Senior Services
College to help pass levy
Jane Tomlin
Staff Photo by Duane Hiersche
A senior services levy has
been proposed for Clackamas
County’s March 30 election. It
will be a property tax levy
costing .landowners $.22 per
$1000.
Jane Tomlin, Clackamas
County supervisor for the
Loaves and Fishes Organiza
tion is heading the campaign.
“The funds for senior services is
decreasing and the number of
seniors is increasing,” Tomlin
said, “The levy is a natural
response to the philosophy of
the Reagan Administration.”
Tomlin and County Com
missioner Ralph Groener came
before the Associated Student
Government of the College Jn
January to request their aid in
passing the levy. “We have to
help with this,” said Groener,
who is onthe College’s Board
of Directors, “As a-community
college, we have an obligation
to look after our elderly
population.”
Board considers construction
By David J. Hayden
Of The Print
The College Board of
Education voted last Wednes
day to spend $17,500 to up
date the College’s future con
struction plans.
“It would be short-sighted
not to continue a minimal level
of planning while our state and
nation is in temporary
economic difficulties,” com
mented College President
John Hakanson.
The cost of the planning
update would come from the
capitol projects fund. By state
law this money can only be us
ed for construction, planning,
or upkeep of college buildings.
Ralph Groener, College
board. member, commented
that the cost would amount to
about 1 percent of the fund.
Despite objections voiced
by Les Tipton, College art in
structor and faculty represen
tative to the Board, the Board
hired Scott Fischer to fill the
position of Financial Aid Officer
left vacant when Richard
Thompson resigned.
“The College shouldn’t be
hiring at a time when we’re un
sure of what our budget will
be,” Tipton said. He also ques-
tioned the need for an addi
tional administrator.
Jim Roberts, dean of stu
dent services, said “With the
number of students and the
money that goes through the
Financial Aid office, we need a
person to make decisions and
administer the aid programs.”
After a lengthy discussion
the Board voted 4-1 to hire
Fischer for a 4-month period
beginning March 1 and ending
June 30, 1982, at a salary of
$9,344. His salary will be
renegotiated at that time.
In other business, $1,794
was transferred from the con-
tingency fund to the operating
fund to repay the National
Direct Student Loan program,
During an audit it was
discovered the College had
over-paid three students with
funds from NDSL.
Fpllowing Dr. Hakanson’s
recommendation, the Board
voted to recognise the
College’s participation in the
Economic Development pro
gram. The program is organiz
ed by Oregon community col
lege presidents to inventory dif
ferent aids available to help
businesses and industries.
Fawcett, assistant dean to stu
dent aid and support services
said. “It is a critical area that
really needs somebody who
can take the day to day respon
sibility. We need somebody to
make sure we’re complying
with federal and state regula
tions.”
Fifty percent of the full
time students at the College
receive financial aid, according
to Fawcett. Currently, about
There was much con 750 students are receiving
troversy as to whether the Col financial aid and about 400
lege needed a new financial aid veterans receive benefits and
officer. As stated at the College service.
Board meeting held Feb. 10,
Les
the workload of the Financial representative to the College
Aid/Veterans Officer has in* Board, objecting to the new
creased with the addition of position said, “We think the
veterans’ office responsibilities. workload can be absorbed
“The replacement position within the area. Much of the
was vacant for 13 weeks,” Lee work can take place through a
Wednesday, February 17, 1982
“Seniors don’t always know
who’s doing what. But the
Centers and the people work
ing there are familiar.”
By Tomlin’s estimates, if
$1 million a year can be
generated for the Senior
Centers, about $12 million in
services will become available,
due to thè high level of
volunteerism. “In most senior
centers, it’s senior volunteers
who actually call the shots,”
Tomlin said.
Budget cuts are assailing
the elderly of America on near
ly all fronts. President Reagan’s
proposed budget would curtail
dental and vision benefits. Also
the Older American Act was
cut back 4.7 percent for this
year. Clackamas County will
absorb the cuts, but
Multnomah will be unable to
and the difference will be pass-
ed on to the elderly.
Another funding project is
the Oregon Project In
dependence, which is part of
the Area Agency on Aging
(AAA). Approximately 150
seniors in this county receive
money from the project, and
there is a good chance that the
state legislature may cut those
funds, Tomlin thinks.
The AAA provides
$800,000 for the seniors of this
county. It currently costs about
$18,000 to keep one person in
a nursing home for one year.
The AAA can provide the lun-
ding for only 40 people to stay
in nursing homes in this coun
ty. “If 100 seniors suddenly
had to go to nursing homes, it
would cost more than $1
million,” Tomlin said.
Re-alignment of district
zones were briefly discussed
although action will be deferred
until the next regular meeting
Board member Kathleen
Weigant, a former College stu
dent, was elected to the zone 1
position of the lay Budget
Committee.
Hiring of Financial Aid officer
draws controversy from staff
The College will have a
new Financial Aid Veterans Of
ficer as of March 1. Scott
Fischer who hàs been
employed at Portland Com
munity College in several ad
ministrative positions for the.
past nine years will work from
Màrch 1 until June 30 at a
1981-82 salary of $9,344. His
salary contract will be
renegotiated July 1.
Tomlin requested help
with pamphlet distribution,
telephone work, and door-to-
ctoor communications. The
ASG voted to help. “We want
to have a well informed turn
out, not just a big one,” Tomlin
said. “This is very important.”
Approximately 30 percent
of the population of the United
States will be seniors by the
year 2000. Lake Oswego
already has about 22 percent of
its population seniors. We’re
talking about ourselves,
because we’ll be there some
day.”
If the levy is successful, it
will be, the first of its kind in the,
nation. “Some people feel that
levies will crop up all over the
place,” Tomlin «aid, “I don’t
think so. We may have a youth
services levy, but not a dozen
others.”
There are approximately
32,000 seniors in this county,
with 48 percent of them bet-
.ween the ages of 70 and 80
years. Since women live about
seven years longer than men,
65 to 70 percent of those over
the age of 70 are women. Also,
40 percent of all seniors have
no immediate families. All
these statistics add up to a need
for more money, Tomlin feels.
Senior Centers are and
will be the mainstay of the
county’s program, she said.
“The Centers are places seniors
can go for help. If they can’t get
out of their homes, they can
call the centers and get help
delivered right to them?’
Another favorable aspect
of the Centers is the
“recognizability,” Tomlin said.
staff person rather than hiring a
' ■ new person. Financially speak
ing, we feel this may be a
''wrong move at this time.”
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