Columbia Gorge News
www.columbiagorgenews.com
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
B5
SENIOR LIVING
Internet offers plenty of learning opportunities
Senior
Living
Scott
McKay
F
ROM THE FIRST PUB-
lic demonstration of
network technology
and the development of
electronic mail in 1972, the
Internet has revolutionized
the computer and com-
munications world. Today
we can shop online at Fred
Meyer and pick up our
groceries and then go home
and stream our favorite
TV shows or log on to one
of the many websites that
offer more online classes in
response to the pandemic.
During the pandemic, I’ve
had time to discover several
websites offering a variety of
classes. Two of my favorites
are Oasis and Senior Planet.
Both encourage lifelong
learning by offering classes
to learn and explore in this
digital age. At Oasis Lifelong
Adventure (www.oasisnet.
org) you can find virtual
classes from “Cybersecurity
Scavenger Hunt” to the
“History of Halloween,” and
at Senior Planet (senior-
planet.org) classes from
“Easy-to-Follow Tai Chi” to
“Streaming and Smart TVs”.
Locally, Kerry Cobb will
teach a virtual class on
Modern Art. She will be
using the book What Are
You Looking At to tell “the
surprising, shocking and
sometimes strange story of
150 years of modern art —
without all the jargon and
pretentiousness.” The class
will be online, but you can
also watch her presentation
at the Mid-Columbia Senior
Center on the big-screen TV.
Copies of the book
are available to borrow
or purchase at the Mid-
Columbia Senior Center
thanks to a grant from the
Wasco County Cultural
Trust. The 10-session class
will be every third Tuesday
of the month from 11 a.m.
to noon beginning with the
Impressionists on Nov. 16.
The book isn’t required but
you do need to register for
the class by calling 541-296-
4788 or emailing mcse-
niorcenter@gmail.com.
Most of us are fortunate.
We still drive, have adequate
retirement income, a house
that is paid for, and now our
children are buying us gifts
— which we don’t have any
room for! Life is good. But
many older adults face vari-
ous challenges: Inadequate
housing, inability to prepare
healthy meals, poverty, iso-
lation and loneliness.
For those of you who
live in The Dalles, you are
invited to attend a virtual
Community Conversation
on Aging. Your voice will
help identify our community
strengths and the challenges
older adults face in order
to influence state and local
policies. It is hosted by Age+
and will be held on Nov. 4
from 6-8 p.m. Since it is vir-
tual, you will need to register
at www.ageplus.org/register
to receive the link for the
conversation.
If you are concerned
about the environment, you
should read next week’s
“Through the Eyes of an
Elder.” Susan Hess writes
about her passion to protect
the environment and how in
her 70s, when most people
are considered over the hill
and tumbling down the back
side, she started an online
environmental magazine.
Not all of us have Susan’s
skills, but is there a passion
of yours you want to revive?
•••
The name of Hanna-
Barbera’s space-age
animated series portraying
life one hundred years in
the future was the Jetsons.
I received correct answers
from Emmett Sampson,
Steven Woolpert, Jeannie
Pesicka, Doug Nelson, Gene
Uczen, Lana Tepfer, Rose
Schulz, Dave Lutgens, Patty
Burnet, Margo Dameier,
Mike Yarnell, and Rhonda
Spies, this week’s winner of a
quilt raffle ticket. Last week I
missed Mike Nagle.
I can’t remember where I
placed whatever was in my
hand two minutes ago, but
I do remember this televi-
sion series from 1952-1956
when I was just a wee boy.
For this week’s “Remember
When” question, what was
the name of the popular
comedy series starring Eve
Arden as the sardonic high
school teacher and Gale
Gordon as the blustery high
school principal? Email
your answer to the mcse-
niorcenter@gmail.com, call
541-296-4788, or mail it with
a picture of Walter Denton
from the 1956 Madison High
School yearbook
•••
Well, it has been another
week zigzagging from one
distraction to another. Until
we meet again, don’t forget
to take time to take care of
yourself.
•••
“Nobody ever said that
growing old would be easy.
Just having to hold the
newspaper out in your 40s
and then hair growing out of
unusual parts of your body
in your 50s. It’s tough on the
ego.”
— Geoffrey Rush
•••
Nutritious home-deliv-
ered meals and pick-ups are
available for anyone over
sixty. For more information,
you can call the meal site in
your area.
Hood River Valley Adult
Center at 541-386-2060 —
open for in-person dining;
Sherman County Senior
and Community Center
at 541-565-3191 — open
for in-person dining; The
Dalles Meals-on-Wheels at
541-298-8333 — now open
for in-person dining Tuesday
through Thursday; Klickitat
County Senior Services
— Goldendale office at
509-773-3757 or the White
Salmon office at 509-493-
3068; Skamania County
Senior Services at 509-427-
3990. Seniors of Mosier
Valley — call 541-980-1157
at least one day in advance
to order a Grab-N-Go meal.
Monday and Wednesdays
from 11-11:30 a.m.
The City Council: A fictional narrative of rural life in the American West
Episode 173: River Current Power Delivers
■ By Jim Tindall
River Currents Power
has been true to its word, to
its potential, to the prom-
ise of free power to all in
Warhaven. The company’s
founders have very success-
fully built the technology
to draw power from rivers
using portable equipment
with only a six foot by six foot
footprint on one bank and
a four inch steel post on the
other. Their inflated tubes
of low density polyethylene
and magnesium alloy Pelton
wheels were working so well
these RCP systems were
selling well on six continents.
The first broad stroke of
the company’s generosity
was the funding for and
laying of underground lines
throughout city limits. This
took two years of New Hope
County Public Utilities
District, City of Warhaven,
and private contractor
partnerships.
Now the next step
would be taken. RCP
principals Wilbur Weston,
Bill Singleton, and Perry
Cloverdale remained
committed to Warhaven’s
prosperity and their initial
contract with the city. Each
now owned homes in town
and all three were raising
families. Their success in en-
gineering and in finance had
not gone to their heads.
While RCP’s business park
footprint did not expand
much up at the airport, their
floor-space did. Curious
citizens birthed rumors the
facility was excavated down
10 stories — and that they
spread out in all directions
like a coal mine! In fact, the
building had five basement
levels, in addition to the
three stories above ground.
Research and develop-
ment occupied the lowest,
most secure basement.
They continued to refine
the technology and the
materials to stave off the
competition that was indeed
thrashing about everywhere.
Commitment to quality paid
off every step of the way. In
the beginning the principals
had hit the ground running
and had caught any existing
potential competition com-
pletely flat-footed.
Tonight’s meeting of the
Warhaven City Council finds
the council chamber packed.
The agenda is a public
matter, of course, so hopeful
constituents are giddy,
chatting away as councilors
stroll in, taking their seats up
front. Mayor Orin Holman
lays wide his three-ring
notebook and sets down
his open pocket watch. He
reads, reviewing the agenda,
then scans his colleagues for
their focus.
The gavel falls once. “It is
7. I call this meeting of the
Warhaven City Council to
order.”
Following the routine
business and department
reports, Orin brings up the
RCP contract.
“Ladies and gentlemen,
it has been a long time
coming, but we are finally
here and River Currents
Power will begin to pay your
electrical energy kilowatt us-
age fees beginning the first
of next month.”
Applause is enthusiastic
and shouts of good cheer fill
the council chamber until
the mayor strikes his gavel
three times.
“Now, as I was say-
ing, Misters Cloverdale,
Singleton, and Weston have
been true to their word.
With robust sales in all
corners of the planet, these
men are now the town’s
greatest benefactors, and we
applaud you.”
More noises of gratitude
rise amid the sea of smiling
faces.
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The gavel strikes again.
“What started as tests on the
Big and Rushing Rivers and
Caldwell Branch are now
fully functional along with
systems on Smith, Panther,
and Japer Creeks, on Red
Fox Run and Cinnamon Bear
Brook.
“As agreed upon among
the New Hope County Public
Utility District, the City of
Warhaven, and RCP, residen-
tial and business users will
no longer pay for kilowatt
hours, yet the meters will
continue to be monitored to
assess value to the charitable
giving made by the compa-
ny, which they will leverage
for taxation and granting
purposes. Users will contin-
ue to pay their monthly hook
up fees.”
For the record, Orin
Holman of the West
Hills, Debbie Dacnic
of Downtown, Tootie
McDaniels of Uptown,
George Ansbach of the
Plateau, and Ike Moseseek of
the Craggies all vote in favor
of proceeding. The meeting
ends with many congratu-
latory slaps on the back and
exaggerated handshakes.
Illustration by Peggy Ohlson
Two months later, all
the cogs and wheels of this
power bounty are working
well bureaucratically and
electrically.
Local businesses reported
a distinct uptick in sales,
and curiously, Warhaven
Building Supply noted a
big increase in consumer
interest in energy saving ap-
pliances. Prior to the council
meeting, Debbie nudged her
peer to her left.
“It’s Curious, George!”
exclaimed Warhaven’s
newest city councilor,
Debbie Dacnic. “How odd
that this gift from business
is a boon for conservation.
Now that’s a paradox.”
George Ansbach smiles at
this surprising truth.
401-K Plans
Start Ups
Rollovers
Consulting
Education
Gary Akiyama, CPIA
AKIYAMA FINANCIAL
SERVICES, LLC
AKIYAMA FINANCIAL
SERVICES, LLC
Call 800-620-0950 or email
gary@akiyamafinancial.net.
Call 800-620-0950 or email
gary@akiyamafinancial.net.