Regarding the Nov. 10 article, “County may target dispensaries,” Del Norte County counsel Gretchen Stuhr and certain officials from many of our communities are being completely disingenuous in their arguments against a well-regulated cannabis industry.

To declare that money can never change hands, that labor is not a business expense or that non-profit and not-for-profit organizations aren’t recognized whenever they’re comprised of qualified patients, are all theories that are demonstrably incorrect.

In the real world, community gardens, and cooperative or collective efforts all pool their resources, both physically and financially, to achieve their stated goals. In fact, our courts have already ruled (in County of Butte v. The Superior Court of Butte County) that associations of qualified individuals may contribute to and invest in cannabis associations however they are able to, with money or labor or in-kind contributions.

Pledge argument used divisively

I am writing in response to Rodger Gitlin’s Dec. 3 Coastal Voices piece, “Sticking up for the pledge,” about the Pledge of Allegiance. Mr Gitlin refers to people opposed to the pledge’s principles as “American-haters” and “whiners.” Maybe some are.

But, as I am sure Rodger knows, this is really about a belief that God should stay out of our government. Less “America-hater,” more “atheist.”

There are nations in the Middle East that mandate patriotic exercise and faith in God, theocracies. I think perhaps our land and people deserve a bit of “love and loyalty;” love of country, on the other hand, can be conditional.

As I look back on the four great years I spent as a student at Del Norte High School, it was fun to remember the many great teammates that I had the privilege of playing with.

Henry “Hank” Smith was one of those. When I joined the varsity Warrior football team as a sophomore, Hank was well entrenched as a starting end, the position I was hoping to play. Hank was a strong, talented athlete, and I remember that he always worked hard to get better. He was kind of soft-spoken, but he was an aggressive, hard hitter and I learned a lot from him.

Hank Smith was a solid three-sport athlete while a Warrior. He played football, basketball and baseball during his high school career. I especially remember our times on the baseball field.

From the pages of the Del Norte Triplicate, December 1945.

Happy shopping days are here again for Mrs. America, with the end of rationing of meats, canned fish, fats and oils.

The days of food rationing are gone forever, we hope, with one exception: Sugar will continue to be rationed as long as the worldwide shortage exists. Supplies of meat for civilians during December will permit consumption at an annual rate of about 165 pounds per person.

Consultants are not solution to Del Norte’s education problems

 I appreciate the Dec. 3 article, “Reports fuel school reform effort.” I thoroughly enjoyed discussing it with my family of educators. I agree that high absenteeism and graduation rates are serious problems in our schools; and I appreciate the effort put forth by the participating organizations to gather student input, but I have issues with the conclusions.

First, I know the Triplicate doesn’t like to dwell on the fact that we are one of the poorest and most unemployed counties in the state, but the correlation between that and student achievement cannot be overlooked. It is a well-known fact that the best indicator of individual student performance/attendance is 1) parents’ education level, and 2) parents’ income.

For some reason long-gone Decembers fill my mind this week.

December is different this year than it’s ever been for me. For the last few decades, December meant cleaning, since I’d spent eight or nine months outdoors. During spring, summer and fall, I came in just long enough to eat and sleep. I’d wash dishes when there was nothing to eat out of and dress from the dryer. Then I’d try to swamp out the big hunks before the holidays.

This year, with House sweeter and cleaner than ever before, I’m free to do whatever I want for the first December of my adult life. Free to wander any trails that don’t have poison oak. Free to stretch my legs and try to get back into hiking shape. Free to begin dreaming once more of hiking the Coastal Trail.

When it comes to crime, Del Norte County has probably always had its share. As a rough and tumble fishing and logging town, Crescent City was no doubt a far-west embodiment of the Wild West in its early years. Even today, the populace is an eclectic mix, not just another one of those retirement communities that dot the Northwest coastline.

Throw in the fact that it’s near the juncture of two major highways with a steady stream of strangers passing through, and you’ve got a place that’s tough to police with the small-town resources afforded our local authorities.

So when those authorities warn of an increase in residential break-ins, it’s not surprising that the citizens take note. Lately they’ve done so in a big way. A couple of town hall meetings on crime prevention each brought out more than 100 people. At least one new Neighborhood Watch has been formed. The sheriff and police blotters sport far more than the usual number of calls regarding suspicious people or vehicles.

Smoking should be no more a gov’t responsibility than obesity

In her Dec. 1 letter (Why are we looking to the government to battle obesity,” Amanda Marx claims it is not the business of government to take care of us.

If it is not the business of the government to take care of us, then why do we see store clerks legally required to check IDs on cigarette sales, and why are extremely exorbitant taxes imposed on cigarettes?

I took advantage of the good weather we’ve been having and set off on a road trip to Salem last week to visit my granddaughter. I hadn’t seen Kayla since we celebrated her second birthday in early November, and I needed my fix. No one can make me feel like that little girl can.

With multiple sets of grandparents and great-grandparents, along with three doting uncles, Kayla has never lacked for toys. She commandeers an arsenal of them in every shape, color, size and learning category.  

After I arrived Thursday afternoon Kayla overturned a bucket of Legos and began the process of building a tall structure. Legos were scattered all over the floor but I didn’t mind. I enjoyed watching her choose her colors and shapes and couldn’t help but imagine how exciting it would be if she became an architect. I’ve always said we need more women designing spaces in order to get our kitchens and closets right.

Thank you for reporting both the good and bad of Professor Dennis Desjardin’s experiences back home (“Mushroom man: Ex-Del Norter has become fungi expert”).

I’m one of his admirers here in the Bay Area, and was dismayed to read about his recent run-in with the law there (but not entirely shocked, having heard similar stories elsewhere). I did a little research you might be interested in.

Redwood is a hybrid National and State Park, so the federal rules apply. The part of the Code of Federal Regulations they charged him under (which says nothing about fungi, however) contains this little gem: “as otherwise provided in this chapter.” Further reading reveals that the statute gives broad leeway to (federal) land managers to set rules for the collection of forest products (and to make all kinds of exceptions).