Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/11706
6A – Daily News – Tuesday, June 8, 2010 Opinion Reflections on hemp festival D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY The World Hemp Expo 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 Extravaganja, held May 28- 30 in Red Bluff, has certain- ly created a buzz — pardon the expression. 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 When we think about addic- tion, we tend to focus on things like drugs, tobacco, alcohol, even sex. We don't often worry about addiction to information. As all addicts know, the differ- ence between moderation and addiction usually correlates directly with ease of access. Drinking, for example, is much easier when there's a bottle of Jack Daniels in the kitchen cabinet. So what about the ease with which we now obtain information - some of it useful, much of it not? Here's a scenario drawn from my own experience as an info- addicted baseball fan. If baseball isn't your thing, just substitute the stock market, auctions on eBay, Facebook messages - whatever you love to hate every time you succumb to an information over- dose. As a San Francisco Giants fol- lower, I enjoy watching games on television, which on average takes three hours. With cable-TV, there's also a half-hour pregame show, and a half-hour of postgame analysis. Typically, I'll read about the game in two or three sports sec- tions the next morning. That puts me at roughly 4.5 hours per day which, until the Internet took Emotions run high on both sides of the fence, so we want- ed to take a look at what took place and what the last- ing effects of the event mean to our community. While we don’t endorse the expo, Editorial What do we note that predictions of violence, vandalism and other illegal activity did not come to fruition. In fact, aside from some shoplifting reported by ven- dors the first day of the fes- tival, the only confirmed criminal activity in conjunc- tion with the festival was vandalism of a water tank in the days before it began — presumably by those attempting to sabotage the festival. We thank festival orga- nizers, the county and law enforcement for working together to prevent prob- lems and ensure participants their constitutional right to assemble peacefully. For the most part, organizers com- plied with the provisions of their permit and no major incidents took place. To those who suggest Red Bluff will be forever branded as a pot city, don’t sell our town short. Coming you think? Let us know up on 90 years of Round-Up and ranching tradition, beautifully restored Victori- an structures, a vibrant art scene and access to wilder- ness recreation are just a few of the things for which Red Bluff is known. We don’t think there’s much dan- ger that a three- day festival can supplant that rep- utation. At the same time, we have some sugges- tions in the event organizers wish to hold another such expo in Tehama County. First, be honest with the community and yourselves. This event was nothing more than a multi-day, out- door concert at which mari- juana use was prevalent. Anyone that truly believes the event focused on medi- cine or medical treatment is welcome to take a look at a bridge we have for sale. Second, pick a more appropriate weekend. While the festival wrapped up the day before Memorial Day, holding such an event so close to the day the commu- nity honors the nation’s war dead is insensitive at best, bordering on insulting. Third, choose a better location. Gathering thou- sands of people, loud music and a cloud of smoke across the street from people’s homes for three days in an otherwise quite residential area is not fair to neighbors — many of whom were tied to their property for the hol- iday weekend, uncertain what to expect with large crowds in close proximity. Tehama County has an excellent fairground designed to handle crowds. Folks who purchased or rented homes nearby did so knowing to expect crowds and some noise from time to time. Finally, and most impor- tantly, bar entrance to any- one under the age of 18. A concert full of marijuana smoke is no place for chil- dren, including some infants seen at the festival. If you enjoy such activities and are consenting adults, go for it. But don’t force potentially unhealthy and even danger- ous conditions on your chil- dren. The state says you can’t take your child to a bar or smoke a cigarette when your child is in your car. Surely Tehama County has every right to bar chil- dren from a marijuana fes- tival. We’re glad the expo came and went without inci- dent and we understand why so many in the community were upset by it. But if it is to happen again, a little planning and a few changes can help minimize the nega- tive reaction and make the event less polarizing. Trail name Editor: Regarding the letter to the editor pub- lished May 25, "Park needs to show mercy." How sad that a little boy — Tommy Botell — dies tragically and through no fault of his own in nearby Lassen Volcanic National National Park and that the guardians of the Park turn down the family's request to name a trail after their lost boy. Very sad. So, what to do next? Let's simply turn to the folks who can get this done. The private sector — remember, those folks who are actually responsible for keeping this great nation of ours afloat. Several years ago I was fortunate enough to purchase several acres of land and, even though the purchase was sight unseen, I now know that the land actually borders the boundary of the Lassen Volcanic National Park. Please have the appropriate parties contact me and we shall have both a trail and a memorial set up to honor little Tommy. Again, shame on the powers that be. I pray they sleep well at night. Your Turn Chris Copley, Corning Editor’s note: Chris Copley can be reached at 824-2430 or by e-mail at chriseg- gfarm@att.net. Fire hazard Editor: I'd like to know why those in charge of fore- closed homes — banks, private sellers — aren't being given citations for overgrown properties. There are several in my area. Not only are they unsightly, they are also extremely dan- gerous. I'm not going to burn my yard waste pile this year because I'm afraid of a spark setting the jungle next door ablaze no matter how careful I am. Kelly Walen, 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. Info addict Commentary hold, was still manageable. Nowa- days, however, baseball beat writ- ers like Andrew Baggarly, who covers the Giants for the San Jose Mercury News, go online three hours before game time. They Tweet the starting lineup and then blog about the manager's plans, after which dozens of fans post messages in reply. To a lurker like me, it's a seri- ous waste of time, but I can't turn it off. After the game, Baggarly writes a quick game story for the paper's early edition, a detailed story for the late edition, a "Note- book" column which is available online, and then he writes a postgame blog for the most addicted among his followers. As the night wears on, fans post dozens of replies to Baggar- ly's notes. A few are insightful, while many are like this from "Poop" after a recent Giants' loss: "Blah blah hate sabean (the Giants' GM)…blah blah baggs (Baggarly) is a 'company' guy blah blah…i hate life blahblah." But then there are some like "Shades of 93" who wrote: "thanks Baggs. I can’t sleep at night unless I can read the Post Game Notes. You are awesome." So while it's comforting to know I'm not the only one losing sleep while compulsively hitting the refresh button to see the next post, I feel guilty, and addicted. Back in the days when baseball lineups were not readily available until a few minutes before the first pitch, I got along just fine. Of course, my Mom used to tell me that before televi- sion she got along fine listening to radio. Each generation has to adapt – to both the negatives and positives that its technol- ogy provides. But multiply my addiction by not only millions of baseball fans, but by countless others who text, Tweet and blog their way through hour after hour in search of the latest information about, well, pretty much every- thing. Peter Funt make me any smarter, even about baseball. And it doesn’t make me happier; just edgy about what I might be missing if I tune out. I also suspect that spending so much time on the digital treadmill doesn't do Baggerly's reporting much good either. Another thing my mother often says is that people who work in candy stores usually eat so much candy dur- ing the first few days simply because it’s available, that they get sick and lose their taste for it. I think her point is that I’d be thinner if I ate less candy. I’m sure I’d be better off if I Jonah Lehrer, author of the book “How We Decide,” points out, “My salient fact is your irrel- evant bit; your necessary detail is my triviality. Here's the paradox of curiosity: I only want to know more about that which I already know about.” What I resent most about my info addiction is that it doesn’t spent fewer hours fussing about baseball. And I believe we’ll all be better off when, on some occa- sions, we confront the useless information we crave by just say- ing no. Peter Funt is a writer and public speaker. He's also the long-time host of "Candid Camera." A collection of his DVDs is available at www.candidcamera.com.