Letters to the Editor 8-20-15

What about the oath?
Editor: The Boy Scout Oath: “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally strong.”
There is a major discrepancy between the pledge to help others at all times and the forced closure of the 4C Preschool due to a space conflict with the Boy Scouts. Who is on the Rosenberg Committee and why did they allow a representative from the Boy Scouts to bully them into making a morally corrupt decision? I was just starting to feel better about the Boy Scouts once they rescinded the rule discriminating against scouts and leaders based on their sexual orientation, and now this. Surely they can do better!
Bretta Rambo
Healdsburg
Medicare and Medi-Cal at 50
Editor: The Supervisors of Sonoma County celebrated the 50th birthday of the Medicare/MediCal system at their meeting August 11, and I was invited to receive the certificate honoring the event, because I treated geriatric patients, and then I was asked to say a few words.
I joked that I was selected not only because I treated geriatric patients, but also I am myself geriatric, have been on Medicare for nine years already, and was in medical school when Medicare began.  In other words: Old!
There was some opposition to Medicare by physicians back in 1965 because it was “socialized” medicine. But as a primary care physician, I grew to love Medicare. If a Medicare patient of mine needed an MRI of his knee, I could just order it. I didn’t have to call Anthem or Blue Cross and beg some clerk in St. Louis to OK the MRI.
And the overhead on traditional Medicare is in the three percent range, not the 20 percent range of those Anthem or Blue Cross etc. plans. That means 97 percent of Medicare dollars go to patient care. This 97 percent number is not true, by the way, of Medicare “Advantage” plans.
The supervisors noted that now two of five people, or 200,000, receive medical care through Medicare or Medi-Cal in Sonoma County. This is amazing, and appropriately the Board of Supervisors thanked Lyndon Johnson for signing these into action on July 30, 1965.
Over 30 years, I have listened to my patients and written on their chart some of the wise and witty things they have said. Remember, these people are part of the Greatest Generation. So here are a few of their best. I have hundreds more. The first of these are humorous, and then they become a little more serious. I hope both the humorous ones and the serious ones reflect for you the lessons I learned from these wise people every day in my practice
An 88-year-old man told me “Getting old involves more toilet paper.”
An 92-year-old woman said her MedicAlert bracelet went off when she was in the shower, and when she got out “There were four handsome young firemen standing there.”
An 85-year-old woman told me “I decided to have cataract surgery because I could not read the outdoor menu at McDonalds.” It worked.
An 89-year-old man said this: “Doctor, what can I do for my diaper rash. Maybe I should see a pediatrician.”
Now comes the learning part, when my patients taught me about life and how their childhood framed their life. I love this part. An 94-year-old man told me “When I was sick as a kid, it was a slug of castor oil and out, naked, in the outhouse. It taught you not to get sick.”
In early 2000, I was speaking to an 89-year-old man about all the things he had experienced in his life: the flu epidemic, WWI, the depression, WWII, Korea and Vietnam and he said “I hope we have learned from the last century but I don’t think we have.” True.
A retired pediatrician, who practiced from the 1940s to the 1970s told me “Telling parents that their child had polio was the worst thing in my practice. When it was announced that the Salk polio vaccine was effective in 1955, it was the happiest day of my life, and I cried.” As a fellow physician, I believe that. I almost cried when he told me this story.
And then the best comment, this from a wise 87-year-old lady, who grew up during the hard times of the Depression with seven brothers and sisters. “I would not trade my youth and growing up in the depression for the youth of today. We developed character, loyalty and integrity during those times. Children of today are handicapped compared to my youth.”
Read that last sentence again; it demonstrates how lucky I was to care for these people, and how much they should be listened to and respected.
David Anderson
Geyserville
A bad example for young scouts
Editor: As an Eagle Scout — years ago, I am really bothered by the recent decision to refuse to share Clary Hall with the displaced 4Cs Preschool.
Wouldn’t it be a better lesson to the young scouts if they were instructed to make some sacrifices so that some of the most vulnerable members of our community could continue to have the much needed educational and childcare services that have been in place for decades? How many scouting activities are held during the weekday hours of 7:30 to 5? I believe it is a true test of an organization’s character when they are willing to consider the greater good. Martin Dreiling, BS volunteer, is quoted as saying that now that the preschool has been forced out of Clary Hall, “I don’t need to be as nasty as I was a month ago.” Is nastiness a quality promulgated by the Boy Scouts?
Along with the recent displacement of many lower income residents due to large rent increases, this seems like another black mark on the soul of our community. Shame on the scouts and shame on all of us for once again failing families whose options are limited.
Walt Maack
Healdsburg
Diamond in the rough
Editor: When inspecting the Healdsburg Oak Mound Cemetery earlier this year the area could best be described as a “jungle,” overgrown with berry vines, poison oak and scotch broom. After a second major cleanup on August 10-11 the area can now better be described as a “Diamond in the Rough.” Thanks to the following businesses that donated labor, equipment and materials to the project, we were able to add a few more facets to this community gem. Thank you Clendenen Vineyard Management, Grace Vineyard Management, RFS Vineyards, Rochioli Winery and Vineyards, Syar Family Vineyards, Tri-Valley Vineyard Management, Valdez Family Winery, Image Tree Service, The Ratto Group and Big John’s Market. Though there is work to be done, the over 900 hours of donated labor since January has transformed the heritage section of the the Oak Mound Cemetery into a historical treasure for which the entire community can be proud. I invite you to visit the cemetery and find the grave sites of the Healds, Powells and Mathesons located at the top of the mound. If you would like to see the work continue, pick up a donation envelope as you exit the cemetery. Your donations will assure that the heritage section of the cemetery will receive continued maintenance.
Jim Dreisback, Cemetery Project Manager, Healdsburg Museum & Historical Society
Birthday generosity
Editor: Happy birthday, Jackson and Wyatt Smith. Today the mother of the birthday three-year-olds dropped off 15 boxes of food to the Healdsburg Food Pantry. Guests to a party were asked to bring food for the pantry instead of presents. What a great idea. Thank You Mrs. Smith.
Roger Dormire, President
Healdsburg Shared Ministries