Gloria Flaherty of Lake Family Resource Center led the Tuesday ceremony at Library Park. Courtesy photo.

LAKEPORT – To kick off a public awareness campaign to prevent child abuse throughout Lake County, 65 county residents participated in a short, yet highly emotional ceremony sponsored by the Lake County Children’s Council and the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association.

Gloria Flaherty, the Executive Director of Lake Family Resource Center and longtime member of the Children’s Council, presented a short history of the Children’s Council and its most recent accomplishments.

The council came about as the result of the violent death of a young boy here in Lake County in 1992, at the hands of someone he knew.

Since that time the Board of Supervisors has designated the Children’s Council as the Lake County Child Abuse Prevention Council – focusing on preventing child abuse in our community.

Two examples of new prevention services are the Nurturing Parenting program, which assists parents with positive parenting skills and Differential Response Services which help families resolve crisis before they escalate out of control.

Rebecca Hartley, 18, then spoke from the heart, telling her personal story of how she successfully recovered from her mother’s abusive behavior. This emotional story involved a journey that included encounters with the judicial system, probation department, foster care and foster care support services. Miss Hartley is now living on her own and is self-supporting while continue her college education.

The ceremony concluded with the raising of a memorial flag by representatives of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association on its flag pole. The flag symbolizes the children no longer with us as a result of abuse. The flag will fly on the flag staff for the month of April, 2008.

Those who attended the ceremony included members of Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 951; Untied Veterans Council; the District Attorney’s Office; Probation Department; Redwood Children Services; Office of Alcohol and Other Drug Services; Lake County Office of Education; AmeriCorps; Department of Veteran Services and Department of Health Services; and sheriff’s chaplains, represented by Fr. Ted of St. Mary’s Parish. Lunch was arranged by Holly Ari and prepared by Angelina’s Deli. Acoustic services were provided by”DJ” Andre Ari.

April 2008 is being commemorated as “Prevent Child Abuse Awareness” month in Lake County.

During the ceremony they raised a flag in honor of children on the Pearl Harbor Survivors' memorial flag pole. Courtesy photo.

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