Stan Musial was before my time. But in a way he is the reason I fell in love with the game of baseball.

You see, Musial was my father's baseball hero. My Dad was living in Missouri during those all-important years in a baseball fan's life, the pre-teen years when lifelong fans are molded from the clay of boys and girls.

Musial played for the St. Louis Cardinals during those years. In fact, he played for the St. Louis Cardinals for his entire 22-year career.

They called him Stan The Man, and he was the greatest Cardinals player ever, and one of the greatest all-time, period. The numbers are golden: seven National League batting titles, lifetime .331 hitter, 475 home runs, 24 all star appearances.

In 1963, Musial was 42 years old and almost done, and my father had recently moved his young family from San Francisco out to the suburbs that were then metastasizing in the walnut groves of Contra Costa County.

Musial had announced his intention to retire at the end of that season, and fans in every National League city turned out to bid the future Hall of Famer adieu. And that was the moment that my father chose to introduce me to the game that would be a part of my life thereafter.

Who knows? Maybe my Dad really just wanted to see his hero Stan The Man trot out to the field one more time, to look out onto the field and somehow see his own boyhood in Musial's batting stance, his swing, a tip of his cap.

Baseball does that to men, I know that now. So, surely my baptism into the church of baseball wasn't the only reason we went to Candlestick Park that summer of 63 to see the Giants play the Cardinals.

I was 5 years old that summer. I don't remember the exact date. I don't remember Stan Musial. I remember what every 5 year old remembers from his first big league baseball game – that first bright glimpse of impossible green as you ascend from a dark stairway to your section of the stands, holding your Dad's hand – and suddenly the diamond takes shape in front of you, the white lines glinting in the sun so perfectly, almost painfully true.

And I remember Willie Mays. How could you not remember the first time you saw Willie Mays play baseball? I don't remember exactly what he did that day. I just remember looking out and seeing him in centerfield, like a shining Lamborghini, looking fast just standing still. I was instantly in awe of the man.

Looking through the box scores from that year, I like to think it was July 5. On that day, the Giants were down five runs to four, but tied it up in the bottom of the ninth inning, and won it in the bottom of the eleventh. Mays went two for four, Willie McCovey hit one out, and Musial got a hit too. Nice day at the ballyard.

But it doesn't really matter what game it was. It was my first game, that's what matters. As my father was watching the hero of his boyhood take a final bow, I was experiencing the first day of my formative years as a baseball fan. I was new clay ready to be molded by the grand old game.

Baseball wasn't on the television all season then. Nothing was on the television then as much as everything is on the television now.

Baseball then was a game that happened on transistor radios with telescopic chrome antennas, set out on workbenches in garages with the doors open to the summer streets of the neighborhood.

Baseball happened in the sports section of the San Francisco Chronicle. It was too big for me to open and hold up, but after my Dad was done with it, I would spread out the pages next to my trucks and my green army men on the big corded rug in the living room, and try to study the secret code of the box score.

Baseball happened on the backs of cards that smelled like bubble gum sticks and lived in shoeboxes under the beds of children. Entire seasons were played out in the whirring minds of sick boys sitting cross-legged on blue plaid bedspreads covered with carefully arranged baseball cards. Teams were formed, stats were compared, winners were declared.

And, when you turned on the radio, or spread out the sports section, or when you opened up that shoebox, memories came out. You could see the flashing green of the outfield in the sun, and smell the salty foam on the beers of the men in sport shirts. You could hear the fat guy yelling at the ump, “Hey Blue, try using both eyes.”

You could see Willie Mays rounding third base and headed for home as a roar climbed up the throat of the crowd. Or you could see Stan the Man stepping up to home plate, smiling out at the pitcher.

Stan Musial died Saturday, at the accomplished age of 92. Somehow, sadness doesn't seem to be that much in order here. Rather, it feels like a moment of recognition and gratitude.

Thanks Mr. Musial, for all the memories you gave to the game, for being the biggest reason I went to Candlestick Park for the first time.

Thanks for being the one tipping your cap for my father while I couldn't take my eyes off Willie Mays in the on-deck circle.

Roy Dufrain Jr. lives in Lakeport, Calif.

You may have wondered how Medicare works with other insurance coverage, such as a group health plan from a former employer or union.

It’s an important issue because it determines whether your medical bills are paid correctly and on time.

If you have Medicare and other insurance, always be sure to tell your doctor, hospital, and pharmacy.

When there's more than one insurance payer, certain rules determine which one pays first.

This is what’s called "coordination of benefits."

The "primary payer" pays what it owes on your bills first -- and then sends the balance to the "secondary payer" to pay.

In some cases, there may also be a third payer.

The primary payer pays up to the limits of its coverage. The secondary payer only pays if there are costs the primary insurer didn’t cover.

But keep in mind that the secondary payer (which may be Medicare) may not pay all of the uncovered costs.

If your employer insurance is the secondary payer, you may need to enroll in Medicare Part B before that insurance will pay. (The Part B premium for most Americans in 2013 is $104.90 per month.)

Here’s who pays first in various situations:

If you have retiree insurance (coverage from a former job), Medicare pays first.

If you’re 65 or older, have group coverage based on your or your spouse’s current employment, and the employer has 20 or more workers, your group plan pays first. (If the company has fewer than 20 employees, Medicare pays first.)

Your group plan also pays first when you’re under 65 and disabled, have group coverage based on your or a family member’s current employment, and the employer has 100 or more employees. (Medicare pays first if the company has fewer than 100 employees.)

If you have Medicare because of end-stage renal disease (permanent kidney failure), your group plan pays first for the first 30 months after you become eligible for Medicare. Medicare pays first after this 30-month period.

Medicare may pay second if you’re in an accident or have a workers’ compensation case in which other insurance covers your injury or you’re suing another entity for medical expenses.

In these situations you or your lawyer should tell Medicare as soon as possible. These types of insurance usually pay first for services related to each type:

• No-fault insurance (including automobile insurance);
• Liability (including automobile and self-insurance);
• Black lung benefits;
• Workers’ compensation.

Medicaid and TRICARE (the health care program for U.S. armed service members, retirees, and their families) never pay first for services that are covered by Medicare. They only pay after Medicare, employer plans, and/or Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) have paid.

For more information, visit www.medicare.gov/publications and read the booklet “Medicare and Other Health Benefits: Your Guide to Who Pays First.”

You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) and ask for a copy to be mailed to you. TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.

If you have questions about who pays first, or you need to update your other insurance information, call Medicare’s Coordination of Benefits Contractor at 1-800-999-1118. TTY users should call 1-800-318-8782.

You can also contact your employer or union benefits administrator. You may need to give your Medicare number to your other insurers so your bills are paid correctly and on time.

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

The Affordable Care Act strengthened Medicare in important ways. Signed in 2010, the federal health law already has provided free preventive health benefits to millions of people with Medicare, and saved billions of dollars for those who hit the gap in their Part D prescription drug coverage.

In 2013, discounts on prescription drugs for people who reach the Part D “donut hole” will increase, and Medicare will cover screenings and counseling for alcohol misuse, behavioral therapy for cardiovascular disease, counseling for obesity, and more.

If you reach the donut hole in 2013, you’ll pay only 47.5 percent for covered brand-name drugs and 79 percent for generic drugs. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, these discounts will gradually increase until the hole is closed in 2020.

In 2013, Medicare will cover one alcohol misuse screening per year for adults with Medicare (including pregnant women) who use alcohol, but don’t meet the medical criteria for alcohol dependency.

If your primary-care doctor or other primary-care practitioner determines you’re misusing alcohol, you can get up to four face-to-face counseling sessions per year (if you’re competent and alert during counseling). A qualified primary-care doctor or other primary-care practitioner must provide the counseling in a primary-care setting such as a doctor’s office.

Medicare also will cover one visit per year with your primary-care doctor to help lower your risk for cardiovascular disease. During this visit, your doctor may discuss whether taking aspirin is appropriate for you, check your blood pressure, and give you tips to make sure you’re eating well.

If you have a body mass index of 30 or more, Medicare will cover intensive counseling to help you lose weight. This counseling may be covered if you get it in a primary-care setting, where it can be coordinated with your personalized prevention plan.

In 2013, Medicare also will cover screenings for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and Hepatitis B. These screenings are covered for people with Medicare who are pregnant and/or at increased risk for sexually transmitted infection. Medicare covers these tests once every 12 months or at certain times during pregnancy.

In addition, Medicare covers up to two high-intensity behavioral counseling sessions each year for sexually-active adults at increased risk for sexually transmitted infections. Medicare covers this counseling only in a primary-care setting. Counseling in an inpatient setting, like a skilled nursing facility, isn’t covered as a preventive service.

You pay nothing for any of the above services if your primary-care doctor or other qualified primary-care practitioner accepts Medicare’s payment amount.

Medicare now covers one depression screening per year, too. The screening must be done in a primary-care setting that can provide follow-up treatment and referrals. You pay nothing for this test if the doctor or other qualified provider accepts Medicare payment, but you generally have to pay 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount for the doctor’s visit.

Besides these services, Medicare covers a long list of preventive benefits – often at no cost to you – to help you stay healthy and detect disease in its most treatable stages.

Medicare-covered preventive services include tests and screenings for breast, prostate, cervical, and colon cancer; screenings for conditions that may trigger heart attack or stroke; checks for diabetes and glaucoma; and counseling to help you stop smoking.

You’re also entitled to a one-time “Welcome to Medicare” checkup during the first 12 months after you take Medicare Part B, and wellness visits with your doctor each year after that. These visits are free.

Shots to protect you against flu and pneumonia also are free.

The Affordable Care Act eliminated deductibles and co-pays for most Medicare preventive services in order to encourage people to use them more.

Please take advantage of them!

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

The politicking began – not surprisingly – as soon as the sirens faded in Newtown.

Ardent appeals for stricter control on assault rifles were met by equally strident calls to arm classroom teachers.  

Some claims were preposterous, such as that of Larry Pratt of Gun Owners of America, who said that “gun control supporters have the blood of little children on their hands.”

Speaking for Focus on the Family, James Dobson’s proclamation was simply obscene, suggesting as he did that the murder of the Sandy Hook students and teachers was God’s just judgment upon our apostate nation (see http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/17/james-dobson-connecticut-shooting-gay-marriage_n_2318015.html ).

Mike Huckabee opined that the tragedy was caused in part by our permitting gay and lesbian people to be parents, and by schools teaching about human evolution. The shooting reminds us that “one day we will stand before a holy God in judgment; if we don’t believe that, then we don’t fear that.” (See http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2012/12/17/iranian-supreme-leader-ali-khamenei-echoes-mike-huckabee-on-newtown-school-shooting/ .)

It is of course blasphemous for a finite, fallible human to claim any sort of definitive knowledge about the divine views on complex theological questions such as sexual orientation, prayer in school, or the relationship between sin and judgment.

Even worse, it is both blasphemous and obscene to insinuate that a “holy God” employed a heinous massacre of innocent first grade children and their teachers to call a sinful nation to repentance.

The complex and delicate question of gun control is inextricably bound up with a deeper moral question: what it means to espouse and live a genuinely pro-life ethic.

In the course of the 2012 presidential campaign, Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Ill., declared that “a vote for a candidate who promotes actions or behaviors that are intrinsically evil and gravely sinful makes you morally complicit and places the eternal salvation of your own soul in serious jeopardy.” (See http://ct.dio.org/bishops-column/59-think-and-pray-about-your-vote-in-upcoming-election/text.html .)

Naturally he was referring to supporting gay marriage and abortion, directly implying that voting for Democratic candidate Barack Obama places the eternal salvation of one’s soul in serious jeopardy. B

ut if Paprocki’s pulpit rhetoric were applied with logical consistency, he would have to conclude that supporting a politician who has a record of opposing control of assault weapons   ̶ the only purpose of which is mass murder – “makes you morally complicit and places the eternal salvation of your own soul in serious jeopardy.”

To be sure, some people on the religious right who pride themselves on being pro-life ironically also approve of capital punishment. They finesse this inconsistency with the morally specious stratagem of arguing that a human being convicted of a capital crime has forfeited his inalienable right to life. In itself this is a rather feeble argument.

But even less coherent is the claim that one can be pro-life and at the same time vote for a candidate who supports the National Rifle Association and its tireless defense of semi-automatic assault rifles. Some churchmen and politicians seem to blow the pro-life trumpet in the market square only when it suits their political agenda.

A necessary first step towards a resolution of our systemic problem of gun violence is to put an end to malicious rhetoric and small-minded arguments.

A televangelist who sees in a school massacre the deserved wrath of an angry God makes a mockery of his own pro-life position. The voice of a bishop rings hollowly if he threatens excommunication of those who support abortion rights without also threatening excommunication of those who support assault weapon ownership.

Such baseless and narrow proclamations are hurtful and destructive of community at the very time when a community is most in need of healing.

Simplistic ascriptions of blame distract our national community from focusing on addressing the factors behind mass murder. They vitiate the power of responsible religious voices precisely when religion and ethics could be making necessary and substantive contributions to public debate.

Pope Benedict XVI takes a different tack in Blessed are the Peacemakers, his 2013 message for the World Day of Peace (Part 4): “Every offense against life, especially at its beginning, inevitably causes irreparable damage to development, peace and the environment. Indeed how could one claim to bring about peace, the integral development of peoples or even the protection of the environment without defending the life of those who are weakest, beginning with the unborn?” (See http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/peace/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20121208_xlvi-world-day-peace_en.html .)

Although his argument that the campaign for gay marriage “causes irreparable damage to justice and peace” reads like an odd side note in the wake of the tragedy in Newtown, Blessed are the Peacemakers is a promising contribution to our urgent national dialogue about how we can identify and address the roots of our American addiction to bloodshed.

Pope Benedict offers an overview of the factors contributing to violence, including social, psychological, economic, structural and political factors.

As a society we need to examine a wide range of questions from the very immediate to the long-term. These include – but are not restricted to – outright banning or severely limiting access to assault weapons, fully funding psychological screening and treatment of persons at risk, studying destructive patterns of social interaction, and researching the evolutionary origins of violence for possible clues about how to address it.

We need clear, honest and vigorous contributions from all stakeholders in society in our quest for a consistent and thoroughgoing pro-life ethic.

Peter M. J. Hess, Ph.D., is director of religious community outreach with the National Center for Science Education, a nonprofit organization in Oakland, Calif., that defends and promotes the teaching of evolution and climate science. He is from Cobb, Calif. and lives in Berkeley, Calif.

The Soper-Reese Community Theatre is bursting with outstanding programs in December.

The first of these took place on Saturday, Dec. 1, when the theater hosted another benefit for youth music programs, featuring the music students from Clear Lake High School.

The concert raised funds to support CLHS music students to attend a special week-long education program at the Disney facilities in Los Angeles. The program provides hands-on experience, including performance and production experience.

The concert was highly successful in raising funds for the trip, but there is much more to raise before the students meet their goal.

We encourage more contributions to this great opportunity for our young musicians. The concert was another example of Soper-Reese and the Lake County Arts Council’s commitment to arts education.

Looking back to the month of November, there were six outstanding programs at the Soper-Reese Community Theatre.

Young Music Masters featured up-and-coming musicians, and is destined to become an annual event in support of the Allegro Music Scholarship Program.

On Nov. 11, the theater hosted a benefit for Operation Tango Mike’s Christmas packages for troops over-seas.

This event featured the Funky Dozen in their first performance at the Soper-Reese. From the reaction of the audience, this high energy group will be back. There were requests that evening to enlarge the dance floor, and people had to be pushed out the door at the end of the evening.

Other programs in November included the Lake County Symphony Orchestra’s Fall Concert featuring a Mozart Piano Concerto by the talented pianist Elena Casanova; Third Friday Live brought back the very popular Twice As Good; and Lake County Live was its usual sidesplitting self, with guests that included one of Santa’s Elves, My Divas and Andy Rossoff.

Coming events in December:

• The Lake County Symphony Orchestra’s annual Christmas Concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16, will include a special performance by “The Men of the Soper-Reese.”
• New Year’s Eve at the Soper-Reese, with the LC Diamonds starting at 8:30 p.m. Those who did not attend last year missed a great event. Please join us to bring in the New Year at the Soper-Reese.
• The Second Tuesday Classic Movie series will feature “Treasure Island,” on Tuesday,  Jan. 8.

A special announcement:

• There will be a very special Third Friday Live on Jan. 18. “Celebrating 30 Years of Bill Noteman and the Rockets,” is a show you should not miss. This marks the third year that Bill Noteman and the Rockets have been featured at Third Friday Live in January.

Tickets are available at The Travel Center in the Shoreline Shopping Center, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the theatre box office will be open again on Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. starting on June 22 and is always open to hours before show time on the day of any event. Tickets can also 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.

As the holidays approach us I’d like to pass on some safety tips for those travelers who live, visit and work in our community.  

During the weekdays the courthouse and surrounding streets can really be a nightmare for pedestrians and motorists as this particular area tends to get an overflow of traffic throughout the day. It is not uncommon for the average population of Lakeport to triple during the week due, in large part, to the courthouse traffic as well as citizens coming to and from work.  

Too often pedestrians have to rush across the street or stop midway through the intersection to avoid being struck by motorists who are not paying attention. This becomes a real safety concern for the pedestrian, motorist and law enforcement alike.  

The Lakeport Police Department urges motorists to use caution and slow down when approaching intersections and be extra cautious for pedestrians who may be crossing the street at any intersection, whether marked or unmarked, within the city limits of Lakeport.  

California Vehicle Code section 21950(a) states that a driver of a vehicle shall yield the right of way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.

It is equally important to remind pedestrians to use caution when preparing to cross any marked or unmarked crosswalk at intersections within the city limits of Lakeport.  

The police department urges pedestrians to use all available crosswalks, whether marked or unmarked, when crossing the street.  

California Vehicle Code section 21950(b) states that no pedestrian may suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard. No pedestrian may unnecessarily stop or delay traffic while in a marked or unmarked crosswalk.

Another traffic safety concern is motorists making illegal U-turns on Main Street, where
U-turns are prohibited.

Throughout the business district on Main Street there are numerous signs posted, clearly marked, and indicating that U-turns are prohibited.   

These particular types of turns are prohibited in the business district for the purpose of reducing potential traffic accidents and safety concerns given the large amount of vehicular traffic that passes through Main Street on a daily basis.  The police department urges motorists to avoid making illegal U-turns where U-turns are prohibited.

Perhaps the biggest traffic safety concern for motorists is the use of cellular phone devices while operating a motor vehicle.  

California Vehicle Code section 23123(a) states that a person shall not drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone unless that telephone is specifically designed and configured to allow hands-free listening and talking, and is used in that manner while driving.  

Text messaging of any kind whether reading, sending or writing is also a violation of the law while operating a motor vehicle and motorists should be cautioned that law enforcement will be citing motorists who are in violation of these laws.

The Lakeport Police Department and its members would like to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season.

Lt. Jason Ferguson is with the police department for Lakeport, Calif.