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Opinion
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- Written by: Sherry Treppa
While we draw great strength from our tribal history and internal cohesion, our outside partnerships with the surrounding community have been essential for the people of the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake to live up to our full potential.
It is the links that we have forged with our neighbors and the surrounding region that provide us with a complete, sturdy foundation from which to grow and continue to improve on all fronts.
The benefits of our location have not been lost on the tribe. The natural landscape of Northern California provides a constant source of inspiration and reinforces on a daily basis our connection to the land from which we came.
It is on this land that we have been able to develop our tribe and engender growth in a multitude of ways. We understand that with the fruits of this development comes a responsibility to share with our neighbors not only tangible things, but amiability and appreciation.
Our tribe has continually fostered a warm, caring relationship with our neighbors in Lake County. In perpetuating this relationship, we have been able to show our gratitude through assistance to local organizations and municipal institutions.
Without the support that these establishments provide to our neighbors and the area as a whole, this region would not be the place it is today. We believe part of being good citizens means stepping up and doing our part to keep the county a great place to live and work.
Contributions from the tribe have also gone directly to Lake County, which helped the county office produce public relations material to help share its message of natural beauty and goodwill out to the world at large.
Another gift, to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, bolsters the Child Safety Identification Program. The safety of the children of the community, inside our tribe and out, is always a priority. It fit in perfectly with our neighborly mission to partner with law enforcement so that they can continue to provide the best security possible.
On that same course, we have also gladly supported our local fire department by helping them bring jobs in-house that had previously been outsourced.
When locals can take an active part in providing local services, we’re all participating in making our region a better one. It means a great deal to be able to help bring jobs to those neighbors who have helped us so much.
When improvements are made in the lives of young people, the future potential of the whole region is placed in better hands. The children of our area make up the providers of tomorrow, the people who will guide this land we love so much into the next century and beyond. We would be dreadfully remiss if we didn’t have them in mind when we reach out to help the area around us.
Our youth education initiatives have also been an opportunity to work with our local schools, the places our children learn the citizenship skills to become members of their outside community along with our own.
Outside of sending our children to these local schools to join their peers, the tribe offers educational programming to bolster those crucial early lessons. Our Early Childhood Development program has been a great help to parents looking to get their children prepared for school with foundational lessons.
Many young people in the area have attended our after school tutoring program to help with their skills. We strongly believe in education as a bridge between our people and those with whom we share this bountiful land, and our engagement with local education is a point of pride for us all.
Recreation is an important part of a well-rounded upbringing as well. The tribe’s contribution to the Lights of Love charitable fund allowed for a state-of-the-art lighting system to be installed on Upper Lake High School’s sports fields, meaning that students would now be able to play and practice at night during the hot summer months when daytime heat makes exercise under the sun unfeasible and unsafe.
Our children play alongside those of our neighbors on these very fields, sharing in the character development that comes with youth sports.
It’s also important to us that we do not keep our cultural traditions cloistered away, but share them with the community.
We often host our fellow county residents for events and get togethers on our tribal land, opening up our doors for our friends and neighbors.
We enjoy sharing many of the aspects of our culture that we continue today at these gatherings, including traditional song and dance.
To create a new kind of gathering where all can take part gives us the joy of paying tribute to our past, while bringing about a new kind of future.
Protecting the environment is the best way we can protect this future, and our Environmental Department has helped with various projects and events that ensure our land will stay beautiful for years to come.
A tribal presence at environmental cleaning projects, festivals, and other outings both solidifies our local friendships and promotes the idea that we can all achieve more by working together.
We at the tribe are continually inspired by the generosity and kindness of the citizens of Lake County and the entire Upper Lake region. We truly feel lucky to have a presence among the great people that make up this community.
The relationships and bonds that we have forged over the years are, we feel, the best way that we can demonstrate our gratitude.
By partnering with our neighbors, we make our lives a little better, and hopefully make the whole area a welcoming place that we can all be proud to call home.
Sherry Treppa is chair of the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, Calif.
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- Written by: Rebecca Harpster
For sellers, a garage sale can be a great way to declutter your home and make some extra money. Buyers can often find items for a steep discount.
Although garage sales are a fun way to spend a weekend and find great deals, there are risks involved for both buyers and sellers. The following tips from your Better Business Bureau, or BBB, will help you steer clear of unsafe items and fraudulent payments.
For buyers:
· Know what you shouldn’t buy. The Consumer Product Safety Commission, or CPSC, recommends skipping the purchase of used bike helmets, infant cribs, car seats and other safety items because there’s no way to tell if they have been involved in an accident or if they have been incorrectly assembled. Visit the CPSC Web site, www.cpsc.gov, for more information, an up-to-date list of used products to avoid, and to check if an item has been recalled. If you’re looking for a particular item, do your research online to see how much it costs in stores. If you want more security when buying an item, find a trustworthy business at bbb.org.
· Test, if necessary. If you’re buying used electronics, ask to plug them in and verify that they turn on and work properly. Make sure to sit on any furniture to test how comfortable it is. But remember, whenever you buy a big-ticket item at a yard sale there’s a risk that it may be low-quality, faulty, or that it might stop working and need repairs sooner rather than later. Talk to the seller and ask questions about any expensive items that you’re considering.
· Ask for documentation. Even though it is a friendly neighborhood garage sale, you can still ask for a written receipt for big-ticket items. Because you’re dealing with an individual and not a company, keep in mind that you won’t be able to file a complaint with BBB - so shop cautiously.
For sellers:
· Watch out for fake checks. According to the BBB Risk Index, fake check scams are the second most risky scam to consumers. Fake check scams can be perpetrated through many types of checks: personal, business, and even cashier’s checks. Oftentimes, the target will deposit the fake check in their bank and it will clear, but it can actually take weeks for a financial institution to realize a check is fake and withdraw the already-deposited funds. If you accept checks at your yard sale, ask for a photo ID and make sure the names match. You can also call the issuing bank to verify the authenticity of a check. Someone may also try to pay you with counterfeit bills. To avoid this, you may want to consider not accepting bills larger than $20.
· Secure your home. Unfortunately, thieves may try to use a garage sale to gain access to a home. Make sure you’re paying attention to all visitors and your surroundings. Keep all home and car doors locked. If possible, keep your garage door closed as well. Don’t allow anyone you don’t know into your home. If you witness suspicious activity, you can alert the local authorities.
· Be prepared. It’s important that you have enough people on hand to provide good customer service and keep an eye on your property. Consider designating one point-person that will deal with all monetary transactions. Plan ahead for the possibility of poor weather – you may want to have a plastic canopy on hand just in case it rains. Make sure to stay hydrated, and protect yourself from the sun!”
Rebecca Harpster is community outreach coordinator for the Better Business Bureau serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California.
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- Written by: Jim Steele
Developing new rules for an industry is a daunting task by any measure. When doing so, I believe it’s important to seek advice and counsel from those with the most experience in the area under discussion.
In order to gain insight, I traveled to cannabis conventions and panels developed for this learning experience put on by the associations for county governments. It’s apparent some important changes have taken place in California.
Medicinal cannabis laws have been in place for 20 years with each county developing their own approach to ensure that cannabis grows are compatible with neighbors. It’s been a bumpy path as the industry grew.
More cannabis was grown for underground export than could be used within the state and environmental damage also reportedly grew from an industry hiding in the shadows. These were not small personal use grows and much of the product was going elsewhere while the damage stayed local.
Some growers have spoiled it for others by taking water illegally, using inappropriate pesticides that killed wildlife and grading hillslopes that caused erosion. All of which is why some think a ban on grows look like an easier approach since no one wants the bad actors.
But with a ban comes a need for effective enforcement and there is no way to pay for the additional workload.
Finally, the Governor’s Office reacted to the complaints of rural counties overrun with growers who were profiting but causing problems. He directed a phalanx of state agencies to develop a set of operating rules specific for cannabis growers who were presumably growing for a medicinal market.
These rules were to be called the Medicinal Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act or MCRSA. They were to be enforced by both state and county agencies to protect the landscape, wildlife, water quality and reduce nuisance odors through a licensing process.
But the public, perhaps not aware of the problems, voted in Proposition 64, the Adult Use Marijuana Act, called AUMA. The AUMA promises to change the landscape again.
So, the agencies pulled their fledgling rules back, added enough language to include the new provisions and the Medicinal and Adult Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act, called MAUCRSA was born.
Of course new fees were added to pay for the controls that regulation brings. The new rules go into effect on Jan. 2, 2018, after the public comment period.
Even with new state controls, the counties retain the right to ban or regulate cannabis and control local land use. One exemption from a ban is the ability to grow six mature or 12 immature plants for personal use.
There has been a variety of responses from county governments over the years. Some regulated cannabis, others issued a ban and one had regulations, but because of bad actors changed to a ban.
A couple of counties developed a permit process to ensure compliance and reduce the problems. But to many growers used to hiding from the government, permits probably seem like a bad idea.
Humboldt County reports they have about 2,500 permits applications out of perhaps 12,000 growers. So you would think business at the permit counter would be slow. But land use permits are complex, take time and reviews by many agencies are expensive.
A traditional permit process gets swamped pretty easy and backlogs create the impression that the permit isn’t important. In order to sidestep the permit review backlog, a self-certification approach is being discussed in Lake County.
The Board of Supervisors is considering a complex set of rules that dictate where cannabis can be grown, the size and scope of a garden and requirements to comply with both state and county regulations.
Applicants would have to pay their fee up front, have a proper water source, a proper power source, appropriate permits from the Fish and Wildlife agency and an approved pesticide list and so forth.
The way this would work is the applicant obtains a counter permit by certifying they will be in compliance and gets started, but can expect a field compliance review of the operation within the year. The upfront fee helps pay this inspection cost. Non-compliance could mean a fine or loss of crop depending on the violation. So it would be best to get it right, which has been the issue from the start.
Whether a permit should be required or optional is a question being discussed at the board. I have heard some opinions that a permit should not be required until forced to by the new rules in 2018.
Based on what I have learned from the other counties’ experiences, I personally believe anyone growing more than six mature cannabis plants in Lake County should be required to sign a certification that all the rules will be obeyed and receive an inspection.
Not having a permit should result in a fine and shut down. Anything less gives the green light for the black market growers to continue for as long as they can without oversight and that competes with the cultivators who want to do it right.
If you want to put your two cents into the mix; ban or permit, required or optional, give your local district supervisor a shout. District 3 folks can reach me at
Supervisor Jim Steele represents District 3 – which covers the Northshore – on the Lake County Board of Supervisors.
- Details
- Written by: Ed Calkins
He is my hero the way he covers the lake and wildlife in his newspaper columns. We frequently crossed paths when we were both involved in Clear Lake Advisory Committee work many moons ago.
One thing we discussed on our walk was the lack of visitors and activity on our lake. We both agreed that the lake has not been properly marketed. As an aside, I had just found out that the Lakeport B of A branch would soon close. Fortunately they are leaving the ATMs at this time.
One can be positive and come up with good things happening around the lake. But in reality, the area is dying on the vine (no pun intended). Positive actions like the improvements to the main streets in Lakeport, Kelseyville, etc., are nice but too little too late.
Don’t get me wrong, I love this county and this lake. And uncontrolled growth is not what any of us want. However, we do need to increase tourism and interest in this region to improve the economic picture for our businesses, our citizens, and for the community in general.
I have pictures of myself in this lake (taken by others as this was before selfies) in the 1940s in one of the wooden boats my Dad used to build. I have seen this lake as some of you have continuously for the last 70 years or so and for about half of that time the lake (economically) has been in decline.
Many of us love it but not enough of us to fuel the economy, to keep the kids interested, to fund lake protection (mussel prevention etc.). We need good brand recognition (e.g. Lake Tahoe) as opposed to only being known for algae, weeds, fish die offs, floods, etc.
Those things will continue, but do you hear much about the weed issues and the algae issues in South Lake Tahoe? No, they do exist but you don’t because their message is more focused on the positive and unique things about “Tahoe” (it is not even necessary to mention it is a lake).
So, back to marketing. Terry and I discussed when the county hired a professional marketing organization to determine what we needed to do to change our image and improve our “brand.”
Their primary piece of advice was to change the name of the lake to Lake Konocti. Most in county government and all the good old boys and gals were either laughing or up in arms. “We paid them all that money to suggest that” was not an unusual comment. Too complicated, too expensive, too ridiculous.
I and several others thought it was brilliant. Terry agreed. I have spent much of my career in marketing roles and changing the name of this lake would be the most effective marketing action possible.
Like Tahoe, it would be unique. It would get widespread press everywhere (assuming the word was spread to all the appropriate media). It would provide a context to explain our volcano, our Native American roots, our unique nutrient rich lake, “the oldest lake in North America finally gets a proper name.”
Clear Lake is common, it is not inspirational, it requires the word “Lake” for context, and it has lots of baggage.
There are 283 Clear Lakes in the USA, two in California (the other California Clear Lake is a reservoir in the Klamath Basin). There are several in nearby Oregon, and several in Canada.
“Konocti,” if properly rolled out, would start the clock over and provide context for our wineries, our unique geography, our lake and all its positive attributes. Algae would be one of the many attributes of our eutrophic lake, not a defining condition.
It truly would be a marketing game changer and if properly executed and exploited it would create interest and excitement we have not witnessed since Interstate 80 allowed easy access to Tahoe.
However, it would be somewhat complicated and there would be costs, of course. Congressman Mike Thompson is probably prepared to proceed as he has been promoting renaming all the military installations in the US that have a name that relates to the Confederate Army such as Fort Bragg the largest military installation in the world. Next in the cross hairs will be our coastal city of Fort Bragg.
If such useless name changes are being considered, why not change the name of a lake to try to save a troubled economy?
The county can keep the same name, all the cities and towns can stay the same, addresses can stay the same, all we have to do is bond our two prized attractions: our mountain and our lake by a simple name change.
The timing is perfect: the new Lake Konocti, the proposed shoreline development in Lakeport, the development being defined for the Guenoc Valley, and (hopefully) a new Konocti Harbor Resort would collectively create a giant sucking sound pulling previous and new tourism into our county.
If an economic boost is needed, this should be considered quickly. We should shake things up. If everything is OK as is, we can just let the thought die again.
Ed Calkins lives in Kelseyville, Calif.