Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/145855
6A Daily News – Wednesday, July 24, 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 Response to teacher Editor: As one member of the Red Bluff Joint Union School District's governing board, I appreciate the opportunity to respond to a recent commentary by a high school teacher. He states the district's mission statement places undue emphasis on college attendance following high school "which assumes all our kids will want to go there." This is untrue. I am dismayed the vision, mission and value statements by which we work have either been misunderstood or miscommunicated. The board and superintendent Lisa Escobar worked in August 2012 to revise and craft the district's guiding principals to recognize the educational rights and potential of every student and staff member. I believe one educational right of our students is to be prepared to pursue a college or vocational education following graduation. We recognize that is not every student's choice. Red Bluff High School's educational offerings include myriad state-of-theart technical, vocational, and arts education choices. This is Red Bluff Joint Union High School District's Vision statement: Each student graduates as a life-long learner prepared for the challenges of a changing world. Mission Statements: The mission of RBJUSHD is to inspire and support each student to achieve academic excellence in a safe, healthy, and respectful environment every day. Values Statement: To achieve the mission and vision of RBJUSHD, we hold these values for each student and staff member: • Having high expectations • Having a rigorous academic culture • Having a shared passion for learning • Being respectful • Having integrity • Being innovative • Being adaptable • Having perseverance • Being optimistic • Being compassionate I must believe an overwhelming majority of public school teachers supports academic excellence and high expectations for themselves and the students they teach. A rigorous academic culture must not be limited to college prep students. Proficiency in core subjects – math, science, language arts and the humanities – is essential to all students, regardless of individual class choices. We citizens and patrons of the Red Bluff High School district should have high expectations and accept nothing less. Barbara McIver, Red Bluff CalTrans Editor: I say that CalTrans reminds me of a young girl buying he first car. It does not have to run well only look pretty. That is what I see north of Red Bluff on the I-5 project. The decorator cobble rock, the red brick, and now the new bark at every on and off ramp is the pretty part. However the functional part leaves much to be desired. On the on and off ramps there is 3 to 6 Simon. inches of uneven pavement. When Does the fact that he's rich a pickup goes over the uneven and famous make his opinion pavement it causes rocking from more important than yours or side to side but because of the mine? I think not. wheelbase length is only noticeI don't care who he is, the able. When a small car goes over mere fact that the media pays it there is a rocking motion not attention to people like him disonce but four times (left, gusts me. As far as right, left, and right I'm concerned he's no Your again). These cars are different than those not very high off the who have nothing betground and at a speed it ter to do but to rush takes to merge into 70 right out after the vermph traffic it is unsafe to dict and start destroysay the least. ing anything and everything in Remember only about a year their path to protest. This trial ago a young pregnant lady that just gave them an excuse. was left a paraplegic after being Seems to me, there are too run off the road near a on ramp. many people who think they This could very easily happen know everything about this case again as someone looses control of because of what they've read their car. and heard in the news. As a genSafety should be the first con- eral rule, we only know what cern on our highways, not how the media wants us to hear. I pretty they will look to people in was actually shocked that Mr. cars going by at 70 mph. Does Zimmerman was found innoCalTrans want the liability? I cent of all charges because I felt would hope not. he was tried and convicted by Anyone familiar with Monday the media before the trial ever Night Football Pregame knows the started. is a portion of the program called You and I were not in the C'mon Man where they show the court room to hear, first hand, bloopers and stupid happenings in the facts that were presented in The NFL for the weekend before. Mr. Zimmerman's favor, espeEach host shows his pick and fol- cially by experts. They have lows by saying C'mon Man about totally been ignored. the clip. CalTrans I can only say I find it hard to believe, after one thing to your supervising of being tried by a judge and jury, the I-5 project C'mon Man. the president has requested that Jim Ross, Red Bluff the Justice Department be summoned to review the case. Why in the world did they waste so much time and money having a Editor: trial? If the two people involved A few days ago I read an arti- were of the same race, there cle on Yahoo News titled, I'm would be no story. ashamed of being an American Barbara Benefield, by "The Wire" creator David Red Bluff Turn Proud American 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 Recess for kids and adults Life for kids is harder today than ever before, and I offer up proof: According to a variety of news reports, many elementary schools are eliminating recess. Why would schools do such a heartless thing? Well, these days, teachers are expected to teach kids everything from manners to self-esteem. Teachers need to use recess time to slip in a little math and science. Besides, recess is nothing but a lawsuit waiting to happen. When kids get hurt on the playground, lawyers jump out of bushes — so you can't entirely fault schools for eliminating playtime, and that's a shame. When I was a kid in the 1970s, kids were allowed to be kids. In the summers, we played from morning until dark. Unlike today's youngsters, we annoyed our parents by spending too LITTLE time in the house, prompting two common demands: "You better be home on time for supper!" "You better be home when the street lamps turn on." Recess was a big part of my life at St. Germaine Catholic School. Every day, we had a nice long break to run like wild animals out in the parking lot. It was the only place where a kid could build up enough footspeed to outrun the nuns. It was on the playground that I developed self-esteem by becoming the king of keepaway. We played kickball, caught football and played "it" tag. And we were so refreshed afterward, we were able to endure the torturous math and science lessons that made up the rest of the day. But kids don't get to be kids much anymore. They're shut inside a classroom from 8 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. As soon as they get home, the structure continues. Because many parents only have one or two children, they're able to lavish them with lessons. Kids don't play soccer, they go to soccer school. They don't play pickup baseball, they go to the batting academy. They have piano lessons, chess club, math tutoring and so on. That's why recess is more important now than it ever was. Kids need the free time to explore and play and run free. It's the only chance they have servatives. Feminists could in their rigid universe to let jump rope with stay-at-home loose and learn how to social- moms. It would improve our understanding of ize with other kids, each other and uninterrupted by improve civility in adults. our political debate. But I argue it isn't Heck, maybe if just kids who need the president spent recess. Adults should an hour each day begin to embrace it, playing hopscotch too. So many of us are with conservatives in so busy keeping up the House, he'd open with the pressures of up multiple opportuour specialized jobs — nities to find consenjuggling schedules, sus on the many working long hours to unresolved issues keep our jobs or workTom our country is facing. ing two or three jobs to So, it's a bad idea to keep up with our bills take recess from chil— that maybe we dren — and a great should have a little free idea to expand it for adults. time to blow off steam, too. Now, if you'll excuse me, I Where's the president on this one? I thought he felt our pain. need to break for lunch and In fact, I'm surprised President catch Frisbee with a radical Obama hasn't proposed some- progressive. thing like a Federal Recess for Tom Purcell, a humor Adults Act, which would provide federal funds to allow columnist for the Pittsburgh adults to play — and penalize Tribune-Review, is nationally syndicated exclusively by companies that refuse. Regardless, it would be a Cagle Cartoons newspaper good idea for adults to spend syndicate. Visit Tom on the Web one hour each day hitting the at www.TomPurcell.com or ehim at fields and playgrounds. Liber- mail als could play catch with con- Purcell@caglecartoons.com. Purcell