Page 12
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, August 6, 2003
by WALTER BRANCH
1. Whom did Norman
Rockwell say was "no
fun to paint" after unveil-
ing a portrait of him in
1972?
2. Who had a pet dog
named Windy?
3. What rock and roller
was dubbed The Killer?
4. Who was the only
dwarf in the Company of
the Ring?
5. In what European city
was the 1958 World's
Fair held?
6. What black singer
was the opening act on
The Rolling Stones 1972
North American tour?
7. What James Bond
novel featured his mar-
HISTORICAL CHATEAU - Illinois Valley attractions in-
clude the historic, rustic Chateau at Oregon Cave Na-
tional Monument, some 20 miles east of Downtown
Cave Junction. The building, which some call the
‘Lodge,’ has 26 rooms for lodging guests. The impos-
ing structure also includes a dining room, a coffee
shop and a gift shop. The latter contains many works
by Illinois Valley artisans. The coffee shop is open dur-
ing the day, and the dining room is open for dinner.
Tours of the Caves are offered daily.
riage to Teresa Draco?
8. Who was known as
The Master of Sus-
pense?
9. Who was the first
U.S. president to visit
the troops in Vietnam?
10. What folk group's
only No. 1 song was
1961's "Michael"?
Trivia Time Answers
1. Richard Nixon; 2.
Howdy Doody; 3. Jerry
Lee Lewis; 4. Gimli; 5.
Brussels; 6. Stevie Won-
der; 7. "On Her Maj-
esty's Secret Service";
8. Alfred Hitchcock; 9.
Lyndon Johnson; 10.
The Highwaymen's
(c) 2003 DBR Media,
Inc.
(541) 476-2127
Elderly drivers need to pay attention to limits
By MEDFORD
‘MAIL TRIBUNE’
Dark glasses on, radio
off, seat belt firmly fas-
tened, John Bergstrom
backs slowly out of his
east Medford driveway.
Mid-morning traffic is
sparse this day as he eases
the 1991 Plymouth mini-
van onto the neighborhood
streets, but Bergstrom is
cautious just the same.
At 87, he knows he
doesn’t drive like he used
to. Even after 15 years as
an AARP driving instruc-
tor, Bergstrom says he’s
alert for signs it’s time to
hang up the keys.
So when a too-narrow
construction zone leads
Bergstrom to squeal tires
against a curb, he winces.
And when he purposely
neglects to turn on a
blinker during a lane
change, he chides his pas-
sengers for not noticing.
"I feel good about my
driving," says Bergstrom.
"But I know the points that
I have to watch."
Such self-assessment
has become crucial in re-
cent weeks as serious auto-
mobile crashes involving
older drivers have riveted
local and national attention
on whether they present
heightened danger to them-
selves and others.
In June, a 92-year-old
Jacksonville man struck a
Medford pedestrian in a
shopping center parking
lot, critically injuring her.
Two weeks later, a 91-
year-old veered off Ore-
gon’s Highway 99 near
King City, killing a young
mother and her baby.
Last month, an 86-
year-old driver crashed his
Buick into an outdoor mar-
ket in Santa Monica,
Calif., killing 10 people.
More recently, a 79-year-
old man apparently lost
control of his automobile
at a Florida farmers’ mar-
ket, injuring six people.
The incidents have
renewed debate about re-
voking licenses of drivers
after a certain age, and
spawned calls for more
rigorous screening. At is-
sue is the balance between
public safety and personal
independence.
"I know myself if I lost
my ability to drive tomor-
row, it would be difficult,"
says Dina Rudesheim, 37,
an Oregon State Police
dispatcher who fields daily
complaints about local
older drivers.
"But as you age you
have to expect some
changes and make plans,”
IF
SOMEONE’S DRINKING
IS AFFECTING
YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
AL-ANON / ALATEEN
CAN HELP
1-888-794-7683
she said. “We’re not going
to let you plow over peo-
ple."
Some older drivers and
their advocates contend
that the attention arising
from recent tragedies is
misplaced.
"What I see is when
something happens, it is
magnified because of the
horror," says Ed Alcantar,
75, a statewide coordinator
for AARP’s 55 Alive driv-
ing classes.
"I’m very agile men-
tally and physically and
there’s a lot of people like
me," he says.
But even educated
drivers like Bergstrom ad-
mit that elderly motorists -
- and their families -- must
be increasingly vigilant.
"This is a problem that
seniors have," he says.
"We have to decide
whether we’re a danger to
ourselves and others."
That’s particularly true
in Jackson County, where
nearly 18 percent of some
155,000 licensed drivers
are older than 65, accord-
ing to state Driver and Mo-
tor Vehicle Services fig-
ures.
In Oregon overall,
about 14 percent of drivers
are older than 65; nation-
ally, the figure is about 10
percent.
Age alone isn’t the
issue, says Bergstrom, a
retired electronics industry
executive who drives about
5,000 miles a year. It’s
ability that counts most, he
says, detailing the most
common problems for
older drivers.
Blind corners and left
turns are precarious. Ditto
for intersections and merg-
ing traffic.
"Our main problem is
a right-of-way problem,"
he says. "We pull out in
front of people."
Speed is another issue,
Bergstrom says. If many
teen-agers drive too fast,
many seniors drive too
slow.
"We have to admit we
are a hazard because we
are slower," Bergstrom
says. "We’re legal, but
we’re a hazard."
Even when seniors
know better, accidents
happen, says Bergstrom.
Seven years ago, at age 80,
he pulled out in front of a
speeding driver at a blind
intersection, causing the
only accident of his driv-
ing career.
No one was seriously
hurt, but Bergstrom was
embarrassed.
"I said, ‘I’m giving up
as an instructor,’ " he re-
calls. "But then I realized
one of the benefits of being
an instructor is telling oth-
ers and reminding yourself
of proper technique."
Classes such as the 55
Alive Driver Safety Pro-
gram help older drivers
assess and improve their
ability.
Grace Clark, 86, of
Ashland, says last month’s
session was a valuable re-
fresher. Clark, who’s been
driving since she was a 13-
year-old farm girl, believes
she’ll know when it’s time
to turn in her keys.
"I think when I have a
hard time seeing the traffic
I’ll know,” she said.
Support the businesses that advertise
in the ‘Illinois Valley News.’
They’re our partners.
Senior Nutrition Menu
Sponsored by
is open
592-3562
You may qualify! Phone 597-2979
for eligibility dates & information
American Legion Post #70
(541) 592-2126, 474-5440
Meals are served in the
CJ County Bldg.
FRIDAY, AUG. 8
*Meat Loaf with gravy,
whipped potatoes with
gravy, seasoned
carrots, cracked wheat
bread, apple cobbler
MONDAY, AUG. 11
*Beef Chop Suey,
Oriental blend
vegetables, garden
green peas, seven grain
roll, carrot cake with
cream cheese frosting
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 13
*Roast beef with gravy,
whipped potatoes with
gravy, peas and onions,
onion bread, sugar
cookie
Saturdays:
9:30 a.m.
to
2:30 p.m.
Hours: Mondays - Saturdays
9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
For more information phone (800) 922-1025