COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL May 27, 2015
9A
Anger issues? Don’t beat yourself up over it
BY NED HICKSON
News Media Corporation
“disorder” treatable by a new drug
with minor side effects, such having
your liver grow to the size of Sha-
quille O’Neal’s seat cushion.
According to Dr. Emil Coccaro of
the University of Chicago’s medical
school, what used to be known as
“road rage” has now escalated into a
nationwide problem called Intermit-
tent Explosive Disorder. By defi ni-
tion, IED involves “outbursts that are
out of proportion to the situation.”
For example: Let’s say you’re at
a drive-thru trying to order a bacon
cheeseburger and, for the seventh-
straight time, the person taking your
order insists there is no one named
“Macon the Sheep Herder” working
there, and to please place your order.
And let’s say, in frustration, you exit
your vehicle and rip the image of a
cheeseburger directly from the menu
board and begin gnawing on it, caus-
H
ello and welcome to another
edition of our special in-depth
medical feature “Health Yak.” To-
day we will be discussing a study
that suggests as many as 16 million
Americans — or roughly the number
of people who never receive their ap-
petizers during an average season of
Hell’s Kitchen — suffer from peri-
odic outbursts of anger.
I know what you’re thinking: What
makes this different from a typical
outburst of anger, like when I open
the air vent in my car and release a
cloud of spores the size of shiitake
mushrooms?
The answer, of course, is that there
IS no difference, at least not until
someone funds a clinical study, at
which point it becomes an offi cial
ing those in line behind you to drive
off through the patio area.
Chances are, you could be an IED
sufferer.
According to Dr. Coccaro, his con-
clusion was based on the results of
a nationwide, face-to-face survey of
9,282 adults who were scored based
on their response to highly formu-
lated and complex diagnostic obser-
vations, such as “I’m guessing most
dogs would probably introduce them-
selves by sniffi ng your face.”
Amazingly, all 9,282 participants
in the study were identifi ed as IED
sufferers.
“Obviously, the disorder is more
widespread than we thought,” stated
Coccaro, who then added, “You got a
problem with that?!”
To determine if you might be an
IED sufferer, answer “Yes” or “No”
to each of the following scenarios:
1) When my computer crashes, I try
to remain calm by thinking about the
solitude and freedom of skydiving,
ascending through the clouds, and
then letting my computer drop from
1,800 ft. into a lake.
2) On at least one occasion, I have
attempted to affect change and con-
tact someone in our nation’s capitol
by yelling at the top of my lungs.
3) I fi nd it diffi cult to remain calm
when, after paying $40 for gas, I have
to pay another 25 cents for AIR.
4) Because I have been told it is an
important social issue facing our na-
tion, I am frustrated by my inability
to really care if another “50 Shades”
book is ever written.
And lastly,
5) Recently, I have been perform-
ing yoga as a way to limber up before
handing out a good butt-whoopin’.
OK, tally your score by giving
yourself one point for “No” and two
points for “Yes.”
Answer key: If you took the time
to actually answer any of these ques-
tions you are an IED sufferer. Accord-
ing to the study, you should go ahead
and join the millions of Americans
already on some type of anti-depres-
sant.
And if you have a problem with
that, you KNOW where you can fi nd
me!
I’ll be waiting right here in the lo-
tus position.
Ned is a syndicated columnist with
News Media Corporation. His book,
“Humor at the Speed of Life,” is
available online at Port Hole Publica-
tions, Amazon Books and Barnes &
Noble. Write to him at nedhickson@
icloud.com
R EFERENDUM
Continued from page 1A
By all accounts, the referendum pro-
cess served as a learning experience
both for petitioners and city and county
governments, as it is believed that a ref-
erendum has not been sought in Cot-
tage Grove in over two decades.
After news of the shortage of signa-
tures surfaced, Cottage Grove Mayor
Tom Munroe said the failure of the
referendum “takes a lot of pressure off
people to do their jobs,” including city
staff and elected offi cials.
“We’ve still got a representative gov-
ernment here,” Munroe said. “People
vote us into offi ce believing that we’re
going to make the right decisions. The
plan isn’t set in stone; it’s only a start,
a foundation.”
Munroe himself expressed his reser-
vations with widening sidewalks and
narrowing the travel lanes of Main
Street during the City Council’s fi nal
worksession on the Refi nement Plan,
and he put forth a compromise that
would essentially split the difference
by reducing the width of the travel lane
from 16 to 14 feet, as opposed to the 12
½ feet called for by the plan. Munroe
said he was concerned that Main Street
should remain a viable corridor for
larger vehicles, a concern echoed by
Councilor Jeff Gowing, though the ef-
fort to compromise was dropped when
it became apparent that the Mayor
would be outvoted. Gowing would be
the only councilor to vote against the
plan.
“I had several people tell me that if
they had gone with my compromise,
we wouldn’t have had to do the peti-
tion,” Munroe said. “But the plan is a
‘need-to,’ not a ‘want-to.’ We need to
redo Main Street, and if we’re going to
do it, we have to do it right.”
City Manager Richard Meyers said
the City can now begin targeting fund-
ing to cover the approximately $9 mil-
lion the Main Street Refi nement Plan is
expected to cost, adding that the City
has already been discussing ways to
minimize the impact of construction on
downtown businesses.
Community Development Director
Howard Schesser said that, while the
city planning department is pleased
that the plan will move forward, he
believes that it probably would have
passed muster with voters if it had gone
to a public vote.
B RICKER
Continued from page 8A
years until he started his own
remodeling and construction
business in 1965. For the next
23 years he earned a reputation
for providing high quality work
at an affordable price. “At one
time, I had a key to nearly every
house on West Main Street,” he
said.
Local car dealer Bud Betz
hired Bricker, in 1971, to dis-
mantle an older house on North
9th Street to make a car lot. The
house was so well-built and
well-designed Bricker bought
it for his family and moved it
12 blocks to its current location
on the corner of 11th and Geer
Street.
When chronic knee pain
forced him to retire in 1988,
he and Lucille enjoyed travel-
ing and gardening. He’s been a
radio collector all his life. He
fi lled his home with radios of
all shapes and sizes from rare,
furniture-style antique radios
– from the 1920s and 1930s to
the colorful modern-day plastic
novelty radios.
He and Lucille had three
girls: Judy, Carolyn and Arlene.
After 66 years of marriage, Lu-
cille died in 2012. He now lives
in Magnolia Gardens and enjoys
being a grandpa to his 11 grand-
children and 12 great-grandchil-
dren.
The transition to assisted liv-
ing ignited two new passions in
his life: singing and writing po-
etry. Although he never sang in
the church choir, he now sings
traditional hymns with other
residents. He also writes poems
about his life experiences and
his faith in Jesus Christ.
In 2011, in a local town hall
meeting, Oregon House Speaker
Bruce Hanna honored Bricker’s
for his exemplary military ser-
vice. Bricker said his time in the
U.S. Navy was memorable and
he is grateful for the opportunity
to be part of this month’s Honor
Flight.
“Glen is a wonderful person
who deserves public recogni-
tion. Our church is proud of his
faithfulness to The Lord and to
his country,” Earlywine said.
BOND COMMITTEE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Skilled Nursing at Coast Fork Nursing
Walking into Coast Fork one can tell this is a place filled with camaraderie
and closeness. This place radiates with the loyalty, love and laughter of old
friends. Spending time at Coast Fork Nursing Center is like joining a group
of life-long friends for coffee. The laugher spills over into the hallways, the
appreciation for each other rings in the words they say, and the commit-
ment to the future is evident in each and every heart.
Onsite Services provided by COAST FORK NURSING CENTER
• Activities • Housekeeping • Nursing
• Occupational therapy • Physical therapy
• Social work • Speech/language pathology
515 Grant Avenue, CG • 541.942.5528
South Lane County Fire & Rescue is looking for
interested Fire District residents to serve on a Capital
Equipment Bond Committee. Committee members
will work with Fire District staff in analyzing Fire
District needs, then prepare a recommendation to the
Fire Board. Anyone interested should submit a letter
of interest that includes a brief description of their
background and why they believe they should be
appointed to the Bond Committee. Letters of interest
must be at the district offi ce at 233 E. Harrison in
Cottage Grove no later than 5:00 pm May29th, 2015.
Everyone Can Ride to Local and Metro Destinations
Providing Public, Accessible
Transportation to the Region
541.942.0456
Cottage Grove, OR 97424
www.southlanewheels.org
BOND COMMITTEE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Health Services Directory
Counseling & Mental Health
South Lane Mental Health
Douglas G. Maddess, DMD
Serving Cottage Grove Since 1988
Preventive and
Cosmetic
Family Dentistry
Dental Health
New Patients Welcome
Jonathan E. Backer, D.D.S.
Preventive and Cosmetic
Family Dentistry
942-8437
1551 E. Main St.
350 Washington Ave s Cottage Grove
The Most Natural Veneer
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Dr. Shane Parsons
605 Jefferson Ave.
Cottage Grove
New Patients
Welcome
Dr. Bitner D.D.S., P.C.
Lumineers
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1325 Birch Avenue, Cottage Grove
541.942.2471
Park W. McClung, DDS & Tammy L. McClung, DDS
Our services include:
·Primary Care
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·Laboratory
·Emergency
Department
·Physical Therapy
·Imaging
·Walk-In Clinic
·Medical Out-Patient Services
peacehealth.org/cottage-grove U 1515 Village Drive
Hospital: 541-767-5500 U Medical Clinic: 541-767-5200
Pharmacies
BI-MART Pharmacy
OPEN at 9am Mon. - Sat. U Convenient Walk-Up Window
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