Dear Editor:

This letter is in regards to the Lake County Board of Supervisors vote on recommending to the Board of Geographic Names to change the name of Kelseyville.

It is apparent that the hat two of the Lake County supervisors, Moke Simon and EJ Crandell, were wearing were of influential county tribal leaders and not the hat of elected officials representing all citizens of Lake County who voted 70.58% advising the supervisors to recommend “no” to the Kelseyville name change.

What was the purpose of putting this on the ballot if the decision had already been made? Was the hope that the vote would go the other way and they could say “we went with the people”? It appears that there was a rush to get this through before two of the board members left office.

In my opinion, both supervisors who are also tribal leaders should have recused themselves due to a conflict of interest as the name change recommendation of Kelseyville centers around Native Americans.

The history of Lake County in the 1800s concerning Native Americans was horrendous. Blood was shed on both sides. The solution is not erasing history, the solution is learning from the mistakes of history, honoring and mourning the loss of innocent people. As Supervisor-elect Helen Owen has said on numerous occasions, let’s not erase history, let’s honor and mourn the loss and create an interactive cultural center in Kelseyville — similar to the ones at the Little Big Horn or Custer’s Last Stand.

The people of today had nothing to do with this event. There are Native Americans in our county who are not in agreement with changing the name. How will changing the name bring healing? Are there those who carry anger and bitterness toward acts of long ago that no one in the present day committed? How will changing the name change hearts?

Is it possible that the overwhelming vote to recommend not changing the name had nothing to do with a community of racists, but had to do with the fact that this name change will have a negative financial impact for thousands of people who live and own businesses today in Kelseyville? There will also be costs incurred for the county of Lake in time, labor and material to change property tax rolls and other paperwork concerning the proposed name change.

One would think that the vote of our county supervisors who we elected (with the exception of one appointed) and entrusted with overseeing the business of Lake County would have been a unanimous “no” honoring the vote of the people of Lake County. After all, four of the five would not hold office if it weren’t for voters. One would also think that consideration of the county expenditure involved with this name change would in itself call for a “no” recommendation so that more funds are available for much needed road repair or other infrastructure needs that would benefit all Lake County residents.

On a side note: My summation is that the California Advisory Committee on Geographic Names and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names are agencies tasked with changing names to geographical appropriate sites.

Mt. Konocti is a geographical site so the word Konocti would be in line with these agencies for approval of a name change.

Had the board voted “no” on the recommendation to change the name, then as far as these agencies are concerned, it would have been the end of it.

Linda Diehl-Darms lives in Middletown, California.