Letters
My name is Jennifer Dinsmore Hanson and I am running for the Lakeport Unified School District (LUSD) Governing Board.
I was born and raised in Lake County and received my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from UC Santa Barbara and UC Davis, respectively.
My husband Jeff and I settled in Lakeport to raise our two daughters. We chose Lakeport because, at that time, it had the best schools in Lake County. Both of my daughters attended LUSD from kindergarten through high school with my youngest graduating in 2018.
I have worked as a full-time professor of economics and business at the Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College since 1996.
During this time, I have also served on curriculum committees, local site councils, faculty labor unions, and staff evaluation committees – all of which have given me valuable experience and perspective about the educational system. In addition, I served as the president of the Lake County Channel Cats for over 15 years and am now their treasurer.
Today, there are three important topics surrounding the LUSD School Board election: teachers leaving the district, a lack of discipline at the school and concerns about the school pool.
Teachers: My philosophy about teachers and staff is simple – they need to be supported by administration – both professionally and personally. A school with a faculty and staff that feel supported will help that school thrive. I also believe in transparency of government decisions and the need to reach out to teachers, staff, parents and students to get a complete picture of what happens at school.
Discipline: While there is a statewide push to reduce punishments and “redirect” bad behavior, we cannot allow our well-behaved students and teachers to suffer. We must implement common-sense discipline policies that incorporate best practices without going to extremes. Our school population is unique, and we must take an approach that works for all Lakeport students and teachers.
Pool: I am a strong advocate for water safety, and a firm believer in swim lessons for our youth. With all the lakes, rivers, and waterways in our area, it is imperative that our children have a place to learn to swim. I am also a disappointed voter who demands fiscal responsibility. When the school bond passed in 2014, a portion was supposed to be used to repair and renovate the school pool. Unfortunately, the funds were spent on other expensive items, and now there is not enough money left to begin the pool project. I believe that fiscal responsibility is a moral and professional mandate, and that a school board should be held accountable to the voters.
As your school board representative, I will immediately work to understand why teachers are leaving the district and find a solution. I will help shape a common-sense discipline policy that works for Lakeport.
And, I will honor the will of our voters by prioritizing our bond funds to meet public expectations, while being conservative about how those monies are spent.
I am running for one of three board seats that will be voted on in November. Please vote for me, Carly Alvord and Dan Buffalo to fill those three seats.
To learn more, visit www.fixLUSD.com, or reach me directly at
Jennifer Hanson lives in Lakeport, Calif.
- Details
- Written by: Jennifer Hanson
Prior to a handful of recent news articles, I was unaware that the Lakeport Fire District was in such financial dire straits.
Knowing the unquestionable need for first responders, I immediately began inquiring about this crisis. As a private citizen of Lakeport, I know the struggles that are faced trying to stay afloat in unpredictable times. This however is a bit different.
It’s one thing to not know where money is coming from for wider sidewalks, paved streets, a manicured park, etc.; it’s another to not have money for an entity like the Lakeport Fire District that provides life-saving services to the community. After all, we can live without wider sidewalks but many cannot live without first responders.
On Tuesday night I attended a special meeting held by the Lakeport Fire Protection District Board where its biggest topic was its financial crisis.
To my utter dismay and shock, the meeting started with a motion and vote to cut three full-time staff members.
It was only after voting to approve the cuts that the board opened the floor to public comment. Wait … huh? Shouldn’t the public have a right to be heard before the vote?
The board members clearly had their minds made up and were closed to any possibility that something may have been said during public comment to postpone the vote.
In fact, one of the board members stated that he did not “think” that the county would agree to another extension. Given the gravity of the situation, the board member should have “known” prior to the vote. Again, lives are at stake with this decision.
What this means and what was not highly publicized prior to the recent news articles is that, at any given time, the Lakeport Fire Department will be able to respond to only one emergency at a time.
So, it’s only natural to ask yourself, if two people are having an emergency at the same time, who gets priority? Which elderly citizen will receive life-saving measures during a medical emergency and which one will not?
To add insult to injury, I believe it was clear that although this financial emergency had been known for quite some time, the board did not start working on a game plan until March of this year.
When I personally inquired why this emergency was not brought to our attention earlier, I was told in essence that their books are always readily available and more or less that I should have inquired into their financial situation prior to learning about this mess. Yes, the board had the audacity to suggest that it is the citizen’s responsibility to go door to door to each and every city agency and inquire about their financial status!
To not properly manage and fund a medical crisis is abhorrent. I do not claim to have the answers and I appreciate the challenges that the board faces. My issue is that, at the end of the day, the citizens were not made aware of this issue until the 11th hour, when it was too late.
Had I known of this issue, it would have been my absolute pleasure to assist in whatever way possible.
I appreciate that some of the board members have lived and breathed the fire department for decades. I am certain that each and every one of them cares for the community and its safety.
This writing is not meant to disparage anybody. However, I would be remiss not to help bring this very important mess to light. It has become far too common for us to be reactionary and not proactive. Very few things can be won where only defense is being played.
This crisis reaches far beyond Lakeport. There is no question that the entire county will feel the effects of this disaster. Outside agencies will undoubtedly be asked to provide back-up responders to fill the void created by the board’s decision.
This means that the limited resources of surrounding areas like Kelseyville and Upper Lake will be left more vulnerable as their first responders are forced to abandon their communities to fill in for the inadequately staffed Lakeport Fire District.
I just hope that it will not be at the expense of people’s lives and safety.
Danny Flesch lives in Lakeport, Calif.
Knowing the unquestionable need for first responders, I immediately began inquiring about this crisis. As a private citizen of Lakeport, I know the struggles that are faced trying to stay afloat in unpredictable times. This however is a bit different.
It’s one thing to not know where money is coming from for wider sidewalks, paved streets, a manicured park, etc.; it’s another to not have money for an entity like the Lakeport Fire District that provides life-saving services to the community. After all, we can live without wider sidewalks but many cannot live without first responders.
On Tuesday night I attended a special meeting held by the Lakeport Fire Protection District Board where its biggest topic was its financial crisis.
To my utter dismay and shock, the meeting started with a motion and vote to cut three full-time staff members.
It was only after voting to approve the cuts that the board opened the floor to public comment. Wait … huh? Shouldn’t the public have a right to be heard before the vote?
The board members clearly had their minds made up and were closed to any possibility that something may have been said during public comment to postpone the vote.
In fact, one of the board members stated that he did not “think” that the county would agree to another extension. Given the gravity of the situation, the board member should have “known” prior to the vote. Again, lives are at stake with this decision.
What this means and what was not highly publicized prior to the recent news articles is that, at any given time, the Lakeport Fire Department will be able to respond to only one emergency at a time.
So, it’s only natural to ask yourself, if two people are having an emergency at the same time, who gets priority? Which elderly citizen will receive life-saving measures during a medical emergency and which one will not?
To add insult to injury, I believe it was clear that although this financial emergency had been known for quite some time, the board did not start working on a game plan until March of this year.
When I personally inquired why this emergency was not brought to our attention earlier, I was told in essence that their books are always readily available and more or less that I should have inquired into their financial situation prior to learning about this mess. Yes, the board had the audacity to suggest that it is the citizen’s responsibility to go door to door to each and every city agency and inquire about their financial status!
To not properly manage and fund a medical crisis is abhorrent. I do not claim to have the answers and I appreciate the challenges that the board faces. My issue is that, at the end of the day, the citizens were not made aware of this issue until the 11th hour, when it was too late.
Had I known of this issue, it would have been my absolute pleasure to assist in whatever way possible.
I appreciate that some of the board members have lived and breathed the fire department for decades. I am certain that each and every one of them cares for the community and its safety.
This writing is not meant to disparage anybody. However, I would be remiss not to help bring this very important mess to light. It has become far too common for us to be reactionary and not proactive. Very few things can be won where only defense is being played.
This crisis reaches far beyond Lakeport. There is no question that the entire county will feel the effects of this disaster. Outside agencies will undoubtedly be asked to provide back-up responders to fill the void created by the board’s decision.
This means that the limited resources of surrounding areas like Kelseyville and Upper Lake will be left more vulnerable as their first responders are forced to abandon their communities to fill in for the inadequately staffed Lakeport Fire District.
I just hope that it will not be at the expense of people’s lives and safety.
Danny Flesch lives in Lakeport, Calif.
- Details
- Written by: Danny Flesch
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