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COURTESYPHOTO TheRedBluffPoliceDepartment'sSchoolResourceOfficer,HeidiThomas,stopped by March 19 to stretch and mentor at the Tehama County Police Activities League Martial Arts Program, 1005 Vista Way, Ste. C, near the Red Bluff Airport. The stu- dents are always happy to see her. They love it when she gets down on the mat with them, which is every time she is there. Visit www.tehamaso.org or call 529-7950 for more information. All PAL programs are free to attend for children and teens and PAL is a tax deductible 501 (c) (3) youth anti-bullying, drug, alcohol and tobacco free education and mentoring program. PAL OFFICER DROPS IN WhenaUniversityof Michigan survey asked people what they believed would im- prove their quality of life, the an- swer given most often was, "More money." In their book "The Day Amer- ica Told the Truth," James Patterson and Peter Kim asked, "If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?" The No. 1 response at 64 percent was "greater wealth." A University of South- ern California study found that greater wealth didn't translate into greater happiness for many of the 1,500 people surveyed annually over three decades. USC econ- omist Richard Easterlin said, "Many people are under the illusion that the more money we make, the happier we'll be," but, ac- cording to the study, that isn't true. We know from other well-respected studies that fewer Americans are "very happy" today than in the 1950s despite hav- ing far more money, big- ger homes and more stuff. In 1950 there were 3,000 shopping malls in this country; by 2000 there were 45,025. We have more money and we have more stuff, but clearly, greater affluence has not translated to greater hap- piness. Are there any circum- stances under which more money will bring happi- ness? The truth is that if you are living in poverty, having more money will make a positive difference in your quality of life and, yes, you will be happier. But once your basic mate- rial needs are met, many experts agree that hav- ing more money might be nice but it's not likely to make you a lot happier, if at all. The problem is that most of us just don't know what we really be- lieve about money. We can't live with it, but we can't live without it, ei- ther. We think that more of it will fix all of our problems even though we prove month after month that we aren't very good at managing what we al- ready have. A recent gathering of friends at my home stirred up some provok- ing conversation. One person suggested that we have a confusion of terms. When people say they want happiness, what they're really looking for is contentment — that feeling of satisfaction that does not go away once the carpet is a few months old, the car has lost its "newness" or the holidays are over. He went on to suggest that happiness is the result of a "happen- ing," and when the event is over, the happiness goes away, too. The con- tentment we seek comes with satisfaction and ful- fillment that are not tied to specific events, but rather based upon things that do not change such as warm family relation- ships, connecting to God and expressions of sincere gratitude. I think our resident philosopher is really on to something. If nothing else, he certainly made all of us think. So where do you weigh in on this subject? In your heart do you believe that more money would make you happier? How much would it take to make you really happy? Or have you discovered a source of true contentment and found it is not tied to money? I'd love to know your thoughts. Send your brief response along with your first name, last initial and state to mary@everyday- cheapskate.com. EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE What do you need to be happy? Mary Hunt Beginning in March and lasting through August, wild animals seek safe shelters in which to bear and rear their young. This is the time of year when Tehama Wild Care re- ceives cries for help from many human mammals. A typical question is "I think there's a raccoon liv- ing under my house. What should I do?" The follow- ing is an excerpt from the Humane Society of the United States website. First, recognize that if there's an adult raccoon (skunk or opossum) under your house, a nest of babies is probably there too. This is the moment when your actions will either lead to the successful continua- tion or the destruction of this wildlife family. When confronted with wildlife living up-close in their own homes or back- yards, well-meaning but harried homeowners of- ten resort to what they see as the most humane solu- tion—live-trapping the an- imal and then setting her free in a lush, leafy park or otherfar-awaynaturalarea. It sounds like a good idea, but the sad truth is that live-trapping and reloca- tion rarely ends well for wildlife, nor is it a perma- nent solution. It is also il- legal in California. What other options do caring people have when wildlife conflicts arise? Between March and Au- gust, raccoons, skunks, woodchucks, and other animals may choose shel- ter in, around, and under a home because they need a safe place to bear and rear their young. Well-adapted to urban life, they will opt to nest in safe, quiet, and dark spaces—such as an uncapped chimney or un- der the back porch steps— if given the opportunity. You may only see one an- imal, but during this time, assume that any wild an- imal denning or nesting around a home is a mother. Not recognizing that dependent young may be present when live-trapping and relocating wildlife during the spring and sum- mer often has tragic conse- quences. Wild animal ba- bies are unintentionally or- phaned and too often die of starvation, because their mother is trapped and re- moved. Although homeowners mean well, wild animals do not "settle in" quickly to new surroundings, no mat- ter how inviting that hab- itat may seem to humans. In fact, the odds are heav- ily stacked against any an- imal who is dumped in a strange park, woodland, or other natural area. If you discover a wild- life family nesting in or around your home, the ideal response is patience. If the animals are not caus- ing damage or harm, you can be assured that once the young are big enough to be out and about, the birth den will have served its purpose. The denning and nesting season is short. Be tolerant and wait a few weeks until the fam- ily has vacated the prem- ises and you'll prevent or- phaning of the young alto- gether. Then, you can make repairs to prevent animals from moving in again. If you can't wait for the animals to leave on their own, the next best strat- egy is humane eviction— gently harassing the ani- mals so they'll move to an alternative location. Wild animals have a sophisti- cated knowledge of their home ranges—the area in which they spend almost their entire life. Alternative places of refuge are part of that knowledge or cogni- tive map. Litters can, and will, be moved if disturbed. Try using a combination of unpleasant smells and sounds. The size of the denning space and the amount of ventilation will largely influence if such re- pellents will work. We rec- ommend using rags soaked in a strong smelling sub- stance such as cider vin- egar (but not ammonia!), lights, and a blaring radio during nighttime hours to convert an attractive space (quiet, dark, and pro- tected) into one that is in- hospitable. Repellents pro- vide a temporary solution at best. To permanently prevent animals from us- ing those same spots in the future, you'll need to seal off any denning areas. Make sure all animals are out before sealing off any space. Remember, during the spring and summer months, it is extremely likely that the animal den- ning under your steps or elsewhere around your home is a female with de- pendent young. Make sure that mother and young are able to remain together, to prevent any of them from dying cruel deaths. If you can find the entry and exit holes, an easy way to determine if the den has been vacated is to loosely cover or fill it with a light material, such as newspa- per or insulation. These suggestions are general guidelines only. Call Tehama Wild Care at 347-1687 for more infor- mation. 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