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Opinion
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- Written by: Annette Hopkins and Terry Dereniuk
The Lake County Chapter of California Women for Agriculture (CWA) was the beneficiary of the silent auction at the Kelseyville Olive Oil Festival held at Chacewater Wine and Olive Mill in March.
We would like to express our sincere appreciation to festival organizer Livia Kurtz for identifying CWA and our AgVenture program as a beneficiary for the 2012 Festival.
Money raised in the silent auction will support our 2012 AgVenture educational program.
In addition to Livia, we would also like to thank the donors for the silent auction table including: Sierra d'Oro, balsamic vinegars; “Terrye Catspaw,” framed photo; Westamerica Bank, champagne and chocolate Easter pot; The Villa Barone, gift basket; Apollo Olive Oil, olive oils; The Pickle Man, gift basket; Sue Hoberg, artisan glass necklace; Rachel Quist, handmade olive and grape themed jewelry; Cobb Crafters, quillow quilt and pillow set; Gioia Co., Venetian masks, painted wine bottle and wine glass; Blockbuster Lakeport, bag-o-fun; Tres Classique, olive oil and vinegar; The melted bottle, serving dish; and Canino Ridge, two olive trees.
CWA is an all-volunteer, statewide organization advocating for the agriculture industry by advancing education, public relations and legislative activities on a local, state and national level.
In addition to the AgVenture program, the Lake County chapter supports local school and community activities, annually awards scholarships to qualified students in agriculture-related studies; and has provided more than $20,000 to local students to assist with their educational goals over the past 20 years.
Annette Hopkins and Terry Dereniuk are with the California Women for Agriculture chapter based in Lake County, Calif.
- Details
- Written by: Greg Cornish
Don Merrill's recent letter to the editor in the Record-Bee makes me shake my head and wonder what dimension active supporters of Measure D live in.
In each and every article and letter the opponents of Measure D have written or debated on in the newspapers and online, they have repeatedly cited specific examples of the damage Measure D can do.
Instead of counteracting these claims with any semblance of a sound argument the supporters of Measure D choose to stick with yelling, “Lies, deceit, exaggerations!” without pointing out the lies and arguing them with any real argument of substance. Read Merrill's letter thoroughly again to see my point.
Not once in print or online have they chosen to point out any flaws in our argument.
We, on the other hand – opponents of this badly written measure – have copied and pasted right out of the measure and shown how they've underhandedly and deceitfully opened up every zone, whether it be environmentally sensitive or not, to growing marijuana.
We have repeatedly told them that we are not trying to take away medicine from sick people, but that falls on deaf ears. They keep insinuating that we are stopping sick people from getting medicine. False!
In truth no one ever had any problems getting their hands on marijuana. The supply has never really been an issue – smoking it legally as medicine was the issue.
We want marijuana to be successfully grown for people who really need it but this cleverly written measure would allow drugs for profit by piggybacking in on the medical issue.
In the last two weeks eight new farms have popped up in the hills behind Nice without regard to the damage they do. These sensitive areas will not be stopped by Measure D.
Now I challenge you, show us where in Measure D it limits the zones it can be grown in – you cannot. It does not limit the zones to where marijuana be grown. They can grow in timberland preserves or environmental sensitivity areas.
Yet they keep accusing us of lies and exaggerations. It would benefit you if you could truly debate us on issues rather than hyperbole and stop your deceit.
From Measure D:
72A.2 Definitions
(a) Parcel: A specific plot of land in Lake County designated by the Lake County Assessor with an Assessor's Parcel Number, or APN.
(b) Zoning Districts: “A” is Agricultural District; “APZ” is Agricultural Preserve District; “R1” is Single Family Residential District; “R2” is Two-Family Residential District, “RL” is Rural Lands District; “RR” is Rural Residential District; “SR” is Suburban Reserve District; and “TPZ” is Timberland Preserve District.
(c) Agricultural Land: Those land areas specifically zoned as APZ, A, TPZ, RL and RR ...
72A.3 Uses Permitted
1. Cultivation of medical marijuana is an allowed use outdoors on parcels within the R1, R2, SR, RR, RL, A, APZ and TPZ base zoning districts. Cultivation authorized by this Section is subject to the following criteria:
Measure D is just a smokescreen. Vote no on D.
Greg Cornish lives in Nice, Calif.
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- Written by: Vicki Murphy
Have Yolo County’s “Big Picture” land use issues been abdicated to Tuleyome? It seems that Tuleyome has virtually become the unelected and unaccountable land use planner for this region.
With HR 5455, the Blue Ridge Mountain Range coursing through Solano, Yolo, Lake, Napa, Colusa and Glenn counties will be renamed the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Conservation Area. Why? Tuleyome says, “The Berryessa Snow Mountain region is threatened by encroaching development.”
That is not true.
The majority of the land is already under the Federal Bureau of Land Management, Department of Fish and Game, wilderness areas, the state and various reserves.
So why is this legislation even being developed and considered by our federal legislators when our nation is broke? As is California!
Could it be that it’s more about Tuleyome somehow assuming the role of reidentifying this region and then perhaps connecting it to foreign, global environmental controllers?
Could the designation of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Conservation Area sweep our entire region into a murky global arena?
Agenda 21 and the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) might do just that.
West Sacramento and Davis are members of ICLEI. For those who don’t know about Agenda 21 and ICLEI, information can be found on Google. Investigate both sides for yourself to see if this designation is something that might be in the best interest of our region and nation.
Both imaginative programs have been around for years, promising utopian environmental outcomes, but are ICLEI members positioning onto boards of directors of conservation areas, conservation easements, and general plans to be later cobbled together into a grand global plan? Will Yolo County’s future funding for its starved municipalities have strong strings attached to ICLEI?
If passed, will the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Conservation Area become just another global environmental derivative, like the mortgage derivatives, and be churned into something bigger with no local voice in being able to identify, understand or control the management policies and programs of our region?
Vicki Murphy lives in Brooks, Calif.
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- Written by: Donna Herndon
I am supporting Judy Conard for Judge. She's one of four Lake County Superior Court Judge candidates to fill a position that will be open in January.
Judy has more than 75 jury trials to her credit, including death penalty cases.
She's worked on both the defense and prosecution. She has also completed special training to represent veterans in front of the VA. Judy's husband, who passed five years ago, was a veteran. She knows firsthand the issues veterans face.
Since I have known Judy, what I appreciate about her is that she has heart, integrity and community loyalty. She understands that the decisions a judge makes impact public safety and our quality of life here in Lake County.
Another aspect of Judy's background that I think matters is the fact that she's worked in other professions. She has been a successful attorney for more than 26 years. Before that, she was a middle-school and adult ESL teacher and the chief negotiator for her teachers’ union. She's from a working class family. Why is this important?
Because I believe that with diversity of life experience and educational background comes true perspective. And perspective, in addition to knowledge of the law, is crucial to good decision making.
Judy understands business. She's been a partner or sole owner of several successful law practices.
Now with the budget cuts facing the courts, having a business savvy judge is a huge plus.
It's pretty clear to me that Judy Conard is truly the best qualified candidate for judge.
Judy has fine personal characteristics that I would hope to find in a person in authority in our county.
She has my vote, and I hope you will consider voting for her too.
Donna Herndon lives in Lakeport, Calif.