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Opinion
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- Written by: Nelson Strasser
A few days ago, I got a call from Sutter that a friend of mine was in the emergency room, and would I come and sit with her? She had fractured her knee as a result of a fall.
I drove to the emergency department and waited with her for five hours or so, and then they sent her home.
The man who got her from the wheelchair to my truck was large and way younger than me. I said “How do I get her inside when we get there.” He said, “If you have trouble, call 911.”
Now, my friend and I are both about 70 years old, so, getting her out of my truck seemed insurmountable.
So, I called 911, and two burly fellows came out, got her in the wheelchair the hospital provided, and carried the wheelchair, with her in it, up the steps. Then, reality set in.
My mind must have been dulled by the wait, because suddenly, I had a lot of questions: My friend can’t cook, can’t move, can’t do bodily functions and, can’t even feed her dogs. And, an osteopath could not even see her until the following Wednesday. So, I called the hospital and the operator put me through to a man who evidently was functioning as administrator.
I explained her plight. The man said, “You can call 911, bring her back here, and we will send her to a convalescent home.”
But, my friend did not want to go to a home. So, I stayed with her and the next day a caretaker who lives in her park came to help. Several neighbors stopped by, and Ray and Silvia, neighbors, brought us dinner.
I slept over again. More precisely, I slept until I was awakened by a thud. She had fallen out of bed! I called 911 again, and one of the two men that had come out earlier returned, this time with a woman partner.
My friend was confused and vacillated as to whether she wanted to go to the hospital or just get helped back into bed. She decided to stay, and the emergency duo got her up and into the wheelchair.
As they put her in, the woman partner, who must have got some of her skin caught between my friend’s arm and the arm of the wheelchair, yelled, “You’re pinching me.” My friend apologized.
Then, the duo asked my friend to stand up. “You can do it. You can put weight on the injured leg, come on.” But, she could not, and the duo got upset. The guy said, “That’s it, we are putting her on the gurney and taking her to the hospital.”
Evidently the duo perceived my friend as recalcitrant. I told the duo about the convalescent hospital plan. The guy said, “That is not what they are for! We have 55 years of experience between us and that is not what you should do, and you should not argue with us.”
I said, “I am not arguing, I am asking for direction. Here you see two people, each about 70 years old. We are incapable of moving her. We can’t do this, and so, I am asking you, with your 55 years of experience, in similar situations, what do people do?”
“What do people do,” he echoed, “They help themselves.”
I don’t know whether he was taken with the alliteration, wanted to create emphasis, or just was enamored with the notion expressed, but, he repeated, “They help themselves.”
On the way to the ambulance my friend uttered her concerns, much of which seemed relevant, and the duo began to argue with her.
I said, “She is in a drug-induced stupor, perhaps you should not listen.”
The guy said, “No, we listen to everything.” So, the duo set their respective jaws, groused and did their job.
Today, the sun shone on our magnificent county and my friend’s fortunes. The wonderfully kind Dr. Diaz at Sutter listened and heard my friend, and arranged for her to see a specialist in Santa Rosa this very day, and secured transportation.
I am going to remember this episode for a long time, I think, and the wisdom of the guy: “What do people do? They help themselves.”
Nelson Strasser lives in Lakeport, Calif.
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- Written by: Randy Ridgel
Obama is shocked, shocked I tell you, to learn there is gambling in the casino.
He was shocked, shocked I tell you, to learn folks were skeptical after he spent a fortune to conceal his birth and college records.
He is shocked, shocked I tell you, that his many vacations, some of which flew his wife, children and dog separately cost this destitute government millions of dollars.
He was shocked, shocked I tell you, that some were upset when he threw out the bust of Winston Churchill, insulted the Queen of England, announced the most beautiful sound he ever heard was the Muslim call to prayer and bowed to the waist while sucking up to the Saudi King.
He was shocked, shocked I tell you, to learn that his longtime pastor, Jeremiah Wright, hated America and Americans, especially white Americans.
He was shocked, shocked I tell you, to learn of “Fast and Furious” gun-running to Mexico, killing an American and untold numbers of Mexicans.
He was shocked, shocked I tell you, to learn the IRS suppressed the vote of enough conservative organizations to reelect him. He thought he should have known about the vote suppression after meeting the head of IRS 157 times leading up to the election.
He was shocked, shocked I tell you, that those under him called off all rescue efforts for Benghazi and got the ambassador and three others killed. He would have saved them but he was too busy preparing for a political trip to Las Vegas.
He was shocked, shocked I tell you, to learn that his old buddy, Attorney General Eric Holder, apparently lied his head off to Congress about his illegal searches of news organizations’ and reporters’ records.
I am shocked, shocked I tell you, to learn that not one of those high-level thugs he appointed ever gave him a hint about any of this.
Randy Ridgel lives in Kelseyville, Calif.
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- Written by: Anna Jones
Over the past couple of months I have been asked to participate in several luncheon fashion shows sponsored by different civic groups within the county. These shows took place in Lower Lake, Hidden Valley and Lakeport.
While it's always an honor and a privilege to be able to help support the good work that these organizations provide to our community, I must confess, however, that I came away more than a little puzzled ... and here's why.
My role in these events was to present apparel and accessories modeled for the attendees during the luncheons. This is certainly an amazing opportunity to showcase my merchandise, specifically contemporary ladies apparel.
The presentation was very well received by the audience on all occasions. Many guests would inquire about the shop and our location (Accents On The Lake in the Riviera Shopping Center).
Now here comes the puzzling part. When told the location, way more than a few responded, “We never get over that way.”
Now, I've lived in this county for a long time, and while the topography is no doubt unusual and sometimes challenging, I'm certain that any point in Lake County is closer to any other point in Lake County than it is to Ukiah, Santa Rosa, Napa or even any of the Northern California Costcos.
So here's my point: After factoring in your time, fuel costs, and wear and tear on you vehicle, why wouldn't you want to “stay local” if possible?
There are so many wonderful and unique businesses in this county that we should be anxious to patronize as often as possible.
If the Blue Wing in Upper Lake depended only on residents “over that way,” do you think they would be still in business? If golfers never “got over that way” do you think Hidden Valley Lake Golf Course would be busy all the time?
We are very fortunate to live in such a beautiful county. We don't have to put up with the traffic and congestion of the big metropolitan areas. We can actually enjoy the countryside as we drive to a fabulous place like Brassfield Winery.
If you've never “made it over that way” you owe it to yourself to check it out. Not only do we have some of the best air in the country, we have some of the best wineries, restaurants and small businesses.
Making the effort to “get over that way” has a positive effect on our entire county. Here's what happens when you “get over that way” and shop local:
• You keep you dollars in our local economy;
• You help create local jobs;
• You embrace one of our unique communities;
• You localize your tax dollars;
• You create more choice;
• You take advantage of our talent and expertise;
• You invest in entrepreneurship;
• You may meet new people and make new friends;
• You consider the environment;
• You make us a destination.
Enough said, and thank you for taking a moment to read this
Anna Jones is “over that way” in the Riviera Shopping Center in Kelseyville, Calif.
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- Written by: Dave Gebhard
Billions to divert San Joaquin river water under the Sacramento River is highway robbery.
The federal government has contracted the Sacramento River water to Central Valley farms, so the Southern California swimming pools must be filled with San Joaquin River water, expensively moved under the Sacramento River. This is another attempted hijacking of our water.
This would devastate the delta, as the fresh water influx into San Francisco Bay would be extremely diminished.
The salt water would reach higher into the delta, rendering thousands of acres of prime farmland worthless.
Also, the money would be much better spent on education. Money spent of education multiplies. Somewhat like the Malthusian Theorem, knowledge invested in our people’s intellectual piggy bank increases exponentially.
Education makes people more employable, thus less likely to commit crimes and brings the level of civility and empathy up for everyone a more enjoyable environment.
I think Southern Californians could stop watering lawns, washing cars and pay a surtax on swimming pools. Perhaps a surtax would help pay for a desalination plant such as the one being built in San Diego.
I realize two-thirds of the voters reside in Southern California, but dams, tunnels and Northern California water will never keep up with the population explosion in our deserts.
Desalinization is the answer, combine that with a little “Yankee ingenuity” and tax money could be spent on a final solution without harming the Northern California environment.
Dave Gebhard lives in Lakeport, Calif.