G.A.B. means Great Aunt Betty

Longtime Paso civic leader Betty Cousins dies at 87

Councilwoman, nurse, athl

ete and advocate for the deaf, she was a major force for city and educational projects

Bill Morem - bmorem@thetribunenews.com

A Paso Robles civic leading light has died, but not before having led a life that blazed on multiple levels. Elizabeth “Betty” Cousins died from a heart attack at her Paso Robles home Monday afternoon. The former Paso Robles city councilwoman and Citizen of the Year was 87.

A native of Paso Robles, Betty was b

orn to James and Cicile Cousins on Feb. 12, 1922. Her fat

her, a civic leader in his own right who founded the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce, was a grain broker and insurance agent, a profession that Betty Cousins would later follow.

(Aunt Alice, Aunt Betty, Grandpa, Great-Grandpa, (great) Grandma Gigi)

By 17, Cousins began losing her hearing. That didn’t deter the life-long bachelorette from obtaining a degree in nursing from the University of San Francisco.

)

(Outgoing Paso Robles City Councilwoman Betty Cousins receives a street sign as she completed her term in 1988. Tribune file photo

But her ultimate deafness did force her to give up surgical nursing at the Paso Robles War Memorial Hospital, niece Terri Cousins said, “because she couldn’t read lips with masks on during surgery.”

No longer in the operating room, Cousins nevertheless remained committed to the community’s health needs. In 1961, she financed the equipment for screening infants for deafness, a move that put Paso Robles on the national map as the smallest city in Ame

rica to have such facilities.

She also served on the board of directors of War Memorial Hospital until 1978, when the hospital was closed and Twin Cities Community Hospital was built in Templeton.

Blessed with an adventurous spirit, Cousins decided in 1955 to join an all-female African safari after reading about it in the San Francisco Chronicle.

The escapade lasted 90 days and yielde

d trophies ranging from water buffalo to rhinoceros — mementos that hung for years in the upstairs bar of the Paso Robles Inn.

A gifted athlete, she was a driving force in creating the Paso Robles Country Club — where she would capture the women’s club championship five times. Friends and acquaintances say the qualities that best defined Cousins were her direct, no-nonsense approach to finding solutions to problems and her lack of ego. “She fought the good old boys’ network and got things done,” said Terri Cousins. “Her belief was, ‘I don’t care who gets credit as long as it gets done.’ ”

She took that approach when running for City Council in 1984.

Her credentials as a candidate included her membership on the hospital board, past president and lieutenant district governor of the Quota Club, stock broker, director of Heritage Oaks Bank and founding member of A Community Organization Recognizing Needs (ACORN), a dynamic organization that spearheads fund drives for parks and other civic improvements.

Cousins was a passionate lover of her hometown who wanted to see it planned well. Her campaign platform centered on fixing downtown traffic circulation and growth.

(Left to Right: Uncle George, Dad, Grandpa, Uncle Steve, Aunt Lisa, Aunt Diana, Mom, Me, Grandma, Aunt Elena, Aunt Betty, Trina, Clint)

“Paso Robles does not want urban sprawl,” she told the then-Telegram Tribune. “The city is playing catch-up. It’s got to slow down.”

At the end of the political day, Cousins was the top vote-getter in her inaugural political foray; her fellow council members unanimously voted her mayor pro tem the following month.

“She didn’t put up with any guff,” recalled Norma Moye, executive director of the Paso Robles Downtown Main Street Association. “She was a pretty tough lady, but she also had a great sense of humor, very factual but very funny.”

Among her accomplishments on the council was lobbying for and casting the deciding vote on the new library and city hall that have helped revitalize and reshape downtown Paso Robles into a nationally recognized city of distinction. “She had those councilmen intimidated about the library,” said Phil Dirkx, a longtime Paso Robles resident and current Tribune columnist. “She wasn’t a token woman on the council; she was a real player.” After a four-year stint on the council, she felt the city was on the right track and decided not to seek re-election. However, she again agreed to step up to public service four years later when a short-term council seat suddenly opened.

Cousins is also noted for her efforts to help establish Cuesta College’s North County campus. Longtime friend Dee Lacey succeeded Cousins on the Heritage Oaks board, worked with her in ACORN and partnered with her on raising money for the North County campus. She recalled the early days of that campaign when Cousins wrote a check for $25,000 and challenged others to match it. “That was Betty,’’ Lacey said, “always willing to be the seed or starter, and then she’d turn it over to someone else because she wasn’t about ego.”

In later years, she would serve on the board of the Cuesta College Foundation to keep those funds flowing.

A smoker until a decade ago, Cousins was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. Although she underwent a mastectomy and treatments, the cancer returned. Martin Kuehl, former owner of Kuehl Funeral Home, is also a native of Paso Robles and knew Cousins for her entire life. He sizes her up succinctly: “One heck of a fine gal. She knew her mind and didn’t mind speaking it.”

A service is set for Monday at 10 a.m. at St. Rose Catholic Church on Creston Road.

Absolutely no mention of her great love for animals--feeding stray cats off the street for years. Her beanie baby stint of the 2000s, her love for Cadillacs, sweets (mm Orange Slices!), and appreciation of a nice steak dinner (Medium Rare--no salad).

Aunt Betty taught me many things, but the most important of all--follow your heart. If there is something you want to do--do it. If it doesn't go the way you wanted, you will learn from it and be the better for it.

She gave me a beautiful Carousel horse trinket when I was a baby. I wanted to pick it up and play with it but my mom wouldn't let me. Aunt Betty said, "If she wants to do it, let her." So, a foot and a leg missing later, I still have the horse.

And I have great memories and stories in my heart of a woman who really fit the bill of a grandma but held the high distinction and noble title of Aunt.

Battlestar Galactica series finale

Friday night was the Battlestar Galactica series finale after 4 very interesting seasons. I was hooked from the minute I started watching the mini-series last year online. It's a great show with fascinating characters and above average themes. God? Resurrection? Life and death and war? All things not usually addressed in normal primetime shows.

Well, my review for the series finale, after so much buildup: I think it lived up to my expectations. The whole time you're wondering, how are these people and the cylons connected to us? Are they? Hmmm...

The miniseries preview:



The first season preview:




I wonder what, if anything, the creators and writers of the show will do next. It's bound to be great.

the Fifthteenth of March

The Ides of March! I forgot to write a post about this! One of my most cherished days of the year!

The Ides of March, a day originally named to celebrate the Roman god Mars, is now known as the day Caesar was killed in the Roman Senate in 44 B.C. (or B.C.E. if you are a finicky secularist).

Shakespeare wrote about it in the play Julius Caesar and added in the heartbreaking line, "E tu Brute?" Below is video from Rome season one (the end of course!), a bit violent, but almost tragically beautiful, in its portrayal of Caesar's death--especially from Brutus.

Julius Caesar comes home to Rome a beloved hero after the war in Gaul and his victory over ex-best friend, Pompey. No mention of the Rubicon, thanks to James. All of this makes him a hero in the eyes of the Roman people. Basically, the Senators see this and some of them think he is a big threat to Rome's security. They think he will take away their "democracy". A guy named Cassius is at the root of the plot against Caesar. He knows that Caesar's beloved status would make it hard to gain momentum against him. So what he does is turn the nobleman Marcus Brutus, Caesar's long time com padre, against him. If someone that once loved Caesar like a Dad turned against him, surely the citizens might be more keen to listen to such an opposition.

A big storm comes to Rome. Metaphor? Brutus figures out that assassination might be the only option to oust Caesar from power. The fellow senators convince Brutus that "the greater good" is at stake. Brutus does convince them, though, to spare Caesar's chum Marc Antony.

On a few occasions, Caesar is warned of his iminent demise. A vagrant on the street warns, "Beware the Ides of March", and his wife also gives him some words of advice. But Caesar still goes to the Senate and is stabbed brutally by the "Liberators". Brutus, of course, included. The famous line, "And you, Brutus?" makes it clear that Caesar had a deep love for Brutus and was indeed, betrayed. Soap opera? That's what the TV series Rome was made for.

So Mark Antony is pretty pissed, but he makes a deal with Caesar's muderers. He asks to accompany Caesar's body and to give a speech at his funeral. At the funeral, Brutus beats him to the punch:

BRUTUS

Be patient till the last.
Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my
cause, and be silent, that you may hear: believe me
for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, that
you may believe: censure me in your wisdom, and
awake your senses, that you may the better judge.
If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of
Caesar's, to him I say, that Brutus' love to Caesar
was no less than his. If then that friend demand
why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer:
--Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved
Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living and
die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live
all free men? As Caesar loved me, I weep for him;
as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was
valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I
slew him. There is tears for his love; joy for his
fortune; honour for his valour; and death for his
ambition. Who is here so base that would be a
bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended.
Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman? If
any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so
vile that will not love his country? If any, speak;
for him have I offended. I pause for a reply.

Antony replies after Brutus leaves--with the famous first words, "Friends, Romans, country men".

through his masterful use of irony [he] stirs the crowd—which to this point had been solidly behind the conspirators—to call for the blood of Cassius, Brutus, and anyone else associated with Caesar's death.

ANTONY

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest--
For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men--
Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
He hath brought many captives home to Rome
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.
I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause:
What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him?
O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And I must pause till it come back to me.

First Citizen

Methinks there is much reason in his sayings.

Second Citizen

If thou consider rightly of the matter,
Caesar has had great wrong.

Third Citizen

Has he, masters?
I fear there will a worse come in his place.

Fourth CitizenMark'd ye his words? He would not take the crown;
Therefore 'tis certain he was not ambitious.

Then Caesar's nephew, Octavius, plots with Marc Antony to gain control of Rome, forcefully. They kill a lot of people--some of the senators that killed Julius Caesar--and other people that were against them. But low and behold Brutus and that evil mastermind Cassius raise up a dark army against them. In the last battle, they gain some successes, but eventually Cassius kills himself when he falls on his own sword--a symbol of a man's failure. Then Brutus follows suit, unwilling to be taken captive by the heathens Antony and Octavius.

Upon discovering the body, Antony laments the tragic fall of Brutus, calling him the noblest of them all.

Julius Caesar is a man still talked about today, not just because of the Shakespeare play. Why is this? Many reasons, of course. But I think it is important to remember what happened in Ancient Rome--and to learn from it. So often human beings have let history repeat itself.

Is it right for a champion of democracy to kill to serve the interests of the nation?

Can any true democrat act in the "best interests of the people" if the people do not support his or her actions?

This raises questions about the nature of government and the ethics of revolution that have plagued political commentary for generations.

Do you think that Caesar's death inevitably helped or hurt the Roman Empire? Was Brutus justified? Has any modern day revolution/assassination ended up helping a nation?

Men at sometime were masters of their fates. / The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings (I.ii.140–142)

Caesar declares: “It seems to me most strange that men should fear, / Seeing that death, a necessary end, / Will come when it will come” (II.ii.35–37). In other words, Caesar recognizes that certain events lie beyond human control; to crouch in fear of them is to enter a paralysis equal to, if not worse than, death.

Change of Scenery

Yes, if you visit this blog a lot (cough Sarah cough), you might've noticed I've changed the color scheme and header about 4 times in the last 3 days. I feel that with Spring rapidly approaching (and pollen allergies), a change of color was needed. I did like the red but it was a bit much and not at all appropriate with my new music playlist.

Taxes

From a friend's status on Facebook:

...Just learned that our taxes are no longer due April 15th. They are due when we are nominated to a cabinet position.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Watch some great videos about Saint Patrick here! Here is an excerpt from the videos. Very interesting stuff!

After the dead of winter, St. Patrick's Day is a welcome sign of spring; a day for wearing of the green, for the Irish and non-Irish alike. It's a celebration of the Emerald Isle's patron saint, but now it is time to separate St. Patrick fact--from the blarney.

The story of St. Patrick's Day goes back to fifth century Britain, where a sixteen year old boy, Maewyn Succat, was kidnapped by Irish marauders. He remained a shepherd slave in Ireland for six years until a vision directed him to escape. Back home in Britain, Maewyn had another vision beckoning him to help the the people of Ireland. So he took his vows as a priest, adopted the Christian name Patrick, and in 432 A.D., returned to Ireland on a mission. In his autobiography, The Confessor, Patrick wrote about converting the Irish to Christianity while also building schools and monasteries along Ireland's north and west coast.

One popular myth has Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland. The truth is, there were never snakes on the island. This is probably a metaphor for Patrick cleansing the island of paganism. Another myth has Patrick using the shamrock to teach the holy trinity. This legend is possible, but Patrick never wrote about it.

So why does the holiday fall on March 17th? Supposedly it is the day Patrick died in 461 A.D.. Since then, Irish Christians have marked the anniversary as a holy day. Beginning in the middle ages, Irish Catholics would close shop and attend church to honor the feast of St. Patrick. And it was a time to celebrate. St. Patrick's Day falls within Lent, the season before Easter when Catholics give up their vices as penance. The feast of St. Patrick was a one day reprieve when Irishmen could down a pint or two of ale. This custom really took off.

The first St. Patrick's Day in colonial America occurred in Boston in 1737 with a parade organized by the Charitable Irish Society. New York City followed in 1762. Today, New York's Fifth Avenue is America's most famous, largest, and rowdiest St. Patrick's Day tradition.

During the 1840s, when Ireland was starving from the potato famine, millions were forced to leave. The mass migration sent Irish to Canada, Australia and America. As the Irish settled in their new countries, they brought along old customs and invented a few more. In the United States, it became customary to wear green on St. Patrick's Day. Toward the end of the 19th century, the smell of corned beef wafted from Irish-American neighborhoods. The traditional Irish meal was boiled bacon and potatoes, but in the United States, immigrants could find a cheap piece of beef, tenderize it with brine, and slow cook it cabbage. The dish remains a delicious Patty's Day tradition.

As the Irish in America gained influence in politics and culture, their exclusive holiday became a nationally recognized celebration. And it all began over 1500 years ago, when a boy was torn from his family. Little could he know, that his life would inspire parades, fashion, and yes, the hoisting of a few pints to host his special day.

The traditional color associated with Saint Patrick is actually blue! There is even a particular shade of blue known as Saint Patrick's Blue. Green is a color that became associated with Ireland, both because of the Emerald Isle, which came from the greenness of the land, and because of the shamrock, which Saint Patrick used to explain the trinity. The shamrock became a symbol of Irish-Catholic nationalism. The tradition of wearing green on St. Patrick's Day is derived from the tradition of picking a shamrock and putting in the lapel of your jacket. Then, when you had the United Irish Uprising in 1798, they took the popular connection of a national saint and the wearing of the green, and they applied it politically. They translated it into garments--their uniforms were green. Here in the United States, it became associated with showing an identification with Ireland and green has become ubiquitous on St. Patrick's Day.

Did you know that the patron saint of Ireland wasn't Irish? That he was born in Britain? And kidnapped? Britain was a Roman colony. When Rome withdrew its legions, because of the fall of the empire in the West, the Irish began to raid Britain, take the inhabitants, kidnap them, and use them as slaves. One of the people they kidnapped and used as a slave was Patrick. He was there for many years, and escaped, went back, became a priest in Europe, and then was called back to Ireland by a dream. He converted Ireland from pagan, Celtic culture, like worshiping the sun, to Christianity. St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated in Ireland and among the Irish people since not long after the death of Saint Patrick.

Flicker!

Yesterday a bird hit one of our windows -- which happens a lot. I glanced outside and didn't see anything so I figured it had already flown away. A few hours later, I let the dogs out and low and behold, Luci found the bird. It hopped away but couldn't fly. I watched it for a while and realized it had broken a wing.

I went in, called my mom, and tried to figure out what to do. She told me to email a Contra Costa Times writer, which I did, and found out he was out of town. So I called the 24-hour emergency vet hospital and they referred me to the Linsday Wildlife Museum which has a hospital. I went to their website. Birds that hit windows are usually dazed but recover in minutes. It had been hours since the bird had hit the window. The site said to put it in a box and store it in a warm, quiet, dark place. I did this. The bird did not want to stay in the box. It kept getting it's head stuck in the openings on the side.

This morning I took it into the hospital. They told me it was a Flicker.

As you can see, it is a very beautiful bird. Some facts about the Northern Flicker:

• Although it can climb up the trunks of trees and hammer on wood like other woodpeckers, the Northern Flicker prefers to find food on the ground. Ants are its favorite food, and the flicker digs in the dirt to find them. It uses its long barbed tongue to lap up the ants.
• The red-shafted and yellow-shafted forms of the Northern Flicker formerly were considered different species. The two forms hybridize extensively in a wide zone from Alaska to the panhandle of Texas. A hybrid often has some traits from each of the two forms and some traits that are intermediate between them. The Red-shafted Flicker also hybridizes with the Gilded Flicker, but less frequently, and the Gilded Flicker is considered a separate species.
• The Northern Flicker is one of the few North American woodpeckers that is strongly migratory. Flickers in the northern parts of the range move south for the winter, although a few individuals often stay rather far north.