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6A Daily News – Friday, March 8, 2013 Opinion 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. Lest we compound the tragedy Something like this The incredibly simply doesn't happainful events of last pen in small towns week have shaken like ours — that's our community, but one of the reasons that doesn't mean many of us choose to our community has live here. to change. Grief will endure All the facts have as we support and yet to surface, but a comfort family and young girl's life was friends facing brought to a close far unfathomable too soon as she anguish. Anger will walked home from Chip dissipate as justice is school last week. That's not something Thompson served, albeit slowly. But fear is dangerthat's easy for any of us to come to terms 545 Diamond ous. It has the power to change the very with. Ave. character of our comAs a community munity and that we are overwhelmed with grief, anger and fear. would compound the tragedy. We will all watch our children closely, remind them to be aware of their surroundings at all times and do everything we can to keep them safe. Just as we did before this horrendous event. But let's not allow the events of last week to make us believe we will never be safe in our own community. The taking of a young life is shocking anywhere, but more so in a small town full of friends and neighbors who look out for one another. The fact this could happen here makes it all the more jarring and difficult to comprehend. This is a testament to how safe our community is. 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 Chip Thompson can be reached at 527-2151, Ext. 112 or by email at editor@redbluffdailynews.co m. Your officials 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. As we all try to come to grips with what's happened, we should not let ourselves become gripped with fear. Let's be smart. Let's be careful. Let's teach our children how to protect themselves when we can't be there to do so. But let's also remember that a single incident can't define our community or our character. Like you, my thoughts and prayers are with Marysa Nichols and her family. 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) 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 Judge not lest ye be judged As the DN does not publish Mondays, we had to wait until Tuesday to discover details of the murder of a 14-year-old student whose body was found west of the RBUHS campus last week. On Sunday, we only saw the tail end of a Ch 7 news report of the incident which featured, on camera, a frequent Daily News letter to the editor contributor, who was shown holding court in front of her Antelope residence. The television interviewer got a lengthy piece of her mind regarding the alleged perpetrator, named in the Tuesday edition of the DN by the Red Bluff Police Department as Quentin Ray Bealer, and she wasted no time in having him drawn and quartered even though our system of justice presumes a person innocent until proven guilty. Whether her remarks will later prove prejudicial to the case has yet to be determined, but in her wrought up state, trial by jury of Bealer would apparently be a travesty, for he has long criminal record of burglary...and in her mind, such actions are always precursor to murder. *** On a happier, but still disconcerting note, is the renovation of my den being conducted by our resident interior decorator, the missus. With co-conspirators daughter Melody and son Brandon, they have absolutely gutted my favorite room. It is true that over 50 years of occupancy has led to a certain clutter and look similar to the set of the film "Great Expectations," but I knew fairly well where every book, record and memorabilia was placed...and now it is all stored in the hallway awaiting the makeover of my 5' x 10' sanctuary from which great thoughts, over the years, have emanated. Left as it was, it could have been declared a shrine after my departure. As it has now been "renovated" with new wallpaper and shelving, it could pass for an upscale and pristine kennel. Tsk, tsk. *** A desk calendar with cartoons for each day brought a smile on the 1st with one such showing an art museum with paintings and sculpture of nothing but pigs. It is called, of course, '"The Museum of Swine Art" *** In a recent quiz, several answered with a detailed explanation of what the letters of our newly constructed CVS Pharmacy on South Main stand for. V. Shaw reports that the pharmacy used to be a subsidiary of Red Bluff or Corning item in that the men Melville Corporation where its full name were acting suspicious by wearing suits and was Consumer Value Stores. Melville later ties. The message here is that if you want to appear innocuous in our neck of changed the name to CVS Corpothe woods, be sure to wear ration in 1996 after either western attire or Melville sold off many of baggy pants worn low on their non-pharmacy stores. the hips. Then you may Their former CEO says he promote your religious now considers CVS to tract without fear of being stand for "Customer, charged with suspicious Value, and Service." behavior. During the company's *** early days as a regional Judge: "Do I understand chain in the Northeast, that you are trying to show many CVS stores did not Robert contempt for this court?" include pharmacies. Today Attorney: "No, your the company seldom builds Honor. I'm trying to hide new stories without them. it!" *** *** In the many accounts of Last week's quiz was the Pope's retirement, first answered by N Rick attention has been given to the smashing of his official ring. This seems who named 4 members of the film "The unkind. He didn't die, he just retired. It's Dirty Dozen" as Lee Marvin, Ernest Borglike having a fraternity ring that a brother nine, Charles Bronson and Clint Walker, can cherish long after college. Give the guy "Discovery" was the name of the space ship and Doc Holliday's full name was John a break. Henry Holliday. *** This week's quiz: Match Presidents Police log item under DN headline "Beheading." The item continued, "Some- Carter, Ford, Reagan, Clinton and George one in Corning reported Tuesday that a H.W. Bush with their pets: Liberty, a goldneighbor intentionally broke their sprinkler en retriever, Rex, a King Charles spaniel, heads." It is not that I do not find that news- Socks, (a cat), Millie a Springer spaniel and worthy nor have empathy for their loss so Misty Malarky Ying Yang, a Siamese cat. *** much as to note that the expression "beheadThe judge asked the defendant what he ing," however accurate, takes on a meaning of its own in our lexicon. Of course in this was doing when the police arrived. The man instance it was used as a witty attention said he was waiting. "For what?" asked the grabber. In general usage, of course, we see judge. "For money" replied he man. the word and envisage an actual beheading "Who was supposed to give you of some living thing. It is graphic and shocking whether the victim is a human or money?" "The man I had been waiting for." a chicken. As to the latter, sources say a "What did he have to give you money chicken can indeed run about briefly sans its head. A human, once beheaded, is inca- for?" "For waiting, your honor." pable of any action whatsoever. Apparently "Enough of this garbage," yelled the once the spinal cord is severed, all sensations cease...and it could be a merciful way judge, "what do you do for a living?" "I'm a waiter," said the man. to die if it were not for the gruesome anticipation experienced by the victim. Robert Minch is a lifelong resident of A less vivid item in the same log states that a woman in Corning reported that two Red Bluff, former columnist for the Corning men were on her doorstep wearing suits and Daily Observer and Meat Industry ties. The men, who would not identify magazine and author of the "The Knocking themselves, said they were religious affili- Pen." He can be reached at ates in the area. This could be an only in rminchandmurray@hotmail.com. Minch I Say