Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/109699
6A Daily News – Friday, February 15, 2013 Opinion Judging a book by its coverage 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. 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 Tehama County. How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 When a reader complains about some aspect of the Daily News I often hear that somebody passing through town might pick up a copy and get the wrong impression about our community. This is a common refrain when somebody is trying to convince me to cease publication of a particular local columnist — "heaven forbid a traveler think we're all a bunch of (insert political affiliation here) kooks!" Fair enough. But the columnists referenced rarely if ever write about local topics, so I don't imagine too many people think their views on politics are uniformly embraced by the community. When I travel I pick up as many papers as I can find along the way and probably form at least some judgment about the places based on their newspapers. But more often I will go online to check out a place I will be visiting. Just for kicks, I did a Google search for "Red Bluff." The top listings were the Daily News, the city's official site, the Wikipedia entry, the Red Bluff-Tehama County Chamber of Commerce and Red Bluff Union High School. No surprise there, and one could likely find out plenty about our town from these sites. The next listing, though, was for Trip Advisor and the heading reads, "Red Bluff Tourism and Vacations: 2 Things to Do in Red Bluff, CA." That's a little disturbing. I wondered which two things I would be limited to doing this weekend by virtue of my residency, but was relieved when I clicked the link and learned the site considers the two things to be "Hotels" and "Restaurants and Attractions." At the top of the page are four photos — a pizza from Luigi's, the now-closed Riverside Restaurant and a massive breakfast and a cinnamon roll from Shari's. Perhaps our Branding Project might have chosen "Reach Your Peak Body Mass Index" for the slogan to lure visitors. Opening the whole gallery, vis- Are people friendly itors will find 279 picand helpful? Are busitures of local accommonesses conveniently dations and area attraclocated and open when tions, including what travelers want to visit appears to be a redwood them? Are prices and grove labeled Holiday options competitive? Inn Express Red Bluff. Are the streets littered Granted, I haven't been with trash and graffiti? inside many of the area Are attractions easy to motels, but a redwood find and well maingrove would be an tained? Are people impressive lobby feaupbeat and do they ture. enjoy living here? Back to the main Chip These are the quespage, the site implores visitors to click a button Thompson tions we should be asking, rather than worryfor a free Red Bluff guide. This guide lists 545 Diamond ing about whether a columnist or news story three things to do in Red Ave. will create an ill opinion Bluff — the Sacramento of the entire community. River Bend Area, We each get to decide how peoRolling Hills Casino and Sevillano ple judge our community, but we Links. So, Red Bluff-ish? My point is that people will all have to do our part. judge Red Bluff based on many Chip Thompson can be things, including the Daily News. reached at 527-2151, Ext. 112 But I would guess those passing by email at through are more likely to judge us or by how they are treated and what redbluffdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @EditorChip. they find when in town. Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 1550 Humboldt Road, Ste. 4, Chico, CA 95928, 530-895-4217 STATE SENATOR — Jim Nielsen, 280 Hemsted Dr., Ste. 110, Redding, CA 96002, 530223-6300, Fax: 530-223-6737, senator.nielsen@senate.ca.gov GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E m a i l : 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) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 2240454. Commentary Dem bones We recently viewed a DVD titled "The Castles of England" and enjoyed visiting the various locations of mayhem and violence of the monarchy of the past. But imagine the coincidence of viewing sites of Richard III, only to view the strange fellow's bones on TV revealed during a parking lot excavation in Leicester, England. Knowing of the deformed king from the history books as the last English king to die in battle is one thing…but to see his complete skeleton lying in shallow grave with his twisted spine and evidence of his slaying, was just mind boggling. Readers of Shakespeare will recall the king finding himself afoot during the battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, and his apparent entreaty (as penned by W.S.) "A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!" *** Years ago, circa 1965, Bill Dalby, local telephone company manager, thought that I should meet Leo McCoy. Although getting along in years, Mr. McCoy retained much information about the early days of livestock production in Tehama County, and was, at one time, its leading citizen (his phone number was #1), who ran thousands of sheep over thousands of acres west of town. I remember little today about the meeting, but a vivid image of Leo's wife Lulu remains. For some reason, Bill had lead me up the alley behind the McCoy Victorian at 1111 Washington, and, as we were about to enter the back yard, we spied Mrs. McCoy sitting on the alley. Never at a loss for words, Bill said, "Lulu, I would like you to meet Robert Minch of Minch's Wholesale Meats." Lulu smiled, raised a hand for me to shake, and said, "I slipped and fell here in the alley a while ago…and although I am unhurt, I think I will just sit here a bit before going on to the post office. My husband is expecting you." We were reluctant to leave her thus, but Leo came out and said that she would be all right once she had "collected herself." I mention this anecdote because S. Brasch and M. Ehorn dropped by the office and allowed me to copy a yellowed letter written 97 years ago. It was sent by Mrs. McCoy, in 1916, to her husband, a captain in the local National Guard, who had been dispatched to Nogales, Ariz., evidently to contain the uprising of Pancho Villa. The ladies had come across this correspondence and west of Hooker." She adds, "As far as can be determined, there was no evidence of foul thought it of interest. So did I. The letter is quite personal in that Mrs. play. It is believed MacDonald, in a partly McCoy lamented her loneliness, questioned demented condition, wandered away from his home where he had her husband's fealty being spent the last 5 years, and so far from home, yet comdied of exposure." menting upon the heat, her So, according to trips to the post office and sources, Reubbin went to her belief she was not takhis reward alone, and withing good care of herself in out issue...and thereby our his absence…and would he tale concludeth. please hurry home. The let*** ter was a poignant look into Last week's quiz was the mind of this prominent first answered by published local woman so many years cartoonist R. Ranberg who ago, and I now wish I had Robert knew that pieces of jigsaw insisted on helping her to puzzles are referred to as her feet that day in the alley "nibs and voids," that and had asked her to join "woodchuck" is another our conversation. It would name for a "groundhog," have been more stimulating and that Lil' Abner's girland revealing. friend's (later his wife) full name is Daisy *** Award winning novelist Jamaica Kincaid Mae Scraggs. This week's quiz: was interviewed by TIME. When the interWhat is meant by a person dying "tesviewer said, "So, it's not interesting to you that the most powerful man in America is tate," a tenant in a lease having "an estate at black?" She replied, "Not really. But here is sufferance" and what is the most important an interesting thing. As I say, race is not characteristic of "joint tenancy" regarding important to me. The first time I saw Barack title to property? *** Obama, he gave a wonderful speech. But An adventurous lady decided to sleep what made me really like him is that his wife is darker than he is. It's so rare to see a black with a man who had never been with a man married to a woman who is darker than woman. She traveled the world over and her search brought her to Australia where she he is." found a man who, having spent his life in the *** When the 90 Years Ago Today section outback, hadn't even seen a woman in 30 reported a missing black man in the Bow- years. The lady brought the man to her hotel man area, I speculated that he might have room. He looked around and said, "This been a victim of foul play. However, A. room ain't big enough!" The lady said," It seems large enough to Jackson, who is compiling a book, "Colored Pioneers of Tehama County," set me straight me". The man replied, "Well, I never slept with on the subject. Alice said the man's name was Reubbin McDonald, a 36-year-old a woman before, but if it's anything like a Negro male born in Texas. He died in Hook- kangaroo, we'll need all the room we can er in December 1922 and was interred Feb. get!" 3, 1923 in a plot belonging to Donald Robert Minch is a lifelong resident of McDonald. Alice also enclosed a Daily News article dated Feb. 1, 1923 stating "The Red Bluff, former columnist for the Corning body of R. MacDonald, colored, better Daily Observer and Meat Industry known as Young Jack Johnson, former prize magazine and author of the "The Knocking fighter, was found today a short distance Pen." He can be reached at from his cabin on his homestead, four miles rminchandmurray@hotmail.com. Minch I Say