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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 23, 1978)
A big 10-4 for area seniors CB radios installed in gerontology project By LAURY MASHER Of the Emerald Can nursing home residents benefit from a CB radio? That's the question University gerontology stu dents and faculty are trying to answer with the help of a CB radio recently installed in the Ivorene Nursing Home. The project is funded by a federal agency grant from the administration on aging. “In general what we had hoped is that it (the CB) will provide another activity for the elderly, a communi cation network so that there is contact with regular types of people outside the nursing home set up," says Lor raine Davis, University professor of health education. Before the CB installment, preliminary studies were conducted during the summer months in Eugene s Good Samaritan Nursing Home. “We have done a preliminary study to determine the utilization, placement and specific concerns that the staff or residents might have,” says Davis. Davis notes that both positive and negative aspects were uncovered during the study. “There were fewer people using it than you might have imagined," says Davis. One problem was that the CB was located in the nursing home activities area, which included a televi sion. “It can be disruptive to other people," Davis says. “We have our own room now set up for the CB,” adds Bonaguro. Another problem was that many of the home staff did not understand mechanical aspects of the CB radio. "We re still looking for volunteers,” says Ellen Bonag uro, a University grad student who assists Davis in the program. “Preferably, wed like CB users who have some knowledge of the CB radio." Davis says one especially positive aspect of the preliminary study was that many nursing home resi dents used CB nicknames — handles — even if they weren't involved with using the CB radio. The entire project was initiated by a local CB en thusiast, Dale Jones. “Obviously, other people thought it was worthwhile too," Davis confirms. A campus club called the “Caters” was formed to gain funds and try to install CB radios in all nursing homes in the Eugene and Springfield area. The club has now disbanded, but, Bonaguro says the former presi dent of the Caters, Henry Bredley, “has helped me out a lot.” Davis says she still looks at the CB project as being somewhat “exploratory." We re just playing it by ear to see if it is worthwhile to continue research," Davis continues. “We might end up saying yeah, every nursing home should have a CB radio, or it may be that a CB radio in a nursing home is not worthwhile. We ll just report what is, the best we can and as objectively as we can." “If the results are good from this nursing home, maybe we can revise it and use it in other nursing homes," says Bonaguro. U Demos fight Trojan waste A resolution opposing Portland General Electric s proposed waste storage expansion for the Trojan Atomic Reactor, was passed during a meeting of the University Democrats Thursday. Kathi Hostick, chairer of the Democrats, said the re solution proposed ' expansion of the nuclear waste storage facility at PGE s Trojan Atomic Reactor increases danger to the public from unproven security, handling and storage procedures.'1 She says the expansion makes evident the failure of the federal government and the energy conglomerates to plan adequately for a safe waste disposal system while violating the original Trojan Reactor permits issued by the State of Oregon to the utilities and violating Oregon laws that prohibit the permanent storage of nuclear wastes. Hostick says the Democrats plan to sponsor a platform convention to draw up issues that will be submitted to the state Democratic Pre-primary Platform Convention. A general meeting, slated for 9 a.m. Saturday at Harris Hall, will organize committees to work on some of the issues. The group also discussed the possibility of inviting political candidates for University speaking engagements prior to the state s May primary. Architecture students assist Cottage Grove land-use plan By CHARLOTTE FOX Of the Emerald Land planning becomes more crucial as desirable living space becomes more scarce, and a Uni versity landscape architecture class is using a computer to pro vide proper growth strategies for Cottage Grove. Gene Bressler, associate pro fessor of landscape architecture, says last term the class gathered information on the Cottage Grove area, divided the city into five-acre parcels and mapped the charac teristics of each plot. The maps cover vegetation, soils, slope, landforms, zoning, sewer systems and water. The fall term students also de vised “scenarios,” which specu late on the desirability of construc tion of roads and buildings. Such problems as erosion potential, mass movement and visual qual ity were taken into account in these scenarios. This term’s class will use the University’s computer to analyze the information generated last term. A spring term class will then use the computerized information to develop land use plans. Bressler believes computers are definitely the new tool for land use planning. He says the class project is the first such study in Lane County to use the computer. Bressler says computers can “allow planners as well as citizens to develop plans and see what the Advises on business, love & personal direction. Jamil P.O Box 10154 Eugene, Oregon 97401 Phone anytime: 342 2210 484 2441 r PSYCHIC J consequences of such a plan will be.” According to Bressler, Eu gene has reached a crucial point in development. “We cur rently have adequate services to support the population,” he says. “But if a lot more people move in, it puts pressure to move develop ment further out, and taxpayers have to pay for more sen/ices. We have to decide how many more people we can support.” Bressler says the computer can help solve planning problems be fore they become irreversible realities “It takes the computer 10 mi nutes what it takes a person three hours to do," says Bressler of another advantage of the machine. The Cottage Grove study was initiated last year, and Jim Beard, Cottage Grove city planner, says the city hopes to use much of the information gener ated by the class. The only problem, Beard says, is that the class doesn’t take the values of Cottage Grove residents into consideration. “This community hasn't been involved thus far,” says Beard. “So far the class is only reflecting its own values. In reality there is a trade-off situation that occurs in any planning process.” One of the problems in develop ing comprehensive land use plans is the “trade-off’ between plan ners and developers. According to Bressler, all developers are differ ent in their ethics, and therefore, have different priorities. “Some are just out to make money; some care about the envi ronment,” says Bressler. Bressler believes many de velopers destroy land because of inadequate information given to them by planners. “If cities gave proper informa tion, developers would have more incentive to do better work.” ^ \*y&* ", ^ Vf>> V t> V3, *& SS° & Saturday, January 28 EMU Ballroom 8:00 p.m. Tickets available at the EMU Main Desk U of O students $1.50 General public $2.00 Children under 12 50< Sponsored by the EMU Cultural Forum
