Dear Editor,

In response to “On The Ranch” by Nancy Crawford-Hall.

Some people might not like the fact the issue of legitimate claim has been raised, but unfortunately recent actions of Chairman Armenta and his testimony before the House Natural Resources Committee, coupled with the elevated use of Senate Bill 18 with our local government, has forced this discussion.

There are many reasons this issue must be raised, discussed and resolved, and the community has a right to a dialogue about it without fear of retaliation. Chairman Armenta’s claims affect everyone who lives here, whether it is land use issues, taxation issues or the significant impacts of a growing and expanding gambling enterprise in our midst.

POLO and POSY are not the ones who keep raising the issue of legitimacy. It has been historically the Governor, in an August 2005 letter, and Chairman Armenta through his arrogant assumption that somehow his “sovereignty” and his ancestry give him the privilege of violating the rights of those around him.

First, Chairman Armenta, whether he wants to admit to it or not, is seeking to expand. It is just a matter of time. This expansion will have far-reaching ramifications for our Valley in the form of irreversible impacts on our infrastructure, water, land and other precious resources.

Second, SB 18 was created to give tribes more input on projects in their ancestral territories in an attempt to help preserve sacred sites. We are now seeing the abuse of SB 18 as Chairman Armenta uses this law to stall or halt projects in the county and to intimidate and harass landowners.

So, with expansion on the horizon and the continued abuse of federal law, it is only fair for Chairman Armenta to have to provide the proof of his ancestral ties to the original 99 acres, thus the link to giving him all his rights and privileges: the “right” to sit privately with our Board of Supervisors and discuss any project of his liking on a “government-to-government” basis and the entitlement to a gambling monopoly with all of the special privileges this entails.

His claims have not been substantiated even with the help and assistance of legal counsel, genealogists, ethno-historians and tribal attorneys. Chairman Armenta and tribal administrator Sam Cohen have tried to discredit the findings of one ethno-historian but still refuse to answer the questions being raised. It is much easier to kill the messenger in an attempt to kill the message.

The Governor was actually the first to raise the issue of questionable ancestral ties in a letter to the BIA dated August 26, 2005. This letter is referenced in Ms. Crawford-Hall’s editorial. I would like to add that the local press and our elected officials knew the contents of the Governor’s letter back in 2005. The press enabled Chairman Armenta to simply dismiss the letter as a “form letter.” No probing questions. No critical analysis. The Governor’s letter provided 9 pages of very specific information about Armenta’s aboriginal claims. The letter was far from a “form letter.”

Education is paramount to understanding the complex nature of this issue that affects all of us who live here. If Chairman Armenta’s claims go unchallenged, there is no telling where this insanity will end or how far it will reach.

I don’t think it is ever appropriate to thank the press for providing a forum for debate of local and national issues because you are simply upholding one of the most important principles of a democracy...a free press. But, thank you.

Kathryn Bowen, POLO Spokesperson

Santa Ynez, CA

 

 

Dear Editor,

As a member of this community for close to 40 years, and a Santa Ynez Valley Union High School science teacher for over 30 years, I am shocked and saddened by the current headlines concerning our beloved local high school.

During my tenure at the high school I never felt it was wrong to talk to a school board member. As a matter of fact there were many times that I did just that. It would seem we have really changed as a community if our elected board members are off limits to staff, students, parents and certain administrators.

It is very difficult in a district to have both principal and superintendent in the same building and across the hall from each other. I have seen over the years many such relationships struggle, but things would be worked out for the sake of the students. It would seem in this case our outgoing super had to show one last demonstration of power before leaving. I hope he can justify his actions, because many students and the community are confused and upset.

Unless there is a more explicit reason for the administrative leave of Mr. Clevenger, this School Board and Superintendent have done a great disservice to a man that has worked with staff and succeeded in increasing the overall quality of our school. This kind of discipline is rough on an educator/ administrator at this point of his career. Is this deserved?

Christine (Heinen) Burtness

SYVUHS Science teacher 1969-2001

 

 

Dear Editor,

I frequently peruse the Planning Commission agenda to keep myself abreast of new projects coming into my neighborhood. I recently noticed that someone was appealing a Conditional Use Permit for a Private Kennel on Alamo Pintado Road in Solvang. That peaked my attention as I must have missed the original announcement for the application and am admittedly a supporter of the Humane Society of the United States. I did some research and discovered that the applicant of the dog kennel plans on having 20 breeding dogs on her property and giving away puppies. Her application asks for eight litters of puppies per year. Does that sound normal to anyone? This screams of “puppy mill”. If you Google the applicants name, you can see that she is a breeder of Papillion dogs. I am familiar with this type of dog owner. They breed several pairs of dogs until they get the perfect show quality animal. Those that are rejected are “given away”, sold or worse. How could the Planning Commission have approved such a project? I would encourage anyone who is against this type of animal abuse to call your Planning Commissioner immediately to put a stop to this type of project and support those who are appealing the decision made by the Commission.

Please let’s not allow this senseless abuse to begin in the Santa Ynez Valley.

Linda Meade

Santa Ynez

 

 

Dear Valley Residents,

Thanks to our friends and neighbors, the recent spaghetti feed and silent auction at the Mission to benefit the Kevin Krzyston Medical Fund was a huge success and lots of fun. We raised over $20,000 for a deserving family in their time of need.

Special recognition goes to everyone who contributed to the silent auction, Dunn School, Mission Santa Ines, SYV Elks, El Rancho Marketplace, Solvang Bakery, Albertsons, Pacific Beverage Company, KRAZ Country, the SYV Journal, the SYV News, and all our hard-working volunteers at the event, including Kevin’s classmates and their families. It all helped to make the event the success that it was.

I think Kevin’s uncle from Indianapolis expressed it best: “We cannot thank you and (the) entire community enough for your wonderful efforts and concern to help Kevin. We wish we could be there just to share the experience of an entire community coming together in this unfortunate turn in Kevin’s life.”

We’re fortunate to live in such a supportive, beautiful place. Thank you all again.

Beth DuVall, Santa Ynez

 

 

Dear Editor,

As a physician, I am compelled to respond to this article and its superficial view of the very complex system of medicine we now have. I totally agree with Dr. Hollenbeck’s position that patients hold all of the power. Unfortunately, they have given that power up to the insurance companies in exchange for lower prices in premiums and payments. If patients start to shop around, they will find more and more physicians willing to spend more time, see them when they want, not make them wait, more caring — it just costs more. This is called capitalism. All that is required is to go out of the network. Today the average insurance payment for a routine office visit to a network physician is $40. Now let’s see, most lawyers and accountants charge $200 per hour, so $40 for the doctor comes to about 12 minutes. God forbid you have more than one problem to talk to the doctor about. So as more and more physicians find they can’t practice this kind of medicine, they are dropping out of networks. This adds to the load of those physicians remaining in the network, the problem gets worse.

My father having been a physician, I have been around physicians my whole life and I resent Dr. Hollenbeck suggesting that physicians are “jerks”. This is just not true. But more importantly, there has been a concerted effort to change the entire doctor patient relationship. Firstly, physicians are now known as providers. Insurance companies know patients, diagnoses, and procedures as numbers only. There has been systematic depersonalization of the healthcare system, and this is not because doctors don’t care.

My patients have never had to wait, and I spend as long as they need to take care of their problems. I also do not participate in price fixing of insurance networks. It has worked for me and my patients for 30 years.

By the way, don’t forget that my wife, Nicki, was Reserve Champion at the NRCHA World Show in the Non Pro Hackamore.

Jeff Marmelzat