The original Declaration of Independence is now exhibited in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom in Washington, DC. It has faded badly, largely because of poor preservation techniques during the 19th century. The document measures 29 and 3/4 inches by 24 and 1/2 inches. Courtesy of the Independence Hall Association.

This year marks the 234^th anniversary of the adoption of Declaration of Independence. Pause to take a look at this remarkable document and what it means to the history of the United States.

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

— John Hancock

New Hampshire:

Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:

John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:

Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut:

Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York:

William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey:

Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania:

Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware:

Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland:

Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:

George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina:

William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina:

Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:

Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

It is the peak of the commencement season which signifies the close of the school year. Team DUI would like to thank Lake County educators for their support in allowing us the opportunity to foster working partnerships with Lake County school districts, working together to help keep our youth and others safe.

Underage drinking is a serious problem in our nation. Alcohol is the drug of choice for youth and the leading cause of death among teenagers. Alcohol is involved in the deaths of more teens than any other illicit drugs combined. Twenty-three hundred teens die each year due to alcohol. Youth begin drinking on an average of 13 years of age or under. One-third of all sixth graders get alcohol from home. Thirty-six percent of seventh graders receive care for alcohol-related problems.

Team DUI was formed to educate our community on the true realities of DUI with our focus on our youth, in order to help prevent one more senseless death or injury.

It takes a Herculean effort of planning, setting of objectives and determining courses of action to achieve a significant impact on the alcohol/drug problems within our community. Team DUI’s success as a countywide outreach program has excelled in developing a community-based team that has raised the awareness of the tragic consequences of alcohol/drug abuse while also creating dialog between parents and their children.

We believe through the efforts of Team DUI this past year our youth received a healthier understanding of the consequences of choices they make, helping them to better cope with peer pressure.

The approach of Team DUI is nonjudgmental. We offer our youth respect to make the right choices, allowing them to see that choices they make will have lasting effects on themselves and others for the rest of their lives. Team DUI continually strives to help our youth to understand that even as a passenger in a vehicle of an intoxicated driver, they can become a victim.

This year Team DUI has made numerous presentations at middle schools and high schools throughout Lake County, going into classrooms and assemblies. Our team has worked tirelessly to get our message across to several thousand youths within our communities. Our speakers came forth with courage and fortitude as they endured months of emotional stress, reliving painful stories in order to help safeguard our youth.

As a group, we understand the impact of driving while intoxicated can have on the victim, the intoxicated driver, their families, friends and the community they live in. Each member of Team DUI fulfills a different role, but our message is very powerful when we work together.

Team DUI brings together a large coalition of individuals from law enforcement agencies, local cities and county officials, educators, social service professionals, young people, adults, victims of intoxicated drivers and people who have driven while intoxicated. This year Team DUI welcomed new members, speakers and additional agencies to our program as the overwhelming commitment of members and communities grew stronger. We now have the support of 37 various agencies throughout Lake County. Each member of Team DUI is dedicated to making our community a safer place.

Summer festivities will soon be in full swing. Team DUI would like to further share our message, reminding the community that along with summer festivities comes accountability that is sometimes forgotten.

The accountability comes when you step into a motor vehicle. When you are the driver of a motor vehicle, you hold your passengers life in your hands along with the life of passengers in other vehicles.

Life is the most precious gift that we will ever have. To protect life, you must be accountable for life. When you drink and drive, you are capable of causing great bodily harm or even killing; causing lives to be changed forever. If you see yourself in this description either now or previously, it is not too late to hold yourself accountable and strive to change.

To the countless individuals throughout Lake County, Team DUI offers our appreciation for your continual support. To all Team DUI members, I extend my everlasting gratitude for your heartfelt dedication. Team DUI will continue its efforts in the good fight against drinking and driving, as lives have been saved and many more will be saved.

Team DUI wishes everyone a safe and enjoyable summer.

Judy Thein is Team DUI Founder and mayor of the city of Clearlake.

Franklin Toney, pictured here with son Parker and girlfriend Janet Folmar and her son, Dylan, died on Sunday, May 30, 2010. He was remembered in a memorial service on Sunday, June 6, 2010. Courtesy photo.

The following eulogy was given by Lynette Toney on Sunday, June 6, 2010, at a memorial service in honor of her brother, Frank Toney Jr., who died unexpectedly on Sunday, May30, 2010. Frank Toney was a well-loved community member, a Clearlake Oaks native who had been a volunteer firefighter, Caltrans worker and local water board member. Hundreds of people attended his memorial service in the new Lower Lake High School gymnasium.

Like many people, I measure success by how much you have achieved in your life. Many claim success is the size of your house, the balance in your bank account, the degrees you have earned, or your titles. Well ... they're close ...

Success is the size of love in your house. Did you love deeply? Love honestly? And more so, did you show it? Frank did – he loved like there was no tomorrow. He loved his family, his friends, his co-workers and really all people in our community. He showed it by his service to them, by his generosity toward them, by his compassion and tolerance, and by his love, which was displayed through his radiant smile.

Now for your balance ... what that really means is: do you live a balanced life? Do you work hard and play hard? Do you give an honest day at work and continue to after you have earned a living for you and your family? Do you take time to talk to friends and family? Better yet, do you see them regularly? Frank did – he touched people daily (often several times a day) with emails, text messages, phone calls and, yes, even in person. That's more than most people can say ...

Now for education and degrees. As someone who has accumulated some, I can say with all honesty that intelligence is not measured by the letters before or after your name. To be smart means to be wise, which Frank was. It means to have common sense in life, which Frank did. So the degree to which you are smart is measured by the degree to which you used your head, with wisdom and common sense.

Now let's consider titles: Frank is Parker's dad, he is Janet and Dylan's Franklin, he is my mom Sue's first born and her Frankie, he is his proud dad Jim's son, he is his father Frank's Frank Jr., he is his brother Duane's "McGepher," he is my big brother, who I simply called "Bro."

He is called brother of the Moose, firefighter brother, brother of our community, and quite simply, brother to many. He is friend to literally hundreds of people – as witnessed here today – many who claim him as their best friend.

Finally, he is a child of God, just like you and me. With that thought, I will remind you what Frank knows to be true: that we are all equal, coming from the same source. So, love one another.

Without question, Frank far exceeds the measure of success scale. If it were measured from one to 10, he would be off the charts!

In closing, all of you have asked, "What can I do to help?" I hope the answer is obvious: live your life like Frankie did. Be kind, be compassionate, live with equality and justice, serve each other and your community, be an example to our children, be patient and tender to our aged, love one another, and love like there is no tomorrow.

Lynette Toney was raised in Lake County. She lives in Benicia.

“Solving the Problem of Obesity Within a Generation” is a comprehensive document released by the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity that addresses where we as a nation stand on the obesity subject, along with solutions.

The goal of the White House Task Force is to reduce childhood obesity rates to the levels they were 30 years ago. It’s hard to comprehend that in less than three decades we have gone from a country where over half the states had an obesity rate less than 10 percent to a country with an obesity rate that now averages 25 to 29 percent.

Bringing this a bit closer to home, in Lake County, obesity samples of our children show that:

• 28 percent of 4- to 5-year-olds are overweight or at-risk (well-child visits);

• 29 percent of seventh graders are at an unhealthy weight (2008 Food Policy Advocates);

• 80 percent of overweight adolescents become overweight adults.

Our communities are paying for this epidemic in medical costs as well as poor health.

Our health: Recent studies indicate that body mass index (ratio of height and weight) is the most significant factor in cancer prevention. A 2003 study by the American Cancer Society of more than 900,000 men and women showed that the heaviest men had death rates from all cancers combined that were 52 percent higher than the rates among normal-weight men and that women had cancer death rates 62 percent higher than normal-weight women.

Obesity is also linked to high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and heart disease and other chronic health conditions.

Our economy: Economic costs for obesity, overweight and physical inactivity in Lake County totals $78 million annually for health care and lost productivity, according to a study conducted by Chenoweth & Associates based on a similar study by CA Dept of Health Services.

The good news is that we are doing something about this in our community.

For instance, have you noticed that there is a strong movement to eat more locally grown produce? Our local restaurants, schools, senior centers, and other institutions are purchasing more locally grown products. This helps our health and our economy.

Fresh vegetables and fruit provide numerous nutritional benefits and help to maintain a healthy weight. Fiber intake has been shown to be the single greatest dietary factor in maintaining a healthy weight over time. Dried beans are particularly high in fiber, but all plant based foods from whole grains to vegetables, fruit and nuts provide good fiber.

Be sure to visit your local farmer’s market for fresh, farm-direct produce during the months ahead. Conveniently located Farmer’s Markets are popping up all over Lake County:

• Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Steele Winery, Kelseyville;

• Wednesdays, 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., Library Park, Lakeport;

• Thursdays, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Coyote Valley Plaza, Hidden Valley Lake;

• Fridays, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Redbud Library, Clearlake.

Naturally, our local grocery markets also supply a bounty of produce.

School food service directors are playing a leadership role in preparing healthy meals for students while having to operate on a shoe-string budget. They are creating innovative programs and developing relationships with local farmers, thereby steadily increasing their purchase of fresh produce.

In the Kelseyville school district, the food service director has tripled her purchase of locally-grown produce over the past school year. This is a great way for all children to have access to nutritious food. Other school districts also are increasing purchase of local produce.

To continue supporting wellness polices in our schools and to augment these important farm-school efforts in our school cafeterias, elementary schools in nearly every school district are now using the Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) curriculum.

Sutter Lakeside Hospital was awarded a grant on behalf of the Health Leadership Network in 2008 that has funded teacher, food service, and administrator training on the CATCH program. CATCH is a grab-and-go, evidence based program with proven results. It integrates nutrition lessons, physical activity, food service and parent participation. The program was launched in 2008 and approximately 25 elementary school classrooms have hosted CATCH demonstrations. Teachers appreciate the unique “grab-and-go” style curriculum, and additional educator trainings are in the works.

Community collaborations are an important component in helping fight this obesity epidemic in our communities. Along with the CATCH curriculum, several Lake County school districts are working with other organizations, such as the Hunger Task Force and AmeriCorps to help educate children, teachers and parents.

One example of these successful collaborations are the school garden projects that are spreading across the county, as they are a proven way to get kids excited about eating fresh vegetables.

A very exciting garden project is under way in Upper Lake, utilizing a 2.5-acre parcel of land adjacent to the high school.

According to Tammy Alaksay, of AmeriCorps, this project has the potential to incorporate literally the entire community from the Head Start preschool, to the elementary school, high school, agricultural department, and Upper Lake community members.

“This group has great vision, and it is so exciting to see these kinds of dynamic ideas taking root here in Lake County,” she said.

Alaksay is optimistic that they will be able to get “something in the ground this year, which will just be a first step toward our ultimate goal, and something really special.”

The Hunger Task Force wants to be a support to any school interested in starting their own garden. “Help in the form of garden starts or even labor may be available through the Hunger Task Force, with support of partners like AmeriCorps,” said Alaksay.

The Lake County Hunger Task Force is also supporting local community gardens throughout Lake County. Last year alone they harvested 6,201 pounds of fresh produce, which was distributed to food banks and schools, as well as others in need. Their primary goal is for all Lake County residents to go to bed each day having had enough good, nourishing meals available.

County Health Services also was awarded a grant from California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) to increase consumption and production of fresh produce (vegetables, fruit, and tree nuts). They are partnering with local community agencies and members of the Health Leadership Network to implement the project. One exciting element in the works is the development of an online ordering system through which institutions and the public will be able to purchase these products directly via an online system.

Obesity and poor nutrition are real challenges throughout the nation, and Lake County is no exception. These innovative and exciting programs are effective ways we can fight back.

Alaksay explained, “One of the very serious issues with our bad economy is that people don’t have enough food to eat. We want to encourage people that you can put a few seeds in the ground and eat for the summer.”

In the days when obesity was not increasing at such an alarming rate, folks often had their own gardens and ate more locally grown produce. These are good ways to support population health and a vibrant community in any era.

It is going to take everyone working together to prevent obesity and its related health conditions. We are fortunate that our community is already taking many action steps toward improved health and well-being.

Stay tuned for more developments that promote “Eat Fresh ~ Buy Lake County Grown.”

Susan Jen is director of the Lake County Health Leadership Network.

The 2009-10 school year is about to come to an end and it is important to take a moment for reflection.

This has been a very hard, stressful year for everyone in our community. A majority of our families have suffered due to the financial crisis and have been required to make many hard decisions.

A greater percentage of our students came to school hungry, sleepless and under emotional stress. It was incumbent upon the schools and our community to provide these students with the intellectual and biological nourishment needed for growth.

I believe that we have done an admirable job. We began last summer by handing out more than 600 breakfasts and lunches a day at no cost to the school district.

Many of our businesses, service groups and individual community members donated time, clothes, money and other items to our schools. Our graduates received a record amount of scholarship monies for their future endeavors.

We asked for volunteers to help in the school and they came out in greater numbers than ever before. These volunteers did many very important jobs and did them well – everything from tutoring algebra to coaching our seventh and eighth grade intramural teams.

Despite the hard times, our students had more options than ever before because of the efforts of our community. We joined together to make our children’s lives better.

The Konocti Unified School District was able to keep all of its programs in operation while still making improvements.

This was our first full year with students being able to play in our state-of-the art gym facility at Lower Lake High School (LLHS). We also just completed the fitness center which is filled with new physical fitness equipment.

We upgraded the Burns Valley and East Lake fields and the LLHS baseball backstop with help from PSI Seminars and our community.

A wide range of performing arts and athletics were available to our students. Martha Miller continued to teach our elementary students the fundamentals of music, band and choir.

Dozens of seventh and eighth grade students were transported to LLHS at the end of the school day to work with Tracy Lahr-Bettencourt and Cydney Dixon in music and drama. LLHS maintained all of its music and drama classes and gave many superb performances throughout the year.

Our athletic programs also grew and prospered. The seventh and eighth grade intramural programs more than tripled the number of athletes participating in athletics from the prior year. Our LLHS athletes represented their school with skill, dedication and sportsmanship in all of the sports in which we have competed in previous years.

Our community also provided additional athletic opportunities such as basketball (KBL), football (youth football), baseball (South Shore Little League), soccer and wresting.

We have kept our honors courses and expanded our career-tech vocational programs at the high school. Carlé High School was once again recognized as one of the finest schools in the state, with its six-year WASC accreditation. Highlands Academy was created to address the needs of the district’s most at-risk students in grades fourth through ninth.

The most crucial element for success in any educational system is personnel. Every school employee makes a difference in their lives of our children. The relationships and good will that they foster are one of our district’s greatest strengths.

Our bus drivers greeted students each morning, drove them safely to school and even supplied jackets/sweatshirts for students in need.

Our teachers worked very long hours to make sure that their students mastered the academic standards, grew socially and were emotionally nurtured.

Our paraprofessionals tutored individual students and gave them a safe, kind environment in which to learn.

Our administrators provided guidance and support to parents, students and staff.

Our cooks made sure that healthy food was available to all students, that it was offered with a kind word and that the special dietary needs of our diabetic students were met.

At the beginning of the year, I asked all of the Konocti Unified School District employees to do what they could to fulfill the needs of our students and community and to become the “heart” of our community.

I watched our employees work harder than ever before to provide for our students and to support our community.

If you know someone who works for the school district, please express your thanks for a job well done. These employees have truly gone the extra mile, in a very difficult time. Your thanks would mean the world to them and supply the encouragement needed to do it all over again in August.

Thanks to everyone who helped our district survive and thrive this year.

Dr. William R. MacDougall is superintendent of the Konocti Unified School District.

I am currently serving as a member of the Advisory Committee to the Clearlake Redevelopment Agency.

I must emphasize at the outset that I am not addressing the issue of the redevelopment plan amendment in my capacity as a member of the advisory committee. The advisory committee has taken no formal action with respect to the plan amendment. I am simply addressing it in my capacity as a concerned member of the public who is, hopefully, somewhat better informed than the average citizen with respect to the issues involved with the plan amendment.

The only argument in opposition to the plan amendment, to my knowledge, is that the existing plan has failed to accomplish major initiatives during its prior 20 years of existence.

Based on my review of the redevelopment agency’s history and current affairs I share in this criticism, to a degree.

I have previously presented the board with my view that the current proposal to expend a sum potentially in excess of $7 million in borrowed redevelopment project funds to subsidize the Lowe’s project at the airport site is extremely ill-advised, especially because such expenditure is likely to preclude any other redevelopment projects of any.

I continue to urge the council to exercise any and every possible opportunity to reconsider and reduce or eliminate this proposed expenditure.

In my view, a substantial portion of the redevelopment project funds should be redirected to a public benefit project that will directly benefit and enhance the Clear Lake waterfront area that ought to serve as the town center. A plan to develop the waterfront was the central recommendation of the Clearlake Vision Task Force (a volunteer body on which I also served).

However, I disagree with claims to the effect that “nothing has been accomplished” by redevelopment in Clearlake.

Such sweeping statements overlook significant and lasting accomplishments, particularly, the present city hall complex, and the acquisition of some prime real estate parcels, such as Highlands Park and the Austin property, and even the airport property (I am still hopeful that the development of this property will ultimately be modified to result in a transaction that is not a money-losing proposition for the Agency) that are sound longterm investments by the agency in my view, given proper stewardship.

I do not concur with the view that past failures or mistakes in judgment inevitably condemn the city of Clearlake and its redevelopment agency to a similarly blighted future.

There is reason to hope that with an improving economy, real progress will come to the city of Clearlake and that an extended community redevelopment plan can be a part of the success story.

We need the plan amendment in place in order to have the opportunity for this to occur. The plan amendment costs relatively little, and provides a substantial potential upside for the community in terms of the ability to finance needed projects.

For these reasons, I urge the Clearlake City Council to adopt the plan amendment.

Robert R. Riggs lives in Clearlake.