We have identified some issues that have been raised during the four-year process of our efforts to rename Kelseyville to Konocti:

1. Is the commemoration of the name of Andy Kelsey offensive to the Tribes of Lake County, and will changing the town name lead to healing?
2. Did C4H adequately involve the community in their proposal?
3. Did C4H obtain tribal support before submitting their BGN application?
4. Did the BoS correctly make its recommendation despite Advisory Measure U?
5. Are the costs relating to the name change acceptable?
6. Was Kelseyville named after Andy Kelsey, and not some other person?

Our documentation shows that the answer to all those questions is "Yes".

We relate three instances where Andy, Ben and Sam committed personal attrocities against indivdual natives.

Will the name change bring healing to the Tribes of Lake County?

Flaman C. McCloud Jr, Chairman of Big Valley: By voting YES to change the name, we can begin a healing process that unites our communities. ....

Moke Simon, Lake County Supervisor and Chairman of Twin Pines: So yes, this name change would start the process and it's going to be a long one, but ... it would absolutely start that healing that needs to happen for the Indigenous 7 nations in this county.

Citizens For Healing (C4H) first got together as a few individuals in October, 2020 - meeting publicly in Kelseyville Pioneer Park.

Anticipating that renaming would be through a county-wide, ballot, we launched a series of round-the-county informational meetings from Kelseyville and as far as Clear Lake. Our March, 2022 kick-off meeting was widely reported in the press.

We were then informed that BGN was responsible for name changes, so we switched to preparing a proposal, which took almost a year. During this time we continued to hold both public and working meetings, and filed with the BGN in October 2023. This coincided with a supervisor primary election for the district 5 (including Kelseyville), at which renaming was an election issue.

We spoke about these efforts at public meetings such as the KVUSD "Land acknowledgement" proposal (packed by our opponents) and at the BoS when the County Visioning Forum made its report. We recommended that the BoS form a Limited Purpose, Limited Time committee to address the issue.

In July 2024 the BoS approved an advisory ballot, Measure-U. We regarded this as totally ill-advised, and opposed it. We recommended that the ballot solicit alterative new names. We prepared proposals for the ballot measure, but did not campaign on the issue. We continued to hold informational meetings in Lakeport and Kelseyville. In Dec 2024 the BoS decided to recommend the name change.

We have always been open to considering a different replacement name, but opponents have been adament that it will be "Kelseyville for ever".

All our plans and submitted documents - including drafts - were posted on our Web site. Our main mailing list has always been open to anyone.

C4H has worked with individual Natives since its inception.

One of our early supporters and advisors was the late Thomas Leon Brown, then cultural director of Elem. Two Tribal Historic Preservation Officers worked with us in their official capacity of interacting with the Tribes: I have contacted each tribe in Lake County for their approval to change the name of the town Kelseyville to the name of Konocti and the 7 tribes are unanimously in favor of the name change to Konocti.

Two Tribes hosted our meetings, at which many Natives spoke.

After we filed our BGN application three Tribes immediately sent letters of support. Subsequently all Lake County Tribes and all National Tribes have submitted formal approvals to the BGN.

When the BoS decided to hold the Measure U advisory ballot we worked with a Tribal Chairman, and deferred to him on writing the ballot proposal.

In short, we have cooperated with the Tribes from the start, giving them the respect they deserve as sovereign nations.

C4H opposed this ballot, calling it "a matter of morals, not majority".

In addition to the concept, the ballot measure was totally minimal: "Shall the Board of Supervisors recommend approval of the proposal to change the name of the town of Kelseyville to Konocti"

We chose not to campaign on the issue, and given the demographics, regard the 30% "yes" vote as a significant show of support.

In the end, the board decided 3-2 to support the change.

For most individuals and businesses there will be no impact: The Mail will get through, even if the name of the Zip code is changed. The old and new names will be held as "overlays". so no Change of Address has to be filed.

A few businesses, such as those with Alcohol or DMV licenses may have to file a simple change of address form.

No deed, contract or any other document has to be updated.

No business or organization is required to change its name. Those that do may have to file a fictitious business name with the county.

"Save Kelseyville" claim that the town name was arbitrarily assigned by the USPS in 1882 when they renamed the "Uncle Sam" post office.

But the name "Kelseyville" had been used since at least 1865. And the "Town of Kelseyville" was established in 1871 by a Lake County judge, and was used in the 1880 census.

Most historians agree that Kelsey Creek, and Kelseyville are named after Andy Kelsey.

However, "Save Kelseyville" speculates that Kelseyville is named after some later, benign Kelsey.

But the only alternative Kelsey candidates arrived in the area in 1861. As the town formed out of scattered ranches William Kelsay reportedly lobbied for his distant cousin Andy. Nor is "The Widow Kelsey" a plausible honoree.

Suggestions that Kelsey Creek was named after an early trapper "George Kelsey" appear unfounded: Fur trapper George Wyman, who lived near Sutter Fort, married Andy's sister America Kelsey. But there is no evidence that he, or any other group of trappers, was ever active in the Big Valley area.

"Kelseyville" is, and always has been, named after the evil Andy Kelsey.