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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (March 27, 2019)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • MARCH 27, 2019 • DWD from A1 Yelle has been given a ter- minal diagnosis by physicians. However, the precise timeline for his demise is unclear, which makes preparing to initiate the protocols for killing himself diffi cult. Yelle is nearly blind and has Parkinson’s Disease. He has also been diagnosed with di- abetes, suff ers from memory loss and has serious circulatory issues. Th ese medical problems impact Yelle every day and the severity of the symptoms as- sociated with these conditions will only increase as time pass- es. Unfortunately, there is no way to know how or when these symptoms will become so diffi cult that Yelle will wish to avail himself of the option provided by DWDA to end his own life. Th e prospect of a lingering slide towards senility and loss of control over bodily func- tions loom large as he considers his ultimate demise. “I do not want to live if I am senile or if I can’t live with dignity and I have to be taken SLSD from A1 on the board since May 2011 while Settelmeyer was elected to his seat in 2015. care of 24/7,” Yelle said. “I don’t want to have to suff er the hu- miliation of being toileted and fed and cleaned up aft er, and I want to decide when my life has gotten to the point where I want it to end. “Th e way the current law is written would not let me decide that.” Yelle’s medical prognosis holds no promise of improve- ment, as all options for recov- ery or diminishment of his symptoms have been explored and rejected as ineff ective. His uncertainty about the rate of the decline of his faculties pre- vents him from utilizing the protocols currently in place to assure he has the ability to decide to die before becoming completely incapacitated. Th e law that allows legal, supervised ingestion of med- ication to slowly stop an indi- vidual’s heart from beating is specifi c and connected to the timing associated with the ex- pectation of death. Th ere must be a diagnosis that gives a pa- tient six months to live in or- der to be eligible to receive the medication necessary to end one’s life. Yelle’s prognosis is a slow decline into senility, and there is no way of knowing when he will have only six months to live. He wants to be able to put his desires regarding the timing of his death in place before he is unable to think or communi- cate to others his desire to end his life. However, Yelle’s situation is not unique. Aft er receiv- ing calls and letters from oth- ers with similar situations, he started a non-profi t advocacy group called “End Choices,.” He has accepted a number of speaking engagements and giv- en informational presentations to seniors and their caregivers to help with confusion sur- rounding Death with Dignity issues. His non-profi t has received fi nancial support of thousands of dollars and dozens have joined in his eff orts to modify the current wording in the act. Yelle’s testimony in Salem was just one presentation that was heard by the Health Care Committee but his was the only voice raised in support of the bill. Yelle reports Th ere were a number of reli- giously affi liated organizations that spoke in opposition to the bill, primarily to oppose any legislation that reinforces Ore- gon’s DWDA. “ I was the only person repre- senting senior citizens and dis- abled that spoke. In fact, I was the only disabled person that spoke. Most of the other speak- ers were from national organi- zations with lot’s of money at stake. Th e big three were there, of course, the Catholic Church, Right to Die and Compassion- ate Choices,” Yelle said.” Th ey spoke ahead of me and none of the people that spoke against the bill was disabled or seemed to care that this will help people that are dying and are trying to do so with dignity, I think they just don’t care because there is a lot of money to be made keep- ing people alive, even when they don’t want to continue living.” Th e Death with Dignity Act (DWDA) allows terminally ill Oregon residents to obtain and use prescriptions from their physicians for self-ad- ministered, lethal medications. Under the Act, ending one’s life in accordance with the law does not constitute suicide. Th e DWDA specifi cally prohibits euthanasia, where a physician or other person directly ad- ministers a medication to end another’s life. To request a prescription for lethal medications, the DWDA requires that a patient must be: • An adult (18 years of age or older), • A resident of Oregon, • Capable (defi ned as able to make and communicate health care decisions), and • Diagnosed with a terminal illness that will lead to death within six months. Patients meeting these re- quirements are eligible to re- quest a prescription for lethal medication from a licensed Oregon physician. To receive a prescription for lethal medica- tion, the following steps must be fulfi lled: • Th e patient must make two oral requests to his or her phy- sician, separated by at least 15 days. • Th e patient must provide a written request to his or her physician, signed in the pres- ence of two witnesses. • Th e prescribing physician and a consulting physician must confi rm the diagnosis and prognosis. • Th e prescribing physician and a consulting physician must determine whether the patient is capable. • If either physician believes the patient’s judgment is im- paired by a psychiatric or psy- chological disorder, the patient must be referred for a psycho- logical examination. • Th e prescribing physician must inform the patient of fea- sible alternatives to DWDA, in- cluding comfort care, hospice care, and pain control. • Th e prescribing physician must request, but may not re- quire, the patient to notify his or her next-of-kin of the pre- scription request. Yelle made the trip to Salem in the hope that he would be able to convince legislators to support HB 2217, but he realiz- es that is unlikely, considering the public relations battle he is fi ghting with relatively little money compared to his oppo- nents. “I knew this would be hard, I just never thought so many people would oppose some- thing that will help so many people. I guess that’s what hap- pens when people care more about money than other peo- ple,” Yelle said. Merlene Martin, elected to the board in 2011, announced last year that she was not going to run for re-election. Dustin Bengtson will be running un- opposed for that position. On Bengtson’s candidate fi ling form he notes that he currently works with the US Army Corps of Engineers and as a volun- teer around the city and with the SLSD. A graduate from the University of Iowa, he states that he has “experience in bud- get development and execu- tion” in addition to personnel, assets and policy management. Th e one seat that is being contested this year is position seven. Gary Mort is the incum- bent and was elected to the po- sition in 2015. Mort, who has a doctorate degree from the Uni- versity of California Davis, is a faculty instructor in the science department at Lane Communi- ty College. Running against Mort is Demian Schwartz. As stated in her fi ling, Schwartz, who has an administrative license from the University of Oregon, is a school administrator and according to LinkedIn serves as the director at the Eugene Sudbury School. Th e Sudbury school is described on its web- site as a striving to provide a “democratic education.” According to past arti- cles from the Register-Guard, Schwartz was also involved with the Blue Mountain School charter in SLSD that was termi- nated of its charter in Decem- ber of 2008 and attempted to open a similar charter in Pleas- ant Hill in 2010. Th e fi nal day for voters to register to vote is April 30 and ballots will be mailed on May 2. Worship Directory DRAIN: HOPE U.M.C. 131 W “A” St. Drain, OR 541-315-1617 Pastor: Lura Kidner-Miesen Fellowship & Song: 11:30am Potluck Lunch: 12:00pm Worship: 12:30pm COTTAGE GROVE: 6th & Gibbs Church of Christ 195 N. 6th St. • 541-942-3822 10:00am Christian Education: Pre-K through 5th www.6thandgibbs.com Calvary Baptist Church 77873 S 6th St • 541-942-4290 Pastor: Riley Hendricks Sunday School: 9:45am Worship: 11:00am The Journey: Sunday 5:00pm Praying Thru Life: Wednesday 6:00pm Church of Christ 420 Monroe St • 541-942-8565 Sunday Service: 10:30am Cottage Grove Bible Church 1200 East Quincy Avenue 541-942-4771 Pastor:Bob Singer Worship 11am Sunday School:9:45am AWANA age 3-8th Grade, Wednesdays Sept-May, 6:30pm www.cgbible.org Cottage Grove Faith Center 33761 Row River Rd. 541-942-4851 Lead Pastor: Kevin Pruett www.cg4.tv Full Childrenʼs Ministry available Services: 9:00am & 10:45am Delight Valley Church of Christ 33087 Saginaw Rd. East 541-942-7711 • Pastor: Bob Friend Two Services: 9am - Classic in the Chapel 10:30am - Contemporary in the Auditorium First Baptist Church 301 S. 6th st • 541-942-8242 Pastor: David Chhangte Sunday School 9:30am Worship Service 11:00am Youth Wednesday 6:30pm cgfi rstbaptist.com 9A Health, Happiness & Wellness First Presbyterian Church 3rd and Adams St 541-942-4479 Rev.: Karen Hill Worship: 10:00am Sunday School: 10:00am fpcgrove.com Seventh-day Adventist Church 820 South 10th Street 541-942-5213 Pastor: Kevin Miller Bible Study: Saturday, 9:15 am Worship Service: Saturday, 10:40 Mid-week Service: Wednesday, 1:00 Hope Fellowship United Pentecostal Church 100 S. Gateway Blvd. 541-942-2061 Pastor: Dave Bragg Worship: 11:00am Sunday Bible Study: 7:00pm Wednesday www.hopefellowshipupc.com “FINDING HOPE IN YOUR LIFE” Trinity Lutheran Church 6th & Quincy • 541-942-2373 Pastor: James L. Markus Sunday School & Adult Education 9:15am Sunday Worship 10:30 am Comm. Kitchen Free Meal Tue & Thur 5:00pm TLC Groups tlccg.com Living Faith Assembly 467 S. 10th St. • 541-942-2612 Worship Services Sundays: 9a & 11a Youth Worship Sundays: 11a (all ages welcome) Mondays: 5:30p (6th-12th grades) United Methodist Church 334 Washington • 541-942-3033 Pastor:Lura Kidner-Miesen Worship: 10:30am umcgrove.org Non-Denominational Church of Christ 1041 Pennoyer Ave 541-942-8928 Preacher: Tony Martin Sunday Bible Study:10:00am Sunday Worship:10:50am & 5:30pm CRESWELL: Creswell Presbyterian Church www.pennoyeravecoc.com 75 S 4th S • 541-895-3419 Rev. Seth Wheeler Old Time Gospel Fellowship Adult Sunday School 9:15am 103 S. 5th St. • 541-942-4999 Sunday Worship Service 10:30 am Pastor: Jim Edwards website www.creswellpres.org Sunday Service: 10:00am Join in Traditional Christian Worship Individual, Family & Couples Therapy Now Accepting New Clients For Medication Management Call (503) 860-4216 To Schedule with a Therapist call (541) 514-5013 bridgescommunityhealth.com Offices in Eugene & Cottage Grove We bill OHP & Most Commercial Insurances South Lane Mental Health Serving Cottage Grove Since 1988 • Outpatient Counseling for Children, Adults & Couples • Psychiatric Medication Management • Crisis Assistance Dental Health Delaying going to the Dentist? Sedation Dentistry is a Dream come True... find out if its for You! BIRCH AVENUE DENTAL • Comprehensive General Dentistry • Advanced Cosmetic Techniques • Implants 541.942.2471 Park W. McClung, DDS & Tammy L. McClung, DDS Worship With Us! Dr. Bitner D.D.S., P.C. 350 Washington Ave • Cottage Grove Lumineers The Most Natural Veneer (behind International Fitness) 541-942-7934 Dr. Shane Parsons 605 Jefferson Ave. Cottage Grove Our Worship Directory is a weekly feature in the newspaper. If your congregation would like to be a part of this directory, contact us today! S entinel Bridges Community Health 1325 Birch Avenue, Cottage Grove St. Andrews Episcopal Church 1301 W. Main • 541-767-9050 Rev. Lawrence Crumb “Church with the fl ags.” Worship: Sunday 10:30am All Welcome C ottage G rove Counseling & Mental Health 541-942-2850 • 541-942-3939 • www.slmh.org “VICTORY” Country Church 913 S. 6th Street • 541-942-5913 Pastor: Barbara Dockery Worship Service: 10:00am Message: “WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES” Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Philip Benizi Catholic Churches 1025. N. 19th St. 541-942-3420 Father John J. Boyle Holy Mass: Saturday Vigil – 5:30 PM Sunday – 10:30 PM For weekday and Holy Day of Obligation schedule see website OLPHCG.net Confession: 4 PM to 5 PM Saturdays or by appointment St. Philip Benizi, Creswell 552 Holbrook Lane Sunday 8:30 AM A guide to local businesses committed to helping our community thrive 541-942-3325 116 N. 6th Street Cottage Grove, OR Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm Emergency appts. available daily New patients welcome 2 Hygienists available • Same friendly and caring staff Please call for an appointment at 541-942-9171 Pharmacies BI-MART Pharmacy OPEN at 9am Mon. - Sat. • Convenient Walk-Up Window 100 Gateway Blvd. • 942-9107
