Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/11583
4A – Daily News – Saturday, June 5, 2010 Opinion Rescue thanks D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Editor: I would like to send a thank you to the RBPD, Tehama County Sheriff’s Dept., Red Bluff Fire Dept., and TIDE for their quick response after a boating accident that occurred on the afternoon of May 28, near the Red Bluff City Park. After the current dragged our 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 let- ters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All let- ters must be signed and pro- vide the writer’s home street address and home phone num- ber. 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 submit- ted will be considered for publi- cation. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Mission Statement We believe that a strong com- munity 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 vehi- cles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its com- munities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the resi- dents 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 Memorials Commentary As I was taking down our flag to put it away Monday evening I found lots to think about. Some of my thoughts were about the prob- lems of British Petroleum and the citizens on the Gulf Coast suffer- ing from what in retrospect may be one of the most damaging envi- ronmental disasters of this centu- ry; I wondered how those in Haiti were coping with the deluge of rains; I remembered deceased family members; other thoughts were for those whom we particu- larly memorialize on Memorial Day. I believe these kinds of thoughts are part of our collective sense of being a part of a larger unity. I believe we are inextricably bound to others and by the unique string of events that have made us, individually, who we are. I believe memorial times are for reflecting on our interdependence, our reliance on others, and our place in the greater scheme of things. I believe we are in great debt to those who have defended us. We pay homage to those who gave their lives for our safety and relative freedom, knowing full well that their sacrifice has impact- ed each of us. We also memorial- ize those whom we know, who came before us, and who have made each of our lives unique. This last ten days or so were ones of remembrance for us; we were personally touched by the deaths of five people whom we knew. Their ages varied from the late 20’s to the mid 90’s. When combined with the unseasonable weather, those deaths could have cast a dark shadow over many people, reinforcing the sense of pain that comes with life. “Death is a part of life,” the philosopher tells us. That may be so, but grief and loss are also a part of life. While we honor and give thanks to those who have gone before us, we also acknowledge our own fragility and our indebt- edness to the unknown variables to which we owe our current circum- stances. We recognize our interde- pendence, that we are bound together in ways we cannot under- stand. We miss those who have gone, and we long for their presence. Our memories do not seem ade- quate to compensate for their loss, and we wonder what we could have or should have done differ- ently while we shared time with them. Kathy Wheeler, one of the speakers at a memorial service we attended, said, “One of life’s rules is ‘Don’t should on yourself’.” At the death of a friend or family member, it is all too common to second guess oneself, to think “I shoulda….” Such thinking is not comforting, and it certainly creates a lot of self guilt in many instances. She seemed to be saying we should celebrate the time we had and live the time we have. As we watch the unsuccessful attempts of British Petroleum to contain the oil spill (spill hardly describes the problem), it reminds us of our interrelationship with “nature.” Over twenty years ago Lewis Thomas wrote a series of short essays entitled The Lives of a Cell. One of those essays com- pared our planet with an individual cell. A cell takes care of itself; it has defense systems, it processes foreign matter, and it restores a healthy balance to itself under normal circumstances. He pointed out that the Earth does the same thing over time. Some have taken that concept to the next level, refer- ring to the entire ecosys- tem of the Earth as Gaia; a whole consciousness of which each living thing is a part. us this stage ends early in life. Independence is like the teenager who believes he/she can do it all alone; it is very “me” centered. Interdependence, Covey’s highest level of development, comes when we learn we have to interrelate and rely on others to have a successful and meaningful life. I believe that Memo- rial Day is recognition of that interdependence, that interrelatedness with each other and our environment. It is a Joe Harrop Whether we are a part of a Gaia or not, it is clear that we have the capacity to upset what appears to be the balance of nature. When we see the mass of oil released because of the rush to profits, we realize we can make serious mis- takes, mistakes from which recov- ery may be in the distant future. Who would have thought so many would be so dependent upon the actions of an oil company? We are reminded we are all bound togeth- er on this Earth. Stephen Covey talks about the three stages of life: dependence, independence, and interdepen- dence. Dependence is the stage when we have to rely on others to meet our basic needs. For most of time to remember and to look forward. One of my favorite passages is from the famous Meditation XVII by John Donne, often seen in poetic form, but actu- ally is prose. The part I most remember is:”No man is an island. entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and there- fore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. “ Joe Harrop is a retired educator with more than 30 years of service to the North State.He can be reached at DrJoeHarrop@sbcglobal.net. vessel to a log under the bridge, we capsized and I was stuck fighting the undertoes for quite a few min- utes. After finally getting up on that log and catching my breath, I jumped back into the river and headed towards the shore. Out of breath and exhausted I was surprised to see so many there to help. To the sheriff that pulled me from the water and all of you. Many thanks. Dennis Cahalan, Red Bluff No on Prop 16 Editor: The primary election on June 8 promises many opportunities for change. When it comes to Proposi- tion 16, it's an issue that I'm help- less to refuse. Entirely funded by PG&E to the tune of about $60 million, Proposition 16 is entitled, "Tax- payer's Right to Vote Act." It's a proposal that would violate our State Constitution. Therefore, the act invokes a constitutional change to accommodate PG&E's plans to weaken competition, and strength- en their monopolizing strangle- hold on the North State. In sum- mary, the proposition will sabo- tage existing law allowing com- munities to choose alternatives to PG&E. The initiative requires a two- thirds majority vote to form a municipal utility, and to expand its services to new customers. The Sacramento Bee said the amend- ment will, "insulate PG&E from competition, permanently locking its business advantage into the State Constitution." The Los Angeles Times describes it as a "dagger aimed directly at a move- ment to enable municipalities to offer renewable green power to their residents in competition with private utilities." Meanwhile, PG&E has propos- als for $6 billion in new rate hikes pending with the California Public Utilities Commission. Some of this money; of course, is to replen- ish that spent on its Proposition 16 campaign and it's easy to see why PG&E is so driven. PG&E rates are already much higher than those of municipal utilities and Southern California Edison. They are among the high- est in the United States. These rates pay for PG&E's inflated executive salaries and bonuses, millions in lobbying and campaign contributions, millions on Proposi- tion 16 and other efforts to defeat public power, and billions on idiot- ic smart meters. Area customers will get a chance to speak out against these unfair rate hikes on Thursday, June 10. A public participation hearing will be held in the Round-Up Room at the Hampton Inn and Suites, 520 Adobe Road in Red Bluff. Hearings will convene at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Mark your calendars to vote no on Proposition 16 on June 8, and to speak out against PG&E's $6 billion rate hikes on June 10. Sheryl Hill Red Bluff Still not qualified Editor: Several weeks ago, after learn- ing that Dan R. Irving, Sr., had a website promoting himself, his experience and qualifications for judge, I wrote a letter to the editor opining that Mr. Irving was not qualified to serve as one of Tehama County’s Superior Court judges. I pointed out that the bankrupt- cy court had found that certain transfers by Mr. Irving and his wife were fraudulent transfers with the actual intent to hinder, delay or defraud creditors. When Mr. Irv- ing missed the filing deadline to get his name on the ballot, I had assumed that he had taken his name out of running, but now I see campaign signs urging the voters to write in Dan Irving’s name. Mr. Irving’s trouble with the bankruptcy court was not an isolat- ed incident. In August of 2001, Your Turn visiting Superior Court Judge Joseph B. Harvey presided over the legal malpractice action brought against Daniel R. Irving, Tehama County No. 44698. In his statement of Decision, Judge Har- vey states, "Defendant (Irving) did not perform to the stan- dards of a competent estate planner, which he held himself out to be. He did not perform to the standards of ordi- nary care, which he was bound to observe. He empow- ered Ted Grissom to run off with the entire estate, leaving Florence Grissom, who owned an estate approaching one million dollars, virtually penniless. Judge Harvey then commented on Mr. Irving’s failure to have provided any over- sight to the trustee's total control of the Trust assets, stating, “To grant absolute power of a million-dollar- estate with no warning or advice concerning the hazards of defalca- tion that are inherent in such a grant is not just negligent, it almost denies a layman’s common sense.” Judge Harvey then found that Mr. Irving’s malpractice resulted in damages of $707,297. Once again, these are public records that I quote from, and a copy will be available at my office if anyone would like to review them. I urge the voters to carefully consider if Mr. Irving has the expertise and knowledge neces- sary to serve as Superior Court Judge. Dennis Albright, Red Bluff Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R), State Capitol Bldg., Room 4164 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento 94249; (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319- 2102 STATE SENATOR — Sam Aanestad (R), State Capitol Bldg., Room 2054, Sacramen- to, CA 95814. (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR — Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E-mail: gover- nor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Wally Herger (R), 2635 Forest Ave. Ste. 100, Chico, CA 95928; 893-8363. 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; (415) 403-0100. Fax (202) 224- 0454.