Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/122407
6A Daily News – Wednesday, April 17, 2013 Opinion Cops do care 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 Editor: Some people may say that the Red Bluff Police Department is too busy to care about the individuals in our community. After all, just take a look at the number of police reports in the paper. Crime is on the rise. Recently, the lives of friends and neighbors at Jackson Manor Apartments were shaken by an attempted break-in. As news spread, a meeting was called by one of the residents and the manager. And here's where the surprising part unfolded: There are still law enforcement officers who do care. Sergeant Kevin Busekist, surrounded by about 30 residents and family members, attended the meeting to address concerns. No question was too small for him to answer. And when tensions rose, Sergeant Busekist wove in personal stories that made them laugh, but also showed that even his home and those of his friends could be vulnerable. So here are a few safety tips he left them with: Never leave your door unlocked, even if it's just to do laundry or get the mail. Leave your porch light on at night regardless if you're home or not. Be aware of who's walking through your area. Never answer and open your door unless you know who's there. And never be afraid to call local law enforcement if you see suspicious activity. Though officers must be dis- patched according to incident priorities, all calls are taken seriously and will be addressed. Everyone at Jackson Manor would like to thank Sergeant Busekist for his visit, and the RBPD for the increased number of patrols into the complex. You do care. Karen Dalske, Red Bluff Businessman saves league Editor: On Saturday mornings and afternoons this past winter, the Red Bluff High gyms were filled with almost 300 boys and girls playing basketball in the Cornerstone youth basketball league. As it is always a great thing to see kids being active while having fun, this time was better than usual. Last fall the league was without a coordinator and in jeopardy of being cancelled until a local businessman stepped up. Robert Huhn, a local electrician, took on the demanding, time consuming task of organizing and facilitating this league. Rob and his wife Molly worked countless hours getting signups, coaches, facilities, insurance, equipment, etc. needed to revive the league. The league ran smoothly and Saturdays were filled with kids in our community actively having fun. Having organized this league for years, I understand the time and effort it takes. Rob just took it on and did it for the good of our community and kids. When the league ended, Robert wasn't finished with his generosity. He took the net proceeds from the league and donated it all to the downed debris in the park, but also boys' and girls' basketball pro- logged many hours of hard work grams at Red Bluff High School. clearing some of the largest secThis revenue helps cover expenses tions of blocked trail. for our high school programs. With the support of NorCal If you see Rob around, give Tree Service, who worked hard all him thanks for his efforts. On day chipping the cleared debris, behalf of the basketball and an additional chipcoaches at Red Bluff per donated by PJ HeliYour High, thank you to the copters, we were able volunteer coaches, the to dispose of the green high school referees, and waste responsibly and especially to Robert plan to spread the bark Huhn for supporting chips back onto the youth sports in our community. newly cleared trails. Stan Twitchell, Red Bluff We also want to thank Rick Barram and The Third Excelsior Association (Civil War Days), Sean Rix State Farm, Cornerstone Community Bank, Green Waste of Tehama, The Copy Center, The Editor: Human Bean Coffee, Danny Cleaner Greener Red Bluff has Dogz, Walmart, and We Shoot Ya many wonderful supporters to Photography for their support in thank that helped make the clean making the event a success. up day at Dog Island Park a sucLastly, the largest gratitude that cess. we can extend must go to the volThe Tehama County Probation unteers who donated their hours of Department and Sheriff's Depart- hard work to improve the trail ment provided work crews who access at Dog Island Park. The put in countless hours readying the work was not easy and those deditrails the entire week leading up to cated individuals were not afraid the clean up day on April 6. With- to get dirty. With their helping out their support, the task of hands, we were able to create safer widening and clearing all the trails trails on Dog Island for the comon Dog Island would have not munity. Thank you volunteers. It been completed. could not have been done without Scott Timboe with the City of your work. Red Bluff and Alan Abbs with With the help of these organizaTehama Trails were both critical in tions and individuals, we were making the clean up day happen. able to meet our goal of widening With the help of both individuals, and clearing over 1.5 miles of trail we were able to take an idea and on Dog Island. We will continue to put it to action. work toward our goal of making Ed Gonzales with the Job the public spaces of Red Bluff Training Center not only provided cleaner and safer. the necessary tools and equipment Anne Keeler, Red Bluff to tackle the overgrown brush and Turn Group thanks supporters Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 1550 Humboldt Road, Ste. 4, Chico, CA 95928, 530-895-4217 STATE SENATOR — Jim Nielsen, 2635 Forest Ave., Ste. 110, Chico, CA 95928, (530) 879-7424, 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 The higher our tech, the ruder we get Get this: Social media are making us ruder. According to Reuters, social media users face "an increase in rudeness online with people having no qualms about being less polite virtually than in person." I think our rudeness began ticking up with the introduction of another technological innovation: the telephone. As phones became commonplace in American homes, people could communicate miles apart with each other — rather than being face-to-face. People are much more likely to say things over the phone that they would never try to get away with saying while looking you in the eyes. Technology continued to evolve, and so did our opportunities for rudeness. When answering machines become widely available in the '70s, people initially considered them rude. Callers had the sense that the people they were calling were using the devices to screen their calls — and they were, so callers often hung up before leaving a message. The telephone company solved that problem with the introduction of "*69" — punching in *69 to retrieve the number of the last person to call you. Boy, did that technology make us ruder. I remember coming home once from a business meeting to find someone had hung up on my answering machine without leaving a message. I dialed *69, retrieved the number and called. The phone rang four times before an answering machine picked up. A woman's recorded voice said, "Hello, Bill and I aren't in right now ... ." I had no idea who the woman was, so I hung up. I returned home again later that day to discover another person had hung up on my machine. I dialed *69, retrieved the number and called. I got an answering machine — "Hello, Bill and I aren't in right now ... ." — and hung up. A few moments later, my phone rang. "Hello," I said. "Who is this?" said a woman. "Who is this?" I said. "You called me and hung up!" she said. Ah, it was Bill's wife! "You called me and hung up!" I said. "*69 took me to you!" she said. "*69 took me to you!" I said. The woman uttered some profanities, then hung up. Caller ID quickly made both destroy relationships and reputaanswering machines and *69 tions, particularly when those messages go viral. obsolete. Before long, It's true that there everyone was screening are many reasons for calls. How rude. the breakdown of The cell phone civility. Judith Martin, kicked rudeness into Miss Manners, says high gear. People are good manners are the happy to make and take philosophical basis of calls at the library, the civilization. When movie theater and anymanners are strong, where else they can people restrain their annoy their fellow man. impulses to be rude Email is another and abrasive — innovation that is still regardless of the form doing damage. People Tom of communication dash off notes in anger, they use. in which they say But when manners things to friends, loved are weak — and they ones and suddenly former bosses that they would are weak in societies in which the government determines never say in person. Then there's text messaging behavior with a growing list of — the art of pressing both laws, rules, regulations and punthumbs against a miniature key- ishments — they are a reflection pad to bastardize the English of the health of a civilization. And where rudeness is conlanguage. If you try to have a face-to- cerned, our civilization isn't face conversation with a looking so healthy. younger person, you cannot do Tom Purcell, a humor so without him or her texting five or more people while you columnist for the Pittsburgh chat — behavior that used to be Tribune-Review, is nationally syndicated exclusively by considered awfully rude. And now, with social media, Cagle Cartoons newspaper rudeness has a public forum. In syndicate. Visit Tom on the Web haste, we type and post mes- at www.TomPurcell.com or ehim at sages we would never say in per- mail son — messages that sometimes Purcell@caglecartoons.com. Purcell