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Letters
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- Written by: Dave Gebhard
Lake County is approaching another tipping point, hopefully changing the old conventional theory, of retaining the rural and anti-blue collar atmosphere that has existed heretofore. Instead, I purpose we create a more hospitable community for the young and the working class; a community, where they have affordable housing.
With the high unemployment, should we be eliminating low income housing? If we can make exceptions to our general plan for Cristallago and other large developments, why shut down longstanding businesses? How are we to replace the former motels that house the blue-collar workers at the present time?
Someone must house the landscapers, the pruners, the dishwashers, the burger flippers and all those who do the work the rest of us do not want. I think we should take case by case, examining each for safety, and if they pose a blight on their respective neighborhoods.
Not all former motels are blights, and it is folly to lump them all together. They can be very productive and a boon to their neighborhoods. The workers who make our living comfortable can afford to live inside our community.
Take Silicon Valley for instance; housing is so high that they have subsidized apartments for public school teachers to house their families. Are we going to revert to the old attitude, unfriendly to the young and poor, of Lake County’s past?
I know of one motel owner who purchased their business 20 years ago, and completely remodeled it, and keeps it as spotless as frequent changing of tenants allows.
I propose we examine one case at a time, retaining businesses that do not blight their neighborhoods and do not compromise the safety of their tenants.
If we can amend the general plan for large-scale development in agricultural land, we can assist motel owners to convert to apartment status. Especially if they show the ability to compromise and meet county standards, still subjective but give them a chance.
Dave Gebhard lives in Lakeport.
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- Written by: Davina Pyzer
On Feb. 25, 27 business members from all over Lake County visited the school in the morning and held job interviews with approximately 150 upper grade students.
The purpose of this event was to help students become more aware of career choices, the interview process and writing resumes and filling out job applications.
Career Day consists of fifth and sixth graders selecting from a list of careers, creating resumes, completing sample job applications and holding mock interviews.
Most students were very excited and nervous about this event, but all did very well and the business professionals enjoyed the process just as much as the students.
This year some of the interview opportunities included law enforcement, teachers, talent scouts, medical professions and many other careers.
The best thing about the day is the fact that every adult that is interviewing makes the students feel good about what they are doing, and the kids walk out with smiles on their faces.
Community members have commented on what an invaluable experience this is for the students to have a hands-on opportunity and wish that it could continue past sixth grade. I always look forward to the planning of this biennial event.
A second activity that took place the same week was called “What I Want To Be Week.” Students in fourth through sixth grades were given the opportunity to dress up representing different careers relating to a daily theme. Students who participated earned raffle tickets for prizes donated by local businesses.
The costumes were amazing and included a safari guide, doctors, athletes, newscaster, ranchers and corporate executives. Many of the teachers also showed enthusiasm by participating in this event. This event has remained an annual activity for Coyote Valley Elementary.
I would like to say thank you to the Coyote Valley PTO, The Big Chill, Crave, The Video Place, Subway, Hardester’s Market and family members for all of their generous donations. The students had wonderful prizes to look forward to each day. Both events were a huge success.
Davina Pyzer is coordinator for Coyote Valley Elementary School's Career Day event.
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- Written by: Herman "Woody" Hughes
My wife asked him how his elderly father was doing. He said that he had gone to Salem over the weekend and brought his father back so he could look after some medical matters for him. He said he and his wife were enjoying their visit with dad.
He related that as they were relaxing the previous evening, his dad catching a nap in his chair, the phone rang. A neighbor asked if he would like to come over and help butcher a pig. When asked, dad thought that would be fine, so at 11 p.m. they set out to help the neighbor with his task.
The pig, a huge one about 300 pounds, was still in the back of the pickup when they arrived. They helped get it out of the truck and into the barn where everything was ready for the butchering. The neighbor was well equipped to handle the chore as he had done this quite a few times before. It was the surgeon’s first time to cut up a cadaver since medical school, however. He usually cuts on live subjects such as my wife and I.
The operation (on the pig) was a huge success and the good doctor was rewarded with several packages of fresh pork for his freezer.
Sandy survived her operation; the pig didn’t.
Oh, did I mention that the neighbor in this story is a mortician who owns one of the local funeral homes? I guess you could say that the surgeon and the mortician are quite the cut-ups.
It’s great living in a small town.
(Names withheld to protect the innocent, whoever they may be.)
Herman W. (Woody) Hughes, Ph.D., lives in Lakeport.
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- Written by: Olga Martin Steele
Lake County Sheriff’s Association likes the status quo but that just won’t do.
The Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Association’s position is clear. They like things just as they are; hence the majority vote of its members to endorse Sheriff Mitchell.
Although they did not have the required two-thirds vote needed to endorse a candidate for district attorney, the majority of votes went to Jon Hopkins and Doug Rhoades, a clear signal they like their own and either don’t want, or are afraid of, the change new leadership will bring.
Hopkins is the sitting district attorney and Rhoades, a candidate for district attorney, works closely with the deputies in his public defender role and has a family member on the sheriff’s staff.
That’s too bad because the citizens of Lake County deserve better and a change in leadership in the offices of sheriff and district attorney is needed.
There are many examples of poor leadership in these offices and both share in the most notable example, the handling of a boat crash and fatality on Clear Lake. Bismark Dinius, the operator of a near stationary boat, was charged while Russell Perdock – an off-duty sheriff's chief deputy who ran into the Dinius boat at breakneck speed at night – incredibly, was not.
Ultimately Dinius was acquitted but the ordeal left a stinging and lasting reflection on both offices and the lawsuit soon to follow is the constant reminder of the true cost of bad leadership. Negative publicity and careless use of vital resources in crippling economic times is attributable directly to the dismal leadership of incumbents Mitchell and Hopkins.
This case was a sad commentary on these top government offices and, unfortunately, Lake County in general. Not what we need when we’re trying to reduce spending to save jobs, elevate our economic standing and boost tourism.
It’s time for a change in leadership and one day the good deputies who voted for the status quo will be the better for that change. In the meantime the weight of a growing perception that Lake County incumbents have overstayed their welcome will continue to cast a shadow on the local law enforcement community.
The primaries are on June 8. The only way to hold Sheriff Mitchell and District Attorney Hopkins accountable for their actions is for the voters to replace them. Fortunately, the people, not the endorsement (or the lack thereof) of the deputy sheriff’s association, will decide who goes on to the general election.
Olga Martin Steele lives in Clearlake Oaks.