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4A Daily News – Friday, July 8, 2011 Opinion 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 It’s time to band together for a solution 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 There has been much talk, some of it heated, in recent weeks about the proposed rezoning of a site on Brecken- ridge Street to allow for the construction of a permanent homeless shelter. More so in the wake of Tuesday’s rejection of the proposal by the City Council. Whether you are an oppo- nent or supporter of the shelter on Breckenridge, one fact remains: Red Bluff has an abundance of homeless people that aren’t going away. Many will continue to be housed downtown in temporary shelters during the winter months and pushed back onto the streets during the daytime, regardless of the weather. Outside of these few months, most will continue to sleep in parks, business entry- ways, in sloughs and under bridges. There will still be few if any services available to those who want to pull themselves up from homelessness. With this in mind, we say it is time for the business com- munity, many of whom opposed the Breckenridge location, to work with repre- sentatives from PATH and local churches to identify a suitable, practical and feasible location for a shelter. A common refrain from opponents has been they sup- port the building of a shelter, simply not one at the Brecken- ridge location. Now it’s time for these people to back up those words by joining the effort to see a shelter build. This includes our City Council members. Recent efforts to develop a brand for the county and to save the his- toric State Theatre and McGlynn Pool have proven what our community can accomplish when we work together toward a common goal. Editorial What do Combating homelessness and the problems it creates for our community may not be as glamorous, but it could pro- duce a far more positive return for not only those living on the streets but the community as a whole. The surest tool we could have in this effort would be a permanent shelter with strict residency requirements — no you think? Let us know alcohol or drugs — and train- ing aimed at taking people off the streets and putting them back to work and a life of self sufficiency. This is what PATH has been working toward for a decade and we say it is about time the rest of the community, even those who argued against the Breckenridge loca- tion, to join that effort. Let’s stop fighting and do what’s in the best interest of Red Bluff and Tehama County. Daily News editorials represent the combined opinions of the editorial board, which consists of Publisher Greg Stevens and Editor Chip Thompson. 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 naming game Commentary The State Theatre for The Arts Project appears to be gaining momentum, which may be due to patron’s opportunity to name certain physical aspects of the theater. For example, sources say the lobby has been dubbed “The Sydney Lindauer Lobby” via a substantial donation by the late columnist’s family. I am not privy to other such namings, but have been approached to participate in this worthy endeav- or. I suppose we could come up a bit of cash if the proper fixture were available for the placing of brass name plate. Let’s assume it would have my name thereon. Can you think of a proper fix- ture in which a thankful ticketholder could be seated for momentary relief? I thought you could. * * * The decision of the City Council to reject the rezoning of the Breckenridge property for use as a shelter for the homeless was unfortunate. Perhaps opponents of the rezoning prevailed because of their scare tactics predicting that after a good night’s sleep and hearty breakfast, the homeless would be primed to venture out into the noon day sun to wreck havoc on an unsuspecting public. Whatever the council’s reasoning, the names of Brown, Flynn and Schmid should be inscribed on the underside of the river bridge as testimony to their benevo- lence. Tsk, tsk. * * * As we age, our sight may become impaired. However, prescription glasses will sharpen up our vision remarkably well. What did people do before eye glasses were invented? They bought a white cane and barked their shins quite often. However, today, one can rely on glasses to the extent that if images on the telly are suddenly out of focus…and “no adjustment to your set is required” does not flash upon the screen, con- sternation could set in. For example, the missus and I had finished dinner and began our nightly ritual of watching a baseball game. After a few frames the missus, ensconced with me on the love seat (aw….) suddenly sat up and asked, “Is this out of focus? Isn’t it supposed to be record- ed in High Definition? Maybe we should move closer to the screen.” I replied that it looked sharp enough to me. There was a pregnant silence and I wondered if this might be a pre- cursor to a visit to an ophthalmologist, when suddenly the missus exclaimed, “Aha! These are not my glasses…these are yours! I’ll go get mine and be right back.” Thus a crisis was averted, the Giants won the game, and isn’t life grand? I am sticks and green I keep my flowers unseen I rustle in the wind Spring water fills me Frogs speak to lovers in me Summers heat dries me Worms on the sidewalk Hermaphrodite went too far Looking for a mate Plant cutting takes root. Humanity roots in love, or at least it should. * * * Architect Renzo Piano, when asked what a person could do to a home to make it a better place to live, suggested throwing away some of the furniture, paint everything white, clean the windows and see if they can be made wider to provide greater luminosity. When told of his suggestion, the missus muttered, “We already have large windows…and I’m * * * All Purpose Game Result News Release: Yes, we won. We may not have won big, but we won. We never gave up. We played each game as though it was our last. We played as a team and we played our hearts out to win. It was a team effort although some of our players crossed themselves before their performance. Our home- town fans were ecstatic and decided that rioting was the best way to express our joy. Turning over cars and setting things on fire became very popular, and a little theft along the way was under- standable. All in all, it was a joyous occasion for our team and our fans because… we won. not throwing out a single stick of furniture!” I told her it was Renzo’s idea, not mine, but it did not reach her perfectly proportioned shell like ears. * * * Robert Minch I Say * * * Five Haikus (re-printed by permission of the author) By E.A. Pugh (daughter of the late Red Bluff attorney Richard Pugh) Hyacinth fragrance Graceful glory of Gods will Green green abundant earth The First Baptist Church has been celebrating 150 years of service to the com- munity, and I am pleased to report that they have not lost their sense of humor. I have it on good authority that in the basement of the church, there is a collection of mem- orabilia dating back many a year…and on one table, laminated for durability, is a copy of my “I Say” column in which I discussed, with tongue in cheek, the merits of “Drive by Prayer” as practiced by Pastor Bruce Cloutier. Drive by as often as you like, Pastor Bruce. * * * Last week’ quiz was too easy for many cor- rect responses were recorded. The nearest star in our galaxy, besides our sun, is Proxima Centauri, Ms.Doris Kappelhof became Doris Day and Ehrich Weiss became Harry Houdini This week’s quiz: What was the first name of the TV character Lieutenant Columbo as por- trayed by the late Peter Falk, and which of the following are apparently favored, in order, by today’s teenagers: Marijuana, cigarettes, alco- hol and prescription drugs? * * * A baby camel turned to his father and asked, “Why do we have humps?” The father answered, “Our humps contain fat to sustain us in the desert.” “And why do we have long eyelashes?” “That keeps the desert sand out of our eyes during a storm,” said the father. “And why do we have padded feet?” “Because the sand is very soft and our padded feet keep us from sinking into it.” The baby camel thought for a minute and then asked, “So...what are we doing in a zoo?” Robert Minch is a lifelong resident of Red Bluff and former columnist for the Corning Daily Observer and Meat Industry magazine. He can be reached at rminchandmurray@hotmail.com.