Letters for June 30, 2005

Get real
I’ll start off by saying that I enjoy your weekly publication. But I think you went a bit too far in your Goin’ Chico issue when you harpooned the other media outlets in town. Having lived in San Francisco, Reno and Monterey, I would make the claim that the radio/TV/newspapers in Chico do a pretty good job for the market size. There are plenty of good places on the radio dial to catch some good tunes. I particularly enjoy the station [KZFR, 90.1 FM] airing the Grateful Dead show on Friday afternoons.

Having read many daily periodicals over the years, I think the Enterprise-Record does a decent job of covering the local news without the junk ads that tatter your publication, and a lot of people I know enjoy the “Tell It to the ER” section. It triggers some good morning conversation.

Then you ream the TV morning news. First of all, Louisa Hodge hasn’t been a regular on that show for months, and I’d much rather watch the more laid-back and knowledgeable Eric Laughlin than the second-rate morning cheeseball circus hosted by Rob Blair.

You people really need to get over yourselves. This is Chico, not New York City.

Aaron Miller
Chico

Bidwell the builder
I’m glad that Ms. [Jennifer] Spangler does not teach English comprehension or critical reading or logic [“What’s God got to do with it?” Guest comment, June 2].

She correctly states that our Declaration of Independence contains the phrase, “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” and then in the very next sentence states that U.S. citizens have a “right” to happiness. Our founding fathers were astute enough to know that the best thing they could do was to allow people to “pursue” happiness. There is a vast difference.

If one applies the same faulty reasoning to the religion clause of the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights, you just might think that the line, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,” means there is a wall between religion and state. Also, a vast difference.

And our teacher, Lika Shimmon, needs a Chico history lesson before he conjures up our dear departed John Bidwell [“Pave paradise,” Letters, June 23]. He states the obvious, that Bidwell founded Chico as a “farming community.” There are 30-plus subdivisions created by Annie’s beloved. Bidwell would create a subdivision and then give the lots to anyone who would promise to build a house there. He sold lots to people at low prices, carried the financing and then loaned them the money to build their house. John Bidwell developed Chico. John Bidwell was one of those nasty “developers.”

I too think that he would have some thoughts about the parking structure but, knowing just a little of his history, I bet they are different thoughts than those who want to destroy the bridge they came across when they moved to town.

Tim Edwards
Chico

Thanks to all
The staff of KZFR 90.1 FM, Chico’s community radio station, would like to express our sincere thanks to all who helped make our Fourth Annual Touch of Chico fundraiser a rousing success. We raised nearly $5,000. In particular, we would like to thank personally all the body workers who spent the best part of their day on Sunday, June 12, giving massages as their donation to KZFR.

Thanks also to the local musicians who kept everyone entertained, all the folks who helped set up, serve food and clean up, and to the local restaurateurs, caterers and food and beverage producers who kept everyone fed.

Jill Paydon
General Manager
KZFR 90.1 FM

Next exit: ER
Isn’t it ironic? Thirteen thousand students can spend $55 million on a gym, just like that, but the 75,000 citizens of Chico are limited to a budget of $85 million on their six-county hospital.

In the end, optimal ambulance access will save lives.

Let’s have Enloe build our emergency room on its property near the freeway.

Charles Withuhn
Chico

Down with the valley
A hugely intrusive foothill development known as Oak Valley is dangerously close to becoming a reality, and few people actually realize how far reaching this sprawling suburb will be at full build-out.

Visualize hundreds of homes going 1.4 miles beyond California Park up to an elevation of 600 feet. City staff and the City Council want to believe that these homes will somehow be hidden in amongst the thin canopy of oaks and shallow ravines, but common sense says otherwise.

Despite a clear dictate from the General Plan and the environmental-impact report to move the density of dwellings downhill to preserve the foothill character (without losing the total amount of units), the City Council is quietly letting this oversight become an ugly reality.

Please, go to the city Web site and click on “Email the Council” and tell them to save our foothills by adopting Alternative 3 of the EIR.

Randy Abbott
Chico

Staph report
Do you believe you have been exposed to and contracted a staph infection, clostridium difficile toxin (C Diff), or any other type of infection as a result of a stay at a local hospital? If you have, please contact Ann Robinson at 894-0811 or Elaine Locke at 895-3944. We are in the process of forming a group (so far about 30 people). We believe this problem is far larger than the public is aware. If you have a complaint of any type, we will also make a report of that. There is strength in numbers. Give us a call.

Ann Robinson
Chico

Disc dis
Disc golf had one sad week. We were accused of malicious removal of plants from the park, had nasty messages left in our voicemail and had our course vandalized. As I write this, there’s no word from the Park Department that we’ll be allowed to replace our stolen targets. I hope we can.

But there may be good news as far as all this disc golf ridiculousness goes. The Park Department has hired a Professional Disc Golf Association environmental consultant to examine disc golf course options. His goal is to minimize impact to the environment and identify mitigation methods that might be appropriate for our site.

I hope disc golf supporters will back what is essentially a compromise plan. I hope some members of the environmental community will recognize that recreation is important to our community and will also support it. I hope that by reaching outside of our divided community for a disc golf opinion our park director has found a way to solve the question of disc golf in Bidwell Park.

Lon Glazner
Chico