Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/578602
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@ redbluffdailynews.com Fax: 530-527-9251 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 Forthepastseveralmonths I have used this space to rec- ognize members of this com- munity for the amazing sup- port provided to help achieve the goal of purchas- ing and restor- ing the historic State Theatre. Since the be- ginning of the State Theatre project in 2010, members of the community have donated nearly $1 mil- lion to ensure the future of the State Theatre as the anchor performing arts venue in Te- hama County. In four short years we have been able to burn our mortgage, purchase a green room, restore and replace our iconic State Theatre blade, restore our interior and exte- rior marquees, install a state of the art concession area, re- place a severely deteriorated alley, build a beautiful out- door patio area, acquire a state of the art sound system, install safety railing through- out the theater, build a beau- tiful new stage, acquire an amazing seven-foot grand pi- ano, replace our 60-year-old antiquated heating unit—and on and on and on. Almost every day I am con- gratulated for the good work of the theater board in sav- ing the State Theatre. Almost every day someone tells me how much he or she enjoys driving by the theater in the evening when the neon blade is blinking on and off. While I couldn't be more proud to be a member of such a giving community, I should tell you that I do have some personal concerns regard- ing the future of this grand old community treasure. The truth of the matter is, oper- ating the State Theatre is a business, pure and simple. In order to keep our doors open it is essential that you, our customers, understand and support several different pro- gram components that col- lectively ensure the financial stability of the State Theatre going forward. When a community in- vests nearly a million dollars in a performing arts venue, there is a reasonable expec- tation that said venue will of- fer quality programming on a consistent and regular ba- sis. As one might imagine, operating costs attached to the theater are significant. Heating, cooling, mainte- nance, insurance, taxes, per- formance and technical ser- vice contracts and other fi- nancial obligations attached to a building of this size are no small undertaking. The day-to-day costs as- sociated with operating the theater are funded through four separate and distinct funding sources. •••• Rental program: The State Theatre is available for rent to private, public, non-profit and for-profit entities. Pro- grams such as the Tehama Concert Series, school grad- uation ceremonies, dance re- citals and talent shows of- ten utilize the theater. We are grateful for their patronage. Rental fees and associated costs normally range from about $900 to $1,400 per day. The theater averages about 20 rental days per year. While profit margins are not sig- nificant, we do realize a net profit. We are grateful to all who rent the State Theatre. For additional information re- garding our rental program, please call 529-2787. •••• Membership program: The membership program at the State Theatre has grown ev- ery year. The 2015 member- ship list exceeds 200 mem- bers of the community, with more than $25,000 having been received in support of programming and other ex- penses associated with op- erating a 750-seat theater. Memberships are available at $50 and up, with perks rang- ing from complimentary pop- corn to reserved seating for all State Theatre-sponsored events. Current members should look for their 2016 mem- bership packet to arrive in the mail in the next several weeks. For those not cur- rently members of the State Theatre, if you would like ad- ditional information about this important program, please call 529-2787. •••• Sponsorship program: 2015 marked the first year of our State Theatre Performance Series Sponsorship program. For contributions rang- ing from $2,500 to $25,000, sponsors receive complimen- tary admission to all State Theatre-sponsored events, and formal recognition on concert posters, playbills, ra- dio, television and announce- ments from the Haleakala stage at the State Theatre. Our 2015-2016 Perfor- mance Series sponsors in- clude: Tehama Angus Ranch, Dignity Health, Rolling Hills Casino, Wheeler Logging, Mill Creek Ranch, Growney Motors, PJ Helicopters and the Haleakala Ranch. We thank these great sponsors for supporting the historic State Theatre. •••• Concert attendance: While buying the State Theatre has proven to be a much eas- ier undertaking than antici- pated, convincing folks to at- tend our events is a far more difficult proposition. Our cur- rent program philosophy is to offer at least two quality programs per month, one fea- turing performers who, while not household names, offer high quality entertainment. Generally speaking, expenses associated with these con- certs range from $3,000 to $6,000. At $25 per ticket, we need nearly 250 folks to at- tend these concerts, merely to break even. Sadly, many times such concerts attract less than 100. We are also committed to bringing nationally recognized entertainers to the State The- atre. In the past several weeks we have hosted the Glen Miller Orchestra as well as the iconic Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Over the coming months we will be bringing Ukulele Master Jake Shimabukuro, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Pam Tillis, John Sebas- tian of Loving Spoonful, Colin Raye and the Motown Experi- ence to the State Theatre. For performers of this cali- ber our financial outlay some- times approaches $20,000, meaning that we need at sell at least 500 tickets just to break even. Sadly, these high quality concerts sometimes draw far less than 500. •••• Because of the above-ref- erenced programs, the State Theatre is in very good shape from a fiscal standpoint. However, the State Theatre project will only truly be a success when folks get up out of their easy chairs and at- tend events in numbers be- fitting the excellent talent we bring to the theater on a weekly basis. BillCorneliusisalife long resident of Red Bluff, a retired Chief Probation Officer, a champion of the State Theatre and an exceptional athlete. He can be reached at bill.cornelius@ sbcglobal.net. William Tells Operating the State Theatre is a business Cartoonist's take "Your Holiness, I have never been to Catholic confession be- fore, but since you and I have some things in common, I figure what the heck." "Feel free to confess your sins to me, Barack." "I have com- mitted no sins, Your Holiness. Only Republicans sin in this town." "Come now, Barack. Didn't you tell many whoppers to get ObamaCare passed into law?" "I said that if they liked their insurance policies and doctors, they could keep them — and that families would save $2,500 a year!" "I applaud your efforts to expand insurance coverage, but since 2008, family pol- icy costs have soared almost $5,000 a year. Deductibles are growing seven times faster than wages." "Hey, Your Holiness, you want to make an omelet, you got to break some eggs! We agree on climate change. My administration has been hav- ing a field day manipulat- ing EPA regulations to clamp down on fossil fuels — who cares that satellites have de- tected no warming for more than 20 years." "God wants us to be good stewards of the Earth, Barack. Sure, my critics say I may be infallible in matters of the soul, but that my support of ex- pansionist government policies like yours is naive — that such policies increase poverty." "Your Holiness, I like poor people so much, my economic policies have created 3 million more of them since I took office! How about my executive or- der on immigration, which will benefit Democrat politicians in swing states — I mean, that will benefit 5 million undocumented immigrants." "As you know, Barack, it is the weak that I seek to protect and I think that rich nations blessed with so much should do more to assist the strangers in their midst — particularly in this time of mass refugees from war-plagued regions. However, protecting the weak is one area where we differ." "How so, Your Holiness?" "As I said in my speech to the Congress, it is our duty to protect and defend life at ev- ery stage of development. Your policies do not support this be- lief. You have favored policies that allow humans in the womb to be terminated — even in the last trimester of development." "But, Your Holiness, if my daughters make a mistake, I don't want them getting pun- ished with a baby!" "Come now, Barack. Even your well-meaning health-care policy fails to defend life at ev- ery stage. ObamaCare has de- manded that the Little Sisters of the Poor, an international congregation of Roman Cath- olic nuns who care for the el- derly poor, purchase health in- surance policies that fund con- traception, abortive drugs and sterilization." "What's the big deal? We can simply make their insur- ance carrier shuffle a little pa- perwork and nobody will know that the Little Sisters are still paying for that stuff." "This is an arrogant position your administration is taking, Barack. It is extremely trou- bling to me that you cannot see how your mandate is greatly in- hibiting the freedom of the Lit- tle Sisters to live their faith freely through their mission. The breakdown of the family in your country is also troubling me." "How so, Your Holiness?" "I know liberals in your country like to use me to sup- port liberal policies, but let me be clear. God does not condemn gay men and women and per- haps governments should em- brace civil unions. However, as unpopular as it may be, I be- lieve it is God's design that marriage be between one man and one woman." "There aren't many votes in some of your positions, Your Holiness. How do we wrap up this confession thing?" "With a penance that will hopefully bring you the wisdom you need to respond to the siz- able challenges your country is facing. Have you ever consid- ered a retreat, Barack?" "Your Holiness, if you can get the land, I know some crony capitalists who can get us the lumber." Tom Purcell, author of "Misadventures of a 1970s Childhood" and "Comical Sense: A Lone Humorist Takes on a World Gone Nutty!" is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review humor columnist. Send comments to Tom at Tom@ TomPurcell.com. Tom Purcell Obama confesses to Pope Francis "Hey, Your Holiness, you want to make an omelet, you got to break some eggs! We agree on climate change. My administration has been having a field day manipulating EPA regulations to clamp down on fossil fuels — who cares that satellites have detected no warming for more than 20 years." "God wants us to be good stewards of the Earth, Barack. Sure, my critics say I may be infallible in matters of the soul, but that my support of expansionist government policies like yours is naive — that such policies increase poverty." StateandNational Assemblyman James Gallagher, 2060Talbert Drive, Ste. 110, Chico 95928, 530895-4217, http://ad03.asmrc.org/ Senator Jim Nielsen, 2634For- est Ave., Ste. 110, Chico 95928, 530879-7424, senator.nielsen@ senate.ca.gov Governor Jerry Brown, State Capital Building, Sacramento 95814, 916445-2841, fax 916 558-3160, governor@governor. ca.gov U.S. Representative Doug La- Malfa, 507Cannon House Office Building, Washington D.C. 20515, 202225-3076 U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, One Post St., Ste. 2450, San Francisco 94104, 415393-0707, fax 415393-0710 U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, 1700 Montgomery St., San Francisco 94111, 510286-8537, fax 202 224-0454 Local Tehama County Supervisors, 527-4655 District 1, Steve Chamblin, Ext. 3015 District 2, Candy Carlson, Ext. 3014 District 3, Dennis Garton, Ext. 3017 District 4, Bob Williams, Ext. 3018 District 5, Burt Bundy, Ext. 3016 Red Bluff City Manager, Richard Crabtree, 527-2605, Ext. 3061 Corning City Manager, John Brewer, 824-7033 Your officials Tom Purcell Bill Cornelius OPINION » redbluffdailynews.com Wednesday, September 30, 2015 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A6