Red Bluff Daily News

December 28, 2016

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Asyouprobablyknow,any columnist worth a darn writes a year in review column, whether they want to or not. All I can say is that the year 2016 was an interesting year indeed. My year started out with a ten-day trip to Maui with my entire family. Getting ten of us together in the very same place at the very same time is no easy feat, but we got-er- done; and it was a trip I shall cherish forever. My year ended with a whirl- wind trip to Texas and New Mexico. Along with the Domi- nicks and Amundsons, we vis- ited the Canadian, Texas home of dear friends, Bailey and Amy Peyton. We had a great time. Nicer people you will not find. •••• For the most part, 2016 was a satisfying year as relating to my immediate family. Bil- lie and I are blessed to be in- cluded in the lives of our chil- dren and grandchildren. I assisted son-in-law Chris in coaching grandson Ta- it's little league team. While I proved that I still got it as re- lating to baseball knowledge, I would support banning most parents from actually attend- ing their children's games. The highlight of the sea- son was 11-year-old Wyatt hit- ting two home runs in a little league all-star game, followed closely by being in attendance at a November travel league game played in Reno, Nevada. It was raining, the tempera- ture was 39 degrees and the wind was blowing at 45 mph. Thank goodness for hot choco- late and peppermint schnapps. When not following around "the boys of summer", we spent time watching grand- daughters Samantha and Alix dominate on the soccer field. It is absolutely amazing the pride a grandparent feels when their grandchild scores a goal….even if it is for the other team. Life is good for the Cor- nelius clan. •••• As far as this community is concerned, I think 2016 was mostly a good year — with a couple of notable exceptions. After decades of negotiation and haggling, the Walmart Supercenter is now a reality. The area is far too congested. The area has too many traf- fic lights. The old store is an eyesore. If I had my way, big box stores would not exist and we would go back to a simpler time when we all shopped at small independent businesses owned by our friends and neighbors. Alas, seldom do I get my way. •••• Tehama County is also now home to a badly needed state- of-the-art court complex lo- cated on west Walnut Street. Sadly, the enormous size of the complex and security features within tells you all you need to know about our society. •••• The City Council and County Board of Supervisors continue to spar over the sit- ing of the proposed new addi- tion to the jail. While the fa- cility may carry the title of county jail, the truth is that it is a community jail. The city of Red Bluff is being irresponsi- ble in suggesting that the dif- ficult issues attached to siting the jail are solely the county's problem. It's time to quit "puff- ing" and build that jail. •••• Tehama County will also soon be home to a new pub- lic library located in the skel- eton of the former Daily News building on Diamond Avenue. While the location and cost of the library raises my collective eyebrow, I shall reserve judg- ment until the project is com- plete and open for public re- view. •••• In what was a surprise to most, Donald Trump was elected President of the United States. Whether you like him or hate him, you are making a mistake if you do not hope and pray that he turns out to be the best president we have ever had. •••• In what was a surprise to no one, the Tehama County elec- torate once again refused to pay the County Board of Su- pervisors a livable wage for their responsibilities attached to how we spend a couple hun- dred million dollars each and every year. Go figure. •••• 2016 was another banner year as relating to the gener- ous heart of this wonderful lit- tle community. The purchase and restoration of the historic State Theatre is a prime exam- ple of what occurs when this community decides to get be- hind a worthy cause. With the support of an amazing little community, the State Theatre for the Arts now owns this grand old the- atre; and we are well on our way to restoring the theatre to its original condition, as con- structed 70 years ago. In October the theatre rolled out its seat replacement program in support of replac- ing all 750 seats, vintage 1946. For $500 per seat, sponsors are able to place an engraved nameplate on the seat to me- morialize someone or some- thing important in their lives. Thus far nearly 300 seats have been sponsored, and it is hoped that all seats will be sponsored prior to the target seat installation in the sum- mer of next year. If you would like more information on how to become a seat sponsor, please call 529-2787, especially if you would like it included as part of your 2016 charitable giving program. •••• Sadly, 2016 was also a year marked with the passing of far too many friends, neighbors and family who were such an important part of our lives. Great people like Diane Benefield, Doreen Tatro, Pete Peterson, Greg Hassey, Don Young, Ralph Scott, Janet Turner, Charles Heinlie, Toma- sina, William Leddy, Ray Mor- ris, Katie Daniels, and Bob Kerstiens. People like John Van Or- num, Linda McCay, Tom Miles, Floyd Hicks, Howard Finn, Jeanne Greene, Don Siemens, Mary Gottschalk, Nancy Smal- ley, Dave Miller, Wayne Price, Dan Padilla, Lu Hobart and Harvey Camacho. People like Frank Turco, Tom Hilligan, Bill Hoofard, Hugh Mills, Dick White, Clyde Price, Tom Wulfert, Dave Kin- ner, Dolores Van Veghel, Diane Smith, Tony Sanchez, Mickey Chapin, Dr. Bill Martin, Bernie Gleason and Doug Sale. •••• Hug your family and friends. Chase your dreams. Happy New Year. BillCorneliusisalifelong 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. WilliamTells Alookback at 2016 Cartoonist's take I didn't know the young man well — I'd hired him to do some handyman work around my house — but it was awfully un- pleasant to learn that he died at 24 with a needle in his arm. It was a bad batch of heroin. The statistics will tell you he was one of the thou- sands of people to die from her- oin addiction — a problem that is growing fast. What the statistics can't tell is that the young man was smart, talented and worked hard. He had a wonderful work ethic and tremendous pride in his work. He could have gone on to college or mastered any trade. His addiction took it all away. I had no indication he'd been struggling with this addictive drug — just as countless thou- sands of people from every walk of life are struggling with heroin addiction. According to the National In- stitute on Drug Abuse, "nearly 80 percent of heroin users re- ported using prescription opi- oids prior to heroin." That is, they begin by using prescrip- tion medications, such as such as OxyContin, a morphine-like drug. They begin one of three ways: They acquire the drugs from family or friends or they are prescribed the drugs by a doctor. In the 1960s, addicts tended to be street users who lived in impoverished neighborhoods. Today, addicts include soccer moms, business executives, and high school kids from suburban communities. Once addicted, many users switch from prescription drugs to street heroin. Why? Because street heroin is only about 10 percent the cost of prescription medication, which can run up to $80 a pill. As heroin floods into the country from places like Mex- ico and Afghanistan, lives are being destroyed. The Centers for Disease Control and Preven- tion report that nearly 13,000 Americans died in 2015 from heroin overdoses — 2,000 more than the prior year. In 2015, according to the CDC, for the first time, more lives were lost to heroin over- doses than to gun homicides. Just eight years earlier, gun ho- micides outnumbered heroin deaths by more than 5 to 1. The powerful addictiveness of the drug is driving these sta- tistics. Like any drug, the more heroin the addict uses, the more he needs to experience the same high. If the addict stops using, he'll go through a world of hurt: depression, nau- sea, jitteriness and extreme flu- like symptoms. Most addicts can't bear the symptoms, so they keep getting more heroin. Those with money have the means to fund their death spi- ral. The odds are that they'll keep buying more heroin un- til they finally overdose fatally — as happened to actor Philip Seymour Hoffman a few years ago. Those who lack the funds frequently steal from family members or break into homes and businesses to fund their next fix — a bank a half-mile from my suburban home has been robbed four times in the past 18 months by heroin-ad- dicted young men. The only hope for addicts is that they get professional coun- seling and make it through a few weeks of painful detox. Even under the best-case sce- nario, they will be addicts for life. The only hope for the coun- try is that we take aggressive steps to deal with the heroin epidemic. The Obama Justice Department issued a three-part strategy last autumn — preven- tion, enforcement and treat- ment — to crack down on drug dealers and provide more treat- ment to help get addicts clean. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to take aggressive steps to address the challenge. He pledges to stem the flow of heroin that is flooding across our borders, though he hasn't yet is- sued any specific plans. Whatever the case, in 2017 we have to make a concerted effort to address this horri- ble epidemic. Otherwise, it will continue to devastate lives, families and communities all over the country. Tom Purcell, author of "Misadventures of a 1970s Childhood" and "Wicked Is the Whiskey," a Sean McClanahan mystery novel, both available at Amazon.com, is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review humor columnist. Send comments to Tom@TomPurcell.com. Tom Purcell End heroin's devastation in 2017 The city of Red Bluff is being irresponsible in suggesting that the difficult issues attached to siting the jail are solely the county's problem. It's time to quit "puffing" and build that jail. 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, 728Main St., Red Bluff, CA 96080 Facebook: Leave comments at FACEBOOK.COM/ RBDAILYNEWS Twitter: Follow and send tweets to @REDBLUFFNEWS Tom Purcell In the spirit of New Year's, here are four resolutions for president-elect Trump and Con- gress that will enable them to re- ally make America great again: 1. Audit the Fed, and then end it: The Federal Reserve Bank's easy money polices have eroded the American people's standard of living and facil- itated the growth of the wel- fare-warfare state. The Fed is also responsible for the growth in income inequality. Yet Con- gress still refuses to pass Audit the Fed, much less end it. During the campaign, then- candidate Donald Trump promised that Audit the Fed would be part of his first 100 days agenda. Unfortunately, he has not spoken of auditing the Fed or another aspect of monetary policy since the elec- tion. President-elect Trump should keep his promise and work with Congress to pass Au- dit the Fed and finally let the American people know the truth about the Fed's conduct of monetary policy. Then, of course, end the Fed. 2. Bring the troops home: President Barack Obama has not only failed to withdraw American forces from Afghan- istan and Iraq, he has further destabilized the Middle East with reckless interventions in Egypt, Libya, and Syria. The Obama administration has also brought us to the brink of a new Cold War. President-elect Trump has criticized the 2003 Iraq war and promised to end nation- building. However, he has also made hawkish statements such as his recent endorsement of increased U.S. military inter- vention in Syria and has ap- pointed several hawks to key foreign policy positions. Pres- ident-elect Trump also sup- ported increasing the Penta- gon's already bloated budget. America cannot afford to continue wasting trillions of dollars in a futile effort to act as the world's policeman. Re- jecting the neocon polices of nation-building and spreading democracy by force of arms is a good start. However, if Don- ald Trump is serious about charting a new course in for- eign policy, his first act as pres- ident should be to withdraw US troops from around the globe. He should also veto any bud- get that does not drastically cut spending on militarism. 3. Repeal ObamaCare: Obam- aCare has raised healthcare costs for millions of Americans while denying them access to the providers of their choice. Public dissatisfaction with ObamaCare played a major role in Donald Trump's election. Unfortunately, since the elec- tion president-elect Trump and the Republican Congress have talked about retaining key parts of Obamacare! While it is reasonable to have a transition to a new healthcare system, Congress must avoid the temp- tation to replace ObamaCare with "ObamaCare lite." Ron Paul is a former Congressman and Presidential candidate. He can be reached at the RonPaulInstitute.org. Ron Paul New Year's resolutions for Donald Trump and Congress OPINION » redbluffdailynews.com Wednesday, December 28, 2016 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A4

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