Page 6B
East Oregonian
PEANUTS
COFFEE BREAK
Thursday, January 5, 2017
DEAR ABBY
BY CHARLES M . SCHULZ
Relative says family fundraiser
has gone to the well too often
FOR BETTER OR WORSE
BY LYNN JOHNSTON
B.C.
BY JOHNNY HART
PICKLES
BY BRIAN CRANE
BEETLE BAILEY
BY MORT WALKER
Dear Abby: A family member
I was horrified to see one of their dogs
keeps setting up fundraisers every
sleeping on one of the pillows I had
time she wants to buy something for
made for them. When the dog woke
her family. If a child needs a special
up, it proceeded to scratch itself and
class, she asks the relatives to pitch in
then drag the hair-covered pillow
to pay for it. When her husband wanted
through the house. I have been asked
to return to college, she brought all the
to make a quilt for a disabled child
extended family together to see who
living at home who also has a dog that
could contribute.
sleeps on her bed.
Jeanne
She has now set up a fundraiser Phillips
I no longer want to invest my time
for family and friends to raise $6,000
and
energy after what happened to
Advice
to send her teenaged daughter to an
my gift. I feel unappreciated. Would
expensive performing arts camp. I
it be wrong to refuse the request and
think this is extravagant. If they can’t afford say something about “gift abuse”? — Sew
it, they should select a camp they CAN afford Perplexed In The Northwest
or have the 16-year-old go out and earn the
Dear Sew Perplexed: Verbalizing your
money. I also think they should be saving for refusal would be undiplomatic. Regardless
college rather than camp.
of the fact that your hard work wasn’t
This woman’s father was a preacher, and appreciated as you hoped it would be, I do
sometimes I think she never got the message not recommend that you accuse the family of
that fundraising is usually for charity, not for “gift abuse.” It appears they’re dealing with
individuals who happen to need some cash. more important issues right now.
Am I wrong to be embarrassed by what she’s
Dear Abby: My husband and I have been
doing, or is this a new normal? — Embar- together for 21 years. I’m extremely social,
rassed In Texas
while he is not. For the past six to 10 years he
Dear Embarrassed: You say your rela- has become increasingly resistant to going out
tive is the daughter of a preacher. There is a in public places, especially when it involves
saying in the Bible, “Seek and ye shall find.” getting together with my family or friends.
Another way of putting it is, “It never hurts to
During last year’s holidays, I pleaded yet
ask.” If you feel your relative is using others another “sudden illness” on his behalf. I feel
for something that should be her responsi- he makes himself ill with anxiety so he can
bility, you are free to just say no, and to do so bow out at the last minute. When I cancel
without embarrassment.
plans we’ve made — which is often — he
Dear Abby: I’m retired and have the time generally “feels better” after we cancel. It’s
to sew and quilt projects, which I give as gifts. frustrating. While I am sympathetic, I’m tired
I presented a “Quilt of Valor” to my father of making excuses knowing he’s probably
to honor his military service. I also gave a fine. What can I do? — Social Butterfly In
sibling one of my personalized projects as a Portland, Ore.
birthday gift.
Dear Butterfly: I think you should go
Abby, when we visited their home recently, without him, and stop making excuses.
DAYS GONE BY
GARFIELD
BY JIM DAVIS
100 Years Ago
From the East Oregonian
Jan. 5, 1917
The 640 acre homestead law only went into
effect Tuesday but already many applications
for entry have been made in this county. Justice
of the Peace Joe H. Parkes yesterday assisted
nine different men to make entries and has been
busy all day today with the same work. None
could get 640 acres in one piece but the land
office advised Mr. Parkes to accept all applica-
tions until instructions from Washington were
more definite. All of the land is grazing land.
50 Years Ago
From the East Oregonian
Jan. 5, 1967
There was a lot of slipping and sliding on
the way to work this morning, especially on
Highway 395 toward Sherwood Heights in
Pendleton. Cars, trucks and buses were backed
up for hundreds of feet due to the icy road
conditions. No serious accidents were reported.
An empty school bus near Adams skidded off
the road, but no one was hurt. The weatherman
said the snow first started to fall at 6 a.m. while
the ground was still warm, causing the snow
to melt. As the temperature dropped the snow
began to freeze to the road prompting the icy
driving conditions.
25 Years Ago
From the East Oregonian
Jan. 5, 1992
Gene Britain has been fishing for steel-
head on the Umatilla River for 45 years. He
drowned a few more worms Thursday in a
hole west of Rieth. “This year ain’t any worse,
but it could be a lot better,” he said, apparently
unaware that this year already is better than
last. Jim Phelps, a fisheries biologist with the
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife,
said more than 1,300 steelhead migrating up
the Columbia took a left at the Umatilla in
November and December. The entire count
last year was just over 1,100.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
BLONDIE
DILBERT
THE WIZARD OF ID
LUANN
ZITS
BY DEAN YOUNG AND STAN DRAKE
BY SCOTT ADAMS
BY BRANT PARKER AND JOHNNY HART
BY GREG EVANS
BY JERRY SCOTT AND JIM BORGMAN
Today is the fifth day of
2017. There are 360 days
left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in
History:
On Jan. 5, 1957, Presi-
dent Dwight D. Eisenhower
proposed assistance to
countries to help them resist
Communist aggression in
what became known as the
Eisenhower Doctrine.
On this date:
In 1781, a British naval
expedition led by Benedict
Arnold burned Richmond,
Virginia.
In 1895, French Capt.
Alfred Dreyfus, convicted
of treason, was publicly
stripped of his rank. (He
was ultimately vindicated.)
In 1905, the National
Association of Audubon
Societies for the Protection
of Wild Birds and Animals
was incorporated in New
York State.
In 1925, Democrat
Nellie Tayloe Ross of
Wyoming took office as
America’s first female
governor, succeeding her
late husband, William,
following a special election.
In 1933, the 30th pres-
ident of the United States,
Calvin Coolidge, died in
Northampton, Massachu-
setts, at age 60. Construc-
tion began on the Golden
Gate Bridge. (Work was
completed four years later.)
In 1949, in his State of
the Union address, President
Harry S. Truman labeled
his administration the Fair
Deal.
In 1953, the Samuel
Beckett play “Waiting for
Godot” premiered in Paris.
In 1964, during a visit to
the Holy Land, Pope Paul VI
met with Patriarch Athenag-
oras I of Constantinople in
Jerusalem.
In 1970, Joseph A.
Yablonski, an unsuccessful
candidate for the presidency
of the United Mine Workers
of America, was found
murdered with his wife and
daughter at their Clarks-
ville, Pennsylvania, home.
(UMWA President Tony
Boyle and seven others were
convicted of, or pleaded
guilty to, the killings.) “All
My Children” premiered on
ABC-TV.
In
1972,
President
Richard Nixon announced
that he had ordered develop-
ment of the space shuttle.
Today’s
Birthdays:
Former Vice President
Walter F. Mondale is 89.
Actor Robert Duvall is 86.
Juan Carlos, former King of
Spain, is 79. Singer-musician
Athol Guy (The Seekers) is
77. Talk show host Charlie
Rose is 75. Actress-director
Diane Keaton is 71. Actor
Ted Lange is 69. Rhythm-
and-blues musician George
“Funky” Brown (Kool and
the Gang) is 68. Rock musi-
cian Chris Stein (Blondie)
is 67. Actor Vinnie Jones
is 52. Rock musician Troy
Van Leeuwen (Queens of
the Stone Age) is 49. Rock
singer Marilyn Manson is
48. Actor Bradley Cooper is
42. Actress January Jones is
39.
Thought for Today:
“How far you go in life
depends on your being
tender with the young,
compassionate with the
aged, sympathetic with the
striving and tolerant of the
weak and strong. Because
someday in your life you
will have been all of these.”
— George Washington
Carver, American educator
and scientist (born 1864,
died this date in 1943).
PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN
BY DANA SIMPSON
BIG NATE
BY LINCOLN PEIRCE