The workings of memory are something that every writer thinks a lot about, and in this poem Peter Everwine, a California poet we've featured before, looks very closely into those workings.

His most recent book is “Listening Long and Late,” from the University of Pittsburgh Press. This poem is from Five Points, a distinguished quarterly journal.

A Small Story

When Mrs. McCausland comes to mind
she slips through a small gap in oblivion
and walks down her front steps, in her hand
a small red velvet pillow she tucks
under the head of Old Jim Schreiber,
who is lying dead-drunk against the curb
of busy Market Street. Then she turns,
labors up the steps and is gone . . .

A small story. Or rather, the memory
of a story I heard as a boy. The witnesses
are not to be found, the steps lead nowhere,
the pillow has collapsed into a thread of dust . . .
Do the dead come back only to remind us
they, too, were once among the living,
and that the story we make of our lives
is a mystery of luminous, but uncertain moments,
a shuffle of images we carry toward sleep—
Mrs. McCausland with her velvet pillow,
Old Jim at peace—a story, like a small
clearing in the woods at night, seen
from the windows of a passing train.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. They do not accept unsolicited submissions. Poem copyright ©2015 by Peter Everwine, “A Small Story,” from Five Points, (Vol. 17, no. 1, 2015). Poem reprinted by permission of Peter Everwine and the publisher. Introduction copyright © 2016 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – MCHC Health Centers recently announced the addition of Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jerry Douglas to its executive team.

Dr. Douglas is a board-certified family medicine physician who said he chose MCHC because he likes the health center’s team-based approach and appreciates the fact that the organization is ahead of the curve when it comes to adopting health care initiatives.

“When I met with the executive team, you could tell they were really comfortable with each other and clearly focused on putting patients first,” he said. “They really have their act together.”

As Dr. Douglas’ Apple watch beeped, he smiled and admitted to being “a technology nerd from way back.”

He said he likes technology but is not a slave to it. In health care, he believes technology tools like the electronic health record are useful for recording, retrieving and analyzing data, but that “the EHR doesn’t make you a better doctor. That’s up to us.”

So while he enjoys computers, his defines his most important goal as staying fully present in each moment so he can provide patients and coworkers with his best work.

At the health center, his work will include treating patients as well as assisting the organization in achieving its strategic and operational goals.

“I also hope to help providers and employees stay connected to the reason they got into health care in the first place. Health care can be a high-stress environment, but it’s important to keep some fun in our work,” he said.

In the short time he has been with MCHC, Dr. Douglas has already made quite an impression, according to his colleagues. People in offices adjacent to his say they love hearing Dr. Douglas laugh, which is good because they hear it frequently.

“Dr. Douglas’ positive attitude and many years of experience in health care administration will help MCHC as we continually adjust in this ever-changing health care industry. Right now, things are moving from a quantity-based system to a quality-based system and it will take good leadership to navigate that transition. I’m really pleased Dr. Douglas has joined our team,” said Chief Executive Officer Carole Press.

Before arriving in California in 2009 to work for Adventist Health at the St. Helena Family Health Center in Clearlake, Dr. Douglas practiced medicine in a multi-specialty group in Lafayette, Indiana.

He attended the Indiana University of Medicine and completed his family medicine internship and residency at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.

When he’s not caring for patients or working as an administrator, he enjoys painting (mostly with acrylics), reading, practicing Aikido, and spending time with his husband.

MCHC Health Centers provides comprehensive health services including primary medical care, pediatrics, dentistry, women’s health, obstetrical care, counseling, psychiatry, and specialty care, and looks forward to growing to meet the ever-expanding needs of the communities it serves.

MCHC Health Centers includes Hillside Health Center in Ukiah, Little Lake Health Center in Willits and Lakeview Health Center in Lakeport. Learn more at www.mchcinc.org .    

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Art Center will host a forum for Middletown Unified School District Board candidates on Monday, Oct. 17.

The forum will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the center, 21456 Highway 175.

Candidates are Misha Grothe, Sean Millerick, Sandy Tucker and Helena Welsh.

The forum will be moderated by Larry Allen, a Cobb resident and retired representative for California Teachers Association, and Herb Gura, a Konocti Unified School Board member.

Everyone is encouraged to attend this forum. Supervised art activities will be available for children ages 4 and up for $5 in the back studio while parents participate in this important forum.

Please RSVP to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for child care.

Target shooting with the Skeet Fleet
 
Question: In Southern California we have taken large boats offshore on the open ocean to shoot clay pigeons with shotguns. We call them the "Skeet Fleet."

We use steel shot and do not shoot auto loaders such that we can maintain control of the shells and not have the casings land in the water.

I guess the first question is what are the regulations regarding this activity and is there a distance that we need to be offshore?

I now live in Northern California and am interested in doing the same. Would there be an option of doing the same around Grizzly Island or on San Francisco or Suisun Bay? (Anonymous)
 
Answer: Target shooting in the ocean is not addressed in the Fish and Game Code, but littering in waters of the state is. Therefore, the throwing of the clay birds, which are coated in paint for visibility, into the water may be an issue.
 
“It is unlawful to deposit, permit to pass into, or place where it can pass into the waters of the state, or to abandon, dispose of, or throw away, within 150 feet of the high water mark of the waters of the state, any cans, bottles, garbage, motor vehicle or parts thereof, rubbish, litter, refuse, waste, debris, or the viscera or carcass of any dead mammal, or the carcass of any dead bird.” (Fish and Game Code, section 5652)
 
Depending on the location, there may also be local, state and federal laws prohibiting the discharge of firearms.
 
Buying wild boar meat

Question: I have heard wild boar numbers are often at excessive levels and that they can be hunted and sold. I am looking to purchase some wild boar meat.

I know there are different hunting seasons for them and the quantity varies throughout the year.

What is the regulation on selling wild boar and are there any people/businesses in the area that are licensed to do so? (Tara S., Carmel)
 
Answer: We do have a rather large population of wild pigs in this state and they can be hunted; they just cannot be sold.

The sale of wild animals (including wild pigs) or their meat is unlawful in California.

Only permitted domestically reared deer meat and the products of domestically reared deer or elk (jerky or sausage, for example) are exceptions.
 
The sale of wild pig taken and sold within California is unlawful. In addition, even wild pig taken in another state is unlawful to sell in California (FGC, section 3039). You should be able to locate pig through a vendor on the Internet that sells game meats.

As long as it is already pre-packaged, it would be legal to purchase and import into California. We have previously dealt with this issue extensively at county and state fairs where vendors sell various types of game meats at booths.

There are also state and federal requirements that apply to the products to make them safe and lawful for sale for human consumption.
 
Bringing a wolf carcass or pelt back from another state

Question: If I legally kill a wolf in Idaho, can I return to California with the wolf and or hide? (Tom R.)
 
Answer: Legally harvested wolves and wolf pelts may not be imported into California.

The Fish and Game Commission has listed the wolf as endangered in California and consequently, the following would apply: “No person shall import into this state, export out of this state, or take, possess, purchase, or sell within this state, any species, or any part or product thereof, that the commission determines to be an endangered species or a threatened species.” (FGC, section 2080)
 
Are hunters/anglers required to carry photo identification?

Question: What type of identification am I required to carry when hunting and/or fishing? Is just my current license and tags all I need to carry or am I required to carry another form of ID? (Russell W., La Verne)
 
Answer: Unless you are a commercial fisherman, you are not required to carry photo identification when hunting or fishing, but it is always a good idea.

Carrying photo identification will allow a wildlife officer to positively confirm your identification and that you are the licensed holder of the fishing/hunting license you are carrying.

For California residents, it’s best to carry a California driver license or DMV identification card.
 
Carrie Wilson is a marine environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. While she cannot personally answer everyone’s questions, she will select a few to answer each week in this column. Please contact her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Soroptimist International off Clear Lake is hosting a mystery dinner theater titled "Sour Grapes Of Wrath” on Friday, Oct. 21.

A few tickets at $40 per person are still available for the event, which will take place beginning at 5 p.m. at the Lower Lake Historic Schoolhouse Museum, 16435 Main St.

The dinner, to be catered by Fresh & Bangin', will include mixed green salad, roasted root veggies with herb sauce, cauliflower puree, roasted pork loin with lemon cream sauce and wine. Vegetarians can opt for the chili relleno. Desserts will be provided by great cooks who are members of Soroptimist.

The scenario: One year ago, Robert Killingsworth bought the farm. Six months later, he was dead - leaving his widow Elizabeth to tend to the fledgling vineyard and winery on the outskirts of California's wine country.

With mounting debts and no idea how to run a business, Elizabeth is desperate to sell the farm and recoup her losses. The fierce drought and shaky economy, however, have left the Killingsworth farm on the market far too long.

One early autumn day, six people passed through the gates of Killingsworth farm to visit Elizabeth – one of them, a cold-blooded killer.

There are three women and three men in the production, including Soroptimist members Brenda Crandall, Wanda Harris and Reiko Hattori, with the rest of the cast including Randy Hare, Shawn Garrison and Bert Hutt.

There are prizes for those who correctly identify the killer of Elizabeth Killingsworth.

For more information or to make a reservation for the mystery dinner theater contact Ami Landrum at 707-350-7419; for information on joining Soroptimist contact Membership Chair Wanda Harris at 707-225-5800 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Soroptimist International Of Clear Lake is looking for young women who are engaged in volunteer action within their communities or schools to apply to be a winner in the Violet Richardson Award Program.

The award is given to young women whose activities make the community and world a better place.

As a volunteer service organization, Soroptimist believes that by acknowledging young women's volunteer involvement now, they will grow up to be vital active members of the community.

The Violet Richardson Award honors young women between the ages of 14 and 18 for volunteer action such as fighting drugs, crime and violence, cleaning up the environment, and working to end discrimination and poverty.

The award is named after Violet Richardson, the president of the first Soroptimist club in Alameda County in 1921.

Richardson believed in personal responsibility and the motto, “It's what you do that counts.”

She lived her life accordingly, as an active member in her community who was committed to creating opportunities for girls and young women.

Soroptimist established this award to honor the memory of this unique woman and her dedication to volunteer action.

The Violet Richardson Award program comes with a certificate and monetary gift to the young woman.

Applications are due by Nov. 15.

To receive an application contact Violet Richardson Chair Wanda Harris 707-225-5800 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN (Rated R)

The Paula Hawkins best-selling novel “The Girl on the Train” is a thriller so familiar to millions of readers that one can only wonder if the cinematic adaptation is worthy of excitement for its legions of admirers.

Regrettably, I cannot shed light on the faithfulness of screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson to the source material, nor can I deliver sobering analysis for the novelist’s apparently conflicted emotions about the mental stability of the protagonist.

For the film version of “The Girl on the Train” you will just have to go along for the ride, much like the titular character does every day while adhering to a Metro-North train commute into Manhattan.

For the get-go, Rachel Watson (Emily Blunt) has the dazed look of a young woman tormented by inner demons while riding the commuter train each day, staring out the window as if trying to catch a glimpse of a better life.

Indeed, Rachel’s life has unraveled. She’s divorced from Tom (Justin Theroux), who continues to live in their lovely suburban home with his new wife Anna (Rebecca Ferguson) and their infant child.

During each morning commute Rachel relives the memories from just outside the home she once shared with her ex-husband, and still pesters him with text messages and late-night phone calls.

Obsessions of a different kind have also taken hold of Rachel, namely addiction to alcohol. On her daily commutes, she sips vodka from a water bottle, gamely trying to act sober as if to fool herself and others around her.

Rachel has also developed a fixation about the occupants of a two-story home where the backyard fronts the rail line.

During the morning and evening, she glimpses the seemingly idyllic life of the young couple living in a house only a few doors down from where she once lived.

The lives of the suburban neighbors are intertwined. The beautiful young wife Megan Hipwell (Haley Bennett) has been serving as the nanny for Tom and Anna, but there may be trouble at home despite the outward signs of the romantic fires burning brightly with her husband Scott (Luke Evans).

Meanwhile, one day, on her way into the city, Rachel witnesses something shocking on the backyard balcony of Megan and Scott’s home.

The presence of another man kissing Megan appears to be the analyst Dr. Abdic (Edgar Martinez), and it’s not a therapeutic session.

Soon after, when Megan goes missing and is feared dead, Rachel tells the police what she believes she has seen.

Hard-nosed Detective Riley (Allison Janney) is skeptical, and you would be too if you had to rely on the word of an unbalanced alcoholic.

Given that everyone doubts Rachel’s grasp of reality, she takes up sleuthing on her own to uncover the clues to Megan’s disappearance. Even though often in a haze, Rachel stumbles upon some uncomfortable truths.

“The Girl on the Train” is a serviceable popcorn thriller with a few unexpected twists and turns. It’s plodding at times, but Emily Blunt does a great job of bringing authenticity to the role of a paranoid alcoholic.

TV Corner: 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' on FOX

Now more than 40 years old, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” remains a cult classic film popular for midnight theatrical showings where audience participation is de rigueur.

On Thursday, Oct. 20, FOX Television Network seeks to recreate the musical that had its initial roots on the London and Broadway stage.

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again” is a game effort for an eerie homage to the original.

The story is rather basic. Two young, innocent sweethearts named Brad (Ryan McCartan) and Janet (Victoria Justice) get stuck in a deserted area on a stormy night with a flat tire.

Seeking help, they stumble upon the creepy mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Laverne Cox), a sexually ambiguous, flirtatious mad-scientist who is holding an annual Transylvanian convention to showcase the laboratory birth of Rocky (Staz Nair), a muscle-bound plaything.

In the original film, Tim Curry played the Frank-N-Furter role as a lascivious transvestite seeking to debase Brad and Janet. This time around, Curry forsakes fishnet stockings and takes a somewhat serious turn as the criminologist narrator.

Filled with terrific musical numbers that capture the spirit of the strange world inhabited by the good doctor’s sidekicks that include Riff Raff (Reeve Carney) and Magenta (Christina Milian), “The Rocky Horror Show” could be an event viewing for fans of the original.

This television version pays homage to the many late night screenings by having an actual audience watching some of the key scenes in a darkened theater while also re-enacting their eager participation of tossing popcorn and ad-libbed dialogue at the screen.

The FOX publicity folks sent over a helpful package of microwaveable popcorn, multi-colored confetti, noisemakers and party hats. I presume that I am supposed to pass along these suggestions for your own participatory enjoyment.

Whatever you choose to do, the “Let’s Do the Time Warp Again” edition of “The Rocky Horror Show” should prove an option for some homebound fun if a late night theatrical showing of the original is not available to you.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

Douglas Wing
Nov. 26, 1947 – Oct. 6, 2016

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Doug is survived by his wife, Arlene; son, Eric; grandchildren, Kaden and Zoey; mother, Edna; and siblings, Mary, Mina and Larry.

Memorial service will be held at Upper Lake Seventh Day Adventist Church on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 2:30 p.m.

Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The International Animal Welfare Training Institute at the UC Davis Veterinary School are conducting a study to assess the state of current animal emergency response to natural disasters in California counties. 

The goal of the study is to have pet owners, first responders and disaster relief personnel – at the city, county, Office of Emergency Services and nonprofit levels – complete a short survey of their experiences during the recent mandatory evacuations in Lake County, from January 2015 on.

Two versions of the survey can be found at the following links:

– Survey for pet owners: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JLDSRQX .

– Survey for first responders and disaster relief professionals: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JNW6M52 .