Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/41229
6A Daily News – Saturday, September 3, 2011 Opinion Little League 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 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 Editor: I would like to take this oppor- tunity to thanks the 12-year-old All-Stars baseball team. First I would like to thank them for bringing our little town together and giving strangers something in common — hope. Not only did these boys give us something to look forward to, they gave us something to believe in. I am Evan Tanner's (#32) aunt and my son Tres and I traveled with the team and never missed a game the entire summer. There- fore I have an insight to who our boys really are. And I know to a little boy named Tres these boys are his heroes. The truth is these boys put on their game faces every day and played their favorite game with all they had, heart and soul, and the minute the game was over they were just 12-year-old boys. I have many memories from this journey that will last a life- time but one that will stick with me forever is minutes before the championship game in San Bernardino our boys were out on the field doing a dance routine to a certain song. It just reminded us all that these are true 12-year-old boys and that this is just a game. Beyond that memory I have one that will forever be in my heart and that is what our boys gave to my little boy who fol- lowed them all over California to cheer them on. They taught him how to dream, hope, believe, play hard, show respect, celebrate a win and how to shake off a loss. And above all, how to have fun. Thank you Red Bluff All- Stars. Kristin Morris, Red Bluff Congratulations Editor: Congratulations to the Red Bluff Little League All-Stars for their dream tournament run. The players, coaches, parents and fans should be very proud of their achievements. As an occasional visitor to Red Bluff while I was an assis- tant basketball coach at Oregon Tech, I had more than a casual interest in their ESPN games. I was very impressed with these players' passion for the game, their athletic skills, their intensi- ty, plus their demeanor on the field. The showed class in a tension filled atmosphere in the finals. What a team effort. They won the respect of the TV audi- ence. Your lefty, Wesley Claw- son, exemplified their competi- tive spirit with a gutsy pitching performance in the finals. Kudos to the players, coaches and par- ents. I have been in athletics all my life; beginning as a successful youth baseball coach in Kansas and helped develop nationally- recognized college summer base- ball teams in Kansas, Colorado and Alaska. I coached basketball for 40 years at the high school and college level before retiring in Colorado and I coached a Red Bluff junior college player in California. In my recruiting I learned to recognize and appreciate players who developed into a superior team by combining their individ- ual skills with a great team atti- tude. That was Red Bluff this year. Your Turn letics. ESPN has done a good job in developing fans of Little League baseball. You now have a big Red Bluff fan in Colorado. Good luck in your future ath- Dick Jevons, Aurora, Colo. Ribbon cutting Editor: Walmart had a ribbon cutting ceremony for its newly complet- ed "extensive" remodeling of the Red Bluff store. Does this mean they are backing off on the planned Super Center project? Or, is this just a diversion tactic to mislead critics? John Elko, 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; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224- 0454. Branding, buffoonery or brigadoon? Commentary It wasn't all that long ago that a man came through town promot- ing Celebrity City. He selected a large parcel of land between the northbound rest stop and Cotton- wood Creek, on the west side of I- 5, and he proclaimed that with the millions of travelers along the I-5 corridor, Celebrity City was the logical spot to create the Branson of the West. All he needed was a few investors, zoning changes, and cooperation from the citizenry. He had plans for several large venue performance facilities; he spoke to the high school about curriculum that would train production techni- cians, and he passed out free tee shirts which proclaimed, "Vote Celebrity City." One of his well- coiffured co-conspirators, dressed in an expensively tailored suit, far too formal for Red Bluff, pro- claimed to educational administra- tors that he had once only wanted to be a teacher, but he had found his pot of gold in Celebrity City; he was a true believer, and we were asked to follow him to the end of his rainbow. Unlike Harold Hill in the Music Man, the Celebrity City man did not settle down in Red Bluff after becoming enamored with a librari- an and developing a soft heart for the local children; he passed on through to parts unknown with legal problems and scandalous rumors trailing after him. For a while he brought us a sense of des- tiny and prosperity, if only in our dreams, which disappeared into the mist like Brigadoon. There has been a lot in the local newspaper lately about the "Brand- ing Project." There is even an Inter- net site where one can fill out a sur- vey. Whether Roger Brooks of Destination Development, Inc. turns out to be a Harold Hill or a Celebrity City man will most like- ly not be determined in our life- times. His projects take up to twen- ty years to come to full fruition according to his promotional mate- rial and the sales pitch he has made to our county; this timeline makes accountability an issue for our off- spring. I believe that "branding" is not a bad idea. I am sure it is more than a splashy attempt to raise our local morale, creating clever graphics, and trying to convince us we can pull ourselves up by the proverbial bootstraps. It may even coax us into some sustained activity, some- thing we have failed at before. I also believe the more funda- mental problem our county faces is way beyond marketing and morale building; the fundamental problem is rebuilding a solid middle class through jobs. I am doubtful that increasing tourism through "brand- ing" can sustain our local econo- my, replace the jobs that have dis- appeared over the last 25 years and give us a year round economic base. We need to attract new employers who will pay more than minimum wages and use more than unskilled workers. At one time "location" was tout- ed by those who praised the place- ment of the Wal-Mart Distribution Center on Hwy. 99S. For whatever reasons, "location" has not been the benefit touted by those who foretold more similar facilities along the I-5 corridor. We still struggle with no direct truck access to the one distribution center in existence in that "prime location." At one time the Chamber of Commerce, under different leader- ship, had a plan to target the north- bound traffic along I-5 to entice them to stop in Red Bluff. As you know that plan was never imple- mented, and the south entrance to town is far from inviting. The problem we face is a com- plex one, and the simple act of "branding" would only be one step toward the solution. Apparently it is an expensive step contracting with Roger Brooks; the price tag is $200,000. Brooks, the founder and CEO of Destination Development International (DDI), promotes himself as "one of the world's lead- ing specialists on community branding, development, marketing and tourism." I went to the web site to take the survey advertised in the Daily News. It is a rinky dinky attempt at a survey at best, even though it is part of the "exhaustive research process" the company's website touts. The ques- tions it asks about the persons who fill out the survey are minimal, making it hard to get a true demographic, assuming enough people even fill out the ques- tionnaire. The questions about Manton, Corning, Red Bluff, and Tehama County are open ended and answers are limited to 350 characters. Not satisfied with the destination for every traveler along the highway. The paragraph above sounds delightful, and is filled with fantasy language. The fantasy is highlight- ed by "eventually." The description certainly did not call Blythe to my mind. There is something missing in the success story — document- ed results. Brooks' company should be touting results, not process. Perhaps 20 years Joe Harrop expensive survey, I went to the DDI website. The site is fairly innocuous, somewhat upbeat, and a bit vague. You are able to link with materials about DDI's success stories. The follow- ing is a direct quote about the branding project in Blythe: The solution is to make Blythe a must-stop destination along this route, the place where travelers can stop, refresh, relax and enjoy themselves, eventually creating enough activities and attractions to make the city an overnight stay. Blythe will become The Painted City. With murals encircling those vacant buildings, visitors will be drawn to the city like children to picture books. Visitors will meander through an open-air market, sampling fresh produce and local crafts; rest by the fountains and enjoy a refreshing gelato; stop at the California Welcome Center for the latest information and stroll around the village center. Blythe will be the "must-stop" from now we will know whether Blythe profited from becoming the painted city, or if it was just one small moment of hope supported by clever graphics and the ownership of a brand. The official website for the City of Blythe does not describe itself as the painted city, but rather "A Community with a Charming Past, Com- pelling Present, and Dynamic Future." Corning, meanwhile, much to the disdain of Brooks and the "brand champions," has gone ahead and taken concrete steps to paint itself as the "Olive City." Whether or not that community's efforts will help revitalize Corning, and whether or not the energy level for their efforts can be sustained is undetermined, but at least they have taken first steps. In the meantime there are some more concrete projects trying to improve our county's future. Next Tehama and Expect More Tehama are programs that will help build our future by networking young professionals and helping students plan beyond high school. My money is on them. Joe Harrop is a retired educator with more than 30 years of service to the North State. He can be reached at DrJoeHarrop@sbcglobal.net.