Ann Timmerman

Now’s the time to inventory your medication — before the info is needed in an emergency

House Calls runs monthly. Today’s column is written by Ann Timmerman, a registered nurse in the Sutter Coast Hospital Emergency Room.

I would like take this opportunity to talk about having an up-to-date medication list. 

Providing a current medication list will not only paint a clearer picture of your medical history, but it will also help your medical staff diagnose and treat your current needs.

Another important fact is that a current medication list will prevent potentially dangerous medication interactions. Lastly, having a current medication list will help expedite your care.  

Listed below is what should be included on your medication list:

• The name of the drug

• The dosage that you take

• When and how often you take them.  

Please write everything clearly and with the correct spelling. In short, anyone should be able to read your medication list.

Artisan touches always appreciated

Artisan Cuisine is published monthly.

As a lover of artisanal foods, I’m delighted to be able to use some of the lessons I’ve learned in my last catering job of the year.

I’m about to have a baby and will be taking some much needed time off from my work. By the time you read this, I will have catered for retired film director Elmo Williams’ 100th birthday party, and every single thing on the menu I’ve made from scratch.

I think knowing how to make food the artisanal or old-fashioned way is crucial to becoming a well-rounded cook. It helps one understand the relationships with foods and even if you don’t notice a huge difference in the flavor of some things, others are usually impressed to know you’ve taken the extra effort to ensure the food is something homemade.

If you can add a few extra homemade items to your next party or get-together I guarantee you will make an impression on your guests. 

With this last meal I’m  preparing fresh homemade cheeses, which include feta cheese for the arugula salad, ricotta for the spring orecchiette pasta salad and I plan to share my homemade brie as one of the appetizers.

I’m planning to bake cornbread (Elmo’s favorite) and several loaves of buttery brioche, a twisted cinnamon braided bread and a whole grain boule that I will stencil with a giant “E” in honor of Elmo.

‘Baby shower’ for Pregnancy Care Center on Thursday

Of all the books in the Bible, I think that sometimes the study of Revelation brings about the most discussion, sometimes becoming quite heated. Folks have a number of opinions on it, as to its true meaning, whether it should be taken literally or figuratively — or seriously at all.

Personally, I find the book most intriguing.

To begin with, the writer, John, writes that he has been taken to heaven and is given  all manner of visions of things to come. Creatures of wild descriptions, and other things.

But I wonder — what must have it been like, for him to write about things that pertained to our time — things that he’d never seen, or even imagined

What would it be like for us to be transported 2,000 years into the future — and then to try to describe what we’d seen — with no references to compare them to?

A different view is being offered at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church via the program, “Follow the Lamb,” a series of meetings that began Friday.

Herb Montgomery will be at the church through May 11 for this series,  which will focus on the ethical teachings of Jesus, rather than the way we are used to viewing the book.

Meetings begin at 7 p.m. each evening. They are free, and all are invited.

From the pages of the Crescent City American, May 1927.

According to J.J. Stockard, Division Engineer with headquarters at Willits, the project to build a bridge across the Smith River near Adams’ is being delayed.

Mr. Stockard stated that the contractors, Smith Bros, were being held up on account of not being able to receive their steel for the construction, stating that the material had been ordered and at the wharf in San Francisco for some time, but had not as yet been shipped.

The new stretch of highway through the redwoods where the new road will go will be one of the prettiest scenes on the trip when the road is opened, according to Mr. Stockard. He stated that there isn’t any down timber or underbrush to speak of in the whole stretch and that it was one of the most beautiful spots on the route between here and Grants Pass. 

American gets new machine

The Crescent City American is this week installing one of the finest typesetting machines to be found on the Pacific Coast. The machine is equipped with the most modern devices and seems almost human in its operations.

This machine will take the place of five men at hand composition and therefore will better facilitate our typesetting. Though these machines do not set type better than can be set by hand, it sets it at such a rapid rate that we will be better equipped to handle the news of our fast-growing city.

I’m going to turn most of my column over to the voices of others today.

A thoughtful string of comments appeared on the Triplicate’s Facebook page after we posted a notice of an online poll at triplicate.com asking: Is it proper for Sheriff Dean Wilson to not enforce gun-control laws he considers unconstitutional?

Wilson recently told members of a State Senate committee that he would direct his department to ignore at least one proposed new gun-control law if it was passed. He was speaking about SB 374, which would add to the state’s current assault weapons law all semi-automatic rifles with detachable magazines, thus banning their manufacture and sale and requiring that those already owned be registered.

The sheriff said the proposed law would violate the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment, which states in part, “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”

The poll question will be on our website for about another week. It’s far from a scientific survey, although there is a safeguard in place against multiple voting from a single computer. So far, the “yes” responses are slightly outpacing the “no” responses. As to those Facebook comments, here are some excerpts, starting with five in support of the sheriff’s position:

• “Of course it’s proper. His job is to protect us from unconstitutional laws that big government is imposing on us.”

• “Yes ... because the Constitution supersedes any changes by politicians. The Constitution (provides) guaranteed rights .... unfortunately, we aren’t learning what this means as we grow up nowadays. Had to read and learn the original documents to find it out.”

 • “If a law is hastily written and unintentionally goes against the Constitution, then it is an unlawful law, and should not be upheld or enforced.”

• “He is bound by the Constitution, a higher authority than Sacramento legislators. Fortunately his position is an elected one. He has my vote!”

• “YES, 90% of our community are responsible hunters and we respect our American heritage! Thank you Sheriff Dean Wilson!”

On the other hand, here are five comments from people who disagree with Wilson in this case:

• “Of course it isn’t proper. Being sheriff doesn’t mean you get to pick and choose which laws you enforce. Be an example and go fight it the right way.”

Sheriff elected to enforce laws, not interpret them

I would like to respond in support of the excellent letter Lois Munson wrote in the April 25 paper (“Sheriff lacks authority to cherry-pick laws enforced”) regarding Sheriff Wilson’s comments. In the April 18 Triplicate, the sheriff stated that he would prosecute only matters which he feels are not against our constitutional rights as stated by the Second Amendment. 

The key word here is “his” interpretation. This decision is not up to him. We have rules in our democracy for changing laws that are not appropriate or no longer meet the needs of society and following that process is how we make change. We can’t just pick and choose which laws we will follow.

It is not Sheriff Wilson’s job to decide which laws he will uphold once the legislators pass a law. This is not the job of a sheriff in a rural community in California. He was elected to enforce the laws made by our government whether he agrees with them or not.

We all have to abide by laws and rules even if we do not like them. That is part of living in a civilized society. Maybe it is time for a new sheriff if our present elected official does not appear to want to honor the office that he was elected to.

Diana Clark, Crescent City

Schools not handling bullying sufficiently

I am writing in regards to the so-called change in the Del Norte Unified School District bullying policy. I thought in the beginning that the change was so spectacular. However in light of recent events at one of the schools here in Del Norte County, I seriously have my doubts.

My children are of a mixed ethnicity, and they are being called names that are racially driven, and nothing is being done. Unless you call having a child apologizing with no repercussions to his or her actions something.

This should not be tolerated in any form at any time, and should be grounds for suspension, for the first offense and continue to get more severe. I am appalled with the actions of the school and district on this matter.

I assure you if it continues I will seek legal counsel for my children and other ethnic children within this area.

Shawna Fairgood, Crescent City

Vehicles producing noise pollution

I must be so too old, because it’s too loud. I can’t be the only one who hears car stereos from too far away or the thump of off-road tires for blocks.

And how about that tuned exhaust that’s much louder than my neighbor’s log trucks? But I’m just sayin’.

Bill Cook, Crescent City

Clarification about grant program's condition

I am writing in regard to the April 22 article about the City of Crescent City’s decision to hire a Sacramento-based firm for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) administrative services and the remarks made at the April 15 City Council meeting on which the article was based.

I would like to clear up any misconceptions about the financial condition of the CDBG program when my contract ended. I am not aware of, and cannot speak to the many non-CDBG grants administered by city staff, one of which may have $7,500 in excess expenditures.

At the time my contract ended, however, none of the CDBG grants for which I was responsible were either overspent or projected to be overspent. Administrative costs required to close out fully-expended CDBG grants are minimal and are chargeable to the administrative portion of those grants that remain open.

The CDBG program is sufficiently complicated that management and tracking of the multiple projects and funds are easily confused. I believe I was both diligent and successful in performing this task during my time with the city. 

Charlaine Mazzei, Crescent City

Let's choose a local physician for county post

The April 25 article about the county health officer (“Health officer residency raises spat”) should have included more information. 

Sheriff Dean Wilson acknowledges there were some raised eyebrows in Sacramento earlier this month when he told a State Senate Committee that he wouldn’t enforce one or more of the gun-control laws it was considering.

There were some raised eyebrows here in Del Norte as well, even though this is one of those rural, politically conservative areas where gun rights are especially prized.

Whether a majority of Del Norters support Wilson is hard to say. Frankly, a lot would depend on how one words the question, something the newspaper attempts to do starting today in its online poll at triplicate.com.

The sheriff bases his opinion of what laws would violate the U.S. Constitution on its statement that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” His is a liberal interpretation, contending it applies to most of the firearms out there. There are plenty of other people who generally support gun rights but have no problem with the constitutionality of restricting certain types of rapid-fire, high-capacity weapons.

A second controversial issue at play here is whether the sheriff has the legal right to not enforce state laws that he believes violate the U.S. Constitution. You won’t find that decision-making power in his job description at the courthouse, but he says it’s inherent in the power of the executive branch of government. He also notes that even foot soldiers in the U.S. military have the right to disobey orders that are illegal.

Neither issue is likely to be laid to rest soon. Wilson fully expects the Legislature will pass and the governor will sign one or more gun-control laws that he will refuse to enforce.

That doesn’t mean that it’s almost high noon and Del Norters are going to have to choose up sides — are you with him or against him? Look a little closer, and the drama fades a bit.

A short time ago while substitute teaching at the high school a student asked me who was my “favorite coach to play for.” It was a really fun question for me to answer.

While I had three coaches at Del Norte that really inspired me to want to become a coach, Chuck DeAutremont was at the top of the list.

Chuck was my coach during my junior and senior years. Chuck had come to Del Norte after being an outstanding three-sport athlete at Southern Oregon College.

He coached football, basketball, baseball and track, and I had the privilege of playing all those sports under him. While playing football I dreamed of becoming a head football coach at Del Norte.

I was impressed that coach DeAutremont tried things that I had never seen done before. I remember his attempt at what he called the double T formation, where he had two quarterbacks with their hands under centers.

It didn’t work, but I was impressed that you did not have to do the same things everyone else was doing. He also treated everyone like he was special; you did not have to be a star.

The other two coaches who really impacted me were Mike Whalen and my Crescent Elk coach, Ed Fraser.