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Wednesday, May 31, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
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Coordinate and extend
senior services
By Joann Power
Guest Columnist
Letters to the Editor…
The Nugget welcomes contributions from its readers, which must include the writer’s name, address and phone number. Let-
ters to the Editor is an open forum for the community and contains unsolicited opinions not necessarily shared by the Editor.
The Nugget reserves the right to edit, omit, respond or ask for a response to letters submitted to the Editor. Letters should be
no longer than 300 words. Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned. The deadline for all letters is noon Monday.
To the Editor:
Roundabouts are easy.
When you come to a roundabout entrance
portal, look to your left. If there is a vehicle
coming with clear intent to go through your
entrance portal, THAT VEHICLE has the
right-of-way. Not you. And not you EVEN
IF you are on Highway 20 East and they are
traversing the roundabout from West Barclay
to McKinney Butte. Highway 20 DOES
NOT HAVE any sort of “priority” in the
roundabout.
I’ve already witnessed people who don’t
seem to know this almost cause accidents.
If there is not a vehicle coming towards
your entrance portal, you may proceed into
the roundabout.
By the way — you MUST signal when
exiting the roundabout. That’s a state law. I
know folks in Bend who have gotten tickets
for not signaling when exiting. It’s a good
idea, too, because it lets those on the adja-
cent entrance portal know that they can likely
proceed into the roundabout since you are not
staying in the roundabout.
Bottom line, cars IN the roundabout have
absolute right-of-way.
It’s not hard.
Matt Wessel
s
s
s
To the Editor:
The other day while walking along behind
Les Schwab Tire I couldn’t help but notice
all the “despicable” little animals across the
street in the big vacant lot. After observing
See LETTERS on page 19
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Several weeks ago I
wrote a letter to the edi-
tor about the need to pro-
vide a way to coordinate
services to senior citizens
in Sisters. There were no
responding letters about
what I wrote. However,
many seniors have been
responding to me with
much agreement about
what was proposed. The
letter might have been
ignored by some, but not
by seniors. My opinion is
that the entire community
owes its interest to the
large numbers of senior
citizens that support this
community with their
finances, expertise, and
wonderful abilities.
Everyone, and there
were many, indicated their
disappointment that a resi-
dent home with adjoining
assisted living and mem-
ory-care facilities will not
be built here.
May 24 I attended the
city council meeting.
I did not hear that any
concerted effort is being
made to have that facil-
ity built by anyone any-
where in Sisters. I have
a hearing problem, but it
seemed that the land that
was available for it is
being covered with hous-
ing. Whether much of it
is appropriate or afford-
able for seniors seems
questionable. (See related
story, page 6.)
Therefore I am on a
mission to engage the
leaders in senior services,
like Council on Aging,
Visiting Angels, Hospice,
ministers, transporta-
tion services, counselors,
nurses, doctors, medi-
cal clinics, etc. to make
sure that their services
are coordinated and made
known and available in
a comprehensive way to
senior citizens in Sisters.
They then can stay in their
own homes as long as
possible. Many prefer to
do that.
An example of how
a wonderful program
of fun and nutrition
is not being attended
when with more expo-
sure many more seniors
would enjoy that social
time. It is the Tuesdays’
11:30 a.m. activities and
wonderful meal at Sisters
Community Church
through the Council on
Aging. A donation for a
$10 meal is at least $3.50.
Those who can give more
without coercion.
My idea is to have one
office with one person
there who can interview
those living in their own
homes to find out what
their needs are. That coor-
dinator would then pre-
pare a specific plan for
them with all the informa-
tion to make care happen
smoothly and promptly.
It could be the mundane,
like a hot meal now and
then, or a shopping trip to
town. Or, at times, involve
doctor-directed health-
care given by a profes-
sional nurse, so insurance
requirements are met for
payment.
...I am on a mission to
engage the leaders in
senior services ... to make
sure that their services
are coordinated and made
known and available ... to
senior citizens in Sisters.
It is very difficult for
people who need help to
find what is available.
Often it is through Bend
or Redmond now. There
might be a need for some
of the services to expand
to Sisters.
Perhaps what is needed
soon is a meeting-time set
for any community people
who want to attend where
all needs and services are
considered and a recorder
there writes down all con-
tacts and what they offer.
A complete list of what
is already available can
be produced, printed,
and distributed widely. It
would be a starting place
for those whose goal is
to age in place with care
available if needed.
Opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer and
are not necessarily shared by the Editor or The Nugget Newspaper.