Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/790023
ChipThompson, Editor 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: Daily News 728Main St., Red Bluff, CA 96080 Facebook: Leave comments at FACEBOOK.COM/ RBDAILYNEWS Twitter: Follow and send tweets to @REDBLUFFNEWS Irecentlytookatripdownmemorylane.A couple weekends back, a full ten weeks into a new year, I grudgingly decided it was time to haul up into the attic our artificial Costco Christmas tree, a small herd of lighted deer, and a dozen assorted plastic bins filled with the most impressive Christmas decoration collection this side of the North Pole. Ihadbeendraggingmy feet because I knew it was sev- eral years past time for me to clean up and clean out a life- time of stuff that had at one time been an important part of who we were and had some- how found its way into our attic, where most likely it would never be impor- tant again. On a rare bright and sunny Saturday, I pulled down the at- tic ladder and headed on up to organize or discard enough stuff to open my very own Sal- vation Army Thrift Store. I had anticipated that clean- ing up the attic would prove to be a form of hard labor fit for a younger version of who I am today, and I was correct. Lug- ging a lifetime of crap up and down attic stairs is a young man's game, and a young man I is not. That said, I was sur- prised by how the floodgates to my past opened with virtu- ally every item I rearranged or tossed in to my handy dandy Green Waste receptacle. •••• The first item I encountered in the attic was a rectangular stool that was part of my moth- er's first and only bedroom set, which she purchased over 60 years ago. She never really had much in the way of mate- rial things, so the things she had were valuable in ways few would understand today. As I was storing away Christmas decorations, I stum- bled across a giant box of cro- cheted snowflakes created by Billie's mother, Dot, almost a half century ago. Like real snowflakes, each has its very own personality. Billie often at- taches a snowflake to Christ- mas gifts; in my mind, the snowflake is the only gift that matters. Next, I found two 1940s-era bamboo fly rods that I inher- ited from Billie's father, Bill. Along with the rods, I found a bamboo creel and a tackle box with enough gear to out- fit a fishing guide. There were even lures and unopened jars of Pautzke eggs with the price tags still attached. Billie's fa- ther was a fisherman, a bar- gain shopper, and most of all he was a character of the very best kind. I found a wooden plaque with a 1951 Oldsmobile "Rocket" hood ornament at- tached that was made by Bil- lie's older brother Gary. Gary tragically died in a car accident at a far too early age. A nicer person I have never known. I found the tray that at one time was attached to the highchair used by our now middle-aged children. I found not one but two now obsolete car seats used by all four of our absolutely perfect grand- children. I found the "snagger." The snagger was the first of three different Wilson A2000 base- ball gloves that I have owned in my lifetime. I am sure my mother sacrificed to purchase it for me while I was in high school, and it will always be the favorite sports-related item I have owned. Speaking of sports-related items, I also found his and hers bowling balls used by Billie and me in the Lariat Bowl mixed doubles bowling league some 40 years ago. When I think of bowling, I think of diminutive but bigger than life Gene Penne. I think of Patty Penne who grilled the best burgers in town. I think of Leroy the bartender who was as cool as the other side of a pillow. I think of Stirling Jones and Clair Channel who, back in the day, had coffee at the same table every morning. I think of late night pot bowl- ing with the likes of Bob Bird- song, Vern Lane, Bruce Phelps and Roger Baker. I found the hip waders that I used almost 50 years ago when fishing for steelhead with my good friend George Moran on Strawberry and Perry riffles. I found my neoprene chest waders that I wore for a half dozen years while hunting ducks on the Borror spread with my pals Larry Jant- zen, Jack Fennel and big Tom Amundson. I also found my trusty Tule seat, never used it, along with my Robo Duck that had long since quit work- ing and which was now miss- ing a wing. It goes without saying that I was the best duck hunter of the group. I also found the float tube and fins that have carried me around the Iron Canyon Res- ervoir, Lake Almanor, Man- zanita Lake and Davis Lake while I fly fished with my afore-mentioned friends, Jant- zen, Fennel and Amundson. I will remember always the day that Jack Fennel and I were alone in our world, float- ing around a quiet and se- rene Lake Davis, when sud- denly a military jet appeared out of nowhere and buzzed us from what seemed only several yards over our heads. Somewhere about halfway through my attic-cleaning saga it occurred to me that the stuff we value is not about the stuff at all, but rather events and people and memories that made us value stuff in the first place. Enough about my stuff. What is in your attic? •••• I am pleased to announce that the State Theatre for the Arts has made a decision to purchase and install all 730 new seats in the historic State Theatre this coming summer. The response to our seat spon- sorship program has been amazing, with nearly half our seats being sponsored thus far. That said, we still need your help. If you would like to me- morialize someone or some- thing important in your life with an inscription on a the- ater seat nameplate, you can do so for only $500 per seat. Please call 529-2787 or check it out at www.statethe- atreredbluff.com for additional information. BillCorneliusisalifelong resident of Red Bluff, a retired Chief Probation Officer, a champion of the State Theatre and an exceptional athlete. He can be reached at bill. cornelius@sbcglobal.net. WilliamTells A trip to the attic, memory lane Cartoonist's take "I thought the purpose of Pres- idents Day was getting steep dis- counts on mattresses and furni- ture." "Good one, but the original pur- pose of Presi- dents Day was to celebrate George Washington's birthday. Accord- ing to History.com, in 1800, the year after Washington died, 'his Feb- ruary 22 birthday became a pe- rennial day of remembrance.' For years it was celebrated with the same passion with which Amer- icans still celebrate the Fourth of July. In 1885, a bill established Feb. 22 as a federal holiday. The federal government still officially refers to Presidents Day as Wash- ington's Birthday." "Which is it? Washington's Birthday or Presidents Day?" "Well, both. Washington's Birthday became popularly known as Presidents Day as part of 1971's Uniform Monday Holi- day Act, which sought to create more three-day weekends for fed- eral employees. It moved the holi- day from a fixed calendar date to the third Monday of February." "Do we also celebrate Abra- ham Lincoln's birthday on Presi- dents Day?" "Many think we celebrate both Washington's and Lincoln's birth- days on Presidents Day, but the truth is that Lincoln's birthday, Feb. 12, was never designated as a federal holiday. However, Presidents Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents past and present." "What if we don't want to cel- ebrate all presidents? Some of them were real duds. What if we only want to celebrate Washing- ton and Lincoln?" "An interesting thought. Ac- cording to Snopes.com, a bill was introduced in Congress called the Washington-Lincoln Recog- nition Act of 2001. It proposed that Presidents Day be referred to as Washington's Birthday, and that the president issue a proc- lamation every year to recog- nize and observe Lincoln's birth- day. But the bill was never passed into law." "I understand that some states still observe Washington's and Lincoln's birthdays on Feb. 22 and Feb. 12?" "Well, you have to understand that federal holidays only apply to federal offices and agencies. States are free to do as they wish. When Presidents Day was estab- lished in 1971, many state and lo- cal governments started celebrat- ing Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays on the same day. But some states have some interest- ing ways of observing birthdays." "I can only imagine. Can you share some examples?" "Well, in Alabama, the third Monday in February commem- orates George Washington and Thomas Jefferson —— although Jefferson was born in April! And according to Snopes.com, 'some states still observe Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays as sepa- rate holidays, some observe only Washington's Birthday, some commemorate both with a single Presidents Day (or Lincoln-Wash- ington Day), and some states cel- ebrate neither.'" "I was joking about the pur- pose of Presidents Day being about discounts on mattresses and furniture, but haven't many Americans lost sight of the day's true meaning?" "Unfortunately, some of what you say is true. When I was a kid in the 1970s, everyone knew who Washington was and what he accomplished. One of the pri- mary reasons the experiment called America was able to work was because of the sacrifices he made. Too few understand how unique our political system is and how the incredible bounty we enjoy can be laid at the feet of Washington. However, things are not so bad as you may think." "How so?" "According to History.com, 'Presidents Day is used by many patriotic and historical groups as a date for staging celebrations, reenactments and other events. A number of states also require that their public schools spend the days leading up to Presidents Day teaching students about the accomplishments of the presi- dents, often with a focus on the lives of Washington and Lin- coln.'" "That's certainly encouraging." "Yes it is." Tom Purcell, author of "Misadventures of a 1970s Childhood" and "Wicked Is the Whiskey," a Sean McClanahan mystery novel, both available at Amazon.com, is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review humor columnist. Send comments to Tom@TomPurcell.com. Tom Purcell Whose day is it anyway? I found my neoprene chest waders that I wore for a half dozen years while hunting ducks on the Borror spread with my pals Larry Jantzen, Jack Fennel and big Tom Amundson. Tom Purcell Bill Cornelius Just over a week into the Trump Administration, the President issued an Executive Order giving Defense Secretary James Mattis 30 days to come up with a plan to defeat ISIS. According to the Order, the plan should make recommendations on military actions, diplomatic actions, partners, strategies, and how to pay for the operation. As we approach the pres- ident's deadline it looks like the military is going to present Trump with a plan to do a whole lot more of what we've been do- ing and somehow expect differ- ent results. Proving the old say- ing that when all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail, we are hearing increas- ing reports that the military will recommend sending thousands of US troops into Syria and Iraq. This would be a significant es- calation in both countries, as currently there are about 5,000 US troops still fighting our 13- year war in Iraq, and some 500 special forces soldiers operating in Syria. The current Syria ceasefire, brokered without US involve- ment at the end of 2016, is pro- ducing positive results and the opposing groups are talking with each other under Russian and Iranian sponsorship. Does anyone think sending thousands of US troops into a situation that is already being resolved with- out us is a good idea? In language reminiscent of his plans to build a wall on the Mexican border, the president told a political rally in Florida over the weekend that he was going to set up "safe zones" in Syria and would make the Gulf States pay for them. There are several problems with this plan. First, any "safe zone" set up inside Syria, especially if pro- tected by US troops, would amount to a massive US inva- sion of the country unless the Assad government approves them. Does President Trump want to begin his presidency with an illegal invasion of a sov- ereign country? Second, there is the little problem of the Russians, who are partners with the Assad gov- ernment in its efforts to rid the country of ISIS and al-Qaeda. ISIS is already losing territory on a daily basis. Is President Trump willing to risk a military escalation with Russia to protect armed regime-change forces in Syria? Third, the Gulf States are the major backers of al-Qa- eda and ISIS in Syria — as the president's own recently-re- signed National Security Advi- sor, Michael Flynn, revealed in a 2015 interview. Unless these safe zones are being set up to keep al-Qaeda and ISIS safe, it doesn't make any sense to in- volve the Gulf States. Many will say we should not be surprised at these latest moves. As a candidate, Trump vowed to defeat ISIS once and for all. However, does anyone re- ally believe that continuing the same strategy we have followed for the past 16 years will pro- duce different results this time? If what you are hammering is not a nail, will hammering it harder get it nailed in? Washington cannot handle the truth: solving the ISIS prob- lem must involve a whole lot less US activity in the Middle East, not a whole lot more. Until that is understood, we will continue to waste trillions of dollars and untold lives in a losing endeavor. Ron Paul is a former Congressman and Presidential candidate. He can be reached at the RonPaulInstitute.org. Ron Paul Trump's ISIS plan — another US invasion? OPINION » redbluffdailynews.com Wednesday, February 22, 2017 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A6