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I have been retired for almost 10 months. At first, I found that to be an uncomfort- able situation. I am guessing I felt that way because I had been fully employed since I was 17 years old. With nothing to do every- day but go to work for 60 years. Mynewlifestylejustdid not feel right. I felt I needed to just do something. I am happy to report that I have al- ready adjusted in my retire- ment to my sat- isfaction. It took me about 5-6 months. I am thoroughly enjoying myself now. I had previously made my living as a radio disc jockey and a television news anchor in the 1960s and '70s. And, I was also honored to follow that gig as an elected Assem- blyman in the California leg- islature, representing nine counties between Chico and the Oregon border. I was able to translate those experiences to now ap- pearing regularly on a few ra- dio stations in the northern part of California. Also Daily News editor Chip Thompson allows me to write this opin- ion column each Thursday. I am even luckier because all of my new retirement ac- tivities occur within the As- sembly district that I repre- sented for eighteen years. It's like coming home. I remember my father was forced to retire as Comptrol- ler from the Diamond Match Company in Chico in the 1950s. My memory tells me that he was forced to do that because it was either a com- pany policy or the actual law at that time. You may also not know much about cars from the late 1940s, but I can remem- ber my folks once owned an automobile that was a Gra- ham. It had "vapor lock" problems on a long family trip to Salt Lake City. Most people today probably think of a cracker when they hear the word Graham. You know what? Typing this is actually making me a bit tired, so I am going back to bed for a couple of hours after I finish my movie review at the end of this column. When I wake up each morning, I now discover rather quickly that my first thought is; "What shall I do today?" And, since I seem to have more "juice" in the mornings than my beauti- ful wife, Roleeda Marie, I be- gin by getting up and gath- ering the day's news online. I am also a news junky. Then, much too soon, I can't seem to stop myself from rushing back to her bedside to report the latest information I have gathered. Occasionally, that is de- spite her pleas to rest more quietly. I am now slowly learning to "leave her to hell alone" at that time of day. I hope that will prove to my personal benefit. That is in conflict with my biggest desire, which has al- ways been to "scratch her wherever she itches." Thus, I conclude now that my retire- ment is even helping our rela- tionship if I improve and sim- ply allow her enjoy her morn- ings. We have already enjoyed 15 wonderful years. My take on retirement is that it definitely has more going for it than against. If you are retired please let me know if you agree. Mytakeonthemovies My movie this week is filled with good humor in a light vein. It is "Hello, My Name is Doris," starring two of Amer- ica's most dependable actors. In these troubled times we could all use a good laugh. Go ahead and enjoy this film. Sally Field and Tyne Daly help accomplish that task easily. 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. StanStatham My take on retirement I am even luckier because all of my new retirement activities occur within the Assembly district that I represented for eighteen years. It's like coming home. A new direction? Editor: The Red Bluff High School Athletic Director used this for his reason for the dismissal of (girls' basketball) Coach Kathy Brandt. Not that she has been doing anything wrong, just we are moving in a new direction. I am a long time supporter of the Lady Spartans. I had a Daughter on the Lady Spar- tans State Championship Team in 1987. In the past 5 years since my retirement I have been able to at- tend most of the team's games. This last year I was able to make it to 22 of their 25 games, tak- ing a few pictures for the players and making sure the Daily News got a picture for their sports page. In attending these games I have got acquainted with most of the parents and I have not heard one complaint regarding Coach Brandt and her methods of coaching or treatment of the team members. Coach Brandt has been in- strumental in developing a strong AAU Basketball Pro- gram here in Northern Califor- nia, which she has started see- ing the results of her efforts. I attended the March High School Board Meeting where a packed chamber of Red Bluff and Tehama County citizens showed their support for Coach Brandt and asking the same question I asked — why they can't reconsider the decision. Statements from former teach- ers to students and players went to the podium, all expressing the same feelings. Coach Brandt was one of the first female athletes to be in- ducted in to the Red Bluff Spar- tan Hall of Fame; she has had a very distinguished career as a player and a coach. The follow- ing was taken from an article in the Daily News at her Hall of Fame induction: "Brandt was a member of the girls' basketball team in 1988 that became the NAL champi- ons, the NSCIF champions, Nor- Cal and finally State champions. She received All League hon- ors in all three sports and was voted the MVP of the league in her senior year in both volley- ball and basketball. In her se- nior year she received the KHSL Female Scholar Athlete of the Year, the Army Reserve Scholar Athlete of the Year, the Redding Record Searchlight Scholar Athlete of the year and the NAL Scholar Athlete award. She ac- cepted a full ride basketball scholarship to Pepperdine Uni- versity in Malibu, where she re- ceived a bachelor's degree in History. She went on to earn her master's in Physical Educa- tion from Cal State University, Chico in 2002. "After graduation she returned to Red Bluff High to coach the girls' basketball team and track where she helped Mike Wilkins become state champion in 1995 in the high jump. She is the only Red Bluff athlete to have gone to state as a player and also as a coach. "After coaching as an assistant at Cal State Fullerton, San Jose State and Chico State, she also served as head interim coach at Chico. She also was head coach at Butte College for a few years. Presently she is the Red Bluff High School varsity girls' coach." Now I just have one question, What new direction can we go? Where are we going to find a more qualified and dedicated person to take over the varsity girls' basketball Team? I think we already have the best person for the job. I think it is a big mistake the Athletic Director has made and I hope people will call or write the su- perintendent and the school board to show their support for Coach Brandt. — Larry Long, Gerber What's happening at Red Bluff High? Editor: What the heck is going on at the Red Bluff High School? I thought it had turned around and became the kind of school that supports all the kids and awesome staff, instead of the status quo. Apparently it is becoming the school it used to be, full of bad decisions, dirty poli- tics and nepotism. The same thing happened at Antelope, af- ter years of being a top notch school. How can Superintendent Todd Brose justify not renew- ing Coach Kathy Brandt's con- tract? I'd like to know what his complaint is? Is Kathy too great of a coach, too awesome of a role model, too nice, too fair, too talented to be Red Bluff's coach? It is such a slap in her face that she would be so devalued by someone that seems to de- stroy campuses wherever he goes. Two years ago, my daughter graduated from Red Bluff High. Unlike when I and my older children went to Red Bluff, it became an inclusive school that put all children first, where your name and social standing no longer ruled, who got on the team. There was opportunity for all children, instead of just the chosen. I was so happy with the im- provements. Finally, staff seemed to put the needs of the children first and dirty poli- tics was non-existent. What changed? What does it say to Red Bluff students when someone as pop- ular and committed as Kathy Brandt is treated with no re- spect? It says why try to do your best and excel, when some petty person will kick you to the side of the road for no rea- son when you do. Do the right thing Todd Brose and renew Kathy Brandt's contract for a job well done. Perhaps the board should consider removing Brose from his position, before any more excellent coaches or teachers are removed. — Pat Johnston, Red Bluff Your opinions Cartoonist's take Shall we gather at the guillo- tine? Ironically, in an election cy- cle when we're being warned daily about demagogues with superficially appealing popu- list proposals, a liberal icon has used his bully pulpit for just such a proposal. On a recent episode of HBO's "Real Time With Bill Maher," the outspoken host listed orga- nized religion as a tax deadbeat, declared that religions do much more harm than good and de- manded that churches in the U.S. be taxed. This message resonates with a vocal minority of citizens and stirs them up on the pretense of making churches, synagogues, mosques, etc. pay their "fair share"; but the venom in Maher's pronouncements make this sound like a purely punitive maneuver. Chief Justice John Marshall's ad- monition "The power to tax in- volves the power to destroy" gives Maher no pause; apparently he just hopes he gets to waterboard the churches first. Citing "sin taxes" on alco- hol and tobacco, the enlight- ened Maher strongly suggested a tax on Sunday school, which allegedly harms kids by making them stupid. Sunday school has only sharpened my son Gide- on's reasoning abilities; but just for the sake of argument, let's concede Maher's point and dou- ble down on the stupidity by in- stalling a "boob tube" in every Sunday school class. ("Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every gem that proceedeth out of the mouth of Celebrities.") Maher opined that the Su- preme Court really should come up with a new ruling on church taxation, since they haven't done so since 1970 and, golly, the pop- ularity of religion has softened since then. So has the popularity of the Partridge Family. Maybe instead of worrying about immi- gration or voter rights, we should have Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg go skeet shooting with copies of the Partridges' "Shopping Bag" album. ("Pull!") Remember the IRS harassing Tea Party groups? Look for the government to use exemptions and loopholes to punish and re- ward different religions. ("Undoc- umented cross-dressing preacher? You get a discount. Got a BOGO (Break One, Get One Half Off) deal with the 10 Commandments? You get a refund!") I think the majority of athe- ists, agnostics and lapsed wor- shippers are tolerant people willing to view religion with be- musement. They see the value of soup kitchens, homeless shelters and moral teachings and balk at killing the goose that laid the golden egg. But the embittered rabble rousers are basically a bunch of Mr. Potters from "It's A Wonderful Life." When it comes to tax collections, it's like Jimmy Stewart said: "You're talking about something you can't get your fingers on, and it's galling you." Churches are vilified for be- ing "subsidized" in the perpetu- ation of "myths". Let's levy a big tax on people who perpetuate myths such as "Throwing money at poverty cures it." Of course Maher would love for people to think that tax- ing religious property would let government cheerfully, per- manently lower everyone else's taxes. People can believe that, but they have trouble with a ste- reotypical white-bearded Cre- ator up in the sky? Yes, maybe the media needs to shame some religious or- ganizations into not hoarding worldly goods. Members need to remind their leaders to max- imize good deeds with their money. But government coercion should worry us all. Taxation may come, but it could take a while. A majority of Americans are still able to believe in something bigger than them- selves, albeit not necessarily big- ger than Maher's mouth. Danny Tyree welcomes email responses at tyreetyrades@aol. com and visits to his Facebook fan page Tyree's Tyrades. Danny Tyree How long will it be before we start taxing churches? 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@ 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 By Danny Tyree Stan Statham OPINION » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, April 21, 2016 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A6