Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/136891
6A Daily News – Friday, June 14, 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. 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 Championing a good cause The Daily News held its annual banquet Wednesday night honoring those high school athletes selected as Athletes of the Week during the last school year. I have to admit, now in its third year, this was the first banquet I attended in its entirety. The first year I was called out of state that week due to a family emergency. Last year I went for the dinner and guest speaker, but cut out to get back and finish up the next day's paper. I didn't know what I was missing. Not having children in school around here means that I only casually follow the local sports. Of course, I appreciate how important our coverage of them is to the athletes and their family and friends and occasionally I'll see the child of a friend featured in a story. But I don't necessarily hang on every game like alumni and those with a direct connection to our teams. That is likely to change after Wednesday night. Not because I knew any of the athletes particularly well, or their parents for that matter. Rather, because I was really moved by a room of more than 100 people celebrating all that is good and right in our community. Each athlete in attendance received a framed certificate and the room burst into applause each and every time a name was called out — no matter the school or sport of the athlete. This wasn't polite applause, it was genuine enthusiasm for young people who had excelled at a healthy, wholesome endeavor. I receive plenty of feedback about the paper's apparent obsession with reporting the bad things that people do in the county. There's no shortage some days and dealing with the worst among us every week goes to a call I day can make us a bit didn't hear much of, but jaded. it had a great punch line. Suffice it to say, it Near as I can figdid my heart good to ure, the cop had see some of the best in responded to a resiour community recogdence and needed nized — not so much somebody in the home by a piece of paper, to make a phone call but by their families to clarify a situation and friends cheering that would defuse an them on. urgent matter. Next time you start "He says he's playfeeling like our comChip ing a video game that munity is swirling he can't pause and has down the drain of graffiti, petty crime Thompson no interest in making and drug addiction, 545 Diamond the call." I'll bet my bottom make the effort to Ave. dollar this individual attend an event that was no Athlete of the recognizes those who Week. are doing the right thing — a talent show, awards Chip Thompson can be banquet, junior rodeo or scholarship presentation. The effort reached at 527-2151, Ext. 112 by email at will be rewarded a hundred or editor@redbluffdailynews.com. times over. Follow him on Twitter *** Comical scanner chatter of the @EditorChip. 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 Om my papa Is it just me, or are religious factions becoming more intrusive...like a camel who gets his nose under the tent? A news release indicates the Anderson City Council is going to open their June 18 meeting with a Hindu prayer. Hindu statesman Rajan Zed will deliver the invocation from ancient Sanskrit scriptures. He will then read the English translation. He plans to start and end the prayer with "Om" the mystical syllable containing the universe and whatnot. You know, I'd personally just as soon he omits the English translation, delivers the prayer if he must...and then turn the meeting back to road improvements and the like. People on local councils give enough of their time to these meetings without being forced to listen to Sanskrit scriptures. It's been my experience if you've heard one "Om" you've heard them all. Tsk, tsk. *** In the 90 Years Ago Today section of the DN, it was reported that a building at 638 Main burned to the ground…but owner S.D. Wilcox promised to rebuild it soon. Upon that site a building was indeed erected of brick and mortar and destined to be the home of the famous Blue Ribbon Café. Many folks long in the tooth remember it well and danced the night away in the back dance floor. If walls could talk… *** Raley's Super Market continues to move their products to different locations within the store. It is a lovely store and handsomely lit…but when a long time clerk had trouble locating the recently moved non refrigerated soft drink section, it seems counterproductive to make an item hard to find for a customer. That said, the company has made great strides since we were in the meat business 40 years ago. There was a time when suppliers had to wait for their checks. Today the company leads the field in our area once dominated by Safeway Stores. *** Facebook is not always factual in matters of personal identity. Witness requests last weekend to "Help celebrate the birthdays of Joseph Durrer and Teresa Sale Hanna. Send Joe a present." No can do. Joe went to his reward last year. On the other hand, a little remembrance is certainly in order. *** Rhetorical questions: Why Richard Pryor The Lee Pitts' column in the Farm but Dick Gregory? Why Richard Bureau News is always good for a Nixon Richard Gere And laugh or two. He wrote Richard III, but Dick recently that he gets a lot of Cavett, Dick Van Dyke horse sale catalogs and and Dick Tracy? Who would like for once to see a makes these important truthful description of anidecisions? Their mothers? mals for sale. He imagines, If so, why? Learn more by for example, "Lot 1. FrisGoogling Richard versus bee. So named because he Dick. And "spotted dick" is hard to catch. Sired by isn't a bird or a medical Ivan the Terrible and out of problem but an English Eulogy, a mare who pulled Robert pudding. a plow all her life. A little Slow day you say? humpy in the morning and *** truly does not like anything Last week's quiz was on his back. Buy this horse tough, but perhaps only and you will soon be doing because I did not describe it equestrian feats you never succinctly. thought possible. Lot 2. We asked for the most common letter of Root Canal. She is unregistered, untrained and unwanted. Feel free to put your kid up the alphabet in the English language, which on her if she can ride like Casey Tibbs. Lot is E of course. Then we asked what other let3. Buzzard Bait. Can't catch, can't shoe and ters of said alphabet have that letter "embedcan't load. We have shot off him. Once. Lot ded" in them? That would be b, c, d, g, p, t, 4. Old Leather Lip. Full disclosure: Don't tie v, z. Right? But then we asked if you take this horse up unless you want shorter reins the names of each card in the deck, only or your tack room pulled off its founda- once, add up the letters in same, you will get a number familiar to card players. We tions." And so on. should have said "...the names of each card *** After writing of concern for the animals in a suit." If you do so, going only once in the wake of the southwest tornados, we through the suit, you get 52! After a proper heard from an Abigail in far off Oklahoma. description a few came back with the correct She wrote, "You mentioned in your article answer, among being V. Shaw, J. Yingling that you wondered about the animals in the and R. Ramsey. This week's quiz: Name a city in the U.S. storm and you were right that many perished as did some of our people, but many which has a "U" in it 3 times and a "Q" in it lived. I also wanted to share with you that twice. Also, if writer Albert Camus ever laid the Oklahoma State Veterinary hospital eyes on singer Yma Sumac, how might the has been treating all tornado surviving ani- ensuing three word palindrome read? And mals free of cost for their owners. They complete this familiar adage: "I before e, have had cats, dogs, birds, horses, and except after c, unless sounded as a, as even donkeys ("even donkeys?"). Many in________ and _____." *** animals were displaced in the storms but in Physician: Someone to whom you give the true Oklahoma spirit friends and neighbors lead those animals home (some lead- exorbitant amounts of money to tell you ing horses through downtown Oklahoma things you were happier not knowing. City). I just wanted you to know that what Robert Minch is a lifelong resident of everyone has been calling the 'Oklahoma Red Bluff, former columnist for the Corning Standard' doesn't just stop with our humans but also with our furry family Daily Observer and Meat Industry magazine and author of the "The Knocking members too." Pen." He can be reached at So noted. rminchandmurray@hotmail.com. *** Minch I Say