Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/33977
6A Daily News – Tuesday, June 14, 2011 Opinion Homeless 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 Editor: I just finished reading the article about community members dis- cussing the homeless. As a board member for PATH I 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. 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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 am very active in trying to do what ever we can to alleviate homeless- ness and appreciate the fact that so many are trying to work on this problem. I think this is a very good time to re-emphasize the fact that we need a permanent shelter here in Red Bluff and PATH has been granted a chance to do so. We will be going before the City Council on June 21 to get the OK to build a shelter on Brecken- ridge. I realize that our shelter will not end homelessness in our com- munity but it will certainly help to try and make a difference. Right now we have no place for these people to go because we have to close our shelter in the churches for the summer months. So natu- rally they are going to hang out in camps or wherever they can sleep in bushes or on benches. I know some are going to protest our shelter being built and I understand about the location issues, but it is time to show sup- port of building our shelter. So for those that can attend, please come on Tuesday June 21 to the City Council meeting. I am not sure yet of the time and place because there will be so many that it may be moved from the regular meeting place. I hope many will show to give us your support. Thank you Red Bluff. Pam Klein, Red Bluff Part of the solution Editor: The Spider Island incident from this past winter where the flooding of the Sacramento River required emergency response crews to remove the stranded, homeless from their camp sites, and the unfortunate tragedy involving the death of a homeless man has brought the issue of homelessness and the need for a safe, permanent shelter into the public arena. Camping out in dangerous loca- tions such as bridge crossings or raging rivers is a difficult way to live. We need a better solution to offer the poorest of the poor among us. Martin Luther King Jr. made an observation concerning the parable of the Good Samaritan: The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?” But the Good Samaritan reversed the question: “If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?” I was especially pleased that it was, in fact, one of our own city officials who reached out to the various city and county wide orga- nizations to help provide a vision for the solution to our community’s homeless. Out of that meeting some of the problems of homelessness were discussed and some solutions were put forward. Out of that meeting also grew the desire in the hearts of many to work together. One criticism that was brought forth was that the homeless camps are unkempt and trashy. One solu- tion was a Church Without Walls offer to provide trash bags. From this came the city’s willingness to look into providing locations throughout the community where the homeless can deposit their trash bags when they pick up camp for the day. I know we can’t rely solely on PATH, Continuum of Care, CAA and faith-based organizations to do all the work, nor am I suggesting that the government be responsible for picking up the tab. I know that as a man of God I feel a responsi- bility to be compassionate toward the plight of homelessness. I believe it is time that we as citizens get involved. If we all start now helping to get the home- less off the streets, we can all be a part of the solution. value in her locker? Yes. But a locked locker should give you some feel of security. I'm not blaming the school. Right now we have in place before the Red Bluff City Council a request that a piece of property at the north end of town be rezoned in order to accommodate a perma- nent homeless shelter. It would cost the city no money, as PATH has obtained the necessary funding to build it. Your Turn In fact, when I called to see if anyone happened to turn it in to the office, I was told that hers was not the first to be stolen. There's not much the school can do about a yearbook that has walked off with Our community has provided temporary shelters through the winter months at various churches now for the past 11 years with very few incidences. If a permanent shelter was constructed on the Breckenridge site, our homeless residence would finally have a place to secure their belongings, shower and wash their clothes — enabling them to live more produc- tive lives, and perhaps begin the journey of a long range solution to end their homelessness. The time has come for us to be a part of the solution. Wayne Owensby, Red Bluff Theft at RBUHS Editor: My daughter called me Mon- day after school today to tell me that someone got into her locked PE locker and stole her yearbook. This is the fourth time this year that she's had her PE locker broken into and things taken. For those of you without high school children, yearbooks run anywhere from $60-$75, so they aren't cheap. Should she have learned by now not to leave anything of someone else, or a camera or a wallet or a phone. I just want other parents and students to be aware that the best way to pre- vent items from being stolen at school is to either not take them, or not let them out of your site. Even during a class. Seems as if too many kids don't want to either earn the money for their own stuff or they have the money and just don't care about the feelings of others that do have to work to buy these things. So to you who stole some- one's yearbook this last week of school, I hope you enjoy read- ing all the notes and personal messages that weren't meant for you. And when you are all grown up and your children want to look at your yearbook, good luck explaining to them why your yearbook seems to belong to someone else. Tracy Smith, Red Bluff Phone math Editor: I read with interest the article about Gov. Brown saving $13 mil- lion by cutting back on 34,000 state cellphones. Who did the math? That means each phone would have cost $382.35. No wonder our country is in serious trouble. Joyce Pickering, Red Bluff Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 6031 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319-2102 STATE SENATOR — Doug LaMalfa (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 3070 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, 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. The hands we love are something special Commentary Every night for the past seven and a half years, I have held my son’s hand while he went to sleep. I’ve only missed one night in that time. The reason I mention it is because I never take it for granted. This is true, especially, after the recent loss of someone who nearly everyone knew around these parts. I don’t know – call me a sap if you want – but there’s something truly special about the hands of someone we love. And as I held Ethan’s the other night, I was reminded of this story. It was July of 1990 and I had just moved here from Los Angeles. A friend, Paul, came up to visit, so we decided one morning to hit the Snack Box for breakfast. We were seated in the side room, which meant the hired help had to walk through a door to get to us. Our table was nice and quiet, the perfect place to visit. Our waitress, a tall, gorgeous, redhead, brought us menus. She introduced herself as Carrie and then left the room. Not two seconds later, she came back with water. She left again. Not 30 seconds after that, Carrie came back with our utensils – forks, knives, and spoons. Paul looked at me quizzi- cally, and wondered out loud after she left how she could move so fast. "Maybe she’s on roller skates," I said. Bam! There she was again. Finally, I asked her: "How come you move so fast? Could it be you have a twin?" I swear this story is true. Carrie laughed that laugh that filled a room: "Yes. You didn’t know; that’s my twin sister, Dina." Dina walked in and stood, side by side, next to her sister. They held hands. Paul’s jaw dropped. There we were, 500 miles away from the only world we ever knew, staring at the two most beautiful redheads we’d ever seen. Paul was so excited; he yanked out his camera and demanded a picture with the girls on the stairs in front of the restaurant. We must have taken 20. It was all he talked about for months after he went back home. I’m sure he still has those pictures; as for me, they’re locked in my memory forever. I know many people have suffered recently. As I gazed on Carrie Fox’s obituary in the paper, a great sadness covered my soul. For years after that encounter at the Snack Box, Dina and I became good friends. Matter of fact, Dina would always say she was the first friend I made when I came here. Carrie was always a part of that mix. Where there was Dina, there was Carrie; where there was Carrie, there was Dina. Two sisters, two hearts, two souls, and two hands, inextricably linked for eternity. I feel for the entire family, but especially for the sister who lost her best friend. People ask me about these things all the time – about death, tragedy and loss. No amount of words or encouragement can cut Pat Gleason Simply Put through that immediate pain. It leaves a huge hole that no one can fill. "We’re all on loan," is my reply. "We’re all on loan." My take on things is that God lends us out for just a little while – to our families and our friends – and takes us back at His time and choosing. Who am I to argue with God? So, instead of being angry, I’m thankful for the time we all knew Carrie. Her spirit, which was huge, will live on with those who loved her. And I’m sure, the day she died, God was holding her hand because He loved her, too. 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. ———