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
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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.”
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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