The News Review - Encore - March 2012

8/2/2019 The News Review - Encore - March 2012

1/12

EncoreFormerly The Senior Times

March 2012

FIRST-CLASS

COACHNot even a secondretirement can keep

Dave Geddes awayfrom mentoring

young athletes

Not even a secondretirement can keep

Dave Geddes awayfrom mentoring

young athletes

FIRST-CLASS

COACH


2/12

Page 2The News-Review, Encore Roseburg Oregon, Monday, March 5, 2012

TRICIAJONES

Encore

Vic Baker admits he was prettystubborn back when he playedfootball and basketball atCamas Valley High a coupleof decades or so ago.

I was always going to do it my way. Ithought I knew better, he said.

One day he butted heads with DaveGeddes, who coached both teams. AsBaker recalled, Geddes asked the teenagedBaker if he wanted to be the coach. Bakerquickly replied Sure, then started bark-ing orders to players.

He watched me for about five minutes,then grabbed me and took me outside andtold me who was boss, Baker said.

Now 39 and the Camas Valley boys bas-ketball coach, Baker has a broader per-

spective on Geddes job. But even as ateen being chewed out by Geddes, I did-nt have a problem with him. I knew hewas right, Baker said.

Asked for the most important lesson helearned from Geddes, Baker replied:Youll get out of something what you putinto it.

Those who know Geddes say hes neverhesitated to devote his time, attention and

expertise to young players.After a teaching-coaching career thattook him to posts at Camas Valley, Glideand Riddle schools, Geddes decided at age72 it was time to leave paid employment.I was at Riddle, and I thought it was not

good to croak and leave kids with someonenew having to take them through classesand practices, he recalled. He waited until

MICHAEL SULLIVAN/The News-Review

Dave Geddes, left, talks strategy with Days Creek High School head coach James Ellis at a Days Creek basketball game last month at UmpquaCommunity College.

Not even a second retirementcan keep Dave Geddes away

from mentoring young athletes

FIRST-CLASS

COACH

Please seeGEDDES, page 3


3/12

Monday, March 5, 2012The News-Review, Encore Roseburg Oregon, Page 3

his senior-heavy team graduated, then saidfarewell as basketball coach for the Irish.

But it didnt take long for Days Creek

High School boys varsity basketball coachJames Ellis to ask Geddes if hed come onboard as an assistant coach.

Now about six weeks shy of his 78thbirthday, Geddes just concluded his fif thseason volunteering with the Wolves.

Hes disciplined and hes organized,and hell tell you Im not organized, sohes that half of me, Ellis said. But morethan that, he genuinely cares about kids.

Ellis observation is echoed by RiddleHigh School Principal Terry Prestianni.

Theres no doubt at all that he was in itfor the kids, Prestianni said. Hes thereto teach kids what they need to know tosurvive, and hes there to get the jobdone.

He cares about kids, Baker said,sounding a familiar refrain. Once youvebeen under him, he never forgets you, andday or night, hes there to help you out.

They dont come too much better.While teachers, coaches, administrators

and former students pile the praises onGed, as hes known to most of them, theLookingglass resident deflects credit.According to him, hes simply the luckiest

guy in the world.Ive been very fortunate. Ive been inthe right place at the right time, and Ivemet a lot of people that I have a great dealof respect for, he said.

Geddes 2006 retirement wasnt his first.The 1952 Roseburg High graduate had ahitch in the Navy, worked at then-Rose-burg Lumber for a short time and wasemployed by General Electrics majorappliances division in Portland beforereturning to Roseburg and becoming aninsurance agent. After about a decade,Geddes sold his business and decided he

was ready to retire to his 75 acres in Look-ingglass and raise cattle.

Eventually, though, Geddes grew rest-less. It seemed natural for his thoughts toturn to coaching, given what he describesas his competitive nature.

I dont like to lose, if its checkers orwhatever. Since Ive always liked sports,the thought crossed my mind it wouldmake sense to (coach), he said.

A couple of close friends in educationadvised him on options for returning tocollege and preparing to teach and coach.

He earned hisbachelorsdegree in edu-cation in theearly 1980s a mastersdegree followedin 1991 and

got his firstteaching job atNorth DouglasHigh School.He followedthat part-timepost the nextyear with a full-time job atCamas Valley,teaching physi-cal educationand coachinggirls basketball.He was also theassistant foot-ball coach whenthe Hornetstook the Class1A state title atParker (nowReser) Stadiumin Corvallis.

Though histeaching, coach-ing and athleticdirector duties

varied over timewherever he worked, Geddes dedicationto students remained constant.

Hes the kind of guy who will take kidshome (from games) if they dont haverides, or will pick them up, Ellis said. Ifa kid has a roadblock to be in a program,he goes out of his way to help that kid.

Prestianni said there were many kids inthe Riddle School District who basicallywould not have made it without his sup-port ... hes given his time to kids whoreally needed something more than

just coaching.While Geddes said he wishes he were

still young enough to teach both basketballand football, hes grateful to have thechance to keep his hand in the game on avolunteer basis. He said he also appreci-ates that Ellis doesnt keep him on as atoken old guy.

If James hadnt called me, it wouldhave been easy to vegetate, Geddes said.He gives me things to do that hold meaccountable for (the players) ... Stayinginvolved with kids, without the pressuresof being the paid person, has probablyadded five years to my life.

Ellis, 45, said he decided to give Geddestotal freedom on the teams defensivemind-set. As a result, hes modified hisown style to accommodate Geddesninedefensive rules.

The kids get the foundation and I tweakit to fit our personnel, Ellis said.

Ellis also credits Geddes wife of 52years, Corienne, with pulling together theteams shot charts and stats for each game.

The season ends this week with theWolves at the 2A state tournament for thesecond straight year. Afterward, Geddeswill have other pursuits to keep him occu-pied until a new season starts in Novem-ber. Hes restoring a 1949 Chevrolet coupeand a 1938 Chevrolet pickup, the latest ina line of antique cars that have been theobjects of his tinkering over the years.

He also enjoys observing the achieve-

ments of various former athletes he men-tored over the years. Many of themembody what Geddes says is the mostimportant part of any competition, whichcarries over into life.

If you strive to be the best, and do thebest job, at the end of it all when its saidand done, youve run your race and youvebeen a successful individual.

You can reach Encore Editor TriciaJones at [email protected] or at 541-957-4216.

Geddes:

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2


Days Creek High School assistant coach Dave Geddes watchesthe action from the sidelines at a Feb. 18 basketball game atUmpqua Community College.

My wife is a volunteer at the MyrtleCreek Library. A few weeks agoshe brought from the library a

book that she thought I might like to read.It was calledInferno byJoseph A.Spencer.

I wasnt

interested. Ilet it liearound for afew days.Then I pickedit up andstarted read-ing it. Icouldnt put it down again.

March 18 marks the 67th anniversary ofthe event described, but the writer made

the scene as vivid as if it were unfoldingtoday.

The book was about the Essex-class air-craft carrier USS Franklin during WorldWar II. It was a part of the naval armadathat attacked Japan just before Okinawawas invaded. Our fighter planes were justwarming up for the takeoff from TheFranklin when a kamikaze dived through

the clouds and released two 550-poundarmor-piercing bombs. The pilot streakedfor home, 50 miles away, but didnt makeit. He was shot down.

The first bomb penetrated the hangardeck and exploded, killing the mass ofmen who were lined up for chow. Blacksmoke from the paint was everywhere, andit was hard to breathe. The men in closedspaces died. Our planes, loaded withammunition and rockets, exploded.

The engines and whirling propellers didmore damage. As the carrier grew evenhotter, the men were cooked. Crowdingaft, they jumped overboard.

The destroyer Hunt, one of several,picked up the men who had jumped, someof whom were dead. They worked all therest of the day and rescued 400 sailors. Ihad a cousin, Bob Crow, who was on the

Hunt. He never mentioned that battle. Heonly said that the kamikazes licked ourNavy.

A Catholic Priest, Father OCallahan,read last rites for the dead and dying. He isseen at work in a photograph seen aroundthe world. He led 200 men to safety andwas one of three men who organized thefirefighting crew to combat the blazes.

At first, the hoses would only emitsteam. Finally, they got a kind of pump

called the Handy Billies to work and mensprayed water on the fire. Father OCalla-han was awarded the Medal of Honor,along with one other man who lead anadditional 200 men to safety.

It took three days to put the fire out, andstill it smoldered. Two other carriers, theBunker Hill and the Bataan, were hit, butnot as badly. When they entered Ulithi, a

port in the South Pacific, the sailors therewere astounded to see the wreck of theFranklin proceeding under its own power.The Franklin had 807 killed and nearly500 were wounded. Nine hundred menbrought it home.

Indeed, it was an inferno.

Ronald K. Culbertson, a retired UmpquaBank CEO, shares his musings from timeto time with Encore readers.

Anniversary of historic blaze sparks pause for reflection

Ronald Culbertson

Musings


4/12


Toll Free: 800-745-2637 541-492-1150 2198 NE Stephens #101 www.phlloans.com

Your Local Mortgage ExpertsCurtSandfortOwnerNMLS 238739

ML-3896NMLS 238217

Reverse Mortgage Payoff existing balance Immediate cash or credit line with

zero monthly payments You own the house...not the bank Free one hour consultation - call today!

FREE

P.O. Box 805 - Sutherlin, OR 97479 - CCB 185676

Your Home Performance Specialist since 2003

Home ComortInspections & Services LLC

Manufactured HomeI you are Pacifc Power Customer who owns or rents a....

...with electric heat, then we can help!

No catches, No out-o-pocket costsjust savings!

Call us today at 459-9682

As a trade ally contractor o Energy Trust o Oregon, we can help with cash incentives and state energy tax creditsto improve the energy efciency o your home.

and join over two thousand Douglas County residences that have

already saved up to 30% with this no-cost energy

efciency improvement; i applicable.

Over 90% o new and old homes tested have costly air leaks holes in their heating/cooling

ductwork resulting in higher utility bills and reduced home comort.

Air & Duct Sealing

Funded 100% by dollars you have already given to your utility...listed as Public Purpose Fund.

Published byThe News-Review

345 N.E.Winchester St.Roseburg, Oregon 97470

Phone: 541-672-3321

Encore Editor:Tricia Jones

Design Editor:Julie K. Byrd-JenkinsNews-Review Editor:

Vicki MenardAdvertising Director:

Pat Bridges

All contents copyrightedand may not be reproduced without

consent of The News-Review. Encoreappears the first Monday of each month.

Email correspondence regarding thispublication may be sent to

[email protected].

ON THE COVER:Dave Geddes of Lookingglass is enjoying

a post-retirement stint as assistant basket-ball coach at Days Creek.


Encore

U

pon a persons death, disposition ofhis or her body may be directed bythe following people, in order of

priority:1) the

decedentsspouse

2) a sonor daughter,age 18 orolder

3) eitherparent

4) anadult brotheror sister

5) a guardian of the decedent at the timeof death

6) someone in the next degree of kin-dred to the decedent

7) the personal representative of thedecedents estate

8) the person named in the decedentslast will as his or her personal representa-tive

9) a public health officer.People may delegate authority for dispo-

sition of their remains to another adult whois not in a category described above. This isgenerally done by signing the appropriateform, which requires two witnesses.

People also may direct disposition of

their remains by completing a written,signed document or by arrangement withany licensed funeral service practitioner.Provided there are funds available at thetime of death to pay for the directed dispo-sition of the remains, such directions arenot subject to cancellation or revision.

Funeral homes often provide ways toreceive notification of instructions regard-ing disposition of remains, including cardsthat name the person to contact in the eventof the clients death.

If disposition of the remains has notbeen directed and authorized within 10days of death, a public health officer maydo so.

An organ donation takes priority overdirections for the disposition of a dece-dents remains, if the decision to donatewas made by the decedent. This is also trueif the donation decision was made bysomeone of the same priority or higherthan the person directing how the remainswill be disposed. There are separaterequirements pertaining to donation oforgans. These will be discussed in anupcoming column.

Bruce R. Coalwell has been an attorneyin Roseburg since 1981. He is with the law

firm of Dole, Coalwell, Clark, Mountain-spring & Mornarich.

Decisions on remains can

be made before death

Bruce CoalwellElder Law

ADADUNCAN

For The News-Review

Ever wonder what attracts people toRoseburg? Just ask your friends andacquaintances why they chose to

move to this small community from thebig city and, in some cases, away fromtheir children or other family members.

One person from New York recently toldme it was the friendly people. They arethe friendliest I have ever seen, she said.

Some of those friendly people greetstrangers to the Land of the Umpqua at theRoseburg Visitors & Convention Bureau.Would you like to be among those whoshare with travelers the quality of life here,

direct visitors to area attractions, places tostay, dine or fish? If you are a welcomingtype of person, you can fill this niche in amorning or afternoon weekly shift, but youcan also be an on-call volunteer. Fordetails, call Wanda at 541-672-9731, ext.14, or go [email protected].

Other areas that can use your volunteerservices include:

Veterans Services of Douglas County islooking for two volunteers to help withoffice support duties from 9 a.m. to noonMonday through Thursday or from 1 to 4

p.m. Wednesday. Contact Sam at 541-492-3917 or e-mail her at [email protected].

The Roseburg Veterans Affairs MedicalCenter needs drivers to transport patientsto and from appointments in the VA van.You will need a valid license and personalinsurance. You must also pass a driversphysical test and a tuberculosis test. Orien-tation and training will be provided. CallSam at 541-492-3917 to find out more.

Mercy Medical Center is recruiting vol-unteers to greet patients and visitors to theemergency room, assist with their wheel-

chairs and escort them to their cars. Shiftsare noon to 4 p.m., 4 to 8 p.m. and 8 p.m.to midnight. Call Mercy Volunteer Ser-vices at 541-677-4465 or United Commu-nity Action Network Volunteer Services at541-492-3917 if you can help.

Douglas County Cancer Services needsfour to six volunteers to interact withpatients and help them with personal

needs. Call Dodie at 541-459-1512 or Samat 541-492-3917.

The Family Caregiver Support Programis offering a two-day training workshop tocertify class leaders in the Powerful Toolsof Caregiving. Certified volunteers teachthose tools to family caregivers in four-hour classes one day a week for six weeks.Also needed are helpers with the newslet-ter in four-hour increments once a month.If either opportunity is for you, call Nancyat 541-440-3677 or Sam at 541-492-3917.

Umpqua Valley Rehab and Care Centeris looking for a man who can relate tointerests of the male residents and wouldlike to visit with them. For more informa-tion, call Gina at 541-464-7108 or Sam at541-492-3917.

Manor House Memory Care Communityis looking for volunteers to come and sharetheir interests with seniors once a month.If you bake, crochet, paint, garden, sing,play an instrument, create scrapbooks, dowoodworking, produce crafts, dance orenjoy reading inspirational stories, yourtalents are needed to share with residents.Find out more by calling Sandy at 541-

464-5600.Foster Grandparent Program volunteers

share their time with children in a class-room setting and become their role mod-els, mentors and friends. Service is in apublic school under teacher supervision.Contact Berta at 54-492-3917 or email herat [email protected] for moredetails.

UCANs Head Start Program needs vol-unteers in the classrooms, the office andthe kitchen. The program is an importantsupport for children and their families. Alist of Head Start school locations is avail-

able at www.ucancap.org.SMART (Start Making a Reader Today)

is dedicated to helping children with theirreading skills. If you can commit one houra week to this effort, call Nancy at 541-672-6477 and sign up.

March comes in with lion shareof volunteer opportunities


5/12


Are you leaving the hospital but not quite ready to be alone at home?

PEACEFUL SETTING TO REST AND RECOVER

MEALS DELIVERED TO YOUR APARTMENT

SCHEDULED TRANSPORTATION TO DOCTOR

24 HOUR STAFF AVAILABLE FOR EMERGENCY CALLS

YOUR CHOICE OF IN-HOUSE AND LOCAL ACTIVITIES

IN-HOUSE HOME CARE TO ASSIST WITH MEDICATIONS AND PERSONAL NEEDS

Consider a stay at:Forest Glen Retirement Community

Call us now. Wed love to be part of your healing!

CONTACT JANET OR CINDY AT 541.839.4266

Your private Medicare supplementinsurance doesNOT cover your

long-term care expenses.

For information on long-term care insurance call:

Financial

Advisors Corp.780 NW Garden Valley Blvd., Suite 38B

Roseburg, OR 97470

Call Jack H. Whitten, CLU(541) 673-2298

Most people want to eat healthfully.The greatest barriers seem to beprice and time, according to a

survey spon-sored by theanti-childhoodhunger organ-ization ShareOur Strength.

This surveypolled 1,500low-and mid-dle-incomefamilies abouttheir efforts toplan, shop forand cook

healthy meals.Eighty-five percent of families said thateating a healthy dinner was important tothem, but closer to 50 percent were actual-ly achieving that goal. Even though priceand time were named as barriers to healthi-er cooking, most families felt they couldovercome these obstacles. Not surprising-ly, families that reported budgeting andplanning meals were more likely to eathealthy dinners.

All of us can use a little help with plan-ning to make our dinner plates healthier.The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

sponsors and promotes healthier eatingwith National Nutrition Month eachMarch. This years theme is Get YourPlate in Shape. Here are a few tips tohelp all of us make our dinner plateshealthier:

Make half your plate fruit and/or veg-etables. Fresh fruits and vegetables aregreat. Frozen (think berries!) and vegeta-bles are also highly nutritious. Adding fruitand vegetables as part of dishes are easyways to increase intake. Consider fruit sal-ads, homemade salsas, vegetable soups,and salads.

Make half your grains whole grains.Great choices include oats, brown rice andquinoa. Look for 100% whole grain bread,whole wheat pasta, and bulgur (crackedwheat). Be sure the first ingredient on your

packaged bread says whole grain flour.Wheat flour is not whole grain. Nor isunbleached wheat flour.

Vary your protein. Chicken, fish, pork

tenderloin, and very lean cuts of beef arefine, but expand your protein choices toinclude beans and fish. Include fish at leasttwice a week. A tuna sandwich counts as afish serving.

Start a new tradition with Meatless

Mondays. Have a bean soup with lots ofveggies, or bean burritos with lots of saladon the side. If you are really adventurous,try a falafel sandwich. Thats a Mediter-

ranean seasoned garbanzo patty eaten inpita bread.

For more information on how to GetYour Plate in Shape, visit the AcademysNational Nutrition Month website for avariety of helpful tips, fun games, promo-

tional tools and nutrition educationresources.

Nancy Goodale Graham is a registered

dietitian who teaches and counsels in theCardiovascular Wellness and Rehabilita-tion department at Sacred Heart MedicalCenter at RiverBend in Springfield. Youcan contact her at [email protected].

Some simple tips can make for a healthy, tasty plate

NancyGoodale Graham

Nutrition

Falafel2 cups cooked (or canned) garbanzo

beans, drained and rinsed1/2 cup chopped onion1/2 cup roughly chopped f resh parsley2 cloves garlic, chopped1 egg1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon cumin1/4 teaspoon pepper1/2 teaspoon turmeric1 teaspoon corianderPinch cayenne pepper1 tablespoon lemon juice1 tablespoon olive oil3/4 to 1 cup dry bread crumbs

Sesame seedsOlive oil for saut

Mash the garbanzos until thick; dontuse a blender because the beans will betoo thin.

In a food processor, chop the onion,parsley and garlic until smooth.Stir theonion mixture into the mashed garbanzos.Set aside.

In a small bowl mix together the egg,salt,cumin, pepper, turmeric,coriander,cayenne,lemon juice and olive oil.Stir thismixture into the garbanzos.Then add thedry bread crumbs until the bean mixtureholds together, but is not too sticky. Formeight balls and flatten them into patties.

Pat a few sesame seeds into each patty.Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-

high heat. Saut the patties in the olive oiluntil golden on each side. Alternatively,

bake the patties on a baking sheet in a375-degree oven for about 20 minutes,oruntil light brown.

Cucumber sauce1 hothouse cucumber, peeledAbout 1 cup Greek-style plain yogurt1 teaspoon dried dill1/4 teaspoon saltPinch of black pepper

Finely chop the cucumber; drain off anyaccumulated liquid. Put the cucumber in abowl and add the yogurt,dill , salt and pep-per. Mix and chill for at least 30 minutesbefore serving with the falafel.

Falafels are great when stuffed into pitabread and sprinkled with shredded let-tuce, tomatoes,cucumbers, and toppedwith salsa.

Photo by Nancy Goodale Graham

Falafel accompanied by cucumber sauce is a tasty way to increase proteinintake and incorporates a Mediterranean element to a meal.


6/12


Home Repairs & Maintenance PuttingHome Repairs & Maintenance PuttingSome Cracks In Your Nest Egg?Some Cracks In Your Nest Egg?

Call 672-2500Call 672-25001-800-888-59941-800-888-59941970 W. Harvard Ave., Roseburg, OR1970 W. Harvard Ave., Roseburg, ORwww.riverviewterrace.comwww.riverviewterrace.com

Consider the benefits of gracious, resort-style living atConsider the benefits of gracious, resort-style living atRiverview Terrace. This elegant retirement community features:Riverview Terrace. This elegant retirement community features: Luxurious private apartments with modern kitchenettes Luxurious private apartments with modern kitchenettes All utilities except phone & cable are included All utilities except phone & cable are included Weekly housekeeping visit to clean apartment & make Weekly housekeeping visit to clean apartment & makeup the bed with your freshly laundered linensup the bed with your freshly laundered linens Safety & emergency systems providing a secure Safety & emergency systems providing a secureliving environmentliving environment Elegant & spacious common areas Elegant & spacious common areas Restaurant-style fine dining open 7am to 7pm for breakfast, Restaurant-style fine dining open 7am to 7pm for breakfast,

lunch and dinnerlunch and dinner Professionally landscaped lawns & colorful garden paths Professionally landscaped lawns & colorful garden pathsNO YARDWORK!NO YARDWORK! Safe comfortable transportation Safe comfortable transportation Festive activities & fun trips Festive activities & fun trips Caring & competent staff Caring & competent staff

A Personal Care Unit is also available. For more information orA Personal Care Unit is also available. For more information orto schedule a tour, please call Sue or Shari at 541-672-2500.to schedule a tour, please call Sue or Shari at 541-672-2500.

696 NE Winchester St. Roseburg 541.673.2724

Artistic Denture Center

PremiumPremiumDentureDenture$$825825Basic

Denture$$299299BasicBasicPartialPartial

$$399399

PremiumPremiumPartial$$875875

Well help you decideWell help you decidewhat is right for youwhat is right for you

Receive a

FREE

EXAMwith this ad

Askabouto

ur

LetterofHope

A Smile canlast a Lifetime

The National Archives and RecordsAdministration of the United Stateswill

release the1940 census

on April 2.By law, allcensus infor-mation mustbecome pub-lic 72 yearsafter it is col-lected.

Tens ofmillions ofpeople livingin the U.S. in 1940 are still living today,making this a record set that connects peo-ple with recent family records. Many of

these are part of what has been called theGreatest Generation.

These are people who survived the GreatDepression, fought in World War II, pio-neered forms of technology, practicedthrift and compassion, and sacrificed in thename of freedom.

We genealogists were very excited whenthe 1930 census was released 10 years ago.This time, however, instead of simplymaking images of the census available forcheckout on microfilm, the Archives plansto also make scans of the census schedulessearchable online.

Keep in mind, though, that on April 2

there will be no index. You will not be ableto enter a name and then be immediatelytaken to the page where that name appears.Instead, you will need to search the censusimages in the same manner that genealo-gists search unindexed records on micro-film: one page at a time.

The 1940 Census Community Project isa joint initiative between three largegenealogical organizations:familysearch.org, archives.com, and find-mypast.com. These partners will makethese valuable records searchable for free

in an online index.

Volunteers are needed to index batchesof the U.S. 1940 census upon its release in

April. You just need a home computer;software download information is provid-ed. Indexing experience is not required.Instructions and project updates will beemailed to you.

Complete publication of the index willdepend on how many volunteers like youcan help. About 135,000 people are cur-rently indexing. Many more are needed toget the 1940 census index online quickly.

Volunteers are also needed to indexmany other genealogical records to makethem available online for free. Get startednow on some of these to get in practice for

the 1940 census. Go to www.family-

search.org, and click on indexing. Thenyou can find out how fun indexing can beby doing a two-minute test drive. Next,click on get started to find instructionsfor downloading the software and getting

registered to sign in and begin indexing.There are currently about 166 different

indexing projects to choose from in about14 different languages. If you know a for-eign language, your skills are needed toindex records from several other countries.Projects are rated by degree of difficulty:beginning, intermediate or advanced.

Indexers in the Roseburg area set a goalfor 2011 to index 1 million names. Wereached that goal on Dec. 4, going on toreach a total of 1,088,000. There are cur-rently 153 indexers in our area. If youwish to be associated with this group, you

may send an email [email protected] so thatyou will receive emails with updates andother helps.

Recently I have enjoyed indexing TexasBirth and Death Records. I find it a relax-ing activity for evenings when I am tootired for physical work projects, but notready for sleep. It is as fun as Solitaire orvideo games, and much more useful.

Patricia Gausnell is a volunteer in theRoseburg Family History Center. For moreinformation about the center, call 541 672-

1237.

Uncle Sam needs you for the 1940 Census

Patricia Gausnell

Family Tree

Aposterfromthe1940

censusisshown.

PhotocourtesyU.S.CensusBureau

So you know...

The following free genealogy classes will beheld this month at the Family History Centerin Roseburg.

Hands-on Ancestry.com, taught by Shan-non Agee,is scheduled at 10 a.m. March 9.

Familysearch.org,ta ught by Jim Henson,is scheduled at 7 p.m. March 15 or 10 a.m.March 16.

All classes are at 2001 W. Bertha Ave.,Roseburg. Reservations are requested asclass size is limited.

Information and reservations: 541-672-1237.


7/12


2010 Wilson Group. All rights reserved.

ALL AMERICAN HEARING

STEINBACH

HEARING CENTER

3000 Stewart Parkway, Ste. 102

Roseburg, OR 97470

541-673-1785

BEST FOR

HEARING

WHY DO I HEAR... BUT DO NOT UNDERSTAND?Study by Cambridge University In England Reveals Key Answer

Just slip it in.

SAVE$400and more -

this week only

The hearing computer is

fully automatic.

It is hidden inside and

hearing is easy.

Save $400 and more on

digital systems.

1 2 3 4F RE E

Buy 1 packageof batteriesGet 1 FREE

Expires 12/17/10Expires 12/17/10Expires 12/17/10

F RE EF RE E

Trial of the newS Series

Call for Appointment.

Lifetime CircuitWarranty!

COMPUTE ASSISTED FITTING

ALLOWS PATIENTS TO SEE THEIR

HEARINGPOPINTO FOCUS

I -calretailcompetitor,wewillbeattheirpriceby10%whenyoubuyfromus. Just bring in the competitors current ad, or well call to verify theitemspricethat youhave found.Competitorsremanufactured,discon-

Low Price Guarantee

Bring in the talk-- screen down the noise

03/30/12 03/30/12 03/30/12

Until recently, therewas no practical

way to identify deadregions of hear-ing cells in the ear.However, a newBritish-developed pro-cedure using standardtest equipment nowallows for identifica-tion of dead hearingcell regions. The studysuggests that thepresence or absenceof dead regions may

have serious implica-tions in the fitting ofhearing aids.

This research revealsthat amplifying deadcells is a mistakewhich will result inpoorer speech under-standing in noise.

A new type of digi-tally programmablemicrocircuit is nowbeing released from

Starkeythe worldleader in nanoSci-encetechnologythatcan be programmedto bypass the deadcells. As a result, thepatients usable hearingcells receive amplifica-tion, thereby improvingspeech understanding innoise.

We are employing a like

method in our diagnos-tic sound booths using

a sound field speechin noise procedure,said Linda Knisley of All

American Hearing. Thistest simulates hearing ina noisy crowd. We areable to determine maxi-mum speech understand-

ing by frequency shaping

this new hearing aid.The results have beenphenomenal. For the firsttime, a patient is able toactually realize the exactpercentage of speechunderstanding improve-ment in noisy listening

environments.

These new productscome in all shell sizes,including the smallestdigital models. During itsrelease, Starkey is offer-ing this new frequencyshaping hearing instru-ment on a 30 day satis-

faction trial.

Call All American Hearingfor a no-obligationappointment.


8/12


THISYEAR

I WILL

BETTER

HEAR

75-DAYT R I A L

AGXPROTECTION

PLAN

*Applicable with the purchaseof an AGX5, 7, or 9.

YEAR WARRANTY*

YEARS FREE BATTERIES*

YEARS LOSS AND

DAMAGE INSURANCE*

Call us today to make anappointment with Dr. Scott Anderson

541.378.49361367 W Harvard Ave Roseburg

www.roseburgaudiology.com

Ofer ends 3/31/12

HEARING

CONSULTATION

FREE

D

ear Billiam:I write this piece from Johannes-

burg, South Africa. I have beentraveling in Europe and Africa for the lastsix weeks. I

just receiveda text frommy husbandreportingyour suddenpassing. Bill,I am devas-tated. Whyis it that weare alwaysshocked

when we hearsomeone has passed from this life to thenext? We all know we arent going to getout of this life alive, and yet it hurts like akick in the stomach when we get the newsthat a friend is gone.

My first thought was of Ada and yourchildren. No, no, this is too much, they alltoo recently lost their son and brotherBarry. Then I tried to think of when I sawyou last. Was it way back in September atthe Conference on Extraordinary Living? Ichecked my email box to see when I lasthad an email from you. I knew I would be

out of the country for quite awhile. I didntwant to feel pressured to get a columnready for The Senior Times upon myarrival home, so I sent you four columns inadvance. How could I have known that youwould probably never read those pieces?Nor will you read this piece, but I mustwrite it.

I call you Billiam or Prince William; youcall me the flea because I am always flyingaround. You are the one who got me startedwriting a travel column. I was afraid tosubmit that first column to you five yearsago, because of your critique. I was over-

joyed when you wrote a note to me saying,This isnt too bad (a huge complimentcoming from an editor at the top of hisgame). You edit my columns and write theheadlines. You are a taskmaster and I feelhonored that you accept my work.

I remember we had a chat once abouthow we hoped when our time came thatwe would be standing in a circle holdinghands with other friends and family. I can

just see you in that circle right now with

the dozens of friends and family memberswho are thrilled to be with you.

Thank you for taking me to the Rose-burg Veterans Affairs Medical Center onoccasion and introducing me to yourfriends there. Thank you for being a patriot,for serving proudly as a Marine. I askedyou once if you had seen battle in war andif you would tell me about it. It was theonly time you told me you wouldnt answermy question. I knew not to press further.

Thank you for being good to your dar-ling wife, Ada. Many times I have thoughtshe deserved a medal for putting up withyou. Then once I saw you at a communityevent gently take her hand and lead her to

the refreshment table. I remember yourchildlike glee when you asked me to helpplan Adas 80th surprise birthday party.Then I understood this crusty old Marine isa marshmallow at heart.

Bill, I dont believe in referring to peoplewho have left this life in the past tense. Ibelieve you just arent here right now; youhave moved on to that big newsroombeyond. I started writing this note to youonly minutes after hearing of the accident; Ifinish it now some weeks later still with alump in my throat. At the time someonepasses there is a lot of commotion, and, in

your case, lots of press and communityattention. Then, all too soon, folks moveon and its over. I like to wait for a whileand remind myself and others that it isnever over.

I miss you Billiam, you irascible oldcharacter. I dont know who is going to editmy columns, or write my headlines. What Ido know is that I will keep writing just foryou, and I hope you will keep readingthem. Until I see you in that circle, pleasesave me a place close by. I know you arenot finished teasing me and I am not fin-ished giving it right back at you.

Your friend, Glo (the flea).

Editors note: Bill Duncan of Roseburgwas editor of this publication from 1984until his death in a Nov. 18 car accident.

Gloria Johnson is a tour conductor andworld traveler. Her next group trip will beto New York City from May 28 to June 3.You can reach her at [email protected].

Letter to an editor wholives on and still inspires

Gloria JohnsonAround the World

ROSEBURG

Blood pressurescreenings set

Mercy Medical Center Auxiliary will

provide free blood pressure screenings at

the following sites in March: Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.,

Roseburg Valley Mall, 1444 N.W. GardenValley Road

Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., CentralDouglas County Family YMCA, 1151Stewart Parkway, Roseburg

Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Wal-mart (depending on construction schedule),2125 N.W. Stewart Parkway, Roseburg

Information: 541-677-4464.

ENCOREBRIEFS

The other day my wife asked me toteak all the goo rags. I was tempt-

ed to ask her where the goo ragswere andwhat had wedone withthe teakingkit, but Iknew that Ihad simplymisheardwhat she hadsaid.

A lot ofmishearinggoes on

around ourhouse these days. Mishearing is like mis-understanding, only different. We humanshave learned to communicate through lan-guage, and whenever our brains receivesounds that simulate language, they aredetermined to create words out of thosesounds. The words may make phonemicsense. But when one attempts to assignthem meaning, they are no more intelligi-ble to us than were the verbalizations ofJabberwocky to Alice as she peeredthrough her looking glass. So when my

wife asked me to teak all the goo rags, I

could come up with only one response:Huh?

Huh? What? and Come again?have become commonplace replies in myconversations with my wife. Its as if weare playing verbal tennis. More often thatnot, our first serve lands outside the lines.Huh? What? Second serve, please. Thistime with less velocity but more volume.

I said, will you please take out thegarbage? Its starting to overflow.

Oh. Sure.It is a widely held belief that, in the

dying process, hearing is the last sense togo. That may well be. But, among the liv-ing, age-related hearing loss is a common

occurrence. Its the deterioration of thosetiny hairs inside our ears that is apparentlyto blame in many cases. The hairs help ushear by detecting sound waves that aretransmitted via our nervous system to thebrain. When those hairs are damaged ordie, we experience hearing loss.

According to audiologists, we can alsofault family history, exposure to loud nois-es, and other lifestyle factors for hasteningour hearing loss. But the reality is thatears, like car tires and running shoes, wear

The slithy toves are having agood gyre in this household

Bob MayoNow That I Think About It

Please see MAYO, page 10


9/12

ROSEBURG

Alzheimers groupsets meeting

The Alzheimers Support Group isscheduled to meet at 2:30 p.m. March 20at Callahan Court Memory Care Commu-nity, 1770 N.W. Valley View Drive, Rose-burg. Theres no fee to join.

The group meets from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.on the third Tuesday of each month.Information and registration: 541-673-

3900.

ROSEBURG

Grief supportgroups gather

The Bereavement Support Group isscheduled to meet the second and fourthTuesday of this month at Linus Oakes inRoseburg.

Participants will gather from 5 to 6:30p.m. March 13 and 27 in the main buildingchapel at 2665 Van Pelt Blvd. Admission isfree.

In addition, the group is planning itsmonthly luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1p.m. March 21 at Karens Coffee Cup,2445 N.E. Diamond Lake Blvd. The groupmeets for lunch on the third Wednesday ofeach month.

Information: 541-677-2384.

DOUGLAS COUNTY

AARP offers driversafety classes

The Douglas County AARP Driver Safe-ty Program Team is offering three classesfor the month of March.

The course is designed for drivers aged50 and older; however, its open toyounger people as well. You do not need tobe a member of AARP to take the course.

Course fees are $14 per person. AARPmembers will receive a $2 discount.

Oregon law requires all auto insurancecarriers to offer a discount on premiums to

qualified graduates, age 55 and older ofapproved programs such as this one.

Beginning this year, the course has beenconsolidated into six hours of instructionduring one session. Participants must com-plete the six hours to graduate and receivethe benefit.

All classes will be held between 9 a.m.and 4 p.m. Each participant is encouragedto bring a sack lunch.

Following is a schedule of area classesfor this month.

March 15 Mercy Community Edu-cation Center, 2459 Stewart Parkway,Roseburg. Instructor: Pete Benham. Call541-679-9571 to register.

March 27 Linus Oakes, 2665 VanPelt Blvd., Roseburg. Instructors: Geneand Trish Keller. Call 541-677-4800 toregister.

Jan. 19 Room 4, Oakland CityHall, 637 N.E. Locust St., Oakland.Instructor: Bette Keehley. Call 541-679-9571 to register.

For information about these sessions,call the numbers above or visit

www.aarp.org.

For information about future classes, orto request a class for your organization,

call Pete Benham, district coordinator, at

Iwas talking to whatshisname the otherday. You remember, the one we met lastweek over at watchamacallit? I know I

wrote that name down somewhere. Now,where did I

leave myglasses?Does this

conversationsound famil-iar? Wel-come to thewonderfulworld ofaging andmemory loss.I could argue that my grandkids forgettheir homework, lunches and jackets on aregular basis and they are not out of their

teens. Or that my 2-year-old granddaugh-ters remember and repeat every word I say,despite their diminutive size and lack ofschooling. But it really is of little comfort,so why go there?

What you really want to know is if it isnormal or the early stages of Alzheimers.Try as you might, dark thoughts creep upwhen you cant find your keys again.And they especially weigh heavily on your

mind when you forget a name knowing itis on the tip of your tongue.

Well, guess what? Its normal. At leastaccording to the band of experts MarthaWeinman Lear interviewed for her book,

Where Did I Leave My Glasses? Herinterviews with neuroscientists, psycholo-gists and evolutionary biologists form abackdrop for insights into the frustratingproblems with memory we all experienceas we age. The anecdotes are poignantlyreal and hilarious as Lear reassures thereader we are all in this together.

Lear provides information about thisnormal aging process, empowering thereader to embrace rather than fear memoryloss. The book talks about the 57 Heinzvarieties of memory and why there aresome things you will never forget.

For instance, we all know the namestove. It is a piece of equipment in thekitchen that we use to cook our food. Itdoesnt matter how many different brands,models or types. It is still a stove. But peo-ple claim a different and unique name forevery individual. That adds up to quite afew names to remember.

We grab onto any lifesaver as we drownin those awkward moments. We invent

games and rhymes, like counting downthrough the 26 letters of the alphabet.Later, inexplicably, the name will comerushing forcefully to the surface at themost inopportune moment.

The good news is that all of this is nor-mal memory loss. Of course, the bad newsis it is part of the aging process, universaland irreversible. If you must blame some-thing, then blame it on the hippocampus,the area of the brain that receives and dis-tributes information. As we reach age 30, itbegins to shrink. By 40, we begin to noticethe loss. This doesnt mean the informationthat was once at our fingertips and hasslowly moved to the tip of our tongue isnow lost. It means, like the rest of ourbody, it is moving a little more slowly. Ittakes longer to sift through all the data,

retrieve it and send it. Ergo, you find your-self popping out the name in the middle ofdinner, or at a party. That seemingly elusivename finally made it back up to the top.

Lear points out the evidence of what isnormal and what is not but also detailsthat holy quartet of imperatives that thememory experts keep touting: a healthydiet, a good nights rest, avoidance ofstress, and regular exercise both physical

and mental. Although these imperativeswill not restore or change the decline, theycan help with attitude and the ability toadjust to the changes in memory, as we dofor arthritis or the other aches and pains

that signal things aint what they used tobe.Forgetting someones name is normal.

Forgetting the name of your mother oryour father is not. Forgetting to occasion-ally turn the stove off is normal. Forgettingwhat the stove does is not. It is a comfort tome to know that so many of us share themalady of memory loss, and I can findhumor in the awkward moments. Memoryloss cares little for race, gender, color orreligion. It is reduced to a common denom-inator age.

So stop looking for the paper with old

whatshisname and I am sure your glasseswill show up on top of your head. Thatswhat a wise grandma would do if onlyshe could remember why she came into theroom.

Eularee Smith is the grandmother of six,a teacher and executive director of UpStartCrow childrens theater in Eugene. Visit herblog site at www.eularee.com.


Linus OakesRetirement Village

Youll love having dinner served to you in our beautiful dining room.

Your daughter? Shell love the 24-hour secur ity.

Who knew the kids would be such worriers?

Which is why Linus Oakes has all the amenities you both are

looking for independent living, safety and security.

We think thats a pretty great combination.

Wed love to show you around and tel l you more. Call us today.

(and yes, please bring your daughter along.)

2665 Van Pelt Blvd. Roseburg

541-677-4800 1-800-237-9294

www.linusoakes.com

www.facebook.com/linusoakesretirementvillage

Embrace whatever it is we were talking about a minute ago

Eularee SmithWise Grandma

ENCORE

BRIEFS


10/12


When Exp e r i e n ce . . .When Experience...Mat t e r s Mo s t !Matters Most!When Experience...Matters Most!

Open Monday thru Thursday by Appointment 541-672-01001663 West Harvard Avenue, Roseburg www.cascadedenturecenter.com

FULL & PARTIAL

DENTURE SPECIALISTFree exam with this ad!

Phillip Dahl L.D.

Personally ServingDouglas County

for 33 Years!

LEAD THE WAY-DONATE TODAYOur campaign goal is $800,000 and we need your pledge today.

Every dollar you donate stays right here at home to provide an importantsafety net of services for your neighbors through our 34 member non-profitagencies.

A little bit from many will make a big difference in the lives of thousands ofDouglas County residents.

ASK US ABOUT LEGACY GIVINGTo donate call us at 541-672-1734, send us a check or

see us online at www.gduway.org

702 SE Jackson St. PO Box 2329 Roseburg, OR 97470

GREATER DOUGLAS UNITED WAY

Editors note: Roseburg resident KatSueGrant, who is affiliated with several localwriting and poetry groups, makes herdebut this month as an Encore columnist.This is the first of a two-part series.

If theres one fact Ive learned aboutmature people, its that most would liketo make sure their childhood memories

are recorded for their kids and grandkids.Or theydlike to pre-serve recol-lectionsabout experi-ences in thearmed serv-ices, the

GreatDepressionor theircareers, to beshared withfriends, and maybe society at large. Actu-ally, thats one of the benchmarks ofbecoming older. Theres a strong desire tolook back at our personal experiences anddecisions, evaluate how well we fulfilledour dreams, reached our career goals orraised our families.

Most of us feel the need to make senseof what happened to us, and then deal with

any subsequent remorse and regret. We

also want to savor the rewards of whatweve accomplished.

We want to feel weve led meaningful,productive lives that mattered to someone,however limited the effect.

Writing memories down on paper or typ-ing them into a computer would aid you indoing those things. It would help you toremember more exactly what you experi-enced and when, how you felt about thosesituations at the time, and to eventuallyrealize the effects those events, decisionsand behaviors had on your actions in sub-sequent years. Understanding yourself is avaluable tool in living the rest of your lifefully and happily.

Once you have retired and possess moreof the leisure time to accomplish this, how

do you begin?Begin by just doing it write down one

memory. Thats the easiest way to start anysort of autobiography, and then to keepadding further memories onto what youalready have, one by one. Eventually youwill have enough recorded to see whereyou may be headed, whether it has atheme, and what you want to do with all ofthem when you are done. (Always remem-bering that finished is a relative termwhen it comes to written compositions.)

I strongly advise against beginning withyour birth, although the urge to do that isstrong. After all, that was the beginning of

your existence. But if you do that, youllbecome bogged down with recording allthe minutiae of your childhood correctly inall its events, emotions and statisticaldetails. You could easily give up on thewhole project, and wouldnt that be a pity?

So start by asking yourself, What do Imost want to write about?

Something gave you this writing idea inthe first place. What was it? Grandkidsasking questions about what it was l ikewhen you were little? You and the guysexchanging war stories? You and yourfriends deciding to give a booklet of handyhints to your daughters and sons on whatparenting techniques worked for you invarious situations? Nostalgia for your col-lege days or career years? Or the funny

things your children said or that happenedwhen they were little? Whatever firstinspired you is the best place to begin yourwriting. Inspiration is a precious gift,never to be ignored or squandered.

Youll soon find that after the first orsecond episodes are jotted down, othersstart popping into your mind like popcornin a popper. It would help to keep a list soyou dont forget any of them again; just jotdown a phrase or two about each one thatwill pop that memory back out again whenyou have time to write. The mind (sub-conscious into conscious) works by find-ing correlations and contexts, so when it

realizes what kind of things youre remem-bering, it will automatically line up furtherpertinent memories for you. Also, the moreyou reflect and compose, the fuller andmore precise your memories will be. Won-derful how this works! Another naturalboon to take advantage of.

Always remember that for first drafts,you dont need to be concerned aboutremembering every little thing accuratelyor detailing events chronologically. Norabout making your writing perfectly gram-matical, accurately spelled, etc. Just keepthose words flowing! You can sort out allthe details towards perfection later ornot at all, depending on your purpose.Right now what matters is putting yourremembrances DOWN ON PAPER as theycome to you. Otherwise your wonderfulword choices and phrasing, and evenwhole memories, could be lost forever, as Iknow from my own experience.

Allow your creativity to inspire itself.Just write!

Next month: organizing what you havewritten, and what to make of it.

KatSue Grant taught writing, Englishliterature and psychology courses at Cali-

fornia State University at Stanislaus andseveral community colleges. Shes a pro-

fessional manuscript editor and is a mem-

ber of several writing groups in DouglasCounty and statewide.

Theres no time like the present to preserve your past

KatSue GrantEveryday Inspiration

out with use over time. It is a foregoneconclusion: You age, you hear less well.

My wife and I recognize this. We bothhave experience interacting with friendsand relatives of The Greatest Generationwhose hearing loss ultimately led them to

use hearing aids those amplifiers atonce praised and cursed by their users. Sowe try to be understanding when it comesto dealing with our own increasing tenden-cy to mishear what we say to each other.

Recently my wife exhibited a puzzled

expression when I told her (or so she heardme say) that I was going outside to slaverthe conroy. I knew she had misheard me,so I repeated the message more loudly andwith greater vocal precision. She smiledand nodded. While youre at it, she said,why dont you go ahead and gang theissel fire.

Beware the Jabberwock! He is alive andwell and doing his best to create bedlam in

our household.

Bob Mayo of Roseburg worked in thepublic schools system for 17 years and hasbeen a Douglas County resident since1990. His passion is writing fiction.

Mayo:CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

DOUGLAS COUNTY

Caregiver supportgroups to meet

Family caregivers support groups aremeeting in four sites again this month.Schedules are as follows:

Roseburg 1:30 to 3 p.m. March 7,Room 2, Mercy Community Education

Center, 2459 Stewart Parkway. Meets firstWednesday of the month.

Sutherlin 10 to 11:30 a.m. March 8,Sutherlin Community Center, 150 S.Willamette St. Meets the second Thursdayof the month.

Canyonville 2 to 3:30 p.m. March 15,Chapel, Forest Glen Senior Residence, 200S.W. Frontage Road. Meets third Thursdayof the month.

Winston 2 to 3:30 p.m. March 28,Wooley Board Room, Winston Communi-ty Center, 440 Grape St. Meets the fourthWednesday of each month.

All meetings are free. For information,call Nancy Hudson, 541-440-3677.

ENCORE

BRIEFS


11/12

Last month I was asked by a friend togo with her to a pre-op family con-ference for her 88-year-old Aunt

Martha, whois soon goingto undergosurgery toreplace afailing heart

valve.The doctor

sat us downin his officeand for mostof the meet-ing, I just listened and took notes. He did avery good job of going over all the pointseveryone should understand before under-going surgery. These included:A description of the medical problem

that requires the surgeryAn explanation of the procedure itself

and how it will fix whatever the problemisThe name of the doctor who will be

performing the surgery (Marthas doctor isa cardiologist, not a surgeon)A discussion of the risks of having the

procedure as well as the risks of not hav-ing itA few words about the overall success

rate of this particular surgery (this can betailored to the patients particular pre-pro-cedure condition. Obviously, those in goodgeneral health before surgery do betterthan those who are frail and in ill health)The doctors general idea of how long

Martha might need to stay in the hospital,barring any complications (and by the way,

what are the most common complications?And how common are they?)The expectations regarding Marthas

chances of being able to go directly homeafter the surgery (assuming all goes well)and if so, a list of anyhelp/aids/devices/accommodations shewill need at home.

The doctor was quite thorough as far as

he went. But when he got up to shake ourhands, signaling the end of the meeting, Iwas a bit surprised.

What he hadnt mentioned (until I askedhim, at which point we all sat back down)was the issue of post-operative cognitivedysfunction, a mental state that may ormay not befall Martha but that certainlyshould be discussed.

When older patients come out of surgeryextremely confused and disoriented, withholes in the memory and an inability toconcentrate, thats an indication of POCD.

Other signs are experiencing vivid delu-sions and hallucinations and not knowingwho they are or where they are. Thislessens over time but still lingers for days,weeks and sometimes months. It is shock-ing and scary for the family, to say nothingof how it must be for the patient.

POCD is quite common, affecting to atleast some degree from 10% to 50% ofolder surgical patients. Its of increasingconcern as the population ages and moreolder folks undergo surgery. POCD alsohas a tremendous impact on the level ofcare patients will need when they gohome.

Is it the anesthesia that causes this men-tal scrambling? Or the bodys inflammato-

ry response to surgery itself? Is it all mixedin with being in an unfamiliar environ-ment, being tended by those with unfamil-iar faces? Does pre-surgery cognitive levelhave an influence on post-surgical mentalstatus?

Research in all these areas is ongoing,but there are no definitive answers yet.

If you are included in one of the family

meetings regarding any proposed surgery

of an older relative or f riend, dont forgetto address the subject of POCD and whatcurrent medical and behavioral steps willbe taken to manage it.

Gloria May is a registered nurse with a

masters degree in health education and a

certified health education specialist desig-

nation.


Dear Reader,

She was wearing jeans, a T-shirtand tennis shoes. Her dark brown

hair was tiedback in a

ponytail,there was abig, friendlysmile on herface. And shewas carryinga pair of yel-low rubbergloves. Mostpeoplewouldnteven notice her, but to me she was anangel.

Well-rested and ready to dig in, she was-

nt interested in taking any shortcuts(because shed already been working forhours). Nope, this woman, who felt like asavior and looked like a princess to me,was ready to work.

Three years in a row Id organized andserved a free Christmas dinner in ourchurchs dining room. Hundreds of guestswere served. Filling the volunteer sign-upsheet never concerned me, except underthe heading of Cleanup. Theres not a lotof glory in being part of a cleanup crew,yet my angel in the T-shirt and tenniessigned up every year.

People who volunteer to clean up lifesmesses face the end, when things arentpretty any more. They ask for nothing inreturn, but those people should be givenawards bigger awards than anyone else.

A friend of mine volunteers every yearto pick up water cups the marathon runnersdrop in the street as theyre running therace. Theres no glory in her job. By thetime she shows up on the route, the specta-

tors have all long gone.My husband is the cleanup crew when I

garden. I pull the weeds and trim the bush-es, and, magically, stacks of debris arebundled and waiting on the curb for thenext days garbage pickup. When I makemy messy Hawaiian Chicken, my husbandappears just as Im sliding the pan into theoven. Go relax, Suzanne, and let me cleanup the mess.

A woman volunteered at a center wherehomeless people can take showers and gettheir clothes washed. Shed signed up tofill the washing machines, but instead,

when she noticed the showers neededcleaning, she rolled up her sleeves andtook on the task. No one asked her to do it,no one expected her to do it especiallyon her first day.

Angels in T-shirts and tennies, and yel-low rubber gloves. Smiling, ready, andmore than willing to clean up li fes mess-es. God bless them.

Thanks for reading with me. Its so goodto read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher, author of Muffinsand Mayhem: Recipes for a Happy (if Dis-orderly) Life, invites you to read at heronline book clubs, found at www.Dear-

Reader.com. She can be reached [email protected].

As spring nears, lets give thanks to year-round cleanup crews

Suzanne BeecherFootnotes

Mental lapses, disoriented behavior may follow surgery

Gloria MayNurse News


12/12


Jon-Marc Weston, MD, FACS

Steven Tronnes, OD, FAAO

Cataracts

Glaucoma

Macular Degeneration

Dry Eyes / Low Vision

Medicare Assignment Accepted | Certified Ambulatory Surgical Facility

2435 NW KLINE, ROSEBURG

541.672.2020

Douglas Countys Specialists in:

The Doctor and the nurses and staff,

they treated me just wonderful.

The cataract in my left

eye was removed two

weeks ago and is now

completely healed.

Before the surgery I

couldnt read anything

in print. Yesterday

I picked up the

newspaper and read it

without any trouble!

I can even see colorsbetter. My left eye

is 20/20 now. I hope

it improves my golf

game.

They are allwonderful! The Doctor

and the nurses and

staff, they treated me

just wonderful.

I would tell anyone to

come see Dr. Weston.

~Jean Peterson

Documents

The News Review - Encore - March 2012