There are rejected but tame kittens and cats that wind up at the pound. They can make good house pets. Then, there are stray or “community” cats that are actually tame, not feral, and they can make good pets or good barn cats. And, the feral cats can also make good barn cats, or just outdoor cats that keep down the rodents.

In April I went to Animal Control to get a license for Zeus, my Great Dane. I couldn't resist, so I took a peek at the cat room. I wound up leaving with a wonderful 5-month-old Lynx Point Siamese that had no business being at the pound. She had actually been adopted once and then returned to the pound. She is beautiful and sweet, though feisty, and has made a good adjustment to our home and our other dogs and cats. She was and remains healthy. I was sad that I couldn’t save all the kittens there.

I urge people to consider adopting a cat from the pound. It is located in an out-of-the-way location off of Hill Road next to the county jail, which is unfortunate. Animal Care and Control could place a lot more cats if they took them out into the community, like they do elsewhere.

For instance, Rainbow Ag in Ukiah has cages with kittens from the Mendocino pound, and also from private rescue organizations. I once adopted two kittens from there, just because they caught my eye when I was shopping. Perhaps Rainbow Ag and other places in Lake County would be willing to showcase pound kittens and cats.

Concerning feral and stray cats, Lake County clearly needs to organize a TNR (trap, neuter, release) program. There are plenty of people willing to feed feral colonies, and plenty of rats, mice, gophers and voles for them to eat. (Yes, the occasional bird too, but such is life.)

According to veterinarian Richard Bachman, director of Veterinary Services for Contra Costa County, there are numerous successful models of TNR, usually combined with vaccinating for rabies and “tipping” the cats' ear so they can be easily identified as sterile, and studies show a decrease in feral and community cat populations when such models are used.

Besides the love and companionship, many of us cat lovers like having cats around in the country to keep rodents under control. Rodents attract rattlesnakes, so having cats also keeps the rattlers away, and if one shows up, a cat is a good early warning device (you’ll hear the rattlesnake rattle as the cat stalks it), and, more often than not, a cat will kill a rattlesnake before it can strike.

Of course, rats can really wreak havoc and devastate the human population. Rats transmit over 20 diseases to humans, including bubonic plague, a dread disease that thins the rat population when it exceeds the available food supply.

We need to learn from history. In the Middle Ages, cats were commonly blamed for everything, thought to be witches, and millions were murdered. As a result, the rodent population surged out of control. In the 14th century, following widespread superstitious destruction of cats and their near-extinction, rats proliferated and bubonic plague (“Black Death”) decimated the population of Europe, killing more than one-third (possibly even two-thirds) of the people, but generally sparing those households with cats.

We shouldn't return to Ancient Egypt's death penalty for killing a cat, but the Board of Supervisors should take steps to adopt more cats and prohibit the killing of healthy feral cats, and initiate a trap, neuter, release program instead of exterminating the feral cats.

Neuter and feed the stray and feral cats, but let them roam and destroy their share of rats, mice and other rodents. Respect the cats – they're among our best friends.

Ron Green is an attorney who lives in Lower Lake, Calif.

The timeline provided at that meeting was:

– Land acquisition (including California Environmental Quality Act documents): July 2009 to July 2011.

– Preliminary plans: Oct 2011 to May 2012.

– Working drawings: May 2012 to January 2013.

– Construction: May 2013 to January 2015.

The city of Lakeport stepped up immediately and identified 26 locations, 25 of which were within the City limits.

The consensus of the committee was to keep the new courthouse in the downtown area, close by the current courthouse. Point of clarification: Courthouse (new) is for all the court-related offices; courthouse (current) contains all the court related offices on the fourth floor plus other county departments.

Only the fourth floor offices in the current courthouse will be moving to the new courthouse location. Unfortunately, none of the downtown sites were considered appropriate for the new building, some primarily due to flood plain issues.

The land has been purchased and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) completed on the property at 675 Lakeport Blvd., just below the Lake County Chamber/Visitor Center office.

We have seen two sets of preliminary drawings from two different architects to date. I have referred to them as “less than preliminary” as they do not reflect anything close to what the final design will be. We do know that the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) has a preference for the “north scheme” location versus the “south scheme” location.

The “north scheme” will place the building immediately in front of the visitor center parking lot and the building will extend to 10 feet above the parking lot surface. In addition, it will be 90 to 100 feet wide. In my personal estimation, all visitors to the center will lose approximately 70 percent or more of the view that has been enjoyed by thousands of residents and visitors over the past many decades.

The south scheme preferred by most of us on the committee, will lose only the view of the bottom of Prayer Hill and a portion of the lake toward Konocti Vista Casino, leaving a clear view of Mt. Konocti and all the rest of the view we now enjoy.

The two points of preference for the AOC for the north scheme: the building needs to be prominently in view of the public and the south scheme requires a “u turn” in the driveway up to the parking lot, which they feel will be too difficult for fire equipment, buses, etc.

The chamber’s position is that the south scheme ‘u turn’ is a non-issue as the fire department has standard safety requirements for turning radius when it comes to streets, driveways, etc. Fire equipment should be the largest vehicle to use that driveway and thus all other vehicles would have no issue making the turn.

As to visibility of the building to the public eye, many public buildings use large monument signs to alert the public to the presence of these buildings. One of these on Lakeport Boulevard will certainly accomplish that goal as the public travels on this main thoroughfare.

Vista Point Visitor Center is a historical community icon which clearly provides an exceptional view of the north bay of Clear Lake. To obliterate that view will have a definite impact on all our visitors and residents.

While the AOC has its standard requirements and I certainly appreciate working to your standards, those standards relate to more metropolitan areas where “sense of community” has a very different meaning. We have a treasured sense of community in Lake County that means more to us and our visitors than the standards identified by the AOC.

Bottom line: We need this new courthouse, if you’ve ever been on the fourth floor of the courthouse for jury duty or other reasons, it’s like being in the middle of a herd of cattle in a pen. It’s amazing to all of us that our little Lake County project is No. 8 out of 41 in the entire state.

We need to keep it moving forward as it will provide benefits to our communities and residents far into the future. We must protect the view and we must have the courthouse, I firmly believe we can have it all.

Melissa Fulton is chief executive officer of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, based in Lakeport, Calif.

What we are witnessing is the slow-motion “crash and burn” of an apocalyptic cult. It is lurid fascination that makes us pause with bated breath to see what is going to happen, as we did in watching the live prime-time coverage of a Jet Blue Airbus approaching LAX in September 2005 with its nose gear stuck open at the wrong angle.

Will it crash and burn, or will the pilots manage to land the plane safely? What will happen to the passengers, and what must they be feeling right now?

The pilot of this Rapture plane is 89-year-old Bible preacher Brother Harold Camping of Family Radio Inc. His passengers are the tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of faithful who collectively have contributed $80 million over the past half decade to his on-air gospel ministry. Many have discovered Camping by accident, as I did when I stumbled across his sonorous voice on the “Open Forum” program a few years ago.

Working as I do at the National Center for Science Education, I was naturally intrigued by his claim that “our modern scientists” falsely assume that the universe is billions of years old and that humans are related to other animals on earth.

Family Radio airs syndicated programs like Mel Molder’s “Beyond Intelligent Design” and Ian Taylor’s “Creation Moments.” But its eclectic programming isn’t limited to creationism. It also includes Christian radio staples such as praise music, Bible reading, personal advice, and tips for rearing Christian children to face the challenges of tomorrow.

However, if Camping is right, there is no tomorrow. He has declared that the Last Judgment of the human race will take place on May 21, at 6 p.m. local time in every time zone. Beginning with a great earthquake that will open the graves in New Zealand, Australia and Southeast Asia, the cataclysm will race around the globe for a whole day, wreaking havoc in every time zone. The dead who are among God’s elect will be raised, and along with the living “true believers” they will be snatched up or “raptured” into heaven.

Camping estimated the number of the elect to be about 200 million. The rest of us, the reprobate ones, will endure a chaotic summer of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, forest fires, insect infestations, wars, and famines, until on October 21st the entire universe will be consumed by fire, and we will witness for a fraction of a second the very end of time.

Where does Harold Camping come by this insider knowledge about the “second coming” and Judgment Day? After all, Jesus warned his disciples that “about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:37).

How is it that God the Father is willing to confide information to Harold Camping that He wasn’t willing to share even with God the Son? Shouldn’t Jesus have had a more intimate knowledge about God’s intentions than a construction company owner in Alameda, California? (It was with the aid of construction company profits that Camping helped to found Family Radio in the 1960s.)

Camping is not the first radio evangelist to peddle his particular brand of Christian theology, preying upon his listeners’ fears of damnation in order to solicit donations, giving them hope that they are among the elect.

If you listen to Camping carefully, however, you get the distinct impression that in fact there is no theological point in joining the Family Radio crusade. God determined before the creation of the universe who would be among the elect and who would be among the damned, so there seems to be little or nothing we can do either to earn or to forfeit our salvation.

What sets Camping apart is that he has the money to command air time, a notoriety that fuels his growing listenership, and an autocratic rule over the content of his message. Any caller to the “Open Forum” show who dares to challenge Camping’s interpretation is brushed off without any indication of humility on Camping’s part. Callers who mention his failed 1994 prediction of the apocalypse are summarily cut off.

Camping’s current message is that we now find ourselves at the very end of time, an argument laid out in his book “Time Has an End (Vantage, 2005),” http://www.amazon.com/Time-Has-End-Biblical-D/dp/0533151694.

When God commanded Noah to enter the ark, saying, “seven days from now I will destroy the earth” (Genesis 7:4), the seven days symbolically represent seven thousand years. (This assumption is based on its own Bible verse: “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day” [2 Peter 3:8].) Camping calculates that the global flood in Noah’s time took place in 4990 B.C., and that there are exactly 7,000 years from 4990 B.C. to A.D. 2011 (subtracting one year since there was no year 0.)

Why hasn’t your local church told you this? According to Camping, Christ abandoned the churches of all denominations in 1988, leaving Satan to rule in their place. Accordingly, Camping has commanded his radio listeners to abandon their churches and cleave to the only source of truth, the Bible − or more specifically, Camping’s interpretation of it.

How does he arrive at the year 1988? Well, Jesus Christ was crucified in A.D. 33, and 5 x 17 x 23 = 1955, and 1955 + 33 = 1988. Why 5, 7, and 23? Camping accepts an idiosyncratic numerological reading of scripture, in which each number is assigned a mystical meaning: the number 5 signifies “salvation,” 17 signifies “heaven,” and 23 means “judgment.” So to put it another way, salvation x heaven x judgment = 1988.

If that isn’t enough, consider that there are 23 years between 1988 — the year in which Christ abandoned the churches — and 2011: no coincidence when we recall that 23 stands for “judgment.” If you don’t accept Camping’s calculation of the significance of May 21, 2011, as the precise date of the Last Judgment, you are clearly under the sway of Satan.

All of this might make for a mildly interesting sociological study, but why get excited or alarmed by it? After all, apocalyptic talk has been around since the earliest days of the Christian Church, and indeed before, in Judaism, especially in the Book of Daniel.

Apocalyptic thinking often takes root in communities suffering intense persecution, or facing challenging economic and political times.

Apocalypticism offers the promise of God’s bringing about the ultimate resolution of conflict, meting out reward to his followers and punishment to evildoers, and bringing the present age to an end.

History has seen outbreaks of apocalyptic thinking around key dates like A.D. 1000, or in times of stress like the years of the Black Death in the 14th century. More recent episodes include the evolution of apocalyptic movements into denominations, such as the Millerites, who after their “Great Disappointment” of 1844 became transmuted into various denominations such as the Advent Christian Church and Seventh-Day Adventism.

What is alarming about Harold Camping’s movement is its potentially serious human consequences. In recent months Family Radio has drafted modest legions of followers to join caravans traveling in motor homes to numerous cities around the United States and much of the world, distributing tracts and warning people of their impending doom.

Reports abound of people who have sacrificed significantly, such as the New York retiree who spent his $140,000 in life savings on subway billboards to spread the word about the end of time. There are stories of people who have quit their jobs, left their homes and families, or have even euthanized their pets in preparation for the Rapture.

This is not the first apocalyptic cult to rocket into the headlines, only to crash and burn with tragic results for many, nor probably will it be the last. The key to diminishing the appeal of such movements is education.

We can only hope that a solid grounding in science, philosophy, and the religious history of our species will decrease the attraction of such cults among the apocalyptically vulnerable.

Peter M. J. Hess, Ph.D. serves as director of Outreach to Religious Communities with the National Center for Science Education in Oakland, California. His position involves working with churches and faith communities to promote understanding at the interface between evolutionary biology and religious belief. With an M.A. from Oxford University and a Ph.D. from the Graduate Theological Union (Berkeley), his scholarly work focuses on the interactions between science and religion in the modern world (1600-1900) and the response by theologians to discoveries and new paradigms in the developing sciences. He authored “Catholicism and Science” with Paul Allen (Greenwood Press, 2008), teaches at various universities in the San Francisco Bay Area, and is a fellow of the International Society for Science and Religion. An avid rock climber and volcano mountaineer, Peter and his wife Viviane have two sons, Michael and Robert.

Despite the lack of information, direction and decisions from the state of California regarding education funding, our local school districts are working hard to develop balanced budgets that meet the state-prescribed criteria and time lines.

Local school boards, administration and staff continue to work together to develop “plan for the worst, hope for the best” scenarios to provide the very best education for each and every student in Lake County, while remaining fiscally solvent during these difficult economic times.

A major difficulty expressed by local educators is the lack of timely information which would enable them to make informed decisions regarding education funding and budget development.

Most concerns revolve around three basic issues:

1. Continued decrease of the COLA and ongoing increases in the deficit factor.

2. Increase in the number and amount of deferrals of funding apportionments.

3. Tax extensions … “The big unknown” … yes, no, how much and when?

COLA and the deficit factor

Over the past few years the education dollars have been greatly impacted by lagging cost of living adjustments and an increasing deficit factor (a percentage by which an allocation of funds is reduced until the state’s economy recovers, and then the amount would theoretically be restored).

The cumulative effect of these two factors – along with a decline in student enrollment in Lake County Schools – have resulted in significantly less money per child now than we had five years ago, as reflected in the table in Figure 1. At the same time, health benefits, goods and materials, fuel and food costs continue to climb.

Deferrals

The state continues to increase the amount and number of deferrals. Deferrals don’t necessarily increase or decrease the funding for education. Deferrals simply put off a portion of payment or funds to a later date. This is similar to Wimpey’s deal, “I will gladly pay you next Tuesday for a hamburger today.”

Imagine having an annual salary of $36,000 and budgeting and planning to pay your monthly bills based on $3,000 per month. Then you are told that your monthly paycheck is being held until sometime next year. You are still responsible for your rent/mortgage, utilities, food and other monthly bills.

In an effort to pay your bills, you exhaust your savings to meet your financial obligations. Two months later you are told again that your paycheck is being “deferred” to next year. Now you need to secure a loan to meet your monthly obligations and to pay the interest fees as well.

This is the situation faced by our school districts in Lake County and across the state.

According to the Governor’s proposed “May Revise,” It is anticipated that Lake County schools will have over $14,896,205 in “deferrals” from the 2011-12 school year to the 2012-13 school year.

Recent news releases report that education can expect an additional $3 billion statewide in funding, if the proposed budget is approved.

Unfortunately, this does not mean new dollars for education. If the budget is approved as proposed, it would reduce the impact of deferrals and help hold funding levels close to last year … if, and only if, the tax extensions are agreed to by voters.

Tax extensions

Proposed tax extensions are the “big unknown” for local educators. Tax extensions are a significant piece of the proposed budget.

A balanced state budget depends on resources from existing taxes to be extended through the 2011-12 school year. This requires voter approval and cannot be counted on until the public decides “yes or no.”

If the voters turn down tax extensions, the effect on education funding will be significant, resulting in even greater reductions.

Projections related to an “all cuts budget” may result in an additional $350 per student in further reductions. Reductions of this significance will cause local boards and administrators to grapple with reductions far beyond what has been considered “the worst case scenario.”

Summary

While budget concerns are certainly a huge issue for our local school districts, we continue to maintain our focus on serving and educating our students with dedication and compassion.

We will strive to keep cuts away from the classroom and continue to investigate strategies to be more efficient and cost effective.

We continue to be grateful and appreciative of the tremendous support for education by parents, community members and service groups.

Together we will successfully and creatively provide the best possible education for each and every one of our students in Lake County.

Thank you for your continued support.

Wally Holbrook is superintendent of schools for Lake County, Calif.

Our family would like to say thank you to everyone who helped with Frank's memorial; those who prayed for strength, comfort and healing for the family and especially his son, Parker. To all of the people who sent emails, letters, cards and flowers, we want to thank you all for your kind words.

We would like to thank all of the people who brought food to our home and to all of the people who brought food to the memorial. In addition to all of the friends and family members who supplied pictures, videos and other materials for the memorial, thank you!

The outpouring of support that we received for his service is something that every Lake County citizen should be proud of, the loss of dedicated servant to the community was shown by the hundreds who participated in the services, from the procession to the memorial.

There is not a day goes by that someone tells me how much they miss and loved Frankie. The love that people had for Frankie was unbelievable. So many people came to us during those first few weeks; I really don’t think Frankie knew just how much people really loved and appreciated him.

It was common to hear from his closest friends that Frank was their “best friend.” Time and time again I would hear from his friends and they would say, “Frankie was my best friend.” Frankie was a best friend to so many.

As parents, we were and still are so proud of Frank. Frankie was and still is a great father; he still is because of all the wonderful things he taught his son Parker, everything he taught him lives on in Parker today. Because of this, Parker is smart, loving and he looks just like his daddy.

To everyone who has lost someone they love, my heart goes out to you. I know the pain you feel. Someone once told me that time will help, but really time just makes the pain different. When something goes wrong in our lives, Parker would say, “This ain't nothing,” making reference to the fact that the little things that go wrong in everyday life are nothing, in comparison to losing his daddy and mommy.

We want to say thank you to all people who showed and shared their love of Frankie, thank you!

During these difficult times, we find that the most helpful thing others can do is on a spiritual level. Thank you for all the prayers for Parker and our family; you don’t know how much this really means to us, thank you and we love each and every one of you.

One of the most difficult things for Jim and I was the thought of will we be physically and mentally able to raised Parker, he being 7 and us being 64? Oh my God, what did I do?

However, that thought was only a blur and now looking at this, we see Parker as a blessing from God to us. We think younger, we feel younger and well, we live younger. We laugh more; we are always on the go, from sun up to way past sun down. Are we going to be OK? Yes, Frank will see to that.

My faith in God went very low. I hated him for a while, but then I realized he was still with me or I would not have made it this far. I still cry and I always will and I am OK with that, because I know in my heart that Frankie is safe and happy; he wants us to be the same.

What happens when you lose someone? At first you can’t believe what has happened, you pray to God to bring them back, thinking that God must have made a mistake. Why?

Will the pain go away? No. Can I go on living? Yes! Will I ever be happy again? Yes! Does anyone care? Yes, people do care. Can we laugh again? Yes!

To love and honor someone you have lost, is to live again. Our Frankie would want and he would demand his family and friends live for him. Laugh, love, sing, cry, dance and, most of all, smile – he did!

Sue Burton is writing on behalf of the Burton and Toney families. She lives in Clearlake Oaks, Calif.

As defined by the federal guidelines, the numbers of homeless youth are, not surprisingly, on the rise.

Our youth, like our general population, are experiencing great hardships in these difficult financial times.

For several years now, hundreds of students in Lake County have found themselves without a permanent or adequate home.

They are living with other families in a single family dwelling, moving from couch to couch, or living in travel trailers or even tool sheds.

The most recent phenomenon is that a family is notified that the house that they are renting is going through foreclosure and they are being evicted. They find themselves looking for housing with inadequate funds.

What makes things even worse is that many of the government-supported programs and organizations designed to help those who are hungry and homeless are experiencing severe cutbacks.

The cumulative impact is that students come to school hungry, sleepy and traumatized. They have a rudimentary idea of why their family is having such difficult times; a mom or dad lost a job, the bank took the house, “we have no money.”

How we react as a community and as individuals during this time of crisis will show our true character. We can help a child move from being in crisis to seeing opportunities in life.

One example of this is the resurgence of the Lake Community Pride Foundation. This nonprofit foundation has been restructured to support programs that have been cast adrift due to the financial problems of the Lake County Community Action Agency.

Here, when one organization that was helping many struggling members of our community loses its ability to help, another comes forth to take its place.

The Pride Foundation is supported through contributions from caring members of our community. It has the mission to help youth in Lake County and has just taken over the operation of the Safe House of Lake County and the Clearlake Youth Center, while keeping its original focus on supporting the performing arts in schools.

There are currently four students living in the safe house, with a full-time volunteer counselor. Of these four students, three are seniors; two have recently found jobs.

Members of Pride are working with the senior students to create transition plans with them so that they know what to do, now and in the future, to meet their basic needs and move forward towards their goals.

Without the safe house, they would not be walking across the stage at graduation. Now, they are graduating, working, enrolling in college classes and budgeting for their next residence.

The support of our community has brought them from crisis to opportunity – something that they will never forget. It shows what we can do when we give whatever we can afford to help our neighbors and youth in crisis – we help them get back on their feet and provide hope.

The Pride Foundation is holding a golf tournament, dinner and auction on Saturday, May 21, at Rob Roy Golf Course. This is the main fundraiser for the year for the Safe House.

There are many ways to contribute: sponsoring a golf hole (a sign with your name or business will be placed at the hole); donating an auction item or just joining us at the event (play golf, have dinner and enjoy the always lively auction).

For more information about Pride or the golf tournament you can contact Carol Germenis (928-4280), Aggie Berry (489-6524), or Bill MacDougall (279-8935).

William R. MacDougall, Ed.D. is superintendent of the Konocti Unified School District, based in Lower Lake, Calif.