Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/424535
It's that time of the year again, the time when the aroma of turkey wa s its way throughout the house, football is king, pumpkin pies and squash soup are on the table, and we rake colorful leaves most days. Thenightscomeearlier and are colder. Fireplaces spark into action, and we be- gin to meditate on the pass- ing year as well as the fu- ture. We are at the threshold of winter, the waning days of autumn. We are also in the middle of the Thanksgiving season. At a time when our economy is sick, our politics are Manichean, our state is facing untold deficits, the na- tional debt is skyrocketing, our young men and women are in the middle of terri- ble conflicts, water is in short supply, energy costs are high, houses are in foreclosure, un- employment is growing, and retail sales are not, we can still take time to be thank- ful. A cynical view might be to be thankful because things couldn't be worse, but that is like saying we have a no hit- ter in the ninth inning. We do have much to be thankful for. We can be thankful that we live in a country where transitions in power are de- cided by elections, a rowdy but agreed upon process that does not exist in many places. We can be thankful that we have civilian control of our military, not military control of our civilians. Al- though we may not all agree on the results, we do agree that each of us needs to par- ticipate in the process of de- cision-making, an option not available to many around the world. We can be thankful that we embrace a wide spec- trum of people each day; we live in a country that has pro- vided a portal of opportunity for many people from diverse backgrounds. We do not re- quire a set of religious or po- litical beliefs to live here; we can say what we think and believe, but we cannot impose it upon those with whom we disagree, except as prescribed by law. We can be thankful for our state with its many resources and the challenges it presents us to govern our future. In spite of a failed Con- gress, we still live in one of the most beautiful settings in our country. We have a bright future even if the immedi- ate year or two will be diffi- cult. We can be thankful it is worth the struggle. We can be thankful we live in a commu- nity where each one of us can make a difference, where we can look others in the eye and greet them as we walk down the sidewalk, where "small" issues are on the front page of our newspaper, where the schools are still central in the lives of our neighbor- hoods, and where we know our elected officials. We can be thankful for the beauty of our community, whether or not Lake Red Bluff will be with us. We can be thankful for the wide vistas, the sea- sons, the wild life, the agri- culture, and the variety of na- ture from canyons to moun- taintops. We can be thankful for the friendly service we re- ceive when we shop, go to the bank, visit the DMV — be- lieve it or not people come from Shasta County to our DMV because of the service — utilize the Post Office, talk to City Hall, or ask someone for directions. We can be thankful for a local newspaper when many communities are losing their own; we can be thankful for our local radio station. We can be thankful for parades, art events, the farmers' mar- kets, the service clubs, our many congregations, and the local lodges. These all con- tribute to a sense of pride and duty for our commu- nity. They help us remember we are in this place together and that it is only by work- ing together that we can con- tinue to make it an even bet- ter place for all of us. We face challenges in the next year; some are familiar: cre- ating new jobs and a wider tax base; fighting gang influ- ence and crime; preparing our kids for the real world; monitoring our leaders; shor- ing up our infrastructure; and working together. If we approach these tasks with an attitude of thanksgiv- ing, we will take a positive approach to our challenges, avoid name-calling, labeling, and pointing fingers. We will succeed. For that we can be truly thankful. JoeHarropisaretirededuca- tor with more than 30 years of service to the North State. He can be reached at DrJoe- Harrop@sbcglobal.net. JoeHarrop We are thankful for many things Happywithlibrary's location Editor: I frequent our local library at least once a week. It seems to me to be in a good location. The staff is friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. So why is the library be- ing rebuilt on the other side of town? I think the library is fine where it is. Oh but wait, maybe the move is because local law enforce- ment finds it necessary to ex- pand the existing jail facility? In all likelihood to house crim- inals from outside the county. And in the near future the li- brary property will be vacant. So our City Council in col- lusion with local law enforce- ment intends to close off Madi- son Street — at least they won't have to fix that street — so as to have access from the present jail facility to the new jail facil- ity without public interference. Bone head engineering is what comes to mind. In order to get what they want they all are more than willing to do whatever it takes no matter how foolish. It is ob- vious they are not trying to serve we the people. I am just one person and I say to law enforcement and the City Council leave our library where it is and move the jail to the other side of town. Joseph Ostrowski, Red Bluff Why mentoring and volunteering matter Editor: Nov. 20 I attended the monthly Police Activities League Board of Directors meeting at M&M Ranch House. Nearly every meeting I've at- tended over 16 years has been not only informative but also a great experience. The men and women who volunteer with PAL, including law enforcement and other pub- lic safety folks and business and community leaders, are dedi- cated to the safety and welfare of our children. I have been for- tunate to belong to this group. I've learned a lot from them and I'm still learning. No one does it for any recog- nition; it's just a part of who we are. Today I received apprecia- tion from the PAL Board mem- bers. The honors they gave me are very much heart-felt. Again, no one volunteers for this rea- son. Simply put, it's a passion in us. From the book, Because You Believed In Me: "Collaboration of any kind requires a common goal, a sharing of talents, and an enormous amount of sup- port." I feel that this describes PAL. And I also feel this is what helped me when first form- ing the Tehama County Young Marines of the Marine Corps League. Furthermore, I feel that the Young Marines are as successful as they have been at least partly due to lessons learned from the PAL Board of Directors — even through many of my own mistakes. There's a lot going on throughout communities across our great nation but with men and women stepping up and volunteering in various organi- zations and projects the future is now. This means our young people need mentors right now. Every child needs another healthy adult in their life. I urge you to volunteer. Each of us has something to offer our children in the community. Each of us has a particular skill set. I would ask what you might be do- ing in your last days or even now. Will you or are you thinking of what could have been or can be had you gotten involved. It takes commitment and lots of courage to step up when only a few actually do. If you can't actually volunteer please donate to an organization like Tehama County PAL, the Young Marines of the Marine Corps League or another of your choosing, espe- cially if it is a non-profit. You'll take some criticism and it comes with the territory but deep down inside you know you are doing the right thing. You know what's true in your own heart. That's what makes you a selfless volunteer. It's not about reputation. I feel it's more about character. And it is okay and justified for your fellow vol- unteer and community stake- holders to say thanks. That may come with the territory, too. I'm not from California but in many ways this is the best community I've ever lived in. If you're involved in a community I'm betting it probably means the same to you. John Minton, Red Bluff Occupation of Iraq Editor: It all boils down to one giant American corporation, which holds title to Iraq's oil fields. Yes, we must give the oil fields back to the people of Iraq. Now for informational pur- poses to those so called anti- war activists with the attention span and memory of a gnat, I will remind you that the pres- ent occupants of Iraq's oil held title to aforementioned. That is until the vice president of Iraq started the nationalization of the oil fields. This process took 11 years before the people of Iraq had their oil fields back. Then one man, not nation, launched the horrific attack on 9-11. This led the resident of the White House to proclaim we are at war with terror. Where- upon he ordered the invasion of Afghanistan. Now it must be re- membered that this was noth- ing but a smoke screen to divert attention from the real goal of regaining the oil fields of Iraq. Was it worth, more than any- thing, the cost of human lives and why am I not one of the ones who lie in a grave in a far off land? Well Haliburton, you must be satisfied, you have your oil fields back, for now. Robert Hogan, Red Bluff Your opinions Cartoonist's take I set out to write an obituary about my mother, who died Nov. 15, and was taken aback by how much she never accomplished in her 94 years. At least that's how it seemed when her life was viewed in contrast with that of my better-known dad, Allen Funt, who invented "Candid Camera" and whose numerous accomplishments have been well documented. Evelyn Funt never gradu- ated from college, because she couldn't afford the tuition at Northwestern University and too often found herself fall- ing asleep on the bus heading to and from evening classes after working all day to sup- port her family in Chi- cago. Yet, her quest for knowledge was re- markable. At age six she showed up in an el- ementary school class- room despite having been told she was too young to attend — and some- how persuaded the teacher to let her stay. Learning became a pas- sion. She read more books and newspapers, completed more crossword puzzles, visited more museums and attended more scholarly lectures than anyone I know. Her first significant job, at the Chicago American news- paper, was doomed from the start. She was hired during World War II with the un- derstanding that whenever the man she had replaced re- turned from military service, she would step aside — no matter how accomplished her work — and give him his job back. She was a skilled painter, who never took an art lesson. She was a talented writer, who was never published. She was a spiritual person with little interest in organized religion. She was a volunteer for nu- merous worthy causes, yet her name never appeared on lists of philanthropists. Mom was a progressive thinker and gave her time to campaign for local politicians, but she was willing to lick en- velopes and knock on doors. She didn't give speeches. During 18 years of marriage she lived in the shadow of my famous father. She put per- sonal aspirations aside to raise three kids and support what- ever dad was doing. It is fashionable nowadays to define successful women by relatively new standards in- volving achievements in busi- ness, politics, sports and things often lumped together as feminism. My mother was measured by the metrics of a different era. Mom wasn't a lot of things, but she was this: the nicest person I've ever met. I don't recall her doing a single mean- spirited thing in her life. Ever. She was fond of a passage at- tributed to Ralph Waldo Emer- son (although the credit is not entirely clear) called "Success." It says, in part: "To laugh of- ten and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons... to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others." And, most of all: "...to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a re- deemed social condition." Perhaps in those words you see some of your mother. And, like me as I consider the life of Evelyn Funt, you conclude: Oh, my. My mom accom- plished so much. Peter Funt is a writer and speaker. His book, "Cautiously Optimistic," is available at Amazon.com and CandidCam- era.com. Peter Funt A look back over my mom's success GregStevens,Publisher Chip Thompson, Editor EDITORIAL BOARD 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. 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