Second (amendment) thoughts
The second amendment to the Constitution of the United States states, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” With so much controversy on this and all the arguments I hear about being able to overthrow tyrants, a thought came to me. What would you call a citizen who shoots the President of the United States? Many Republicans would say a patriot if it were Obama, but what about John Hinckley’s attempt to kill Ronald Reagan? I suspect all US citizens would say he was an assassin. Now what would you call a state militia that fought back against government troops trying to oppress? This would be seen as an attempt to overthrow a tyrant. Makes me wonder what the Supreme Court was thinking when they decided (5-4) that this meant an individual’s right to keep and bear Arms.
Kevin Bracken, Kelseyville
Just Looking Back
Many years ago we had a bowling alley on Lakeshore Drive near Crystal Lake Way; we had a roller rink at the old Lakeport High School gym. One of our City Councilmen and his father tried to put a roller rink on Hopland Road where the strawberry patch is now. We had a go-kart recreational facility in Clearlake just past where you turn to go to Walmart on Hwy 53.
Over time roller rinks were shut down and one was not even allowed to be build; the go-kart track in Clearlake was shut down; the bowling alley at the shopping center just lost its lease because of negotiations problems with the owner. But I can remember when Dub Baker signed a lease with the City of Lakeport for 99 years. Dub Baker built that shopping center and it had many profitable businesses there, nice grocery store, Rite-aid and many other satellite businesses. Over time, due to internal politics with the City of Lakeport, the property and the shopping center was sold with in-house with major politics. A relation purchased the shopping center from the City, the property and the shopping center. To my knowledge, not positive, it did not go out to bid. I am sure it was sold for a bargain.
Dub Baker has passed on, therefore I cannot get that positive information.
Where Del Lago is now the old high school gym was and there was a roller skating rink there, and a roller skating rink at the fairgrounds, there was also a roller skating rink in Nice behind the new county park. Now we have no bowling alleys of any kind in the county, we have no skating rink of any kind in the county…because over time the policies always get the best of the businesses one way or the other.
It is time for the people of Lake County to wake up because there is no place for our kids to go. The only safe place to go, if there is one at all, is to hang out at a local park, where homeless people hang out, dope dealers and marijuana smokers. I do not now have young kids, but many people do. Now it is time for the county and the cities to pool together and come up with a recreational facility like a bowling type and some type of skating rink. Just think how important that would be for our community. But we spend the money with lawyers and courts because our kids get into trouble with nothing to do. With the exception of the concerts in the park in the summer time. I go myself and I believe that is the only summertime fun that they have when they go with their parents.
Everyone cannot play baseball, football or play a musical instrument. Just looking at where we have been and where we are going.
Ron Rose, Lakeport
Nose work
We would like to thank the Upper Lake High School administration, faculty, staff & students for providing us a beautiful location for the two Level 3 K9 Nose Work Trials that were held on April 11 and 12.
NACSW (National Association for Canine Scent Work) organizes and runs competitions throughout the United States. Venues for the Nose Work Level 3 trials are difficult to find because they require a facility that can provide a place for an exterior search, a vehicle search, a container search and three interior rooms to search each day. In addition, the site needs to have parking and rest room facilities that are located out of sight of the search areas for the 23 competitors each day. Competitors are selected by a random draw process from those who apply. One competitor in this trial came all the way from Alaska.
We received many positive comments from the NACSW officials and competitors about the great location. Our school contact for the day was Buddy Thomas. He was very helpful and willing to adjust to the last minute requests that the NACSW team made. It made us proud to be residents of Lake County.
Toni Davis and Chris Clifford, Lakeport
