KELSEYVILLE ?Reaction to Clayton Duncan”s proposal to change Kelseyville”s name has met with resistance among the area residents and businesses. Robinson Rancheria tribal member Clayton Duncan said he hopes to have an initiative on the June 2008 election ballot for Lake County”s voters to decide.
Of nine Kelseyville businesses surveyed at random, seven representatives said they were against the idea of a name change and two said they had no opinion.
“Personally I think it”s ridiculous,” said Mike Gayesskey, CFO of Kelseyville Lumber. Gayesskey said he remembered when Duncan pushed for Kelseyville High School”s mascot to be changed from the Indians to the Knights in 2005.
“That gave some impetus to have this one individual decide he”s going to change everything and everyone. I”d really like the majority of the people to respond.” Gayesskey said he doesn”t believe the majority of Lake County”s voters will favor the name change.
At the Friday ceremony at Bloody Island in Upper Lake, Duncan asked the female members of the crowd of approximately 80 students assembled from Sonoma State University if they would want a town named after a rapist. “Even after 100 years, would that be okay?” Duncan asked. He said, “I would see honor in bringing back the original name, Xabenapo.”
Sherisa Price of Lakeport, a Delaware Indian tribal member, said the effort makes her sad. She said that she and her children took pride in being “Kelseyville Indians” before the mascot name was changed, and she thinks the change deprives the town of its American Indian spirit and heritage.
Duncan said his partner in the effort to get the name changed is in the very first part of the process, which involves having a proposed ordinance prepared in writing in 500 words or less, the reason for the ordinance. Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley said an effort to change an unincorporated town”s name would have to go through the initiative petition process. That involves having a proposed ordinance prepared and explaining in 500 words or less the reasons for the proposed petition. County Council would prepare a summary and official title. The petition”s proponents would have 180 days to gather the signatures.
Duncan said he hopes to have the initiative on the June election ballot, which would require the signatures of at least 10 percent of the entire vote cast in Lake County in the last gubernatorial election.
“Should the name of Custer”s last stand be changed because he bloodied Little Bighorn?” asked Kelseyville resident Armond Pauly, who also owns a business in the area. “It”s a part of history.”
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
