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Opinion
Clearlake presents many opportunities for leisure activities as does most of California.
When I was younger, my family used to visit Clearlake and spend time at one of the properties they owned. I always had a great time and hold those memories dear to my heart. The days of grilling in the park, walking the various shorelines enhanced my familial connections.
I could hear the dogs barking in the background, but do not remember worrying about whether or not those dogs were lurking in dark corners, strolling in packs or invading my yard in search of food or shelter.
Over the past few years that has all changed and roaming dogs have become somewhat of the norm. It is not unusual to encounter one or more dogs while gardening in your unfenced yard, walking to your car in the Walmart parking lot or while watching your children play in the local park.
Roaming dogs are everywhere and many of them are aggressive, unvaccinated and just plain unruly. This presents a quality-of-life issue for the citizens of Clearlake.
This new norm invades the lives of the elderly and does not allow them the freedom to walk the neighborhoods in which many of them have lived for decades. Roaming dogs present a clear danger to children playing in front of their homes.
Why should an elderly citizen be faced with having to decide if it is safe for them to walk down the street to the market and why should a parent have the burden of wondering when a roaming pack of dogs appears in their yard? The answer is simple: They shouldn’t! This quality of life issue is countywide and deserves attention.
I decided to take a drive on several different days and at several different times and was amazed that on each drive I was presented with a dog or dogs out on a walk-a-bout. This did not just happen on one occasion but on multiple occasions.
And before you ask, yes, I have called animal control and on some occasions, I have even picked the dog up and attempted to return it to the rightful owner. Whether dead on the side of the road or darting in between traffic, the dogs are there. I kept asking myself, who let the dogs out?
It is important to acknowledge that Clearlake Animal Control does the very best they can with the resources allotted to them via the city budget. There are no additional state funds allocated to Clearlake for the control and care of roaming animals.
As summer approaches and the inevitability of children playing becomes reality, this is an issue that needs to be addressed. These are your children, your grandparents and sometimes even yourself, that will be assaulted by the roaming dogs.
A mother should not have to worry whether or not her child will be rushed by a wandering dog nor should local residents have to survey the street before attempting to enter their car. No citizen should be curtailed from enjoying the many wonderful opportunities Clearlake has to offer simply because they fear the roaming dogs.
I encourage all of us to take a look around at what is happening and to decide to do something about it. Stop calling animal control with raised voices because they do not possess the capacity to immediately respond to the dog roaming on your street. Stop placing the blame on them and place it where it belongs, with the small budget allowed to address a big problem.
Attend the city council meetings to express the desperate need for more funding, offer to foster for animal control, offer to go to the improved shelter and tend to the animals that cross the threshold on a daily basis. Do something!
Leash your own dog and stop telling everyone how friendly they are as you walk them off leash through neighborhoods where children play freely as summer approaches. Be proactive. Get involved. Leash and contain your own dogs.
Large scale improvement starts with one small step. Take the step!
Christine Y. Davis lives in Clearlake, California.
When I was younger, my family used to visit Clearlake and spend time at one of the properties they owned. I always had a great time and hold those memories dear to my heart. The days of grilling in the park, walking the various shorelines enhanced my familial connections.
I could hear the dogs barking in the background, but do not remember worrying about whether or not those dogs were lurking in dark corners, strolling in packs or invading my yard in search of food or shelter.
Over the past few years that has all changed and roaming dogs have become somewhat of the norm. It is not unusual to encounter one or more dogs while gardening in your unfenced yard, walking to your car in the Walmart parking lot or while watching your children play in the local park.
Roaming dogs are everywhere and many of them are aggressive, unvaccinated and just plain unruly. This presents a quality-of-life issue for the citizens of Clearlake.
This new norm invades the lives of the elderly and does not allow them the freedom to walk the neighborhoods in which many of them have lived for decades. Roaming dogs present a clear danger to children playing in front of their homes.
Why should an elderly citizen be faced with having to decide if it is safe for them to walk down the street to the market and why should a parent have the burden of wondering when a roaming pack of dogs appears in their yard? The answer is simple: They shouldn’t! This quality of life issue is countywide and deserves attention.
I decided to take a drive on several different days and at several different times and was amazed that on each drive I was presented with a dog or dogs out on a walk-a-bout. This did not just happen on one occasion but on multiple occasions.
And before you ask, yes, I have called animal control and on some occasions, I have even picked the dog up and attempted to return it to the rightful owner. Whether dead on the side of the road or darting in between traffic, the dogs are there. I kept asking myself, who let the dogs out?
It is important to acknowledge that Clearlake Animal Control does the very best they can with the resources allotted to them via the city budget. There are no additional state funds allocated to Clearlake for the control and care of roaming animals.
As summer approaches and the inevitability of children playing becomes reality, this is an issue that needs to be addressed. These are your children, your grandparents and sometimes even yourself, that will be assaulted by the roaming dogs.
A mother should not have to worry whether or not her child will be rushed by a wandering dog nor should local residents have to survey the street before attempting to enter their car. No citizen should be curtailed from enjoying the many wonderful opportunities Clearlake has to offer simply because they fear the roaming dogs.
I encourage all of us to take a look around at what is happening and to decide to do something about it. Stop calling animal control with raised voices because they do not possess the capacity to immediately respond to the dog roaming on your street. Stop placing the blame on them and place it where it belongs, with the small budget allowed to address a big problem.
Attend the city council meetings to express the desperate need for more funding, offer to foster for animal control, offer to go to the improved shelter and tend to the animals that cross the threshold on a daily basis. Do something!
Leash your own dog and stop telling everyone how friendly they are as you walk them off leash through neighborhoods where children play freely as summer approaches. Be proactive. Get involved. Leash and contain your own dogs.
Large scale improvement starts with one small step. Take the step!
Christine Y. Davis lives in Clearlake, California.
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- Written by: Christine Y. Davis
At the June 8 Board of Supervisors meeting, the meeting opened, as usual, with public comment. Residents who came to speak were human care workers, specifically, In-Home Supportive Services, or IHSS, care workers.
These are the dedicated people who care for homebound senior and/or disabled residents. Most of them spoke of the need for a wage better than what fast-food workers earn.
You see, the county sets the terms of their employment and benefits. So far, the county is willing to set the pay scale at only minimum wage. Meanwhile, local fast-food restaurants are advertising jobs for $1 over minimum wage. This leaves care workers, and me as well, wondering why our county representatives don’t value them enough to pay a decent wage.
There is currently a shortage of care workers, partially due to better paying jobs being available. Additionally, it can be demanding work, caring for another’s body and soul. My recent experience as a volunteer for Friendly Visitors attests to this shortage.
A woman I visit has been without an IHSS care worker for over two months. I have worked through the county Social Services division to obtain referrals to potential care workers. In calling potential IHSS care workers, six so far, I find them either fully booked or they simply do not return my call. In the meantime, I have increased my volunteer hours to keep her showered and basic needs attended to. I am quite sure that better pay would attract more workers to this profession.
What motivation does our Board of Supervisors have to negotiate a contract with IHSS workers to pay them more than minimum wage?
One: Pursue economic development. IHSS workers are the largest block of workers in Lake County, with 1,800 people working in the profession. This care program is funded mostly through federal and state dollars. It costs Lake County 16 cents on the dollar. That means a one dollar raise brings 84 cents from federal or state sources to circulate in our economy here. Research shows that when low wage workers get a raise, they spend most of that money, thus fueling the local economy.
Two: Alleviate poverty. Lake County has the distinction of consistently ranking either last or next to last in household median income. That means we are the poorest or second poorest county out of 58 counties in California. Our county representatives have the power to elevate household income by providing a better wage to their largest block of workers.
Three: Demonstrate compassion. Lake County has another unfortunate distinction; we consistently rank either last or next to last in health outcomes. While the reasons for this are many, the fact remains that we have a very large population who experience the conditions of aging prematurely. U.S. Census data shows that 13.4% of our population is disabled and 23.1% are over 65, compared to 8.6% and 16.5% nationally, respectively. That means Lake County has a greater need for workers who care for the aged and disabled.
Several years ago our supervisors held community visioning sessions. That resulted in a Vision 2028 document. One stated goal is: “Consider and promote the well-being and economic resilience of every Lake County resident.”
Our supervisors need to stand behind their words.
Susan Cameron lives in Hidden Valley Lake, California.
These are the dedicated people who care for homebound senior and/or disabled residents. Most of them spoke of the need for a wage better than what fast-food workers earn.
You see, the county sets the terms of their employment and benefits. So far, the county is willing to set the pay scale at only minimum wage. Meanwhile, local fast-food restaurants are advertising jobs for $1 over minimum wage. This leaves care workers, and me as well, wondering why our county representatives don’t value them enough to pay a decent wage.
There is currently a shortage of care workers, partially due to better paying jobs being available. Additionally, it can be demanding work, caring for another’s body and soul. My recent experience as a volunteer for Friendly Visitors attests to this shortage.
A woman I visit has been without an IHSS care worker for over two months. I have worked through the county Social Services division to obtain referrals to potential care workers. In calling potential IHSS care workers, six so far, I find them either fully booked or they simply do not return my call. In the meantime, I have increased my volunteer hours to keep her showered and basic needs attended to. I am quite sure that better pay would attract more workers to this profession.
What motivation does our Board of Supervisors have to negotiate a contract with IHSS workers to pay them more than minimum wage?
One: Pursue economic development. IHSS workers are the largest block of workers in Lake County, with 1,800 people working in the profession. This care program is funded mostly through federal and state dollars. It costs Lake County 16 cents on the dollar. That means a one dollar raise brings 84 cents from federal or state sources to circulate in our economy here. Research shows that when low wage workers get a raise, they spend most of that money, thus fueling the local economy.
Two: Alleviate poverty. Lake County has the distinction of consistently ranking either last or next to last in household median income. That means we are the poorest or second poorest county out of 58 counties in California. Our county representatives have the power to elevate household income by providing a better wage to their largest block of workers.
Three: Demonstrate compassion. Lake County has another unfortunate distinction; we consistently rank either last or next to last in health outcomes. While the reasons for this are many, the fact remains that we have a very large population who experience the conditions of aging prematurely. U.S. Census data shows that 13.4% of our population is disabled and 23.1% are over 65, compared to 8.6% and 16.5% nationally, respectively. That means Lake County has a greater need for workers who care for the aged and disabled.
Several years ago our supervisors held community visioning sessions. That resulted in a Vision 2028 document. One stated goal is: “Consider and promote the well-being and economic resilience of every Lake County resident.”
Our supervisors need to stand behind their words.
Susan Cameron lives in Hidden Valley Lake, California.
- Details
- Written by: Susan Cameron
While we have all heard of Gov. Newsom’s failures and excesses with respect to our children missing a year and a half of public education and massive small business closures, there are other matters that merit our attention.
His mismanagement of the state’s recycling fees we are all charged whenever you buy a bottle or can of water, soda or beer has not been in the news.
The state’s recycling laws require that either stores buyback containers or there needs to be a nearby buyback center. Newsom has not enforced this law but continues to collect CRV fees.
As a result of this failure the state is sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars in CRV fees and you have no close or convenient place to redeem the money you have paid.
He needs to either enforce the law and give us convenient places to get our CRV fees back or get his Democratic legislature to repeal CRV fees and quit illegally taking our money. If he spent more time doing his job and less time at the French laundry this problem wouldn’t exist.
Another issue the media has missed is Gov. Newsom’s closure of many of the state’s conservation camps.
The camps house state prisoners who have historically provided a significant amount of low-cost firefighters to support Cal Fire and protect our state from wildfires.
The new tax-funded firefighter positions that Gov. Newsom now brags about are simply replacing the prisoners that have been turned loose on early release in the state while the taxpayers pay for their replacements. It looks like the taxpayers have lost twice.
Two more reasons to recall Gov. Newsom.
Bob Bridges lives in Lakeport, California.
His mismanagement of the state’s recycling fees we are all charged whenever you buy a bottle or can of water, soda or beer has not been in the news.
The state’s recycling laws require that either stores buyback containers or there needs to be a nearby buyback center. Newsom has not enforced this law but continues to collect CRV fees.
As a result of this failure the state is sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars in CRV fees and you have no close or convenient place to redeem the money you have paid.
He needs to either enforce the law and give us convenient places to get our CRV fees back or get his Democratic legislature to repeal CRV fees and quit illegally taking our money. If he spent more time doing his job and less time at the French laundry this problem wouldn’t exist.
Another issue the media has missed is Gov. Newsom’s closure of many of the state’s conservation camps.
The camps house state prisoners who have historically provided a significant amount of low-cost firefighters to support Cal Fire and protect our state from wildfires.
The new tax-funded firefighter positions that Gov. Newsom now brags about are simply replacing the prisoners that have been turned loose on early release in the state while the taxpayers pay for their replacements. It looks like the taxpayers have lost twice.
Two more reasons to recall Gov. Newsom.
Bob Bridges lives in Lakeport, California.
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- Written by: Bob Bridges
On Thursday, May 20, there will be a Planning Commission meeting for another large cannabis grow. This is near the county’s only airport, plus many residential homes, off George Road.
George Road is a rough, dirt, one lane road plus dead-end road. Families along this road will have the impact of commercial cannabis vehicles traveling right close to their homes, seven days a week up to 24 hours a day. Sure Mr. Gustafson says he can use Mathews Road as entrance but have not seen any written word.
Families who reside on George Road have children, chickens, dogs, cats, horses, sheep, cows, etc. How will they be protected from the commercial trucks driving down the road, I am sure they will stop for children (maybe) but animals, probably not happily.
The odor from cannabis, dust, fuels, fertilizer, running of generators, lighting, etc. due to this project is unthinkable to me. It is bad enough to drive around Lake County now, the nauseating skunk smell makes you sick, and more to come?
What are you thinking when we are going into another drought and fires that Lake County is still recovering from? Do you think that the families who live out there will be happy when they turn on their faucets to receive no water? What about fires? Is the fire department going to be available to protect the families or the cannabis?
I thought we were trying to be wine county; we also are venturing into antiques stores. This is a long way from bringing in visitors to enjoy our county. We will now be known as Humboldt Lake County, known for cannabis, not clear skies, lake, fresh air, views of the green hills, wineries, and antiques shopping. What we will have is cannabis outdoors or those great looking white huts to look at and shop at.
I realize that Lake County is looking for the revenue, but would officials want to live there? I would not. There is plenty of empty space out of public housing space, go into those areas, away from us.
Just a thought.
Debbe Blake lives in Lakeport, California.
George Road is a rough, dirt, one lane road plus dead-end road. Families along this road will have the impact of commercial cannabis vehicles traveling right close to their homes, seven days a week up to 24 hours a day. Sure Mr. Gustafson says he can use Mathews Road as entrance but have not seen any written word.
Families who reside on George Road have children, chickens, dogs, cats, horses, sheep, cows, etc. How will they be protected from the commercial trucks driving down the road, I am sure they will stop for children (maybe) but animals, probably not happily.
The odor from cannabis, dust, fuels, fertilizer, running of generators, lighting, etc. due to this project is unthinkable to me. It is bad enough to drive around Lake County now, the nauseating skunk smell makes you sick, and more to come?
What are you thinking when we are going into another drought and fires that Lake County is still recovering from? Do you think that the families who live out there will be happy when they turn on their faucets to receive no water? What about fires? Is the fire department going to be available to protect the families or the cannabis?
I thought we were trying to be wine county; we also are venturing into antiques stores. This is a long way from bringing in visitors to enjoy our county. We will now be known as Humboldt Lake County, known for cannabis, not clear skies, lake, fresh air, views of the green hills, wineries, and antiques shopping. What we will have is cannabis outdoors or those great looking white huts to look at and shop at.
I realize that Lake County is looking for the revenue, but would officials want to live there? I would not. There is plenty of empty space out of public housing space, go into those areas, away from us.
Just a thought.
Debbe Blake lives in Lakeport, California.
- Details
- Written by: Debbe Blake