Good News …

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Helaine Hepworth

Bored out of my mind, done with the day’s work, tired of listening to the silence I again started poking around in the internet. The same search as I have done before but this time I searched for “covid cases by zip code Oregon” and got projects.oregonlive.com.
I see a map. I see Portland and a few other cities. I move down the map. I noticed when I tapped my screen the zip code on the right changed. Example, I tapped Silverton, and now I can read zip code, 97381, population, 15,822. 53 cases

I kept tapping southward until I got our zip code and I read
“Population 9550, Cases <10*

The * says OHA {Oregon Health Authority} would not release numbers for any zip code with fewer than 10 cases.

97479 may have 9 cases or even no cases. If you see the map you will see that south of us, Roseburg is pale green, indicating areas that they have 18 cases per ten thousand population. Even if 97479 has 9 we would still have half the cases per ten thousand population

This doesn’t mean we should throw away our masks and party in the streets. It means we are doing it right in not letting Coivid in.

Finding this information today makes me less burdened by all the restrictions. I know they are for the good of our community. Stay Well

Posted in General Interest, News | Tagged | 3 Comments

The Latest Fashion Accessory

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Jackie Deal

Fashionable Member

Fashion has always demanded accessories. To be “in style” means more than the basics; it means the latest in fashion accessories. You know, “diamonds are a girl’s best friend”. Remember Mamma Bush and her large white pearls? As teeny boppers we wore saddle shoes and Peter Pan collars. What is “in” for the mature fashion addict is definitely not “in” for teens. But now we have a fashion accessory that is “in” for every age and is seen everywhere.
You’re right: it’s the mask: cloth or paper, colored or plain. It is definitely IN. You see lovely turquoise colors, and of course, the plain white. Then there’s every imaginable pattern, whipped up by talented seamstresses: flowers, geometrics, doggies and kitties; anything your heart desires. You could even show your political affiliation, not on your sleeve but over your mouth! And men could coordinate their baseball caps with their masks, making a definite fashion or political statement.
And the mask can be worn in various tantalizing ways. There’s the socially correct: over the mouth and nose. Then the daring: just below the nose but over the mouth. If one is careful, one can probably pass the most critical inspection with this manner. Frequently seen: the under the chin, over the ears, giving a dumbo-like look to the ears while protecting the vocal cords, ready to be snatched up the moment a “fashion cop” comes in view. The ultimate, seen on an airplane: over the eyes for a sleep mask. Talk about double-duty.
As usual, there are those who object to the latest fashion. I don’t remember the advent of the swimming suit rather than the “bathing dress”. But I do remember the coming of the bikini. Oh, scandalous. And of course the predictions, “It will never last.”
The mask isn’t scandalous, though the objections by some are almost as violent. And as for lasting? At this moment it looks pretty permanent. There are advantages to the mask. Think about the savings in lipstick! Lips can’t be seen and lipstick smeared on the inside of a mask isn’t very appetizing. So do away with lipstick. But oh my, think of the people put out of work! Lipstick makers and sellers. Entire empires might collapse.
And it’s a pain to try to eat or drink, yes, yes, you have to pull the mask down and then you have to put the mask back up. Just the energy involved might cause some folks to eat less and thus lose weight. Just think we could become the leanest, thinnest people in history!
You can’t really tell if a person is smiling or snarling behind the mask. Think of all the nastiness that could be avoided if you thought everyone was smiling at you! On the other hand, no discernible smile might make people think you were hoity-toity and your circle of friends could collapse.
There’s an old saying, “Don’t be a slave to fashion”. But in this instance it seems intelligent to adopt the latest fashion accessory knowing that like the cuffed pants and the tent dress things change with time.

 

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New local COVID-19 cases directly linked to travel outside Douglas County, especially outside Oregon

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Julianne G Crane

PORTLAND, Ore. — As of 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 18, COVID-19 has claimed three more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 257, the Oregon Health Authority reported . They also stated 353 new confirmed and presumptive cases, bringing the state total to 14,149.

Of the total number, Douglas County, is now at 83, according the the County’s COVID-19 Response Team. For a quick look at the last five days check out below:

 

Reminder: The majority of the county’s new positives have been directly linked to travel outside Douglas County, and especially those residents that have chosen to travel outside of Oregon.

“Whatever your reason for traveling, we encourage you to please consider the risk and travel in a COVID-19 safe manner,” said the Response Team. “The COVID-19 virus is still here, still infectious and will be around for quite some time.

“Current data from CDC and OHA shows that traveling and coming into contact with people from other areas DOES significantly increase your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19.

“So, before you travel, attend a party or invite your relatives from out of state to visit, you need to assess the risk to you, your family and to your local community. The bottom line is that each and every person needs to take personal responsibility for their actions and adopt the proper precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

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Gnome Gold Mine in Timber Valley SKP Park

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Sharon Elliott

The founders of the Timber Valley SKP park were wise with great foresight. It was said at the time that this property was a gold mine. They were correct!! We are positioned on a gold mine.

OH Sure Sharon, we know you. You are peddling FAKE NEWS.

Well let me tell you the story. In a recent website article written by Jackie Deal, exercise is necessary in order to assist our immune systems. My friend and neighbor Judy Leonard have taken Jackie’s advice seriously and we walk in the mornings. For weeks we looked at a lovely tree that is beautifully shaped but had big gouge at the base. The hole resembled a half shell or an alcove. We just knew the empty space was ideal for “something”.

Sure enough one morning a gnome appeared all by itself but soon another one joined him and eventually the population grew to three. The gnomes soon felt comfortable enough to bring their beasts of burden to the surface. The creatures appear like lovely colored lady bugs and we are sure these helpers perform the gold mining for the gnomes. As time went by the dirt floor of the gnome abode was replaced by a thick luxurious rug of green moss. Next the gnomes added a well placed log for safety and then draped Oregon Spanish Moss with hanging tendrils across their ceiling to make the entire area a secure, comfortable nest. In addition the door to the mine was exposed . Now how do we know this is a gold mine. Well it is quite obvious as there are piles of gold decorating the moss.

Judy, Jackie and I challenge you to stimulate your immune system by walking around this wonderful place, finding the gold mine and enjoying the wonders it has to share.

When you find it, enjoy this little happy, fun and pretty artistic fantasy project. We appreciate all that participated with the names not mentioned in order to protect the location. Seek and yee shall find.

The Gnomes awoke the Fairies and they constructed a village across the street from the gold mine.

Posted in Featured, General Interest | 5 Comments

To Mask or to Shield by Jackie Deal

Posted on July 15, 2020 by Jackie Deal

“Cover your mouth when you sneeze.” Remember Mom barking that at you? So you sneezed, or coughed, into your hand and then proceeded to spread your nasty snotty germs everywhere you touched. Forgive Mom, she didn’t know any better. Now the advice, gleamed from kindergarteners is, “Cough into your elbow.”’ Yah, it’s doubtful you’re going to touch any surface with the inner aspect of your elbow.

But with the Corona virus on the rampage we need more protection than just our elbows. Enter the ubiquitous, hated mask. It’s steamy, foggy, miserable and you’re constantly adjusting it. Act two: enter the Face Shield. That’s those futuristic looking plastic shields medical people and clerks are beginning to wear. Are they as good? As safe?

Let’s research it and see. First off, they’ve been approved by the Governor, or at least included along with masks as approved face coverings.

Dr. Adalja, M.D., a pandemic preparedness expert at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, says, “There’s a lot of at least biological possibility to suspect that [shields] are definitely better than homemade face masks, and maybe even better than other types of masks as well, because they not only prevent you from spreading it … [and] because it also covers your eyes, it provides more protection to the mucus membranes of your face where you might be getting infected.” Another benefit, says Adalja: “With a mask, you may find yourself constantly adjusting it and therefore touching your face and possibly transferring the virus from your hands, but wearing a shield doesn’t really put you in a position where you’re touching your face so much, because it’s not as cumbersome to wear.” (Love that first sentence, it takes her 30 or more words to say: “There’re just as good or maybe better.”)

James Cherry, M.D., a distinguished research professor and infectious disease expert at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, says that while experts aren’t yet sure about how vulnerable our , “With many viruses, the eyes are important.” He points to measles and adenoviruses as examples of viruses that are known to infect people through their eyes.”

You probably don’t realize how many times you touch your face even without a mask and wearing a mask only increases that. Who are we protecting? Us or them? Originally it was said that masks stopped us, if we were a nonsymptomatic corona victim, from spreading viruses to others. Then they’ve kinda equivocated (fancy word for can’t make up their minds) as to who’s protecting whom.

I’ve been told that shields were, and maybe soon will be, available at Bi-Mart and Costco. Ask for them, wear ‘em. Masks or shields: whichever floats your boat, butters your bread or protects you from Covid.

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On a scale of 1-10 … Know your risk during COVID-19

Posted on July 9, 2020 by Julianne G Crane

From the Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team (July 8, 2020): “We continue to see a surge in COVID cases throughout the United States, with national cases quickly approaching the 3 million mark. … many of our local cases were attributed to residents traveling outside of our county. As we learn more from local, regional and national data sources, we realize that this is not just a local trend. We encourage you to take the time to access your risk for contracting COVID-19 before you decide to travel outside Douglas County.”

“There have been several charts and graphics created by medical organizations that access the risk associated with common activities and travel during COVID-19, we found this one from the Texas Medical Association to be quite interesting.”

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Yes, You Can Do Something

Posted on July 6, 2020 by Jackie Deal

 

“If you’re gonna get Corona virus you’re gonna get it. Nothin’ you can do.” Right??? WRONG! Wrong! wrong! Did you know it’s your immune system that determines if you get it and how sick you’ll be? And… if you’ll die. And you can, yes, you can do things to help out your immune system.

First, what is your immune system? It’s the lymph system and all the components that make the cells that fight infection. Problem? Our immune system is growing older every day, every minute. It’s called “senescence”. Isn’t that a pretty word? Not so pretty the meaning: weakening, diminishing with age.

But you can do some very simple things to help your immune system fight Covid 19.

Most of the information in this article comes from AARP’s May Bulletin; a very well researched and documented piece. The scientist, doctors and researchers quoted have credits that would take up this whole page. So please if you want documentation, read the AARP May Bulletin.

‘Bet you can’t guess what the one most important thing is that you can do to strengthen your immune system. Nothing fancy. Just movement: exercise. “Nature Reviews: Immunology” says that “muscles generate anti-inflammatory and immunoprotective proteins called myokines.” Inflammation occurs when the immune system goes hog wild and causes problems rather than solving them. This is called “deregulation” and it can be body-wide. The proteins that protect us (help the immune system) are easier to understand. The more movement the more of them you produce. Sit around and your immune system becomes just as sluggish as you are. Get moving, produce myokines and help your immune system protect you from Covid 19. This may explain why an active 104 year old in Oregon survived Corona Virus while an inactive 52 year old died.

“Exercise may be the most important lifestyle intervention you can add”, says a professor from John Hopkins University School of Medicine. Exercise. Move. Walk.

So if exercise is the number one thing then what is number two? Weight Management. Did you know that fat, especially belly fat, produces inflammatory cytokines that cause more inflammation, and remember inflammation is one of the big things in an overall body affliction. These nasty little cytokines inhibit the immune function according to a research study done in 2018. Obese people may take 42% longer to fight off an infection and with the Corona virus that isn’t good news. Cytokins are not your best friend and the belly fat that produces most of them is not a helper.

The third immune system helper is nutrition. Good basic nutrition is essential to combat deficiencies in “immunocompetence” and the ability to fight inflammation. Good proteins and fiber help feed the “good bacteria” in your “gut”. (Yes, gut is an accepted medical term for the entire gastrointestinal tract.) And there are good bacteria and a lot of immune cells in the gut. Fiber may be your best friend, it feeds the good bacteria. Read the labels on your purchased food and you’ll be amazed: they can even take all the fiber out of cereal…a grain product.

Mastering stress, getting vaccines and taking prescribed medicines are also important. But the big 3 are exercise, weight management and good nutrition. Get going. Strengthen your immune system. It is possible!

Posted in General Interest, News | Tagged | 6 Comments

Park’s New Exit Sign is a Big Hit

Posted on June 9, 2020 by Thom Hoch

By now, most of us have seen and admired the new exit sign visible to those leaving the Park. I asked Dennis Hellawell (#66) to explain how this great new addition came about.  He, and the entire Communications Committee, deserve a big pat on the back.  Here’s the story from Dennis…

Our old Timber Valley exit sign was falling apart and in desperate need of replacement. Being on the Communications Committee I floated the idea of maybe coming up with a more contemporary, artistic look. I have a background in art, photography and computer design so I came up with this idea. It is not entirely original though. I searched the internet for graphic resources that were not copyright protected. I found many and decided on an illustration for the foreground and a photograph for the sky. I combined them on the computer and changed the colors and added the type.

The Communications Committee approved the idea and the high resolution computer file was printed at Umpqua Graphics in Roseburg. It’s basically like a large color print on a printer that can print as much as 4’ high by as long as you want. Then they laminated the print onto a strong vinyl backing and then mounted that onto a piece of polymetal, the same material we used for the background on the member photo board in the clubhouse. Much to my amazement, Umpqua Graphics only charged us $178 for the finished product and delivered it for free to the office. I dropped off the artwork to them on a Friday and they delivered it to us the following Monday. Please spread the word of this great company if you have the opportunity. Thank you to Jim Mcintosh who turned me on to Umpqua Graphics.

These are the two images referred to above. They are combined to make the image on the sign.

Background

Foreground

Posted in Featured, General Interest | 6 Comments

In Memorium, Rita Prout

Posted on May 24, 2020 by Jackie Deal

Courageous, caring, loving: Rita Prout was all of these and more. Though legally blind she completed a music degree and taught music. She co-directed a Community Theater. In Timber Valley she served on many committees, including Welcome Committee and the Library Committee. Commendable for a sighted people but requiring a high degree of courage and confidence for a sight- impaired person. Many did not realize she was blind, because she was so active and competent.

Rita was born in England and came to the United States as a ten year old. Her delightful English accent colored her speech many years later. She and Fred met when they co-directed at the Community Theater. They soon found out they had many things in common. They lived in Connecticut and Florida for a time and when they retired they bought a motor home and the road became their home; they visited 46 states after 1999.

Fred recalls when they Rv’d no traveler was ever alone for the Holidays. Rita would invite them in and Fred says “You were suddenly with us.” They stopped at Timber Valley for a week the first time and then increased their stays until they moved into Timber Valley permanently.

Rita’s eyesight was “way beyond the chart”, Fred says but she was finally fitted with glasses that improved her vision somewhat. Her genetic disorder predisposed her to cancer and she began chemotherapy treatments last January. The first treatments were horrible but with adjusted dosages she was able to tolerate them for a time. The Tuesday before she died Fred and Rita decided that she would terminate the treatments. They found that her doctor had reached the same conclusion. The doctor said she would be “uncomfortable” for 3-4 months and then feel good for several weeks.

His predictions did not come true. Rita died within one week on Tuesday, May 19th. Surviving are her husband, Fred, living at Linus Oaks in Roseburg and two daughters, Pamela in Connecticut and Robin in North Carolina.

Her many friends will miss the lady with the big smile, the beautiful white hair and the generous heart. We hope that her family will find consolation in their many happy memories of her.

Posted in Featured, Members, Obits | 7 Comments

Rita Prout… Long-Time Member

Posted on May 23, 2020 by Thom Hoch

The Timber Valley Community was deeply saddened by the recent death of Rita Prout, a well-known member.  Rita and her husband Fred moved into Timber Valley in 2009. Among the many ways she volunteered, she served on the Jacks and Jills Library Committee as Chairperson for many years. She was a generally happy spirit that uplifted everyone she met. Fred and Rita left Timber Valley in October 2019, moving to Linus Oaks Retirement Living in Roseburg. Fred and their dog, Kelly, still reside in Roseburg.

The members of Timber Valley extend our condolences to Fred and the family. Please contribute any stories or memories you have of Rita in the comments below.

A more extensive Memorial article about Rita is being planned and will be on this website shortly.

Posted in Members, Obits | 4 Comments