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Hospice heals
As an R.N. for Hospice of the Gorge for the past 13 years, being with
the dying has taught me about living. I feel compelled to share some
of what I’ve learned about rural Hospice nursing.
Most of the time, a death is an intimate experience between the
patient and loved ones. I have been present for many deaths, but not
because my nursing skills are required at the time of death. My role
is to assist the patient and the family on the journey to that event.
I have witnessed incredible strength and outpouring of love during a
patient’s dying process: The husband who has sat wearily for days with
his hand over his wife’s heart to be able to sense the moment it
stopped beating; or the young child who was cradled by an older
sibling’s arms as he was sung out of this world by his mother’s voice;
the blessings of evergreen boughs surrounding a loved one in his bed
and below it, offering him the familiar fragrance of his beloved ranch
while he is comatose.
I bring medicine, supplies and nursing skills to help manage patients’
symptoms as well as help them and their families with the grief
process. In addition, our Hospice chaplains and social workers assist
all of our patients and families as they accompany each other on the
patient’s final journey.
Sometimes the loving gesture of a “last bath” by one of our skilled
home health aides is appropriate. The extraordinary commitment of the
Hospice team is only possible because we embrace our work as vocation.
I feel privileged to be a part of such life-giving work.
As much as we try to control how we die, how we live is what we are to
be about. I am grateful to my patients for teaching me this wisdom.
Colleen Ballinger, R.N.
Hood River
VanOrman supports children
Suzanne VanOrman is House District 52 and Hood River County’s
answer to improving education in Oregon.
As the two-decade director of Head Start, her abilities were
nationally recognized this past year. Her focus was child
education and family well-being. Contrast this with Patti Smith,
who received a zero (0) from “Stand for Children,” a state
watchdog for children’s issues. Then Patti chose to interpret a
token donation to her campaign from them as an endorsement, and
advertised it as such. It wasn’t.
Make no mistake. Suzanne VanOrman is the person of integrity who
will really make a difference for all of us. She has demonstrated
superior abilities and experience in the values we hold most dear.
Suzanne supports our children and the health of our society.
Marcia Brown, Leader
House Dist. 52 Clackamas County
Democrats
Is it you?
Who let their dogs out?
Is it you? You?
So they can do their Poo-Poo!
If you don’t want to clean it up,
You shouldn’t have gotten a pup!
These are dogs with collars and tags;
Where are their owners with plastic bags?
Sitting at home, while their dogs do their thing,
Not only are you rude, but you’re also mean …
To your neighbors and your dog too,
What if he gets hit going to do his poo!
We hope you hang your head in shame,
And know that we wish we knew your name!!!
Leilani Caldwell
Carol Reister
Gloria Clark
Hood River
True measure
Efforts to protect some of the last wild lands around Mount Hood
and the Columbia Gorge have been in the news a lot in the last few
months. While the Hood River News and other papers appear to have
a variety of opinions, the Oregon public has had a clear and
consistent view-protect these special places as a legacy for
future generations. The best way to do that is to preserve these
natural treasures as Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers.
Oregon Wild (formerly Oregon Natural Resources Council) has been
working to safeguard the wild lands and rivers around Mount Hood
and in the Columbia Gorge for almost 10 years. We’ve worked with
Oregonians on all sides of the mountain, and we’ve heard a clear
consensus. From orchardists in Hood River to fishing equipment
manufacturers in Clackamas, Oregonians want to see our last
pristine forests and wild rivers preserved.
There have been a variety of proposals for new Wilderness
announced in the last year by Oregon’s Congressional delegation
and the Bush Administration. But most Oregonians understand that
picking and choosing which bill is “better” isn’t the right
approach. At the end of the day, this is about protecting the
special places that we all value.
The Mount Hood Wilderness plan that Congress ultimately adopts
should be measured by the areas it protects. It should safeguard
the cold, clean water of the East Fork of the Hood River and
protect the rugged beauty of the Tilly Jane area. This important
legislation should also protect the important salmon habitat of
Fifteenmile Creek and the old-growth forest surrounding Boulder
Lake.
Reps. Walden and Blumenauer deserve praise for coming together and
passing a bipartisan Wilderness bill earlier this year. Sens.
Smith and Wyden also deserve credit for reaching across the aisle
and finding a compromise between the House bill and Wyden’s
ambitious 2004 plan. Now it is vital for Oregon’s entire
Congressional delegation to come together to pass legislation this
year that protects at least 128,000 acres of Wilderness around
Mount Hood and the Columbia Gorge.
Erik Fernandez
Wilderness Coordinator
Oregon Wild (formerly Oregon Natural Resources Council)
Can’t support York
I have known Carol York for many years. I have supported and voted
for her as my County Commissioner. I cannot support or vote for
her for the Oregon State Senate. Carol has resorted to the Bush
administration/Republican form of politics. She makes false
statements (in the voter’s pamphlet), keeps secret her source of
misinformation, refuses to apologize for that misinformation and
claims to be something she is not. Her claim to be a teacher is
not supported by fact. In New York, as it is in Oregon, all
certified teachers must gain 175 hours of professional approved
training in each five-year period the certificate remains valid.
This means she would have had to take 875 hours of training to be
able, as her Clackamas campaign chairman claims, to “walk into a
New York classroom and teach.” She has never taught in a classroom
and could not now, not without extensive training.
I can not trust a candidate who has demonstrated her disrespect
for the people she is supposed to represent by being less than
forthright and secretive, by equating school policy over aspirin
with state law. How can I trust a person running for office who
fails to check on information given to her by a biased source? I
would hope that you wouldn’t either.
Gary J. Fields
Hood River
Pride in Hospice
It has been my great privilege to work as an R.N. Patient Care
Coordinator at Hospice of the Gorge for 16 years. I have seen the
organization grow from two employees to 50. I have witnessed the
expansion of Hospice services from nursing and volunteer, to a
full complement of home care services that include highly skilled
R.N.s, home health aides, homemakers, social workers, chaplains
and volunteers.
Hospice of the Gorge has had the good fortune of having a truly
dedicated board of directors whose members volunteer hour upon
hour of their valuable time. Through the years Hospice of the
Gorge has experienced much growth and change, and continues to
work hard to be a good steward of its resources. As always, the
provision of excellent and compassionate end-of-life care for our
patients and families remains the priority.
I feel so proud of the work that Hospice does, and to be a part of
this great organization.
Sue Hartford
Hood River
Kids being kids
Congratulations to photographer Esther Smith and the Hood River
News for the delightfully wholesome picture in a recent
Kaleidoscope of Hood River Valley High students so genuinely
enjoying the homecoming activities at Jackson Park. With so much
negativity and upsetting news in today’s world, it was wonderfully
refreshing to see such obvious positive energy, enthusiasm and joy
on the faces of the kids doing what they do best — being kids.
Nice job, Esther. Great job HRV!
Virginia Hosford
Retired HRV Director of Guidance
Hood River
A riparian lawsuit
The recent vote of the Hood River City Council not to rescind its
Riparian Growth Ordinance is a win for any mosquito-borne virus to
the determent of the citizens the council is supposed to protect.
Oregon no longer requires Goal 5 compliance but the city council’s
hesitance in rescinding its Riparian Growth Ordinance may be cause
for greater alarm.
The Riparian Growth Ordinance designated all rivers and streams
within the city that were important to salmon or steelhead stock.
A federal judge’s order prohibits aerial spraying with 100 yards
and ground spraying within 20 yards of any stream designated as
important to salmon and steelhead stock.
Based on the above, it looks like the city council may be setting
itself up for a bunch of lawsuits unless it can find a spray that
will meet with the federal judge’s approval.
Richard D. Kenward
Hood River
Demos, for change
Voter food for thought: Are we safer here in America because we
are fighting terrorists in Iraq? The Bush Administration
constantly reassures us “Yes.”
There was an interesting piece on the CBS Evening News on Oct. 16.
Nineteen mid-sized U.S. cities such as Minneapolis, St. Louis and
Cleveland have seen double-digit homicide rates over the last
year. The murder rate has gone up 8.7 percent!
Two additional facts are worth noting: Since 2004 the Bush
administration has cut funding for state and local police
departments by 50 percent and in Minneapolis 30-40 city police
officers in the National Guard are serving in Iraq; they have not
been replaced on the beat.
Clearly, we are not safer here at home. It is time for a change.
Vote Democratic!
Hugh B. McMahan
Mount Hood
Hospice ‘disservice’
I have been blessed with the opportunity to serve as a social
worker for Hospice of the Gorge for the past 14 years. I have
witnessed firsthand the growth of this organization and the
talented staff that provide excellent care to patients and
families.
The headline article in the Oct. 21 paper was a huge disservice to
Hospice and the patients it serves. Hospice has available staff to
meet the patients’ needs and with confidence provides care under
all circumstances. Amid the misinformation, Hospice will continue
to maintain its professional care, compassion and availability for
patients and families in their time of need.
Christine Meade, M.S.W.
Hood River
Metsger leads
State Senator Rick Metsger continues to lead the way for his
district. Our rural Mt. Hood community has faced a number of
concerns from public safety, education, public transportation,
road development, and tourism and Metsger stands with us to find
solutions.
Metsger helped pass the nation’s toughest anti-meth legislation,
restricting access to materials used in the manufacturing of
methamphetamine, which today is destroying the environments in our
rural communities and Metsger wrote the law that kept sex
offenders from living near children.
During election months, it is too bad that oppositional candidates
can’t run on their own credentials rather than airing untruthful
attacks on existing legislators which only serves to erode
confidence in citizens in the legislative process and trust for
elected officials in general. I think that these types of
candidates haven’t realized that being a legislator isn’t a game,
it’s a challenge and our communities are facing some serious
decisions.
Voters today are looking for legislators who can tackle community
challenges and don’t really appreciate or support attacking
campaigns. I am going to vote for legislators who are already
taking action and getting results in the trenches to help keep our
communities safe, healthy, and productive — thanks, Senator
Metsger, we appreciate the progress you have already created in
our schools, on our highways, our bridges, tourism, and the safety
of our community.
Shirley Morgan
Rhododendron
Respect for Smith
As a longtime Gresham resident and real estate broker, I admit
that for the first 43 years of my life my knowledge of the
legislative process had been basic at best. But three years ago,
my husband and I were confronted by a land-use problem that
couldn’t be fixed without it — and since then, our knowledge of
the process and our respect for State Representative Patti Smith
has skyrocketed!
Our particular problem started with the discovery three years ago
that our 1.67 acres in rural Gresham with a 100+-year-old
farmhouse on it had been unlawfully divided three owners ago —
back in 1978. This situation was not brought to our attention at
the time we purchased the property in 1993, prior to me obtaining
my real estate license.
Our situation didn’t fall neatly into any category. Multnomah
County officials and even the head of LCDC said they couldn’t help
us. We were unable to obtain permits for remodeling or adding on.
We also could be sued if we sold the property. It was a real
land-use nightmare! So we called upon our State Representative,
Patti Smith, with a cry of help and she responded. She spent her
valuable time researching our problem and determined that the only
avenue to correct the matter would be a new law!
Patti worked hard to sponsor and write a bill that would satisfy
involved parties at all levels. It takes a lot of effort to make
EVERYONE happy. She guided us through the progression of the bill
— with the first draft, its reviews and revisions in committee,
the readings, votes, and passage. It’s not something just any kid
on the block can do. It takes know-how and perseverance — and the
ability to work across party lines. Our bill (HB3081) passed last
year with only one nay vote total!
If it weren’t for Patti Smith, we might still be sitting on a
beautiful piece of property that we couldn’t improve — or sell.
She does so much more than just worry about the hot-button issues
that the news trumpets daily. She listens to the needs of her
constituents and WORKS diligently to help those of us who might
otherwise fall through the cracks.
The legislative process is complicated and we should continue to
have someone who is “tried and true” watching out for our best
interests as citizens! It’s election time again and I am devoted
to helping keep Patti in the House of Representatives for District
52. You should be, too! Vote for Patti Smith!
Leslie Newberry
Gresham
Health story ideas
If the Hood River News is inclined to do some investigative
reporting on health care, I have a few suggestions:
1. Focus on the current Archimedes Movement spearheaded by Gov.
Kitzhaber (www.archimedes.org) which seeks to change our current
dysfunctional health care public health care dollars in a
responsible and effective way.
2. Highlight the fact that the number of uninsured patients at La
Clinica del Cariño has doubled or tripled in the last few years —
many of these people are full-time workers whose employers can’t
afford the premiums — in fact, 45 million Americans are uninsured
today.
3. Profile one of our middle-class local families who have to pay
$800-$1,000 a month to cover their family’s insurance premiums.
Talk to a few of our medical and nursing professionals who see
people coming to the ER for ear infections (often unable to access
local providers), sending a bill for hundreds of dollars to the
Oregon Health Plan, which is already going bankrupt, or to
insurance companies, whose rates are skyrocketing.
4. Highlight the obscene inequities of the pharmaceutical
companies (whose profits in 2005 placed their industry third on
the Forbes 500 list) or the insurance industries’ profits while
our citizens must hold bake sales to pay medical bills.
5. Profile Greg Walden’s current contender for Congress, Susan
Voisin, who is taking a responsible look at our health care CRISIS
which threatens to implode. She has some very clear, practical
answers and has correctly identified the priorities.
6. Finally, profile a few of our local families who will tell you,
without hesitation, that the ONLY thing that helped them through
the pain of their loved ones’ final days was Hospice and its
compassionate staff. You will inundated with stories.
I’ve been an R.N. for 23 years and have experienced many staffing
crises which can be very frightening and frustrating. I have no
knowledge of the current challenge facing Hospice, but I remind
you of a few facts:
1. There are two sides to every story and a thorough conversation
with the administration, board and nurses would yield some
balance.
2. Internal organizational challenges are better solved away from
the newspapers’ headlines which only creates divisiveness in our
community.
3. From the dedicated volunteers to the multi-disciplinary staff
and volunteer Board, Hospice of the Gorge is a priceless community
asset and one of Hood River’s most highly respected services.
Becki Rawson
Hood River
VanOrman is poised
The unfortunate legacy of the Oregon Legislature over the past
dozen years is one of inaction, pandering to special interests,
dishing out corporate giveaways and ignoring the needs and desires
of the Oregonians it was elected to serve. Special interests have
ruled the roost, most notably in the Oregon House of
Representatives.
In sharp contrast to her opponent, Suzanne VanOrman is not
beholden to interest groups whose sole desire is to preserve their
place at the money table. Suzanne is poised to make an immediate
impact in Salem. Her tireless work for education advancement will
continue in the House. Not one to giving only lip service to
education issues, Suzanne VanOrman has simply worked to benefit
students from all levels of Oregon society.
It is time for the voters of District 52 to elect a strong voice
to represent us in Salem. Suzanne VanOrman is obviously the better
candidate in this race and deserves our vote.
Brian Robb
Hood River
More research needed
Reading the Headline story of the Hood River News on Saturday Oct.
21, I was dismayed at seeing the paper impugning an organization
that has grown out of the community it serves into the wonderful
and innovative institution it is today. Hospice of the Gorge has
served the community by caring for people at the end of life for
two decades, so it is sad that the paper would print such an
apparent indictment without providing more research and balance
regarding its accuracy.
I am currently a hospice clinical medical director in the Salem
area, where the nursing staff caseload averages 13 to 15 patients
each, and nurses must drive just as far to manage their caseloads
as the nurses in the Gorge. The Hospice of the Gorge nursing
caseload is well below state averages. Furthermore, it warrants
clarification that it is not the role or the mandate of a hospice
nurse to be present at every patient death, as suggested in the
Hood River News article. My staff attends a death only at the
request of the family or when needed for care issues, and the
nurse is not always the best team member to go.
Hospice of the Gorge is a leader in the development and growth of
end-of-life care. Its influence has extended beyond the Gorge to
the level of the state and the nation. The board and leadership of
Hospice of the Gorge have been an inspiration to me. Their guiding
principle is care of the patient and family, and they demonstrate
this respect for people daily in their own actions and demeanor.
Hospice of the Gorge has excellent staffing strength, expertise
and capability to serve all its patients and families, and to
accommodate many more.
The Hood River News article not only risks damaging Hospice of the
Gorge, but also the community itself, because Hospice of the Gorge
is of and for the communities it serves. The communities of the
Mid-Columbia have deservedly supported the organization generously
and graciously throughout its growth and development.
Glen Patrizio, M.D., Acting Chair
Hospice and Palliative Care Providers Committee
Oregon Hospice Association
Smith serves safety
I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Rep. Patti Smith
for her continued efforts to make the Highway 26 Safety Corridor
safer for us all. She assists our commission in working with the
various agencies as well assisting with inter-agency coordination
of highway safety matters.
She is currently working to have the safety corridor extended east
toward Warm Springs. This change is due to the numerous fatal
crashes that have occurred in the area this year. She is also
proposing a change to toughen up the Dangerous Driving laws this
next session. Whenever we need help we can count on Patti Smith.
Jerry Sabel
Highway 26 Safety Corridor
Citizens Advisory Commission
Vote Walden, Smith
When I get my voting ballot in the mail to vote I am going to vote
for Greg Walden and Patti Smith, two people who care about our
school system and our children getting a good education.
They also care about our community and the problems facing us
today and they try to find ways to solve them. Greg Walden and
Patti Smith care about the people of Hood River. So when you get
your voting ballot please vote for Greg Walden and Patti Smith.
They are the right ones for the job.
Pam Smiley
Odell
Voting for VanOrman
In reading your Oct. 14 issue in which issues were discussed with
both Suzanne VanOrman and Patti Smith, two things came to my mind.
The first is Ms. VanOrman’s desire to extend the 10 cent-per-pack
cigarette tax for the purpose of providing health care for the
most vulnerable populations, our old and our young.
I find this highly laudable. Here we have a known toxic product,
mainly cigarettes, which kill thousands of people annually, and is
addicting more and more young people by the day. It seems only
fair and reasonable to me that we do whatever we can to mitigate
this tragedy.
Yet, last time around, Patti Smith voted against this measure.
Does anyone know why? Surely she can’t be unaware of the ravages
of tobacco, can she?
Secondly, in the interview, Ms. Smith asserted that the Oregon
Health Plan didn’t work because it tried to cover too many people
with too many different types of treatments.
I wish she’d elaborate on this. Does she mean that if you are
unlucky enough to be afflicted with a certain type of ailment you
should not be afforded treatment? Or, that there are just
altogether too many people out there getting sick? And just who
should be deciding on the proper treatment? This kind of rhetoric
sounds like the verbiage I have been hearing for years from
insurance companies.
Thank you for the interview.
As for me, my mind is made up. I will be voting for Suzanne
VanOrman.
Sally Streeter
Welches
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