6 Fall 2010 Applegater
TRENDS AND OBSERVATIONS
So beautiful to me
BY RAUNO PERTTU
A
A P P P P L L E E G
G A
A T T E E
V
V ALLEY
ALLEY M
M ARKETPLACE
ARKETPLACE
“Bringing
“Bringing the
the Applegate
Applegate Community
Community Together”
Together”
15090
15090 HIGHWAY
HIGHWAY 238
238 • • APPLEGATE,
APPLEGATE, OR
OR 97530
97530
BREAKFAST • LUNCH • TEA PARTIES • BAKED GOODS
• DESSERTS • ESPRESSO
Located in Downtown Applegate
FRIDAY-SUNDAY 10 AM- 4PM
Specialty dinners will be announced by e-mail.
Call for menu or get on our e-mail list and we'll send you the menus each week!
TEATIME ANYTIME OFF MENU - HIGH TEA BY RESERVATION - CATERING
Call 541-846-9019 or e-mail: evescafe@gmail.com
website: evesgardencafe.com
Don Tollefson
Principal/Ecobroker
541-973-9185
Debbie Tollefson
Broker
541-973-9184
www.applegatevalleyrealty.com
Marketing vs. Listing
If you are considering putting your highest valued asset (your home) on the market, it's
important that you pick a Real Estate Company that uses effective marketing, not one that
puts a sign up and hopes someone in the Multiple Listing Service sells it. In this market
particularly, other than proper pricing, marketing is probably the most important factor in
getting your home sold in a reasonable amount of time.
Some basics that your chosen Realtor should provide.
• Effective signing with riders that highlight special features of your home.
• Good looking informative brochures and brochure boxes at your property which stay
filled.
• All brokers with your Realty Company should preview your home so they know what they
are trying to sell.
• Your home should be advertised regularly for exposure to prospective buyers.
• Listing broker should communicate with you regularly about showings and reaction to
your property.
• Realty office should be close enough to your property so that any broker on floor time
should be willing to jump in their car and take a prospective client to show your property.
These are the basics, any additional marketing items like Virtual Tours and Home
Warranties which the broker provides makes your home more likely to sell quickly.
Stop by our office in Applegate and we will explain how our use of the above
marketing strategy will help get your property sold as quickly as possible.
When the long-promised cure those who have
for Alzheimer’s disease finally comes, had the oppor-
it will be too late for my wife Jan. For tunity to spend
years, in this age of medical miracles, we time with her.
searched and waited for the promised When we moved
new treatment that never came. At sixty, to the Applegate in 1987, she was a city
she still retains her wonderfully positive girl. While our geology work and vacation
and cheerful attitude, but Alzheimer’s travels often took us to very remote places,
has stolen almost everything else. Her she had trepidation about actually living
initially gradual decline has turned into in the country. Furthermore, there was no
an accelerating and bumpy slide. The geology work in the Applegate for her to
changes from last year are dramatic. The tackle, and she liked being meaningfully
changes are now becoming noticeable busy. However, she quickly adopted the
from week to week.
Applegate, and soon became involved in
From the time she was little, Jan the community. As our son and daughter
was an avid and expert skier. Winter attended Ruch School, she became an
before last, she still skied. As last winter’s active parent and dragged me to work
season approached, I was certain we faced parties and activities at the school. She
a rare argument. She would demand to was a classroom assistant and even PTA
ski, but I didn’t believe she was up to it. President helping to organize the planning
To my surprise, she never expressed the and construction of playground facilities
slightest desire to “hit the slopes”. Last and bleachers at the school.
year, we still took long hikes into the
As clear-cutting in the Apple-
Siskiyou high country. This summer, gate became an issue, she teamed with
she needed level, smooth terrain. Her other community members, includ-
former fast-forward walking was re- ing our esteemed editor, to form the
placed by new gears—slow, slowing, and Applegate Partnership and the Applegate
needs prodding.
River Watershed
Even stairs have
Council. These
become a scary Alzheimer’s seems to try its
organizations
best
to
steal
one’s
dignity.
proposition.
began to work
Jan’s abil-
with govern -
ity to talk was
ment agencies
an early victim of her disease, making and community groups to introduce a
verbal communication difficult. Over broad spectrum of community input
the past year, she has almost completely into the planning process of the agencies.
lost the ability to talk, and is also losing Soon Jan became the first Applegate River
the ability to understand when talked Watershed Council Coordinator and was
to. Our quiet talks by the river have responsible for the dozen employees of the
become very quiet. The simplest tasks Council. In these productive early years
have become too difficult. Her cheerful- of the Council, many trees were planted,
ness temporarily shatters and she needs enhancement projects completed, and
reassurance after she is embarrassed by many government projects modified. The
an Alzheimer’s induced accident. These Council received national recognition for
events are distressing to her, even though its work and awards from the agencies.
I assure her it’s no big deal and quickly In the Applegate, if I was noticed, the
put it into the past. Alzheimer’s seems follow-up was “Aren’t you Jan’s husband?”
to try its best to steal one’s dignity.
When I pause to admire the sum-
This has almost certainly been mer breeze stirring the tall trees planted
our last summer of pretended normal- as tiny seedlings by her enhancement
ity—and she tries very hard to put her projects, including those I planted on
best normal face forward. I take her our riverside property, I again realize how
on geology trips when possible, and quickly time and our lives pass. The excit-
she goes through the motions of study- ing new projects of yesterday have all too
ing the rocks and the geologic setting soon become the established Applegate
in a convincing manner. I respect her scenery of today. When I see one of these
role-playing and treat her as a working now established projects, I can’t help but
colleague, although it has become obvi- remember all of the hustle, bustle and
ous she no longer comprehends. We just plain fun shared by those working on
both enjoy these trips, but the sheer and completing these projects. Jan was
mechanical difficulty of protecting and right in the middle of it all, with friendly
caring for her and completing my work persuasion and a ready laugh. I fell in love
is becoming too challenging.
with that laugh. It now seems a world and
At this twilight of Jan’s life, I re- a century away—and also just yesterday.
flect on how much she has enriched my
life, and how much fun and joy she has
Rauno Perttu • 541-899-8036
brought to our children and me and to
jrperttu@charter.net