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Opinion
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- Written by: Barbara Christwitz
“Why did you dump tons of garbage east of Pomo School in Clearlake and what, if anything, would persuade you to dump at the landfill?”
On Saturday, April 28, I asked the above questions as I joined a band of others cleaning up the illegal dumpsite.
Are there solutions, or will residents of Clearlake simply continue to divide between the cleaners and the dumpers? Below is my brainstorm for possible ideas that could help. What else?
1. A garbage club hotline for people who need to dump NOW can request a free dump pass, if necessary, and even receive transportation. Such a hotline could be funded through a special grant if such a grant existed.
2. Posting guards and/or surveillance cameras. Perhaps a homeless person or two could make camp to help guard the area, paying them for valid information on illegal dumps,
3. Secure fencing to prevent access to vacant lot areas (good luck).
4. Deposits at time of purchase on appliances and electronics. The deposits can be refunded when the items are brought to the landfill as garbage, similar to when people are paid for recycling California redemption items.
5. Pay private hired haulers only after the hauler has produced the receipt from the landfill. This prevents haulers from dumping illegally and pocketing the money which was to have gone to the landfill
6. Write grants to employ local youth to help clean up our city. This would include returning shopping carts which are taken from the stores.
7. Reduced landfill fees for low-income people. (Three adult students called the fees “outrageous.”)
For the past few days my husband, Bandit the cat, and I have walked the area we helped reclaim. The manzanitas and scrub oaks seem to be joyously breathing freely there at the foot of Mt. Baldy under the azure sky.
I hope we as a community can preserve this piece of paradise.
Barbara Christwitz lives in Clearlake, Calif.
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- Written by: Howard Glasser
By the time you read this, it will be the last day PG&E gave you to opt out of their Smart Meter program and you’d be well advised to call PG&E TODAY to be sure you are on the opt-out list.
This applies to those who may have opted out online.
Additionally, unless a sticker has been placed on your meter by PG&E indicating your opt out choice, PG&E will tell you that “they can’t guarantee you won’t get a Smart Meter” so it’s time to pick up the phone and it’s worth the wait. The number to call is: 1-866-743-0263. Bypass the automated system by pressing zero and get connected to a live operator to be sure your request is logged.
Reports are pouring in from every area of California where Smart Meters were installed and bills have skyrocketed.
Even more troubling news is that scores of customers report having developed disabling health conditions ranging from migraine headaches to dizziness to insomnia and a host of other neurological disorders that have turned their lives in to a nightmare and in some cases, driven families from their homes.
Yes, you heard right! People have actually abandoned homes that became uninhabitable because of Smart Meters. This is due to a sensitivity people often don’t know they have until after they’ve been exposed to the particular type of radio frequency transmission emitted by Smart Meters and by then it’s too late.
While PG&E claims Smart Meters are perfectly safe and commissioned the science to back up their claims, many well reputed scientists around the world have warned of the problems caused by the wireless Smart Grid phenomena.
We’re not talking about crazy technophobes or chronic complainers. These folks aren’t hypochondriacs and they have no axe to grind with PG&E.
These people have been made sick by Smart Meters and when you’re ill and you were just fine until a Smart Meter was installed, it’s not coincidence.
Those with heart conditions should be particularly concerned as should pregnant women and families with small children. This is not just an inconvenient truth. This is about your health and the health of those you love.
To date, 56 California local governments (11 counties and 44 cities including Lake County, Lakeport, Clearlake and the Big Valley Rancheria tribal community of Pomo Indians) have opposed PG&E’s mandatory Smart Meter program. PG&E ignored the cities and counties that banned Smart Meters claiming that local governments had no say in the matter.
PG&E was allocated $2.2 billion to roll out Smart Meters in California. That’s the largest Smart Meter installation in North America and they’re not doing this because it’s the “green” thing to do. They’re doing it for the money and they expect you the ratepayer to pay for privilege of having your health damaged.
PG&E is invested in two types of mining – coal and data. Start by looking up the damage the PG&E-operated Boardman Coal Plant did to Oregon’s lakes and national forests dumping five million tons of carbon dioxide annually in to the environment.
By data mining, examine the fine print among the innocuous looking inserts that were mailed to you with your utility bill.
The little item called the Customer Data Access Application decision permits PG&E “to provide third party access to a customer’s energy usage data.” They get to sell the data they collect on you and then charge you for collecting it.
It gets better. They’ve asked the CPUC for $19.4 million in additional rate increases through 2016 to help them pay for their data collection program.
For more information about Smart Meters, the following web sites offer a reliable source of information:
Howard Glasser lives in Kelseyville, Calif.
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- Written by: Carolynn Jarrett
The Children's Museum of Art and Science (CMAS) would like to recognize and thank the many individuals and businesses who made our fundraising event at Moore Family Winery on April 21 such a great success.
The weather cooperated to provide a delightfully warm and sunny afternoon on the patio. Stepheny Moore went out of her way to give us guidance and suggestions, as well as donations of wine and a concert package of four tickets to one their summer concerts for our door prize.
Reikor and Saro Deacon's group "From the Heart" provided wonderful songs and music with a variety of instruments including a harp, trumpet and recorders.
Chef Robert Cabrero's Culinary Program at Yuba College did an outstanding job with hors d'oeuvres that appealed both to the eye and the palate.
Many thanks also go to the following individuals and business who provided items for our raffle: Linda's Hallmark and Gift Gallery, Lakeport; Mendo Mill; Don Coffin; Rosa d'Oro Winery; Elegant Touch; Ginger Ingersoll; The Grocery Outlet, Clearlake; Case Excavating; Penny Royval; Vintage Hair Co.; Vicki Michel and Kerry Roper at Kit's Corner; Loch Lomand Market and Deli; karen's kreations; Quilting by Renee Carpenter; Lela Prather; Cheryl Sullivan; and Kinene Barzin.
A special note of thanks absolutely must go to Cindy Crandell who displayed immense talent and powers of persuasion selling raffle tickets.
We also would like to thank The Travel Center in Lakeport, Marie's Feed in Clearlake and the Mountain High Coffee Shops in Hidden Valley and Cobb for being our ticket vendors.
Finally, we deeply appreciate all those community members who bought tickets or made donations. In these tough economic times we know that every dollar is being carefully spent and we are grateful that our efforts to provide free art and science experiences for Lake County youth are supported by the community at large.
Many thanks, again, to everyone involved!
Carolynn Jarrett is president of the Children's Museum of Art and Science. She lives in Clearlake, Calif.
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- Written by: Lisa Alotta
I would like all of the 1,500 plus patients of Debbie Fenton at the Upper Lake Clinic to know that Sutter Lakeside Hospital has decided to close the clinic.
This is a disaster for all the residents of Upper Lake, Nice, Lucerne and other surrounding areas who depend on that clinic. Debbie Fenton LNP is very knowledgeable and she really cares for her patients. It would be a shame to lose her and this clinic.
If you want to save this clinic from closing we must rally together as a community and call or write Siri Nelson of Sutter Lakeside Hospital and tell her how vital this clinic is to the residents in this area. As a community our voices will be heard. We need to try or we will lose this medical clinic.
When I was at the clinic last week I met a lady from Clearlake who drives all the way to this clinic because of the outstanding care she receives.
I think the hospital has its priorities mixed up. It spends thousands of dollars keeping up its outside gardens and then it will close a clinic that treats more than 1,500 people. What is more important – people’s lives or a beautiful garden?
This is a horrible surprise for everyone I’m sure. Please if you care, you need to speak up now before it is too late. If you do nothing, do not complain when it is gone.
Lisa Alotta lives in Upper Lake, Calif.