I have lived all over the Bay Area for the past 60 years and have been back in Lake County for eight now.

I love it here, of course, but we have to do something about the carnage on the highways in this county. I have never seen anything like it, anywhere else I've lived.

This must be horrible duty for our California Highway Patrol – witnessing so much death and destruction. I reckon they would tell us that much, if not most, of this is completely unnecessary.
 
Late in May there was a bicyclist mowed down, two flown out of here to the trauma center from Manning Flats, two more flown out after a motorcycle wreck on Soda Bay Road, an overturned semi that knocked out power in Upper Lake, followed by three fatal crashes, two of them involving motorcycles.
 
I refuse to accept as possibilities that we not smart enough to drive on our own roads or that we have so much more alcohol or drugs here or that we are any worse about cell phones. It is certainly not confined to our senior citizens (like me).

But I cannot, for the life of me, figure out what the problem is. It is a little too early to blame the tourists and frankly, it always seems to be us locals anyway.
 
But people, we've got to do something about this. In the old days, there was a public safety campaign: " The life you save might be your own."

This is so true. Of course, it probably is a truism that is lost upon the young – after all, I once thought I was going to live forever, too.

May I suggest that perhaps worse is the fact that you might be alive; left paralyzed or having killed someone else or their child because of your driving habits.
 
We have to recognize that apparently our roads are dangerous – most mountain roads are – and there is just no room for error. It takes a split second to drift just enough toward the center line to find yourself facing death or worse.

Let me plant a seed of doubt: before you make that turn, are you sure no one is oncoming, are you sure that person is not going to turn left in front of you, are you sure that car is not going to pull out of that driveway, or are you sure that oncoming truck is not going to drift over while you change your radio?

No, you're not! It happens all the time. We need to pay attention – give driving our full focus and attention.
 
We must stop taking so much on faith when we are on the road. We never really know what that driver is going to do next – make sure you are in control of your faculties and vehicle to increase your
chances of a proper and quick reaction as needed. Please slow down; it's not worth the risk.
 
Remember: The life you save might be your own or it just might be mine.

Take care out there on our highways and roads; this life might be the only one we have.
 
Judy Kempler lives in Kelseyville, Calif.

Fire season is here. We’re in a drought. In spite of the recent rain, fuels are dry and ready to burn.

Are you ready for fire season? Would you know what to do if a wildfire was in your backyard?

Have you cleared defensible space around your home? Is your address clearly marked? Do you have an evacuation plan for yourself and your family? Do you have your emergency checklist ready?

During the 2012 fire season, some of us got to answer those questions firsthand.    

Last September, driving to town on a Friday afternoon, I turned a corner and saw a column of smoke rising on Cow Mountain. Way too close for comfort. I turned around and went back home.

My husband and I watched the column build and glow red from the flames. The wind was blowing the opposite direction of what it normally does, but we could tell by the rate of spread; if the wind changed to “normal” we would literally be in the line of fire. We stopped staring at the fire and kicked into gear.

We got out the emergency check list we’d made. It kept us organized and about as calm as possible, considering we were both wondering if we might lose our home.

Ladder out … check. Hoses hooked up … check. No flammable materials around the house or on the porch … check. Vehicles headed out with windows up … check. And so we went down the list.   

I double-checked what I call my “go kit” to make sure everything we needed was there. It’s a case I put together each year as fire season approaches. It sits by the door or goes with me in the car. It has medications for the entire family, including the dog’s, spare pair of glasses and other essentials.

Back to the check list … water, dog food, dog crate, external hard drive for the computer, non-perishables, a change of clothing, batteries, toothpaste, chargers for the phones and laptop. And down the list we went again.

We had things together in about 30 minutes. If the phone hadn’t been ringing so much, it probably would have taken half that time. It’s amazing how quickly you can move when it’s needed and you have a checklist to follow.

The neighbors were getting organized, too. People with livestock were following their evacuation plans and didn’t wait until they were told to move their animals. Maybe it was memories of the 1981 Cow Mountain fire, but my hunch was we’d all seen how quickly things moved during the recent Wye Fire and learned from it.

Then my husband and I made another decision. We called ahead, then went to town and rented a moving truck. The wind was still in our favor, and we decided to take advantage of the extra time. How lucky we were to have it. If we’d been in the Wye Fire, we would have already evacuated and been hoping our home would still be there when we returned. We had the luxury of time residents in the Wye Fire hadn’t had.

       
The wind still hadn’t changed when we got home, so we started packing the truck with some of our furniture. We figured it was easier to haul it back inside than try to get things loaded in a panic.  

We knew we’d done the best we could with protecting our home. We debated about leaving, but had a good handle on the fire’s location and felt sure we were still okay. We watched the air tankers overhead, we watched the fire trucks roll down the road during shift changes.

We gave thanks for the volunteers and emergency personnel who were there to help. We thanked our lucky stars for the men and women trained to fight these fires. They’d left their families and homes to protect ours.  

As residents, we have a job to do, too. We need to create defensible space not only to protect our homes, but the fire fighters who defend them. We need to do our part of the job, so they have a fighting chance to help us.

To find out what you can do to prepare for a wildfire, don’t miss the Wildfire Safety Expo on Saturday, May 18, at Kelseyville Lumber from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There’s a bounce house for the kids, plus Smokey Bear and Sparky the Fire Dog will be there. We also have free prizes that will be given each hour.

You’ll have the opportunity to see fire fighting demonstrations and talk to the men and women who help protect us. You might even want to say thanks and shake their hand.

The Wildfire Safety Expo is a family event that will help answer your questions about fire protection. It’s fun, it’s free, and you won’t be sorry you attended.

Don’t wait until a fire is in your backyard before you learn what to do. For more information about the Expo, please call the Lake County Fire Safe Council at 707-263-4180, Extension 106.

For additional fire safety information, check the Cal Fire Web site at www.readyforwildfire.org .

Linda Juntunen is project coordinator for the Lake County Fire Safe Council. She lives in Lakeport, Calif.

It’s becoming a common scene to see our military personnel returning home from war suffering from mental and physical wounds.

According to RAND (2009), 981,834 veterans return to the U.S. with 18 percent suffering from some form of mental illness.

The mental illnesses that our veterans are experiencing can go unseen unlike a physically wounded veteran. The unseen wounds can create problems within a veteran’s life and how they cope. Military individuals struggle on a daily basis with the invisible wounds of serving in a highly stressful environment.

When they return home, wounded veterans should not have to worry about receiving quality care in a timely manner. For veterans suffering from mental illnesses, they do not have the time to wait for care from the Department of Veterans Affair.

According to the VA, there are 3.4 million wounded warriors residing in the United States. That is a very high number of individuals who are attempting to seek care from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The sad reality is that with such a high volume of wounded warriors seeking care that the VA has become impacted.  

Many veterans are waiting six months to a year to receive assistance in accessing services and benefits within the VA.

The huge backlog of veterans waiting to seek care from the VA has created issues in regards to the fact that our veterans are not receiving the care that they truly deserve sooner.

In 2008, the Wounded Warrior Act was passed into legislation as an attempt to improve mental and physical health care for returning military personnel.

The act strives to create changes in the way that the VA system addresses the issues of veterans not having access to quality care.

A major problem that the VA faces is the large number of individuals who go in and out of the doors at VA clinics.

The Department of Veterans Affairs serves 8.3 million veterans across the nation. This is important to know because it allows an individual to understand that the VA is trying to help those who are asking for help but with the overload that they are facing, it can be tough.  

We are trying to find answers to the problem and create a better environment within the VA for veterans to ensure that they receive care in a timely fashion before it may be too late.

For veterans who have to wait for long period of time, they may turn to other outlets as a way to destress.

The outlets that a veteran may choose may be negative and be costly to them. These outlets are a mixture of alcohol or drug abuse, and the last resort may be suicide.

If there is such a backlog of care within the VA, it is time for other resources to be utilized for our veterans to ensure that they have a safe space to turn to before it’s too late.

Veterans should be provided with a list of resources that they can access while waiting to receive assistance from the VA.

There is no such thing as leaving what they see behind them because they will always carry the tragic events that they experienced while serving in a war zone.

We must continue to honor our veterans no matter what they are experiencing and assist them in receiving the care that they need. We can’t let them give up on themselves as they wait to receive quality care from the VA.

We can help them by assisting in sharing information about resources that are available within their own local communities and keep fighting alongside them to ensure that the wait time continues to decline.

Jacqueline Wilson is a masters of social work graduate student at the University of Southern California. She is from Clearlake, Calif.

There will be one less voice heard at the Soper-Reese Community Theatre.

Our friend Carl Stewart lost his two year battle with cancer on Tuesday morning.

At last year’s symphony concerts at the theater when Carl had just returned from treatment, Carl brought tears to the audience and an admiration from all, with a performance that was without a doubt one of the most moving we’ve had at the theater.

Those of us who knew what he’d been through were particularly moved, but those in the audience who didn’t know were equally stunned by the power of his performance.

The theater family and greater community will miss Carl, not just for his talent, but for his positive spirit.

Our thoughts go out to the his family for their loss, and with gratitude for sharing Carl with us.

Kathy Windrem and Mike Adams are part of the large volunteer group that run the Soper-Reese Community Theatre in Lakeport, Calif.

How a community grows and why can greatly impact the nature of that community. Changes that might go unnoticed in a large community can be game changers in a small one like ours.

There are a few changes that have taken place in Lake County over the past several years that are beginning to have a very positive impact.

Some years back, the pear industry suffered from a major depression in the market, which forced many growers to begin removing much of the older marginally productive orchards.

Agriculture was clearly in a transition period in Lake County, and while there were pressures to develop, the local bureaucracy slowed this process enough to allow the wine industry to grow and begin to flourish in the county.

Patience followed by vision allowed this to happen. During this time the industry has grown from a grower owned coop winery and a couple of small family wineries to over 40 major wineries and the establishment of Lake County as a major grape growing region.

The closing of Konocti Harbor Inn had a similar impact on entertainment in the area. Where we had a major employer and magnet for the tourist industry we suddenly had just a few school and small theater group performances and our symphony, performing in the schools and local churches.

There were the concerts in the park during the summer, but the rest of the year was pretty dry when it came to live entertainment. Live music or theater on any regular basis required a trip out of the county.

Along came Jim Soper and his support of the vision of Jillian Billester and the Lake County Arts Council to purchase the old Lakeport Theater and create a performing arts venue in Lake County and allow live entertainment to begin to grow in the county.

It didn’t happen overnight. Like the wine industry, the process of developing this has been slow, but patience has again paid off.

An ever-increasing pool of talent now has a place to perform, the community has a local venue in which to be entertained, and these changes have enriched our community.

In the mid-1970s, Mendocino College and Yuba College began offering college classes at each end of the lake. The offerings were limited but over time programs grew and the ability to attain an associate degree, without having to leave the county, was achieved.

This past year both Mendocino and Yuba expanded their facilities and made possible increased opportunities for a higher education in the county.

Now Marymount California University, in response to the vision of Kelly Cox to find a way to utilize a community landmark, will be bringing yet another positive change to our community; the ability to achieve a bachelor or even graduate degree right here in Lake County.

This too will not happen overnight. These things are what a positive community is made of: economic stability, cultural growth and educational opportunity, all enhanced by long-term vision and the patience to allow that vision to develop.

Upcoming cultural opportunities at the Soper Reese Theatre:

• Lake County Symphony’s annual Mother’s Day Concert: 3 p.m. Sunday, May 12;
• Third Friday Live presents “Twice as Good” 7 p.m. May 17;
• Lake County Live: Live on stage radio broadcast on KPFZ 88.1 FM, 6 p.m. Sunday, May 26;
• CLPA Youth Symphony Concert: 3 p.m. Sunday, June 9;
• Second Tuesday Classic Movies presents “Goldfinger,” 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 11.

Tickets are available at The Travel Center in the Shoreline Shopping Center, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; the theater box office on Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and two hours before show time on the day of any event. Tickets also can be purchased online at www.soperreesetheatre.com .

For all the latest in information, tickets and more go to www.soperreesetheatre.com and we’ll see you at the theater.

Kathy Windrem and Mike Adams are part of the large volunteer group that run the Soper-Reese Community Theatre in Lakeport, Calif.

If two mechanics are working on your car, but they’re not talking to one another, the results may not be so good.

Likewise, if a baseball coach doesn’t communicate well with his players, he’s not likely to win as many games as he could.

Good coordination can improve outcomes in all sorts of human activities. Health care is no exception.

That’s why Medicare places so much emphasis on getting doctors and other health care providers to work together more closely and to share information on their patients.

For one thing, Medicare is encouraging the formation of accountable care organizations, or ACOs.

An ACO is a group of doctors and other health care providers who agree to work together and with Medicare to give you the best possible care by making sure they have the most up‑to‑date information about you. ACOs are designed to help your providers work together more closely to give you a more coordinated and patient-centered experience.

If you have Original Medicare and your doctor has decided to participate in an ACO, you’ll be notified of that, either in person or by letter, and the ACO may request your personal health information to better coordinate your care. You’ll have the option of declining to have your Medicare claims information shared with the ACO.

Your Medicare benefits, services, and protections won’t change. And you still have the right to use any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare at any time, just as you do now.

For more information, visit www.medicare.gov/acos.html or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users should call 877-486-2048.

Medicare also gives financial incentives to doctors and other providers who adopt health information technology. Health IT can help manage your health information, improve how you communicate with your health care providers, and improve the quality and coordination of your care.

These tools also reduce paperwork, medical errors, and health care costs.

One example is electronic health records, or EHRs. These are records that your doctor, other health care provider, medical office staff, or a hospital keeps on a computer about your medical care or treatments.

EHRs can help lower the chances of medical errors, eliminate duplicate tests, and may improve your overall quality of care.

Your doctor’s EHR may be able to link to a hospital, lab, pharmacy, or other doctors, so the people who care for you can have a more complete picture of your health. You have the right to get a copy of your health information for your own personal use and to make sure the information is complete and accurate.

Electronic prescribing is another way to coordinate and improve care delivery. It allows your doctor (or other health care provider who is legally allowed to write prescriptions) to send your prescriptions directly to your pharmacy.

Electronic prescribing can save you money, time, and help keep you safe. You don’t have to drop off and wait for your prescription. And your prescription may be ready when you arrive.

Prescribers can check which drugs your insurance covers and may be able to prescribe a drug that costs you less.

Electronic prescriptions are easier for the pharmacist to read than handwritten prescriptions. This means there’s less chance that you’ll get the wrong drug or dose.

And prescribers can be alerted to potential drug interactions, allergies and other warnings.

David Sayen is Medicare’s regional administrator for Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and the Pacific Territories. You can always get answers to your Medicare questions by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).