Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/651813
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 Elegant, charismatic, good and approachable. Those are just four of the words that I would chose to describe the 40th President and First Lady of our fortunate and great country. Ihavebeenwalkingdown memory lane all this week be- cause of Nancy Reagan's death and I was fortu- nate enough to even have had private conversa- tions with both of these two re- markable people. Nancy first: I was able to cross paths with Nancy Reagan several times while her husband was Califor- nia's 33rd Governor and I was still serving citizens of Tehama County. I remember it was a bright Spring day in Redding as I impatiently waited to per- sonally introduce Mrs. Rea- gan to the Redding Republi- can Women's group there. I felt nervous and privileged, for good reason. Ronald second: I have al- ways felt that it would be al- most impossible to find a nicer person than Ronald Wil- son Reagan. The first time I met him was at different Re- publican function in San Luis Obispo. I felt his ability to speak off the top of his head was beyond impressive. Since Ronald Reagan was an actor, Governor and Presi- dent I always found it impossi- ble to actually forget that I was just talking to another regu- lar person when I got the op- portunity. One of my most memora- ble times was going to the White House to be sworn into his Presidential Commission on Drunk Driving. I was cho- sen by Mr. Reagan, along with Dear Abbey herself and about two dozen others. It was be- cause my field representative ZoAnn McCain had been killed in 1979 by a drunk driver two or so years earlier as she was returning from the town of Weaverville after being a sub- stitute speaker for me. What a thrill it was to wait just outside the Oval Office it- self for The Gipper before he came to our room. When he entered, he patiently moved past all of us and made cer- tain we all had a bit of his per- sonal time. I learned again just how valuable "personal atten- tion" is. My last time with Ronald Reagan was in Speaker Willie Brown's conference room for a picture taking opportunity. It was immediately following the President's address before a special joint session of the leg- islature. By the way, it was actually Mr. Reagan who signed into law a new and modest tax in- crease Mr. Brown had intro- duced to balance California's unbalanceable budget that year. What I always noticed was that the President's favorite word must have been "Well,..." He started almost every com- ment that way, as he gathered his thoughts. One of my favorite stories was the one time at Channel 12's Chico studios when Gover- nor Reagan was with me voic- ing a campaign commercial for a man named Oz Dunaway, who was running for election to the U. S. House of Represen- tatives. I was tasked with the responsibility of taking our Governor into a small record- ing booth for the three, short spots. After he recorded them expertly, I proceeded to listen to see how they were. I found that nothing has been re- corded, and I remember think- ing that I thought I was going to "**** a brick!" I did not of course, so let's get on to my movie review. Mytakeonthemovies "London Has Fallen," is pre- dictably a good action movie. Hollywood's special effects these days are amazing. I hated to see Parliament destroyed, along with "The London Eye" my wife and I once enjoyed. However, I am certain Holly- wood will make more than de- cent dollars with his film. StanStathamserved1976- 1994 in the California Assembly and was a television news anchor at KHSL-TV in Chico 1965-1975. He is past president of the California Broadcasters Association and can be reached at StanStatham@gmail.com. Stan Statham My take on Ron and Nancy What a thrill it was to wait just outside the Oval Office itself for The Gipper before he came to our room. When he entered, he patiently moved past all of us and made certain we all had a bit of his personal time. Thankfulforofficer's diligence Editor: In late January, at 6:30 a.m., I called 9-1-1 for my husband. All the professional people were here quickly and did a great job. How- ever, one wonderful man stood out. Red Bluff Police Sgt. Michael Graham stayed by my side, he called family for me and re- mained at my home until my family came. He was soothing, soft spoken and showed such compassion. I lost my dearest love that morning. Then yesterday my door- bell rang and it was Sgt. Gra- ham returning to check on me. He stayed a short time listening to my heart break over my loss. Again, with his compassionate heart, soothed and brought a lit- tle light into my life. Red Bluff Police Department is fortunate to have a gentleman of his stature representing the force. Thank you. — Katheryn Casey-Courier, Red Bluff IstheremoretotheBealer case? Editor: I'm still having a hard time understanding the Quentin Bealer case. Mr. Bealer may not be the most upstanding of citizens, or the pillar of this community. You just grab him up and throw him in jail because there is a video showing him walking behind the victim down the street? For goodness sakes, he turned himself in when he heard they were looking for him. Why have the authorities not looked any farther into this is be- yond me. Did anyone check to see if she might have had a few enemies at the school? Girls who dislike her or disgruntled boy- friend? Children can be mean and vindictive, maybe things got out of hand. Why did it take two days be- fore she was found? Where she was found is a foot path used daily by high school students go- ing to and from school. Just wondering why our Dis- trict Attorney is so eager to pin this murder on Mr. Bealer, with- out looking further. — Juanita Gautier, Corning RedBluffhasactive electorate Editor: I am a professional petition circulator and the months before a presidential election are our busiest months. We travel the state of Califor- nia, registering people to vote and asking them to sign bal- lot initiatives. We are at grocery stores, Walmarts, DMVs and Post Offices every day throughout the state. In many towns in Califor- nia it is disturbing to find how few people are currently regis- tered to vote. Many people are in a hurry to shop and don't wish to stop and sign a petition. Too of- ten shoppers do now know what the first amendment is or what a petition is. When we came to Red Bluff we were delighted to find a dif- ferent situation entirely. Red Bluff voters were registered. Most were interested in the ballot ini- tiative process and happy to take a moment to ask questions and sign the petitions. It is a first amendment right to sign a petition and Red Bluff voters are proud to exercise that right. This positive response in- cluded many Tehama County voters as well. Red Bluff and Tehama County voters set a fine example for all California voters. — Vivian Dunbar, Corning Notsubjecttoany governmentauthority Editor: My name is Lawrence Amaya and I am a natural freeborn sov- ereign individual, not to be con- fused with a sovereign citizen, which is contradictory in its wording. I am being held in Tehama County Jail here in Red Bluff against my will for exercising my rights. The rights of sovereignty is a very deep subject and not an easy thing to be put short on pa- per. Basically I follow the 10 com- mandments, I am not a subject under any authority of any gov- ernment. Easily put I'm a free man. Easily put but not easily com- prehended because of the way most of us were brought up and taught to just conform and not question why. It seems everyone has forgot- ten or not been told why we left Britain and what it says in the Declaration of Independence. The reason I say that is because of the oppression that seems to be a way of life in America. Take the right to travel, for ex- ample, which we're taught is a privilege by the way it's worded "drive." Google "right to travel vs. privilege to drive" and you should find a very interesting video explaining. We've been tricked by the mainstream media that we need to pay, be taxed and get licenses for human rights. Our forefathers who wrote the Declaration of In- dependence are rolling in their graves at what is happening here. I will be going to court here in Red Bluff on March 16. I am not in the jurisdiction of this court, which is actually a mari- time court, which can be recog- nized by the tricky gold fringe on the American look-alike flag. The gold fringe symbolizes that it is under the authority of the king or queen of Britain. I will be confronting the so- called judge with my "affidavit of truth" stating my rights and would like media coverage. I have not broken any law and there are no victims. I am being charged for exercising my rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and defending those rights. — Lawrence Amaya, Red Bluff Your opinions Cartoonist's take Stan Statham I really should be prejudiced against this week's topic, but I'm not. Back when I was around 11 years old, I marched into the local Kuhn's Variety Store with my hard-earned coins and proudly purchased a box of popcorn-based Fiddle Faddle. When I got home and crammed a handful into my mouth, I soon discovered a ragtag band of weevils doing some dirty dancing on my tongue. To this day, I can still swear I heard a tiny voice taunting me as I spit the snack out, "Nobody puts Baby in a wastebasket!" In spite of that childhood trauma, I was encouraged re- cently when CBS News and Na- tional Public Radio reported on WeFood, a nonprofit busi- ness in Copenhagen, Denmark selling food with past-due sell- by dates and damaged packag- ing for as much as half-off the price posted at regular stores. WeFood seeks to target both low-income consumers and en- vironmentally conscious shop- pers. WeFood is getting off to a good start, but many people worldwide still have a misun- derstanding of "sell by" dates. The dates indicate when the product is at its peak, but they can be edible and nutritious much longer. It's not like Cin- derella's carriage turning back into a pumpkin at the stroke of midnight. If it were, Dis- ney would already have trade- marked the process and given us "Country Botulism Jambo- ree" rides and "High School Cafeteria Musical: Mystery Meat's Last Legs" TV movies. Developments such as We- Food, Boston's Daily Table membership-only supermar- ket and the Rockefeller Foun- dation's $130 million YieldWise initiative should get us all fired up to fight food waste and feed the world's undernourished. (According to the United Na- tions, one-third of all food pro- duced around the world for hu- man consumption is lost or wasted, even as nearly one bil- lion people worldwide lack enough food to lead a healthy, active lifestyle.) We Americans are way too finicky about what we eat. I wouldn't be surprised if a book club met to discuss "The Di- ary of Anne Frank," and dur- ing snacktime someone la- mented, "We've had to eat left- overs twice this month. Can you imagine anything worse?" Our mood swings make us keep cramming food farther and farther back into the re- cesses of the refrigerator. The fridge sometimes gets so bad that there's a fight over the stuff growing in there and how many delegates it's entitled to. We really need to get over our "Silly rabbit, Trix are for landfills" mentality and crack down on the wasteful morons who chuckle, "Guess my eyes were bigger than my stomach." Let's have them saying, "Guess your boot was bigger than my backside. Ouch!" Among the worst offenders are the mothers who take their youngsters to the head of the line at church socials or fam- ily reunions and pile their plate with stuff they'll never eat. Ah, the miracle of mommas: they can feed the two with 5,000 loaves and fishes. Perhaps more restaurants and supermarkets can be con- vinced to overcome the logis- tical problems and get excess food to homeless shelters and food banks. Then they can re- fit their old techniques to deal- ing with politicians who have gone way past their shelf life. "Hey, somebody threw me in a dumpster and poured bleach on me. But, speaking as some- one who has run four unsuc- cessful campaigns for dog catcher, I demand to share my two cents worth with the can- didates of 2020. Ow, it burns!" Danny Tyree welcomes email responses at tyreetyrades@aol. com and visits to his Facebook fan page Tyree's Tyrades. Danny Tyree Are expired foods your future diet? OPINION » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, March 10, 2016 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A6