Red Bluff Daily News

August 27, 2016

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OnJuly20ththeGovern- ing Board of the Red Bluff Joint Union High School Dis- trict voted to put a bond mea- sure on the bal- lot this Novem- ber. The vote was taken after an in-depth ex- ploration of dis- trict needs and alternatives by a committee of about 30, in- cluding nine district employ- ees as well as community leaders and consultants. Local school bonds are fairly rare, so this is the first in a series about this bond mea- sure to improve campus fa- cilities in the Red Bluff Joint Union High School District. Even if you take a casual walk through the Red Bluff High School campus, you will see that there is a lot of facil- ity repair and replacement needed to bring the school up to modern standards. From cracked cement, non ADA compliant facilities, and boil- ers and HVAC equipment that have out lived their usefulness, it is clear that there is a great need if we want to serve our youth well and safely. In May of this year the School District convened a group of community lead- ers to study these issues and how to address them; about 30 people, including nine dis- trict staff members and four consultants reviewed the con- dition of facilities, the costs to bring them up to reason- able standards, and the lim- ited methods available to do that. The group was very thorough in their work and did not shy away from the tasks they were presented. There were four in depth meetings, including tours and descriptions of the current fa- cilities, an examination of the cost estimates to bring items up to current standards, and a careful explanation of the fis- cal impact of a bond upon the community. There was a lot of information to digest. Here is what they learned about the District's facilities: 1. It would take $25.5 mil- lion to address the inade- quate facilities within the district; "inadequate" means those facilities have outlived their useful life and need to be addressed within the next two to three years. 2. It would take another $26 million to improve marginal facilities as well; "marginal fa- cilities" means those that are near time for repair and will need to be addressed in the next three to seven years. 3. Almost all the work needed will have to address compliance with the Amer- icans with Disability Act (ADA). Those participating in this four-part study unanimously agreed that investments in ed- ucation pay off, and that a bond issue was the most im- mediate way to obtain the fi- nancing a portion of this ma- jor effort. Bond money could be combined with some state aid to bring the district facili- ties up to standard. Given the skimpy educa- tion budgets for the last sev- eral years, it has not been easy to find the money to do even some "patch jobs" on the facilities. The District only receives $47,000 per year to cover what is defined as de- ferred maintenance. Given that some of the facilities are over fifty years old and were not designed to house the ed- ucational programs in place in the 21st century, much more than "patch job" money is needed in many cases. That is why the committee recommended unanimously to the School Board to place a bond measure on the No- vember ballot to address the need to deal with the inade- quate facilities. The measure is entitled "The Red Bluff Joint Union High School Dis- trict Safety, Repair, and Ca- reer Education Measure." The Board adopted their sugges- tion in July. The plan is to raise $26 mil- lion to "improve student safety and upgrade classroom/career technology by upgrading class- rooms and technology for 21st century learning; improving science labs/facilities for agri- culture, nursing, and special education; repairing wiring and plumbing, and restrooms; improving disable student ac- cess; and acquiring, construct- ing and modernizing facilities and equipment." A Citizens' Oversight Com- mittee will be appointed to monitor the projects involved. That committee will report to the Board and the public. Future columns will de- scribe the actual projects the School Board would like to undertake. JoeHarropisaretired educator with more than 30 years of service to the North State. He can be reached at DrJoeHarrop@sbcglobal.net. JoeHarrop Bond is the name, high school bond Given that some of the facilities are over fifty years old and were not designed to house the educational programs in place in the 21st century, much more than "patch job" money is needed in many cases. Thelesseroftwoevils Editor: I am neither registered Re- publican or Democrat but I am pro-life and that is my concern in this election. Since I have so little confi- dence in either of the candi- dates I have scrutinized the parties about the platforms and found that the Republican party has the strongest pro-life plank they have ever presented. If the Republican party can win this election and expand their control of the House and Senate we have a true opportunity of finally passing legislation that would absolutely protect the life of the pre-born infant. I am so sad to think of the 61 million innocent babies whose lives have been taken in this greatest holocaust the world has ever known. I pray that this will come to an end. — Robert Meurer, Red Bluff Structural integrity of Kaufman building Editor: A few years ago the Corn- ing City Manager and Coun- cil brought forward an emer- gency request to purchase the Kaufman building, at 1302- 1310 Solano St., for $1 because it was in "imminent danger of collapse." The city manager came back at the next meet- ing and withdrew the emer- gency request saying he had found an overlooked engineer's report allegedly finding the building to be safe. Prior to the start of the re- cently completed project I sent the city an information request, and also suggested that the city engage a structural engineer to certify the building's safety. The city responded that the Fire Chief and Building Inspec- tor had just conducted an in- spection and had issued or- ders for the renters and ten- ants to immediately vacate the Kaufman building. I was also provided with a copy of a report from a struc- tural engineer — Pace Engi- neering — retained by the city listing numerous defects that seriously impair structural in- tegrity. The report stated that the building should be consid- ered a "dangerous building" per Corning Ordinances and the Uniform Code. The city then proceeded to close the street during con- struction. The City Manager's Friday Report on June 24 ref- erencing the Kaufman build- ing indicated that "No vibratory equipment will be used in the streetscape project." Now the street is reopened with heavy trucks driving past the Kaufman building on a daily basis. In light of the building be- ing declared unsafe for occu- pancy, and the dangerous build- ing finding by the structural en- gineer, the city of Corning owes the public answers to the fol- lowing questions: Why hasn't the city closed the sidewalk and street around the Kaufman building, and put up appropri- ate warning signs and barri- cades? Prior to or during con- struction were Cal-OSHA and the contract workers advised of the known safety concerns in- volving the Kaufman building? — Dean Cofer, Corning Family touched by community concern Editor: On Thursday, Aug. 4, count- less people from the community and state joined the family of Bob Kerstiens Sr. in paying trib- ute to a man that was loved by many and will be missed by all who knew him. The Kerstiens family would like to thank ev- erybody from the Red Bluff community and surrounding areas who attended the memo- rial and supported the entire family in the recent weeks. We genuinely appreciate all of you. A special thank you goes out to Senator Jim Nielsen for co- ordinating the memorial event and officiating the eulogy as well as Congressman Doug La- Malfa for providing his kind words and support. A special thank you to Pastor Walter Bright for officiating the prayer and his wife Elvyre for her beautiful song and also Fa- ther Sherwin for officiating the internment. We extend our grat- itude to the Tehama County Cat- tleWomen's Association for serv- ing at the reception as well as DJ Joe Giambroni for providing mu- sic and Mahlon Owens for her beautiful song at the reception. Thank you to Cal Fire, espe- cially Erick Puckett and Joey Howard, and staff for the ex- ceptionally well-organized coor- dination and heartfelt tribute. Thank you to Sonja Akers and Mike Collins for the food and beverage preparation and execu- tion at the post-service reception as well as the Tehama District Fairground for the use of the fa- cilities that Bob Sr. invested so much of his life serving. Thank you to the Tehama County Sheriff's Department, Red Bluff Police Department and Red Bluff California High- way Patrol for their procession coordination and to the Cal Fire Honor Guard who presented the colors as well as our friends at the Red Bluff VA and Red Bluff VFW. Thank you to Amy and Jack and staff at Hoyt-Cole Chapel of the Flowers. Thank you to Julie Zeeb of the Red Bluff Daily News for your outstanding reporting from beginning to end. Our heartfelt gratitude and thanks goes out to Dr. Robert Taylor and the staff at St. Eliz- abeth Community Hospital for their exceptional care and love. Last, but not least, we would like to thank all of the peo- ple of the community who do- nated to the Tehama Assembly of God and Disabled Veterans in our dad's honor. On behalf of the Kerstiens fam- ily including myself, Ursula Ker- stiens and Vicki Mahoney, thank you with great appreciation. — Bob Kerstiens Jr., Red Bluff Your opinions Cartoonist's take Our quadrennial presidential sweepstakes regularly provides textbook studies in contrast. And 2016 raises the bar in dispar- ity. Red and blue. Left and right. Hot and cold. Up and down. Good and bad. Boy and girl. Pro and con. Loud and soft. Rain or shine. Fish and fowl. Dumb and dumber. Perhaps the only fact that supporters of both major party candidates can agree is that differences between the two do exist. Donald Trump is a Gem- ini and Hillary Clinton a Scor- pio. He's 70 years old while she doesn't turn 69 until Octo- ber. And that relative youth ob- viously goes a long way in ex- plaining why Millennials over- whelmingly favor her. One is a democrat and the other a demagogue. One is a woman who has big hands and the other isn't and doesn't. And as Michael Bloomberg put it, one of them is not insane. But this is America, damn it, where yeah, sure, we acknowl- edge our differences. After all, each and every one of us is spe- cial and unique like a baby snowflake. But this is a coun- try that also embraces that which binds us together, and the number of bizarre similari- ties the Donald and the Hillary share is uncanny. Well, they're not quite mirror images, but considering one is a 5' 6" career politician and one is a 6' 2" reality TV star, there are enough peas- in- a- pod resem- blances to call out the doppel- ganger police. Although best you ring the business office, not the emergency number. For instance: both are Amer- icans who live in New York, are right- handed and sport bullet- proof hair. Both treat the truth with a disdain normally reserved for Zika- infested mosquito ponds and have spouses that are beloved enablers of the tabloids. Each has five fingers on their left and right hands and should you have occasion to shake hands with either, you would be well advised to count your fingers be- fore walking away. Both have running mates that were they to assume the Presidency, the nation would nod off within a week. Each has the same connection to regular humans as a Lear Jet has in common with Comet kitchen cleanser. Neither can believe they are not leading the other by at least 25 points in the polls and collectively they exhibit the grace of 40- grit sandpaper with neither having the faintest notion of when to put a sock in it. Both have unfavorable ratings higher than guard geese down- wind of a marijuana field on fire. Each is fond of mangling the English language while wear- ing a name- brand suit. Neither is a billionaire and both are still picking the splintered bones of vanquished primary opponents from between their toes. Both have been a pointy mote in the public eye for decades and are prone to making themselves incredibly easy targets of late night comedians. And each has problems with the new technol- ogy; one is stymied by emails, the other- addicted to tweets. And finally, each candidate is adamant that if the other is elected on November 8th it will be a disaster not just for the nation, but the hemisphere, the planet, the solar system and the universe. And the two have united millions who believe that on this issue they both may be right. Will Durst is an award-winning, nationally acclaimed columnist, comedian and former Pizza Hut assistant manager. For sample videos and a calendar of personal appearances including his new one- man show, Elect to Laugh: 2016, appearing every Tuesday at the San Francisco Marsh, go to willdurst.com. Will Durst Bizarre similarities between Trump and Clinton GregStevens,Publisher Chip Thompson, Editor EDITORIAL BOARD How to have your say: 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 no more than two double-spaced pages or 500words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section will be published. Email: editor@ redbluffdailynews.com Fax: 530-527-9251 Mail to: P.O. Box 220, 728Main St., Red Bluff, CA 96080 Facebook: Leave comments at FACEBOOK.COM/ RBDAILYNEWS Twitter: Follow and send tweets to @REDBLUFFNEWS Will Durst Joe Harrop OPINION » redbluffdailynews.com Saturday, August 27, 2016 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A6

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