Redding Makes National News Headlines....and is this ever RIDICULOUS?
OK, so I am reading the USA Today while on vacation on Monday and there in bold California state news it is: "Redding: 85 year old disabled man is the target of Shasta County Environmental Health for Selling Fruitcakes to supplement his social security income". Using an obsolete law, our county "watchdogs" are at it again, spending taxpayers money and wasting a huge amount of time and energy to prevent an elderly, but creative, 85 year old senior citizen from doing something that hurts absolutely no one, namely selling homemade fruitcakes at Christmas to friends, neighbors, and even strangers, without a permit. So big deal. He has been doing this for a number of years and who is complaining? Who has gotten sick? Who is begrudging the "ol fella" a few extra bucks. Well, guess who? It is our ever present not-enough-to-do county employees that, in fact, apparently do not have enough to do to protect our environmental health standards that they have to go out and find this guy. A number of things really bother me about this story, thus this blog.
1. How far do you take this "obsolete law?" Does this say that every "bake sale" conducted by children and youth groups, from the scouts to the local church, can no longer "sell their goods in front of WalMart?" If so, then consistency is demanded, so guess who will be doing this policing and who will pay for this use of county employee time? County employees paid by you and me.
2. How do you determine if the kitchen facility that our elderly gentleman is using to bake the fruitcake is not up to the "standards" required by the Health Department? As we all know, these standards are to a degree subjective, in that all of us have eaten in restaurants that are barely above "filthy and disgusting". When was the last time one of us went into a restaurant restroom that was repulsive, only to read the small scratched over sign "employees wash hands" (expected to do so in the grimy smelly sink)?
3. Not too many years ago, various Farmers Markets sold a whole assortment of various foods, both cooked and raw, and even non-organic that was grown with various fertilizers. In many areas, this has gone on for years, and in many areas still is going on. From breads and cakes to soups and even salads, visitors could go from booth to booth to both sample and buy "home cooked goodies"....all done without any kind of "permitting". Have we ever heard of a disease like Cholera or Hepatitus being contacted at a local Farmers Market? In fact, do you ever hear of someone getting "food poisoning" at a Market? We do hear this said of restaurants that are inspected by the County and "permitted", don't we?
4. Lastly, in the interest of time and space, what really makes this ridiculous is the time, energy, and expense that this kind of activity on the part of our rather highly paid County employees is costing us. Especially when this same department supposedly has such a heavy workload that they cannot get to "approving a septic system plan" for a new home for weeks; cannot do an inspection of a foul smelling and looking well water complaint fin Anderson for days; or cannot review the plans for a lot line adjustment for weeks. This is the department that frequently puts you into voice mail only to call back in 2 or 3 days. Where are their priorities might be a logical question. From this incident, it must be to chase down a handicapped 85 year old fella to check out his "fruitcake". Well, good luck at budget time, as the economy slows and job cutbacks will come.
Again, I ask, what is wrong with this picture? And, it is a shame that this is what gets national news, when we have so much going for us that is never noted, like the quality of life, the tourism, the natural beauty, and the great things that are happening by caring folks on a daily basis. And, I will be criticized by the County leadership that we must have laws, even if they are obsolete, for this brings order to our society. My answer to this is simple....we had plenty of laws to control big business and banking 2 years ago, and look where we are today. I rest my case, and have a good day. Redding Makes National News Headlines....and is this ever RIDICULOUS?
OK, so I am reading the USA Today while on vacation on Monday and there in bold California state news it is: "Redding: 85 year old disabled man is the target of Shasta County Environmental Health for Selling Fruitcakes to supplement his social security income". Using an obsolete law, our county "watchdogs" are at it again, spending taxpayers money and wasting a huge amount of time and energy to prevent an elderly, but creative, 85 year old senior citizen from doing something that hurts absolutely no one, namely selling homemade fruitcakes at Christmas to friends, neighbors, and even strangers, without a permit. So big deal. He has been doing this for a number of years and who is complaining? Who has gotten sick? Who is begrudging the "ol fella" a few extra bucks. Well, guess who? It is our ever present not-enough-to-do county employees that, in fact, apparently do not have enough to do to protect our environmental health standards that they have to go out and find this guy. A number of things really bother me about this story, thus this blog.
1. How far do you take this "obsolete law?" Does this say that every "bake sale" conducted by children and youth groups, from the scouts to the local church, can no longer "sell their goods in front of WalMart?" If so, then consistency is demanded, so guess who will be doing this policing and who will pay for this use of county employee time? County employees paid by you and me.
2. How do you determine if the kitchen facility that our elderly gentleman is using to bake the fruitcake is not up to the "standards" required by the Health Department? As we all know, these standards are to a degree subjective, in that all of us have eaten in restaurants that are barely above "filthy and disgusting". When was the last time one of us went into a restaurant restroom that was repulsive, only to read the small scratched over sign "employees wash hands" (expected to do so in the grimy smelly sink)?
3. Not too many years ago, various Farmers Markets sold a whole assortment of various foods, both cooked and raw, and even non-organic that was grown with various fertilizers. In many areas, this has gone on for years, and in many areas still is going on. From breads and cakes to soups and even salads, visitors could go from booth to booth to both sample and buy "home cooked goodies"....all done without any kind of "permitting". Have we ever heard of a disease like Cholera or Hepatitus being contacted at a local Farmers Market? In fact, do you ever hear of someone getting "food poisoning" at a Market? We do hear this said of restaurants that are inspected by the County and "permitted", don't we?
4. Lastly, in the interest of time and space, what really makes this ridiculous is the time, energy, and expense that this kind of activity on the part of our rather highly paid County employees is costing us. Especially when this same department supposedly has such a heavy workload that they cannot get to "approving a septic system plan" for a new home for weeks; cannot do an inspection of a foul smelling and looking well water complaint fin Anderson for days; or cannot review the plans for a lot line adjustment for weeks. This is the department that frequently puts you into voice mail only to call back in 2 or 3 days. Where are their priorities might be a logical question. From this incident, it must be to chase down a handicapped 85 year old fella to check out his "fruitcake". Well, good luck at budget time, as the economy slows and job cutbacks will come.
Again, I ask, what is wrong with this picture? And, it is a shame that this is what gets national news, when we have so much going for us that is never noted, like the quality of life, the tourism, the natural beauty, and the great things that are happening by caring folks on a daily basis. And, I will be criticized by the County leadership that we must have laws, even if they are obsolete, for this brings order to our society. My answer to this is simple....we had plenty of laws to control big business and banking 2 years ago, and look where we are today. I rest my case, and have a good day.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Adam Christing...a great event..
We just had Adam Christing at our Church Celebration Event and he was great. If you need a good, clean, funny, and audience interactive comedian-magician...this is your guy. Here is the story on him:
Adam Christing - Interactive Entertainer
As one of the world’s premiere interactive entertainers, Adam Christing has amused, mystified, and delighted more than 3,000 separate audiences across North America. Hailed as a “meeting planner’s dream”, Adam has become a favorite guest performer, emcee, and after-dinner entertainer for hundreds of the top companies and organizations in the world, including Toyota, Microsoft, Stanford University and scores of others.
Adam became a member of the world famous Magic Castle in Hollywood at the age of 17. Since then he has been featured on more than 100 radio and TV shows, including Fox News, CNN, Entertainment Tonight, ABC World News Tonight and NBC Nightly News. He’s also been in national magazines and newspapers, including USA Today, FORTUNE, The Chicago Sun Times, The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times.
Adam has been ranked among the top 5 after-dinner speakers in America. Success magazine highlighted him as “one of the most successful young entrepreneurs in America. Business and media expert Michael Levine noted Adam’s truly unique mix of leadership, humor, and creative communication, calling him “one of the most engaging and entertaining presenters in America today.” Adam has a knack for “getting everybody laughing” together no matter how large or small the audience.
Adam is the author of Comedy Comes Clean: A Hilarious Collection of Jokes, Quotes and One-Liners published by Random House, Three Rivers Press. Adam earned a degree in public speaking from Biola University and has been named to Biola’s Alumni Hall of Fame.
Adam is the CEO of Creek Park Pictures, whose vision is “Engaging Ideas On Screen”.
Look for Adam’s first feature film Change Your Life! Adam is the co-writer and co-director of this hilarious “mockumentary” about the wacky world of multi-level marketing, starring Tony Plana of Ugly Betty fame. Adam’s movie will be released in 2008.
Adam is also the writer and director of A Mormon President: Joseph Smith and the Mormon Quest for the White House, a documentary that is currently in post-production.
Adam lives in Southern California with his wife and 4 children.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Lest We Forget
This was in the Record Searchlight and is a great article...Lest we Forget.
A dying tradition for veterans
7 in Shasta County remain who served during Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor
Photo Gallery
Local veterans
Mike Sotak, 86, is a member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association in Redding and served in the U.S Navy from 1940-46. He was on the USS Maryland during the Pearl Harbor attack. View gallery »
Their ranks are thinning with each passing year. But survivors of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor are gathering at 9 a.m. Sunday outside the Shasta County Courthouse in Redding to remember the 67th anniversary of that “day of infamy."
“I figure if we get five, we will be lucky," said 86-year-old Mike Sotak of Happy Valley, who served on the USS Maryland at Pearl Harbor during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack.
Once 67 members strong, today Shasta County’s Pearl Harbor Survivors Chapter 28 has seven active members left. “It’s a time in history that’s passing very quickly," said Don Crandell of Redding, the chapter’s secretary and the son of a Pearl Harbor survivor.
It’s been estimated that 18,000 to 20,000 veterans survived the attack on Pearl Harbor. And although it’s not known how many of them are still alive, the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association has a nationwide active membership of about 5,000, about 800 fewer than it had only a few years ago.
Crandell, whose father was captain of the USS Gamble at Pearl Harbor, was an eighthgrader living with his family in a beach house on Oahu when he saw the Japanese planes fly over on their way to attack Battleship Row 67 years ago Sunday.
Crandell, who’s 80 himself and attempted a few years ago to begin a local chapter of the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors with little success, says that the days of the Pearl Harbor survivors chapter also may soon be numbered because of its declining membership.
“When it gets down to six we’re supposed to lose our charter," he said. Crandell, who helped to organize the ceremony, says it should be a simple and relatively short affair.
“I can’t imagine there are going to be many people there," because it falls on a Sunday morning, he said. The ceremony will feature a Veterans of Foreign Wars honor guard, a rifle salute, a bugler, and a few prayers and short speeches.
Then, of course, there will be those men who were present during a crucial turning point in world history.
The chapter’s president, Hank Reynolds of Red Bluff, who served on the USS Detroit, will miss Sunday’s ceremony because he is attending the national Pearl Harbor Survivors Association’s reunion in Fredericksburg, Texas.
But those local chapter members expected to attend are Sotak, Van Harrison of Redding, who served on the USS Tennessee; Melvin Fisher of Jones Valley, who served on the USS Whitney; Richard Lamb of Redding, who served on the USS Curtis; Robert McCullough of Red Bluff, who served on the USS Medusa; and Wayne Stamper of Redding, who served on the USS St. Louis. Crandell is the master of ceremonies.
Shasta vs. Enterprise Basketball WOW !
Last night we got to see a great game of fast and exciting basketball....and I wanted to share the coverage story from the Record Searchlight with you, for it says it all. What a fun night of high school basketball. It doesn't get any better than what we saw on Friday night at the Harlan Carter HS Basketball Invitational.
Wolves beat Hornets, try for first Harlan Carter title since 1999
The Wolves beat the Hornets at their own game.
In a frenetic-paced contest not for basketball purists, in a back-and-forth tilt stamped "instant classic" - the Shasta High School boys basketball team ignited at home with two minutes to play and burned rival Enterprise 56-54. The win puts the Wolves in the Harlan Carter Invitational championship against Pleasant Valley at 6:30 p.m. today.
They got there by outrunning the notoriously aggressive Enterprise defense, matching the Hornets' stamina and speed with a 12-man Shasta rotation.
And the final two minutes played out like a gem.
The Wolves outscored the Hornets 10-3 over the final 1:50 to fill a 51-46 deficit. Most of the 1:50 rolled off unabated as Enterprise ran out of timeouts with 80 seconds left and the Wolves sat on theirs.
"I thought we were where we needed to be," Shasta coach Bill Callaway said.
Besides, he didn't want to let the Hornets recompose.
"If we didn't break and get something we really got stagnant," Callaway said, praising Enterprise's half-court defense. "We didn't move very well on offense. Some of that's lack of practice time, but they just stuffed us in the half-court game so we didn't want to slow anything down."
Nick Preston owned five of Shasta's final 10 points and scored a game-high 11, counting a big 3-pointer to cut Enterprise's lead to 51-49 and a layup off a steal by Evan Taylor to extend Shasta's lead to 54-51.
The Wolves took the lead on Matt Wayda's go-ahead 3-pointer - his lone score of the game - to make it 52-51 Shasta with 56 seconds left. Enterprise set up the score when it flubbed an inbound pass.
Wayda's crowd-raising 3-pointer set off a chain of events in rapid fire.
Taylor snagged a loose ball and pitched it to Preston to put Shasta up three. Enterprise broke down the sideline and hit Nyjel Buchanan with a long pass. Buchanan dropped a game-tying 3.
Shasta came back up court and Tony Moore drove the lane for two with less than 20 seconds left.
Enterprise responded with a decent look by sophomore Cody Fisher in the corner that found iron.
Ball game.
"I think coming back against a little bit of a deficit is a big thing right there and maybe shows a little bit of what we're capable of doing," Callaway said.
And the two-platoon hockey shift gave the Hornets all they could handle. Shasta ran Enterprise to to the point where it would physically and mentaly lax, then Callaway sent in a new line of guys.
"We want to play like we did the last minute there," Callaway said. "With a sense of passion and urgency that everything is on the line. If we're going to play 12 guys lets get after it and make things happen."
Jovon Cunningham helped keep the Hornets in it early with his clutch 3-point shooting. Cunningham hit four-of-six downtown attempts in the second half.
"Usually I just slide to wherever the open lane is," Cunningham said. "You can feel it. It's all in the rhythm. I'd say after my third three I could feel it."
He scored 15 points, Buchanan added 15 and Anthony Williams scored 13. Shasta's Tony Moore scored 10. Brett LaHorgue added eight.
Reporter John Ryan can be reached at 225-8263 or at jryan@redding.com.
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