Opinion
Editorials
Valley Voices: Forests need care too
What if you needed to have a tree removed in your yard and one tree service quoted a thousand dollars to do the job, while another one said they would pay you for the fire wood value of the tree? I bet you would choose the one that pays you instead of paying for the same job.
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Our Opinion: Keeping the Focus Local
In an effort to strengthen, support and reinforce the community focus of the Sun, letters to the editor that speak to issues of community interest and/or concern or relevance will receive priority for publication. Space for letters to the editor is limited, therefore topics that address larger national issues will not be given the same priority.
More of this storyIt is regrettable that a quote in last week's article reporting the death of Ben Gaylord was included in the story. Even though the quote from the neighbor, who along with his wife found Ben's body, was accurate, its inclusion in the article was unfortunate and insensitive. Ben's family, you have enough grief; we apologize for adding to it.
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Letters
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Well done, Edison crews
As a large number of valley residents struggled with the recent power outage, I heard a number of folks blame the power company. This could not be further from the truth. I was privileged to have a front row seat to the sequence of events that took place. Though I was not at home when the initial fire broke out, I do know that there was a Raven’s nest in that pole and that there were young ravens in the nest. My guess would be that one of the young ravens some how caused a short, which started the nest on fire, then the pole and finely the ground. No matter how it started the resulting fire caused serious damage to the power pole. The damaged pole was not the only obstacle facing the repair crew; this pole was located on a hill which made access almost impossible. As the power company’s crews began to arrive it was clear that this was no ordinary quick fix job. They began hand digging the holes for the new poles late that first night and continued through the next day. As more equipment arrived there was a constant buzz of activity. The new power poles arrived, which were staged in the field next to my home and the men went to work immediately preparing these poles to be set. On Friday morning the helicopter landed and by 8:30 am the crews began setting the new poles. Amazingly by Friday evening the power had been restored, the men and equipment were gone and all was quite in the neighborhood once again. During these few days I had an opportunity to observe the Southern California Edison crews working and interacted with one or two of them, and they were all very professional. Considering the amount of men, equipment and two very large power poles that had to be brought into our valley, not to mention the difficult task, I think it was accomplished in a timely manor. My hat’s off to all the Southern California Edison crews, Job Well Done!
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Hatchery EIR/EIS hearing: Should be in/near KRV
With the frustrating Dept. of Fish & Game Fish Stocking meeting last month, mention was made that DFG is doing an EIR/EIS. EIR is Environmental Impact Report (required by Calif. State Law) and EIS is Environmental Impact Statement (required by Federal Law). I applaude Assemblymember Jean Fuller for making that meeting happen and keeping watch on this important issue for the Kern Valley. As a former planner who wrote EIRs, I urge locals to watch the Hatchery EIR/EIS process and participate in the upcoming comment process. DFG’s James Starr, who is Program Manager for the Hatchery EIR/EIS, recently e-mail me that, “We anticipate having a public draft of the EIR/EIS out in early June of 2009, instead of late-May as presented in our earlier time-line of events.” He also said, “At this time we have not set our dates for the Draft EIR/EIS Public Hearings. Once these dates and locations are set we will post them on the DFG web page.”
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Students ask support to help keep Camp KEEP
My name is Evan Moore. My most memorable Camp KEEP experience was doing back flips off the sand dunes. At Camp KEEP I learned about all types of habitats and wildlife. It is a great experience for 6th graders because it caps off all the Earth Science that they have been studying all year. Possible solutions for getting money for Camp KEEP is: start doing fundraising in 5th grade and continue in 6th grade for this amazing program.
More of this storyI wasn’t affected by the outage but I know many that were. If if was a planned program it was a complete failure. If it was an unexpected problem then they now know that they aren’t very well organized for the unexpected.
More of this storyI believe that most all of our local business owners try to create goodwill and support the community. It was business owners who encouraged me to write a letter to the editor, so appalled were they by the following event:
More of this storyIs the Postal Service still working to give “service” to the public or are they just there to fill their time card? Why is it open only about two hours on Saturday? I can remember when the postal employees really performed service; now it is all for their benefit. At one time a person went to work there for job security; now it seems they are there to find ways to inconvenience the public. The higher the stamp goes the less service is given. Some act like they are doing us a big favor by being there.
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Remove Kern River from no-stock list
We need your help, the local biologist for California Department of Fish and Game has informed me that, DFG is getting ready to negotiate with the Center for Biological Diversity and Pacific Rivers council about removal of certain bodies of water from the no-stocking list. That would be good news but, she indicated that the Kern would not be included in those negotiations. She also indicated that she did not understand why not but the decision came from the head of Fishery Department.
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Community Voices: Lake Isabella: Recreation Opportunities Knock
Tina Terrell, Forest Supervisor
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Sequoia National Forest
Warranties and customer service
I have had to deal with a lot of product warranties lately. I bought a chair for my mom with a lifetime warranty from a store right here in Lake Isabella. After eight months of use by a 120-pound female, it looks like it is worn out. I called the store and talked to the owner and was told that I was out of luck as the manufacturer had gone out of business the previous month. The owner said there was nothing he would or could do about it, even though his business sold me the chair, they would not stand behind it. I ask you what good is a lifetime warranty if the manufacturer goes out of business? I am out $399 for a piece of junk! You can guess that I will never shop at that store again.
More of this storyLate Sunday evening, June 7, in Lake Isabella, I had taken my daughter and her twin babies home. I had just taken one of the babies out of the car and started into the house with her in my arms. As I was walking around the back of the car, I stepped on some loose asphalt and twisted my ankle. Then down I went, baby and all. I hit my head on the ground when I fell and, of course, I dropped the baby from my arms. I was in so much pain I was unable to move. But as soon as I fell, a young man was at my side trying to console me and keep me as comfortable as possible until paramedics arrived.
More of this storyCamp KEEP has been in our school tradition for over 30 years. If you ended that, then that is like wearing shoes without socks, a very sticky situation.
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Reality of Postal Service plight
Re: Postal service lacking, Letters, 6/10/09Maybe Mr. Yearwood should really take a look at what is going on in the USA today and hope that the Postal Service can maintain the prices and service we have now and not have to pay as much as the rest of the world, especially European countries.
More of this storyThe aforementioned letter stated the following opinions:
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Protect California’s social services
California revenues have declined, the state owes about $23 billion, and social services for citizens could be cut unless additional revenues are established. Coca Cola, Nestle, and other companies profit from California’s resources. Chevron’s 2008 4th Quarter profit was $7.89 billion. California legislators should establish a Resource Extraction Tax on businesses that benefit from the sale of California’s resources (like oil, minerals, water, energy, and timber, etc.) to pay for social services (like libraries, education, police, fire fighters, health care, elder care, transportation, etc.). Call your California lawmakers and let them know you want social services protected.
More of this storyI have never written to a newspaper before, but I am sick of all the bad news I hear about California being is such trouble. Instead of laying off people, cutting health care, and forcing people to take days off without pay, why don’t we,as taxpayers, ask out lawmakers in Sacramento, who by the way got us into this mess, to cut their pay, and give up some of their perks, like free cars that we pay for. I know it won’t solve all of our problems, but it might help. I would like a better accounting of what they get paid, including all the perks. How about the rest of you?
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If you don’t like it, make it better
I was telling a friend recently about my hometown, and she reminded me that we never remember the negative, but dwell on our happy memories. So true in my case. I had many happy memories there, and was not a part of the bickering and gossip. Unfortunately when a kid graduates KVHS there is little hope of a future there unless your family owned a big business you could join. The ones left there often have too much time on their hands, which can turn to depression and substance abuse. I would like to salute those who volunteer in some way or another to make the valley better. That said, I would like to suggest a community garden where people have to put time in a large garden with fruit trees, and rows of vegetables, possibly working with animals for meat, as opposed to just handing out all the food they want for nothing. Let them feel proud of what they do. Let those who know teach those who don’t. Make a compost heap, and learn organic gardening. Someday this might come in handy, and the intergenerational involvement can help us understand each other better and become more tolerant. Start a clothing bank with nice clothes you can go to church in, or get a good job. I want to come home someday, but not to the negative bitterness I read about in every comment. If you don’t like it...make it better!
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Forest just as flammable
Re: Beware of information from Sequoia ForestKeepersIn reply to Mr. Perry’s letter of June 16, in which he defends the Forest Service practice of allowing loggers to “thin” the forest:
More of this storyThe story of the little boy that kept crying wolf so often that when it really happened no one believed him. Well how about Cal Trans putting out signs and not doing the work they advertise? There have been such signs out east of the freeway for over three weeks. Now would be a good time to either produce or get off the pot. We,as drivers, are expected to drive with special caution when the signs are placed but if they are seen and no one is working it could become a wolf situation.
More of this storyI read with interest that the Forest service had closed the campground at French Meadows in the Piutes. The reason given was that tailings from mining operations in the early 1900’s and before had contaminated the ground with arsenic.
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Three cheers for the young men of Camp Owen
I live in Squirrel Valley and have been involved in Chipper Day for seven years and have worked side by side with the young men (wards of Camp Owen), and have marveled at their enthusiasm and dedication in making a hot, dusty, dirty and noisy project such as Chipper Day a success by assisting the KCFD Fuels Reduction Crews in making our community more resistant to wild fires.
More of this storySpecial thanks to Kern Valley “Last Call Tent Revival” sponsors. We would like to thank Bill Sheffer for the use of his property, Tim Connor (Connor’s Construction) for lot preparation, Gary and Maryiann Harkey (of Mobile Home Care) crew put up/down tent & other tasks, and Pastor Bill Blanton (of Christian Service Center) use of his many services. And thank you to all of the other various businesses and organizations, for their support. You made a difference. You all know who you are! We pray the Lord will bless you for all you have done. Many were touched by the power and presence of the Lord. And we pray the “revival” has made an impact on this community. Once again, we say “thank you” and God bless you.
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Brief stint in journalism leads to questions
In what school of journalism did it say that it was proper reporting of a news story to write deflamatory (sic) opinion without substantiated facts, to sensationalize a piece in a reputable newspaper? I thought only the cheap tabloids did this kind of trash! Twice this week I read articles that trashed people who were deceased, so that the Sun could make something more of a news story. I worked at a newspaper for a while and nothing of personal opinion was ever allowed to contaminate a news story.
More of this storyThe week I spent in Camp KEEP was the best week of my life! All my memories from camp are the best memories. I’m sad that the younger kids will not be able to have that experience. My little brother has wanted to go since I got home from there, and now he is sad that he can’t go. I wish that we could find a way to keep this tradition around school.
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Twist of events leads to happy ending
Last week I had the opportunity of relaxing at the River Lodge. While I was there I met two brothers, Dan and Neal. They told me the story of a lady who was passing fliers looking for her lost dog. It turns out that Dan and Neal went to Kern River to fish and decided to go to a location which was not there usual place to fish. When they arrived Neal went down by the river and was surprised to hear a dog growl at him. Much to his surprise it was the same dog that was on the flier. The poor dog was trapped and was not able to get out. He had been trapped there for several days and his paws were red and sore.
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Power outage cause for concern
Regarding the recent and presently ongoing power outage, I’m dismayed that Southern California Edison did not have any spare transformers available and had to truck one in from afar. This short-sighted supply policy does not portend well for the valley if/when a calamity such as a major earthquake or fire occurs.
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Columns
Stylish Skivvies
Jackie Papandrew
More of this storyBrandon Muncy
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Gene Parks celebrates 35 years in insurance
Marsha Smith
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Locating the North Celestial Pole and our North Ecliptic Pole
Daniel Pope
More of this storyJackie Papandrew
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Children given tattoos, body piercing, advice for living as adults
Bob Powers
More of this storyBrandon Muncy
More of this storyKathleen Brown
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Twelve-year-old credited with heroic actions
Marsha Smith
More of this storyDaniel Pope
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Don’t forget to spoil dad on Father’s Day!
Brandon Muncy
More of this storyDaniel Pope
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KRV Chamber raising fireworks funds
Marhsa Smith
More of this storySusan Barr
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Who’s heading out to the Kid’s Fishing Derby?
Brandon Muncy
More of this storyValerie Cassity
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Special to the Sun
Marsha Smith
More of this storyDaniel Pope
More of this storyJackie Papandrew
More of this storyBrandon Muncy
More of this storyDaniel Pope
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