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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The red flag warning will be in effect from 9 p.m. Saturday through 8 a.m. Monday for areas above 2,000 feet in elevation.
The National Weather Service said a red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are either occurring now or will shortly.
The forecast predicts dry east to northeast winds of between 15 and 25 miles per hour will develop over Lake County during Saturday night, and then the remainder of northwest California during Sunday.
The combination of gusty ridgetop winds of up to 40 miles per hour, low humidity and dry fuels will result in critical fire weather conditions through Monday morning, the National Weather Service reported.
The Lake County forecast calls for daytime highs in the 90s through Monday, with nighttime temperatures in the 60s.
The heightened fire weather conditions have firefighters across the region preparing, from those working on the massive August Complex in the Mendocino Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers National Forests in the north to those on the lookout for the potential for new fires closer to home.
In response to the issuance of the red flag warning, Cal Fire’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit reported that it has increased its staffing on all available engines not already on the 25 major fires across the state.
The unit also reminded residents to prepare their families, have an emergency supply kit ready and have evacuation plans in place in case the event a fire starts near you.
Cal Fire offers more information on fire season preparations on its website.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
The forum will take place beginning at 7 p.m. on the school district’s Facebook page.
Candidates for Kelseyville Unified School Board on the Nov. 3 ballot are Beniakem Cromwell, Natalie Higley, Mary Beth Mosko and Gilbert Rangel.
“We’ve been working on a lesson about civic engagement, and with the election coming up, I thought this would be a good opportunity for students to get more involved,” said Boehlert.
In preparation for the forum, Boehlert taught students about the role of school boards in local education.
He then encouraged his students to write questions that would help them (and the public) better understand why the candidates chose to run for office and what they hope to achieve.
“We invite everyone to join us,” Boehlert said.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Agencies also will expand representation and increase transparency around a state committee tasked with recommending changes to geographic names in California.
The moves come in the wake of a national conversation about the names of geographic features, markers and statues affiliated with the Civil War, genocide of Native Americans and other remnants of institutionalized discrimination.
Steps announced Friday dovetail with additional measures announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom to mark Native American Day in California following the governor’s formal apology to Native Americans last year.
“The governor fundamentally changed the way Californians grapple with the difficult beginnings of this state when he formally apologized to California Native Americans last June,” said Governor's Tribal Advisor and Executive Secretary to the Native American Heritage Commission Christina Snider.
“For California Native Americans who have survived generations of depredations against our very existence, these disparaging and dehumanizing names serve as a constant reminder that we were never intended to be part of the California dream,” Snider said. “The leadership of the California Natural Resources Agency and the Department of Transportation in furthering these corrective initiatives demonstrates the state's real commitment to act on the promise of the governor's apology, heal relationships and work to make historically dispossessed communities whole.”
Assembly Member James C. Ramos (D-Highland), the first California Native American elected to the state Legislature, welcomed the announcements.
“Ensuring that state facilities are respectful and inclusive of California’s history and all its people is a much-welcomed step,” Ramos said. “As a Native American, I look forward to the acknowledgement of our presence and culture as well as the education that will occur during a renaming process.”
Secretary Crowfoot said it is past time to revisit historic names that stem from a dark legacy that includes discrimination, violence and inequity.
“Recent protests over racial inequality have spurred a national conversation about institutional and systemic racism in the United States. That conversation includes a new reckoning over monuments, symbols and names found in our public spaces,” Secretary Crowfoot said. “We are committed to continuing this dialogue in an open and transparent way.”
Crowfoot is directing the Natural Resources Agency to expand the membership of the California Advisory Committee on Geographic Names by adding members designated by the Native American Heritage Commission, California State Library, California African American Museum and California Department of Transportation, as well as the legislative Selective Committee on Native American Affairs and Black, Latino and Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucuses.
At the same time, the California Department of Parks and Recreation has begun to inventory racist markers and names of features within the State Parks system.
State Parks is developing a process to assess the inventory and solicit input on potential name changes. State Parks also is refining plans in consultation with tribes and other groups to update interpretive signage, exhibits and educational materials for student programs.
“This is a generational moment that calls for the California Department of Parks and Recreation to take stock of and critically examine our state’s historical legacy,” Director Quintero said. “We want every Californian, whether they are first generation or the 500th generation, to feel welcome in parks and see stories shared by all voices.”
As part of Friday’s announcement, Caltrans will carry out a detailed review of all named assets located on the state transportation system and develop a proposal identifying those to be renamed or rescinded.
“Transportation is meant to bring people together, bridge divides, cross immovable boundaries and connect people from all walks of life,” Director Omishakin said. “Caltrans cannot accomplish this mission without addressing the specter of exclusionary, prejudiced place names located throughout the California State Highway system. While long overdue, the department is honored to stand with the Natural Resources Agency and help facilitate a new legacy celebrating diversity, equity and inclusion.”
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- Written by: Dennis Fordham
People want their confidential information inside of their living trust to remain confidential.
However, after a trust is executed the settlors often find it necessary to disclose certain limited information in order to retitle assets into the trust, borrow money against trust assets and insure the trust as owner of real property.
Fortunately, third parties requesting information about the trust – like banks, insurance companies and brokerages – only ask for limited information. That is, is the trust revocable or irrevocable; who are the current trustees; what powers does the trustee have; how should trust assets be titled; what is the trust’s taxpayer identification number; and has the trust been amended? A trustee’s certification of trust provides all such information.
In California, section 18100.5 of the Probate Code provides that, “(a) The trustee may present a certification of trust to any person in lieu of providing a copy of the trust instrument to establish the existence or terms of the trust. A certification of trust may be executed by the trustee voluntarily or at the request of the person with whom the trustee is dealing.”
The certification must meet the following requirements: (1) say that the trust has not been revoked, modified, or amended in any manner which would cause the representations contained in the certification of trust to be incorrect; (2) be signed by all of the currently acting trustees of the trust; (3) have a notarial certificate acknowledging each trustee signature.
A certification of trust is helpful, or even required, when dealing with banks, stock transfer agents, brokerage houses, insurance companies, title companies, and other third parties.
Estate planning attorneys often provide one with the trust for the client to copy and provide to retitle and insure trust assets.
If a third party who receives a certification of trust still insists on copies of the trust document to verify its information then the person providing the certification may refuse.
If the matter becomes controversial and goes to court and the court determines that the third party acted in bad faith in requesting the trust documents (section 18100(h) Probate Code) then damages, including attorney’s fees can be awarded.
The initial certification of trust that you receive with your trust, however, becomes stale over time and must be updated. Each time you amend your trust you need a new certification of trust to reflect the amendment.
Even without amendments, an old certification of trust often is unacceptable to third parties seeking to rely on it. Clients call me saying that their bank needs a more recent certification of trust to refinance their home.
Sometimes a client needs to provide a portion (excerpt) of the trust providing information not typically found in a certification of trust.
For the excerpt to be acceptable, the trustee will need to provide a trustee’s certification of the abstract of trust. The certification, made under penalty of perjury under the laws of the state of California, says that the attached abstracted copy of said trust is a true and correct copy of the original trust as executed.
Lastly it is not always necessary to provide either the certification of trust or the abstract of trust. Some third parties are satisfied if the settlor provides them with a copy of the following pages from their trust: first page (title/declaration page), section listing the names of trustees, the signature (execution) page and the notary page.
Accordingly, ask whether this more simplified approach is acceptable. If not, anyone needing to provide a certification of trust by a trustee or a certification of abstract of trust by a trustee may consider calling an estate planning attorney for assistance.
Dennis A. Fordham, attorney, is a State Bar-Certified Specialist in estate planning, probate and trust law. His office is at 870 S. Main St., Lakeport, California. He can be reached at