Northwest Boomer and Senior News Portland Metro/Vancouver Edition May 2018

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PORTLAND/METRO & VANCOUVER EDITION • MAY 2018

Island fever SEE STORY, PAGE 2

Chair yoga SEE STORY, PAGE 4

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Ink and age SEE STORY, PAGE 9

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Gresham’s Japanese garden

2 PORTLAND-METRO/VANCOUVER EDITION

NW BOOMER & SENIOR NEWS • MAY 2018

Tsuru Island is a striking tribute to Japanese culture, heritage

By MAGGI WHITE BOOMER & SENIOR NEWS

Gresham’s Japanese garden on Tsuru Island is a testimony to what people can accomplish if they have the will.

Its restoration never would have happened if Tomiko Takeuchi wasn’t such a convincing cheerleader and James (Jim) Card didn’t have the talent to turn weeds into an exquisite cultural oasis.

Tucked away in Main City Park, this tiny island of serenity allows you to step away from your daily routine and hear the sounds of silence, even though it’s just steps away from busy SE Powell Boulevard.

Located on three-fourths of an acre and surrounded by creeks, Tsuru (sue-do) Island has become a community destination touted by the Gresham Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Center.

With Takeuchi’s cajoling and persistence, monies have been raised to make Tsuru Island a happening space, all with a Japanese theme — in-

Courtesy photo

It’s taken many years and a lot of volunteer hours (above), but Tsuru Island in Gresham’s Main Street Park is now the peaceful oasis its planners envisioned.

cluding festivals, drumming, tea ceremonies, tai chi, bonsai classes and many other cultural activities.

Volunteers gather every Saturday morning at Ebetsu Plaza, a paved 12-foot square sitting area, to maintain this

legacy. It got its name from Gresham’s sister city — Ebetsu, Japan.

The park features a dozen Akebono cherry trees that are said to symbolize a new beginning. Engraved small brick units with names of donors are

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Like many garden spaces, Tsuru Gardens didn’t start out as the beautiful oasis it is now.

For more than 20 years, hardly anyone went across the little footbridge to get to the island, Takeuchi says, describing the garden as “a miracle,” and that no one visited the area “because it was scary. It was despoiled with makeshift shacks, trash and even junked cars littering the island. It looked like a shaggy dog and, all of a sudden, it was a poodle.”

Takeuchi was born during

World War II, when her family was living in an internment camp. After the war, her family moved to New York, and she returned to Portland in 1980.

Her family distanced themselves from their Japanese roots, wanting to assimilate into the dominant culture.

But Takeuchi, who grew up with the name Linda Ann, yearned to connect with her ancestry. She changed her name to Tomiko and immersed herself in the Japanese language, hosted Japanese exchange students and spearheaded many events to educate the public about Japanese culture.

She worked as a school teacher and principal, and feels that her teaching background served her well in restoring the Gresham garden.

One day, while walking in the garden with Jim Card, he took three snips off a bush, and in her mind’s eye, she envisioned the result.

“I could see it in an entirely different shape and asked Jim if we could fix it,” she says.

Card, who had retired from his successful landscaping business, began to catch her vision. Although he and Takeuchi are totally different personalities, they had one thing in common — community spirit.

With their influence, the city of Gresham adopted the garden as a nonprofit venture.

The garden was first built and donated to the city in 1975 by the Japanese Citizens League of GreshamTroutdale, led by Kaz Tamura of Tamura Farms.

See GARDEN p. 3

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MAY 2018 • nwboomerandseniornews.com

GARDEN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

At that time, the area was mostly farmland and many people recall picking berries every season. Tamura never saw his dream of having the garden restored.

Tomiko got support and help from the city, the Japan Foundation of Los Angeles, area businesses, high schools, the Department of Corrections, and a small core of hardworking volunteers. Even students from local high schools helped.

Takeuchi credits Card with the design of the garden, training volunteers and securing most of the plants and materials at no cost.

“I couldn’t have done it without him,” she says.

Almost all the things you see represent salvaged materials. The striking pathways are now covered in small gravel inlaid with hand-cut variegated bluestone from Pennsylvania. Benches are placed throughout the garden, each with its own view. Volunteers have built a teahouse.

“Everything has been accomplished from donations, volunteer help and whatever we can get from grants,” says Card, adding that Mayor Shane Bemis is a big supporter of the garden.

Bamboo is used for accent and is placed to keep away beavers that have built a dam next to the island in Johnson Creek.

The garden is ideal for sitting

PORTLAND-METRO/VANCOUVER EDITION

3

Of note

Enter Tsuru Island through Main City Park, off Powell Boulevard and Main Street in Gresham.

Jim Card leads garden tours for groups of five or more, by appointment.

Send an email to Gresham.japanese.garden@gmail.com.

Learn more at greshamjapanesegarden.com. and meditating, Card says.

While the park is a place to walk the dog, ride a bike, swing on a swing, play baseball or take a stroll, the little island is there for another reason.

“This is a place of serenity,” he says. “Once you are in the area of natural plants and bird sounds, you return to yourself.

You bring down your blood pressure.”

The Japanese use lanterns and bamboo structural elements, uniquely presented and perfected, he says.

A new film titled “The Gift” shows Takeuchi and Card talking about the history of the garden so it (and they) will never be forgotten.

The future of the garden will include the plaza’s expansion and more educational programs.

As Takeuchi says, it’s all about the culture.

“I want them to know that Japan is not just sushi and Toyota,” she says. ■

Courtesy photos

Top,Tomiko Takeuchi has been instrumental in helping Tsuru Island become what it is today. Middle, the Japanese garden is highlighted by a bridge, stone paths, a pergola and more. Above, garden events often highlight Japanese traditions.

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4 PORTLAND-METRO/VANCOUVER EDITION

NW BOOMER & SENIOR NEWS • MAY 2018

Yoga therapy

Edith Shamrell excels in helping the less-abled

By MAGGI WHITE BOOMER & SENIOR NEWS

Nothing makes Edith Shamrell happier than helping people feel better. In fact, she feels it’s her calling in life.

So, when she found yoga to be life-changing for herself, she made it her mission to do the same for others.

Now a yoga therapy instructor, Shamrell reaches out to those with physical limitations, whether that’s a teenager in pain, or older adults in declining health. With 17 years of experience, she has been devoted to helping those with limited mobility due to arthritis or injury, as well as others recovering from cancer, surgery or living with disabling conditions like MS and Parkinson’s.

“I believe yoga is a healing tool,” she says. “It is important that we keep moving, particularly as we become older, because that is how we stay healthy.”

Shamrell is French, but grew up in Barcelona. She has a degree in early childhood education and has taught children ages 3 to 6, including her two daughters, Laia and Kyla.

She met her American husband in Paris, and they lived in Virginia for six years before moving to Portland three years

Courtesy photo

Edith Shamrell (far left) leads a free chair yoga class in the St. Johns area of Portland. She believes anyone can do yoga when certain adaptations are made. ago to be closer to her husband’s family.

But when she was a young woman, Shamrell’s father died of a brain tumor. Ten months later, her fiancé was killed in a car accident. Both left her devastated.

“I embraced my pain and became more aware of who I

was,” she says. “Yoga gave me tools to fight for a new life. I have seen yoga as life changing. It’s not just body exercises. It’s blending body movements with breath. It’s how it feels to be inside your body.”

She decided to take the thing that helped her — yoga

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— and learn how to use it to help others.

Shamrell trained in Paris, learning yoga therapy with a focus on body mechanics from yoga teachers, chiropractors, osteopaths and acupuncturists.

She took additional classes from a master teacher in India, as well as in Europe. She feels her instruction was similar to what physical therapists teach.

“We have 360 joints in our bodies, and 660 muscles and if we don’t use them, well, if we

don’t keep active, we will atrophy, and our level of vitality will drop,” she says.

Shamrell is particularly fond of her free chair yoga class at The Aspire Project, a nonprofit in St. Johns. She also teaches at assisted living facilities and has worked with OHSU patients and in corporate offices during lunch hours.

Hers is a passionate commitment not only to improve the mobility, flexibility and

See YOGA p. 5

MAY 2018 • nwboomerandseniornews.com

YOGA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 strength of people with a variety of limitations but to give them a sense of wellbeing. “I modify the bodywork to fit the individual,� she says. “There is no one way to work with people.�

While in Paris, Shamrell worked with a 14-year-old girl who suffered from a decreased muscle tone condition called hypertonia, which made her body sore and tender. Another person who came to her class had been walking with a cane. Both saw improvements in their abilities after working with Shamrell.

Yoga therapists in Europe spend many more hours in training than those in the United States, she says, and it has taken time to find acceptance here as she works to build her career.

However, “things are changing,� Shamrell says. “There is more awareness of yoga as a therapeutic tool, and yoga therapy is more popular in rehabilitation programs or as a complement to physical therapy.�

Her yoga classes are based on gentle body rebalancing postures, aiming to correct body alignment, strength, coordination and balance.

She teaches cross-lateral exercises (brain integration) and proprioception classes, where the body is, in relation to space as well as increasing body awareness. “But most important is creating safe classes and providing the right modifications for all participants,� Shamrell says.

There is more academic data available that demonstrates, she says, how yoga might decrease the risk of cardiovascular illness, osteoporosis, and many other health conditions. It’s also been shown that exercise can slow the symptoms of Parkin-

“These are the people who need yoga. It’s more than an exercise, it’s building community, and it’s embracing who you are right now.�

Edith Shamrell Chair yoga instructor

son’s disease.

When it comes to pain, Shamrell says it can be caused by unbalanced joints, as well as weak and short muscles. Yoga increases the level of oxygen in the body, lowers blood pressure, improves overall cognitive skills, increases blood circulation — and reduces pain.

Shamrell says it’s “very rewarding� to improve another’s quality of life through yoga therapy, and she believes older adults need more yoga in their lives. “I have had a strong call to work with people who suffer from such health issues as strokes, fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s, cancer or are in wheelchairs,� she says.

She isn’t directing her emphasis to people with perfect bodies and the latest yoga fashions, but rather she’s interested in helping others overcome their limitations. “These are the people who need yoga,�

PORTLAND-METRO/VANCOUVER EDITION

Shamrell says. “It’s more than an exercise, it’s building community, and it’s embracing who you are right now.�

She would like to see more assisted living facilities offer yoga for their residents. “Society needs to take more care of its seniors,� Shamrell says. “It is never too late to improve quality of life.�

She has worked with people who have had hip, knee and shoulder replacements, and is very drawn to anatomy.

Her yoga is based on the teachings of Krishnamacharya, who lives in Chennai, India. Among her healing services are vibrational sounds, Himalayan instruments, tuning forks and acupressure. She says these help with healing and relaxation. “Yoga is like writing music,� Shamrell says. “You can put notes together and make noise, or you can make music. Every class includes warm-ups of muscles, tendons and ligaments to logical anatomical progression. We take away the risk of injury. Everybody is welcome.�

Patty Opdyke of Portland has been taking Shamrell’s free chair yoga class for about five months, as well as private consultations about some personal health concerns, where she was given yoga asanas and warm-ups. “As a result of my practice with her, I am more limber, have a greater range of motion and am slowly building my strength and stamina,â€? Opdyke says. “I believe her approach will benefit many people.â€? â–

Of note

The Aspire Project, bringing art and culture to people of all ages.

Scholarships available.

Visit theaspireproject.org or call 503-505-0382.

Contact Shamrell at editholives@yahoo.es.

5

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HEALTHY Vibes

6 PORTLAND-METRO/VANCOUVER EDITION

NW BOOMER & SENIOR NEWS • MAY 2018

Sunscreen tips to keep your skin safe

By DR. CHARLOTTE TSAI

amount of sunscreen you need. One fluid ounce should be enough for your whole body, which translates to about one shot glass full of sunscreen. Even though you might stop at one coat of sunscreen, you definitely want to double up. Think of applying sunscreen like painting — you want to make

sure you don’t miss any spots.

When you’re choosing a sunscreen, check for one that is broad spectrum (meaning it protects against both UVA and UVB rays), SPF 30 or greater, and water resistant— and make sure it isn’t expired, as sunscreen that’s past its expiration date is less

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Eric is 14 years old, is friendly to people but like many older cats likes time to himself. He has not lived in a household with children and their quick actions and loud noises most likely would frighten him. He could enjoy the company of another mellow cat or might be just as happy being the only cat. We do not know anything about his history with dogs.

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Sandy

Many of my patients say they use sunscreen on a daily basis, but they’ll still come into the office with sunburns or tans. (Worth noting: Even though a tan might not hurt like a burn and “looks better,” tans are harmful to the skin, too.)

So, what gives?

If you’re using sunscreen and still burning it’s likely you’re either using the wrong products or not applying them correctly. Both scenarios are dangerous because you’re not properly protecting yourself from UV rays.

How do you get the most out of your sunscreen and protect your skin year-round?

It might help to visualize the

effective. And even though it may seem unnecessary in the Pacific Northwest where we know our share of cloudy days, wearing sunscreen every day is vital. Oregon actually ranks fifth on the list of states with the highest melanoma rate in the country. Other cloudy states are high on the list, which could signal that people forget to slather on sunscreen on cloudy days, increasing their risk for skin cancer.

Before you head out of the house, make sure you’ve left enough time for your sunscreen to absorb — at least 15 minutes before you’re exposed to the sun. And while you may be tempted to reach for a two-in-one sunscreen and insect repellant, don’t. It’s

The Oregon Humane Society recognizes that a pet can not only make you feel young at heart, but pets may help keep you healthy. Researchers have documented that living with pets is associated with lower blood pressure and less anxiety. Twenty pets are selected each week by looking at personality traits that will be a good fit for a mature household. If a perfect match cannot be found among the 20 free pets, all other pets at the shelter will be $50 off the listed adoption fee (only for individuals 60 years of age or older). This special cannot be combined with other offers. ■

more efficient to apply sunscreen first and then apply insect repellant with DEET. Then, reapply sunscreen every two hours.

If you can, try to avoid the sun when it’s at its strongest — from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can also calculate how much UV exposure you’re getting by the shadow trick: A shadow that is longer than you means UV exposure is low. But a shadow that is shorter than you means UV exposure is high.

With these tips, you should be better able to protect your skin from the sun’s rays while you’re spending time in the great Oregon outdoors. ■ (Dr. Charlotte Tsai is a dermatologist with Kaiser Permanente Northwest.)

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Ham radio operators band together MAY 2018 • nwboomerandseniornews.com

PORTLAND-METRO/VANCOUVER EDITION

By BARRY FINNEMORE BOOMER & SENIOR NEWS

Each time Barbara Yasson turns on the ham radio in her Vancouver home, she carries on her father’s legacy.

She acquired his ham radio equipment after he died in 1993 and, since then, has been involved in a hobby that the Radio Relay American League – the national association for amateur radio – describes as a “hobby and service that brings people, electronics and communication together.”

Yasson’s natural curiosity drew her to amateur radio, which she calls a great pastime that allows her to learn, get other women involved in the activity, and connect with people far and wide.

“That’s one of the things about ham – I’ve made friends all over the U.S. and world,” she says. “I’ve made really valuable friendships over the years.”

Yasson serves as secretary of the Clark County Amateur Radio Club Inc., where she launched a class for women six years ago. She relishes teaching a technology that most women were not exposed to in school.

“I wanted to get more women involved,” Yasson says. “I just knew there were gals out there who wanted to get their license, and that they’d be more comfortable in a class with women. We’re a minority, but there are getting to be more women” who are ham radio operators.

The Clark County Amateur Radio Club was established in 1930 and currently has 300 members. Members participate in fun challenges, known as “contesting.” One such contest offers a certificate to ham radio operators who contact another radio operator in all 39 Washington counties. The club also provides classes and testing for those who want to obtain a ham radio license, of which there are three levels.

Each June, the club participates in Field Day, in which tens of thousands of “hams” in the United States, Canada and other countries take their radio gear outside — in public parks, on beaches and mountains, for example — to promote amateur radio and their role in emergency communications.

In addition, the club provides public services, such as

Photo by Barry Finnemore

Barbara and Phil Yasson enjoy amateur or “ham” radio activities, and are active in the Clark County Amateur Radio Club. communications for area parades, runs, walks and other events. They also are poised to support communications during emergencies when services are unavailable or unable to handle a large volume of traffic.

Tim Kuhlman, the club’s president, got into radio by necessity. Growing up in rural Wyoming, Kuhlman and his family used business band radios to communicate. He worked in his family’s electronics repair shop, the only such shop in an 80-mile radius, and for years thought of radios as solely a tool.

In 1990, when he was studying at the University of Wyoming, he got his first ham radio license. But it wasn’t until he moved to the Pacific Northwest, and because of a glitch his license expired, did Kuhlman realize how much he valued ham radio.

“I felt like I lost something,” Kuhlman says of letting his license accidentally expire.

When he moved to Clark County in 2003, he joined the radio club and rekindled his interested in ham radio through the club activities.

“That’s what pulled me back in,” he says.

Though known as amateur radio, ham operators must pass a test to receive an FCC license for the privilege of

Of note

What is ham radio?

Amateur radio operators are also known as radio amateurs or hams. The term "ham" as a pejorative nickname for amateur radio operators was first heard in 1909 by operators in commercial and professional radio communities. The word was subsequently embraced by the operators, and stuck. However, the term did not gain widespread usage in the United States until around 1920, after which it slowly spread to other English-speaking countries.

Learn more about Clark County Amateur Radio Club at w7aia.org.

being on the air, Kuhlman says.

One of the club’s major public service efforts is providing communications for Walk & Knock, dubbed the nation’s largest one-day community food drive, each December.

Clark County residents fill food bags and

leave them on their doorsteps, with volunteers going door to door to collect the bags. Club members help with logistics that day, such as where volunteers are needed most.

“It’s fun and rewarding,” Kuhlman says of the club’s service activities. “It’s local, and you’re helping the com-

7

munity.”

The club also plays a supporting role in emergency preparedness. For instance, it sponsors EYEWARN in conjunction with the Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency and the Clark County Amateur Radio Emergency Service. EYEWARN is a network of amateur radio volunteers who provide reports of damage in their neighborhoods in the event of a disaster.

“The idea is to provide additional information to emergency coordinators so they have a better sense for the scope of a disaster,” Kuhlman says.

Wayne Schuler, who first got a ham radio license in 1957 at age 17 and even built his own transmitter as a youngster, joined the Clark County Amateur Radio Club in 1987. He enjoys the club’s camaraderie and contesting.

He has earned awards for talking with other ham radio operators in all 50 states and in 100 countries. Schuler has served the club in various administrative roles, including as president and vice president, and is a volunteer examiner for those who want to obtain a license.

Schuler says amateur radio is a great way to meet and stay connected with others who have an immediate, common interest.

Yasson, whose husband Phil also enjoys ham radio, says being on the air is like “another way to travel.” The Yassons will sometimes take a ham radio in the car with them and communicate with others while they’re on the road, with one driving and the other transmitting.

In addition, Phil Yasson has through contesting communicated with other hams in all 3,077 U.S. counties — three times — through a process known as “county hunting.” ■

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8 PORTLAND-METRO/VANCOUVER EDITION How technology impacts, improves our lives

By VANESSA SALVIA BOOMER & SENIOR NEWS

Some people feel they simply can’t learn technology, from finding something online to sending photos via email.

Some try and struggle. Others don’t try at all.

For those older adults who persevere and learn — either by teaching themselves or taking a community class — find they still struggle with the learning curve. But they are finding information quickly, enjoying their hobbies more, and recognize a revitalized curiosity about life.

Hank Lepley

Hank and Sue Lepley, both age 68, are learning how to use their new Amazon Echo. They play music, ask it questions, play soothing sounds for falling asleep, and set alarms while cooking.

What do you want to learn more about? I want to learn how to use Alexa. From what I’m researching now you can

Living with technology

have smart homes where you can tell Alexa to set the temperature in your house, turn on lights, turn on the television.

What are your favorite things to use the computer for? One of my favorite websites is Astronomy Picture of the Day (https:// apod.nasa. gov/apod/ astropix. html). They have a short abstract about the picture and blue letter things which are links to tons of info, an almost infinite amount of information.

I have a bunch of games. I do Brain Yoga (a smart phone app) usually in the morning with games about shapes, patterns, memory and words, logic and planning. I also read the news.

We Facetime with our seven grandkids. For the 12- and 8year-old who live in North Carolina, we Facetime at least once a month. It helps a little because we’re not be able to see them in person.

I also have a big library of saved recipes on YouTube and Facebook. And I’m coming up on my 50th wedding anniversary so I’m using a fitness app called MyFitnessPal that tracks activity and the food you eat.

What do you worry about? I worry about the privacy issues but it’s no big deal. As long as you’re careful and don’t respond to scammers you’re pretty much OK.

What do you like about computers? One of the things I like about computers is, if you don’t know it, google it. I broke the

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the classes, especially if somebody’s afraid. In a class you can feel isolated but in most of the classes everybody helps each other out and that helps a lot too — the camaraderie.

Dale Haynes

Bryan Haynes’s mother Dale Haynes, 77, was a teacher. Early in her career, she learned how to use the DOS operating system, then didn’t keep up with technology postretirement. She has now found many things that she enjoys doing on her desktop computer.

What do you enjoy about computers? Google is my friend. I enjoy researching things and I find it very easy to use.

Photos by Vanessa Salvia

Hank Lepley (left) has embraced technology, from playing games to doing Facetime with his grandchildren. Dale Haynes (above) uses technology to pay bills, find new recipes and read book reviews. screen on my laptop and I found a YouTube video about how to replace it and I fixed it because I had step-by-step instructions. I’ve fixed other things, too.

Bryan Haynes

Bryan Haynes, 56, has been teaching technology classes at Campbell Community Center in Eugene for the past several years. He has some advice for overcoming the challenges that seniors face.

What are the physical challenges? Eyesight is a big one. I don’t mean blindness. There’s so much information, so many icons to click on, that they just don’t see everything. Even if it’s a big blue button that says “Next,” it’s not easy to see that as something that would help them go to the next screen.

They want to check their email, and on a phone the email apps are not as easy to work with. It’s a lot easier to

see a tablet or a laptop than it is a phone.

Hearing — they don’t hear the right words. Manual dexterity is a problem. You have to know ahead of time that you left-click, or right-click or double-click to make it do something. I tell all my students to buy a mouse and plug it into their computer rather than use the touch screen. They think with the touch screens they’re going to break something.

What do people want to learn how to do? File management is a big one. How to attach photos to email or download photos and then be able to find them later.

How do you approach the learning? Rather than focus on what they can’t do, I add to their toolbox of what they can do. After two hours they’ve had some fun and then they come back the next week and they can do more. Individual tutoring works out better than

What do you use it for? I enjoy politics, movies and books. I’m in a book club and I look up my book reviews on the computer. I’ve almost quit using recipe books — if I want to make something I get on the computer. I love my books, too, but the computer is very handy. I don’t like the ads on Facebook, but I enjoy keeping track of friends I haven’t seen for years and years.

I use it for my gardening to look up plants. Right now, I’m in a rose group for the old heirloom roses. There’s about 12 of us and we did a spreadsheet of all of our roses in Google Docs.

Do you have a smartphone?

Yes, I have a Huawai android phone through Consumer Cellular and it’s sponsored by AARP and relatively inexpensive.

How do you use the phone? I use the phone as a phone and to read my email or messages.

I do a little texting although I don’t really like to because I make a lot of errors in the little print if I don’t have my reading glasses. Email is probably my favorite thing. I’m not a game player. ■

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Ink and age

MAY 2018 • nwboomerandseniornews.com

BOOMER & SENIOR NEWS

Courtesy photo

This intricate design of pink roses by Delan Canclini is one example of today’s tattoos. Be aware that aging skin changes the shape, composition and elasticity of tattoos because they are embedded in the skin. where he got his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

“I became a teacher, and then missed art and decided to become a tattoo artist,” says Canclini, who started tattooing seven years ago and “can’t imagine doing anything else.”

His love of art motivates Canclini to create “beautiful pieces that are worn everywhere my clients go for the rest of their lives.

“My tattoos have been at people’s weddings, their children’s births, their vacations

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9

Tattoos remain wildly popular, even among older adults

By MARY OWEN

Whether a small flower or a full arm sleeve, the beauty of body art transcends age so go ahead and get that “tat.”

“I have tattooed octogenarians, and my 92-year-old grandma has informed me she wants her first tattoo next time I see her,” says Delan Canclini, owner of The Ink Underground in Salem. “I don’t think you can be too old to get tattooed. I feel that getting a tattoo is something you do, or should do, for yourself and not for others, and whatever age you do get tattooed is the right age if you want it.”

Like the proverbial spider to the fly, Canclini invites adventurous seniors to “come on in” to his parlor, in the basement of the Reed Opera House in downtown Salem.

Unlike the poor fly, his clients leave with another addition to their “canvas,” body art that often tells a story and/or provides a memory.

“Military symbols are a common tattoo for seniors,” says Canclini, “as well as flowers and names of loved ones.”

Canclini grew up in California and moved to Oregon to attend Willamette University,

PORTLAND-METRO/VANCOUVER EDITION

around the world … Christmas mornings,” he says. “I just think it’s amazingly cool to get to bring their ideas to life and to make something they can have with them forever.”

Canclini says he goes out of his way to listen to his clients.

“I design specifically for them, and I do my very best for them,” he adds. “Usually seniors might get a tattoo or maybe two, but I have regulars working on ongoing projects.”

Statistics are proving that tattoos are no longer for rebels, bikers or veterans.

About 13 percent of Baby Boomers have tattoos, which is an approximately $1.65 million industry. Thirty-two percent of people with at least one tattoo report getting addicted to ink, research shows.

“Age does alter skin, and as one ages there can be more challenges,” says Canclini, who advises finding a knowledgeable artist to create the ink. “I first and foremost do research when I am getting tattooed. I find the right artist, schedule an appointment, and then the day of I wear comfy clothes and eat a ton of food for breakfast. I show up and let the artist I trusted do their thing artistically.”

Since drawings involve

needles, getting a tattoo can be painful, but Canclini says the hurt is subjective.

“Some spots barely hurt at all, some are pretty rough. I have tattooed probably a hundred first-timers and when almost everyone feels the start of their first tattoo, they usually say, ‘Oh, that’s it.’ There is a lot of built-up hype around tattoos, and I’d say, yeah, they hurt in some spots, but they are worth it if you want them badly enough.

“As soon as they’re done, they just sort of feel like a light sunburn,” he says. “Depending on how your artist suggests you take care of it after, the healing process can be quick, simple and painless.”

Another consideration is how tattoos change with age.

According to Medical Daily, aging skin changes the shape, composition and elasticity of tattoos because they are embedded in the skin. Aging tattoos begin to lose detail in terms of color and definition, and the ink particles in older tattoos tend to move deeper into the skin over time, causing the tattoo to look bluish, faded and blurry, making their removal with laser treatment more difficult, the site says.

See TATTOO p. 11

MAY

10 PORTLAND-METRO/VANCOUVER EDITION

April 28-29 Northwest Handmade Musical Instrument Exhibit, noon to 5 p.m., Clark Commons/Wiegand Recital Hall, Marylhurst University. $3. Nwmusicalinstrumentshow.org.

1 2

MAY

Nerd Night: Trivia for Adults, 6:30 p.m., GHCL Annex, 7306 SW Oleson Road, Portland.

Kraxberger Gearheads, 9:30 a.m., Harmony West, Harmony Community Campus, Room HW 130, Milwaukie. $3. 503-594-0620.

International Folk Dance Club, 2:30 p.m., Marshall Center, Vancouver, Wash. $2. 360-2166264. (also May 16) Crafternoon Tea, 2 to 4 p.m., GHCL Annex, 7306 SW Oleson Road, Portland.

Knitting and Crochet Workshop, 10 a.m., Tualatin Heritage Center.

Free.

Senior Dance with Bad Motor Scooter, 8 to 11 p.m., Longview Moose Lodge, 9221 Washington Way, Longview.

Misty Mamas CD release party, 7 p.m., Magenta Theater, 1108 Main St., Vancouver, Wash. $13/$15.

Magentatheater.com.

(through May 19) Northwest Senior Theatre, “Love is on the Air,” Alpenrose Dairy Opera House, 6149 SW Shattuck Road, Portland. $5. 503227-2003 or bettymer@comcast.net.

Rob Lowe, “Stories I Only Tell My Friends,” 8 p.m., Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland. Portland5.com.

5 6

Portland Youth Philharmonic, “Pictures at an Exhibition,” 4 p.m., Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland. $5-$60. Portlandyouthphil.org.

8

Overview and History of the DAR, SAR and Children of the American Revolution, 7 p.m., Beaverton Lodge Retirement Home, 12900 SW 9th St., Beaverton. $3. 503-4300106.

Tuesday Night Nourishment Book Group: “Chicago” by Brian Doyle, 7 p.m., GHCL Annex, 7306 SW Oleson Road, Portland.

9

Prime Timers Dining Club, 6 p.m., Heidi’s Restaurant, 1230 NE Cleveland, Gre-

sham. 503-936-5861 or PrimeTimersDiningClub. com.

(also May 3) AARP Smart Driver Class, 1 to 4:15 p.m., Portland Adventist Medical Center, 10123 SE Market St., Portland. 503-256-4000.

History of Tualatin’s VFW, 1 p.m., Tualatin Heritage Center. Tualatinhistoricalsociety.org.

4

Art of the Story Show: Geraldine Buckley, “Inadvertent AdventuresTales to Make You Laugh and Think,” 7 p.m., GHCL Annex, 7306 SW Oleson Road, Portland. (through May 6) 18th Annual Spring Unveiling Arts Festival, various galleries, Cannon Beach. Cbgallerygroup.com.

NW BOOMER & SENIOR NEWS • MAY 2018

The Geezer Gallery, 9:30 a.m., Harmony West, Harmony Community Campus, Room HW 130, Milwaukie. $3. 503-594-0620.

12

Early Learning Champions Awards Luncheon, 11:30 a.m., Club Green Meadows, Vancouver, Wash.

Misty Mamas CD release party, 7 p.m., Taborspace, 5441 SE Belmont St., Portland. $13/$15. Mistymamas.brownpapertickets.com.

Genealogical Society of Washington County Oregon, “German Research,” 10 a.m. to noon, Hillsboro Brookwood Library, 2850 NE Brookwood Pkwy. Free. 503-716-8029.

13

Mother’s Day Viking Pancake Breakfast, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Bergen Dining Room, Norse Hall, 111 NE 11th Ave., Portland. $8/$4.

16

Oregon Historical Wildlife, 9:30 a.m., Harmony West, Harmony Community Campus, Room HW 130, Milwaukie. $3. 503-5940620.

Oregon Conversation Project: In Science We Trust, 6 p.m., GHCL Annex, 7306 SW Oleson Road, Portland.

17

Conserving Habitat and History: Managing Cultural Resources in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, 7 p.m., Tualatin Heritage Center. $3. Iafi.org/lowercolumbia.

18

JP, 4 to 6 p.m., Chehalem Tasting Room, Newberg. $75. 503-873-2309 or wildcatridge.schoolauction. net/music.

23

Six Years in the Hanoi Hilton, 9:30 a.m., Harmony West, Harmony Community Campus, Room HW 130, Milwaukie. $3. 5035940620.

Opening reception, “Art of Currents Gallery’s Favorite Teachers Show,” 4 to 8 p.m., 532 NE Third St., McMinnville.

Garden Home History Project honors author Virginia Mapes, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Garden Home Recreation Center, 7475 SW Oleson Road, Portland. Free.

Film Night: “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” 7 p.m., GHCL Annex, 7306 SW Oleson Road, Portland.

Bill Nye Live!, 7:30 p.m., Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland. $40+. Portland5.com.

Martha Grover, “The End of My Career,” 3:30 p.m., The Old Library, BP John Admin, Marylhurst University. Free.

20

Authors Kirsten Rian and Emmet Wheatfall, 3 p.m., Stickmen Brewery, 40 N. State St., Lake Oswego. Canned good donations accepted. 503-344-4449.

21

Benefit concert for WildCat Ridge Sanctuary, with Aaron Meyer and

Pattern Design Workshop, 6:30 p.m., GHCL Annex, 7306 SW Oleson Road, Portland.

AARP Smart Driver Class, 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Legacy Emanuel Hospital, 2801 N. Gantenbein Ave., Portland.

503-286-9688.

26

Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble, 7 p.m., Alberta Rose Theater, 3000 NE Alberta St., Portland. $20-$35. 503-7644131.

27

Sunday Senior Dance with Bad Motor Scooter, Luepke Center, 1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd., Vancouver, Wash.

28

Memorial Day Concert with Bad Motor Scooter, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Bonaventure of Salmon Creek, 13700 NE Salmon Creek Ave., Vancouver, Wash.

Memorial Day Commemoration, 10:45 a.m., Winona Cemetery, 9900 SW Tualatin Road. Followed by BBQ picnic, noon, Tualatin Community Park, 8515 SW Tualatin Road. 503701-0392.

30

Madrone Wall: 20 Years in the Making of a Park, 9:30 a.m., Harmony West, Harmony Community Campus, Room HW 130, Milwaukie. $3.

503-594-0620.

Memorial Day Monday, May 28 Send your calendar items to: NW Boomer and Senior News Calendar P.O Box 12008 Salem, OR 97309 or email mte@nwseniornews.com by the 6th of the month for the following month’s publication.

Make a handprint

MAY 2018 • nwboomerandseniornews.com

By JOHN BIEMER

The handprint represents the lasting good we do. It is a wonderful way of thinking about our legacy.

Creating handprints complements our efforts to reduce our environmental impact, our footprint. After studying handprints for a decade, I offer these tips.

Connect a child with nature. Teach stewardship. Our grandson helps us in the garden.

Over the course of several visits, he witnesses the miracle of seed, soil and water becoming a plant. In harvesting string beans for dinner, he learns the relationship between caring for plants and nurturing ourselves.

Volunteer for a beach or river clean-up. A mountain of work gets done in two or three hours. And it is fun. SOLV is coordinating the Spring Oregon Beach Cleanup on March 24. (See solveoregon.org.) Ninety-one countries will participate in Intercoastal Cleanup Day on Sept. 15. Johnson Creek Watershed Council organizes stream clean-ups, invasive plant removal, and planting Northwest natives. (See jcwc.org.)

Participate in citizen science. Science is too exciting to be left to scientists. For over 100 years, Audubon has conducted the Christmas Bird count to better understand the lives of birds. Your participation can be as simple as watching a bird feeder for an hour. (Check out audubonportland.org/local-birding/cbc.)

In contrast, Oregon State University invites people to wear passive sampling wristbands to better understand exposure to chemicals in our environment. (Contact citizen.science@oregonstate.edu.)

Go on an eco-tour. The book “Ecotourists Save the World� lists over 300 volunteer experiences to conserve, preserve and rehabilitate wildlife and habitats. You can spend a few weeks in Idaho’s Deer Flat National

Wildlife Refuge or 10 days in Costa Rica.

Either way you help both nature and the local economy.

Participate in the Village Building Convergence. Create cob benches and paint street intersections with the intention of building vibrant community. City Repair annually organizes the Village Building Convergence in the Portland Metro area, this year June 1-10.

(See villagebuildingconvergence.com.)

Serve food that is good — for the environment. The USDA organic label assures you that soil health is taken into account. Perennial crops, such as nuts and berries, leave the soil structure intact. Vegetables, especially from local farmers, release less carbon into the atmosphere than meats.

Donate to environmental causes. Donations nurture nonprofits. Sustainable Northwest helps rural areas of our region prosper in environmentally-friendly ways. An organization called Rare empowers community leaders in the developing world to find sustainable ways to use and conserve resources.

And do not forget Nature Conservancy, now protecting landscapes internationally.

Invest in what you care about. Our savings can do good as well. Socially responsible investment mutual funds include Domini, Parnassus and the nonprofit Green Century Funds. The US SIF (formerly the Social Investment Forum) lists investment management members such as Trillium and Earth Equity Advisors. (The US SIF directory is at ussif.org/AF_MemberDirectory.asp.)

If any of these opportunities to create handprints resonates with you, go for it. The world needs you. ■(Jon Biemer is currently writing “Healing Our Planet: How Handprints Create Sustainability.� He and his wife Willow ecoretrofitted their home and replaced their lawn with a food forest.)

PORTLAND-METRO/VANCOUVER EDITION

Of note

TATTOO

Views about tattoos have changed in the past 10 years. Have you changed with the times? Are you considering a tattoo for yourself? theinkunderground.com

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 According to Inked Mag, the top reason for tattoo regret is being too young at the time of getting the first tattoo. Other reasons include personality and style changes, unprofessionallooking tattoos, having an expartner’s name tattooed, and having a tattoo that lacks meaning. More popular these days are tattoos covering surgical scars and other cosmetic applications.

Regardless of wrinkles and the potential for wandering ink as bodies change, a recent Washington Post article says Baby Boomers and retirees are still “getting tattoos, fulfilling lifelong dreams and raising eyebrows.�

11

And Canclini is grateful to be a part of the movement. “Tattooing is an art, and I’m so thankful to all of those that trust me with their bodies, their canvasses,â€? he says. “I love making art every day. Whether an 87-year old veteran or an 18-year-old getting their first piece, I am always honored to create something cool for them.â€? â–

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Oregon’s opioid crisis among older adults

12 PORTLAND-METRO/VANCOUVER EDITION

NW BOOMER & SENIOR NEWS • MAY 2018

By DAN CHRISTOPHER BOOMER & SENIOR NEWS

“Grandma is hooked on opioids and I don’t know how to talk to her about it.”

“Grandpa overdosed on prescription opioids and it just about killed him.”

Have you ever heard or felt comments like these? If so, you’re not alone. Oregon is definitely feeling the pain.

Opioid abuse is anything but kid stuff. That is to say, the use and abuse of powerful prescription drugs in this country is not limited to young people. The aging community is just as vulnerable; maybe even more so. They’re becoming addicted to prescribed drugs that had been dispensed to help them, but may have just made things worse.

Opioids: “A wonderful panacea” “In the 1990s, we thought that opioids were this wonderful panacea and this great thing for chronic and acute pain,” says Dr. Kim Mauer, director of the Oregon Health Science University’s Comprehensive Pain Management Clinic. “They made people feel good and more productive. And we thought they (the opioids) work so well after surgery in the hospital, why don’t we put people on these drugs long-term?

We didn’t know they don’t work (long term).”

That reality is especially acute in this state, where the most recent statistics show that between 2009 and 2014, Oregon had one of the highest cumulative increases in opioid-related hospitalizations in the nation.

At the same time, the Oregon Health Authority reports that an alarming average of three Oregonians die every week from prescription opioid overdose. Many more develop what is now clinically called Opioid Use Disorder or Opioid Misuse Disorder.

The elderly population has reason for caution when using opioids — they generally have a lower tolerance to handle side effects because their metabolism is slower, and they generally take more

medications, which could negatively interact with opioids.

Long-term opioid use can carry significant risk: infertility in women, higher mortality rates, mood swings, and changes in hormonal, testosterone and estrogen levels. Sleep patterns can be altered. In addition, opioids are depressants that can bring on or worsen depression.

Used properly, opioids can be relatively safe and effective, especially in the short term. Misuse, however, can lead to dependence and addiction.

Public health emergency President Donald Trump recently declared the opioid crisis in this country to be a

public health emergency, saying “It is time to liberate our communities from this scourge of drug addiction.”

In 2016, it claimed more than 59,000 American lives, many of them older adults.

The cost of treatment is equally staggering, with an estimated $20 billion spent each year on emergency and hospital care.

Unfortunately, little effort has focused on substance abuse within the older population. Yet today’s seniors, according to federal data, continue to be more likely to be prescribed opioids.

In fact, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says a third of the seniors enrolled in Medicare Part D prescription coverage — more than 14 million people — filled at least one prescription for an opioid last year.

It’s safe to say that opioid abuse and addiction is unintentional, but painfully real.

Oregon‘s legislature has begun working on steps to help curb the abuse here in the Northwest.

What are opioids?

To better understand opioid abuse, it is helpful first to understand what opioids are. They are not always illicit narcotics sold illegally on shadowy street corners by evil dealers wearing black hoodies.

Rather, they are a category of drugs that include morphine, codeine, Percocet and oxycodone, regularly prescribed by caring physicians.

Those drugs impact the nervous system and are designed to relieve short-term pain.

Our bodies actually make some opioids as a built-in pain reliever.

In nature, opioids are found in the seeds of opium poppy plants. One synthetic opioid, Fentanyl, is frequently used as a pain killer.

But it’s also often mixed with heroin as a recreational drug. Fentanyl is said to be 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine.

USA Today recently cited data showing that hospitalizations from painkillers have tripled in the past decade among Tennesseans 65 and older.

There were multiple causes for the hospitalization: falls, auto accidents, unintentional overdoses, and interactions with other medicines.

Opioids can also weaken kidney and liver functions in aging bodies that fail to metabolize the drug in the same way as in younger populations.

So, what if an older adult in your life becomes psychologically and physically dependent on opioids, re-ordering the pills more

Memory Care

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“No Buy-In”

Avamere at Bethany

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Avamere Living at Berry Park Retirement Living Apartments & Cottages 13669 S. Gaffney Lane Oregon City, OR 97045 503-656-7614 www.avamerelivingat berrypark.com

Beaverton Lodge 12900 SW 9th St. Beaverton, OR 97005 503-646-0635 www.beavertonlodge.com

Retirement Assisted Living Memory Care Call for pricing details.

No Buy In! Studio, 1 Bedroom & 2 Bedrooms: Rates starting at $1903/month 2 Bd cottages: $3525/month

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98 total units

“No Buy-In”

Studio: $2095-$2195 1 BR: $2495-$2695 2 BR/1 BA: $2995-$3395 2 BR/2 BA: $3225-$3275 2nd Occ.: $425/mo.

121 Units

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See OPIOID p. 14

AMENITIES Did you know that Avamere at Bethany offers dementia care in our Arbor Community? Our staff is proud to provide a high quality of care to each resident, recognizing the uniqueness of each individual. We also offer assisted living apartments where residents can start out independent and as their needs grow we grow with them. Bethany has 8 condo cottages that are independent living with all the perks of living insde the community. Call today to schedule your tour!

Stop by Avamere at Berry Park today for a visit of our newly remodeled community.

We offer housekeeping, laundry, 3 meals/ day in our beautiful dining room, transportation services, movie theatre, billiards lounge and a variety of activities here and off-site. Signature Home Care services are available on-site at affordable monthly rate providing you the independence you want, but assistance that you need. We can’t wait to welcome you home!

Some of the largest retirement apartments in the area. Pet-friendly, nonsmoking community. Two sets of onsite managers, indoor spa, mineral/saline pool, senior water aerobic classes, scheduled transportation, weekly shopping trips & excursions.

Beautiful walking paths & raised bed gardens, Comcast TV & much more.

RETIREMENT LIVING CHOICES

Canfield Place 14570 SW Hart Road Beaverton, OR 97007 503-626-5100 Margi Russo

Country Meadows Village 155 S. Evergreen Road Woodburn, OR 97071 1-866-219-9564 Tami Randel

Retirement Residence A “Family Felt” Environment 5450 SW Erickson Ave. Beaverton, OR 97005 503-643-9735 www.creekside-village.com

King City Senior Village

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Knights of Pythias Retirement Center 3409 Main Street Vancouver, WA 98663 360-696-4375

Call Lori Fiorillo to schedule your personal tour with complimentary lunch

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Parkview Christian Retirement Community 1825 NE 108th Ave. Portland, OR 97220 503-255-7160 Linda Williams

The Hazelwood Retirement Community 11938 NE Davis St. Portland, OR 97220 503-255-4757 thehazelwoodlifestyle.com Join us for lunch & a tour Call Today!

Vancouver Pointe Senior Village

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13

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88 Units

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144 units

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Creekside Village

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Independent Living

MAY 2018 • nwboomerandseniornews.com

568 sf, 1BR/1 BA + Lg storage closet 801 sf, 2 BR/1 BA + Lg storage closet 808 sf, 2 BR/2 BA + XL closet & pantry

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All-Inclusive - Enjoy freedom from cooking, cleaning, yard work & home maintenance! Walk to shopping, banks, post office, pharmacy & medical offices or use our scheduled transportation. Beautiful grounds & walking path, activities, 24-hr. staff & emergency call system. We have great food, great residents and great long term staff members! On-site health care agency should you need it. Reasonable rates.

Our non-profit organization offers very affordable housing. Amenities include meal program, housekeeping, laundry service, beauty shop, fitness center, art room, library, and a secured courtyard, 24-hr. security, secured entrance, emergency pull cords in each apartment.

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A visit to the Idaho State Archives 14 PORTLAND-METRO/VANCOUVER EDITION

By ROBERT COFFIN

Most amateur genealogists probably do not fully appreciate the professional staff and dedicated volunteers required to maintain the vast archives that we easily access through the many available websites.

This point became clear to me on a recent visit to Boise and the Idaho State Archives, which is located in a beautiful modern building designed specifically for the preservation of historically-important artifacts.

At the front desk, my wife and I met Michal, a smiling 30-something collections archivist who asked how she could help us.

I explained there was a long-standing story about a family “black sheep” who is said to have spent time in the

OPIOID CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 frequently, and taking them even though they may not suppress the pain?

Perhaps this person won’t admit to a problem, yet there

NW BOOMER & SENIOR NEWS • MAY 2018

GENEALOGY CORNER

Idaho State Penitentiary in the 1920s for bank embezzlement, then later died in 1929 on the banks of the Boise River under mysterious circumstances.

I wanted to know if this story was true and how I could get more information about it.

Michal responded, “The prison part should be easy — what is the name?” She asked us to be seated and retreated to her alcove. After a few minutes, she reappeared and told us that this family member had never spent any time in the Idaho State Penitentiary.

She must have caught a look of disappointment in my face and immediately threw out a challenge: “You are not

going to give up, are you?” she said. “Many families have juicy stories based on gossip and half-truths. Maybe there is something to the story. Let’s look a little further — give me some more details — I just love this stuff.”

During the afternoon, Michal led our search using her encyclopedic knowledge of sources and indexes. We went through boxes of old court records using protective cotton gloves, reels of microfilm and numerous internet searches.

Success came in bits and pieces. Each little triumph just served to fire her juices to continue the search. What really hit home with me during that

afternoon was the obvious fact that it is the quality and dedication of people who maintain and service archival collections that make the difference — not the gleaming new buildings that house them or even the sophisticated technology that helps us access the information.

It turns out, Michal was correct in her hunch. There was some truth to the story about our wayward relative. In 1926, he was convicted of perjury in the car theft trial of his brother-in-law and served four months in the Twin Falls County Jail.

Later his wife filed for divorce on the grounds that he was a convicted felon and not fit to have custody of their two boys. Ironically, and with a touch of dark humor, the judge granted the divorce and gave

are symptoms. Perhaps he or she falls or gets dizzy. Opioids may be to blame, quality of life suffers, and it’s time to find a solution.

“What we do in our (OHSU) clinic,” Mauer says, is “bring everyone in and we try hard not to make the issue about the opioids — whether you’re using too much or it’s dangerous — but we make it all about our concerns for your safety: ‘You’re not a bad person. You didn’t do anything wrong. The medical community started you on these medications.’ And, ‘You should feel free to say you need some help.’ We don’t want people to feel ashamed.”

can help end a patient’s dependence on opioids. In the past, it was common practice to use a rapid detox system, which often meant difficult withdrawals. Now, it’s more common to very slowly reduce the patient’s opioid use, cutting back maybe 5 to 10 percent every couple of weeks.

For those without easy access to major medical centers for assistance, patients can call emergency rooms, a social worker, pain and addiction centers, drug hotlines, poison control and urgent care.

There are also various alternatives to opioids, including massage, biofeedback, yoga, mindfulness, acupuncture, nutrition and

chiropractic care.

Recognizing that nearly 100 Americans die every day from opioid overdose, the Center for Disease Control brought in medical experts, including OHSU’s Dr. Roger Chou, a professor and director of the Pacific Northwest Evidence-based Practice Center, to devise new prescribing guidelines for opioids. The guidelines emphasize reward versus risk.

What if “grandpa” accidentally takes a near-fatal dose of opioids? It can happen, especially if there’s confusion about other medications he may take. The question, Mauer asks, is whether opioids are really helping?

“People will tell you at the end of the day — pa-

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her custody of the children even though she herself was a convicted felon of the same perjury and spent two months in the Ada County Jail.

We also discovered that our black sheep cousin did not die under mysterious circumstances but of a ruptured appendix while living in Modesto, California. So much for that bit of family mythology.

The Idaho State Archives is well worth a visit and if you should happen to arrive with an unsolved family mystery, so much the better – just ask for Michal. ■ (Robert Coffin is a member of the Genealogical Society of Washington County Oregon and an at-large member of the board. Learn more about Idaho’s research at history.idaho.gov/Idaho-state-archives.) tients who have gotten into near-misses with their opioids — that it wasn’t worth it, that the opioids didn’t do enough to warrant the risk they were taking with them,” she says.

There are clearly pros and cons to opioids. It boils down to a matter of balance as the medical community takes a fresh look at opioid prescription and use.

“I never want to see a patient suffer,” Mauer says.

“So, a patient who is doing very well on opioids, I don’t want to take the pendulum too far in this country and let the patient suffer … when they might be able to do very well on one or two Vicodin tablets a day. So, it’s a real balance.” ■

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Protecting the next generation MAY 2018 • nwboomerandseniornews.com

By B. LEE COYNE, MSW

When we moved into daylight savings time last month, we moved our clocks forward.

And less than a year from now our State Legislature convenes, so let’s hope these forward-looking lawmakers step forward as well.

Here are three proposals I would love to have enacted in 2019.

School guidance counselors: At a very minimum let’s require that every middle and high school in Oregon be equipped with a counselor trained in what specific stressors likely lead to violent behavior. Along with that, stemming the volume of peer pressure needs

PORTLAND-METRO/VANCOUVER EDITION

THE WISHING WELL

to be pursued.

Early signs of encroaching depression must be monitored and treated. If but one suicide is prevented, we all are the benefactors of an upgraded system.

Mandating CRP training: We can close ranks by demanding that CPR or first aid training be included as part of health education classes at all our high schools. Many students will be involved in driving before they graduate. Knowing first aid can underscore how teens are less than invincible. And it can lead to broadened compassion. Plus, it may lead to the saving of lives

and limbs.

Local social work school: Oregon has but one grad school for social work students. Unfortunately, it is housed in Portland where rents are sky-high. A second social work school in the Salem area has many advantages.

One particular advantage is the proximity to Oregon State Hospital, which provides mental health treatment. Even more, there are state penitentiaries handling adult corrections, the Oregon Youth Authority addresses troubled juveniles, and Salem is the headquarters for the Oregon Health

Plan.

Aging, disability and addiction policies are also shaped in Salem.

All of these provide excellent fieldwork for future social workers who can work alongside policy planners who can act to train them beyond casework acumen.

This helps this very important next generation of social workers to be even smarter and more effective in our state.

I believe they can even back up our corps of first responders when trauma sets in for survivors of the “big one.” We must ponder that terrible scene sooner rather than later.

Enacting laws that allow

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funds and programs such as these to move forward benefit our society as a whole because we’re taking steps to ensure that we look out for one another, and that we have the tools to do so.

As much as we’d like everyone in society to be mentally and physically well, we know that’s not always the case. Teaching our children at home and in school how to recognize warning signs, and how to step in during an emergency helps Oregonians be at their best. ■ (B. Lee Coyne worked in the field of mental health counseling and was also a Red Cross debriefer in New York City following the tragedy on Sept. 11, 2001.)

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Accepting applications at this time. We are committed to providing equal housing opportunities. All utilities paid. Surfwood Manor, 4545 SW Hwy 101, Lincoln City, 541NW Boomer and Senior News is seeking an office manager for our NE 996-3477.

Salem office who has experience in bookkeeping, answering phones, manEQUAL HOUSING aging multiple tasks, and an ability to OPPORTUNITY handle with ease what comes your All real estate advertising in this way. Knowledge of print publications, newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to and some newspaper sales experience advertise “any preference limitation or discrimination based on race, preferred. Part-time, but could be excolor, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or an intenpanded, DOE. Send your resume to tion, to make any such preference, Michelle Te, general manager, limitation or discrimination.” Familial status includes children under the mte@nwseniornews.com. age of 18 living with parents or legal

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This newspaper will not knowlingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD Toll-free at 1-800-669-9777. The Toll-free telephone number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275.

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Finally, time to be outside

16 PORTLAND-METRO/VANCOUVER EDITION DIGGIN’ IT!

By GRACE PETERSON MASTER GARDENER

I love the month of May. The birds are all atwitter, warm, sunny days are becoming more common, and we still have the whole gardening season ahead of us.

Now that the soil has warmed up a bit, I’ve been busy getting all my earlier plant purchases relegated to their homes. I admit I went a little crazy with online plant shopping earlier this spring. It was partly fueled by the cold weather that made outside pursuits very unpleasant.

I found some really nice plants online that I have been unable to find locally. After they were delivered, I unpacked them and kept them safely nestled under my patio roof until now.

Sometimes we have to splurge, and my indulgences are almost always garden related. I know I’m not alone.

Conversations with like-

NW BOOMER & SENIOR NEWS • MAY 2018

Photo by Grace Peterson

Serious gardeners, like Grace Peterson, have been gathering new and interesting plants all winter. Time for planting! minded gardeners (enablers) all tended toward complaints about how the dreary weather seemed to go on forever, even if it really was for only a few months.

Let’s get busy. First, don’t

ignore the regular maintenance. The soil is still moist, so the weeds pull fairly easily and really should be tackled before they go to seed. Applying a layer of compost or mulch over the soil will help

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deter more weeds from taking hold.

Early flowering shrubs that have finished blooming can be deadheaded or pruned.

And plants can still be moved to that better spot if care is taken while digging, so as not to destroy the roots. Be sure to keep the soil moist until they’ve settled into their new location.

But even more fun than the maintenance (is maintenance fun?) is the planting. The warm-season vegetables can be planted into the garden or into large containers if the nighttime temperatures are averaging above 50 degrees. If the forecast calls for cooler nights, you can use cloth or plastic barriers to insulate them.

This time of year, garden clubs and Master Gardeners are hosting plant sales. They don’t always do a lot of advertising, but their times and locations can be found by searching online. There are

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several local sales that I attend every year. The prices are unbeatable and the money I spend is put to good use for that particular organization.

Garden touring is also a fun activity for outdoor lovers.

Being able to see how other gardeners showcase their plants and implement design ideas is truly a special kind of learning experience.

Most often it’s OK to take photos for reference. Gardeners don’t mind if we copy each other’s tricks in our own gardens. In fact, it’s considered a compliment.

For plant sales, garden tours or nursery treks, be sure to wear comfortable shoes, and take water, snacks and money with you.

A long-ago friend and longtime Oregon gardener once said to me, “Hail is common in spring. Let’s just hope it happens before the hosta leaf out.” Truer words were never spoken. ■

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