How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
Letters
- Details
- Written by: Tim Ashley
Clearlake's biggest problem is the algae, period.
If the quality of the water was good people would flock to our city as they did in the past. If it wasn't for the dirty looking lake, big money would build beautiful resorts here.
Another major problem is the lack of the police not enforcing the laws. They say that they can't because they are understaffed, but they didn't do any better of a job when they had a larger force. They have always got an excuse for not getting the job done.
When nice folks come to this city and see someone driving up and down the street blasting their music and see litter and graffiti, they're gone, and they let other people know this is a low class place, stay away.
The dirty looking, stinky lake is the big killer, it's a shame that such a beautiful area is not one of the biggest tourist attractions in the state.
The reason our city, state and the whole country has failed is, ineffective and just plain lousy liberal government that has created a welfare state. They throw billions away on illegal aliens and human tick scumbags that suck our resources dry.
They have made us all suffer the ramifications of their poor decision making, and things just keep getting worse.
Tim Ashley lives in Clearlake, Calif.
- Details
- Written by: Conrad Justice Kiczenski
A couple of weeks ago on my show “Guerrilla Radio” on KPFZ, I interviewed the woman who has spearheaded the monthly documentary screening and social venue called Second Sunday Cinema (SSC). SSC screens thought provoking documentaries from around the world that cover topics ranging from corporate war profiteering, the monopolization and exploitation of our food and health-care industries, to the overall global injustices that take place everyday that effect our personal lives and which we seem to otherwise ignore.
The name of the woman that I interviewed is Shannon Tolson, and she spoke of how she envisions SSC to not only be an outlet to educate the community in a way that the corporate press has failed to do, but to also be a catalyst for true grassroots change in Lake County. She talked about the concept of “transition towns” and how we as a community need to re-learn basic human skills of living and come together to find ways of providing clean food and water for ourselves and our family here locally.
After this interview I was very much inspired to attend July’s SSC screening of “Collapse” by Michael Ruppert. This documentary made it very clear that the two things which western civilization relies on most to sustain itself, that being petroleum and U.S. dollars, are headed for an inevitable “collapse.”
Without going into to much depth about the concepts of peak oil, fossil fuels and fiat currency, it is suffice to say that the systems which we have come to depend on for our food, water, electricity, clothing, transportation, etc, has lead to the pollution of the planet, global military conflicts, the monopolization of the Earth's resources, and the perpetual economic debt of ourselves and our posterity, all of which have raised the outrageous profits of banks and oil companies, while being inherently self-destructive for both the Earth and humanity.
The most inspiring event of this documentary screening was not the movie itself, but the community conversation that took place afterwards. I would estimate that a crowd of around 50 people came together in a circle to reflect on the issues expressed in the movie. People with many different expertise in everything from agriculture, food co-ops, alternative technologies, law, water, medicine, to local media outlets all came together to discuss what we could do as a community to help strengthen and localize our economy in Lake County. It was very inspiring.
I am writing this letter to inform the people of this community that this meeting was just the beginning of a localization process taking place in Lake County. Another meeting has been scheduled this next Sunday so that we can begin to share, define and build the vision that we have as a community for dealing with all the serious global and local issues that we are facing.
Many of us already are doing the work necessary to build self-sustaining homes and economies in our families and communities. By coming together to share food and discussion, we will not only be able to exchange knowledge and resources, but most importantly we can build a sense of community. The mere strength and inspiration that comes from true community is enough for us to overcome anything. So please be inspired to come and attend this meeting and help spread the word.
In case you are not able to make this meeting, I will be organizing a community discussion and report on the airwaves of KPFZ to update people on what took place at the meeting, along with what goals we have for the future. We will have on the air some of the folks who are helping to organize the meeting as well as members of local radio, print, Internet and TV media in Lake County. The report will be live from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on 88.1 FM on my show Guerrilla Radio, courtesy of your local “community” radio station! Please listen, call-in and be apart of the discussion!
Call-in phone numbers:
1-707-263-3435
OR, if your outside the dialing area, call:
1-800-763-5739
Meeting details: Sunday, July 25, at 6 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.) at the Clearlake United Methodist Church, 14521 Pearl Ave. near Mullen in Clearlake.
Invite your inner leader to come to this gathering as we begin the process of creating our own future.
For more information, call 707-928-0159 or 707-279-2957.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Conrad is 19 years old and lives in Lucerne. He is also the producer of “Guerrilla Radio” on KPFZ. To find more information about his show, visit www.guerrillaradiokpfz.podomatic.com or www.radicaljusticeman.podomatic.com.
- Details
- Written by: Anna Ravenwoode
According to a county staff report dated July 8, 2010, the developers of Plum Flat Subdivision are requesting a rezone from rural residential, (RR) (low density) to planned development residential (PDR) (high density) to construct a residential subdivision on a 105-acre parcel.
And if the added request of a general plan of development is approved, their initial 30 parcels can expand to 104 with the approval of a specific plan of development.
Increased residential density: This increase in density requires a full environmental impact report to inform the surrounding community as to whether this project will create significant environmental impacts.
Discrepancies: All parcels immediately surrounding this project, are zoned either RR or rural lands (RL), or have potential agricultural use as indicated by a grading permit issued for a vineyard; and the existence of a walnut orchard to the north. Due to these immediate zoning differences and agricultural possibilities, a full EIR should be completed to protect agricultural land and reduce urban sprawl.
Lack of Infrastructure: While the developer vacillates between a community or individual septic system, the most obvious problem is that currently, no infrastructure exists. Combining this problem with a speculative water supply, shows this Project needs more planning and a full EIR, to inform and allow public comment on “how” waste water will be treated; “where” the water supply will be found; and “where” the related municipal water system will be located within the project. In addition, how will the water supply use affect the surrounding Clear Lake Rivera water quantity and quality.
Access: How can “potential environmental impacts related to traffic and circulation be mitigated to insignificant levels” (page 17 (A) (3), if there has been no final decision on access to the project. All possibilities for access, (and a through traffic study on each alternative) should be documented in a full EIR for public comment and review.
Absence of California Law regarding Oak Woodland Protection: The California Laws which govern Oak Woodland Protection include the: California Environmental Quality Act, Professional Foresters Law and Public Resources Code Section 21083.4.
California Law regarding Oak Woodland Protection: The definition of an “oak woodland” has been determined by the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection as: “any significant stand of oak trees, with a canopy cover of 10 percent or greater.” The Board of Forestry has the authority to regulate oak woodlands at the local or state level. The most important aspect of the Board of Forestry definition is how it applies to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Under California law, when a local jurisdiction is making a determination involving CEQA, they must ask: Does this Project have a “potentially significant impact” on oak woodlands? The staff report dated 7/8/10 for the 7/22/10 Planning Commission hearing does not address this question. Under California Law, only a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) can legally and accurately answer the above question.
Therefore, greatest need for a full EIR is to answer the above question regarding the 70 acres of oak woodland habitat and seven acres of mixed oak woodlands within the Plum Flat project boundary. The removal of 77 acres of native species for a high density subdivision requires a determination by an RPF under CEQA.
Conclusion: Deny the request for rezone and general plan of development and deny any proposal for adoption of a mitigated negative declaration. The only legal way to move forward on this project is to comply with CEQA, which is a public disclosure document, and require a full EIR on this project.
Anna Ravenwoode lives in Kelseyville.
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News Reports
Some of you have been with us since the beginning – 2005. Others are new to our reports. This report is to serve as an update, by way of explanation, as to why we haven't published reports since April.
I'll keep this brief. In mid-April, I began to get quite ill. By the beginning of May, I nearly lost my life to renal (kidney) failure. I've been hospitalized on and off four times now, just coming home to my family two days ago. I hope now, and pray fervently, that the worst is behind me. I'm not yet strong enough to return to work, but have hopes of doing so – mostly on a social basis – next week. Once I'm back in the mix, I'll do my best to begin to bring you regular updates as in the past.
All I ask is for your patience and perhaps for your prayers for me, my family and for our business to persevere through this. My wife and I believe that we'll come out of this on the other side stronger than we were when it began.
If you have an opportunity to come by our store in Clearlake, we would love to hear from you. My wife Brianna, Jerry and Nicole have done a phenomenal job keeping things running in my absence.
And to those of you who have been so supportive the last few months, all we can offer is our sincere gratitude. Your love and kindness have blessed us enormously. I miss you all.
Bob Rider is owner of Lakeshore Bait & Tackle in Clearlake, Calif.