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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The premiere performance of a new local variety show received a warm welcome last weekend, with the show’s creator promising more to come.
The “Lake County Live!” debut took place last Sunday, Jan. 29, in the Soper-Reese Community Theatre in Lakeport, which is the show’s home.
The show was broadcast before a live audience on KPFZ 88.1 FM, as well as streamed over the Internet; the link can be found at the station’s Web site, www.kpfz.org.
The debut show will be rebroadcast on KPFZ from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, and on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
The one-hour radio variety show is the brainchild of Doug Rhoades of Kelseyville, who also serves as the show’s host.
“The talent we assembled for our first show was above professional,” said Rhoades. “Their timing and conviviality made the show a pleasure to hear, watch and in which to participate. I extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone involved, and there were many. They took my vision and made it even better than I could have wished.”
Rhoades, Suna Flores and Richard Smith wrote the show, which was in development for several months. The process to launch the show also involved the development of the show’s Web site, www.lakecountylive.com.
The show’s cast for its premiere performance included announcer Mitchell Hauptman, Smith, Flores, Chris Andre, Pamela Bradley, Vicky Parish Smith, Sarah Keezer Arnt, Judy Conard and Wally Holbrook.
Nick Reid acted as stage manager, with Nick Biondo working the sound board and Mike Chavez in charge of lighting. Mike Stempe did videography and photography at the show.
Rhoades estimated that 180 people were in the theater’s audience to watch the show, with KPFZ reporting that the number of listeners to its online stream tripled for the performance.
The show has a “Prairie Home Companion” meets wine country feel.
Liked its venerable Midwest counterpart, “Lake County Live!” features comedy skits, fake commercials – such as one for the American Society of Sociopaths, which assures potential members that “your behaviors are OK and those of others are not” – and even poetry, with Lake County Poet Laureate Emeritus Sandra Wade making an appearance on the first show to read her work.
A considerable portion of the show is dedicated to showcasing local musical performers.
Featured on the first show was the folk and bluegrass group “Three Deep,” which includes Jill Shaul, Sarah Tichava and Anna McAtee, who sang three original songs.
Shaul said the group got its name while waiting to perform at a recent Winter Musicfest. When they asked how much longer they had to wait to perform, they were told that acts were stacked up “three deep.”
Three Deep, which last fall appeared at the Old Time Bluegrass Festival in Lower Lake, will be going into the studio soon to complete a demo, and plans to make more music festival appearances in Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma counties, the group said during the Saturday show.
A cappella group EarReverence, featuring Nick and Valerie Reid, Bill Bordisso and Carol Cole Lewis, also performed, sharing its blend of powerful vocals on favorites such as “Your Love is Lifting Me Higher,” with a bit of comedy thrown in, in the form of comedian Steve Martin’s “Atheists Don’t Have No Songs.”
The evening’s third musical group was “Polecat Rodeo,” whose members are April Knoll, Randy Johnsen, Janet Berrian, Jim Evan and Jon Hopkins.
Performing a mix of bluegrass, folk and country, Polecat Rodeo started out with a rendition of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” also performing an old-time tune, “Angeline the Baker” and a cowboy song, “Riding Down the Canyon.”
At the show’s end, the audience was invited to join in for a sing-along of the well-loved tune, “You Are My Sunshine.”
The next Lake County Live! performance will take place at the Soper-Reese on Sunday, Feb. 26, Rhoades said.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The generosity of an anonymous local resident will benefit children who come in contact with law enforcement.
Sgt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff’s Offices said the anonymous donor gave approximately 40 new children’s blankets, each individually packaged with a new stuffed animal.
In December 2011, a Lake County resident who wishes to not disclose their identity donated the blankets and stuffed animals, Brooks said.
The donations were made and obtained through a group of volunteers and are intended to be handed out by law enforcement during their contacts with children in need, he explained.
The packages have been dispersed to patrol deputies and investigators and many were handed out during the holiday season, according to Brooks.
Brooks said the Lake County Sheriff’s Office is very grateful for the donations and the support for children who are in need.
Though the resident wishes to remain anonymous, persons wishing to donate funds to this group to help purchase the blankets and stuffed animals can contact Detective Kellie Joseph at 707-262-4200.
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On Tuesday California Controller John Chiang sent a letter to budget leaders in the state Legislature urging them to take action before the state runs out of cash in March.
In the letter to Sen. Mark Leno Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield, the controller said the liquidity shortfall is projected to last between Feb. 29 and about April 13.
Cash flows based on the governor’s proposed budget show that $3.3 billion worth of cash solutions are needed to address liquidity needs during this period.
If left unaddressed, the State's General Fund balance at this time will fall below the $2.5 billion minimum safety cushion on Feb. 29, Chiang’s office reported.
On March 1, cash will be exhausted and will continue to decline until hitting a low of negative $730 million on March 8, according to Chiang.
Working with the state treasurer and the Department of Finance, the controller has crafted a cash management plan that would avoid delays in paying tax refunds or issuing IOUs, as was required in 2009.
Additional measures may be needed should the state’s fiscal condition worsen, Chiang said.
“Although this cash management plan relies on still more borrowing, payment delays and deferrals, we believe this is the most prudent and responsible course of action considering we have about four weeks before the advent of the cash shortfall,” Chiang wrote. “It is not an ideal solution, but it is the best way to manage the challenge without relying on IOUs or delaying tax refunds – actions that can disrupt the delivery of essential public services and slow California’s economic recovery.”
Chiang also reported that as of Dec. 31, total state receipts are coming in $2.6 billion less than forecasted, with expenditure $2.6 billion more than assumed, totaling a $5.2 billion shortfall in cash resources.
See the full letter below.
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SACRAMENTO – A federal court judge has issued a tentative decision to block California officials from moving forward with a 10 percent Medi-Cal reimbursement rate cut, which was approved by the federal government.
The California Medical Association (CMA), the California Dental Association (CDA), California Pharmacists Association (CPhA), National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), California Association of Medical Product Suppliers (CAMPS), AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AIDS) and American Medical Response (AMR) applauded the federal court and Judge Christina Snyder for the tentative decision.
“The court’s tentative ruling is encouraging to those of us practicing medicine,” said James T. Hay, M.D., CMA President. “The state’s repeated attempt to slash Medi-Cal reimbursement rates is a short-sighted solution that balances the budget on the backs of the poorest and most vulnerable Californians. Rather, we need to be addressing long-term solutions relative to the cost of health care. Access to care is crucial for prevention and treatment; the court’s tentative decision today to block the Medi-Cal cuts means that those patients will still have access to health care.”
Last spring, the California Legislature passed and Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 97, which included a 10 percent reimbursement rate cut for physicians, dentists, pharmacists and other Medi-Cal providers. Federal approval was required before the state could implement its proposed cuts.
“CDA is pleased that the judge considered the facts in this case, that the state’s attempt to cut reimbursement rates would harm patients and their ability to access care,” said CDA President Dan Davidson, DMD. “The state already eliminated most adult Denti-Cal services and making further cuts to children’s services would have been devastating to their oral health.”
The groups said the information that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services relied on to approve the state's cuts do not measure whether and how patients' access to care would be impacted or otherwise take into consideration, as required by law, the costs to provide the care.
"We commend the court's tentative ruling in favor of preserving and protecting patient care," said NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE. "Drastic cuts are not in the best interest of patient care or the state's finances. Community pharmacies help to reduce health care spending and improve patient health through pharmacy services including medication counseling, vaccinations, education and screenings as well as the utilization of generic medications. Jeopardizing patient access to community pharmacy would diminish health and increase the reliance on more costly forms of care."
Because California Medi-Cal rates are already extremely low and many prescription medications are reimbursed at breakeven rates, many providers cannot afford to participate. Kaiser State Health Facts lists California as the lowest reimbursed state in the nation.
“We are fighting for an injunction against these cuts on behalf of patients and the pharmacists who serve them,” said Jon R. Roth, CPhA chief executive officer. “The Legislature needs to realize that using the Medi-Cal program to close the budget is bad medicine for California. When the Legislature asked, we provided them with cost-effective solutions that would have helped close the budget gap. However, they effectively slammed the door on our proposed solutions when they voted to reduce reimbursement to providers by 10 percent and in turn have ensured that access to care for California’s most vulnerable citizens is put in jeopardy.”
The lawsuit was filed against the California Department of Health Care Services and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Nov. 21, 2011.
Judge Snyder has issued a 25-page tentative order, wherein she favored the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction. A final order, if consistent with her tentative ruling, will enjoin the cuts and is expected in the near future.
“We applaud the ruling of the court today to help preserve the ability of Medi-Cal providers to continue to provide services to the most needy of our population,” said Bob Achermann, CAMPS executive director. “Providers of durable medical equipment and medical supplies allow Medi-Cal patients to remain in their homes and avoid more costly care in hospitals or other types of facilities. The continued cuts in reimbursement threaten the ability of these patients to access these important services. We hope that this tentative ruling is confirmed by the court.”
"The ruling today is another in a long line of decisions, now going back years, from courts telling the state that it has not followed the law when attempting to implement these crushing rate reductions. At this point, it seems pretty obvious that the state is doing this deliberately, and that it cannot justify these cuts within the bounds of the law," said Tom Myers, general counsel for AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
“As California’s largest emergency ambulance provider, American Medical Response provides a critical healthcare safety net to California’s most vulnerable citizens. We are pleased with the Court’s tentative decision today granting a preliminary injunction to stop these shortsighted cuts,” Tom Wagner, CEO of AMR’s West Region said.
CMA, CPhA, and CDA successfully sued in the past to enjoin prior Medi-Cal cuts and expect to once again demonstrate that federal law, which ensures that Medi-Cal patients have equal access to health care, was not followed.
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