In My View: And The Beat Goes On verse 2
“And men still keep on marching off to war
Electrically, they keep a baseball score
And the beat goes on
The beat goes on
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain
La-de-da-de-de
La-de-da-de-da”
The Beat Goes On is a song by Sonny and Cher that talks about change and the passing of time. Sometimes things change for the better and sometimes for the worst, but change is inevitable. You can’t stop change, but sometimes you can direct it.
This week I will continue my reflections on topics that I have written about over the last year.
Affordable Housing
On April 15, 2022, I wrote a column titled, All People Need Homes.
“Some people prefer to demonize the homeless as a caricature of a drug-crazed, mentally ill criminal that is beyond redemption. Some want to lock them up or move them out of town. If you think of the homeless as unwanted refuse of our society, it’s easier not to care.”
“It’s important to understand who the homeless people really are. Most unhoused people didn’t come from somewhere else. They are from this community and have simply fallen on hard times.”
Our community has made good progress in addressing the issues related to affordable housing and homelessness. I have recently reported on steps that the City and County are taking to develop more affordable housing and assist our community’s unhoused population.
There is still much to be done.
The City and County should evaluate the impact that vacation rentals have on the availability of housing for local residents. They should consider reasonable regulations to limit the number and location of these vacation rentals.
Tri-Agency Reforms
I recommended in a column published on July 1, 2022 that the Tri-Agency Economic Development Authority should “reform the current agency and amend the current joint powers agreement to further clarify its mission as likely the most expeditious way to get this foundering ship upright and steaming forward.”
I suggested that “it would be a great idea for this reimagined agency to expand membership to include tribal partners. All our local tribes have demonstrated an adept capacity for economic development, and they have access to separate pools of economic development funding.”
In more recent updates, I reported that the Tri-Agency has paid off old debts and is taking these exact steps forward. If they can follow through on this, we could once again have a viable regional economic development agency.
Each of the Tri-Agency member agencies have approved economic development plans that are full of ideas for projects that the agency can work on. It is my hope that they are successful for the sake of our community’s future.
Blowing in the Wind
I wrote a column on September 2, 2022 declaring that, “Offshore wind farms are coming to California, and we better start paying attention.”
“There is potential for offshore wind to be developed in the open ocean near Crescent City. According to wind maps, we have the strongest and most reliable sources of wind of anywhere in the country. This is too tempting to overlook.”
“Whether you are a proponent or a sceptic of offshore wind, it is a good idea to start paying attention now. I am convinced that we need to move aggressively away from fossil fuels and develop renewable clean energy.”
The Tri-Agency Economic Development authority and specifically the Harbor District continue to pursue the potential for new businesses and jobs that may come with offshore wind development.
This is going to take some time before it comes here, but it remains important to have our community leaders take an active role to monitor and when possible, help direct this potential game changer.
Humane Society Persists
On February 17, 2023, in response to a Triplicate news story, I wrote a column titled, Should Gitlin be Neutered? This was pushback on a story by Roger Gitlin that lambasted the Humane Society of Del Norte with unsubstantiated accusations and inuendo of impropriety.
The result of this accusatory and misinformed news story was that the contractor that was scheduled to perform a spay neuter clinic in February pulled out and this clinic was cancelled.
I was happy to read in last week’s Triplicate that this non-profit group, Public Vet is back on board and there is a spay neuter clinic scheduled for March.
Gitlin never apologized for the destructive disinformation and personal attacks that he provided in his first story, but I appreciate that he ran a follow up story with more correct information. I am grateful that his words did not permanently destroy this program.
Upbeat or Beat Down
I can’t take credit for all this forward progress being made by our government representatives, but I do believe that I can make a difference for our community by providing a voice of hope and optimism. We all need to speak up when someone does something right and not just complain when something goes wrong.
I am not sure how much longer I will commit to this column, but as I begin my second year of contributing to the Del Norte Triplicate, I will strive to highlight the good things that are happening in our community.
When necessary I will push back on the destructive tendencies of some people.
Every week, the Triplicate reporter and I will have a choice. We can write a story or column that is ether upbeat or a beat down.
And the beat goes on.
Kevin Hendrick is a 30-year resident of Del Norte County. [email protected]