Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/129300
6A Daily News – Thursday, May 9, 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. 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. Every child needs another healthy adult in their life Editor: Whenever I post something on what's available to our youth it is always derived from evidence based research. When we have to turn kids away from a program because we don't have enough approved, healthy adults involved it means that teens and tweens will go to alternative choices, like the streets, for their extra curricular activities. For younger kids it simply means they'll spend more time playing video games. Then there are those other choices – like rummaging around the house for prescription medications. Oh, and you allow your child to drink energy drinks, too? We need to find reasons for them all to want to be involved with us. Recruiting kids is one thing but what about recruiting enough healthy adults to help with mentoring, coaching, guiding, setting those positive examples? Let's not only give them the how but also the why. Yeah, it means a huge commitment on our part. What have we got to lose? A better question may be, "How can we save another young life?" Let us count the ways. There are plenty. Saving young lives from the drug, alcohol and tobacco lifestyle should be our priority. Teens and tweens need healthy adults in their lives, besides their parents. How do we prepare our teenagers for life as they approach adulthood? Our legacy should be that our youth will have a legacy, too. Let's stop the schoolhouse to jailhouse pipeline. Do you have a particular skill that you could share with our youth? Everyone does. Visit any youth organiza- tion in town and watch what they do and ask what you can share today. An hour per week will go a long way. When we do have volunteers who are making an effort to be more involved with our youth it serves no purpose to admonish them or be condescending when speaking with them. When adult volunteers, and even paid professionals like our wonderful teachers and conselors, meet to have discussions let those discussions be meaningful. Should admonishments be necessary does it do any good to admonish someone in public? Our youth not only see everything that we do, they also hear everything that we say. Condescending remarks and admonishing aloud in meetings or elsewhere not in private have no place in youth organizations especially. Punitive action should be a last resort. It may also mean that we failed in our mentoring methods. John Minton, Red Bluff Sheriff complaint Editor: April 18's two letters of concern about the Tehama County Sheriff's Office prompted me to write about my own unfortunate experiences. Four years ago, two of my horses suddenly and suspiciously died. I called the Sheriff's Department to make a report. I provided the name of the person who was responsible, as well as copies of the veterinarian's necropsy reports to the deputy. After making this report, I never heard from the sheriff's department about their investigation of this heinous act. Three years ago, while working at Rancho Tehama Elementary School, a resident of Rancho Tehama began to stalk me. During the summer of 2010, I was working in the school office, alone, and just happened to walk out to my vehicle, which was parked in the school parking lot. deputy to come to the school. This man drove into the parking Instead of coming to the school, lot, exited his pickup truck and the deputy called the school, asking what I needed. walked up to me. He When I told the deputy asked if I needed any that this man was help around the school Your stalking me, the with anything. When I response was, "What told him "No," he then do you want us to do asked if I needed any about it?" I expressed help around my home, such as yard work, plumbing, my concern and fear of this man. electrical, anything. He then said The deputy advised me to obtain he was available for me, anytime, a restraining order against this for anything. I could see that he person, if I was so scared. He was breathing deeply and per- never even asked for the name of spiring. At 5'2", 115 lbs., I sud- this man. With no support from the denly felt scared and fearful for my safety, compared to his sheriff's office, no cell phone stature of 6'2" 200 lbs. I again reception at Rancho Tehama told him "No" and quickly Reserve, and other recourse, I returned to the office and locked quit my job at Rancho Tehama the door. When he drove away, I Elementary, as I could no longer waited five minutes and left the work under these stressful condischool. I did not feel safe remain- tions. Vicki Linnet, Corning ing at the school by myself. When the next school year started, this man began to drive by the school, several times a Editor: day. I dismissed these drive-bys Most will dread to view the as being intentional, since Stageugliness of hundreds of solar coach Road is one of the main entry and exit roads to the energy projects in Tehama Counreserve. When this man began to ty promised by the private sector drive through the school parking leasers using Federal subsidies. If lot and occasionally stop to place the ugliness of solar farms is his business card on the wind- allowed, there should be County shield of my vehicle, I became Codes that mandate that these very concerned and called the farms be hidden from view with sheriff's department. I was told orchards, that can never be resold that no crime was being commit- for residential development until the solar farm is removed. These ted. No deputy was dispatched. This stalker's actions began to rules would be similar to the proescalate, as time went on. When- tection offered by the Williamson ever I passed him on the road, he Act. Since wind and solar power would to stick his tongue out at significantly increases energy me, in a lewd, vulgar manner. I costs for taxpayers, citizens took alternate routes on the should not be doubly damaged reserve, to avoid passing him on with an end to pristine views. For any wind farm approved, the road, but he always seemed to the location should be limited to be on the road that I was driving on. He seemed to know where I one mile from any home, because of the adverse noise thump of the was. He was stalking me. One day, another school passing rotor blades. Wind or employee advised me that a solar farms should not destroy deputy was parked by the real the pristine views we now have estate office, at the entrance of of the nearby mountains and the reserve. I called the sheriff's scenery. Joseph Neff, Corning department, and asked for the Turn Solar 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 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) 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 When the going gets tough... At last week's special workshop on Antelope issues a resident of the area said it wasn't so much the homeless that bothered her, but the drug deals done within sight of her front door. She said she had grown tired of the problem and that even when law enforcement did show up, the same people were back on the streets soon after and once again selling drugs. She said she had given up calling the police. Sheriff Dave Hencratt then gave an answer you would expect from someone in his position. He told her when she sees a crime she needs to report it. But he took his words a step further and said something I've been pondering since. Hencratt said despite what's been going on with the law enforcement system, everyone still needs to do their job. Law enforcement still needs to make arrests, judges still need to dispense justice and people still need to report crimes, even if it doesn't always appear to be working. It's when people stop playing their roles in society that the system truly ends up being broken, he said. For our community's sake I sure hope he delivers that same sentiment to all of his employees on a regular basis. I don't want any peace officer thinking "what's the bother." His words ring true for the media as well. There were a series of complaints in recent months that the Daily News was making the community look bad by publishing crime stories on the front page. As far as I know the Daily News never pulled a knife at the park, led a high speed pur- suit from the police or peddled doesn't do anyone any good to have someone throw their drugs. We write about such things arms up in disgust and walk away from a probbecause they are a lem. disturbing break from Americans don't routine life. pride themselves on When the Daily such apathy, it's our News stops putting resilience we celesuch stories on the brate. front page because Like our Liberty crime has become an Bell, many of our accepted norm in this finest institutions community, that's now have cracks in when I would want to them and they can be move. viewed with a halfHencratt's message empty or half-full is one we could all Rich mentality. take something from. However if want We certainly don't to fix them we can't want any of our teachforget why we filled ers asking "what's the point" following another the glass to begin with. round of budget cuts, but we Rich Greene can be know there are some that may. Even more unfortunately reached at 527-2151, Ext. 109 by email at we know there are parents who or rgreene@redbluffdailynews.c do the same. No matter the situation it om. Greene