Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/379384
GregStevens,Publisher Chip Thompson, Editor EDITORIALBOARD How to have your say: 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 no more than two double-spaced pages or 500words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section will be published. Email: editor@red bluffdailynews.com Phone: 530-527- 2151ext. 112 Mail to: P.O. Box 220, 545 Diamond Ave., Red Bluff, CA 96080 Facebook: Leave comments at FACEBOOK.COM/ RBDAILYNEWS Twitter: Follow and send tweets to @REDBLUFFNEWS It is easy to tell when school starts each year: back to school sales every- where, school buses in the morning and traffic around drop-off zones at the schools. With all of this craziness surrounding a new school year, Red Bluff High School had a very smooth start this year. After almost a month of school under our belt, we hosted our Curriculum Night last week with the Ag fresh- man parent meeting, senior meeting, Latino parent meet- ings and the freshman parent meeting; we feel confident we are on our way to the best year ever. In addition, we had our first home football game and nu- merous other athletic events and competitions. We also had our club rush, Hawaiian rally and are currently being visited by a group of Italian students and their advisors. We have increased our Ad- vanced Placement course of- ferings with the addition of AP Macroeconomics and AP Physics this year, allowing more students to experience the rigor of a college level class while in high school. We now have a comprehen- sive reading program to help students who struggle in this area. The math department continues to adjust to a new integrated math curriculum that requires kids to read and write more than ever about math and work in groups to discuss and explore math like never before. We continue to offer many Career Technical Education classes that provide work place and college preparatory skills in many areas such as wood working, culinary arts, metals, welding, computer aided drafting, equine science, floral design, web design, agri- culture mechanics, child care, therapeutic services, health occupations, electronics, auto shop, small engines, fire fight- ing, computer science, robot- ics, veterinary tech, and key- boarding. These are in addition to the college preparatory and stan- dard classes in math, English, science, social science, visual and performing arts, agricul- ture, business, English lan- guage development, foreign language, frosh success, phys- ical education, journalism and yearbook. If you were at the football game I hope you were listen- ing to the RBHS public service announcements of how to help your student do well in school. One of our focuses for the school year is to provide ongo- ing information to parents so they can help their student be more successful in school. Our Public Service Announcements are designed to give brief, us- able information to our com- munity on how to best support students. Listen for the tips at each athletic event and for sugges- tions on our website and in athletic programs. Our Parent Partnership committee, composed of par- ents, teachers, counselors, ad- ministrators and other staff, is heading this movement and is always looking for volunteers and suggestions. If you attended our Curric- ulum Night, you would have noticed our parent partners handing out goodie bags with mints and a message while you were enjoying the sounds of our jazz band. Great news for our school and community: ASSETs will be back soon. This is an af- terschool program that of- fers tutoring and enrichment activities for students until 5:30 p.m. Monday thru Friday when school is in session. There is transportation pro- vided for students at the end of the extended day. If your student would like to be in- volved, there is an applica- tion, which can be found on our website, which needs to be completed and returned to the school. As we continue to imple- ment the Common Core Stan- dards in math and English, and move toward new stan- dards for social science and science, it is impressive to walk into classrooms where kids are reading and writing in all disciplines. Students are discussing what they are learning and re- ally thinking and analyzing what they are studying. This allows students to have a better understanding of what they are learning and be an integral part of their edu- cation. In essence, it is helping students learn how to learn and not just how to memorize facts. Another great partnership for our school is the Parent In- stitute for Quality Education (PIQE) program starting Tues- day September 30th at 6 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at RBHS. This parent program is de- signed to help parents under- stand the high school experi- ence as it prepares students for post secondary train- ing and schooling. Classes also cover financial aid, op- tions for post secondary train- ing, requirements for admis- sion and importance of grades and GPA. Have a great school year and let us know how we can better serve you and our community. It is imperative that we provide a quality ed- ucation to all students be- cause the quality of life in our community depends on it. We want to ensure that stu- dents who graduate from Red Bluff High School have the skills necessary to be success- ful where ever they choose to go after high school, whether that is to full time employ- ment, community college, uni- versity, trade school, military or other post secondary train- ing. RonFisherisprincipalofRed Bluff Union High School. He can be reached at rfisher@ rbuhsd.k12.ca.us or 529-8710. Red Bluff High Happenings as school year starts Cartoonist's take It seems that the frenzy over Michael Brown's death has fi- nally subsided. Ever since the black eigh- teen-year-old was shot in a St. Louis suburb by white police officer Darren Wilson, mind- lessness has ruled the day. Brown was unarmed when killed, shortly after he and a friend completed a strong-arm robbery. The shooting's aftermath has began yet another volatile conversation over race. Many Brown supporters simply want to see Officer Wilson hung out to dry as retribution for per- ceived law enforcement racism. Legally definable guilt matters not; "getting back" at a white man is what many yearn for. This ethic, above anything else, proves why political con- servatism will never win among the urban black electorate. In this circle, the GOP is seen as the lion's den from which all "white supremacy" emerges. Still, it's no secret that the Republican Party is looking to diversify. That's a good thing, but must be done reasonably. One former congressman's approach is a textbook example of what not to do. Busted co- caine patron Trey Radel repre- sented an affluent constituency in Florida, anchored by such lo- cales as Naples and Marco Is- land. Nonetheless, he was at the forefront of introducing the GOP to hip-hop music. Last year, Radel described his attraction to hip-hop in an opinion piece published at BuzzFeed. "Unlike most young, white teenagers growing up in the suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio, my favorite musicians were hip hop artists, including rappers such as Eric B., Big Daddy Kane and Chuck D of Public Enemy," he recalled. Later, he wrote that "Chuck said it best, 'our freedom of speech is freedom or death.' This is a message we can all get behind, Republican or Demo- crat. I find a conservative mes- sage in 'Fight the Power' be- cause I believe when govern- ment expands it becomes a political tool meant to oppress. "We see it when Chuck D ad- dresses oppression and the Civil Rights movement or references the Black Panthers. We see it when NWA, or even old-school artists like Paris, address ha- rassment from law enforce- ment. Targeting and oppression is happening today, from the IRS going after political groups to the government spying on journalists and everyday Ameri- can citizens." Here it seems like Radel is trying to equivocate white-col- lar political scandals with sav- agery brought forth on the streets of late-1980s and early- 1990s America. Our nation's popular culture has been circling the drain for decades, and Radel's favored musicians are evidence of this. What does the GOP have to gain by endorsing "music" so base as hip-hop? How will not only championing the downfall of artistic taste, but using this as a vehicle for public policy benefit the nation? Some might say that by bringing hip-hop into the loop, Republicans can find common ground with people who listen to it. Then, maybe these indi- viduals will vote the party line. Hopefully few men and women believe this. If modern conservatives will fall for such tripe, then they deserve to lose every election. Hip-hop is most popular in, and originally rose out of, im- poverished urban neighbor- hoods. Aside from a culture of drugs, irresponsible sex, and vi- olence, many in said neighbor- hoods dislike those who are not of their ethnic or racial back- ground. Beyond the rancid business of ancestry-based politics, hip- hoppers have no reason to sup- port the GOP. Major Republi- can policies such as tax cuts for wealthier Americans, abol- ishing affirmative action pro- grams, and stricter welfare standards simply do not reso- nate with most in the 'hood. One cannot forget that no small number of loyal Republi- can voters are senior citizens. How might hip-hop conserva- tism be expected to play in The Villages, for example? Another question that an- swers itself. While the GOP certainly needs to communicate with new demographic groups, glo- rifying low culture is not the way. It feels disgusting to even consider associating the party of Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Dwight Eisenhower, Nelson Rockefeller, and Gerald Ford with such dreck. Have we no respect for our history and the lessons it can teach us about tomorrow? Joseph Cotto is a historical and social journalist, and writes about politics, economics and social issues. Email him at joseph.f.cotto@gmail.com. Joseph Cotto Proof 'hip hop conservatism' is a loser Sounding off A look at what readers are saying in comments on our website and on social media. I was starting to waver until the legislature passed the bill to put meters on private wells to start charging us for our own water. I'm not going to have it and am now 100% for Jefferson. I water the food I raise. That's it. I can't eat the south state's golf course lawns. Come near my well, be ready to tres- pass and shoot me. Kelly Walen: On letter to the editor in support of the State of Jefferson secession movement. If it takes 3days to 2weeks to show, are people going to keep track of where they were bit for that time period. Who is to say the people don't travel and get it some- where else. Just because the person died in Tehama County does not mean she got it here. A better source wold be posting the readings from the traps. Greta Corbin: On first human fatality due to West Nile virus in Tehama County Assemblyman Dan Logue, 150 Amber Grove Drive, Ste. 154, Chico 95928, 530 895-4217 Senator Jim Nielsen, 2634 Forest Ave., Ste. 110, Chico 95928, 530 879-7424, senator. nielsen@senate.ca.gov Governor Jerry Brown, State Capital Building, Sacramento 95814, 916 445-2841, fax 916 558-3160, governor@governor. ca.gov U.S. Representative Doug La- Malfa, 507 Cannon House Of- fice Building, Washington D.C. 20515, 202 225-3076 U.S. Senator Dianne Fein- stein, One Post St., Ste. 2450, San Francisco 94104, 415 393- 0707, fax 415 393-0710 U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, 1700 Montgomery St., San Francisco 94111, 510 286-8537, fax 202 224-0454 Contact your officials As w e co nt in ue t o im pl em en t th e C om mo n Co re St an dar ds in m at h a nd En gl is h, an d m ov e to wa rd n ew st an dar ds fo r s oc ia l science and science, it is impressive to walk into classrooms where kids are reading and writing in all disciplines. 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