Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1977-1989 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 30, 1983)
Campus retiree Lair spends time vacationing By Charlene Jensen Of The Print The loss of the levy elec tion marks many conse quences for Clackamas Com munity College, one of which is the hiring freeze. The hiring freeze has been enacted to save College money for funding a summer session. One position, vacant since August when Alf Lair retired, is the director of planning and operations, although the duties of that job have been assigned to three other employees. In reminiscing over his 15 years with the College Lair said, “It’s the best place I’ve ever worked. Dr. Hakanson is one of the best bosses I’ve ever had.” Lair’s job consisted of the planning and construction of campus buildings. He also worked in purchasing, food service, grounds, custodial and other departments concer ning the operation of the Col lege. HELLO AGAIN, COLLEGE—Former College Director of Planning and Operations Alf Lair waves a greeting from the doorway of his traveling trailer. Lair retired after 15 years of ser vice with the College, and now spends time making trips. His reason for retiring was simple. “I found myself getting crabbier than usual so I thought, ‘Time I walked out the door and did something different.’,” Lair said. Lair held a number of social positions before coming to Clackamas. He became a contractor after World War II, worked for the State Department of Education and performed many jobs for several community colleges, including dean of students, and writer of instructional materials for vocational education. “I like Clackamas Community College . . . it’s doing a good job in conve niences, program and product. ” “The reason I came to Clackamas Community Col lege in the first place, Lair said, “was to plan the buildings and write requests for state funding, and I just stayed on.” “I think this College of fers a real answer to a need that wasn’t being met before. The community college is adaptable. When a new area needed education, I think we jumped right into it,” Lair said. “I like Clackamas Com munity college. I think it’s do ing a good job in convenience, program and product,” he said. Lair misses the people he worked with but said he is en joying his retirement very much. “I’m just going to loaf until I get bored and then I’ll find something else to do,” he said. However, Lair said he is not bored with the leisurely life of paddling a canoe around Puget Sound, visiting East Lake and the Bend area. He also spends some of his time in political writing. Coping with illness aided by support groups (Conclusion in a series dealing with Alzheimer’s Disease) By Shelley Ball volunteer Marty Schippers, the group meets every fourth Throughout his long Tuesday of the month from ordeal with his mother, Enter 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the hospital. prise Courier Editor John Schippers explained the Kanelis said most of the sup support group is designed as port he received was from his “a place to come and maybe family, rather than support find out some new informa groups. For those who may be tion. Families are generally interested in a support group, not able to deal with the emo however, an Alzheimer’s sup tional situation, so it’s also a port group has been meeting place where they can come and up at Willamette Falls get comfort, cry and express Hospital since June of 1983. their frustrations. Most people Initiated by community don’t have any concept unless Of The Print they’ve been there,” she add ed. Although attendance in the support group was sporadic at first, Schippers said this was due to the fact that most of the people atten ding have Alzheimer patients to care for, and as a result couldn’t always show up. With the group’s recent meeting, however, the atten dance rose from three to five people to 20 to 25 people. “When only a couple people came in, I began to z College History Environment key to ELC (Part two in a series of articles concerning Clackamas Community College) By Judy Barlow Of The Print Looking at the John Inskeep Environmen tal Learning Center (ELC), it is hard to believe that is was once a waste-water lagoon. The ELC was previously the home for the J.M. Smucker Company, jam and jelly producer. The land was a barren industrial site. As described in the center’s brochure, “The ELC has been developed on a 314 acre site that previously was the waste-water lagoons, parking lots and roadways of the Smucker’s Berry Processing Plant.” “In the fall of 1974 the physical work began, the moving of boulders and dirt. The planting was done in the spring of 1975,” ELC Project Director Jerry Herrmann said. The National Guard helped us to move the boulders. Jerry (Herrmann) said it was scary sometimes. They were moving boulders from another part of the campus so we got the excess dirt and boulders,” Asst. Project Director Nan Hage-Herrmann said. “The guys would have races to see who could bring back the biggest rock for Jerry, and he said there were times he didn’t think that they were going to make it, they were so big. Jerry’s landscaping technique was such that it was called informal Japanese style, with many wandering paths and quiet special places. You (don’t just plunk the rocks on the ground. You Wednesday, November 30, 1983 have to bury them so that you actually see from Vi to 'A of the rock,” she added. There are several purposes behind the ELC. “The Center is here as a wildlife habitat, and it shows how you can recycle and industrial site,” Hage-Herrmann said. “We also showed alternative technologies such as a forced air wood furnace, composting toilets and a solar preheat water tank. Other things on the master plan are to show hydraulics and also wind and water energy.” “We are also now in the process of doing our fishery facilities, which is for the STEP program (Salmon and Trout Enhancement Pro gram). We are getting the creek beds ready and we are actually getting a deck around the fish tank. We are looking toward a dedication for that in the spring,” Hage-Herrmann added. Rock beds are now being made for the salmon and trout eggs. “They need a certain type of bed. So we are getting the right size rocks, crevices and little pools,” Hage- Herrmann said. “We go beyond just this physical site now. We go to the schools, youth groups and adult groups. We go to anybody who is interested in the environment, about landscaping, about alternative technologies, and we share what we know. Our site is used as an experimental site at times.” wonder if I was doing a worthwhile thing, but then when I got comments like ‘I don’t think I could have made it another day without the group,’ or ‘I finally found people who know what I’m talking about,’ I began to feel that it’s worthwhile,” Schip pers said. Today there are,a number of Alzheimer support groups that have formed in Oregon, a fact that Schippers said has made Oregon one of the first states to openly recognize the disease since the formation of the disease’s national organization between two and three years ago. Another way Alzheimer’s Disease has affected the com munity is in Clackamas Coun ty recently receiving a grant to set up a respite, a program in which Schippers explained peo ple would be trained to help out with Alzheimer patients so that those who care for them would be able to leave them for awhile to run errands. Schippers also said she would like to set up an official calling system for crises that may occur with Alzheimer pa tients, where people who can’t attend the support group because they are caring for such a person can call in and talk about their problem over over the phone. For those who suspect a member of their family may have Alzheimer’s Disease, Clinical Psychologist Rodger Meinz suggests the person be taken to three doctors: a neurologist, who will diagnose the disease, a neuropsych iatrist for the dispensing of drugs, and a clinical psychologist such as Meinz himself. “Most people don’t like to be around Alzheimer’s Disease patients because they don’t like to be reminded that they could lose total control of their mind. You’ve got to face you own phrenophobia (fear of losing mind) to work with these people. You need to face your own emotions and realize the patient is dying intellec tually, and may not know you (one day),” Meinz said. Your VOICE of the future Social life dull?* Is spending time at the local bar or with a book unfulfilling? FIND TH A T SPECIAL FRIEND! DYNAMIC DUOS A new concept in dating services for singles Personal, confidential, inexpensive, unique, limitless possibilities! 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