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4A – Daily News – Friday, July 9, 2010 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 Opinion Defining moments I’m not the argumentative type. When readers call to complain, they 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 won’t get an argument from me — even if that’s what a caller is looking for — instead, I’ll offer an explanation. Some- times that’s good enough, other times not, but an argu- ment isn’t going to take the conversation anywhere posi- tive. But a debate, that’s a dif- ferent story. And since we in the newsroom feed ourselves with words each day, debates about definitions and usage are common. These are not debates that are solved by consulting the dictionary. Rather, they revolve around what we think a particular word should mean. A good example is when Clearly defined winner, yes. Athletic, absolutely. But does a rider’s action have a direct impact on his oppo- nent? Ask German superstar and perennial second-banana Jan Ullrich what impact Lance Armstrong’s look over his shoulder on L'Alpe d'Huez had during the 2001 Tour de France. Armstrong turned pointedly to Ullrich before leaving him in the dust and you could see the fight drain from Ullrich’s face. Chip Thompson 545 Diamond Ave. Sports Editor Rich Greene made the statement that golf is not a sport but a game. The dictionary says otherwise, list- ing golf as an example of a sport. Golf meets the criteria of being competi- tive, athletic and requiring particular skill or prowess. But that’s beside the point, so we started establishing and justifying cri- teria by which an activity could be classified as a sport instead of a game. It has to be competitive. It must involve some level of athleticism. A player’s action must have a direct impact on the actions of other players. There has to be a clearly defined win- ner, determined objectively, as in track or baseball. Traditional sports certainly fit these requirements, but what about cycling — a sport I enjoy. Competitive, yes. Not good enough, Rich said. What about boxing? Ath- letic, competitive, contact, yes. Rich was adamant box- ing is a sport. But a defini- tive winner? Only in a knockout. Otherwise it is a judged competition. Hoisted with his own petard. I gave him cycling, but he had to concede boxing. The discussion ended shortly after I pointed out that horseshoes meets all his criteria — competitive, athletic skill, clear winner and, thanks to knocking a leaner off the stake, impact on opponent. Again, this debate was about the debate, not the true definition of sport. Just a little word play to fill in the occasional gaps in a busy day. Save your angry letters claiming golf and boxing are definitely sports — having engaged in both, you won’t get any argument from me. Chip Thompson can be reached at 527-2151, Ext. 112 or by e-mail at editor@redbluffdailynews.com. Punish legislators for mess Editor: Why is the governor trying to punish state employees because the budget is not done on time again? It is not their fault we have no budget. The state legislators are the ones at fault. Take away their funds — pay, per diem, free car, free credit cards. Your Turn Cities and counties are held hostage until they get their work done and they are never in any hurry. So make it so it is not retroactive when they do come up with a budget. Thelma Longo, Los Molinos Thanks for the 4th of July. Editor: The explosion of fireworks in the sky, kids laughing, lawnmowers racing, cars shining, strongmen lifting, BMX races are over for this year’s 4th of July. Plans are already in the works for next year’s show, but while this year is still fresh in everyone’s minds, I want to express my appreciation for our committee. Preparation started back in October to provide our community and county a fun-filled day with the great- est fireworks show in the area. Your Red Bluff-Tehama County Chamber of Commerce and the Tehama Dis- trict Fairground partnered with committee members Ali Abbassi, Bob Carell, Victoria Campbell, Shane and Melissa Budden, Mark Eidman, Bill Hill, Kyle Sanders, Clay Parker, RJ Lachance, Sonja Akers, Troy Lalaguna, Greg Stevens, Steve Joiner, Kris Behrens, PATH and countless volunteers, who all committed tireless hours of work and dedication to put on this great event. A special thank you to all of the sponsors and Gold- en Ticket holders, without your generous contributions the event would not have been possible. This year’s event added BMX racing and a horse- shoe tournament, and the Strongman competition became a nationally sanctioned event. Next year it should be bigger and better. I encourage community members to become involved with the event and committee. Without volun- teers the skies will be dark on the 4th of July — it takes a county to put on this event. My hat’s off to the committee and all of the volun- teers, job well done. Tonya Redamonti, 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. No shortcut to facing your fears Commentary Well, I did it. I faced a fear. Hey Life Coach, I deserve a hug. Someone once said that a man cannot fully know his potential unless he faces his fears head on. This week, I challenged one of them. I drove over the Benicia Bridge. Now, this may sound like chump change to many of you, but do not underestimate the legitimacy and power of those things that have a certain amount of control over us. Number one, I am afraid of heights. Because of this, I have been fearful of bridges ever since I can remember. It’s interesting, but I can do many things that others cannot; for example, I can sing songs and perform live on stage in front of 500 people; I can write books and columns in which I pour out my heart. I once pitched in front of 7,000 screaming fans with the bases loaded and no one out and a national championship on the line. It didn’t bother me. But driving over bridges? Nope, I go crazy every time. About all I can do in these situa- tions is move as close to the cen- ter lanes as possible, and put a Kung Fu grip on the steering wheel. Once I’m finally on the safe side, I have to pry my fingers off the wheel with a crowbar and put a bag over my mouth to keep from hyperventilating. I’m telling you, it is scary stuff. The bottom line, though, is that it’s all mind games. I have a crazy mind. In cer- tain situations when my fear kicks in, I envision the worst type scenario. For example, like having a blow out at 55 mph and my car flying off the bridge to my death. What made it worse on this recent trip was that my wife and kids were in the car. So what did I do? I decided to take the long way to Monterey. Can you say seven hours one- way? It’s funny, but the Auto Club estimates the trip at fewer than five hours. But that’s driving over a bridge. I didn’t want to do that. So, I drove down through Sacramento and Stockton, hit- ting as much of the day after 4th of July traffic as possible. And I had this romantic idea that if we drove down to Hwy 152 out of Santa Nella, we could easily cut across and arrive in just about the same amount of time. Unfortunately, I made a wrong turn in Gilroy, and we ended up face to face with the Redwoods just this side of Watsonville. At this point, I was pretty much lost – and all because of my stupid fear of bridges. We finally reached our destination in Mon- terey, and both my kids said, "Daddy, that took a long time." I vowed to take the short cut going home, but I knew what that meant: driving over the Benicia Bridge. asked what she had heard about it. "I’ve been told if you get ver- tigo easily, you don’t want to go over it," she said. Damn. I get vertigo easily. Strike one. Pat Gleason Simply Put I called my friend Babs and I had two strikes left. Watching television in our motel Tuesday night, I heard someone say, "You can’t become a better person if you don’t face your fears." I changed the channel. My wife looked at me and I knew what she was thinking. If I was any kind of man at all, we were going over that bridge. We did, and I lived to tell about it. So face your own fears, and have a great Fri- day. *** On a book note, I will be at Fact and Fictions at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, July 18, signing books. If you would like a copy, please stop by and support a lovely local book store. Pat Gleason grew up in Los Angeles and has taught English at Red Bluff High School since 1990. He can be reached at phgleaso@rbuhsd.k12.ca.us. ———