Opinion

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Written by: Shirley Howland

Published: 27 January 2008

Yes, Dennis Kucinich has dropped out of the race for president. But we were not going to vote for the man – we were going to vote for his courageous stance on the issues: universal, single payer, not-for-profit health care; stop funding the illegal, immoral occupation in Iraq; hold Cheney and Bush accountable for their lying, spying and torture policies; restore our Constitution and Bill of Rights; change America's foreign policy from one of creating hatred against us for our aggression to establishing a Department of Peace in our government; the build-up of WMDs and war with Iran; and much more.

His has been a voice of reason and sanity in a brain-washed Congress, and now that voice is threatened by his own political party in his own Congressional District in Cleveland, Ohio. It seems that the corporations controlling the media that kept him out of the Democratic presidential debates have now decided to crush him out of politics altogether, and with the help of the Democratic leadership, they are pouring millions of dollars and supporting four other candidates against him to try to take away his seat in the House of Representatives. If he loses that seat, we the people will lose our last best chance to save our country.

His name is still on the Democratic ballot for Feb. 5. If you want to send the Democratic Party and the corporate media a message, please vote for the issues that Dennis Kucinich continues to try to bring into the discussion and everyone else is ignoring. A vote for Dennis is a vote for the issues.

Shirley Howland lives in Clearlake.

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Written by: Sharon L. Thorne

Published: 26 January 2008

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger,

In your address to Californians, your proposals to balance the budget by eliminating or closing the State Parks System of California is one of the worst things you can do to the people of California. If you are in need of drastic budget cuts, you can eliminate other wastes rather than attack the people's parks across the state of California.

I have used the park over my 72 years for education for Girl Scouts, 4-H and in my later years for California Garden Clubs Inc. As the past director of the Mendo-Lake District for California Garden Clubs Inc., I chose for my director project the implementation of help from the six clubs in Mendocino and Lake counties. Each club from Willits, Fort Bragg, Potter Valley, Ukiah, Lakeport and the North Lake garden clubs have adopted a park by attending and asking what is needed and where the garden clubs could help. This project yielded very good results. Fort Bragg posted safety signs along the ocean where there had been past accidents. The Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club continues to support the Clear Lake State Park.

Our garden clubs use these parks for our summer picnics. We also use the parks during the year for walks to identify native plants. We study the bird population in the parks.

On a personal note, Don and I own a motor home and have traveled the entire state visiting all the parks. Because gas prices are such a serious expense to us retired persons who live on a fixed income, the local state parks become our play yards for recreation and rest and education. We can no longer afford travel across the United States because of the economic situation.

Because the schools utilize the parks for so many reasons like the study of history, plant identification, bird study and many other resources, through the use of the rangers who educate these children, this will curtail the programs that are used to educate children. The outings planned in the parks are of vital importance in the growth of children.

Two major events take place each year in Lake County state parks. They are the annual Anderson Marsh Historic State Park Jazz Festival scheduled for the fall and the Heron Festival at Clear Lake State Park where a Wildflower Brunch takes place in April.

The sponsors for these events are the Redbud Audubon chapter and the Clear Lake State Park Interpretive Association. The California Garden Clubs Inc., namely, Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club and North Lake Garden Club, utilize the parks for their June picnics.

If the State of California would stop rewarding the illegals with housing, medical care, education and food, I believe that the State of California would find enough money to balance the budget. It is my opinion that to use the money of the taxpayers of California for funding illegal immigrants' costs is a crime.

I plead with you not to take away the funding of the State Park System which belongs to the people of California.

I respectfully request that you withdraw your proposal to close California State Parks.

Sharon L. Thorne lives in Nice.

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Written by: Donna Christopher

Published: 23 January 2008

Do you have a redbud tree on your property? Would you like to help in the native beautification of the Lucerne Creek Park?

If you have a redbud that you would be willing to donate a small portion of a branch to this project please call me at 274-8482. The slender branch will need to have growth nodes on it.

Just imagine how beautiful this stretch of creek will look once these take root and over time start blooming in all their glory in the spring!

Kim Clymire from our great Parks Department is also getting wildflower seeds to help with stream bank stabilization and beautification.

We can make this park breathtaking in natural beauty – a surefire way to catch the tourists' attention/ And maybe catch some of their tourists dollars also.

Thank you for your time.

 

Donna Christopher lives in Lucerne.

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