Letters
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- Written by: Jim Hankins
On Friday, March 20, the Lucerne Booster Club held their annual taco feed at the Lucerne Elementary School cafeteria.
The event was very successful in raising much-needed money to sponsor kids to this years’ science camp and supporting our students and faculty at Lucerne Elementary School.
We would like to say a very heartfelt “thank you” to all the merchants that donated supplies that made this event so successful. They are: Kenny Parlet and the crew at Lakeview Market, Jose and family at Kaptain’s Kafe, Brian and Victor at Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Taco Bell, Robinson Rancheria, Bruno’s Shop Smart and Safeway.
We also would like to thanks all the booster club members who gave so much of their time and energy, as well as the staff and faculty at Lucerne Elementary School.
The Lucerne Booster Club and the North Shore Business Association would like to remind everyone that from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at the Harbor Park in Lucerne, we will be reviving the 30-year-old Alpine Art Festival.
Anyone interested in acquiring a booth (there are still a few available) should contact Lani Urquiza at 707-349-5457 or by e-mail at
Hope to see everyone there for a day filled with fun, art and music.
Jim Hankins lives in Lucerne.
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- Written by: Herb Gura
That being said, I will explain why Ed's comments, through which he becomes a self-appointed apologist for the city of Clearlake’s questionable behavior, are factually incorrect.
1. I am not "demonizing" anybody. I respect the members of the council and understand that they are well intended and that the job of an elected official is not an easy one. Still, I reserve the right to take issue with the way they conduct the public’s business.
My statement that the city treats the public "as the enemy" was based upon the numerous complaints I heard from attendees of the council's Feb. 26 meeting. Many felt that they were wrongfully and illegally deprived of their opportunity to speak. Many felt disrespected. There was a sense that the majority of the council had already made up their minds and viewed the public with contempt. I gleaned these comments from my interviews with members of the public, from comments in the local news and on my own radio show.
Even if Mayor Leonard, Vice Mayor Thein and Councilmember Giambruno believed they had a legal right to silence the public at that meeting, the council could easily have allowed the public to speak anyway. It may have extended the meeting by an hour or two and sent a message that the council valued the people’s input.
2. Although the city, mostly through its manager, keeps stating that the developer and the residents of Provinsalia will be responsible for all the infrastructure costs involved, the official documents state otherwise.
At that Feb. 26 meeting, Victoria Brandon pointed out that the language in the city’s staff report states that the city will be responsible for maintaining the streets inside the development. Robert Riggs, an attorney and member of the city’s own vision task force pointed out to the council that there are loopholes in the official documents “large enough to drive a bulldozer through.”
Riggs expressed shock that the council would not allow him to address changes in the documents made subsequent to the previous public hearing.
The official documents also state that the golf course may revert back to the city if certain conditions are not met. Yes … it will become open space as you say, Ed. And who will be responsible for staffing and maintaining that open space?
The idea that the city is “taking on” these things is accurate and certainly not dishonest.
3. If turning pristine pasture and oak woodlands into a 650-home development and a golf course, expanding the sewer system and adding a three-mile road where previously none existed is not expanding the city, I don’t know what is. The council is approving a zoning change and a change in the city’s general plan.
What is “misleading” is Robey’s mincing words by saying that because the site is within the geographical boundaries of the city, it is therefore technically not expansion. In its current state, the property requires absolutely nothing from the city. If it becomes Provinsalia, it will require police and fire protection, road maintenance, water, sewer, and all the other services that the city has not been able to provide adequately in the city as it currently exists.
4. The city did in fact shut down a public hearing and limit it to two narrow topics, based upon the advice of a lawyer who was paid by the developer. This lawyer was not hired to direct the council about the conduct of the meeting but rather on the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
The city, so quick to believe that the public had no right to address them regarding substantive changes in the documents before them, may have acted illegally and therefore may be forced to hold new public hearing. I don’t agree that it is a “good thing” or that it will save the city money. Why ask a CEQA lawyer about the Brown Act? Hasn’t all your years in government taught you to always err on the side of caution when it comes to the Brown Act? After all, violating the act is a misdemeanor.
5. Mayor Leonard stated to the public after Councilman Roy Simons left the meeting that he left because was "having trouble with his hearing aid." So yes, Simons chose to leave, and Joyce Overton "chose" not to attend the meeting because she was flat on her back due to a health problem. The council could have, and should have waited for the entire council to be there before voting on a project that is this controversial.
6. Ed gets downright silly with his final accusation when he says: “ … Herb's R-B letter indicates Herb lives in Lower Lake. He lives at the Double Eagle Ranch east of Clearlake Oaks off Highway 20. His Lake County News letter indicates, correctly, his Clearlake Oaks area residence. What's this discrepancy about?”
Here’s what that discrepancy is about: When I emailed my letter to the Bee and to Lake County News, I did not state my residence at all. The Bee’s editor stated incorrectly that I live in Lower Lake. An honest mistake on the R-B’s part and not particularly important. I have lived at the same place for my entire 32 years in Lake County.
The honesty and truth and respect that Ed Robey is preaching to us about is not limited to the way Ed Robey sees things. His haste to characterize those with differing views from his own as “dishonest” says more about him than it does about anyone else. Robey is a former mayor and member of the Clearlake City Council who was himself recalled by the public, and perhaps he is therefore overly sensitive about this sort of criticism.
None of this takes anything away from Ed’s long and honorable record as a public servant for which I continue to salute him.
I will be talking about Mr. Robey’s letter on my KPFZ radio show this Saturday, April 4, at 5 p.m. I invite Ed to phone in and have a meaningful dialoge about his concerns and mine. I invite the public to tune in to 88.1 FM at 5 p.m. and to also phone in at 707-263-3435 or 800-763-5739 (KPFZ).
Let's clear the air so we can all work together to hold the city accountable for their actions as regards Provinsalia.
Herb Gura lives in Clearlake Oaks.
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- Written by: Aqeela El-Amin Bakheit
To all supporters, participants, and members of the Lake County Branch, NAACP's black history program, held Saturday, February 28 – we thank you most heartily.
Our program was held at the Praises of Zion Baptist Church in Clearlake in conjunction with the support of Rev. Jonathan Greene, Alice Smith, Josie Smith Easley, Ashley Smith, the Women on the Move choral group, Denise Johnson and Mrs. Head.
We are equally appreciative of all participants of our program: Rick Mayo (first vice president, NAACP), St. Elmo Mosby, Jr. (education chair, NAACP), Rob Young (Americorp, program director), Robert Stark (Cobb Water District, and guitarist), Rev. Kate O'Leary (Kelseyville Methodist Church), Rev. Don Dyne (Universalist Unitarian Church), June Jackson, Clarence Wright, Sr.,Yasemin Kirsten Mash' Allah and Charlissa Bryant.
And, finally, I am very proud of the continuing support of my administrative and executive members who helped coordinate and execute this program with symphonic rhythm.
Aqeela El-Amin Bakheit is president of the Lake County Branch of the NAACP. She lives in Clearlake.
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News Reports
I was very disappointed to read the letter submitted by Herb Gura published in the March 26 Lake County News and also the the letter published in the the March 25 issue of the Record-Bee. Herb is an opponent of the Provinsalia project in Clearlake, as am I. However, his letters are so misleading and inaccurate that I fear it will weaken the credibility of all who oppose the project.
Let me be specific and set the record straight.
In his LakeCoNews letter Herb states, “It is poor policy to treat the public as the enemy rather than the source of wisdom that they usually are.” He is trying to demonize the city council, and paint a picture that simply isn't true. The Clearlake City Council are good-hearted well-intentioned people that I have known and worked with for years. They are not treating the "public" as the "enemy.” That is so weird that I am wondering what Herb is up to, with this bizarre crusade of misinformation and personal attack.
Let me take his Record-Bee letter apart in detail, as follows.
Herb says, "How are the City of Clearlake's current residents to view the city taking on a commitment to maintain streets for 650 'upscale' homes and a golf course out on the edge of town? " Not true. The city is requiring the residents of Provinsalia to maintain the streets in Provinsalia and the new off-site street Provinsalia Avenue through a maintenance district. Regarding the golf course, Herb, where did you come up with the idea it would be maintained by the city? It's a private golf course. The city couldn't maintain a private golf course, it would be a gift of public funds. The truth is that the city has taken measures to protect the golf course land from ever being developed into residential lots should the golf course go out of business, by having it revert to open space.
Herb says, "When a city government sits the developer's lawyer at their table and shuts down public input based upon that lawyer's advice when a city council rushes to a vote on a controversial project with two of its own council members not present, something is wrong." Again not true, and very misleading.
The truth is that the city contracts for legal services with the firm of BB&K, and had asked BB&K to have their California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) attorney Fernando Avila to be present at the meeting to provide expert advice. BB&K works for the city, not the developer. However, the city did require the developer to cover the extra cost of the attorney, as well as all the other city staff time and costs to process this project, thus saving taxpayers money. This is a good thing. Because Mr. Avila is a CEQA expert and not a Brown Act expert, the city is now seeking legal advice on the Brown Act complaint from their regular attorney.
Herb says the council "shuts down public input", but does not mention that they took his input, and mine and many others, at the public hearing on Feb. 12. They allowed him to speak as long as he wished, and did not shut him down in any way.
Once again, about two council members not being present: There were four council members at the hearing, not three. Roy Simons was there until he decided to leave, leaving only three.
Herb says the city "should not be looking to expand.” The proposed project is inside the city limits. The city is not looking to expand, but processing a proposal to develop undeveloped land within the city. And the process isn't over yet.
Finally, Herb's R-B letter indicates Herb lives in Lower Lake. He lives at the Double Eagle Ranch east of Clearlake Oaks off Highway 20. His Lake County News letter indicates, correctly, his Clearlake Oaks area residence. What's this discrepancy about?
I wrote recently about the need for respect from all sides of this issue. How about we start by having some respect for the truth? If we are going to have an honest debate about this project, we must be honest.
Ed Robey, the recently retired supervisor for District 1, lives in Lower Lake.
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