Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/233751
4A Daily News – Friday, December 27, 2013 Opinion Salmon deaths DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U NTY S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes letters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All letters must be signed and provide the writer's home street address and home phone number. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submitted will be considered for publication. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Editor: The Bureau of Reclamation and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service are responsible for killing more than 1 million salmon by reducing the water releases in the Sacramento River this fall. The Bureau is responsible for the amount of water it releases into the Sacramento River. By choosing to send around 6,000 cubic feet per second down the river when the fish are spawning and then cut the water flow nearly in half after the salmon's eggs have been laid, they kill baby salmon. It's a dirty trick and it was approved by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. This type of management of the water flows in the Sacramento River is despicable. In this day in age when logging operations are impacted for the sake of salmon, construction people are highly regulated for erosion control — again salmon — and farmers are asked to take extensive measures to screen salmon fry from pumps, it is absurd that the government can exterminate such a huge number of fish. Why in the world would wildlife agencies import and improve gravel habitats, remove the Red Bluff Diversion Dam and embark on countless other projects just to put a head fake on the salmon and remove their water? That's just plain senseless. This issue is not simply about sport fisherman and commercial fishermen, but the overall health of the Sacramento River system. It is also an issue for our local economies. The responsible parties for this salmon kill-off are the United States Bureau of Reclamation and the United States Department of Fish and Wildlife. There exists irrefutable documentation that the bureau and the USFW knew the consequences of artificially changing the flows in the Sacramento River to the detriment of salmon. Concerned individuals need to contact their government representatives and voice their objections. Ken Robison, Red Bluff Elephants in Tehama County Editor: I like elephants, but I do think that due to fact that elephants like groups, two or three may not be healthy for them. Factor two, they like vegetation, to browse and scratch themselves on. Oak trees aren't very edible. With possibly a reforestation program that could be implemented, may have a possible solution for the grazing of these large animals. Water too is short for the elephants to submerse themselves and have a constant supply of fresh water to consume. It gets hot in this area, I live only about 10 miles from where this purposed elephant sanctuary is going to be. In respect to these grand animals, I would think more research Mission Statement We believe that a strong community newspaper is essential to a strong community, creating citizens who are better informed and more involved. The Daily News will be the indispensible guide to life and living in Tehama County. We will be the premier provider of local news, information and advertising through our daily newspaper, online edition and other print and Internet vehicles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its communities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the residents and businesses of I thought, erroneously that the DN would Tehama County. require columnists to submit early because of the holidays. That is not the case, but I selected some earlier columns anyway. So, the following might not make sense...but I am told much of How to reach us what I write is deficient in thought or conclusion. Main office: 527-2151 The following are excerpts from I Say Classified: 527-2151 columns dated June 1969 and October 1965. The minister has passed on...the man we Circulation: 527-2151 knew is no longer. His star shone briefly and News tips: 527-2153 then burned out. It is a strange story and much Sports: 527-2153 too involved to go into completely. But he was the type minister that organized religion cries Obituaries: 527-2151 out for today. A man with an intellect that could Photo: 527-2153 lead or let one figure it out for themselves. He had a sense of humor and style. He was contemporary and yet would not have resorted to On the Web sideburns and guitars to get his message across. www.redbluffdailynews.com He was a man who had a perfect understanding of the role that religion has played in the history of man…from the first lightning hit near a Fax caveman and he quivered and cowed before the great unknown…until the present when modern Newsroom: 527-9251 man quivers and cowers before the great possiClassified: 527-5774 bility of thermo nuclear destruction. Retail Adv.: 527-5774 And so, gifted with a religious charisma people began to pour out their troubles to him…and Legal Adv.: 527-5774 being less than divine, he apparently cracked Business Office: 527-3719 under the load of his despairing flock. Well, that sounds too melodramatic…let's just say that he split, and all the king's horses and some promiAddress nent citizens of Red Bluff could not put him 545 Diamond Ave. back together again. Now, you would think that his friends, conRed Bluff, CA 96080, or gregation and converts would do likewise and P.O. Box 220 desert the sinking ship. But that is not the case. Red Bluff, CA 96080 He did a good job when he was here, and those that had the faith, kept the faith. I just kept my Presbyterian memories. *** would be needed and the needs of Red Bluff. The owner has these animals would have to be decided to make her preschool considered. peanut- and tree-nut-free. As grand as this idea is, more My son Sam turns preschool thought needs to be exercised. age in February, but due to his Here's to the elesevere, life-threatenphants. ing peanut allergy, my Dee Dove, Cothusband and I had preYour tonwood viously decided sending Sam to a preschool environment was not worth the risk. For children with allergies, a fatal anaphylactic reaction is an Editor: ever-present threat at restauIt's common knowledge Mr. rants, birthday parties and Don Polson lives in some kind of vacations — but it doesn't have otherworldly universe. When he's to be in school. Sam and other offering his boring and repetitive children like him, can safely double dose of attitude and opin- receive a preschool education ion he's in his element because it's without the risk that follows all just his imagination. However, him around in the outside when he steps from that fantasy- world. land into reality, he invariably trips When a preschool goes comover the facts. pletely nut free more children The latest example occurred in in our community to grow his Dec. 17 column when he emotionally, socially, and acaddescribed Fidel Castro as emically in their formative "deceased." Sorry, as of Dec. 17, years. Fidel Castro is very much alive. Severe food allergies among Now he can go back to his world children is a growing epidemic, of imagination where all things are with one in 13 children in the always in sync and facts don't US having a food allergy. exist. Unfortunately, many schools David Janott, Red Bluff and communities don't provide truly safe environments for allergic children until a child has a reaction and loses his or her life. We thank this preschool for Editor: Christmas has always been proactively putting life and special for me and my family. education over nut products. Tonya Jungwirth-Moore, This year we received an unexRed Bluff pected gift from a preschool in Turn Reality check The gift of preschool Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 150 Amber Grove Drive, Ste. 154, Chico, CA 95928, 530-895-4217 STATE SENATOR — Jim Nielsen, 2635 Forest Ave., Ste. 110, Chico, CA 95928, (530) 879-7424, senator.nielsen@senate.ca.gov GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 5583160; E-mail: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Doug LaMalfa 506 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202-2253076. U.S. SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 3930710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224-0454. Commentary A look back And so the block would come alive that Senator D. Jack Metzger owned the building on the east side and in the middle of the 600 morning long ago when the pace was slower block on Main. Minch Markets occupied same and life seemed simpler. It was an in-between time as far as war was conin the 1930s. Jack also owned cerned, and the economy the Blue Ribbon Bar and appeared to be revving up Café a few doors north. He once again I could go on, but had to be one of the greatest it may be pointless. To the personalities that ever strode youth of today it is meaningthe sidewalks of our fair city. less resurrection…to the First of all he looked like a adults probably an incorrect Senator. A generous head of description with too many silver head, a paunch that omissions of the really reflected dignity and wellbeimportant people of that time ing rather than gluttony…and and place. However, I'm cona white suit that set him apart. Robert tent with today and yet Although my father respected dependent on yesteryear. him, and helped him in his re*** election plans, he nevertheThe children were asked to less treated the Senator with a tell a story with a moral. good humored familiarity that Claire said her father raised made them fast friends. A typical morning on the 600 block in the chickens and put the eggs in a basket. But when mid-thirties would find the Senator striding he dropped the basket, all the eggs broke, so down Main Street tipping his hat to the ladies. don't put all your eggs in one basket. Emma told My father would be sweeping off the sidewalk of her father putting eggs in an incubator, but in front of his store. Fred Pugh would be climb- only 8 of the 12 hatched. The moral is don't ing the steps to his law office above Dale's count your chickens before they hatch. Johnny Insurance while Charlie Dale chatted with told of his Uncle Jim's plane being shot down in father. Dr. R.G. Frey would have stopped by Vietnam, and he had only a case of scotch and a after his early rounds at the hospital. Frank Falls machine gun. He drank the scotch and mowed on the corner would be turning out the best ice down 20 of the enemy. "What's the moral to the cream locals ever tasted, and debonair Bill story, Johnny?" asked the teacher. Johnny Norvell would be opening up his Rexall Drug replied, "Don't mess with my Uncle Jim when Store across the street. Early customers would he's drunk!" be cuing up as Albert or Claus Trede opened up Robert Minch is a lifelong resident of Trede Brothers for another day's activity of Red Bluff, former columnist for the Corning drinks, homemade chili, pool, snooker and card playing near the large potbellied stove. And the Daily Observer and Meat Industry tap, tap, tap sound signaled across the street that magazine and author of the "The Knocking Mr. Lingshied was hard at work at his cobbler's Pen." He can be reached at rminchandmurray@hotmail.com. trade. Minch I Say