8B Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2009
Bulletin, Progressive, Record, Reporter
EDITORIAL
fl Yl d
OPINION
EDITORIAL
............................................. -L .....................................................................
li
Sheriff Bergstrand does indeed retire
Special districts join LAFCo
Countywide lighting district formed' at
no extra cost to taxpayers
PDH doctors save vacationing billion-
aire's life; grateful patient offers to
pay for new hospital
General Plan update completed ahead of
time and under budget
Feather River Inn re-opens for business
Downstream users to pay surcharge for
Plumas water; county awash in money
Forest Service completes QLG program
of work
Plumas Arts gets $1 million grant to
rehab Town Hall Theatre
Plumas real estate market: D6j& vu 2005
Recession over! Plumas booms; unem-
ployment less than 5 percent
Social services report record low de-
mand for assistance
Food pantries say shelves are
overflowing
Animal shelter empty; all pets well fed
and safe; dogs well behaved and silent
Letters.to Editor:filled with intelligent: ,.
commentary and good, will .... " "
Sheriff's Blotter on hiatus, no crime to
report
Plumas-Eureka ski bowl re-opens
Plumas National Forest set to build
hundreds of miles on new trails;
tourism expected to increase
No forest fires reported in Plumas
County
State stops stealing funds from cities,
counties and special districts
Enrollment in Plumas schools increases
A
Fea g
go to plumasnews.com
Michael C. Taborski ............. Publisher
Keri B. Taborski ...Legal Advertising Dept.
Delaine Fragnoli ........ Managing Editor
Diana Jorgenson .......... Porto!a Editor
Alicia Knadler ........ Indian Valley Editor
Kate West ............... Chester Editor
S hannon Morrow .......... Sports Editor
Mona Hill .................. Copy Editor
Staff writers:
Joshua Sebold Ruth Ellis
Will Farris Brian Taylor
Sam Williams Pat Shillito
Barbara France Linda Stachwell
Susan Cort Johnson
Cheryl Frei
Feather River Westwood
Bulletin PinePress
(530) 283°0800 (530) 256-2277
Lassen County Chester Progressive
Times (530) 258-3115
(530) 257-53211
Indian Valley
Portola Reporter Record
(530) 832-4646 (530) 284-7800
Shhh ... sometimes we need to keep secrets
MY TURN
M. KATE WEST
Chester Editor
chesternews@plumasnews.com
The following statement, which is a
CNN condensed item, ran on its Political
Tickler blog Friday, Dec. 4: "The White
House has authorized an expansion of the
• C.I.A.'s drone program in Pakistan's law-
less tribal areas, officials said this week...
American officials are talking with Pak-
istan about the possibility of striking in
Baluchistan for the first time a contro-
versial move since it is outside the tribal
areas--because that is where Afghan Tal-
iban leaders are believed to hide."
Wow! Unless this is total misinforma-
tion being published as part of a strategy
to convince the bad guys that we really
don't know where they are--we have a se-
rious problem with today's definition of
national security.
Can you imagine the same thing hap-
pening on D-Day (Tuesday, June 4, 1944)
during World War II?
News flash! "Gerleral Eisenhower has
History & Mystery
A corner safety mirror gives a unique perspective of downtown, but which town? E-
mail mysteryphoto@101umasnews~cqm or call your local newspaper office listed at the
bQttom of this, page, Answers,must be received byi ~Friday.i~l; 5_.P~,n);;:AII correct,a0swers,.
will be entered into a drawing for a free fou~-week classified ~d valued ~t ~28..To
learn the location of this photo, see Section A of next week's newspaper. Photo by
Alicia Knadler
decided that despite poor weather reports
he will continue with the plan to invade
Omaha Beach as part of Operations Nep-
tune and Overlord."
The White House has authorized...as in
the place where the Commander in Chief
of all the United States Armed Forces
lives? That White House is issuing state-
ments about secret military support and
fact-finding methqds that might actually
help to keep our troops safe?
OK, I admit it. This issue I have with
both CNN and the White House isn't any-
thing new. As a matter of fact, my-first up-
set with this leak about military actions
began with the live news coverage of Op-
eration Desert Storm nearly 10 years ago.
Scenario: American troops and tanks
are rolling toward Kuwait. Did the Iraqis
have to go to the trouble of trying to infil-
trate spies into our ranks to learn wl at
was going on? Heck no...they just had to
turn on CNN and count noses and tanks
and then decide how many troops to throw
into the battle against our troops.
American spirit, technology and superi-
or air power were our saving grace in
meeting those added and very unneces-
sary challenges presented by live video
feed.
Do I not support news from the front? I
absolutely do. In times of war there have
always been correspondents on the
ground with the troops.
There were even newsreels showing
troops on the move. The difference
then...the direction of troop movements,
the number of troops and the amount of
equipment wasn't reported until after the
planned action was completed. It was kept
secret--duh!
As trite as common sense may seem in
these circumstances, a primary element
in the success of military campaigns is
surprise---and surpmse can only be
achieved as a result of what the enemy
doesn't know.
Knowing what everybody is doing all
the time and how they are doing it is how
the Current administration defines trans-
parency.
Transparency (I'm really getting to dis-
like this word) would be a great thing if it
actually were doing any good, like clearly
laying out the facts about potential health-
care reform and, more importantly, the
true financial impact to America.
Instead it seems we have more secrecy
~su~:rounding when congr~e.s.s.io~al votes, 2
will take place than we do about the very
necessary job of spying for the good of
America.
REMEMBER WHEN
KERI TABORSKI
Historian
100 YEARS AGO....1909
Advertisement: New Year's Eve masquer-
ade ball at the Quincy House. Admittance,
midnight supper and party favors $2.50.
75 YEARS AGO .... 1934
Advertisement: A grand New Year's Eve
Ball at Taylorsville sponsored by the Tay-
lorsville firemen. Music by the Hoot Owls.
Dance $1.00. Turkey supper 50¢.
Ruth Harris of Portola was chosen to be
Miss Portola and will reign as Portola
Snow Sports queen and represent the club
and Charlotte Calais of Greenville as Miss
Plumas will represent Plumas County at
the Sacramento Snow Carnival next
month.
Advertisement: New Year's Eve Party at
Paxton in the Feather River Villa. Good
music, excellent dance floor and supreme
food. $1.00.
50 YEARS AGO .... 1959
Advertisement: New Year's Eve Dance
at Happy Hollow. Music by Warren, Les
and Moe.
The hard and gusty winds that occurred
throughout Plumas County last week
played havoc with many of the outdoor
Christmas decorations. Many nativity
scenes, lights and reindeer atop rooftops
were damaged or blown away all together.
This made it difficult to judge "best
decoration" contests in all communities.
30 YEARS AGO .... 1979
Leaking propane gas and the potential
danger of a massive explosion necessitated
evacuation of some homes near the Long
Valley bridge west of C, romberg last Thurs-
day when a gas tanker and trailer flipped
over on Highway 70. The accident closed
through traffic for over 12 hours but a dirt
road detour kept the traffic flowing the
next day.
Note: Items included in the weekly Remem-
ber When column are taken from our bound
newspaper archives and represent writing
styles of that particular period. The spelling
and grammar are not edited, so the copy is
presented as it actually appeared in the
original newspaper.
I'm slamming the door on the year 200
again/And held her in my armsP' recently who are pretty much what they
This is a sentiment that I've always seem to be, and what they seem to be--
heartily endorsed especially at a time even in difficult times--is pretty damn
like this, when I'm tired of battles, hospi- good. Some of them work hard at this; oth-
tal and personal. As I get older I see just ers seem to do it almost as effortlessly as
how many people each of us loses through breathing. I'm trying to spend more time
death and attrition. This has been a year with these people.
of such losses for me. So, begging Yeats' My friend Debora says that your outer
pardon, I'm not sure that love isn't war, world reflects your inner one, and that
MY TURN after all. when you try to make a serious change,
LINDA SATCHWELL I have time to think as I drive each day the various addictions that have lured
Staff Writer from Graeagle to Quincy• Thinking can be you for a long time come out of the wood-
Isatchwell@plumasnews.com a dangerous pastime. I've noticed inter- work to pull you back.
esting (a euphemism for strange and mys- If I had to make a resolution for this
It's not my turn. At least I don't think it tifying) reactions from many of the people coming year, mine would be both public
should be, but I'm told I took a turn out of whom this most recent loss has touched: and personal not to let anyone or any-
turn, so here we are. You're stuck with some twisted, some broken, some kindthing else define me: no one's tragedy or
me again• and laudable. I thought on a recent morn- hatred, no group's discord or prejudice.
I've said enough about getting along, ing's drive that people are often not what On things public, I would gather as
working together, creating, rather than they seem. And, while I am still a perenni- much information as possible to make a
destroying, warring, hating. I'd rather ally hopeful person,,I have to say that thoughtful, reasonable decision.
talk about love. what's behind that seemliness isn't neces- On things private, I would gather
One of my favorite quotes from my fa- sarily good. around me people who wear honesty well
vorite author, the poet W.B. Yeats, goes I've trusted people too much, perhaps, and who err on the side of kindness.
this way: I've been blind-sided by grief a few times As for the new year, I'll enter it some-
"And maybe what they say is true/Of war and by selfishness a few more. what tenderly, and with an as yet un-
and war's alarms/But O that I were young On the other hand, I've met a few people quenched hopefulness.
I
Don't sit back and let others do the talking for you.
Express yourself in our LETTERS TO THE
I I I
V
