Opinion

Oct. 2, 2012 — What an appropriate theme for this year’s celebration of National Newspaper Week, Oct. 7-13: Newspapers: The cornerstone of your community.

There are more than 7,000 weekly newspapers across the country — including the Lassen County newspaper you are reading right now — that are devoted to protecting and defending your right to know by thoroughly covering the issues and lifestyles of the people living in those communities. And with the ever-increasing number of ways we can obtain information, the role of community newspapers becomes even more important.

Sept. 25, 2012 — In the next few weeks, thousands of County landowners will find a $150 bill in the mail from the state. The bill is actually an illegal tax to help pay for wildfire protection.

Legislators, citizens and taxpayers associations are speaking out against the illegal tax that will affect about 825,000 state residents. The fire prevention tax is meant to generate more than $85 million in revenue for the state to help pay for fire-prevention in State Areas of Responsibility (SRAs).

Sept. 25, 2012 — Hopefully everyone — planning commission members, county employees, members of the board of supervisors and the citizens involved in the dispute between Lassen County and Bullseye Recycling can find a way to take a deep breath, relax and begin anew.

Lassen County District 2 Supervisor Jim Chapman expressed his concern at the board’s Tuesday, Sept. 18 meeting about the process that had been followed and how he believed the dispute between the county and recycling business seemingly had become a personal battle on both sides.

Sept. 25, 2012 — When I look at a sheet of music the notes provide no clue to the melody. Once I could say, “I read music,” and my fingers would press the right keys on the piano interpreting the works of Mozart, Bach and Beethoven.

Yet, as a high school freshman, I decided I no longer had a half hour I could devote to practice. There was no time to play songs that had become familiar and so they were soon forgotten.