Wanda Vickers leaves too early.

Wanda was so patient with all of the children she watched over on the Peninsula. Always looking for the good and trying to uplift any that were on the wrong path. Her Husband Glen and I worked at the Pulp Mill together for nearly 30 years. He was there around 45! Glen has played guitar for the Roadmasters band forever and I just can't say enough good for them both. She would probably find it amusing that the Manila Community Center was packed with an overflow crowd for her memorial. She had no idea on how many lives she touched. God bless her.

Local 49 Pulp Mill Workers last act of Benevolence.

The Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers Local 49 had a long history of donating to causes such as Relay for life, little league and others, so it was no surprise that the former Pulp Mill workers agreed with my suggestion to donate the last of our locals dollars to Humboldt charities. I put out a list of 8 charities that would garner a donation of $500 each and then went back and forth over the list. Here are the local agencies that I wrote checks to. I think these are very worthy ones for you to consider donating to if you have extra cash.

Food for People
The Humboldt All Faith Partnership
Humboldt Area Foundation
Humboldt Domestic Violence Services
Humboldt Senior Resource Center
American Cancer Society
Betty Chin/St Vincent de Paul Homeless Fun
Hospice of Humboldt

So that pretty much does it for Local 49. It has been an honor to serve as President and I have been so fortunate to have worked with so many great people at the Pulp Mill.

Local Union Shops!

Top 5 Best Chicken Fried Steak Breakfast places.

Sometimes you just have a huge grub to get on. And when it comes to Chicken Fried Steaks (CFS), you don't want it screwed up! I so miss Betty Mae's and Bev's.

#5 TIE-Cutten Inn, Pantry, Bear River and Hometown Buffet. It is a quantity thing you know.

#4 Marie Calenders. The portions could be bigger. Their coffee sucks.

#3 Momma's Kitchen. Not bad and always friendly.

#2 Kristina's. Awfully good, but you just don't know if it will be over cooked.

#1 Toni's. Hands down. You will have to dig through the pile to find the eggs and potatoes. Huge portion and consistent. That is a biggie with CFS.

Norman Solomon for Congress?

Anti Corporate, pro single payer health, anti war, against rural post office shutdowns, wants to invest in education and holds the creation of jobs as #1 priority.

This is the only candidate for congress that has been around the Humboldt County population hub multiple times. A Progressive doing a real grassroots campaign. Sounds like a good candidate to me!

Viet Nam Vet Carlos Giovanneti passes on. 37 year Pulp Mill worker. Only 558,000 Nam vets left?

Carlos Giovanetti passed away this past Monday. Loving referred to as a "Waspahoe" by his co-workers, he was actually of Italian and Tolowa Dee-ni' Native American ancestry. Carlos always said what he felt, even when the recipient might not appreciate it. He was always looking for public banter at work. He was a very competent operator and who knew the bleach plant well.

Carlos was a Viet Nam veteran that is fast becoming extinct. Out of the original 2.7 men and women who fought there, only about 558,000 remain with us. And as of the year 2000, 390 vets from that war die a day! Carlos and I had deep angry discussions about faith and Soldiers that died in Nam. Things happened over there that I just could not relate to.

Carlos was a great athlete who never bragged about his accomplishments and he loved to spectate at football, baseball, volleyball and softball games. He loved his family. What more can one say. I will miss him.

Obama the best in fiduciary responsibility?

You make the call!