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Letters
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- Written by: Martha Mincer
Given all of our many wonderful resources we still have dire economic and health issues to contend with in order to build the bright future we deserve.
If we don’t elect leaders who have the answers and the ability to implement them we are in real trouble!
After seeing the Zoom supervisor debate for District Five and meeting with Jessica Pyska I feel strongly that she is the candidate who has the skills, experience, strength and leadership ability to take us forward.
The Lake County issues that she is already working on and the relationships inside and outside the county she has developed will let her have the solid, knowledgeable, powerful start (hit the ground running) that we desperately need for our supervisor team.
Martha Mincer is chief executive officer of Stonehill. She lives in Kelseyville, California.
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- Written by: Roberta Lyons
Pyska has been working for years on community projects and fire safe issues. She is aware of grants that are available to our county and has the knowledge and energy to go after state and federal financing which will aid our county in dealing with both socio-economic challenges and the ever-present wildfire threats.
She is aware of pressing issues facing all of the communities in District 5 that she will represent. I live in Jago Bay, which is in close proximity to the Clear Lake Riviera. There is great concern for the safety of residents of the Riviera community because of the threat of wildfire and Jessica has answers and ideas.
She isn’t content to say: “Well, that’s going to be hard to do and could take a really long time.”
That phrase is not in her repertoire; she is already involved with the Lake County Risk Reduction Authority for fire risk reduction; she serves on the Blue Ribbon committee’s socioeconomic subcommittee and also has a keen knowledge of economic development grants and small business loan programs.
She will represent all areas of the diverse District 5 communities and will address both economic development and fire safety in the whole county.
I encourage everyone to listen to or watch the forum which is available on YouTube: LCCOC Sup 5 Candidate Forum 9-14-20. You’ll see what I mean. Jessica has hope, ideas, energy and experience. She is ready to take Lake County in a new and positive direction. I encourage a vote for her on Nov. 3, for District 5 supervisor.
It’s time for a change.
Roberta Lyons lives in Lower Lake, California.
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- Written by: Kathy Windrem
In this unprecedented and most challenging time of the pandemic, he has demonstrated leadership and strength in making the tough decision to start the school year with distance learning rather than in-person.
Though this presents new challenges, he has followed the advice and experience of doctors, scientists and public health officials.
He is not only protecting those of us in the community who are more vulnerable to the virus, but this action will also help to more quickly slow the spread so students and staff can return to safe and healthy schools. This helps all of us.
We are all very anxious to return to the days of healthy schools, businesses and communities, and leadership like Dave McQueen’s are what we need.
Kathy Windrem lives in Kelseyville, California.
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- Written by: Dirk Slooten
I would argue that it is not compatible with my vision for the city of Clearlake; there are several reasons:
It will take business away from the local nearby mom and pop stores – just ask Gary Nylander from the Red and White Store in the Oaks. They have always invested in the social fabric of the community; Dollar General will not. Their profits do not stay in the county or city.
The Dollar General business model is such that they build their stores in low-income areas, hire one full-time manager and the rest of the employees are part-time at minimum wage, and there are horror stories of employee exploitation.
A comment of a Dollar General manager is “they pay you for 48 hours but say you’re not owning your business unless you work 60-plus hours.”
They will sell the store to outside investors with no local commitment to the welfare of the community.
They will concentrate several stores in a certain area hoping to ward off bigger stores, that will certainly put a stop to new investments of local business owners with more ambitious plans for our city.
We could possibly lose the chance of a new shopping center at the airport property.
Other communities in the county have rejected Dollar General for all the right reasons. Family-owned grocery stores operate at thin margins and Dollar General stores can pressure them with sometimes lower prices. Most Dollar General stores do not carry fresh groceries; they offer the same household products and general essentials, which are the highest margin items.
So when Dollar General takes that business away from the local grocer, you are left with no mom and pop stores that sell fresh groceries in economically depressed areas.
Other complaints that will arrive from the Dollar General store is an increase in crime and loitering around the store. The design of the store is the cookie-cutter approach with an unattractive exterior and obtrusive signage.
It is clear to me that we do not want a Dollar General store in our city.
Dirk C. Slooten is vice mayor of the city of Clearlake, California.