Friday, 22 November 2024

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Growth, both personal and as a people, simply doesn’t happen in a vacuum.

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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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Some very important decisions are coming up regarding cannabis cultivation and use that will significantly affect Lake County; citizens should weigh in.

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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., I’d love to hear your views. I’m sure so would the supervisor in your district.

Supervisor Jim Steele represents District 3 – which covers the Northshore – on the Lake County Board of Supervisors.
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There’s nothing like the comfort of returning to your home after being away on vacation.

Living in a hotel and eating out for every meal can leave you feeling out of whack. One solution for this problem is renting a house or apartment.

Although renting a home for your next vacation is a great way to get your own space and feel more comfortable, it comes with additional risk.

In 2016, consumers nationwide filed more than 1,100 complaints with Better Business Bureau (BBB) about vacation rental companies. The most common issue was an inability to get a refund, but consumers also complained about poor service and deceptive sales.

The following tips from your BBB can help you avoid problems and find a relaxing place to call home during your next trip.

Check BBB

Whenever you’re interacting with a new business, it’s smart to check www.bbb.org. There you can see a business’ rating, complaint history, and reviews from past customers.

Make sure to do your research and keep an eye out for red flags, like unanswered complaints or major advertising issues.

Steer clear of rental scams

Nearly 350 rental scams were reported to BBB Scam Tracker by consumers nationwide in 2016.

Around 40 percent of reports involved a monetary loss, and the median loss was $350!

In a rental scam, you find a great place to rent while browsing the Web, usually on a classifieds site. Everything is handled online, and you prepay for your vacation rental. When you arrive, you find out that the property either isn’t available or doesn’t even exist.

Only rent from trustworthy companies and reputable home sharing websites (look them up on www.bbb.org ), and steer clear of properties advertised by individuals on classifieds sites.

It’s also best to use a credit card because they offer more protections than debit and prepaid cards.

For more tips on avoiding rental scams, visit www.bbb.org/rentalscam.

Be careful booking through a third-party site

It’s usually safer to book your rental directly through a rental company, but you may be tempted to use a third-party booking site that’s advertising the best deals.

It’s important to do your research – of the 7,000 complaints about travel agents and bureaus that BBB received in 2016, more than 2,300 were against online travel agencies.

Steer clear of unprofessional-looking sites, consider using a trustworthy BBB Accredited Business, and always read the contract and refund/exchange policies carefully.

Considering a timeshare?

In a timeshare, a business subdivides individual units into time interval ownership plans, which you can then buy.

It may feel good to “own” your own vacation home, but be careful. In 2016, nearly 2,400 complaints were filed on vacation timeshare companies. The majority of complaints (54%) were about sales. Many complaints involve false advertisements and overly-aggressive sales tactics.

Consumers frequently complain about attending an hours-long timeshare presentation in exchange for a “free” vacation, but in the end are charged a lot of money for the trip.

Check out the company on www.bbb.org , read the contract thoroughly, and don’t feel pressured when talking to a sales person.

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is

Sweepstakes/lottery/prize scams were the fourth most reported scam to BBB Scam Tracker in 2016.

According to the BBB Risk Index, they’re also the tenth riskiest scam overall and second most risky for consumers 65 and older.

If you receive an unsolicited email, letter, or phone call claiming that you won a free vacation, don’t believe it.

You’ll never have to pay upfront to receive a free prize, and never wire money to someone you don’t know.

More than 300 travel and vacation scams were also reported to BBB Scam Tracker in 2016, and they were the second most risky scam for service members and veterans. Many reports involve “free” trips and phony rentals. Learn more at bbb.org/prizescam and www.bbb.org/travelscam.

If you encounter a travel, rental or prize scam make sure to report it BBB Scam Tracker at www.bbb.org/scamtracker to help warn others.

After your trip, let BBB know about your rental experience by writing a Customer Review on www.bbb.org.

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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Warm weather and long days create the perfect conditions for a neighborhood garage sale.

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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I was fortunate to meet Terry Knight when we were both walking in Lakeport one morning.

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.
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It’s officially summer! That means the kids are home from school for a few long months. The first week or so might have been all fun and games, but now they’re starting to get bored, and they think it’s your job to entertain them!

Summer is a great time for your kids to hone skills or learn something new.

Below are some ideas that can help them get the most out of their summer break while affording you some deserved peace and quiet.

Send them to summer camp

Summer camps are a great way to ensure that children are entertained and supervised while parents are otherwise occupied. Kids can attend day camps, overnight camps, or even camps that last all summer.

After deciding what type of camp is right for your family, make sure to do your research. Complaints BBB receives on camps range from issues with registration and problems receiving refunds to poor service. Look up the camp online, especially at www.bbb.org, and check that they’re licensed. Understand the fees and payments, and read the contract completely before signing it.

Sign up for volunteering

Foster your kids’ philanthropic spirit this summer by getting involved with an organization that needs help!

There’s a volunteering job for every child – from helping out at a food bank to cleaning up local parks.

Depending on your child’s age and the task at hand, they may or may not need parental supervision.

Having trouble choosing a nonprofit? Check out www.give.org , run by BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance, or WGA.

WGA accredits charities that meet 20 comprehensive standards. At www.give.org, you can look up nonprofits and find out what percent of fundraising goes to projects, how effective they are, and how much money goes to overhead and salaries.

Encourage entrepreneurship

It’s never too early to become an entrepreneur! Have your kids brainstorm ideas by thinking about their passions and interests and how they could be turned into a business.

Check out books on entrepreneurship and creating a business from the library. There are also a lot of great resources online.

Whatever they decide to do, make sure they’re incorporating good values. A great place to start is BBB’s Standards of Trust, which include advertising honestly, telling the truth, honoring promises, embodying integrity, and more. Print them out a copy and encourage them to keep it in mind.

Get creative or learn a new skill

Embarking on a creative project or trying to learn a new skill can take a lot of time, but it’s incredibly rewarding.

Encourage your kids to get creative and think of a big project they’d like to complete. This could be a collection of drawings, a new board game, or something entirely out of the box!

They can also pick something they’ve always wanted to try and learn how to do it, like learn to sew or crochet, learn a specific type of dance, or learn to cook.

Set goals

Some children respond best to goals – they love to check things off their lists!

Align their summer goals with things that they’ll be working on in the upcoming school year.

A good goal could be to read 100 books in three months or complete one page of math problems every day.

Rewarding them along the way can keep them motivated. Create goals using the SMART framework to maximize their effectiveness.

Rebecca Harpster is community outreach coordinator for the BBB serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California.

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