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Willie Hyde Desecrates Cemetery

By Kevin Engle

 

Lower Lakes Herndon Pioneer/Pomo Cemetery has again been vandalized .

This time the historic site was not desecrated by juvenile delinquents or drunken revelers but instead a disrespectful developer. This cemetery is not to be confused with the District 1 Cemetery on Lake St. also

known to some as the Catholic Cemetery or the old I.O.O.F. Cemetery.

Mr. Willie Hyde , a construction worker of late, from Napa Co. and originally from Boston, Mass. has purchased two homes,two lots and a 17 acre parcel that surround the cemetery on three sides. Over the 4th of July weekend Mr. Hyde took it upon himself to tear down approximately 50-60 ft. of the cemetery boundary fence that has been in place for several decades. In the process,Mr. Hyde ran a piece of heavy equipment into the cemetery grounds,running over two graves that were clearly marked with a unique,prominent, obelisk monument. The graves of Elijah Kirtley who passed in 1890 and Ivy Morris who passed in 1881 were the molested gravesites. The monument itself was unharmed but Mr. Hyde ran directly over and all around the graves of these pioneers as evidenced by the tracks of the Mr. Hydes equipment and the laid over tall grass. Mr. Willy Hyde had no explanation for his actions except to say that "the fence is half mine". Mr. Hyde is a prime example of a unprofessional developer with total disregard for the building codes and ordinances that protect us all from sloppy workmanship and erosion due to negligent and ill conceived work. Mr. Hyde has cut roads into one lot and part of the 17 acre parcel surrounding the cemetery with no permits. When confronted by Code Enforcement in regards to this road work Mr. Hyde contention is that the afore mentioned roads were pre-existing and that he was merely "making improvements". Many citizens are familiar with the areas where Mr. Hyde has created new roads and are witness to the well known fact that there were no previously constructed roads there with the exception of one old wagon trail that is perhaps a century old. This is a prime example of an unprofessional developer creating a negative slant toward development in general which leaves a bad taste in the mouths of the citizens of Lake County even towards intelligent,well planned, legitimate developments. The afore mentioned behavior of Mr. Willy Hyde also wastes the valuable time of several county agencies and personnel whom are obliged to investigate and follow-up on his activities. Agencies such as Planning Dept.,Code Enforcement,Building Dept. District 1 Supervisor Ed Robey, Public Services Director Kim Clymire, Environmental Officer of the Pomo Nation Ray Brown Jr. the Sheriffs Dept. and others have all taken valuable time to visit the site. No formal statements have yet been made by any of the afore mentioned agencies in regards to Mr. Willy Hydes activities pending investigation. The actions of Mr. Hyde are a glaring example of the threat of extinction that cultural,environmental,historical and prehistorical resources,both public and private, are experiencing due to rapid growth in the county. We must unite as citizens and protect and preserve as much of our historical identity as we are able. We must demand sensible well thought out development that takes into consideration our heritage and retains the rich history of our county. We must also grab the attention of Mr. Willy Hyde and others like him and make them accountable for their disregard for the sanctity of our historical sites and the construction codes and ordinances. Will he run, will he hide or will he buck-up and take responsibility for his negligent actions?

Kevin Engle P.O.box 611 Lower Lake Ca. 95457 E-mail:

konoctikid1@webtv.net

 

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