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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 10, 2017)
November 10, 2017 T he C olumbia P ress 6 Senior Moments with Emma Edwards Remaining positive in the wake of national tragedies “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). That verse was given to me this past weekend when we were buried in the horrific news of the shootings in Tex- as. That evening, I had plans to go out, but promptly can- celled them. In fact, I admit there was a lot of unrest in my heart and I closed my drapes early that evening, giving in to a bit of trembling until I let that verse sink in. There is another verse in the Bible about how God can turn something evil into good (I think somewhere in Genesis). Did you notice that no mat- ter what station or channel we turned to that evening, most of the speakers were calling upon God to calm the waters. Or at least encourag- ing us to do so. When a commentator was criticized for using the word “prayers” instead of “thoughts,” he retorted: “People who do not have faith don’t understand faith, I guess I’d have to say. And the right thing to do is to pray in moments like this, be- cause you know what? Prayer works.” And no, that was not a reli- gious network. I was proud to hear that our flag is to remain at half- staff for the week, too. All of us were reminded that we live in a nation that cares for one another. Then I wondered if we se- niors are more prone to giv- ing in to our fears and I had to scold myself. No. The older we are, the more traumas and upsets we have witnessed that can either make us stronger or weaker. I think the choice is ours. Our faith is sometimes chal- lenged by circumstances, but life, death –nothing -- can separate us from God. Be- cause nothing is impossible with God. (That’s in the Bible too). Too often we dwell on the negative changes we antic- ipate as we age. If we can’t bring up a name or a fact, we almost instantly assume the big A (Alzheimer’s) is coming. Back in ’09, about 57 per- cent of people over 65 re- portedly had memory loss. That number is up to 61 per- cent now. I think of aging as a blessing, reminding myself that many don’t have the privilege of a longer life. A few years ago, I clipped an article about recognizing stereotypes regarding aging. An interesting fact that I gleaned had to do with the way we seniors see ourselves when we look in a mirror. One survey showed that most people over the age of 50 see themselves as younger, while once they’re over 75, there is a slight drop. Having a pos- itive or negative lifestyle af- fected that drop. Have you noticed how we become like those with whom we associate most? A popular saying that many display in their homes nowa- days is three simple words – Love. Laugh. Play. Remember that positive people live longer. WBA: Group seeks to improve business climate Continued from Page 1 On Wednesday, the WBA and Warrenton City Com- mission held a joint meeting to discuss issues of mutual concern to ensure everyone is “all on the same page,” Mayor Henry Balensifer said at the start of the meeting. Some of the discussion fo- cused on Harbor Drive. “Harbor is almost a blank slate,” Balensifer said. “At some point, Warrenton is going to reach 10,000 peo- ple,” added Mayor Pro Tem Rick Newton. “We need to keep that as livable as we can, assist the businesses to be in the proper places. … If we can encourage retail on Har- bor street, they’re all going to benefit each other.” The first task needs to be sidewalks, Morinville said. “Livability has to start with being able to walk down the street,” she said. Harbor is part of the state highway system and the city is negotiating for ownership of it. But the city wants to en- sure the state brings the road up to standard first. Side- walks are part of that stan- dard. The state also has juris- diction over Main Avenue, Northwest Warrenton Drive and Pacific Drive, but it has proposed unloading all of them to keep its mainte- nance costs down. Commissioner Tom Dyer said sees Harbor Drive as a main thoroughfare light- ed and decorated much like Broadway in Seaside. He’s working on a plan that would use trails money to pay for sidewalks. Angora Club elects officers, looks to second century Members of Angora Hiking Club, which promotes out- door activities throughout the region, have elected new officers for 2018. They are Kathleen Hudson, president; Bob Westerberg, vice president; Aletha West- erberg, secretary; Gail Sun- derland treasurer; and Bill Herold, chief guide. The club encourages walk- ing, hiking and other out- door activities for the whole family. Other events include bikes, canoes, kayaks and potlucks. A Christmas party is set for Dec. 8. Angora Hiking Club is pre- paring to enter its second century and seeks memora- bilia and old articles. The group, which is a mem- ber of the Federation of West- ern Outdoors Clubs, pro- Submitted photo New Angora Hiking Club officers are Bob Westerberg, vice pres- ident; Bill Herold, chief guide; Aletha Westerberg, secretary: and Kathleen Hudson, president. Treasurer Gail Sunderland is not pic- tured. motes walking and hiking in Clatsop and Pacific counties. The club was named after the Thursday, Nov. 16: Pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, broccoli, split pea soup, Key lime pie. angora goat. Angora Peak, at the border of Clatsop and Til- lamook counties, is named af- ter the club. Annual membership dues is $7. For more information about the club, visit their website, angorahikingclub. org, or call Herold at 503- 468-0474. The Warrenton senior lunch program is at noon (doors open at 10:30 a.m.) Mondays and Thursdays at Warrenton Community Center, 170 SW Third St. Suggested donation is $5 for ages 55 and older; $7 for those younger. For more information, call 503-861-3502. To advertise in The Columbia Press call 503-861-3331 Senior lunch menu Monday, Nov. 13: Meat loaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, cab- bage, coleslaw, bread pudding.
