Letters for July 12, 2007

Veggie’s delight
Re: “Keeping tradition” (Chow, by C. Moore, CN&R, July 5): I wanted to thank you for writing a review of my new favorite Thai restaurant in Chico. But what I really wanted to thank you for was having vegetarian options (minus the salmon) in your review!

All too often food reviews feature meat-this and meat-that, and it becomes disheartening. As a vegan I appreciate a food review that caters to my dietary needs. There are lots of vegetarians and vegans in Chico who will appreciate knowing that Thai Basil is veg friendly and delicious, too!

Sarah Downs
Chico

End game
Re: “Work vs. energy—discuss” (Letters, by Irene Cardenas and Tom Blodget, CN&R, July 5): The two letters show such a degree of ignorance of science, it is worth my personal dignity to let the discussion rest forever. Those in pursuit of scholarly studies know never to let oneself become embroiled in a public debate with other than professionals in the field.

I know the forethoughts are going to be perceived as un-American, but this is not the place to rebut, point by point, the fallacies in the two letters referred to above.

Brahama D. Sharma
Chico

Declaring relevance
Here it is, the Fourth of July, and once again I am reading The Declaration of Independence. Here are some interesting quotations from that brilliant document:

“The history of the present King of Great Britain is a History of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States";

“He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers";

“He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries";

“He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance";

“[He has deprived] us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury"; and, finally,

“[He has taken] away our Charters, abolish[ed] fundamentally the Forms of Government [and suspended] our own Legislatures, and [declared himself] invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.”

So here we are 211 years later faced with a “culture of corruption” in King W’s White House, the unending Iraq war, billions of wasted taxpayer dollars, Gonzalezgate, Plamegate, the lack of response to Hurricane Katrina, and on and on. Amazing how relevant The Declaration of Independence remains!

Lynn H. Elliott
Chico

Why’d he go?
This letter is in regard to the recent departure of Action News weatherman Dave Vanore. Let’s file this one under “what were they thinking?”

From a viewer perspective the station’s decision to demote him appears to be one of the biggest lapses of judgment by a management team ever made. My guess is that the decision-making process was money-driven. And if so, I wonder just how much it will help with improving the good old bottom line.

Why would a business like television that relies so much on viewer trust cut its primary ties with someone who has sailed to the top of the familiarity scale in the community?

From my experiences with watching people on television, whether small scale or large, it seems the ones who really make their mark are the ones with a big batch of charisma. Vanore not only had that covered, but he also had a great talent for telling a good weather story.

Perhaps its time for a change in one of the larger offices over there on Eaton Road.

Sam Clifford
Paradise

Chico’s playground
We’ve taught our children well. We’ve taught them to be wholesome and to participate in wholesome activity. Why so much scrutiny? Skateboarding, and now Frisbee golf, in jeopardy? Chico requires a young-person-friendly atmosphere. I walked across the Frisbee golf course today and found two soda bottles, one can, a T-shirt and one Reebok tennis shoe (size 8, would love to have the other one), no damaged trees, no dead birds or animals, and yes indeed there was evidence of human impact; it is a “public” park. Upon close inspection, I determined that all items of debris were non-toxic and no threat to the environment.

The Frisbee golfers are enjoying fresh air, exercise, companionship. It is a good thing! Will they now have to pay to play in a city Frisbee-golf park in Chico? Oh yes, Frisbee golf and skateboard transportation are both smog free and Earth friendly. Frisbee golf is not a frightening thing. Not being able to see the Sutter Buttes from Highway 32 due to icky air … hmm.

By the way, I started skating in 1961, even before smog was invented.

P.S. I would really like to have that size 8 left shoe.

Kathleen McNeilley Dunning
Forest Ranch

Thank you, long overdue
John R. Carpenter, thanks for your unselfish and courageous attempt to save my Micah. I shall never forget!

Merry Mary Ford
Berry Creek

Good Samaritan
I want it known that Dave Cruz [of a Paradise maintenance crew] helped me immensely. My car stalled and stopped on the highway in Paradise where there wasn’t a pull-off to its side to get over to. He asked if I was OK, did I have insurance or a friend he could call. He immediately put out two flares and guided the traffic to the side. He let me call my friend, and also we tried to call my daughter, who wasn’t at home.

The traffic became terrible, and Dave Cruz stayed with me until the tow truck came. I am 89 years old and was a little nervous; Dave was so kind to me and stayed with me until I was secure in what was going on. When the tow truck came Dave lifted me into the truck, since it was so high up.

The tow truck took me and my car home. It was Dave Cruz who put it all together. He was wonderful.

R. Roberta Davidson
Chico

Food for thought
As I walked down the frozen-food aisle of my local supermarket, I noticed a new product that got me thinking. The product is a frozen peanut butter and jelly “sandwich” that is individually wrapped and ready for thaw in the lunch bag. The product is obviously targeted to busy families.

I’m not making light of busy schedules, but a sandwich takes a whopping 60 to 120 seconds to prepare. I’m thinking that if parents don’t have the time to make a sandwich for their child, they probably really don’t have the time to discuss the important issues that face all youth today. Let’s not kid ourselves, there are far too many disaffected young people on the streets of America. Just food (PB&J) for thought.

Jeff Straub
Chico

Clarification
Re: “Work begins on Chico shelter” (Newslines, by Emanuella Orr, CN&R, July 5): The story was incomplete. The downtown facility described will not provide overnight shelter on site. It will be a drop-in center for teens and will have counseling and general facilities for youth to use. Teens can arrange for overnight shelter there, but it will be provided at a confidential location.

The downtown facility, now called Links (the name will be changed shortly before opening this fall), will be open from noon to 8 p.m. every day.

Links is being funded via Proposition 63, which puts a 1 percent tax on people with incomes greater than $1 million.