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2A – Daily News – Monday, January 24, 2011 Community people&events Piffero honored Farewell to an old friend When she was a kitten, we were constantly cleaning up remnants of paper. We'd leave the house and return to scraps of napkins scattered about the kitchen, or the roll of toilet paper splayed from bathroom to liv- ing room. Paper products lived in fear if KC Whittinger Longstockings Junior was nearby. I'll place squarely the blame on my sons who chose her moniker (which might not be accurate but I can do that because they don't live here and won't be able to read this). "KC" was short for "Kitty Cat" (not very imagi- native, I know). I don't know the derivation of the rest of her handle but it didn't matter; we referred to her simply as "KC" or "Case-ers." I specifically chose KC because Daily News photo by Tang Lor Former Red Bluff Parks and Recreation Commissioner Steve Piffero was honored for 25 years of service on the commission. Piffero, a social science teacher at Red Bluff High, was appointed to the commission in 1985 as a representative for the school district. Many of his 25 years of service was spent as chairman of the commission. Mayor Bob Carrel, left, presented Piffero with a plaque of appreciation on the behalf of the council and parks commission at the Jan. 18 City Council meeting. SECRET WITNESS 529-1268 A program of Tehama County Neighborhood Watch Program, Inc. Setting it straight –––––––– It is the policy of the Daily News to correct as quickly as possible all errors in fact that have been published in the newspaper. If you feel a factual error has been made in a news story, call the news department at 527-2153. she was the most talkative cat in the litter and I wanted company. As they say, "Be careful what you wish for…" Not only did she communicate, she did it — shall we say — "with enthu- siasm." She had a habit of waiting stealthily in the early morning dark- ness in the kitchen. The first human to enter would be "greeted" with an enormous, howling ululation. Never sure whether it was "Good Morning," or "What the heck took you so long to fill my bowl?," what I can assure you is that after being welcomed as such, there was no longer a need to use cof- fee to start your heart. As a kitten, she adamantly refused to drink water inside the house. We placed bowls strategically throughout the rooms; a guest entering our home for the first time and seeing the water filled containers scattered hither and yon would assume we had the leakiest roof in the neighborhood. It was of no consequence; she refused to drink from them. When thirst took hold, she would sit patiently by the back door until we conceded to her wishes. Then she'd sway and saunter on to the deck and lap only from the bowl outside. It was a ritual we referred to as "Water in the Wild." Scott Q. Marcus She rumbled constantly, purring simply if you looked at her, louder if you touched her. Of course she purred when she ate (how do they do that?), purred when she cleaned, and purred when she drank. She would purr, well, just because she could. Since we kept the door to the downstairs closed at night, she trained my younger son to wake up at any hour, open it, and sit drearily by her side in the event of her need for a midnight snack. He, would complain about it; yet repeat the ritual whenev- er KC deemed it necessary. My wife and I found it funny, looking at them as an old married couple who seem to irritate each other to no end, but in reality, actually love each other deeply. Even though her attitude never changed, she succumbed to the tolls of aging and slowed in her last few years. Due to a metabo- lism problem, she lost a great deal of weight; her fur became ragged, she moved more cautiously, and would sleep almost continually. Since her teeth were failing, I took her to the vet last week for a routine procedure that would help her eat with less pain, causing her to gain some weight, and hopefully feel better. It didn't work out that way. She never came home. It's funny how we can bond so closely to something that weighs less than a sack of potatoes. I know some day we shall purr again, but right now, it's time to heal. ——— About the author: In 1994, after a lifetime of obesity, Scott "Q" Marcus lost 70 pounds and assists people and organizations who are tired of making promises they have continually broken but are ready to change. Get involved or contact him at www.ThisTimeIMeanIt.com. You can also find him at www.facebook.com/scottqmarcus or on twitter @ThisTimeIMeanIt. Plan to celebrate the first eveer "This Time I Mean It Day," a tribute to our personal successes, on Feb. 15. Dad’s disease doing draining damage Dear Annie: I D NEWSAILY HOW TO REACH US RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY THE VOICE OF TEHAMA COUNTY SINCE 1885 VOLUME 126, NUMBER 54 On the Web: www.redbluffdailynews.com MAIN OFFICE: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Main Phone (530) 527-2151 Outside area 800-479-6397 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080 ______________________ Mail: Red Bluff Daily News P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 Fax: (530) 527-5774 ______________________ CUSTOMER SERVICE: Subscription & delivery Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (530) 527-2151 Ext. 125 subscription rates (All prices include all applicable taxes) Monday through Saturday $9.59 four weeks Rural Rate $10.69 four weeks Business & professional rate $2.21 four weeks, Monday-Friday By mail: In Tehama County $12.29 four weeks All others $16.23 four weeks (USPS 458-200) Published Monday through Saturday except Sunday, by California Newspaper Partnership. Home delivery NEWS News Tip Hotline: 527-2153 FAX: (530) 527-9251 E-mail: clerk@redbluffdailynews.com Daytime: Sports: Obituaries: Tours: (530) 527-2151 Ext. 109 Ext. 103 Ext. 112 After hours:(530) 527-2153 ______________________ ADVERTISING Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Display: 527-2151 Ext. 122 Classified: 527-2151 Ext. 103 Online (530) 527-2151 Ext. 133 FAX: (530) 527-5774 E-mail: advertise@redbluffdailynews.com SPECIAL PAGES ON THE FOLLOWING DAYS Mondays: Kids Corner Tuesdays: Employment Wednesdays: Business Thursdays: Entertainment Fridays: Select TV Saturdays: Farm, Religion Publisher & Advertising Director: Greg Stevens gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Editor: Chip Thompson editor@redbluffdailynews.com Sports Editor: Rich Greene sports@redbluffdailynews.com Circulation Manager: Kathy Hogan khogan@redbluffdailynews.com Production Manager: Sandy Valdivia sandy@redbluffdailynews.com POSTMASTER SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: PO BOX 220, RED BLUFF CA 96080 newspaper of general circulation, County of Tehama, Superior Court Decree 9670, May 25, 1955 © 2011 Daily News Postage Paid Periodicals The Red Bluff Daily News is an adjudicated daily 90 years ago... Auto Thieves Fail After Four Tries Automobile thieves were at work in Red Bluff last night but after attempting to take four different cars had to give it up as a bad job. ... A car belonging to Mrs. Ida Cooper was taken from her garage and run down a steep hill. W.P. Johnson’s touring car was taken and left in the alley. Further down the alley between Main and Wash- ington streets the garage of C.F. Stover was visited. The lock was broken but the door stuck. ... A delivery truck belonging to George Strong was rolled down the alley one block from his shop and abandoned. — Daily News, Jan. 24, 1921 believe my husband of 19 years is suf- fering from some form of mental ill- ness. I need to know where to go for help — not for ‘‘Steve,’’ because he doesn’t think he has a problem — but for our teenage children and me. It breaks my heart that our kids despise their father. I’m not sure they will ever forgive him for the damaging things he has said and done since they were little. The worst was the time Steve threatened to kill himself. When I picked up the phone to dial 911, he told me he’d take all of us with him if I didn’t hang up. They will never forget that night, yet he says stuff like this is part of life and to ‘‘get over it.’’ I have explained to the children that their father is sick and can’t help the way he treats us. But I am begin- ning to feel tremendously guilty for standing by and letting it happen, watching Steve’s behavior get worse and worse over the years. Steve says everything he has ever done and all the sacrifices he’s made have been for his family, but we’d gladly give up the cell phones, the weekend trips, the sports camps and music lessons if he would just be nice to us on a daily basis. When I suggested coun- seling, even just for the kids and me, he said we couldn’t risk having people in our small town find out. Some- times I wonder if he is sim- ply manipulative and cruel. I don’t know how much more of this I can take. Please help. — Emotionally Drained Dear Drained: Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar Even if Steve is mentally ill, his refusal to seek help makes him abusive to you and your children. You can be sympathetic without putting yourself in harm’s way. Contact the National Alliance on Men- tal Illness (nami.org) at 1- 800-950-NAMI (1-800- 950-6264) and ask for help. We also recommend you contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (1- 800-799-7233) and consid- er safely removing yourself and your children from the home environment. Dear Annie: I have been married to ‘‘Chester’’ for 10 years. For the past eight, he has avoided sex. We are both in our late 40s, and Chester’s health prob- lems make performing in the bedroom nearly impos- sible. Consequently, he refuses to so much as touch me for fear I might expect more. Chester won’t ask his doctor about it, which isn’t fair to me. I have stayed with him because I still love him. I try to ignore the lack of intimacy, but I’m not sure how much longer I can do it. Any advice? — Feel- ing Alone in Illinois Dear Illinois: Many men are embarrassed to dis- cuss erectile dysfunction, but rest assured, the doctor has heard it all before. Talk to Chester, explain how sad you are that he isn’t willing to consider your happiness, and ask him again to see his doctor. Let him know that simple cuddling would be an improvement. You also can ask your gynecologist for sugges- tions. It’s possible that, due to Chester’s various med- ical problems, there isn’t much that can be done, in which case, we hope there are other aspects of the marriage that make it worthwhile. Sex isn’t everything. Dear Annie: I read your response to ‘‘Very Unsure,’’ the woman whose husband was seen having lunch with a female in a cozy booth on the edge of town. The hus- band’s calendar indicated he had a dentist appoint- ment. You said it could be ‘‘an innocent flirtation.’’ Since when is it innocent for a married man to meet anoth- er woman for a private lunch where he holds her hand, kisses her goodbye and lies about it? It is cheat- ing. — Call a Spade a Spade Dear Spade: By ‘‘inno- cent,’’ we mean he is not necessarily having an affair, and the cozy meeting could have been all there was to it. But the lying is disturbing, and it’s time for ‘‘Unsure’’ to have a long discussion with her way- ward husband. Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net , or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. P.A.W.S. (Partners for Animal Welfare & Safety) A Volunteer Program Dedicated to the Prevention of Litters, Not the Destruction of Unwanted animals. HOW CAN YOU HELP? CALL US! 528-8018 Please leave your number we WILL call you back P.O. Box 8908, Red Bluff CA 96080 P.A.W.S. SAYS... A FEW UPDATES: • We are examining our options for continuing this organization. • We are planning to issue some spay neuter certificates in this first quarter; likely mid to late February. They are not available for reservation now. We will give two weeks notice here (in advance) of the date for call in for the certificate request. • We have decided to have a definite determi- nation of our plan for the rest of 2011 by March 1st , so watch here on Mondays if you are interested in our plans. We also will keep our answering machine message up to date 528-8018. NEED TO FIND A HOME FOR A PET? Go to our web page: pawstehama.com select “links”. WANT TO FIND A PET? Go direct to petfinder.com SPACE DONATED IN THE INTEREST OF PETS AND PET LOVERS BY: D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY W.