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Register Now! – Correctional Education Webinar Series: Pipeline to Pell

The Office of Correctional Education in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) invites you to participate in the Correctional Education webinar series titled Pipeline to Pell. The webinar series focuses on advancing state and local implementation of inclusive, supportive, comprehensive, and high-quality correctional education programs that meet the diverse needs of students. The webinar sessions will provide participants with information, resources, and noteworthy practices in providing confined or incarcerated students with career-connected prison education programs.

The first webinar in the Pipeline to Pell series will be Thursday, Nov. 2, at 11 a.m. ET. The webinar will focus on the FAFSA Simplification Act, Pell Grants, and Prison Education programs.

Register today to participate in this event! Click HERE to register.

The second webinar in the Pipeline to Pell series will be Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 3 p.m. ET. The webinar will focus on the Roles of States, Localities, and Other Relevant Stakeholders.

Preregister today for this upcoming event! Click HERE to register:

Fairer overhead rates continue to be an urgent and crucial matter for nonprofits with government contracts and/or foundation grants. Although two of the bills CalNonprofits, along with the CA Nonprofit Contracting Coalition, brought to the legislature this year were overhead related, neither one got to the finish line.

So it’s tremendously heartening to see that under the Biden Administration, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is proposing changes that – if adopted – will help nonprofits immensely. Right now the office is accepting comments from the public by December 4.  

Call to action: Let the US Office of Management & Budget (OMB) know you support their proposed change to a 15% minimum overhead rate for government grants with nonprofits that involve federal dollars! Here is the complete text and instructions on where to send comments. 

Key provisions:

• Increases the minimum/default overhead rate from 10% to 15%
• Increases the threshold for requiring a Single Audit from $750,000 to $1 million
• Indexes the Single Audit threshold to the cost of living
• A state or local agency making grants using federal funds cannot browbeat or pressure nonprofits to accept lower indirect direct rates. And nonprofits will be able to complain directly to OMB (currently nonprofits can only complain to the local agency).
• By clarifying terms and simplifying categories, OMB is demonstrating marked progress towards the goal of “plain language”

OMB is calling this a “fundamental rewrite” of the Uniform Grants Guidance. Unfortunately, overhead rates can still be under 15% if such rates are written into the legislation, as they are with HeadStart, VISTA, and some other programs. Still, these are substantial and meaningful improvements that will allow nonprofits to work more efficiently and effectively, and reduce administrative headaches a bit.
These proposals are another sign that the movement is growing for fairer, more reasonable funding practices between governments and nonprofits. Stay tuned for whether these proposals are adopted, and for next steps by the Nonprofit Contracting Coalition.
Thank you to Portland-based finance consultant Kay Sohl for assistance on this article.
Please let CNL know if you have any questions or would like sample text for your comment.

Nevada City Halloween Spooktacular & Spooky Booky Book Giveaway, October 31st from 3-5 pm

Nevada County’s Eric Rood Center, the City of Nevada City, and the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce are thrilled to welcome trick-or-treaters to the 2^nd annual Nevada City Halloween Spooktacular event on Tuesday, October 31, from 3 to 5 p.m.

This fun, family-friendly event is for Halloween lovers and trick-or-treaters of all ages.

This year’s event shares the stage with the Spooky Booky book giveaway at the Madelyn Helling Library, presented in partnership with the Community Support Network of Nevada County.

Visitors are invited to park at the Eric Rood Center, trick-or-treat throughout the County building, head up to the Madelyn Helling Library, and then take the free Nevada County Connects shuttle to downtown Nevada City, where merchants will open their doors to trick-or-treaters. Shuttles will run between the Eric Rood Center, the library, and City Hall every 15 minutes until 7:00 pm.

Roam the Haunted Halls of the Eric Rood Center

Ghosts and ghouls of all ages are invited to roam the haunted halls of the County building, go on a Spooktacular Scavenger Hunt, and gather tasty treats from County departments, where they’ll find a different world behind every door.

The annual event is a gift to the community from Nevada County’s employees, who donate the treats, decorations, and time to transform the Rood Center. “We love seeing the community come out to enjoy these public spaces,” said Nevada County CEO Alison Lehman.

Check Out Spooky Booky at the Madelyn Helling Library

Take the free shuttle to the Madelyn Helling Library for the annual Spooky Booky book giveaway for kids and teens hosted by the Community Support Network of Nevada County and Nevada County Library. This family-oriented event includes local partners who will share resources and giveaways, celebrity storytime with community leaders, face painting, balloon making, and fun, hands-on activities for all.

“Spooky Booky is such a fun, safe way to get families out in the community and promote a love of reading and all things spooky! We’re so grateful to be one of the many partners involved in this event year after year,” said Melody Easton, Executive Director of First 5 Nevada County and Chair of the Child Abuse Prevention Council of Western Nevada County

Head Downtown to Trick-or-Treat at Local Businesses

From the library, hop on the free shuttle to downtown Nevada City, where participating merchants will greet trick-or-treaters from 3 to 5 p.m.

“Nevada City has long been a Halloween destination and our downtown merchants are ready to kick off the fun again this year,” said Nevada City Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Stuart Baker.

Commercial Street will be closed to traffic and the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce will host games and music for attendees to enjoy. Downtown merchants will be adding to the festivities with their annual Halloween Window Decorating contest sponsored by the Nevada City Chamber. Nevada City City Hall will offer dog treats for four-legged friends.

Go Door to Door in Nevada City’s Historic Neighborhoods

For a big finish, head to East Broad Street, where residents go all out for trick-or-treaters. East Broad will be closed to traffic at the Y (East Broad and Cottage Street) beginning at 5 p.m.

After you’ve filled your bag and your belly, catch the shuttle at City Hall to head back to your car in the Rood Center parking lot. The shuttle runs until 7 p.m.

Thank you to event sponsors, YubaNet, The Union, and Nevada County Connects, for helping to make this the spookiest (and most convenient) trick-or-treating destination in town.

BRIGHT FUTURES FOR YOUTH TO HOLD GRAND OPENING OF NEW NEO YOUTH CENTER ON LITTON HILL AS PART OF LIGHTS ON AFTER SCHOOL CELEBRATION ON OCT. 26

 $500,000 Capital Campaign-funded Youth Center includes a café, music room, small stage and game area. Several hundred youth every year will develop friendships and learn new skills at the NEO Youth Center

 GRASS VALLEY, Calif. – Bright Futures for Youth will celebrate the grand opening of the NEO Youth Center on Litton Hill at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26 – and the community’s commitment to fund and support a safe and supervised space for young people in Nevada County.

The NEO Youth Center is located on the ground floor of the Bright Futures for Youth campus at 200 Litton Drive in Grass Valley.

Free food, from grilled cheese sandwiches to CoCo’s Lazy Dog Ice Cream, and numerous activities – including a ball pit, bounce house, corn hole, gaga ball, and Nerf zone – and tours of the NEO Youth Center are part of the 4-8 p.m. grand opening. And it’s a celebration of Lights on After School, a national event that highlights the importance of after-school programs.

The 3,700-square-foot NEO Youth Center – the first large youth center in Nevada County – includes a café, small stage, music room, a game area, a flex room for multiple uses and a patio. The NEO Youth Center is available for 11- to 25-year-old residents and offers a long list of after-school activities and occasional weekend events, from art workshops to live music and open-mic nights.

“It’s amazing and heartwarming how much the community has come together to support our dream and make the NEO Youth Center a reality,” said Jennifer Singer, Executive Director of Bright Futures for Youth. “The NEO Youth Center will provide a safe place for young people, where they can connect with each other and make new friends, develop and improve their skills, explore their passions like art and music, and even get some help on their schoolwork, if needed.”

The NEO Youth Center was funded by a $500,000 capital campaign, the largest-ever for Bright Futures for Youth, an organization that started in 1995 as The Friendship Club and now includes NEO and SAFE, a program that assists youth experiencing homelessness.

More than 100 individuals and small-business owners donated to the capital campaign. The Del E. Webb Foundation awarded $150,000 to the project. Longtime community members Gary Twing and Lynn Kerby also made signification donations.

“We have a very special community that is deeply committed to supporting our youth, whether it’s donating money or volunteering, or both,” said Greg Bulanti, President of the Bright Futures for Youth Board of Directors and a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Grass Roots Realty. “The NEO Youth Center is just the latest example of residents coming together and helping the next generation in Nevada County.”

The previous NEO Youth Center closed in early 2020, just as the pandemic arrived and greatly affected get-togethers under health and safety protocols. This was shortly before the merger between The Friendship Club and NEO. NEO program participants have been meeting in a small space at the Bright Future for Youth building on Litton Hill during the past three years.

The new NEO Youth Center will be able to accommodate many more young people, and provide access to a wide range of services, such as healthy meals. The youth center is also a place to make friends, learn new things and build leadership skills. Some NEO youth also benefit from Bright Future for Youth’s other two programs that operate on Litton Hill.

“It’s a dream space, from the café where kids can grab healthy food to the music room and small stage where they can learn, practice and perform,” said NEO Program Director Halli Ellis-Edwards, who cofounded the program with Lynn Skrukrud. “All of our programs and young people are now under one roof, and that creates a lot of energy – and synergy for the organization.”

Several hundred young people participate in NEO every year. Bright Futures for Youth leaders believe the NEO Youth Center will attract more youth to the program, benefiting those participating and the community overall.

After-school programs like NEO allow children and young adults to develop friendships and learn from their peers, while the NEO Youth Center gives them a comfortable and friendly space.

“Connecting and developing friendships and sharing experiences are critical for students and helps them down the road,” said Nevada County Superintendent of Schools Scott W. Lay. “And having a safe and supervised space helps keep kids on track.”

The NEO Youth Center’s after-school program starts Monday, Nov. 6. NEO is always looking for volunteers.

“The NEO Youth Center will be a very special place, filled with much creativity, endless energy and, most of all, a lot of fun,” Halli-Edwards said. “It’s a great place for young people and adults who want to volunteer and help the next generation of adults succeed.”

More than 20 contractors worked on the NEO Youth Center, with many discounting their services, including construction manager Richard Baker of Richard Baker Projects. Siteline Architecture was the architecture firm for the project.

“The NEO Youth Center is truly a community effort, a community success story,” Singer said. “The Youth Center is only possible because of the commitment, hard work and dedication so many people have for our children and young adults. Opening the Youth Center is a major accomplishment, and will take ongoing financial support.”

 Bright Futures for Youth

 Bright Futures for Youth is a nonprofit committed to making a life-changing difference for children and young adults in Nevada County. Bright Futures for Youth – created by the merger of The Friendship Club and NEO in 2020 – has three core programs: The Friendship Club, founded in 1995, NEO, founded in 2008, and SAFE, launched in 2019 to help youth experiencing homelessness. Bright Futures for Youth focuses on health and wellness, healthy relationships, goal setting, self-awareness, self-sufficiency and community connectedness. For more information, visit www.bffyouth.org or Facebook at Facebook.com/BrightFuturesforYouth.

Foosball fun and so much more: Bright Futures for Youth will celebrate the grand opening of the new NEO Youth Center on Oct. 26, culminating a year-long effort to fund and build the largest youth center in Nevada County. The Youth Center, located at the Bright Futures for Youth campus on Litton Hill, will include a café, game area, music room, small stage, a flex room for multiple uses and a patio. The space will be available for 11- to 25-year-old residents and offer a long list of after-school activities and occasional weekend events, from art workshops to live music and open-mic nights.

Sheriff, Probation Join Pink Patch Project

The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, Probation Department and other local law enforcement and fire agencies will sell pink patches October 26 at Sierra Mountain Coffee Roasters in Grass Valley to raise money for breast cancer research. The event runs from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at 671 Maltman Drive, Suite 3. They will sell a pink law enforcement patch or keychain for $10 and a challenge coin for $20 or a Nevada County Bundle Patch Pack (six patches) for $55.

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Java Johns County Cafe Opens at Rood Center

A café is back open at the Rood Center! Java Johns County Café had a soft opening this week on the first floor of the Rood Center in Nevada City and is planning a grand opening this Monday, October 23. Hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. The cafe offers sandwiches, breakfast burritos, salads, soups, snacks, side orders like deviled eggs, fruit, and celery and peanut butter, hot and cold drinks and desserts. Vegan, vegetarian and keto options are available. There are also gluten-free bread, bagels and other snacks. Employees are urged to pre-order lunch by 11 a.m. to beat the rush.

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NEW JOBS

Cook

Health Technician II- Temporary

Health Technician I – Temporary

Assistant Public Defender

Service Systems Administrator I (Network System Analyst I)

View All Current Job Openings

Student Services Technician -Counseling – Nevada County Campus

• Grass Valley, CA
• Full-Time – $25.97 Hourly
• Category: Administration
• Division: Instruction Office

Nevada County is conducting an online Nevada County Community Survey through October 24. They would like as many county residents as possible to take it, because the information will help the Board of Supervisors know what issues to focus on.

The Board of Supervisors is asking residents to complete an online survey to give their assessment of Nevada County on a wide range of topics from economic opportunity to cannabis to wildfire prevention and more.

 The 2023 Nevada County Community Survey asks 44 questions and should take 20 minutes to complete. It can be accessed at polco.us/NC23, and will be open for two weeks, from today until October 24.   Those who received the survey in the mail should return that version and not do the online version.

As part of the survey, residents are asked to select priorities they think the County should focus on in the next two years.

“Hearing from the community is critical in setting priorities for the County,” said Board Chair Ed Scofield. “It is important that as many residents as possible complete it.”

The results the County received from its last National Research Center survey in 2017 showed that residents prioritized public safety, the environment, and economic development.   In response, the Board of Supervisors prioritized investment in emergency preparedness, wildfire prevention, economic development, to name a few.

The National Research Center, which has since merged with Polco, uses scientific survey methods and best practices, which allows the local results to be compared with other communities across the country.

This year’s survey asks residents to rate the County on several factors, including quality of life, overall economic health, infrastructure, natural environment, arts and culture, parks and recreation, crime, shopping options, diversity and more.

Other survey questions focus on the cannabis industry, wildfire preparation, Internet accessibility, and economic opportunity in the County.

Lead Week is a national annual campaign during the last full week of October to bring awareness to and prevent childhood lead exposure. This year, Lead Week takes place October 22–28 and California’s theme i​s, “Protect your family from all sources of lead air pollution, including aircraft and shooting ranges.” 

Register for the Lead Week 2023 webinars to learn about lead air pollution and how to keep families safe. Sessions will be held from October 23-27. Registration is free and open to all:

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/CLPPB/Pages/LeadWeek2023.aspx

Regístrate en los webinarios de la Semana del Plomo 2023 para informarte sobre la polución del aire con plomo y cómo mantener a las familias seguras. Las sesiones se llevarán a cabo del 23 al 27 de octubre. La inscripción es gratis y abierta para todos: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/CLPPB/Pages/LeadWeek2023.aspx 

Nevada County Residents Asked to Take Survey to Help Set Community Priorities

The Board of Supervisors is asking residents to complete an online survey to give their assessment of Nevada County on a wide range of topics from economic opportunity to cannabis to wildfire prevention and more. The 2023 Nevada County Community Survey asks 44 questions and should take 20 minutes to complete. It can be accessed at polco.us/NC23, until October 24.

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Property Taxes Reduced (For Some)

Due to the declining housing market in Nevada County in the second half of 2022, over 5,300 properties were proactively reviewed for a reduction in assessed value by the Assessor’s Office. Their assessed value for the upcoming 2023-24 tax year will be reduced under Proposition 8, as the market value is less than the factored base year value (also known as Proposition 13 value).

This is a temporary reduction for this roll year.

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