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6A – Daily News – Friday, April 23, 2010 Opinion D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Round-Up is just the beginning I don’t know about the rest of the news- Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes let- ters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All let- ters must be signed and pro- vide the writer’s home street address and home phone num- ber. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submit- ted will be considered for publi- cation. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Mission Statement We believe that a strong com- munity newspaper is essential to a strong community, creating citizens who are better informed and more involved. The Daily News will be the indispensible guide to life and living in Tehama County. We will be the premier provider of local news, information and advertising through our daily newspaper, online edition and other print and Internet vehi- cles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its com- munities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the resi- dents and businesses of Tehama County. How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 room, but by Monday I was about ready to drop, having spent nearly a month immersed in planning, previewing, covering, photographing and pub- lishing stories about the biggest event in Red Bluff each year. The Round-Up is a great event that’s great for our community and the extra work is just part of the job. But for a few hours Tuesday I let myself believe things would slow down a bit — until I looked at the local calendar. Starting today, Red Bluff and Tehama County ramp up into what I call their frenzied, frantic, feverish festival furor. Start with the Nor-Cal Antique do so and the result is they get coverage in the paper and we don’t miss letting you know what’s going on in the com- munity. Another challenge to covering Chip Tractor & Equipment Club Spring Gas Up at Ridgeway Park and finish off with Paskenta Pioneer Day Sun- day, and you have nine big local activities from which to choose. The other seven are the Sacred Heart Thompson 545 Diamond Ave. Parish School Jog- and Tryke-a-Thon, Seussical the Musical, Children’s Fair, Civil War Days, Missoula Children’s Theatre Princess and the Pea, Northern California Meat Goat Association Sale and the Corning Rural Fire Department Chicken Barbecue. Check the calendar on page 3A for details of times and locations. The problem is, when you’re the local newspaper, you are expected to be at all of these events. With one reporter on duty Sat- urdays and none on Sundays, you can see the challenge. We do cover as much as we can, but I often ask organizers to make sure to take some pictures during the events, in case a reporter can’t make it. Most are delighted to annual events is making them fresh. Most annual events don’t change much year to year — organizers have found a winning formula and stick with it. One strategy is devote more space to a particular aspect of an event, such as what happens behind the scenes or beforehand to make it an ongoing success. The first question we usually ask organizers is whether there is any- thing new this year — a performer, activity or vendor regular attendees have never seen before at the event. That gives us our hook and the rest of the story can be a recap of the highlights. Finally, the one thing that changes every year is the reaction from those at the event. You could walk along the parade route Satur- day and get 1,000 different answers to the same question from the crowd. As always, if you have any suggestions about how we can better cover local festivals and events — taking existing resources into consideration — I welcome hearing them. Things don’t settle down until late May, with events stacked up weekend after week- end. And the onslaught repeats in the fall, as the mercury drops. But hey, isn’t that what makes this such a special place to call home? Chip Thompson can be reached at 527-2151, Ext. 112 or by editor@redbluffdailynews.com. e-mail at TRAX suggestion Editor: The Daily News proposed using TRAX buses for shuttles during the Round-Up. During the annu- al Fortuna Redwood Autoexpo car show in July, a fleet of local school buses are used to shuttle people to and from the motels, and the many events held all over town. They have been doing this for years, so it must be legal. Your Turn Probably best to contact the Fortuna School District, and the show organizers for information on how this is done. John M. Elko, Red Bluff Unauthorized county intrusion on rights Editor: Regarding the Tehama County Board of Supervisors. I will not stand for any county official to enter my property for the purpose of decimating the natural landscaping of over a thousand lots in Rancho Tehama because those idiots allege it is a fire hazard. Measures such as topping all trees to 10 feet or less are outrageous and ridicu- lous, and if carried out could cause flooding, erosion, environmental dam- age and undermining of property values. I, for one, intend to sue the supervi- sors and Tehama County if they persist with their unauthorized trespass, vandal- ism of my property and abridgement of my Constitutional rights. Nathan Esplanade, Rancho Tehama Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R), State Capitol Bldg., Room 4164 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento 94249; (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319- 2102 STATE SENATOR — Sam Aanestad (R), State Capitol Bldg., Room 2054, Sacramen- to, CA 95814. (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR — Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E-mail: gover- nor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Wally Herger (R), 2635 Forest Ave. Ste. 100, Chico, CA 95928; 893-8363. U.S.SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (415) 403-0100. Fax (202) 224- 0454. Miss a week? Soon you can buy the book Commentary I’ve been busy lately. I went from talking about the Crucifixion two weeks ago, to spring break, to pumping up the rodeo. Toss in the publishing of a book, sanding our living room floor and mowing the lawn – well, I’m downright tuckered out. And I did all that in three weeks. My book actually took a year and a half to put togeth- er, but who’s counting? My backed finally seized up Monday afternoon; it took an hour of massage and a loud adjustment on Tuesday just to work out the kinks. Anyway, my book is titled "The Best of Simply Put" and will be available for purchase within the next two weeks. It’s a collection of my favorite columns over the past four years. So, just in case you missed any, this is your chance to catch up. Joe Vine at the Copy Center is doing the printing, and Kelly Forward (my secret agent) will be setting up book signings around town. Heck, I might even bring along my guitar and sing a few songs. For me, it’s pretty cool stuff. And, after much thought, I have concluded that this is the fulfillment of my life. What I mean by that is this: there are certain things that I could only dream about when I was younger that are now com- ing to fruition – finally. I got married eight years ago; I now have two wonderful kids who are healthy and happy. Ethan and Mia are also doing very well in school. For that, I am grateful. As far as housing goes, we struggled for years, choosing to rent a smaller place while waiting for the market to turn around. It did, and now we have a modest home where we can continue our dreams. For most, these dreams occur much earli- er in life. For me, it seemed I struggled forever to realize them. So, as the songwriter Don Henley says, "I hate to tell you this, but I’m very, very happy." I know these are tough times for many folks, and I wouldn’t want to rub my success in their face. However, I want to tell them that dreams do come true and good things happen for those who wait. I know that’s a cliché, but the bottom line is that it’s true. As for the book, I’m not here to brag or draw any attention to myself. If I sell only a hundred, I’ll be happy. A friend of mine once told me, "Don’t be so resistant to share your gifts with other people; otherwise, what’s the point of having them?" I never set out to write a book. When I began my writing my column nearly five years ago, all I intend- ed was to share some insights with readers. Then, one thing led to another, and I sud- denly found myself pouring over one hundred pieces of writing to consider for publication. you’re interested, stay tuned next week for more details. Lastly, was rodeo week cool or what? Even if a person does not like rodeo, there are many other events to attend to have a good time. It’s a celebration of our community, really. I was very impressed with the parade turnout on Saturday. Pat Gleason Simply Put This book is not an autobi- ography; I never wanted to write my life story. However, parts of my life and what I believe are embedded in each and every piece. Anyway, I don’t want to say too much more about it. If I had to respect Colonel Pete Stiglich walking the route. His interaction with the crowd left me thinking that’s the right way to do it. He shook hands, posed for pictures and seemed genuine- Pat Gleason grew up in Los Angeles and has taught English at Red Bluff High School since 1990. He can be reached at phgleaso@rbuhsd.k12.ca.us. ly happy to be there. For a hopeful politician, he left quite an impression. Have a great Friday. ———