— Pavement work from Road 305D to Route 29 South will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect overnight from 8 p.m. to 11 a.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

— Highway construction near Saratoga Springs Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

— Pavement work from Bachelor Valley to Route 29 South will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect on weekdays overnight from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

— Bridge work will continue near the Route 29 junction. One-way traffic control will be in effect weekdays from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Utility work will occur at Hoover Street on Wednesday, Oct. 27. One-way traffic will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

— Utility and bridge work near North Fork Cache Creek will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect weekdays overnight from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

Highway‌‌ ‌‌29

— Bridge work will continue near Putah Creek. Traffic control will be in effect weekdays from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Construction from Spruce Grove Road South to Hofacker Lane will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Motorists should anticipate 20-minute delays.

— Bridge work will continue at Siegler Creek Bridge. Traffic control will be in effect weekdays overnight from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Construction from Route 281 to Private Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect weekdays overnight from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.

— Bridge work will continue at Lakeport Blvd Overcrossing. One-way traffic control will be in effect weekdays overnight from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Paving work at the Hill Road East Overcrossing will occur on Friday, Oct. 29. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Bridge work will continue at Park Way Overcrossing. One-way traffic control will be in effect weekdays overnight from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Bridge work will continue at Scotts Creek. One-way traffic control will be in effect weekdays overnight from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

Highway‌‌ ‌‌53

— Striping operations will continue weekdays at Cache Creek. Traffic control will be in effect from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

Highway‌‌ ‌‌175

— PG&E has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility work at Anderson Sprint Road on Friday, Oct. 22. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway‌‌ ‌‌1

— Utility work will occur from Old State Highway to Western Ho Road on Tuesday, Oct. 26. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway‌‌ ‌‌20

— Slide removal two miles west of Three Chop Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

Highway‌‌ ‌‌101

— Slide removal at Pieta Creek Bridge will continue. Northbound Lane closures will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

— Bridge work from the Presswood Overhead Bridge to the Hensley Creek Undercrossing will continue. Northbound and Southbound lane closures will be in effect weekdays overnight from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Motorists should anticipate minimal delays.

— Emergency bridge repairs at the North State Undercrossing Bridge will continue. There will be a full closure of the Northbound onramp overnight from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Motorists are advised to take alternative routes.

— Construction south of Ridgewood Ranch Road will continue. Lane closures will be in effect in both directions. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Utility work will occur from Big Trails Road to Road 301B on Friday, Oct. 29. Lane closures will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

— Moss Cove Safety Rest Area will be closed through fall 2021.

— Empire Camp Safety Rest Area will be closed through fall 2021.

Highway‌‌ ‌‌162

— Utility work will occur from Poonkiny Road to Mina Road on Friday, Oct. 22. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

DEL NORTE COUNTY

Highway‌‌ ‌‌101

— Bridge work near Old Hunter Creek Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

— Emergency work at Last Chance Grade will continue. Motorists should anticipate 30-minute delays at all hours.

— Shoulder improvements in Crescent City from Front Street to Parkway Drive will continue. Lane restrictions will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Bridge work in the Smith River area will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

Highway‌‌ ‌‌199

— Work at the Hiouchi Bridge will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays weekdays.

— Work at the Mary Adam Peacock Bridge near Gasquet will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays weekdays.

— Work southwest of Idlewild will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays weekdays.

HUMBOLDT COUNTY

Highway 36

— Work at Van Duzen River Bridge 4 284 near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

— Work at Van Duzen River Bridge 4 293 in Bridgeville will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

— Construction near Buck Mountain Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

Highway 96

— A company has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for electrical work near Willow Creek on Wednesday, October 27. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

— A company has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for electrical work southwest of Orleans beginning Tuesday, October 26. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

— Bridge work east of Orleans will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 101

— Bridge work south of Phillipsville will continue. Lane closures will be in effect weekdays. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns. A northbound onramp closure will also be in effect. Motorists should use an alternate route.

— Construction from the Hookton Road Overcrossing to the Herrick Avenue Overcrossing south of Eureka will continue. Lane and ramp closures will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns and use alternate ramps when necessary.

— Southbound shoulder work from 14th Street in Eureka to the Herrick Avenue Overcrossing will occur. Southbound lane closures will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. weeknights. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Construction from Broadway/5th to the Eureka Slough Bridge in Eureka will continue. A southbound lane restriction will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Pavement and barrier work from the Arcata Overhead Bridge to the 299 junction will continue. Lane and ramp closures will be in effect in both directions from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. weeknights. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.

— Construction near the 101/299 interchange will continue. Intermittent ramp closures will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. weeknights. Motorists should use an alternate route when necessary.

Highway 211

— Work at the Salt River Bridge between Fernbridge and Ferndale will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 255

— Utility work near K Street in Arcata will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 299

— Pavement work about 5 miles east of Blue Lake will continue through Friday, Oct. 22. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.

— Work in the Willow Creek area will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate 20-minute delays.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Redbud Audubon Society will host a discussion on owls at its next meeting on Thursday, Oct. 21.

Karla Bloem, executive director of the International Owl Center in Houston, Minnesota, will speak on “Cultural attitudes toward owls around the world through history.”

Bloem’s presentation to Redbud last February was met with such enthusiasm that it was decided to ask her to return.

The program starts at 7 p.m. and will be a Zoom presentation.

Register by clicking on the link on the homepage of Audubon’s website.

Bloem will talk about how attitudes about owls in different cultures around the world affect efforts to conserve this species.

As before, Alice the great horned owl will make a live appearance in this one-of-a-kind entertaining and educational program.

Bloem is the founder and executive director of the International Owl Center. She acquired Alice the great horned owl to use in educational programs in 1998 and began studying Great Horned Owl vocalizations in 2004.

Bloem is now the world authority on their vocalizations and has given presentations in the Netherlands, Germany, Argentina, Italy, Portugal and South Africa.

Alice’s popularity led Bloem to create the International Festival of Owls, the first full-weekend, all-owl event in North America that has served as the inspiration for similar festivals in Italy, Nepal and India.

Karla and Alice testified before the Minnesota House and Senate environment committees to successfully gain protection for great horned owls in 2005. She has assisted several authors and filmmakers and has appeared on Animal Planet and the CBC Network’s “The Secret Life of Owls.”

On Wednesday, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) and Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA) led 21 members of the California Congressional delegation in sending a letter to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) urging them to not tax utility bill assistance Americans received through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (P.L. 117-2).

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 was passed by the House of Representatives a week into President Biden’s term and provided a landmark $1.9 trillion in relief for Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to providing direct stimulus payments to Americans and lifting millions of children out of poverty with the expanded Child Tax Credit, the American Rescue Plan Act also included over $350 billion to state and local governments to respond to the COVID crisis.

The state of California used nearly $2 billion of its allotment to provide critical financial assistance to low-income households struggling to pay their water bills.

Now, those same households are concerned that the assistance they received might be considered as taxable income.

“The IRS must provide guidance to prevent unnecessary tax burdens for many Californians in need as we recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Households already facing the adverse economic impacts of the pandemic should not have to worry whether receiving utility assistance would result in additional tax liability or a decrease in other tax benefits. We ask that the IRS work swiftly to provide clarity to those carrying out and receiving assistance through these programs,” the signatories said in the letter.

Text of the letter to the IRS is included here:


The Honorable Charles P. Rettig
Commissioner
Internal Revenue Service
1111 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20224

Dear Commissioner Rettig:

We write to express concerns about the potential tax implications of the provision of utility assistance to Californians through the American Rescue Plan Act’s Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. We request that you provide guidance to prevent unnecessary tax burdens for many Californians in need as we recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many states and local governments have expressed interest in issuing utility assistance to households or populations facing negative economic impacts due to COVID-19, in accordance with the Department’s interim final rule. California is using a portion of its $27 billion allocation to provide $993.5 million in assistance for electric and natural gas customers under the California Arrearage Payment Program and $985 million in assistance for water and wastewater customers under the California Water and Wastewater Arrearage Payment Program. Both programs will assist residential and commercial customers.

However, the State, as well as the agencies and utilities tasked with implementation, have expressed concern that they would be required to report such assistance as income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). We believe that taxing utility assistance provided through fiscal recovery funds would be inconsistent with the exemption of tax liability under other COVID-19 relief programs like economic impact payments and emergency rental assistance, as well as other long-standing utility assistance programs.

Households already facing the adverse economic impacts of the pandemic should not have to worry whether receiving utility assistance would result in additional tax liability or a decrease in other tax benefits. Additionally, without immediate action, the provision of such assistance to those most in need could be delayed unnecessarily as agencies manage these tax implications.

We appreciate the IRS’s attention to this matter and ask that you work swiftly to provide clarity to those carrying out and receiving assistance through these programs. Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting a strong, equitable economic recovery.

Sincerely,

JOHN GARAMENDI
Member of Congress

MIKE THOMPSON
Member of Congress

NANETTE DIAZ BARRAGÁN
Member of Congress

PETE AGUILAR
Member of Congress

JULIA BROWNLEY
Member of Congress

JUDY CHU
Member of Congress

JIM COSTA
Member of Congress

MARK DESAULNIER
Member of Congress

ANNA G. ESHOO
Member of Congress

JIMMY GOMEZ
Member of Congress

JARED HUFFMAN
Member of Congress

RO KHANNA
Member of Congress

BARBARA LEE
Member of Congress

TED W. LIEU
Member of Congress

ALAN S. LOWENTHAL
Member of Congress

JERRY MCNERNEY
Member of Congress

JIMMY PANETTA
Member of Congress

LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD
Member of Congress

ADAM B. SCHIFF
Member of Congress

ERIC SWALWELL
Member of Congress

NORMA J. TORRES
Member of Congress

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual “Luau on the Lake” fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 23.

It will take place beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Clearlake Callayomi Masonic Lodge #183, 7100 S Center Drive.

It was moved to the Masonic Lodge due to the rain forecast for this weekend.

Tim Biasottti Catering is roasting a pig and chicken quarters, along with items with those who have a vegetarian interest. Konocti students will be performing. There also will be a silent auction.

Tickets are still available. The cost is $75 per person.

For more information, call the chamber at 707-994-3600, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or stop by the chamber Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.