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WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 16, 2015VOL 8 • ISSUE 50 • SEQ 237 EST. 2008 A WWW.COLUSACOUNTY.NEWS A WE'RE PROUD TO BE LOCALLY OWNED

Canine Parvovirus

Warning Issued to

ResidentsLloyd Green Jr

editor@colconews.com

The Colusa County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control officials are warning res-

idents to keep a close eye on their dogs and to check their dogs vaccinations after two puppies tested positive of the highly con-tagious parvovirus.

“We picked up one puppy from the Sankey/Elmwood Park that was displaying symptoms of the parvovi-rus and later tested posi-tive,” said Colusa County Chief Animal Control Officer, Courtney Elliott.

The Sankey/Elmwood Park is located at the corner of 3rd and Parkhill Streets in Colusa.

Days later, another puppy was found and was turned into the animal shelter.

“A resident turned in an-other puppy from the same area that appeared to be a sibling of the first puppy,” said Officer Elliott, “We tested him for the virus, and he, too, was positive for parvovirus.”

Since both animals were

found in the area of the Sankey/Elmwood Park, Animal Control Officials quickly notified the City of Colusa which placed warn-ing signs around the park notifying of the possible outbreak.

“Because the one puppy was displaying symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea, we are certain that there are high levels of the virus in the park,” said Elliott.

Canine parvovirus is extremely contagious and can be transmitted to any person, animal or object that comes in contact with an infected dog’s feces. Highly resistant, the virus can live in the environ-ment for months, and may survive on inanimate objects such as food bowls, shoes, clothes, carpet, and floors. It is common for an unvaccinated dog to contract parvovirus from the streets, especially in areas where there are many dogs.

“With California expe-riencing one of the most severe droughts on record, the recent rain and soil disturbances can cause an outbreak,” said Officer Elliott.

PARVOVIRUS | Page 11

Festival of Lights

Submitted by: Kelly Hickel | Williams Pioneer ReviewCitizens for a Better Williams Committee Members Andi Armstrong, Pat Ash, and Dolores Pence take the last stroll through the festival of lights parade in downtown williams on Saturday, December 13, 2015.

Submitted by: Kelly Hickel | Williams Pioneer ReviewMini Miss Colusa County Holley Hickel and Mini Miss Colusa County Runner-up Makayla Frias visit the Churro booth during the Williams Festival of Lights, Saturday, December

Submitted by: Daniel Mata | Williams Pioneer ReviewWilliams Chief of Police, John Osbourn leads the Williams Festival of Lights parade on Saturday, December 13, 2015.

Don't ForgetPICK-UP A COPY OF OUR SPECIAL CHRISTMAS EDITION ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2015!RECIPES, LETTERS TO SANTA AND MORE!

2 Wednesday, Decemer 16, 2015

RELIGION COLUMNIST

December 25

To be clear, Jesus was not born on December 25. In the 4th century, the early church chose to celebrate Jesus’ birth on December 25 to displace a pa-gan holiday commemorating the win-ter solstice, a holiday that was filled

with immorality (like some modern Christmas parties unfortunately). Some scholars suggest that He was born in the spring (based on the reasoning

that spring would be the most common time for shepherds and sheep to be living in the hills above Bethlehem); other scholars suggest that He was born in the fall (timing Jesus’ birth to 15 months after the traditional time when his uncle Zechariah’s priestly division would have been serving in the temple—Luke 1:5).

The important matter is not the date of Jesus’ birth but the meaning of His birth, for Jesus’

birth was unlike any other birth that has taken place in history. At the birth of Jesus, the glory and mystery of God entered our world in physical form in a baby in a manger.

Willa Baechlin Roghair captures the essence of this miracle well in the final lines of a poem:

The Word became flesh, and dwells with us now,Crying in a stable with donkey and cow.

For ages, we wondered, “What is God like?”God’s answer is given this Holy Night.

I especially like the way John Shea communi-cates the wonder of this miracle in a poem entitled “The Incarnation through a 5-Year-Old’s Eyes”:

She was five, sure of the facts,and recited them with slow solemnity,convinced every word was revelation.

She said they were so poorthey had only peanut butter and

jelly sandwiches to eat,and they went a long way from home

without getting lost.The lady rode a donkey, the man walked,

and the baby was inside the lady.They had to stay in a stable with

an ox and an ass (hee-hee),but the Three Rich Men found them

because a star lit the roof.Shepherds came, and you could pet

the sheep but not feed them.Then the baby was borned.

And do you know who he was?Her quarter eyes inflated to silver dollars.

The baby was God!And she jumped in the air, whirled round,

dove into the sofa and buried her head under the cushion,

which is the only proper response to the Good News of the Incarnation.

I hope you celebrate Christmas this year with a similar sense of wonder and elation!

Tom Tripp is the Pastor at the First Presbyterian Church of Colusa. Pastor Tripp can be reached by e-mail at:

tomtripp@frontiernet.net

PASTOR TOM TRIPPPresbyterian Church

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Colusa County Library Introduces Self-Help Law Library

Williams Pioneer Revieweditor@colconews.com

The Colusa County Law Library has reopened in the main branch of the Colusa County Free Library at 738 Market Street in Colusa. The Law Library is a public library that serves the legal information needs of self-represented litigants, legal professionals, the judiciary system, the county and other governmental officials. The Colusa County Law Library’s mission is to provide all of its patrons access to relevant, current, accurate, and practical legal information in the most appropriate and cost-effective formats possible. The Colusa County Law Library is commit-ted to providing free access to a comprehensive legal research and

reference collection, in print and digital formats, and offering edu-cational programs for all patrons. Public access to legal information is a critical component of open and equal access to the justice system.

The Law Library has a large collection of printed materials focusing on local, state and federal laws and regulations, including current local and state code manu-als, Black’s Legal Dictionary and an extensive set of the Nolo legal guidebooks.

The Colusa County Law Library also provides a public access computer that patrons can use for legal research. The computer is equipped with Microsoft Word and Excel to assist with drafting and editing documents. Additionally,

patrons have access to several pro-fessional legal research tools from the dedicated work station, Lexis-Nexis and the legal citation data-base, Blue Book as well as county, state and federal code websites.

To ensure information is avail-able to all patrons every day, law books cannot be checked out: patrons who would like to conduct research should visit the Law Li-brary, where they will find ample reading room. Access to Law Library computers and electronic databases is free, however there are sixty minute time limits when more than one person would like to access the work station. Patrons who wish to print can do so for $.10 per black and white page, and $.25 per color page.