Let’s try this to save lives: When you are behind the wheel and distracted, think about the 12 people riding bicycles who were killed by drivers last year.

That’s right. A dozen humans were cut down on local roads in 2016 while doing nothing more than pedaling their bikes.

A review of Orange County Coroner records and published reports found that despite new laws, thousands of dollars spent improving safety and more “share the road” signs, we averaged a bicycle death by vehicle every month.

This year so far, three cyclists have been killed.

The youngest victim last year was Brock McCann, only 8 years old. The third-grader was riding home from school on May 25 in Newport Beach when he was hit by a trash truck.

In a cruel twist of fate, the boy died during National Bike Month, a four-week period that includes a global Ride of Silence – this year, Wednesday, May 17 – to raise awareness about driver and cycling safety.

The dead also included Deborah Gresham, a 44-year-old Stanton resident who was a fan of the “Walking Dead” television show and also very much a fan of life.

Her “Zombie Killers 2” Facebook page had 20,000 followers. “We all loved her,” recalled Sarah Medley, of Madison, Wis. “We’re just going to go on from here and honor her in our individual ways.”

The human carnage is nothing new. I’ve been documenting bicycling deaths in Orange County for a decade and every year we average about one road death a month.

Still, the carnage is especially tragic coming less than two years after a much-heralded law that requires drivers to leave a 3-foot space between steel steed and fragile bicycle when passing.

Yet there is hope. With a just little effort we can reduce the death toll.

Be polite

In total last year, Orange County witnessed 17 cycling deaths.

Two people died on bicycle trails, one cyclist was killed by a train, one man fell riding his bike and one man hit a parked van. I excluded them from my tally of a dozen traffic deaths.

California has the sixth-highest death rate in the nation. In 2010, there were 100 cycling deaths. Three years later, 123 cyclists were killed.

Nationwide, 818 people died in bicycle-motor vehicle crashes in 2015. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Board, since 2006 there was a 6 percent increase in deaths.

Thanks to helmet laws, the number of children killed in bicycle crashes has plunged. But at the same time, the number of adult deaths has increased.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states the largest concentration of cycling deaths is among adults 35 to 54 years old. In recent years, that mortality rate has gone up nearly threefold.

While drivers often are to blame, cyclists, too, need to change behaviors.

Roadies, as they are called, ride in tight packs and often scare drivers. They sometimes slow traffic and make it nearly impossible to turn. Like drivers, cyclists sometimes race through traffic lights, blast through stop signs.

After several decades cycling Orange County roads and more than a decade receiving reader email, I will stress that one of the most important things cyclists can do is to be ambassadors.

Just one rude cyclist can damage relations with a host of drivers. All cyclists need to obey all traffic laws, be polite and be super considerate when riding in a peloton.

Bill Sellin is a long-time cyclist and a volunteer advocate for safe cycling. He has worked with the Orange County Transportation Authority on several projects, assisted the Orange County Bicycling Coalition, and serves as communications board member for the “non-racing” Bicycle Club of Irvine. I reached him in the Yosemite Valley this week appreciating one of the best year’s ever for waterfalls.

Sellin told me that the 3-foot law helped raise cycling awareness, but remains ineffective. He pointed out the fines for littering far exceed the fines for passing a bicycle with only inches to spare.

“The reality is for drivers to just slow down and do the right thing.”

“Drunk driving is certainly a problem,” Sellin said. “But addiction to cellphones is now a problem as well. People are no longer paying attention to driving, but paying attention to a device.”

Sixty-six percent of Bicycling magazine readers who responded to a survey released this month reported seeing at least one distracted driver on every ride. If the cyclists weren’t focused on trying to avoid being killed, I’m sure they would have seen far more.

Even the popular motorist website Edmunds.com offers tips for drivers: appreciate bicycle vulnerability, spare cyclists the right hook by turning in front of them, beware of left turns, look before exiting your car, adjust anti-cyclist attitudes.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles, too, warns drivers, “Motorists must look carefully for bicyclists before turning left or right, merging into bicycle lanes, and opening doors next to moving traffic.

“Respect the right-of-way of bicyclists because they are entitled to share the road with you.”

I’ll point out that’s not only the law, it’s good manners.

As I write this — and I am not making this up — my wife returns from a road ride and reports a guy in a pickup truck yelled an obscenity at her.

Really dude? Your mother would be ashamed.

Share the road

Sellin offers hope in something that at first may seem counter-intuitive but then makes sense.

“As we get more cyclists on the road, collisions should become fewer because people get used to bicycles.”

If Sellin is correct, the tide will turn. Road riding is an increasing trend in Orange County and across the nation.

The League of American Bicyclists reports that bicycle commutes between 2000 and 2013 jumped 105 percent, far outstripping the increase in commutes by car. In California, getting to work by bicycle since the Millennium went up at least 40 percent.

Next week marks National Bike to Work Week. Let’s make it an especially auspicious time for cyclists.

But more than anything, let’s never forget the Ride of Silence. Perhaps someday there will be no need to remind motorists to share the road.

Ride of silence

What: 14th annual global single-file, slow-paced silent ride that welcomes everyone

Why: To increase safety awareness, and to honor cyclists injured and killed in traffic

When: Wednesday, May 17; gather at 6 p.m., assemble at 6:30, ride at 7, end about dusk

Equipment: bicycle, reflectors, lights, helmet.

Routes: About 10 miles, generally flat.

Where: Fullerton start: 100 block of East Wilshire Avenue, between Harbor Boulevard and North Pomona Avenue

Huntington Beach start: City Hall, 2000 Main St.

Irvine start: Civic Center, Harvard Avenue and Barranca Parkway

Orange start: Civic Center, 300 E. Chapman Ave.

Santa Ana: to be announced.

More: Sellin.com/silence

When was the last time you celebrated good health? If you’re like me, it follows a nasty bout of stomach nightmares when you swore never to eat a table-sized plate of cheese fries ever again. We honor secretaries and bosses; We celebrate saints, explorers, and chocolate — all worthy recipients. But this year, why not celebrate the role of a nurse?

A nurse is a caregiver, a decision-maker, a patient advocate, a teacher, and a manager. And in recognition of National Nurse Week, May 6-12, here are four things we can learn from our nurses every day.

How to listen

Thinking back on your last medical visit, you probably spent as much time (if not more) talking things over with the nurse. “Active listening is one of the most important aspects of nursing communication,” Annettee Budzban, RN, says. By listening to your responses, a nurse often relays questions or concerns to the doctor that may help adapt treatment to better suit a patient’s needs while calming concerns.  Honor your nurses this week by listening to them.

How to teach

Whether it’s learning how to maneuver crutches, operate a heart monitor, or sharing tips on how to take a medication a little easier, a nurse is the one who takes the time to instruct, inform, encourage, and support patients. Take a lesson from your nurse, and spend time teaching someone else.

How to manage

A patient’s health history has a staggering amount of details that can influence a treatment plan. “Nurses develop a plan of care, sometimes working collaboratively with physicians, therapists, the patient, the patient’s family and other team members,” contributor Josh Stone says. A pediatrics nurse, for example, will likely be the one to discuss an overdue eye exam or an immunization schedule with parents. Whether you’re managing your parent’s medication regimen or simply managing your own exercise schedule, take a collaborative approach.

How to give care

Nurses are committed to providing the best care possible for patients. But they need your help to be open about your health history. “It’s so important for patients to be truthful about their habits,” Julie Aiken, CEO at Ameritech College of Healthcare and a nurse, said. This means disclosing any alcohol- or drug-related habits, mentioning any dietary supplements or over-the-counter medications that you are taking along with your medications, and disclosing how much (or little) you actually exercise. You’ll find that an honest response can improve your care significantly.

The American Nurses Association says 2017 is the “Year of the Healthy Nurse.” Show your appreciation to your nurses this year by learning from them, and increase your chances of stay healthy all year long.

Amy Osmond Cook is the Executive Director of the Association of Skilled Nursing Providers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public about best practices in senior care. Contact her at amy@skillednursingproviders.org.

Two years after it was created, the city’s Public Safety Board is in limbo.

Starting in June, the city will hold a series of workshops and meetings with the community, police union and other stakeholders to get input about the future direction the committee should take. The first community meeting will be held 6:30 p.m. June 8 at the Downtown Community Center.

City staff members expect to make a recommendation to the City Council sometime in late summer or early fall. The board, which met quarterly, held its last meeting in February.

The Public Safety Board was created as a pilot program in 2014 after two fatal officer-involved shootings in 2012 led to days of protests in downtown.

Working with an external auditor, the seven members of the civilian review board (two of the original nine resigned) were responsible for monitoring and overseeing the Anaheim Police Department and Anaheim Fire and Rescue, including looking at staffing levels, budgets, officer-involved shootings and use of force. The board reported to the city manager.

But critics have said without subpoena power or access to some sensitive documents to fully investigate police matters, the board had no teeth. It had made no formal recommendations.

City officials said some considerations on the table would be to allow the committee to review and comment on recommendations from the Police Department’s major incident review process or conduct further investigations.

Mayor Tom Tait said the board needs to be more independent and credible. He’s in favor of continuing it and improving it.

“All of the stakeholders – the public advocates, police union, and others – need to come up with something that is workable,” he said. “It’s complicated, but in a general sense we need to increase the authority of the board.”

Aldi, the no-frills chain from Germany, is opening its fourth Orange County location June 1 in Garden Grove.

The store, at 9901 Chapman Ave., is the first Aldi to open in Orange County in more than a year. Last year the chain, which sells private-label groceries at deep discounts, opened its first stores in California under much hype. Analysts predicted the chain would disrupt the hyper-competitive Southern California grocery scene.

Aldi maintains shoppers can save up to 50 percent on their grocery bills with their private label goods.

Orange County stores are in Fountain Valley, Anaheim and Buena Park with new locations planned for Westminster and Laguna Woods. Opening dates have not been announced for those locations.

In Los Angeles County, Aldi plans to open a store May 25 in Santa Fe Springs and another in Downey on June 1.

By mid-summer, Aldi will have opened 38 stores in Southern California. Aldi, short for “Albrecht Discount,” is owned by the Albrecht family of Germany. Its parent company has ties to the operators of Trader Joe’s; however, both companies are separately owned and operated.

GORHAM’S GEAR: Ben Gorham joined Frame founders Erik Torstensson and Jens Grede at a cocktail hosted by the brand at Torstensson and Natalie Massenet’s private residence in West London on Tuesday night.
This is Gorham’s first foray into clothing, as the innovator in the artisanal fragrance movement has worked on accessories in the past. The 6-foot-5-inch-tall Byredo founder and former professional basketball player worked with the London-Los Angeles fashion brand on a 20-piece dedicated men’s capsule range titled “Away From His Hands.” The range was inspired by the youth lifestyles of rodeos and ranches as seen in Western references in the form of patchwork denim, leather vests, vintage Ts and paisley scarf linings.
“There was the childhood associations to cowboys,” said Gorham. “That was my immediate connection to denim and it was kind of from my origin. I saw a new subculture and new generation come out through the rodeo scenes. They were young Americans and Latin Americans. As a style, it was a hybrid of classic cowboys and styled with denim and boots combined with sportswear and T-shirts and prints. I fell in love with that as an image. It became the base of the capsule.”
He called the process an organic one

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Amsterdam-based denim brand G-Star Raw hosted its fall and pre-spring 2018 presentation, showcasing their latest styles in an installation and model format. Their New York headquarters was divided up into four rooms, each one dedicated to elements of the process or styles they wanted to highlight. These were: the Elwood (one of their most popular, which fuses biker and workwear elements); the Denim Fit Zone, the Innovation Zone, and the G Star Elwood X25II (which is the pant styles curated and designed by Pharrell Williams).
“The brand has been around for little bit under 30 years, the way that we design has not changed, we use a design philosophy called hybrid design where we take two existing archetypes and we clash them together making something new and that starts in our headquarters in Amsterdam where we have a gigantic archive,” said Sean Peron, their head of brand strategy. ” This archive is primarily men’s wear garments and utility garments, and if you look back this is because it was men working back then…for us is important to take these men’s wear inspired garments and bring them to modern life and to women,” said Rebekka Bach, head of women’s design.
Military green jeans gathered

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LONDON — In its 30th anniversary year, Matchesfashion.com is on the move, with plans to open a second private town house at 5 Carlos Place near Mount Street in Mayfair.
The 5,000-square-foot building spans six floors and was formerly the showroom and sales space for jeweler Solange Azagury-Partridge, who has since moved to a smaller store in Bayswater.
It’s the second town house space for Matchesfashion: The first, known as No. 23, opened seven years ago in London’s Marylebone and the Georgian building is used to host events and service VIP customers by appointment.
Real estate sources estimate that Matchesfashion will be paying about 600,000 pounds, or $776,200, a year to lease the building from property owners the Grosvenor Estate.
The town house concept has become core to Matchesfashion.com’s growth strategy, a retail pillar that stands alongside the brand’s web site and the five brick-and-mortar stores it operates across London. Matchesfashion’s owners Tom and Ruth Chapman have always seen it as a social space where they can offer personalized service to their heavy-spending customers.
“It’s for clients who, for whatever reason, don’t want to shop in a store,” Tom Chapman told WWD’s Retail 2020 forum last month. “We use it to engage it with high-value existing customers,

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LOS ANGELES — Rolls of brightly colored fabric are being slowly rolled out on the cutting table of Los Angeles manufacturer 9b Apparel.
The company, which employs more than 150 people across five factories in L.A., works with more than 200 customers offering services in cut-and-sew, denim, knits, heavyweights and outerwear.
Owner Art Rahbar surveyed a worker as he prepped fabric that will be used by children during summer camp to make tank tops.
The company recently began working with Amazon after one of the tech giant’s representatives approached it and asked 9b to produce a few items that didn’t interfere with what the firm already does for its clients. It’s more one-off projects, such as an apron and breastfeeding line, at the moment rather than anything that’s fueling Amazon’s quest to dominate fashion.
The company survived the last recession when it turned its own business model on its head and introduced flexible manufacturing, meaning no minimums on the cut-and-sew, instead choosing to work with manufacturers that, at the time, were writing much smaller orders.
“Everybody thought we were going to die; it worked, especially during the recession because people didn’t want big quantities,” Rahbar said.
The firm shifted again more recently with a turn beginning about

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MILAN — Gucci is breaking new ground in the communication business. On Wednesday, the Italian brand revealed a large-scale mural by British illustrator Angelica Hicks, promoting a new limited-edition line of T-shirts.
The mural, which is on the side of a building located in the central Corso Garibaldi area, features the images of two girls in Gucci attire and is completed by the wording “Freaks and Geeks.”
The illustration is part of a series of 11 designs that will be printed on the T-shirts. Gucci revealed on its corporate web site that Hicks’ illustrations will include a sketch of a book named “The Gospel According to Gucci” and another design featuring two Gucci blouses on striped backgrounds.
Only 100 units of each style have been produced, for a total of 1,100 pieces, each numbered with a dedicated label. The collection will be available in Europe and in the U.S. exclusively at Gucci’s online store beginning May 25.
Once again, Gucci introduced the project via Instagram by posting a picture of the Milanese wall decorated by Hicks. For the occasion, the brand also created a dedicated #GucciGeeks hashtag.

Gucci’s mural in Milan. 
@gucci

This is not the first time Gucci has collaborated with artists on murals. In February, the brand mounted a mural in New York’s Lafayette

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POOL PARTY: Guess’ pick for its latest swimwear capsule and campaign was a no-brainer.
The Los Angeles denim firm partnered with Natasha Oakley and Devin Brugman, the cofounders of the A Bikini a Day blog and designers behind Monday Swimwear, on a swimwear campaign and capsule. The two were on hand in Los Angeles Tuesday for poolside festivities in honor of the collection at the Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood.
“We are really, really proud and excited about this Guess collaboration,” Brugman said. “This is by far the biggest collaboration we’ve done yet and we really wanted to do something that was different than anything we’d really see in recent years with Guess and bringing it back to iconic, vintage Guess.”
The first meeting with cofounder, executive chairman and chief creative officer Paul Marciano had the three perusing through the Guess archives and drawing inspiration from photos of Anna Nicole Smith and Claudia Schiffer amid all the gingham and daisy prints.
Aside from drawing inspiration from Guess, the two were also focused on making sure the line was designed around comfort, something they keep top of mind with their own line, Oakley said.
“We were lucky to be involved in the design process,” Oakley said. “The

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