Love Story Competition

It’s good to be queen.

Last Saturday my daughters treated me to breakfast in bed-- chocolate chip pancakes and a cup of the last eggnog of the season. Now, that’s love, especially considering their dad wasn’t even home.

Being queen of my own domain is great, but I have higher aspirations and recently my work honored with opportunity to celebrate the two things I hold most dear and have a 1-12 chance at a queenship.

Yes, I am thrilled to announce I am running for Chocolate Queen.

Fellow contestants need not worry. I’m a terrible contestant-- shy, unorganized- with few contacts n the community. Normally I’d turn on the caller ID, lock the doors and pull the drape to ward off such an honor, but this fundraiser is different. The Chocolate Fest honors our youth and celebrates chocolate-- while at the same time raises funds for the Boys and Girls Club.

A couple of years ago, I did a story on the Boys and Girls Club, and I have to admit before my first interview I was clueless about what it did for our community. Truthfully, I thought it was some sort of place for troubled children-- was I WRONG! It’s a place for all kids.

In fact, one of the reasons our county is such great places is because of the Boys and Girls Club.

A five-year local study showed that kids who attended the Boys and Girls Club had increases in school attendance, grade point average and positive behavior. Conversely, these same kids had decreases in school absences, smoking, delinquency and tardiness.

The Paradise Boys and Girls Club serves over 350 kids each day after school at its three school sites and at the Teen Center located on Skyway.

Here, 80 percent of our youth do their homework. Help is available if needed.
Kids also get involved in positive programs and activities, such as the club’s ECO Team, Club Espanol, Kids in the Kitchen, creative arts, Tae Kwan Do and many community service and leadership activities.

At the Teen Club, teens explore similar programs as well as programs focusing on career exploration, college preparation, financial responsibility, self esteem and diversity.
These are just a few of the programs it has to offer our youth-- for only $10 per year (in actuality it costs $1,200 per year).

Scholarships are available so no one is turned away due to financial hardship.

This year, I think we all know about financial hardship. I also know that if we don’t invest in our youth and programs such as the Boys and Girls Club, we ultimately pay a higher price one day-- via more latch key kids, increased gang activity and a more unproductive young adult community in the long run.

Our town has been fantastic about supporting the Boys and Girls Club in the past, but the current state of our economy worries me.

And that’s why I’m asking you to show a little love.

Since my best community contacts are my readers, I’m challenging you to compete in a contest that’s all about love and all about raising tax deductible donations for the Boys and Girls Club.
I’m searching for the best factual love story on the Ridge and the top five love poems (the cheesier, sweeter and endearing the better). Stories should be no more than 700 words; poems no more than 300 words.

The top five stories and top five poems will be printed in the B-section of the paper on February 14 (with the No.1 entry winning the place of distinction-- my column. That‘s right, you will be the columnist for the day). All non-winning submitters and the person they love will be recognized by name in paper like this (Bonnie Sitter Loves Ben Sitter)-- this means if you just want to say Joe love Jenny and don‘t want to write a story-- pay $15 and get your message in the paper.

Submission cost $15 or more if you wish (tax deductible). Make checks out to The Boys and Girls Club. Visa and MasterCard are accepted. Receipts will be issued for your tax records.
Paradise Employees are excluded from winning this competition; however, they can still honor a loved one with a donation and have their name in the paper.

Please do not submit explicit material or anything you wouldn’t feel comfortable having a young child read.

Submit entries for the “Love Story Competition” at the Paradise Post located at 5399 Clark Road or send it with your check or money order to PO Box 70 Paradise, Ca 95967.

All entries are due in the office by February 10 by the close of business.

OK so, get to work and show our youth some love.

I'm Divorcing the Divorce

Divorce brings out the worst in some people. I can't imagine another event where two people have the ability to do inexcusable, cruel things to one another-- nor where a simple, innocent child suddenly becomes No.1 on the Weapons of Mass Destruction list.

In some cases, it brings out the best or at least unveils a few surprises. I know a year ago when my brother announced he was getting a divorce, I seriously, I thought in a year or two my niece would become a CPS child in foster care.

My brother surprised me though by getting his act together. The Utah court system surprised me too by continually placing his daughter with his wife who has already harvested one misdemeanor for child endangerment (she left their severely autistic child alone in a tube shoot on a river with no life jacket).

Meanwhile, my brother has worked two jobs so he can pay more than $2,000 a month in child support and alimony (she isn't working and flat out refuses to consider a job, even though their daughter is in school six hours a day). He's also found services he'd love to place his daughter in -- if his wife would just get a job. These services would help his daughter one day life a normal life.

Now, I am only hearing one side of the story, so maybe she's become super mom? I hope so (because it would be nice for my niece's sake to have super mom), but to tell you the truth I really don't want to know.

I'm over this divorce. The infectious drama is rotting my own house. I don't want to hear it, so please take your complaints, make a list and brainstorm for things you can do to put this drama to rest once and for all. To my brother's credit: he hasn't brought the drama to my house. My mother, who I love to death, brings it and I eat it up-- and then I get all upset. I can't do it anymore and I know I can't talk to her without talking about "the divorce," so until "the divorce" is over---

Love you, but I really need some happy in my life.