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Written by: Carolynn Jarrett

Published: 29 January 2008

On Nov. 29, 2007, US News and World Report published the results of a study in which they evaluated 18,790 high schools nationwide and identified Lower Lake High School as "performing better than statistically expected for the average student in their state."

US News used a rigorous three-step analysis of data from the 2005-2006 school year in a formula developed by Standard and Poor's Schools Evaluation Services. The key principles of this study were that a "great high school must serve all its students well, not just those who are bound for college" and that a school must have "measurable academic outcomes that show the school is successfully educating its student body across a range of performance indicators."

Nationwide, US News identified 100 high schools at the gold level, 405 at the silver level and 1,086 at the bronze level. Lower Lake High School received a bronze award. It is the only high school in Lake County to receive recognition.

In education, it is a common assumption that demographics are destiny. Statistically, across California and the nation, schools which serve poor and minority students have lower levels of achievement. Yet here we see that Lower Lake High School is receiving national recognition for beating those odds.

In the past few years the achievements of Lower Lake High School students have been notable in many areas. In both 2007 and 2006, the Academic Decathlon team competed at state level. Last year, the football and volleyball teams were league champions. In statewide SkillsUSA competitions, Lower Lake High School vocational education students have consistently won gold, silver and bronze medals. It is clear that Lower Lake High School serves its students well.

The parents and community of the Konocti Unified School District can be rightfully proud of the staff and students at Lower Lake High School. It is the hard work, high expectations and dedication of teachers and staff, and the positive response of students, which made this latest award by US News possible. It shows that when students are encouraged and supported they can overcome the challenges and barriers of their circumstances.

Please join me in extending appreciation and congratulations to the staff and students of Lower Lake High School. Way to go, Trojans!

 

Carolynn Jarrett is a member of the Konocti Unified School District Board of Trustees. She lives in Clearlake.

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Written by: Scott Fergusson

Published: 28 January 2008

Thank you Caltrans, and all of those involved, for the much-needed warning flashing signal that Linda and I requested for the Hidden Valley Road/Spruce Grove Extension/ Highway 29 crossing sign.

Hopefully it helps reduce the number of accidents and near misses that happen there.

We hope the road improvements scheduled for this spring are still on track and everything goes smoothly.

 

Thanks again.

Scott Fergusson lives in Hidden Valley Lake.

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Written by: Shirley Howland

Published: 27 January 2008

Yes, Dennis Kucinich has dropped out of the race for president. But we were not going to vote for the man – we were going to vote for his courageous stance on the issues: universal, single payer, not-for-profit health care; stop funding the illegal, immoral occupation in Iraq; hold Cheney and Bush accountable for their lying, spying and torture policies; restore our Constitution and Bill of Rights; change America's foreign policy from one of creating hatred against us for our aggression to establishing a Department of Peace in our government; the build-up of WMDs and war with Iran; and much more.

His has been a voice of reason and sanity in a brain-washed Congress, and now that voice is threatened by his own political party in his own Congressional District in Cleveland, Ohio. It seems that the corporations controlling the media that kept him out of the Democratic presidential debates have now decided to crush him out of politics altogether, and with the help of the Democratic leadership, they are pouring millions of dollars and supporting four other candidates against him to try to take away his seat in the House of Representatives. If he loses that seat, we the people will lose our last best chance to save our country.

His name is still on the Democratic ballot for Feb. 5. If you want to send the Democratic Party and the corporate media a message, please vote for the issues that Dennis Kucinich continues to try to bring into the discussion and everyone else is ignoring. A vote for Dennis is a vote for the issues.

Shirley Howland lives in Clearlake.

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