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Letters
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- Written by: John Robertson
Some members of our community have expressed disappointment and betrayal that there is not sufficient funds left in the Lakeport Unified School District bond to complete the Westshore Pool Complex renovations. They believe the school board has been fiscally irresponsible by not making the pool a higher priority.
Community pool operations normally don’t take in enough revenue to pay annual operating expenditures.
A few local examples are:
– The city of Ukiah has an annual budget for the operation of the Ukiah municipal swimming pools for aquatics programs and events. During the last three years, the program has had an operating deficit in excess of $350,000. The recommended annual budget for 2018-19 projects an operating deficit of $160,000.
– The Fort Bragg Aquatic Center lost significant amount of money during its first 15 months of operations. In 2010, the annual operating budget was approximately $500,000 per year while its revenue was just $334,000 per year. To keep the pool open, Fort Bragg voted a 0.50-percent sales tax increase in 2012 to fully fund the annual operations.
– The City of Lakeport provides assistance toward operating costs of the Westshore Pool complex. Lakeport has provided over $165,000 in support of operating costs for the pool during the previous three years. The 2018-2019 annual adopted budget for the city of Lakeport has reduced the level of support to $3,000. Any future operating deficits of the Westshore Pool Complex will have to be covered by the Lakeport Unified School District by reducing services to students.
The Lakeport Unified School District has demonstrated fiscal responsibility by focusing on the Measure T Bond projects that directly benefit the students.
It is also clear that the community supports the Westshore Pool complex. The sistrict has successfully partnered with the city of Lakeport in the past to help offset operating costs of the Westshore Pool complex, and to minimize the impact on student services.
Rather than making the Westshore Pool complex a divisive issue, our community would be better served by working to together to solve the financial problems often associated with a community pool.
The Mendocino Coast Recreation & Park District has successfully partnered with the city of Fort Bragg, the Fort Bragg Unified School District, the California Recreational Alliance and others to insure the success of its community pool.
There is no reason that our community could not do the same.
John Robertson lives in Lakeport, Calif.
- Details
- Written by: Shanda Harry
Since I filed to run for office back in January, I have worked every day to travel to all parts of the county to meet as many of you as possible. You have welcomed me with open arms, from that first campaign visit I made to a chili cookoff in Spring Valley to last weekend where I attended the Harvest Festival in Clearlake, the Halloween event in Loch Lomond, the Animal Coalition Dinner at the Moose Lodge and knocking on doors in Hidden Valley – and everything in between.
You have asked me wonderful questions and provided invaluable insight. You have made me dig deeper into issues – mental health courts, homeless issues, what the no money bail and new cannabis law impacts will be on the judicial system, and how you would really like to see the court system be more streamlined for ease of use. I look forward to meeting with additional community leaders on these issues and working to find more state funding going forward.
In June, you rewarded me by making me the top vote winner in the primary race against two opponents who had previously run for public office. As there was no majority winner, I began again the weeknights and weekends of reaching out to even more voters for the runoff election ending on Nov. 6.
None of this could have happened without the help of my family members. Between my full-time job as Lake County deputy county counsel and raising my 6-year old daughter, their help in placing all of my campaign signs, keeping track of all of my campaign finances and filling my campaign reports, and spending endless hours watching over my daughter helped me have sufficient time to devote to running a professional campaign. The same can be said of an early group of supporters, who provided invaluable advice and sufficient initial funding to allow me to pursue my goal of being a Lake County judge.
From the very beginning, my campaign has been completely transparent to the voters. Day by day anyone could watch the list of endorsements growing on my Web site – www.electshandaharryjudge.com/endorsements – and all of my financial reports have been filed online so that donors and the amount they gave and all monies expended are available for all to see: http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Misc/filerSearch.aspx?SEARCH=Shanda+harry .
I am proud of and grateful to all who have supported and endorsed me – you come from all economic, political, religious and ethnic backgrounds, all ages, all locations. In this time of political strife, it’s a comfort to know we can come together around a candidate in a nonpartisan judicial race. And also, to know that if I am the one to step onto the bench in January, I will do so with tremendous support from the community.
And that support comes not because people think they will get some “favor” from me when I become a judge but because they have deep confidence in my education, experience and abilities to feel sure that I will be an ethical judge who will treat all people in my courtroom with dignity and respect and I will make fair and impartial decisions according to the law.
Thank you, Lake County.
Shanda Harry is candidate for Lake County Superior Court judge. She lives in Lakeport, Calif.
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- Written by: Nancy Bradford
Don Anderson has 15 years of law enforcement experience. That experience includes being shot in the line of duty apprehending the person who had just murdered a fellow law enforcement officer.
He also has 28 years of experience as an attorney, with the last eight years as the elected district attorney. He has volunteered and performed the duties of a judge pro tem, judicial arbitrator, administrative law judge, board member and at youth sporting events. His opponent has not volunteered to do any of these.
Shanda Harry claims “vast experience” but in a debate she admitted to only helping other attorneys in three cases, handling three small car accidents and three misdemeanor cases, the most serious of these was the case of a drunk driver. Don Anderson had experience in over 60 jury trials and 1,800 other court trials. These include several murder trials and other serious felonies.
Shanda Harry claims she has “vast experience in all areas of law,” but has never done family law, probate or real estate law cases. Don Anderson has 20 years experience in these and all other areas of law.
When talking with Shanda Harry's supporters they often state their reason for voting for her as she is a woman, not her qualifications. I have not talked with one person who gave their reasons as being she is more qualified than Don Anderson. That concerns me greatly because thinking and decision making skills do not come from the portion of the anatomy that makes her a woman.
When looking at the debates it is clear Don Anderson knows the law and current issues and does not skirt around the questions.
Nancy Bradford lives in Lakeport, Calif.
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- Written by: Olga Martin Steele
When Shanda Harry stepped into the race for Lake County Superior Court judge last winter, she was a newcomer on the election scene.
Unlike her opponents, familiar names on the election ballot, Shanda had never run for elected office. I knew from personal experience that reaching voters on a countywide scale would take an enormous amount of work. At the time I wondered if she was up for the challenge.
Clearly she was. In a field of three, Shanda was the top vote getter in the primary election and is now in a run-off for Superior Court judge against a well-known candidate.
Fast forward to one week before the Nov. 6 general election and she’s still working as hard as ever – putting herself out there to give voters an opportunity to get to know her and what she will bring to the job. She’s at events big and small, knocking on doors, attending every candidate forum and responding to every call or request for information.
Shanda’s hard work has paid off – she’s captured the endorsements of local, state and federal leaders. More importantly she’s landed scores of supporters from all corners of the county, walks of life and political persuasion who believe she is the best candidate.
A quick look at her credentials and there’s no doubt Shanda’s got the experience and education needed for the job. She’s worked in the legal profession – in and outside of Lake County - for 17 years. She’s worked in private and public settings, handling the full range of cases a judge might encounter - and she graduated from a top-notch school.
“Google” Shanda Harry and you’ll find she gets high marks for character – one of the most important attributes of a good judge. Free of negative baggage or conflicts of interest, she’ll hit the ground running, an important consideration in our crowded courtrooms.
Shanda took on a big challenge when she decided to run for elected office, doing what mailers and signs alone could not accomplish. She gave voters direct access to her – and that took a lot of time, energy and hard work.
Hard work is the cornerstone of success. I am convinced Shanda will work hard every day on the bench to make sure justice is fairly served. She has my vote.
Olga Martin Steele lives in Clearlake Oaks, Calif.