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Artwork from 2,276 school-aged waterfowl art- ists throughout the state was judged during the 27th Annual California Federal Junior Duck Stamp Con- test at the Sacramento Na- tional Wildlife Refuge on March 30. A panel of 10 judges was tasked with selecting 100 winners. The artwork was judged in four grade groups: K-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12. From these groups, three first, three second, three third place and 16 honorable mention winners were chosen. Winning de- signs received ribbons and all entrants received a cer- tificate of appreciation and awards. One art design earned the distinguished title of California's Best of Show, which was a King Eider by Sue Yeon Park, age 17 from Rancho Palos Verdes. Her artwork will be submitted to Washington D.C. to com- pete with the other states' Best of Show winners dur- ing the National Junior Duck Stamp Design Con- test on April 21. The na- tional winner's design will be made into the 2017-2018 Federal Junior Duck Stamp. The 2017 judges in- cluded Mark Ackerman, Wildlife Biologist for Co- sumnes River Preserve; Caroline Brady, Waterfowl Programs Coordinator for California Waterfowl As- sociation; John Carlson, CEO/President of Califor- nia Waterfowl Association; Cris Cline, Secretary of the Altacal Audubon Society; Jenny Marr, retired Senior Environmental Scientist Specialist for California De- partment of Fish and Wild- life; Sean Pirtle, Game War- den for California Depart- ment of Fish and Wildlife; Mike Rakestraw, Engineer- ing Equipment Operator at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge; Paul Souza, Pacific Southwest Regional Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser- vice; David Tamori, College Board AP Studio Art Con- sultant; and Polly Wheeler, Assistant Regional Director of Refuges for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In California, the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Pro- gram is facilitated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser- vice's Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex. JUNIORDUCKSTAMP Winnersannouncedatwildliferefuge Grocery shopping is tricky anytime but espe- cially challenging when you're on budget. On one hand, having ev- erything you need in one place is convenient. But on the other hand, so many options can sab- otage every intention you have of sticking to your budget. Supermarkets are filled with everything you needand everything you don't need. Don't expect a super- market to help you avoid overspending. The place is specifically designed, decorated and arranged to encourage impulse spending. They want you to spend more, and they know how to persuade you to do it. With that in mind, consider these five ways to beat them at their own game. Don't go in hungry. You dash in to pick up a few things. But if you're starving, you're a dead aim for a couple of steaks and a load of snacks. You know what I'm talking about. This is because of the first rule of gro- cery shopping: Anything can happen when you are hungry. Don't try to remem- ber. Without a list of the exact items you've come to purchase, who knows what could happen? It's normal for our brains to slip into neutral in the face of fabulous food. A written list is the crutch you need desper- ately to make sure you do not slip and fall, so to speak. Don't bring plastic or a checkbook. Cash — currency, clams, folding money, smackers, green- backs — is still the way you should be paying for your supermarket pur- chases. What? That's not convenient? Well, of course it's not, silly. That's the point. Con- venience is the reason you've been dropping the equivalent of a mortgage payment on food every month. Making the pro- cess a bit less convenient is an easy to way to slow that mindless drain on your income. Don't grab a shop- ping cart. Most of them have wobbly wheels any- way, so just walk on in when all you need are a few items. Surely, you can carry them. Or get one of the hand-held baskets. The point here is that you won't be buying more than you can carry. Don't dawdle. This is not the place you want to hang out just to soak in all the great sights and smells from the bak- ery, deli and rotisserie chickens. If you weren't hungry when you ar- rived, you will be soon enough. Get what you need, and get out of there. For every 10 min- utes you delay, plan on spending about another $40. Would you like to send a tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@ everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Ste. B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE 5 ways to get out of the supermarket without overspending Mary Hunt Mt. Lassen, Division 9, of the California Retired Teachers Association will meet at 11 a.m. Mon- day, April 10 at the First Presbyterian Church, 471 Marguerite Ave. in Corn- ing. The featured speaker will be Geneva Jobe, pro- gram coordinator for Court Appointed Spe- cial Advocates, or CASA, in Tehama County. CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to be the voice for children who have been removed from their homes due to ne- glect and abuse. As part of a network of 77,000 volunteers in 933 state and local program offices across the United States, the local CASA program gives children from dis- tressed families hope for the future and creates a better community for ev- eryone. Donations are being accepted for the Mt. Las- sen, Division 9, scholar- ship fund. The goal is to award a $1,000 scholar- ship to a student teach- ing candidate this year. Those attending the meeting are reminded to bring nonperishable food items for distribution to food banks in Glenn and Tehama counties. The luncheon menu will include a sandwich, soup and salad buffet, beverage and dessert for a cost of $12. For more information, call 519-2104. CORNING April luncheon meeting for retired teachers set By Greg Dill Having practiced phar- macy for many years, I of- ten find myself talking to people about their Medi- care prescription drug, or Part D, plans. People with Part D usu- ally share their thoughts about a favorite pharmacy or pharmacist, or how their plan offers medicines at af- fordable prices. Sometimes they report problems with a Part D plan, ranging from the cost of drugs to difficulty in getting a spe- cific medication their doc- tor prescribed. A first step to correcting problems is always to con- tact your drug plan (con- tact information is on the back of your drug card). A call to the plan usually will resolve your issue. If that doesn't work, you can file a complaint. You can do that by call- ing 1-800-MEDICARE or going online at www.Medi- care.gov. Complaints can be made against Part D drug plans as well as Part C health plans, also known as Medicare Advantage plans. The online Medicare Complaint Form is easy to use. Medicare takes the in- formation you send and di- rects it to your plan. Then we follow up and monitor how well the plan resolves your complaint. To find the complaint form, go to www.Medicare. gov and locate the blue box near the top of the page that says "Claims & Appeals." Place your cursor over that box until a dropdown menu appears and click on "file a complaint." When the next page comes up, click on "Your health or drug plan." You can also lodge a com- plaint by calling or writ- ing to your plan. Your com- plaint could involve a prob- lem with customer service, difficulty in getting access to a specialist, being given the wrong drug, or being given drugs that interact in a negative way. If you file a complaint about your Part D drug plan, certain requirements apply: · You must file your com- plaint within 60 days from the date of the event that led to the complaint. · You must be notified of the decision generally no later than 30 days after the plan gets the complaint. · If your complaint relates to a plan's refusal to make a fast coverage determination or redetermination and you haven't purchased or got- ten the drug, the plan must give you a decision no later than 24 hours after it gets the complaint. In addition, you can make a complaint if you have a concern about the quality of care or other ser- vices you get from a Medi- care provider. This includes doctors, hospitals, or other medical providers; your di- alysis or kidney transplant care; or a Medicare-cer- tified supplier of durable medical equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, and oxygen equipment. How you file a complaint depends on what your com- plaint is about. For more information, go to www. medicare.gov/claims-and- appeals/file-a-complaint/ complaint.html. As a Medicare benefi- ciary, you also have certain appeal rights. What's the difference between a com- plaint and an appeal? A complaint is gener- ally about the quality of care you got or are getting. For example, you may file a complaint if you have a problem contacting your plan or if you're unhappy with how a staff person at the plan treated you. How- ever, if you have an issue with a plan's refusal to pay for a service, supply, or pre- scription, you file an ap- peal. For more information on appeals, take a look at your "Medicare & You" hand- book, mailed each fall to every Medicare household in the country. Or go online at www. medicare.gov/claims-and- appeals/file-an-appeal/ap- peals.html. Greg Dill 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). MEDICARE Ho w to fi le a c om pl ai nt a ga ins t your drug or health care plan CONTRIBUTED Pictured is King Eider, by Sue Yeon Park, 17, from Rancho Palos Verdes. 1660MonroeSt. Red Bluff, CA 96080 (530) 727-9495 LAVACharterSchoolishappytoannounceOpenRegistrationforthe 2017-'18 School Year! Students in grades 5-8 have the opportunity to attend Red Bluff's newest middle school: LAVA, the Lassen Antelope Volcanic Academy. We are looking to expand in the next year, but space is already limited. This is a great opportunity for families to be a part of an innovative, new school that offers rigorous instruction, small class size, and real choice. Our core classes include: math, English, history, science, and Spanish. In the afternoon, we offer elective classes in American Sign Language, art, band, computer skills, dance, Genius Hour, guitar, tutorial, and yearbook. LAVA's partnership with Lassen Volcanic National Park gives our kids access to the park and hands-on experience in natural sciences! Registration will be open from March 1, 2017 through May 31, 2017. Returning students from 2016-'17 are guaranteed placement at LAVA next year. Siblings of current students will receive priority placement. Families who meet the registration deadline may be subject to a Lottery Drawing for enrollment, depending on available space. For more information, or if you would like to schedule a tour of our school, please email John Sheffield jsheffield@antelopeschools.org We will host an Informational meeting April 12 @ 5 pm at LAVA. 1660 Monroe St. Red Bluff, CA LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, April 6, 2017 » MORE ATFACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A6