February Seniors 20210224

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Wednesday, February 24, 2021 | www.YorktonThisWeek.com | Yorkton This Week

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SENIORS Our Monthly Feature

...For Seniors and about Seniors

Gloria Tatarniuk and nurse Alvin.

Doris Rusnak and Dr. Johann Roodt.

Emily Churk o and Ange Polegi.

COVID-19 vaccinations took at Yorkton Crossing Friday Dr. Johann Roodt, Dr. Marcie Hegge, and three registered nurses visited the senior living facility and vaccinated about 120 people. The vaccination included Yorkton Crossing Residents, staff and they had enough left over to call in and vaccinate some health care workers, reported Ryan Kormos, Community Relations Co-ordinator at the facility. Monday the province reported,”eighty-one (81) per cent of residents in long-term care homes across Saskatchewan have now received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Forty-three (43) per cent have received both their first and second dose and are now fully vaccinated.” (Submitted Photos)

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February 2021

Canora craftsmen mastering the art of wood carving Courtesy of Preeceville Progress

Gord Dolan of Canora had wanted to try wood carving for a number of years, but never could find the time to give it his best effort. Then he retired from his career as a custom home builder, and suddenly he had all the time he needed.

“I always thought I could sketch,” said Dolan, “and I thought my skills as a home builder would transfer well. I can’t afford to buy carvings, so instead I decided to try to make them.”

Dolan and his wife Wendy lived in B.C. before moving to Canora.

During that time, he became aware of Haida art created by the First Nations people of Haida Gwaii, formally known

as the Queen Charlotte Islands, off the northwest coast of the province.

“I really like the lines of the Haida art and how it flows,” said Dolan. “I spent lots of time in museums and on the Internet, learning as much as I could about it.

The Haida believe everything in life is interconnected. For example, they may include a bear, a wolf and a whale in the same carving.”

In addition to wood carving, Dolan has also enjoyed doing pottery and glass work. He said he is entirely self-taught.

“There is some trial and error involved in wood carving, but I get a lot of satisfaction in overcoming problems instead of just giving up,” said a determined Dolan. “I can lose myself for weeks

Dolan carved a killer whale which is a replica of a larger carving made by Haida artist Bill Reid

at a time, working on a block of wood.”

Dolan’s completed projects include a replica of Chief Quanah Parker of the Comanche Nation which stands about eight inches high.

The sculpture was made out of an exotic wood known as Purple Heart.

“Quanah Parker, as the last chief of the Kwahadi (Quahadi) band, mounted an unsuccessful war against white expansion in northwestern Texas (1874–75). He later became the main spokesman and peacetime leader of the Native Americans in the region, a role he performed for 30 years,” stated information found on the Internet.

Dolan has enjoyed the wood carvings of wellknown Haida artist Bill Reid, and carved about a 14-inch replica of a larger Reid carving of a killer whale out of apple wood.

Another Reid replica was an eight-inch carving of a Raven and clam shell made out of maple.

“In the Haida belief of creation they think highly of the raven,” explained Dolan. “In the carving the raven is helping humanity by opening the clam shell to let out little people.”

Dolan’s carvings are not to a specific scale, but rather “freehand interpretation.” Larger projects take about three weeks to a month of actual work, but can take a lot longer if the wood has to be dried.

“For the whale carving I cut an apple tree down in our yard, where I could see the beginnings of a whale in a fork in the tree,” recalled Dolan. “I dried out the tree for about three years, and cut out a rough idea of what I wanted for the

F . a s r e n o f r d o e m v o worries. l o t r a e N

Photos courtesy Preeceville Progress

Since his retirement, Gord Dolan of Canora has enthusiastically pursued his woodcarving hobby. One of his pieces is a likeness of Indian Chief Quanah Parker of the Comanche Nation. carving. I took away the excess and dried what was left for another three

years. Then I figured it was dry enough and finished the carving. Buying

Dolan carved a replica of a Haida raven and clam carving by Bill Reid where the raven is letting little people out of the clam. The raven is highly respected in the Haida belief system.

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“I should have done this years ago.”

a raw piece of wood that size might have cost me around $250.”

Dolan said he has learned to work with just about any type of wood that happens to be handy. But if given the choice, he would prefer to work with walnut in most situations.

“It’s a hardwood but reasonably soft and has a nice deep grain,” he described. “It’s easy to work with and very richlooking when finished.”

Dolan has done a variety of other wood carving projects; including goats, deer heads with antlers, and walking sticks. He uses both power tools and hand tools.

“At first I considered myself a purist and just wanted to use hand tools, but power tools really speed things up. I use a dremel, chainsaw, grinders and cutting tools.”

One of the most rewarding aspects of wood carving for Dolan is that he can see progress in his work since his earlier projects.

“I get so involved with it that time passes and I don’t notice it. I’m never satisfied, I can always get better.”

Dolan said he used to race radio-controlled boats as a hobby. There was considerable complex woodwork in those boats, and he found it to be a natural progression from there to woodwork.

He has sold a few of his wood carvings, but “it’s mainly just for my own enjoyment.”

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Wednesday, February 24, 2021 | www.YorktonThisWeek.com | Yorkton This Week

just for SENIORS

February 2021

The various types of glaucoma and their symptoms

Eyesight is important but easily taken for granted. Few people can imagine life without their eyesight, but hundreds of millions of people across the globe experience compromised vision every year.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. In fact, estimates from the World Glaucoma Association indicated that 79.6 million individuals would experience glaucoma in 2020. By 2040, that figure is expected to rise to 111.8 million people.

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a disease that damages the optic nerve. Glaucoma usually

results from the buildup of fluid in the front part of the eye. As that fluid builds up, it increases the pressure in the eye, ultimately damaging the optic nerve.

Are all glaucomas the same?

All glaucomas are not the same. There are two major types of the disease: primary open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure glaucoma.

• Primary open-angle glaucoma: The most common type of the disease, primary open-angle glaucoma develops gradually.

Eyes affected by primary open-angle glaucoma do not drain fluid as well as they should, resulting in the buildup of pressure that slowly starts to damage the optic nerve.

• Angle-closure glaucoma: Angle-closure glaucoma occurs when a person’s iris is very close to the drainage angle in his or her eye. This proximity can block the drainage angle, causing pressure to build up very quickly. However, many people with angle-clos-

ure glaucoma develop it very slowly and have no idea they have it until they’ve suffered severe damage.

What are the symptoms of glaucoma?

The symptoms of glaucoma differ depending on which type a person has.

There are no obvious symptoms in the early stages of open-angle glaucoma. Blind spots develop in patients’ peripheral vision as the disease progresses. Because people often do not experience symptoms until the damage from open-angle glaucoma has become severe. Adults should schedule routine eye exams with an ophthalmologist so the disease can be found before any significant damage has occurred.

Blurred vision, halos, mild headaches, or eye pain are some early symptoms of an angleclosure glaucoma attack.

However, people with angle-closure glaucoma do not typically notice any symptoms until the

attack has started. As a result, anyone experiencing any of the aforementioned symptoms to contact their ophthalmologist immediately. Once an angle-closure glaucoma attack has begun, symptoms may include: • severe pain in the eye or forehead • redness of the eye • decreased vision or blurred vision • nausea • vomiting No one is immune to glaucoma, which can quickly rob otherwise healthy individuals of their vision. Learning to recognize the early signs of glaucoma and seeking prompt treatment can reduce the likelihood of substantial vision loss.

The many ways walking benefits your body

Life changed dramatically in 2020.

When the World Health Organization declared a COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, hundreds of millions of people across the globe were forced to change how they go about their daily lives, including how they exercise.

Health-conscious adults accustomed to exercising at local gyms had to find new ways to exercise in the wake of the pandemic. Many gyms were forced to close in areas hit hard by COVID19, and that left many people without access to fitness equipment like

weights and cardiovascular machines. Resilient men and women soon found ways to exercise, and many of them embraced walking.

Though walking might not provide the same level of intensity that fitness enthusiasts are accustomed to, the Arthritis Foundation® notes the various ways walking benefits the body. · Walking protects against heart disease and stroke. Walking strengthens the heart and protects it against heart disease. The AF also notes that walking lowers

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blood pressure. In fact, post-menopausal women who walk just one to two miles per day can lower their blood pressure by nearly 11 points in 24 weeks, while women who walk for 30 minutes a day can reduce their risk of stroke by 20 percent. · Walking strengthens the bones. Walking can stop the loss of bone mass for people with osteoporosis. In addition, postmenopausal women who incorporate 30 minutes of walking into their daily fitness regimens can reduce their risk of hip fractures by 40 percent. · Walking can extend your life. People who exercise regularly in their fifties and sixties were 35 percent less likely to die over the next eight years than people who never walked. · Walking can improve mood. More steps people taking during the day, the better their moods were. · Walking can lower risk for cognitive decline.

Walking also has been linked to a lower risk

for age-related cognitive decline. Men between the ages of 71 and 93 who walked more than a quarter of a mile per day had half the incidence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease compared to men who

walked less. In addition, age-related memory decline was lower among women ages 65 and older who walked 2.5 miles per day than it was among women who walked less than half a mile per week.

Foot traffic increased

Is it safe to donate blood during the pandemic?

Donating blood is a selfless act that saves lives. Blood donors may recognize the vital role they play in patient care, but many may wonder if

it’s safe to donate blood during the pandemic. It is safe for anyone who is well to donate blood.

That even goes for people who are social distancing

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as people were forced to find new ways to exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic. Walking is a great way to stay in shape and even provides some lesser known benefits for people who walk each day.

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due to COVID-19. There are recommended various safety measures to ensure the safety of donors and donation center volunteers and staff members. Such measures include spacing donor chairs at least six feet apart and encouraging donors to make donation appointments ahead of time. Appointments can ensure donors are not spending more time at the donation center than is absolutely necessary, reducing the likelihood that they have contact with someone who may have COVID-19 but not know it. In addition, the Red Cross notes it has instituted additional safety protocols, such as laundering blankets used by donors after each use and requiring all donors and donation center staff to wear face coverings or masks during the donation process.

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