On the lake
I am writing to express my appreciation for the excellent series of articles by Gene Paleno about the status of Clear Lake and surrounding territory that were published in The R-B recently. The series clearly illustrated the problems that we are facing with our lake and its surrounds, and gave trenchant suggestions about how these shortcomings could be corrected.
It should be obvious to everyone that restoring the lake and its environs to a condition close to their pristine state would make our county more attractive to tourists, and that would be a boost to our lagging tourist industry. Such a boost to tourism, and the work involved in restoring the lake and its environs, would produce a substantial number of new jobs. Since Lake County has one of the highest unemployment rates in our state such an increase in jobs would be very beneficial.
However, the problem in achieving these environmental improvements is financial. Unfortunately, a recent measure to increase our sales tax slightly to pay for restoring the lake and its environs did not receive sufficient voter support in the election in 2014. Let us hope that funding can be obtained from our state and federal governments. Also, perhaps our county Board of Supervisors can find means of obtaining some financing to accomplish some of these improvements, as I suggested previously (see The R-B of 11-14-14).
Charles S. Nicoll, Lucerne
Here’s a thought
A wonderful way to bring a far greater interest for tourists to visit our area would be to bring the history of the Pomo Nation in Lake County to its well deserved prominent position in Lake County’s past. People travel great distances to gain a better understanding and view of what a picturesque area’s very early inhabitants’ challenges and satisfactions were all about.
The Xa-Ben-Na-Po Band of Pomo Indians inhabited the region as many as 12,000 years ago — 4,000 years before Egyptian civilization. Mount Konocti was revered as sacred by the peaceful tribes, who numbered in the thousands until the early 1800s.
Look at the numbers of people who visit man’s early sites like Egypt and Pompeii. Clear Lake’s history is no less interesting as to how its earliest population lived their everyday lives. Our early population here in the west was from an area that slowly moved east and south from here. The Pomos have a long and very compete documentation, are known to be the best basket weavers in the country, and very skilled in producing the fines arrowheads used to provide safety and food for their families, etc.
If the country’s leadership, local Chamber of Commerce, and civil organizations teamed up with the different Pomo community leaders to offer restored ancient villages, demonstrations of past skill’, samples of food staples and their preparation, along with our early European settler’s types of living conditions, we could offer a top flight visitation site that would enhance the job market for many of our present day residents.
Promoting the historically factual story of the past of the county, both good and bad, with the lake, Mt. Konocti, Pomo culture, pioneers, mining, hunting and fishing, and the added wine industry could bring a new and greater living standard overall. The tourist dollar brings a higher tax revenue, lowering the tax rate for local residents, also. Limiting the number of franchise food outlets and big box stores also would be helpful to allow for a greater job market and local profits to be kept for the good of the county as a whole.
With a greater volume of tourists we could offer hiking/nature tours, biking rental, boating rental and guided fishing/hunting programs. The additional income for the local gaming industry and wine industry would also benefit the county as a whole.
Jim Hall, Clearlake Oaks
