Opinion
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- Written by: Becky Salato
In December, Konocti Unified School District presented the “biggest little concert ever.” I am quite certain we gathered the most student musicians in a single room that Lake County has ever seen.
About 150 students played together. It was wonderful. Lower Lake High School, or LLHS, and Obsidian Middle School combined their musical programs to entertain friends and family, led by LLHS music teacher (and alumna) Molly Silva and OMS music teacher Fernando Silveira.
All the audience seats in the high school gym were full and people lined the walls–it was literally standing room only.
One of the most impressive things about this concert was that our music program began the school year in a “rebuilding” phase.
Since COVID, the music programs at our schools have struggled for various reasons. Yet this year, the high school’s beginning band class has increased in size, the concert band has almost doubled from 17 students to 32, and the middle school program has increased from 45 to 92 with a waitlist.
Three students are learning instruments outside of school so they can join the marching band mid-year. Still others are taking lessons outside of school to skip beginning band and move straight to concert band.
Enthusiastic music teachers
I credit this growth to our two music teachers. Their enthusiasm and determination is inspiring. This is Ms. Silva’s first year with our district and Mr. Silveira’s second. Although they are decades apart in age, they are very much aligned when it comes to growing their programs.
They are both adamant that anyone can play. Some people are under the misconception that students must choose between being an athlete and a musician – not so! Years ago when Mr. Silveira was a high school student, he was both an athlete (football player) and a musician, and Ms. Silva has already coordinated with LLHS athletic coaches to ensure students can play sports and be in the marching band if they choose.
Really, the main thing in the way of growing our music program is a need for more instruments. We’ll continue to add music classes as our resources allow. Districtwide, we have grant funding to offset the cost of providing music instruction to students of all ages. In our elementary schools, our music program is integrated with other classes, so students get about an hour of music a week. Secondary students can enroll in music classes that meet daily.
Five-year plans
Both Ms. Silva and Mr. Silveira have five-year plans to dramatically expand their programs. They both want to create marching bands that attend festivals, parades and competitions. They both want to develop programs that welcome new students into music and provide a pathway to elevate their skills so they can participate in concert band, marching band, and/or jazz band.
LLHS has a show choir and Mr. Silveira would love to start a choir at the middle school. Mr. Silveira also talks about holding a future concert at Austin Park, open to the public for all to enjoy. Ms. Silva wants to provide college tours, allowing students to participate in Band Day at UC Berkeley and UC Davis to give students a sense of what could be next in their music career.
One way to fund some of this expansion is to create band booster clubs, similar to those for athletics, to help pay for uniforms, instruments, and travel expenses.
Another is to seek additional grant funding to support our music students. The music teachers also asked me to mention that if there are any community members with band instruments in good condition they no longer use, we’d be happy to accept them as donations.
Music makes us better
Music provides so many benefits, from a life-long ability to play an instrument to academic and social-emotional benefits. Learning music has been linked to improved test scores, enhanced math and language skills, and expanded cognitive development, as well as increased self-confidence, more developed social skills, and healthy emotional expression.
And maybe one of the most important benefits is the way the music community serves as a safe haven when kids are figuring themselves out. Middle school and high school can be difficult times when students struggle to find a place to belong. For many, music is that place.
Dr. Becky Salato is superintendent of the Konocti Unified School District.
- Details
- Written by: Pedro Nava, Anthony Cannella and José Atilio Hernández
California’s electricity rates are the second highest in the country, behind only Hawaii. The state’s residential and commercial rates – charged to homeowners, most businesses, schools, and hospitals – are about twice the national average. Industrial rates charged for manufacturing, construction, and agriculture are more than two-and-a-half times the U.S. mark.
Why? There are several reasons: wildfire damage is expensive to prevent and repair, the state’s system for setting rates is overly complicated, guaranteed fixed returns for utilities add cost, and as more people generate their own power through rooftop solar panels, the fixed costs of running the grid are spread over fewer customers.
The high prices have consequences. One in five households is behind on their energy bill in California, and industries that consume large amounts of electricity are wary about doing business here. Affordability is now the number one policy concern of residents, potentially undercutting confidence in the value of our clean energy goals.
The Little Hoover Commission – an independent watchdog agency on which we serve – spent months examining the reasons for California's high electricity bills and searching for solutions. We held four public hearings at which we heard testimony from utilities, consumer advocates, academic experts and others. We looked to other states and even other countries for lessons that might be adopted here. We combed through hundreds of research papers, public records and other documents.
At the conclusion of our study, we released a report, The High Cost of Electricity in California, with 10 recommendations to ease the burden. We believe our proposals would bring down costs for all, but we worked hard to ensure that our ideas also reflect a concern for fairness. High electricity bills don’t fall equally on all; they’re a greater challenge for those who are less fortunate economically or who live in portions of the state where summertime temperatures make air conditioning a near necessity.
So one of our key recommendations is tailored to address that issue. California ratepayers get a small credit on their utility bill from the state’s climate programs. Instead of giving everyone the same amount at the same time, we should direct that money to low-income families and people living in the hottest parts of the state. Furthermore, the credits should be focused during the summer months when the heat – and the bills – hit the hardest. Using our resources to help the most vulnerable families where and when they need it will make a real difference. This is about equity.
But electricity has become so expensive that even middle-income families are struggling. We should raise the income limits on assistance programs so more households qualify for relief.
Next, in addition to helping families who are struggling, the state needs to put its regulatory house in order. The complicated process by which the state considers the utilities’ request for rate increases should be streamlined and condensed. The State Auditor should assess whether the California Public Utilities Commission has the expertise needed to regulate such a vast and complicated system.
Last, the state needs to address the proliferation of rooftop solar panels. In recent years, many Californians have invested heavily in rooftop solar to save money and support clean energy. That’s good for the environment, but it also means those households pay less into the shared costs of running the grid, shifting the burden onto fewer customers and driving bills up. California should revise these incentives in a way that allows homeowners to recover their investment but is still fair to households paying the full cost of keeping the grid running.
The good news is we don’t have to sacrifice our values to save our pocketbooks. Our Commission has identified clear, actionable solutions that will reduce costs while ensuring equity for all while staying true to our commitment to fight climate change and protect the environment. Adopting these recommendations will deliver real relief, strengthen public trust, and ensure that every dollar on a customer’s bill is justified. Californians deserve no less.
Pedro Nava is chair of the Little Hoover Commission. Anthony Cannella is vice-chair of the Commission, and he and Commissioner José Atilio Hernández served on the subcommittee overseeing the Commission’s work on electricity prices.
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- Written by: Dr. Nicki Thomas
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. — At our October school board meeting, our trustees agreed to put other projects on hold to fund new stadium lights at Kelseyville High School rather than letting the stadium go dark after this 2025-26 school year.
Why we need new lights
The lights were originally installed in the early 1990s through a partnership with PG&E and Kelseyville Boosters, but the final safety inspection was never completed. (Keep in mind, this was 30 years ago. Our current maintenance director is a stickler for final inspections.)
In 2022, when we pulled permits for other stadium renovations, we discovered this oversight. The Division of the State Architect then performed the required final "hammer test" in 2024, and two of the light poles failed to meet current safety standards. Now we are required by law to take them down at the end of the school year.
Stadium lights allow outdoor events to take place after the sun sets, not only high school football and soccer games and practices, but Kelseyville Chiefs Youth Football as well as other school and community events–including our high school graduation ceremony.
Funding challenges
Everyone I know supports new stadium lights until I ask them what they are willing to give up to purchase them. Much of the money school districts receive comes with strict rules about how it can be spent. The money available for significant repairs and maintenance generally comes from bond funding. Periodically, state and federal legislators allocate modernization funds to update school facilities.
Last year, Kelseyville Unified School District put Measure R on the ballot to fund new classrooms, repair leaky roofs, and update inadequate electrical systems, among other projects. Unfortunately, the measure didn’t pass. This broke my heart because kids deserve our community’s support. They shouldn’t have to choose between new heating and air conditioning systems to keep them comfortable, and stadium lights that contribute to their physical and social/emotional health.
The good news is that Kelseyville Unified School District is known for its careful and responsible use of financial resources. We plan ahead and squeeze every dollar for maximum impact as we use funding in accordance with state and federal requirements. The District also actively pursues grants and other funding sources when we can.
Hoping for the best
During the October school board meeting, a lot of thoughtful discussion centered around how we can do as much as possible as quickly as possible. Before we learned that our stadium lights would go dark, we had earmarked modernization funds to replace the half-dozen remaining HVAC systems that are 30+ years old. We know these will fail; we just don’t know when.
When you replace several HVAC systems at once, you can get discounted rates for materials and labor. Plus, you avoid the discomfort students would endure when a system stops working. Just like fire alarms and going into labor, HVAC systems don’t tend to break at a convenient time. Fire alarms and labor only seem to occur in the middle of the night. HVAC systems only go out in the dead of winter or during a blazing heat wave.
All that said, the upwelling of community support for new stadium lights let us know how much everyone values sports and other community gatherings under the lights. I think the school board made the right choice in funding the lights. Now, I’m hoping the HVAC systems will only go out one at a time and not all in the same year.
Support local schools
If you happen to see a school bond measure on a future ballot, please remember that this is how school districts raise funds to keep school facilities in good working order. Without bond funding, classrooms fall into disrepair and it becomes even more expensive to provide safe, modern spaces for kids to learn and grow.
Dr. Nicki Thomas is superintendent of the Kelseyville Unified School District.
- Details
- Written by: Julia Carrera
Dear Editor,
The Christmas holiday and New Year are at our doorstep. So am I, as I approach the last six months of my campaign for District 3 supervisor in our beautiful Lake County. This moment is also a very important time for the Third District.
If you haven’t already signed up for the Northshore Chapter of A Simple Gesture, our community-based food drive, I hope you will find it in your heart to do so this holiday season. All donated food stays within the Third District, which is the Highway 20 corridor from the Mendocino County line to the Calusa County line. It’s easy, impactful, and only takes three steps:
1. Go to the A Simple Gesture website, enter your ZIP code, and select the Northshore Chapter (there are chapters all around the lake — join one near you). Then click Register.
2. Gather shelf-stable food such as beans, rice, powdered milk, spices, cereal, etc., and place them in a bag on your front porch on the next pickup date. Volunteers will collect the food and deliver it to a local pantry. Our next pickup date is January 10, 2026, with monthly pickups thereafter.
3. Click Yes for next month, or, you can skip a month or more. We can do better together by feeding our neighbors in need.
Lake Pillsbury and Scott Dam are part of the PG&E Hydroelectric Project currently being decommissioned right here in the 3rd District. PG&E has chosen to sell off individual assets of the project. Mendocino and Sonoma Counties partnered to purchase everything except Scott Dam and Lake Pillsbury. With no buyer stepping forward, the dam is now slated for removal—an outcome that would be detrimental to both humans and wildlife region wide, with Lake County being the hardest hit economically – something we can’t afford.
The decision to decommission with an application into the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) thus far is being made with little, if any, comprehensive scientific evaluation or empirical data regarding the long-term impacts. Concerns include fire protection, loss of wildlife sanctuary, tourism and property tax revenue declines, and reduced water availability for up to 600,000 people during summer months when the Eel River runs dry, among many others.
As of Dec. 19 at 2 p.m., FERC closed the public input portion of its decommissioning review process. I have read every one of the thousands of letters submitted—both for and against decommissioning. I appreciate Lake County’s unified position against decommissioning and the work they are doing. If I already was an elected official during this process, I would continue to be on the phone and at my computer day and night seeking state and federal funding for Lake County to purchase Scott Dam and Lake Pillsbury, partner with others, and install a hydroelectric system to serve our residents. This would be a positive community and economic investment and directly supports my campaign priorities.
It also supports my vision of localized microgrids for food, power, and water as we move forward into an uncertain future—working together toward sustainability.
With six months left to earn your trust and your vote, I am shifting my focus away from attending 3rd District Municipal Advisory Council meetings and various committees where I do not hold a position, and instead spending that time knocking on doors and holding coffee conversations throughout our community, come rain or shine.
I continue to be amazed by the intelligence, compassion, and care our citizens share as I travel door to door and business to business — discussing issues, answering questions, brainstorming solutions, and genuinely connecting. Our citizens are our greatest sustainable resource. I am humbled and honored to work hand in hand with you to strengthen our community.
We can do better together.
We are living in unique times — times that create uncertainty but also opportunity. Running for public office during these moments brings renewed meaning to the words public servant. I am fully prepared to be in public service to my community of Lake County if elected as your 3rd District Supervisor.
This holiday season, I wish all Lake County residents peace, joy, and hope. God bless you and your families.
Julia Carrera is a candidate for Lake County District 3 supervisor.
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