Tthe name Blackburn goes back a long way for Warrior fans, since Chuck Blackburn first started teaching at Redwood School in the late 1950s.

Chuck has a son, Danny, that was a true multi-sport performer for the blue and gold of Del Norte. When Dan entered high school in the fall of 1974, he got involved in sports right away. Former Warrior coach Larry Amos said from the day Danny entered school he was an outstanding teammate, an excellent athlete and fun to be around.

Danny played football, basketball and golf all four years. During his senior year he played on the football team that defeated Eureka for the first time since 1964.

Instead of complaining about the community, volunteer your help

There has been a lot of grumbling and frustration over some of the changes happening around town.

It’s very easy to criticize and second-guess decisions made by others, much harder to show up and give constructive input.

I challenge everyone to take some time, consider what things in our community are really important to you and then get involved ... maybe it’s Del Norte Reads or cleaning up the cemetery ... maybe it’s CASA, or the Christmas Parade or the Front Street redesign project.

Don’t complain later, get involved now. And, whatever your opinion on the process, Tsunami Landing has never looked better.               

Cheryl Corpstein

Crescent City

Attaining greater popularity daily, Staley’s Skeleton Park near Fort Dick is becoming Del Norte’s greatest tourist attraction.

The area displays a graphic drama of the doom of the forests, the devastation caused by the coming of man, and the unquenchable thirst of the giant redwoods for life eternal.

There redwoods stand as grim specters, charred but living sentinels of the ages. Logs lie supine that once were giants. Maimed, twisted in death throes, gallantly fighting the battle for life, these old monarchs seemingly refuse to bow their heads in defeat.

Del Norte Gardening runs every fourth Thursday. Paul Madeira and Julie Jo Ayer Williams own Ocean Air Farms in Fort Dick.

As we waltz into September, the sun has managed to shine for a fair portion of the last month. 

With the weather, we’ve been pretty satisfied. Though it’s not the exact program we’d have imagined.

This year reminds us of last year in many ways. First of all, it was a cool, wet and long spring; second, it was, again a mild summer. Lots of fog, some overcast days, a typical summer, really.

People — including DA — should wait to pass judgment on Silvey

I was absolutely amazed at the information released in the article published by The Daily Triplicate in regards to Eileen Silvey (“Scandal at the Senior Center: Former manager jailed; suspected of embezzlement,” Aug. 20).

She was tried, convicted and hanged all in one article. Reporting the news is one thing but trying a case in the media is another. I question the district attorney’s motives and his objectivity. One letter-writer even feels Eileen’s daughter should suffer, as if she isn’t already. My goodness, why would anyone feel our children should be held accountable for our own deeds?

What kind of judgement was used by Mr. Alexander when he released this information to the public? He has not even filed a complaint against Eileen, yet he implies that she is guilty.

The Yurok Tribe’s Wildlife Program  started the “Hunters as Stewards” campaign with the idea that hunters, if presented with the most timely and trustworthy information, would strongly consider switching to non-lead ammunition.

It was our initial opinion that the majority of hunters — critical thinkers by nature — want to preserve natural resources and are proactive in their approach to conservation.  Given our experiences at our shooting demonstrations in Del Norte and Humboldt counties, this approach was completely on target. We couldn’t have asked for a better start in our effort to get people talking about lead.

Most participants walked away with a new perspective, and traded boxes of lead ammo for high-quality copper ammunition to use in the final test, harvesting live game. We encourage the public to ask us tough questions and hold us accountable for all information we present.

Klamath Fire didn’t get funding becauase it asked for too much

Klamath Fire Protection District did not get the tax increase it requested for several reasons, but they can all be summarized by too much, too little and too few.

The “too much” is they asked for way too much in one increase. To increase taxes by 150 percent in such hard economic times is just asking too much. If the district had asked for less, it might have passed.

My Uncle Nick and Aunt Winnie Maricich at her 85th birthday party at Ante’s Croatian restaurant earlier this month. The couple will celebrate their 67th wedding anniversary in December. The Daily Triplicate/Michele Thomas

 I surrendered to the tug at my heart to “go home” and see family and friends and be a part of my aunt’s celebration. 

 I boarded Amtrak’s Coast Starlight to Los Angeles in Salem, Ore., after spending a few days with my granddaughter. Most people I tell about my trip shake their heads at the thought of such a long train ride. But the back country of Oregon and California is scenery that soothes my soul. From golden haystacks in Albany to endless strawberry fields outside Salinas, I was entertained and awed by what happens behind the scenes, beyond the highways, blurred from the portholes of planes.

I know there are folks who consider summer the time for travel, picnics on the river and being generally carefree. It’s safe to assume they aren’t squished between the needs of an old house and a small income.

All year ’round I save, tucking away money for the summer projects. The biggest concerns are always the jobs I can’t do myself.

During the last three years I’ve replaced the refrigerator and bed, George replaced the water heater, the toilet and the rotted back steps, and John made major roof repairs. Early this summer Ron built a new front gate, and last week he and Ken built a new pump house.

Frustrating experiences as union forced me to fund political causes

Regard the Aug. 24 California Focus column by Thomas Elias, “‘Paycheck protection’ — again,”  I lived through over 20 years of paying into United Teachers, Los Angeles. It was forced on me, I didn’t want its representation.

Today the full-time UTLA member and agency fee is at least $689.04 a year. The full-time fair share is at least $494.28 for those who want to not give to any political causes or groups through the union.

In order to vote in the union, you have to be a member but you have to let them collect and spend on politics in order to join the union. They took my money but would not allow me to vote on the union contract.