Lake Berryessa News

June 15, 2026

CIA Releases New Photos
UFOs or UAPs?

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Visual Vigilante vs. Caltrans Annoying Silly Safety Signs

Those of you who drive Monticello Road (Hwy 121) to Napa may have noticed more than a dozen of the most egregiously stupid CalTrans "silly safety signs" have been pushed down, in both directions, by an annoyed "Visual Vigilante" commuter. There are at least 50 more that should be removed. I would have preferred that CalTrans admit to a poorly designed, driver-distracting project and recycled them to another California highway location. Their final recent response is copied below with my rebuttal. They have not yet responded to my complaint of 5/22/26.

A reader just sent me this comment with numbers. You can verify it yourself on your next drive from Lke Berryessa to Napa. "There were 600+ signs placed by Caltrans and a total of 57 signs pushed over, and I hope there are more pushed over... absolutely ridiculous and overabundance!"

CalTrans response (May 22, 2026):
Mr. Kilkus, Thank you for reaching out regarding the new warning signs. The new warning signs installed in the segment of Route 121 in Napa that was mentioned in the CSR were installed to meet the requirements outlined in the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Their main purpose is to provide motorists with advance warning about upcoming curves in the road, helping to reduce the likelihood of collisions caused by sudden changes in horizontal alignment. By ensuring proper signage, we aim to enhance safety for everyone traveling through that area. Our goal is to enhance awareness for drivers and create safer road conditions overall. Please let me know if you need any further information or have additional questions regarding the installation. Thanks again for bringing this to our attention!

My response (May 22, 2026):
This is a non-answer to the complaint. I challenge the project manager to provide actual justification for this plethora of unnecessary signs. Attached is a story I did on this silly project with actual driver comments. I just heard from a driver that several of the signs have been knocked down. These signs have a negative effect on our driving community with no increase in safety. They are annoyingly distracting every time I drive to Napa and back.

You can contact CalTrans yourself at: email at Caltrans.d4@dot.ca.gov or phone at 510 286-6173.

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Why Treasury's proposed $250 Trump bill was met with laughter in China

The Mandarin word for the number 250 has numerous derogatory connotations, all of which have amused Chinese speakers. The number 250, which the Trump administration wants to use on a $250 bill with the president's face on it, is slang for “idiot” in Chinese. In China, "250" or "èr bǎi wǔ" is a common insult meaning "fool," "idiot," or "dimwit." they are absolutely losing their minds over there about the new trump $250 bill!

According to Mandarin language schools and a report about the Trump administration's planned $250 bill by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, the Mandarin word for 250 could also be used to call someone silly, innocent, careless, foolish, stubborn, reckless, stupid or to suggest they were not, as an English idiom goes, "the sharpest tool in the shed".

The Institute wrote that, regardless of the saying's origin, the Mandarin word for 250, "essentially translates to the English equivalent of 'stupid,' or 'not playing with a full deck.'" Other origins have been reported elsewhere.

Given the above, it is reasonable to assume that Mandarin speakers might find the idea of a bill with the number 250 next to Trump's face amusing. The South China Morning Post reported that news of the proposed bill had "racked up more than 14 million views on mainland social media, with most users finding it hilarious."

The Treasury Department also released two other possible variations of the bill design.

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Voter Fraud Conspiracy Theories Debunked, Yet Again!...and Again!!...and Again!!!

Watching Trump melt down on national television, yet again, was embarrassing, both nationally and internationally. His criticism of the latest California election process was an amusing display of ignorance of basic democratic processes - almost laughable if it weren't such a dangerous display of mental delusion.

I was reminded of my experience as a Napa County poll worker a few years ago. I encourage anyone who has the time to volunteer (although you do get paid a small stipend) for that experience. I worked a few days at the Angwin fire station and met some great people and voters. I also learned about the very strict laws governing poll workers' actions, and the level of scrutiny of the process by outside poll watchers. These poll watchers, representing various political persuasions, went from polling place to polling place to observe the election process in detail. Their goal was to guarantee that there was no undue influence on the outcome. We were not even allowed to bring newspapers into the polling place.

We also had several days of training on election laws, the operating systems of the voting computers, and practice with the computers themselves. Since there had been false claims of voter fraud bandied about with no proof ever discovered, we did get an enlightening tutorial from John Tuteur describing the actual statistics of voter fraud in Napa County. This is his description.

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Commentary On Voter Fraud
John Tuteur, Napa County Registrar of Voters

In my 29 years as Napa County Registrar of Voters our Election Division has processed at least one million ballots in 75 different elections. Out of those one million ballots we have had two cases of intentional voter fraud. Neither of the fraudulent ballots were counted, both of the perpetrators were discovered and referred to law enforcement.

Human eyes review the signatures on every return ballot envelope which is the best way to insure the integrity of the election process. Both cases of voter fraud were discovered when our staff recognized that the signatures on the return envelope did not match the signature in our system to which we compare the envelope signature. Voters who cast ballots in person sign a roster so that those signatures can also be verified.

The machines that count our ballots and compile the results are plugged in only to the wall, i.e. power cords. Neither the machines nor the servers that handle the data have any internet, wireless or network connection, just the plug in the wall. Those machines and servers are in locked, alarmed rooms and under 24/7 video surveillance. In addition the servers are housed in locked, steel cabinets.

Elections in the United States are carried out at the local level, counties, parishes, townships and boroughs. There are seven thousand separate election jurisdictions which have separate ballot tabulation systems, none of which are connected to wireless, the internet or networks. Conducting large scale voter fraud is just as difficult as an individual trying to commit voter fraud.

All of our election processes are open to observation by the public. A recent grand jury report found that Napa County elections were secure, efficient and accurate.

Please contact Napa County Registrar of Voters John Tuteur john.tuteur@countyofnapa.org or 707-253-4459 if any questions or comments.

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There are also extensive databases of investigation of voter fraud across the country. No Large scale vote tampering has been uncovered - and none that were actually found could have influenced the outcome of any election - especially a presidential election. A few cases that were discovered were so stupid that they were fun to read and could have been the plot for a reality cop show. Here's just one of the hundreds of cases of dumb people across the country who had more larceny in their hearts than brains in their heads.

"Elbert Melton, the former mayor of Gordon, illegally notarized two ballots, without witnesses present, during the 2016 election in which he was running for mayor. Melton won that race by only 16 votes. Melton was convicted on two counts of absentee ballot fraud, was removed from office, and was sentenced to serve one year in prison followed by two years of probation."

See more cases at: https://electionfraud.heritage.org/

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Debunking the evidence for election fraud cases

Political science professor Justin Grimmer's research offers a detailed look at election fraud claims, their purveyors, and the election skeptics who believe them. He finds some reason for hope. (October 9, 2024)

According to Grimmer's research, a quarter of voters believe U.S. elections are inaccurate. These skeptics tend to be Republican, older, and White. They are similarly educated as the overall population but with higher-than-average income. But only a tiny fraction of doubters would go so far as to say that elections are faked. Most pointed to delays in ballot counts and results they don't like as their grounds for concern.

Grimmer's research has systematically debunked the major theories of voter fraud, including the widely circulated theories blaming Dominion voting machines and absentee ballots. Here, Grimmer, a co-director of the Democracy and Polarization Lab, discusses the basis for claims that U.S. elections are inaccurate, the findings of his research, and the reasons why he believes skeptics may still be persuadable.

Question: What are some key takeaways from your research on election fraud and voter confidence in the United States?

Grimmer: One broad set of findings is that these claims are based on shockingly flimsy evidence. We reviewed the most prominent statistical claims from Trump's post-2020-election operation to challenge the results. Not only were these claims dismissed in court, but also the supposed statistical evidence was often nonsensical-based on basic misconceptions about voter file data. Often, the conclusions revealed fundamental misunderstandings about basic research procedures. In another paper published in the Proceedings of the Natural Sciences, we show that for many election fraud claims-even if the empirical claim is true -it's not evidence of fraud.

A second broad set of findings is that there is a very small, but very involved, group of election skeptics advocating for dramatic reforms to U.S. elections. In surveys of more than 5,000 people we conducted before and after the 2022 midterm elections, we asked respondents why they are skeptical about elections, and they usually indicated that long counting times or the other party winning fuels their suspicions.

But we have also identified a political movement whose members believe that all elections-for all offices, in every locality-are being manipulated. The claims we evaluated in a recent paper published in the Election Law Journal come from fringe skeptics who make the shockingly broad claim that every race from president to school board is subject to the influence of shadowy and unnamed groups who determine the winner. Luckily, these claims have not gained much traction with the broader public, but local activists have seized on them and deluged local election offices with requests for data, slowing down these offices' work.

Question: Do you think laws such as the one in Shasta County requiring hand-counting reassure voters or sow more doubt?

Grimmer: I doubt that hand-counting would do anything to assure voters about the validity of elections. In a close election with hand-counting, a skeptical candidate could point to errors in the hand-counting process as a source of their defeat.

Question: What do you make of recent claims that noncitizens can vote?

Grimmer: Even when states have suggested that they have found noncitizens on their voter rolls, it usually is only a small number of noncitizens who are accidentally placed on the rolls. We certainly do not have evidence of a broad conspiracy to enroll noncitizens to benefit one party. My biggest concern is that these theories of fraud could influence the county officials across the country who are in charge of canvassing and certifying election results. "Data vigilantes"-amateur citizens scouring a spreadsheet-might create extra work for election officials and incorrectly target particular voters.

Question: Who has benefited from claims of electoral fraud and how?

Grimmer: The biggest beneficiaries of these claims are the election skeptics who spread them. There is a small industry of election skeptic speakers who tour the country, claiming to have evidence of stolen elections. While there does seem to be some financial benefit, the primary benefit seems to be the notoriety that comes with being a leader in the movement. Spreading claims about the 2020 election gives the skeptics the chance to have an adoring audience and travel the country spreading their claims. Many of the most prominent skeptics were not famous before the 2020 election: one well-known skeptic was a swing set installer; another was a high school math teacher.

Question: According to your research, some purveyors of election fraud theories don't stop making claims after they've been credibly disproven with research and/or rejected in courts. What makes voters in the U.S. receptive to these claims, and how can we effectively combat the doubt they sow?

Grimmer: Even after clear corrections, many of those who have had their claims disproved will continue making them-this is a frustrating aspect of the work we've been doing. But our refutations have still been valuable for court cases, for legislators, and for election administrators to help inform concerned citizens. The best way we can combat claims of election fraud is to proactively inform the public about how elections are secured in the United States and to enlist the help of electoral candidates.

Question: Could public policy changes help reduce election skepticism?

Grimmer: It is notoriously difficult to influence skepticism with simple public policy changes. In a 2023 paper published in the Journal of Legal Analysis, we showed that the vast majority of election policies can't possibly change even the closest elections. But based on the experience of the 2020 election and our own research, having more ballots counted earlier seems to go a long way toward reducing election skepticism.

Question: In your view, the reasons cited for election doubts suggest that skepticism isn't (yet) "deep-seated." What are some things citizens could do to make democracy stronger?

Grimmer: Perhaps the best thing each citizen could do is to become more educated about how U.S. elections are run, and the best way to do that is to volunteer for an upcoming election as an election worker.

(See story above Voter Fraud Conspiracy Theories Debunked, Yet Again!...and Again!!...and Again!!!)
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New Countywide Sales Tax Proposed

You may have read about this attempt to impose a new countywide sales tax. Two previous sales tax measures to support open space projects failed at the ballot, one in 2016 and the other in 2020. Voters in 2022 turned down a sales tax for wildfire prevention. Those measures, sponsored by the Board of Supervisors, required two-thirds of the votes to pass. This "Citizens’ Initiative" only needs a simple majority vote to pass.

Ostensibly, this half-cent, countywide sales tax measure, which needs a minimum of 5,000 signatures for the initiative to quality for the November ballot, is to raise money for open space, parks, watershed protection and fire resiliency projects in Napa County. But the large amount of money collected during its term, and the proposed beneficiaries and uses of that money, are raising some questions.

The Lake Berryessa News will follow this issue closely. For now, we will simply provide some actual references to the primary documents which have been provided. The link to the full text of the proposed tax is below.

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Title: An Initiative Imposing A One-Half Percent (1/2%) Sales Tax For Wildfire Preparedness, Watershed Protection, And Open Space Preservation

Summary: This initiative is entitled the “Napa County Wildfire Preparedness, Watershed Protection and Open Space Preservation Act of 2026."
 
The Initiative, if enacted, would do all of the following:
 
1) Impose a countywide retail transaction and use tax (“sales tax”) at the rate of one-half of one percent (1/2%), on the sale and use of tangible personal property within Napa County, including both the incorporated and unincorporated areas of the county. The sales tax would be imposed for eighteen (18) years, beginning on April 1, 2027 and expiring on March 31, 2045.
 
2) Limit the use of, and require that sales tax proceeds be used for, the specific purposes identified in the Initiative’s Expenditure  which includes wildfire preparedness, watershed protection, open space preservation, and administrative expenditures related to the planning and implementation of the Initiative.
 
The Expenditure Plan outlines the specific program expenditure categories. The Expenditure Plan would be codified as Section 3.38.040 of the Napa County Code and would guide how the proceeds will be used.
 
3) Require the County Auditor-Controller to establish a special fund for the deposit of sales tax proceeds and mandate allocation of 50% of sales tax proceeds to Napa County and 50% of the sales tax proceeds to the “Napa County Wildfire Preparedness, Watershed Protection and Open Space Preservation Act of 2026.".

4) Require the County and the Park District to distribute the sales tax proceeds to grantees through a competitive grant process, as further described in the Initiative, to be used only for the purposes outlined in the Expenditure Plan. The County may award grants only to 501c3 nonprofit organizations, with exceptions as outlined in the Initiative. The Parks District may grant awards to 501c3 nonprofit corporations and public agencies as described in the Initiative.
 
5) Establish an Oversight Committee tasked with reviewing the receipt and expenditure of sales tax proceeds, including an annual report of each grantee's use of funds.
 
The Committee will consist of nine Napa County resident members and 3 non-voting ex- officio members: County Auditor, Park District General Manager, and County Fire Administrator, or their respective designees.

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Track the real-time Lake Berryessa weather at:
 
 
Skiers Cove (Below the Berryessa Highlands)
Skier Cove - KCANAPA228
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCANAPA228
 
East Side Road (Across from Big Island)
East Side Road, Lake Berryessa - KCALAKEB2
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCALAKEB2
 
Spanish Flat (Near the Spanish Flat Recreation Area)
Roger - KCASPANI1
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCASPANI1
 
Berryessa Pines
KCANAPA461
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCANAPA461
 

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Lake Berryessa Fire Watch Cameras

This site covers the whole Lake Berryessa Region.

http://www.rntl.net/lake-berryessa-cams/

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Free Book Chapters Available For Download

My sincere thanks to those of you who contributed to the future of the Lake Berryessa News. I challenge you to find any Lake Berryessa news anywhere. Hopefully, the many years of our intensive reporting about the latest Lake Berryessa issues will convince you of the truth of our motto, "Without The Lake Berryessa News there would be no Lake Berryessa news".

Here's a gift from The Lake Berryessa News to my readers - Free downloadable chapters from my books:


Lake Berryessa Technical Manual: The Science, Engineering, History, and Humor of a Major Unnatural Resource:

The Death of a Valley

Why Does Lake Berryessa Exist?

The Lake Berryessa Watershed

Rainfall and Lake Level History

How High Is Lake Berryessa?

How Deep is Lake Berryessa?

How Much Water Does Lake Berryessa Hold?

Mean Sea Level: Is There Such A Thing As Accurate Height?

Water In, Water Out, But From Where?

Does the WALROS Like Lake Berryessa?

Why is Lake Berryessa Not a Part of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument?

East Side Story

Hiking and Wildlife Viewing

Are There Quail on Quail Ridge?

Why Does A Hiker Cross The Road? To Get To Stebbins Cold Canyon!

Private Houseboats - Yes; Private RVs & Trailers - No: Why?

Motorized Boats Banned From Big Island Lagoon! Why!

Archeologists Can't Dunk But Can Dig

What Can't You Do At Lake Berryessa?

Napa Opposes Building the Monticello Dam

Monticello Dam Construction
Raise Monticello Dam

Power Generation at Monticello Dam

Monticello Dam Failure Analysis

Predicting the Future & Glory Hole Drone Videos

As Lake Berryessa Turns!

The Ins and Outs & Ups and Downs of Lake Berryessa

Does Lake Berryessa Sweat in the Summer?

Glory Hole Introduction

How Does Glory Hole Work?

Glory Hole: Awesome, Frightening, But Dangerous?

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Lake Berryessa Political History (Free Downloads of Book Chapters)

Policy And Politics Betray The People: The Lake Berryessa Saga: 1958 - 2020, By Peter Kilkus

 
I. The Five Tragedies Of The Berryessa Valley: A History Of Heartbreak
 
II. Lake Berryessa Political History Timeline
 
III. The “Big Lie”: How It All Began
 
IV. The “Big Fail”: Napa Abandons Lake Berryessa (1975)
 
V. The “Big Picture”: Lake Berryessa Issues: 1957 - 2012
 
VI. The “Big Illusion”: Notice Of Intent
 
VII. The “Big Fight”: Facts Do Matter
 
VIII. The “Big Betrayal”: Perversion Of Public Law 96-375
 
IX. The “Big Mistake”: Pensus - The Beginning Was The End!
 
X. The “Big Hole In History”: Post-Pensus Blues
 
XI. The “Big Boondoggle”: Creation Of A Phony National Monument
 
Addendum 1. Dueling Napa Register Letters To The Editor
 
Addendum 2. The Napa Register View
 
Index Of  Primary Documents

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Lake Berryessa Technical Manual: The Science, Engineering, History, and Humor of a Major Unnatural Resource

 https://www.amazon.com/Lake-Berryessa-Technical-Manual-Engineering-ebook/dp/B0C21DZ9M9/ref=sr_1_3?

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Policy and Politics Betray the People: The Lake Berryessa Saga: 1958 - 2020
https://www.amazon.com/Policy-Politics-Betray-People-Berryessa-ebook/dp/B08MFSQDBR/ref=sr_1_1?
 
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Conspiracy Theory or Automatic Pilot: The Economic Roots of Environmental Destruction

 https://www.amazon.com/Conspiracy-Theory-Automatic-Pilot-Environmental/dp/1676368302/ref=sr_1_3?


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The KPIX Eye on the Bay interview below is one I did in 2010 and a relevant introduction to the substance of the book. I did it after Pensus had been given the contract for 5 resorts. As we all know Pensus was subsequently kicked out in 2012. 

https://youtu.be/nP9K8Ai0Lkc

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Lake Berryessa Data Sources

There are many sources of Lake Berryessa water and weather conditions available. The Solano County Water Agency site is good for real-time graphs of level, capacity, and water temperature. The California Data Exchange Center has data going back decades for level, capacity, capacity change, dam outflow, dam inflow, and rainfall. Anyone can research their own data and create custom charts. This is the source of many of the charts on the Lake Berryessa News website.

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An upgraded wildfire alert camera system will be keeping watch on Napa County day and night and notifying Cal Fire crews of potential fires. Twenty cameras will be part of a system that will use artificial intelligence and other technologies to identify fire and smoke. If they detect something, an alert will sound in the Cal Fire emergency command center near St. Helena.

Cal Fire has made a large investment into the ALERTCalifornia system, partnering with UC San Diego. There are 1,000 cameras across the state and Napa County is one of the test models. Cameras can see 60 miles during the day, and this can increase to 120 miles on clear nights, with the changes in the air. The system can differentiate among smoke, clouds and dust. A link to this camera system and other relevant weather data is available on the Lake Berryessa News website at: http://www.rntl.net/lake-berryessa-cams/

This website was created by Doug Kunst. It is an amazing resource for Lake Berryessa fire cameras and weather. His business website is http://www.rntl.net/

Lake Berryessa Fire Alert Cameras

http://www.rntl.net/lake-berryessa-cams/

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 Real-Time Lake Level, Lake Capacity, Water Temperature
 
Solano County Water Agency
 
https://www.scwamonitoring.com/LakeBerryessa/
 
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Lake Detailed Historical Data
 
California Data Exchange Center
 
https://cdec.water.ca.gov/
 
Research historical data and create custom plots
 
Lake Berryessa Code: BER
 
https://cdec.water.ca.gov/dynamicapp/sensorplots?staid=ber&dur_code=D
 
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Local Weather Stations (Weather Underground Network)
 
Skiers Cove (Below the Berryessa Highlands)
Skier Cove - KCANAPA228
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCANAPA228
 
East Side Road (Across from Big Island)
East Side Road, Lake Berryessa - KCALAKEB2
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCALAKEB2
 
Spanish Flat (Near the Spanish Flat Recreation Area)
Roger - KCASPANI1
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCASPANI1