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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 8, 2019)
February 8, 2019 T he C olumbia P ress Senior Moments 7 Warriors basketball vs. Willamina Girls 72-37 Boys 37-48 See more photos at www.thecolumbiapress.com with Emma Edwards Only you can decide if a dog or cat will benefit you more We seniors claim to know a lot about illness, medicines and cures. I recently read some quotes by Voltaire, a controversial figure born in 1694 in France. His full name was Fran- cois-Marie Arouet. Perhaps only seniors would attest to this one: “The art of medicine consists in amus- ing the patient while nature (Emma says, God) heals the disease.” I wonder if Voltaire owned a dog or a cat? Just for fun, I’ll relate a sto- ry many of us can identify with: “This morning, I saw my neighbor talking to her cat. It was obvious that she thought her cat understood her. I went in the house and told my dog. We just laughed and laughed!” When I had my cocker span- iel, George, I would call him on the phone if I was going to be gone and speak to him through my answering ma- chine. Quit laughing! I’ll bet some of you have done the same thing. Some geriatric doctors and counselors tell us that having a dog or cat can give seniors a longer and more healthful life. Which one is smarter or more helpful, a dog or a cat? Many seniors enjoy life with one or the other. Over the years, cat owners and dog owners have debated the question without resolution. After doing some research, it appears either is good for the senior. It’s been said that cats pro- vide a positive trend associ- ated with heart disease, with those who own a cat being 30 percent less likely to die of a heart attack. Cats also come out the leader when it comes to the cost of food, medicine, vet care, toys and hair care. However, many seniors have fragile skin. My neigh- bor’s cat loved her by pawing, which caused scratches and bleeding. Cats have more of a tenden- cy to sit on one’s lap, whereas certain breeds of dogs are not lap dogs. However, I have never owned a dog that wasn’t a snuggler. As many know, we have an amazing animal shelter in Warrenton. Contact the Clatsop County Animal Shel- ter should you decide to give your lap a cat or even a dog. Shelter personnel usually can tell you something about a potential pet’s personality, including whether it’s a “lap- per.” The shelter is by the North- west Senior and Disabili- ty building on 19th Street. Here’s their phone number: 503-861-0748. They will even let you into the cat room so you can see which one jumps on your lap. This place has so much to offer; they are there for you even if all you want to do is volunteer to walk dogs or pet cats. I am dog-less and cat-less at the moment and am leaning toward an inside cat. I forgot to mention the se- curity feature of dogs, among other benefits. Actually, both dogs and cats offer lots of benefits for us se- niors. You will have to decide if you want a lapper or a yapper. Bruce Dustin/The Columbia Press Claire Bussert (5) shoots for two points against Willamina. Bruce Dustin/The Columbia Press Devin Jackson (24) and Dalton Knight (1) grab a rebound. Girls win, boys lose in play against Willamina B y B ruCe d ustin The Columbia Press Warrenton’s boys and girls basketball teams faced off against Willamina Tuesday night, with the girls winning handily, but the boys going down in defeat. “We played a really good game,” Coach Robert Hoep- fl said. “I couldn’t be more proud of the girls. We’re get- ting ready for state and the girls came out and played like the winners, like the War- riors that they are.” The Warrior girls blud- geoned the Bulldogs 72-37. Claire Bussert led the War- renton attack with 24 points. Kenzie Ramsey, with five three-pointers, had 17 points. Fernanda Alvarez had 16 points. The Warrior girls return to the home court against Rain- ier tonight, Feb. 8, when it will be Senior Night. On the boys’ side, Warren- ton’s starting forward Ayden Smith was benched due to an ankle injury and the Willam- ina Bulldogs dominated the night, 48-37. “We just came out flat in the first half,” admitted Coach Nate McBride. The half time Senior lunch menu Monday, Feb. 11: Tuna, rice pilaf, mixed vegetables, potato corn soup, bread pudding. Thursday, Feb. 14: Chicken Parmesan, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, coleslaw, apple pie. 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. score was 26-14. “We can’t do that and win,” he said. “We did better in the second half (34-28 after three quarters), but we’d dug our- selves a big hole and it was hard to come back.” Dalton Knight scored a team high 14 points for the Warriors. They, too, play Rainier at home tonight. Astor Street puts on Robin Hood Astor Street Opry Company presents “Robin Hood: The Musical” at 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays Feb. 16 through March 3. The children’s theater pro- duction is through special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Services of Colorado and is directed by Patricia VonVintage. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and younger and can be pur- chased at asocplay.com.
