Porterville Recorder Opinion

Building a bridge to the 19th century...

http://www.recorderonline.com/articles/century-55881-19th-bridge.html

recorderonline.com Carl “Sonny” Worrell, one of the top timed-event hands of his generation, died Jan. 28 at his home in Stonewall, Oklahoma He was 76. Worrell was the PRCA steer roping champion in 1978 and qualified for 14 National Finals during his career — five times making it to the National Finals Rodeo as a calf...

How many guns?

http://www.recorderonline.com/articles/guns-55882-amendment-words.html

recorderonline.com I am sick of hearing about how the Second Amendment gives anyone the right to own guns. It seems to me that the words “well-regulated militia...” are pretty clear. The only well-regulated militia I know of is the National Guard.

Gun control

http://www.recorderonline.com/articles/editor-55883-time-find.html

recorderonline.com I find it interesting that just about the same time the pols started “serious talk” about gun control, just about every third article touted by the media is about a shooting, somewhere. If they weren’t trying to divert our attention from the fact that they are trying to take away a constitutional ri...

Cheers

Cheers go out to
http://www.recorderonline.com/opinion/cheers-55884-few-week.html

recorderonline.com The seven citizens whose names will be added posthumously to the city’s Wall of Fame: Mary Baker, Cyrille Faure, Robert Christenson, Clara Rutherford, Vivian Lucey, George Overcrash and Emogene McCullar.

What if farming didn't exist

http://www.recorderonline.com/articles/didn-55866-watching-estimation.html

recorderonline.com After watching one of the best commercials during the Super Bowl in my estimation — the Dodge trucks tribute to the farmer — I pondered, what if farming didn’t exist in the Orange Belt. What would the town be like, life be like, the environment be like.

http://www.recorderonline.com/articles/flu-55868-help-surge.html

House always wins

http://www.recorderonline.com/articles/premise-55867-wins-editor.html

recorderonline.com Editor,Only in government can the premise “not knowing the unknowable…is no excuse for not knowing,” be considered a legitimate reason for fining someone, or depriving them of their personal property. I recently witnessed a shameful example of this at the Tulare County Board of Supervisor’s meeting.

Begin small with downtown organization

Thursday's Editorial
http://www.recorderonline.com/opinion/downtown-55865-business-merchants.html

recorderonline.com With the coming of the new South County Justice Center, enthusiasm is building for a revitalization of downtown. Part of that revitalization has led to discussions on reestablishing some form of a downtown committee, maybe even a downtown merchants association or business improvement district.

Inaccurate letter

http://www.recorderonline.com/articles/inaccurate-55839-letter-wagner.html

recorderonline.com Mr. Wagner’s letter (Shot in the Foot – January 31, 2013) is inaccurate from the first word to the last. Here are the facts:

County needs to repay cities for fees collected

Wednesday's Editorial
http://www.recorderonline.com/opinion/cities-55840-county-counties.html

recorderonline.com Now that the state Supreme Court has refused to hear again the Los Angeles County case regarding counties overcharging cities for property tax collections, Tulare County needs to move quickly to set up a repayment schedule.

When can we talk about guns?

Agree or disagree?
http://www.recorderonline.com/articles/talk-55841-guns-.html

recorderonline.com We’ve been told several times in the past couple of years that “it’s not the right time” to talk about gun control.

Gibbons Avenue good spot for solar farm

http://www.recorderonline.com/opinion/solar-55340-well-avenue.html

recorderonline.com We see no reason that a solar farm should not be developed on Gibbons Avenue, west of South Main Street, once a few details with the neighbors are worked out.

City, County need to settle differences

City, county need to settle differences. www.recorderonline.com/opinion/city-54192-county-lawsuit.html

recorderonline.com The lawsuit filed by the city of Porterville against Tulare County over its General Plan Update is no surprise, but unfortunate in that it further demonstrates the widening creditability gap between the two governments that should be working together, not at each other’s throats.

http://www.recorderonline.co/

Writer pays tribute to Dad.

There are definitely easier times to write a column. I am writing this column two days after my 92-year-old father passed away.
It is not so much that my father’s passing came as a big surprise and maybe even at some relief, but that experience is certainly distracting.
www.recorderonline.com

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Milt Stowe has served community well
THE RECORDER
Today is Milt Stowe’s last day working for the city of Porterville. Except for a brief stint with the city of Tulare, Stowe has worked for the city for nearly 30 years. He will be missed.
www.recorderonline.com

State’s mess could impact city

THE ISSUE
• 2012-13 city of Porterville budget.
OUR VIEW
• State could upset delicate balance of city spending plan.

While the Porterville City Council approved what appears to be a balanced spending plan, there are many potholes down the road that could tip the budget into the red, especially what the state of California may do come November.

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Upgrades for city parks will be expensive

Editorial: Improving parks will be costly.
http://www.recorderonline.com/opinion/facilities-53130-city-sports.html

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Don’t be fooled by inviting streams and rivers

Beware of fast moving and cold water.
http://www.recorderonline.com/opinion/don-53112-inviting-water.html

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Old Glory to be honored tonight

For the 31st year, residents of Porterville and surrounding communities will gather under the large American Flag in the Smith’s Town Square at Olive Avenue and D Street to honor our American Flag.

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Case Lok was example of citizenship

Case Lok, who passed away Thursday, was a great example of someone who exercised their citizenship.

Lok was born in the Netherlands and came to the United States in 1954. Even though he was not a citizen, Mr. Lok joined the United States Air Force and served two years. He would earn his citizenship in 1970.

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Cheers

There are many reasons to offer up a cheer this week. Here are a few.

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Time for nation to honor all Vietnam War vets

Porterville was not so unlike other cities in American during the 1960s. An unpopular war was under way in Vietnam and here at home people were divided.

Unfortunately, that division was centered on the young men who fought in Southeast Asia. Some today are still bothered by how many were not welcomed home after fighting for their nation, while others have healed.

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Lack of oversight at PDC alarming

The Issue
• Overtime costs at Developmental Centers.
Our View
• State needs to look into overtime costs and put an end to abuses.

For far too long has an abuse of overtime pay at Developmental Centers like Porterville been ongoing and we call on the state Legislature to look into the matter.

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Marauder girls are tops with us

It is rare for a team to win a Valley championship in any sport, but the Monache Marauder girls won Valley championships this year in the two major girls’ sports.

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Council endorsements

Letter: Council endorsementshttp://www.recorderonline.com/articles/election-52942-endorsements-council.html

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Fairs are always a little special

It’s fair week and while some of our readers will get tired of stories about the fair, it is the biggest thing in town — possibly next to the City Council — and the fair will attract about a quarter of the city’s residents over the next few days.

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Ma*****na growing regulations needed to be strengthened

THE ISSUE
• County effort to curb illegal ma*****na growing.
OUR VIEW
• Laws needed to be strengthened.

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Cheers

There are many reasons to offer up a cheer this week. Below are a few.

Cheers go out to:

— Porterville High School band director Jim Kusserow who is the 2012 Tulare County Teacher of the Year.

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Awesome young people

Letters to the editor in Thursday's paper:
http://www.recorderonline.com/articles/young-52613-going-thank.html
http://www.recorderonline.com/articles/people-52612-years-mountains.html
http://www.recorderonline.com/articles/main-52614-art-home.html

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Life was much simpler years ago

Writing the story about Porterville and how life had been in the 1940s I had to chuckle to myself because the phrase — Life was so much simpler back then — kept coming to my mind.

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Lindsay-TCAG settlement is fair

After months of negotiating, the City of Lindsay and the Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG) finally settled TCAG’s claim against the city.

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Mad Cow disease no reason for big concern

The discovery of a dairy cow in the South Valley with mad cow disease is a much bigger threat to the local beef and milk industry than it is to public health.

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Tell-A-Story Day

This Friday is a holiday you likely have never heard of: It’s Tell-A-Story Day.

In the United States, as far as I can tell, this event is celebrated on April 27 of each year. In England and Scotland, it’s exactly six months later — Oct. 27.

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SOS for farming is save our soil

Nobody likes tools more than farmers do, but in California some that have been created expressly for preserving farm land, such as agricultural conservation easements, and farmland trusts are hardly being used.

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Veterans Court is needed in County

For several years now residents have gathered once a year to celebrate the significant accomplishments of those individuals who successfully completed Drug Court. Today, we can now celebrate the success graduates are having in Veterans Court.

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