Lake County Tribal Health Brick-Breaking Event

Good morning everyone,

I’m Brad Rasmussen, the District 4 Supervisor for the County of Lake, and it’s truly an honor to be here with you today at this milestone moment for Lakeport and Lake County. I want to start by sincerely thanking Lake County Tribal Health Consortium for inviting me to speak — and more importantly, for your leadership, partnership, and unwavering commitment to improving health care in our community.

Today’s brick-breaking ceremony is about more than just clearing away old walls — it’s about transformation, renewal, and hope. It’s about taking a site that was once at the heart of our community and giving it new purpose through vision and investment.

For over 25 years, the Vista Point Shopping Center was a vibrant hub of activity and opportunity. This place was home to many well-known businesses, including a Thrifty drug store, a bank, the Monticeto Market grocery store, a bowling alley, an arcade, a bar and nightclub, TG&Y — which was kind of like a Kmart — and numerous business offices. It was more than a shopping center; it was a community gathering place.

As a young police officer in the 1990s, I spent a lot of time right here. This site was full of life and energy — people shopping, kids playing, families gathering. Just yesterday, I was talking with a couple of my fellow supervisors, and they had vivid memories of this very spot from their younger days. Chair EJ Crandell remembered getting the big ice cream cones at Thrifty’s and spending time at the arcade. Board member Jessica Pyska recalled picking out a pair of big, flashy 1980s earrings from TG&Y — and I think many of us have a story or two like that.

But over time, after those heyday years of operation, business at the center declined. Without maintenance and investment, it became increasingly vacant and deteriorated — a shadow of what it once was.

And that’s why today is so significant. Because now, thanks to the vision and dedication of Lake County Tribal Health, this site is getting a second chance — not just to serve the community, but to uplift it. A new, beautiful facility will soon rise here, one that brings critical health care services, creates good jobs, and supports the overall health, wellness, and economic stability of Lakeport and all of Lake County.

This is the kind of project that reflects what’s possible when we work together with shared purpose. Tribal Health is leading the way, and on behalf of the Board of Supervisors and our entire community, I want to express our deep gratitude.

Thank you all again for being here to witness this powerful step forward. We look forward to what comes next.