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Opinion
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- Written by: Brian Fisher
Looking down, it was hard for us to reconcile what we had just been told at an open house in Sonoma when the Realtor said, “They don’t like your kind in Lake County.”
Soon after the first visit we bought a ranch in Kelseyville which eventually became our full-time home. We found people open, accepting and willing to change long held stereotypes. We quickly became known as the “Guys on Gaddy.”
We started a business in downtown Kelseyville (www.suiteonmain.com) and joined the Kelseyville Business Association. We opened our ranch up to weddings, memorials, fundraisers and community gatherings. To say that we were welcomed by the Kelseyville community would be putting it mildly.
One didn't have to scratch too far below the surface to figure out who the town was named after. It has always been a conundrum for us. A town born at a time of so much anger and violence has healed itself and become a welcoming community, a town of festivals, strong family values, good neighbors, successful businesses, civic pride and acceptance.
Myself and others took on the project of building the town's visitor website www.visitkelseyville.com. We bought the URL and built a brand deck that provided a roadmap of economic prosperity to the community.
We invested countless hours into marketing Kelseyville as the friendly country town it has come to be known.
We looked at our demographics and realized that we were not speaking to all of Kelseyville’s 3,500 residents, principally the Latino community. We set about making changes and from that exploration the “Dia de La Independencia” festival was created which now rivals any of the largest festivals in Lake County. We pride ourselves on being a community for all.
Having spent many decades in marketing in the San Francisco Bay Area and also having worked on some of Lake County’s biggest brands — Steele Wines, Visit Kelseyville and now Visit Lake County — I can say from experience that a name change from Kelseyville to Konocti would set our town and the county back several decades. While it will vindicate some well-intended people, it would deliver a gut punch to the town.
Truthfully, given this decision will be made by individuals who have never been here, it really is more of a sucker punch to the people of Kelseyville.
I would argue that we are in a far stronger place today to demonstrate who we are and what we stand for as the united community we have become.
Our tiny little town sits in the long shadow of a far bigger reminder of those who inhabited this land well before us — Mount Konocti.
That landmark should not be diluted into one town’s name. It would be repeating the same mistake as when The Highlands was renamed after Clear Lake.
Kelseyville is not perfect but we strive to be a town that looks to building a future that is for everyone and in no way represents the beliefs and values of one of its abhorrent founders.
Brian Fisher lives in Kelseyville, California.
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- Written by: Megan D. Lankford
I have worked with her for many years and she has the right combination of intelligence and common sense to make her a very effective judge for Lake County.
She has been endorsed by Congressman Mike Thompson, Assembly Member Cecelia Aguiar-Curry, Lake County District Attorney Susan Krones, and many members of the defense bar and local civil lawyers as well.
She started a mental health court in Lake County to help shift the burden from our police and jails to mental health specialists and she is about to help launch a Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment, or CARE, court here as well, which will play an important role in addressing homelessness in Lake County by getting people with mental health and substance use disorders the support and care they need by using early intervention techniques.
Judge Harry will continue to work tirelessly to make our community a better place and I believe that she is the most qualified person for the job.
Right now we need a judge with the experience and support of the legal community to make our court system the best it can be, and that person is Judge Harry.
Megan D. Lankford, Esq., lives in Kelseyville, California.
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- Written by: Melissa Fulton
His broad experience gained from years of working with all law enforcement agencies in Lake County and many from outside the county has served our residents very well.
When I became aware in March of this year that he would be running for District 4 supervisor, I was sure Lake County would benefit greatly from his decision.
Brad and I have been community volunteers through our service clubs in many events over several years. He is a very active volunteer with Lakeport Kiwanis and Lions and I, through my membership in the Lakeport Rotary Club and Lake County Rodeo Association, have enjoyed contributing to our communities.
He has been an excellent chief of police and during my years as chief executive officer of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, the cooperation of the Lakeport Police Department has always been there for our businesses and residents.
When we had disasters in the county Brad was very involved in working with all relevant agencies to assure safety for all concerned.
Lake County needs involved and committed supervisors who work for all residents and communities throughout the county.
His experience and cooperation with others is a testimony to his ability to look at the big picture, which will result in informed and intelligent results for Lake County.
He will invest himself fully as District 4 supervisor.
Melissa Fulton is the retired CEO of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce. She lives in Lakeport, California.
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- Written by: Gregory Scott
Voting ballot in hand, I have done my homework and made my decision in favor of the candidate best able to step into the job on day one — Brad Rasmussen.
Brad ranks highest in the categories of problem solving, knowledge and leadership capacity because he has the demonstrated experience needed to take District 4 and the county in a positive direction. As affable, and well-intended as the other candidates seem, none match Brad’s qualifications to lead at the highest levels of local government.
To this point, Brad presents the only tangible knowledge and understanding of how a government budget actually works. This is important because budget setting is a fundamental aspect of leadership and budget decisions can make or break us. Anyone unfamiliar with budget sources, purposes and limitations will be lost.
While other candidates claim budget experience — Brad is the only candidate that can claim experience managing a complex multimillion-dollar government budget and that has made difficult decisions, including cutting budgets in bad times and finding creative ways to deal with employee turnover and staff shortages.
Homelessness is a hot button issue in District 4 and throughout the county. All the candidates agree it’s a problem needing action. But I saw no evidence to indicate another candidate had hands-on experience dealing with the problems of the unhoused.
By recognizing that policing was not a solution, Brad partnered with a nonprofit agency to include professionals in police responses, thus ensuring problems of drug dependencies and mental health were properly assessed and referred to appropriate treatment and services.
As an experienced problem solver — Brad organized a public awareness forum on the high use and impact of drugs such as fentanyl, another rapidly growing and destructive issue our County faces. Until hearing him speak, I didn’t realize the county ranks No. 3 in the state for opioid mortality.
To this point, Brad collaborated with school officials and arranged to bring the forum into our local schools to reach impressionable youth and raise awareness of the extreme danger opioids pose.
In his current job as a police chief, Brad understands better than all the other candidates combined what it takes to manage emergencies and what it means to be on call 24/7.
Demonstrated leadership experience is invaluable at the highest levels of government. With its vast history of catastrophic disasters, our county needs a person well qualified in incident response and management — including obtaining state and federal resources and making timely emergency declarations that assure funding for losses is available to individuals and businesses.
In other matters — like land use, groundwater management, fire prevention, the hitch and the peculiarities of a county district with a city inside its boundaries — again, Brad shines. As a member of the city of Lakeport’s management team he’s had a bird’s eye view of how making proper land use decisions benefits our quality of living as well as helping to grow our economy.
A testament to his character, abilities, and his willingness to dig deep to find solutions to problems facing the district and the entire county, it is no surprise to see the long and diverse list of endorsements Brad has received. From the Realtors Association to the police union and SEIU local 2015 to the long-time and former Lake County Chamber CEO, the former editor of the Record-Bee, and the former District 3 supervisor — to literally countless small businesses, individuals and highly qualified professionals — it is clear why Brad is their choice.
While it is true and admirable to see all the candidates take the time to get up to speed on the job requirements — it will take more than ideas and rehearsed answers to prepared questions to effectively do the job for the people of Lake County.
Brad has worked closely with county officials and staff as well as agencies in and outside of the county for years — his commitment to public service is unquestionable and if elected, his transition will be smooth.
As one knowledgeable person said — the job is not what most candidates understand. He is supporting Brad.
I ask for your vote for Brad Rasmussen for our next District 4 supervisor.
Gregory D. Scott is a retired Cal Fire assistant chief. He lives in Lakeport, California.