Tiffany Revelle–Record-Bee staff
KELSEYVILLE — Changing the Kelseyville High School mascot back to the Indian will be discussed at the Jan. 15 Kelseyville Unified School District Board meeting, according to district superintendent Boyce McClain.
The mascot was changed to the Knight in 2005 by a unanimous vote by the five-member body, which recently took on two new board members in the Nov. 6 general district election. Kelseyville business owner Marcie Cadora confirmed Thursday that she wrote a letter to Boyce requesting time on the board”s Feb. 19 agenda to discuss reinstating the Indian as the high school”s mascot.
Cadora plans to submit a petition with more than 500 signatures in support.
“I think that is an issue that will be dealt with in February,” McClain said. “What”s going to happen Tuesday is that a community member is going to ask the board to consider it as an action item.”
McClain said the process for getting an item on the board”s agenda involves asking the board to consider it at a subsequent meeting.
McClain said that while the board could deny considering the discussion, he believes that outcome is unlikely.
The room where the board will meet Tuesday only accommodates 35 people. Boyce said if the board decides to put the discussion on its Feb. 19 agenda, he will move the meeting to the student union center at the high school; it accommodates up to 700 people.
There were between 400 and 500 people at the 2005 board meeting that resulted in the high school”s mascot name change, according to McClain. The effort was spearheaded by Robinson Rancheria tribal member Clayton Duncan. Duncan recently talked of changing Kelseyville”s name, as previously reported by the Record-Bee.
“My opinion is that Mr. Duncan”s recent move to change the name of Kelseyville has incited the anger of many residents of Kelseyville,” McClain said. “There are new board members ? they would not address it with the old board because they were the five that changed the name ? but if there are new board members, there is a possibility of changing it back. I think that would be their view. That”s my educated guess.”
“When there are that many people interested in an issue, whether they agree with it or not, there should be a dialog there,” District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown said.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com
