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February 2012
Dance party-style workout good for the heart and brain alike
Zoom-zoom-Zumba!
Zoom-zoom-Zumba!
Tresa Flowers of Winston, 62, says Zumba and other class-format workouts appeal to her because she has to get out of the of the house to get moving. Besides, its fun, she says.
MICHAEL SULLIVAN The News-Review
Dance party-style workout good for the heart and brain alike
Some people jump around a lot; some dont. You make it work to fit you, not the other way around.
Kathy James Winston
INSTON Its a midJanuary night, and a punishing winter storm is forecast to arrive
within hours. Yet all three doors of the Cub Cafeteria at Brockway Elementary School are propped wide to usher in every bit of glacial air. Despite the draft and a whirring fan or two, the cafeterias interior is hot, hot, hot. That would be the mood rather than the temperature. This is Zumba night, and some 50 bodies are pumping and vaulting to music set at a sternumpounding volume. Instructor Meg Burnham is sparing in the commands she issues during lunges and shimmies. Most of her
directions are silent and spirited. But a few require vocalization. Horse! she cries, whipping her arm in a simulated lasso. Big A! is followed by a spring into a pose that resembles the first letter of the alphabet. The class echoes with the odd Whoo-hoo! and a trilled Brrrrr-ahha-ha! At one point, participants form two facing lines and make hammering motions punctuated by Hey! Hey! Hey! This is not a class for the listless. That said, participants claim that one of the beauties of Zumba is that its as vigorous as you want to make it. Having a low-wattage night? Its OK to amp down a notch or two. It can be intense, but you put in as
much as you want out of it, said 58year-old Kathy James of Winston, who likes to bring hand-held weights to increase her upper-body strength. Some people jump around a lot; some dont. You make it work to fit you, not the other way around. Although Zumba is most often associated with fast-moving Latin-inspired music, it does incorporate other genres and slower rhythms. Primarily an aerobic exercise, it includes resistance training as well in the form of lunges and squats. Anyone turned off by organized exertion should be aware that Zumba is structured less like a boot camp and more like a dance party. And the guest list can be quite diverse.
Please see ZUMBA, page 3
Zumba classes
Zumba classes are available in various places around Douglas County. This list isnt comprehensive, as Zumba sessions tend to pop up all over with little fanfare. Check with individual sites for dates, times and prices. The following classes are offered through Umpqua Community Colleges community education program and are offered at various times throughout the year. For information or to register, call 541-440-7650. Brockway Elementary School, 2520 Brockway Road, Winston Eastwood Elementary School, 2550 S.E. Waldon Ave., Roseburg Glide High School, 18990 N. Umpqua Highway Roseburg Armory, 111 General Ave. South Umpqua High School, 501 N.W. Chadwick Lane, Myrtle Creek Sunnyslope Elementary School, 2230 Cannon Ave., Roseburg Sutherlin Middle School, 649 E. Fourth St. Here are other Zumba class sites:
DRAIN Second to None (antiques shop) 235 C St. 541-913-9778 REEDSPORT Coastal Rhythm 495 Fir Ave. 541-707-0112 Key Club Fitness 50 River Bend Road 541-271-6802 1950 Winchester Ave. (former Marketron Broadcast Solutions) 541-290-0669 ROSEBURG Central Douglas County Family YMCA 1151 Stewart Parkway 541-440-9622 Church of God Prophecy 4342 Douglas Ave. 310-614-4223 Downtown Fitness & Aerobics 722 S.E. Jackson St. 541-378-6975 Fitness First 440 N.E. Oakland Ave. 541-673-0555 SCOTTSBURG Community Center, Highway 38 (west end of town, just east of Scottsburg bridge) 541-290-0669 SUTHERLIN Sutherlin Curves for Women 303 W. Central Ave. 541-459-0748 Umpqua Golf Resort 1919 Recreation Lane 541-459-4423
Zumba:
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
Burnham, a 42-year-old Winchester resident, said her students range from teens and 20-something moms seeking to lose baby weight to boomers with leg warmers and white hair. One of her classes had a 12-year-old and a 90-year-old. The Brockway Elementary group is one of two Burnham is teaching this year through Umpqua Community Colleges community education program. Dillard-area resident Pam Moore, a school bus driver, said she likes the class demographic. Its her favorite activity outside the house, she said. One reason why I enjoy it so much is it reminds me of my youth. I spent a lot of time in dance classes as a young woman, said Moore, 55. I dont get tired, and Meg gives us so much energy. Canyonville resident Dan Copeland has been taking Zumba classes in South County for about a year for cardiovascular health. A survivor of two triple-bypass surgeries, the 70-year-old Copeland said he cant handle the boredom of a treadmill. But he likes to dance, and he said Zumba has strengthened his back and boosted his energy. He recommends that other men sign up for Zumba to save their lives. Men dont move like women, but it doesnt matter. It helps every part of your body, because youre using your arms and legs and getting up your heart rate, he said. Burnham said one of Zumbas distinctive features is the repetition of movement. There are about four to six dance steps, with little verbal cuing. So if you hear, Shell be comin round the mountain, you know to do a jumping jack, Burnham said. That makes Zumba particularly good for older people because it reinforces mindbody memory, according to Burnham. Perhaps equally important, she said, is the effort a good instructor will make to create an atmosphere in which students dont feel judged. If youre on your left leg, it doesnt matter if someone else is on their right, she said. We want people to walk away feeling successful. Participant Connie Johnston, a 62-yearold switchboard operator for Roseburg Forest Products, has herself taught various types of fitness classes for about 25 years. She lauds Zumba for its accessibility. As an instructor, you have to reach out to people for all different levels of ability and health issues, and this is an exercise you can do even if youve never done it before, she said. No matter what skill level you are, you can participate. Burnham likes to add a social aspect to what she calls her Zumba community. She selects themes for each class cycle and plans fund drives to benefit schools or nonprofit groups. This term, shes arranging a high-jeans dress-up night, a play
on words to raise money for hygiene items to be distributed by an agency assisting the homeless. The fun-fellowship blend gives yet another dimension to Burnhams classes, which on one recent night stretched beyond 60 minutes to include squats, abs and a cool-down period. As she prepared to gear down, Burnham demonstrated an abdominal movement she wanted students to do slowly, and therefore more efficiently. Why is this hard? she asked, prompting a murmured response from the back. Wait a minute. Did I just hear, Because were old? Burnham said, exaggerating her disbelief. Come on, now. Youre killing me. You can reach Encore Editor Tricia Jones at 541-9574216 or tjones@nrtoday.com.
MICHAEL SULLIVAN/The News-Review
Zumba instructor Meg Burnham leads a workout last month at Brockway Elementary School. Burnham teaches this course through Umpqua Community Colleges community education program, but other Douglas County sites offer the lively Latin-based exercise as well.
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omputers and the Internet have greatly changed the way people research their genealogy. Before the development of photography (microfilming) to preserve genealogical records, people pretty much needed to travel to the Patricia places where Gausnell their ancestors Family Tree lived. There they would visit courthouses, cemeteries, and churches to study original records. It is still very satisfying and productive to travel to ancestral homes and get in touch with your roots. Yet now, it is often possible to learn a lot about ones ancestors from home, using the Internet. There are many thousands of websites that contain genealogical information. New information is being added constantly. Many of these websites cost money to use, but many are free. I have nothing against those sites that cost money, as they often provide valuable services that are currently unavailable elsewhere.
FamilySearch is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which teaches that the family unit can continue to exist beyond mortal life. The Church owns 2.4 million rolls of microfilm containing billions of historic documents. These records are housed in the Granite Mountain Records Vault in the Wasatch Mountains, a dry, environmentcontrolled facility used for long-term record storage. In recent years, technological advances have made it possible to build a digital highway for researchers through two processes called scanning and indexing. Records are being converted from microfilm to digital pictures that are being made accessible via the Internet. Advanced computer systems are used to convert rolls of microfilm into high-quality digital images. This process is making genealogy work much more convenient. Instead of needing to travel to records depositories, or to Family History Centers to read microfilm, researchers are able to access those documents online in the comfort of their homes. In conjunction with FamilySearch Scanning, indexes of information are being compiled with the help of thousands of volunteers. These contributors extract
family history information from the digital images of historical documents, enabling others to search for relevant information more efficiently. Many of these images and indexes are currently available on FamilySearch. They span billions of names across hundreds of collections, including birth, marriage, death, probate, land, military, and more. If you are interested in accessing this information, simply go to the FamilySearch home page, key in the name of an ancestor, and perhaps a little more identifying information. This will initiate a search of all available records. On the lower left side of the screen you will be able to click on specific geographic locations to narrow your search. Below that you can click on all record collections to show a list of all collections currently available. Many entries on this list have an icon of a camera to the left of the title. This means that the images themselves are available as well as the index. I find myself using this website more and more often. I highly recommend it. Patricia Gausnell is a volunteer in the Roseburg Family History Center. For more information about the center, call 541-6721237.
Encore
Published by The News-Review 345 N.E. Winchester St. Roseburg, Oregon 97470 Phone: 541-672-3321 Encore Editor: Tricia Jones Design Editor: Julie K. Byrd-Jenkins News-Review Editor: Vicki Menard Advertising Director: Pat Bridges
All contents copyrighted and may not be reproduced without consent of The News-Review. Encore appears the first Monday of each month.
Email correspondence regarding this publication may be sent to tjones@nrtoday.com. ON THE COVER: Winstons Kathy James works out during a recent Zumba class at Brockway Elementary School in Winston.
MICHAEL SULLIVAN/The News-Review
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ear Reader, A few years ago a friend sent me a brooch along with a note, which read: This was my mothers, and I thought you might enjoy it. My friends mother had recently Suzanne Beecher passed away. Commentary I was touched, but a little confused. Why was she sending me the brooch, instead of keeping it herself? But then I remembered my mothers clown outfits. After my mother passed, sorting through
her things was an emotional and overwhelming task. Obviously I couldnt keep everything. Most of Moms things I boxed up and gave to charity. But some things had been very special to my mother, like her clown outfits (she was a clown every year in her hometown parade). I didnt want to keep the clown costumes, but I did want to find them a good home. One costume was pink with stripes and polka-dots. The other was multi-colored, with blue, red, green, and yellow. I remember my mother telling the story about how she made her first pink clown outfit: I couldnt find a pattern (knowing Mom, she was probably trying to save money), so I laid down on the floor, on top of a long piece of brown mailing paper, and I had the neighbor lady draw around my body. There isnt any form to a clown outfit. Its just a baggy piece of material to
slip into, then pull the string around the neck and tie it off. Add some pink yarn pom-poms down the front, sew a scalloped collar, put on make-up, add a colored wig and Im a clown. Mom wasnt only a clown every year in the parade. Every now and then, at her crossing guard job, shed be clownin around (in costume) while helping school kids cross the street. So what to do with the clown outfits? I couldnt just box them up for charity. Thats when a neighbor knocked on the door. Casserole in hand, the neighbor lady offered her condolences and then went on to tell me her memories of my mother dressing up like a clown. She confessed she secretly wanted someday to be as bold as my mother, and be a clown in the parade. Instantly I knew Id found a good home.
Hang Moms clown costumes in your closet, I told the neighbor, theyll be waiting for you when youre ready. It started with the brooch. Every now and then, someone elses treasure shows up on my doorstep looking for a good home. I wanted you to have this apron my aunt made for me 40 years ago, when I got married. A beloved brooch and an apron that had been in a family for 40 years ... Im honored to give them a good home. Thanks for reading with me. Its so good to read with friends. Suzanne Beecher, author of Muffins and Mayhem: Recipes for a Happy (if Disorderly) Life, invites you to read at her online book clubs, found at www.DearReader.com. She can be reached at Suzanne@EmailBookClub.com.
Love is in the air, but dont allow your benefits to waft away
alentines Day is just around the corner, making this a popular time of year for proclamations of love. Such displays of affection can be as simple and sweet as a heart with a be mine message, or as life-altering as a vow before the altar. If you happen to be a newlywed who is head over heels in love, you may not be focused on down-to-earth topics such as
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taxes or Social Security, but you should be. If you plan to exchange your maiden name for a married name including hyphenated names such as Smith-Jones be sure you let us know. Telling us about your name change shortly after your marriage will help us accurately keep track of your earnings and will ensure that you and your family get the
Social Security retirement, disability, and survivors coverage to which youre entitled. Also, if the Internal RevSocial Security enue Service and Social Security records do not show the same name and Social Security number, your Federal income tax refund could be delayed. If you continue to use your maiden name consistently throughout your working years, you do not need to contact us. However, if you decide to change your name at a later time, you should let us know so that we can update your Social Security record and send you a Social Security card with your new name. Theres no need to pay someone else to mail in the information for you. Changing your name with Social Security is a quick,
Alan Edwards
easy, and free service. Just go online to www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber, learn what documents you need, and click on Fill Out and Print an application (Form SS-5). You also can call us at 1-800-7721213 to obtain the form. We will need the completed application along with a marriage certificate or divorce decree verifying your old and new names. If you were born outside the United States, you also need proof of your U.S. citizenship or proof that you are lawfully living in the U.S. You can bring or mail these documents to us. And if you like us (we hope you do), please click on the Facebook icon at our home page and like us on Facebook. You can also follow us on Twitter. Look for our Facebook and Twitter icons at www.socialsecurity.gov. We share information daily that can help you and all your Valentines. Happy Valentines Day from Social Security! Alan Edwards is an information specialist with the Social Security Administration.
Your private Medicare supplement insurance does NOT cover your long-term care expenses.
For information on long-term care insurance call:
Wishing our Riverview Terrace Residents and Everyone A Happy Valentines Day!
(541) 673-2298
541-672-2500
ENCORE
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y January column covered spousal inheritance and a spouses right to take an elective share of her deceased spouses estate, in lieu of a lesser share that may be provided in her spouses will. The following is taken Elder Law from a case that dealt with this type of situation. The husband entered into joint, mutual and reciprocal will contracts with his first wife, in which they promised to leave their entire respective estates to each other. The survivor would then leave the combined estate equally to their six children. She died, and her husband received the proceeds of her estate. The man remarried three years later. At the time of the marriage, he owned substantial real estate holdings and stocks and bonds in his own name
Bruce Coalwell
The Douglas County AARP Driver Safety Program Team is offering two classes for the month of February. The course is designed for drivers aged 50 and older; however, its open to younger people as well. You do not need to be a member of AARP to take the course. Course fees are $14 per person. AARP members will receive a $2 discount. Oregon law requires all auto insurance carriers to offer a discount on premiums to qualified graduates, age 55 and older, of approved programs such as this one. Beginning this year, the course has been consolidated into six hours of instruction during one session. Participants must complete the six hours to graduate and receive the benefit. All classes will be held between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Each participant is encouraged to bring a sack lunch. Following is a schedule of area classes for this month. Feb. 16 Mercy Community Education Center, 2459 Stewart Parkway, Roseburg. Instructor: Steve Barfield. To register, call 541-672-1016. Feb. 28 Linus Oakes, 2665 Van Pelt Blvd., Roseburg. Instructor: CJ Jekofsky. To register, call 541-6774800. Participants can also register online by visiting www.aarp.org. For information about future classes, or to request a class for your organization, call Pete Benham, district coordinator, at 541-672-1016.
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ebruary not only brings us Valentines Day, but also the message of be good to your heart with American Hearth month. Despite a 30 percent decline in cardiovascular disease death rates from 1998 to 2008, heart disease Nancy continues to be Goodale Graham the leading killer of AmerNutrition icans. The lifestyle choices we make every day continue to be the main focus to prevent the development of heart disease. We all could do a better job to lose weight, quit tobacco, manage blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and increase exercise. The recommendations for a hearthealthy diet have changed slightly due to the information gathered from years of research. We might remember when cholesterol in food was identified as the primary reason for heart disease. Eliminating eggs, butter, cream, fatty meats, and shellfish were top recommendations. The focus moved from low-fat and fat-free diets to limiting saturated and trans fats. Now, decades of research indicate that
Garnishes: Chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges, chopped green onions, fresh salsa Heat a 4-quart soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, pepper, garlic, and ground turkey, and cook until turkey is done. Stir frequently to break up chunks of turkey into crumbles. Stir in chili powder, tomato paste, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper, cannellini beans, canned tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for at least 10 minutes. Serve with garnishes of your choice: cilantro, green onions, and salsa to taste. Squeeze a bit of lime juice on top. Makes about 6 cups of chili. Per 1 cup: 210 Calories; 7 g Fat; 2 g Saturated Fat; 16 g Carbohydrate; 22 g Protein; 4 g Fiber; 410 mg Sodium
we need to have a broader perspective on diet. Its not just one nutrient or food item that determines heart health. Heart health is achieved through a combination of lifestyle factors, including stopping tobacco use, preventing diabetes, exercising almost daily, and eating a heart-healthy diet. Heres a summary of what a hearthealthy diet looks like: Four to five servings of fruit and vegetables every day. The average American doesnt even hit three daily servings of
fruit and veggies. An easy approach to make sure you get enough every day is to include two pieces of fruit plus a salad and one other veggie serving. Include three servings of whole grains, like oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat bread, and quinoa. Most Americans eat less than one serving per day of whole grains. We definitely eat too many refined carbs, such as white bread, refined cold cereals, and sugar. Studies indicate that by replacing those white stuff foods with
whole grains, we would lower our risk of heart disease, plus lose a few pounds. Use liquid oil. Olive oil and canola oil are at the top of the list, but you are welcome use any liquid oil, such as safflower or corn oil. Include lean protein. Choose beans, fish, or skinless poultry for most of your meals. Red meat like beef and pork need to be limited to once a week. Research is showing a strong association between daily intake of processed meats, like lunch meats (all types), bacon, ham or other cured or processed meats, (as well as refined grains, French fries, sweets and desserts) and an increased risk of heart disease. To get you started on the path of heart health, heres a delicious turkey chili recipe that meets all the recommendations for a heart-healthy entre. I have tried a lot of chili recipes, and this one is the best. It goes together very quickly, and the combination of flavors makes for a great meal. Enjoy! Nancy Goodale Graham is a registered dietitian who teaches and counsels in the Cardiovascular Wellness and Rehabilitation department at Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend in Springfield. You can contact her at NancyGoodaleGraham@gmail.com. Roseburg First Wednesday of each month, 1:30 to 3 p.m., Room 2, Mercy Community Education Center, 2459 Stewart Parkway. Sutherlin Second Thursday of each month, 10 to 11:30 a.m., Sutherlin Community Center, 150 S. Willamette St. Canyonville Third Thursday of each month, 2 to 3:30 p.m., Chapel, Forest Glen Senior Residence, 200 S.W. Frontage Road. Winston Fourth Wednesday of each month, Wooley Board Room, Winston Community Center, 440 Grape St. All meetings are free. For information, call Nancy Hudson, 541-440-3677.
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541-839-4266
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ne of the most recognizable organizations in our country is the American Red Cross. While its presence in Douglas County has been shifted to the Pacific Northwest center in Eugene, no one would dispute its crucial role as one of the first responders in countywide disasters. Blood drives are a sustaining force for these events, as well as for medical situations of any kind. The organization is looking for generous individuals to be ambassadors at the blood drives held in Douglas County. Duties include welcoming and registering donors, escorting them to the donation site and providing them with refreshments as they leave. If you want to help with this lifesaving effort, find out more by visiting the groups website, usa.redcross.org. You can also send email to dailyd@usa.redcross.org or call Sam at 541- 492-3917. Other places where your help is needed include the following: Douglas County Senior Services Advisory Committee has seven vacancies for representatives from Glide, Diamond Lake, Peel and Dixonville as well as Reedsport, Winchester Bay, Gardiner and Scottsburg. The council focuses on the health care, public and special transportation, housing and other issues of interest to seniors. Applications have a Feb. 24 deadline and are available in Roseburg at Douglas County Senior Services, 621 Madrone St., (541-440-3580) or in Room 217 of the Douglas County Courthouse, 1036 S.E. Douglas Ave. (541-440-4201). Veterans Service Office needs two volunteers to help from 9 a.m. to noon Mon-
days through Thursdays or from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesdays. The office helps veterans and their families to access their benefits, either directly or by providing other resources. For more information, send email to sam.likens@ucancap.org. Sutherlin Senior Center wants drivers to deliver hot meals to homebound seniors. Mileage reimbursement is paid for the use of your own vehicle. Servers and kitchen helpers at the center are also needed on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Call Kendra at 541-459-9405 or Sam at 541492-3917. Riddle Community Center needs drivers to deliver hot meals to homebound seniors and provides a stipend for volunteers using their own vehicles. The center also needs an event planner to coordinate games, movies and special lunches on the site, as well as helpers for the blood pressure clinic held twice a month. To sign up, call Sam at 541-492-3917. Mercy Medical Center wants volunteers in the Family Birthplace to run errands and provide information to patients or visitors. Other volunteers are needed to take patients to the service areas or to push wheelchairs to the front door when patients are discharged. Weekend volunteers are most needed. Call Mercy Volunteer Services at 541-677-4465 or Sam at 541-492-3917 if you can help. United Community Action Networks Head Start program needs volunteers in the classrooms, the office and the kitchen. The program is an important support for children and their families who are struggling to give their little ones a leg up on their education. A list of Head Start school locations is available at www.ucancap.org.
rom the single traffic light I could easily view the imposing, threestory gray limestone courthouse with a clock under the dome that faced the central park. A side street door led to public restrooms, Memory Moments available during daylight hours. Those personal facilities had individual water tanks placed near the ceiling. When the attached chain was pulled, gravity forced the water down through the fixture. Alongside was a hotel that provided office space for the Greyhound bus station. The remaining three streets around the park held home-owned stores, except for the two-story Sears, Roebuck and Co. department store and the magical (to me) Woolworth five and dime store. Each morning the cigar store owner placed his carved painted replica of an Indian outside the entrance to his pool hall establishment. I was cautioned to stay out of this mens retreat. The old opera house near the park attracted traveling performance groups. I was included on the stage while the Passion play was presented, and quickly disillusioned when I saw the bearded man playing the part of Jesus step out the exit door to smoke a cigarette.
Laura Kruse
I was aware of the Barnhouse Music Publishing Company west of town, the Overall Factory on South Market, Penn College on North Market and the Brick & Tile Factory on the east perimeter. The exotic fox farm further north evoked admiration and grief for me, as I realized their pelts would be sold. Since I was young and nave, I presumed the farm families came to town on summer Saturday evenings, when all the stores remained open, to shop and enjoy the band concert. I later understood they brought in their weekly produce, such as eggs, chickens, sweet corn and tomatoes to sell to the produce houses that supplied the home-owned grocery stores. I overheard that some residents were reluctant to enter the first national chain food store, the Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co. Sometimes I listened to farmers discuss the spring and summer rain either its lack or profusion which affected their fall harvest of corn, wheat, Timothy hay, oats and alfalfa. I had no firsthand knowledge about the livestock that were tended and sold to provide income for the farm families. The activities a farm girl gathered in the Iowa heartland eluded me, since, as a town girl, my focus was on the nearby sights. During the four years of high school, our diverse childhood memories were of little consequence as we shared our mutual teenage challenges. Laura Kruse shares her reminisces with Encore readers. This is the second of a two-part series.
unions (those swollen, painful bumps on the inside of the foot at the base of the big toe) are so closely associated in our minds with women and with fashionable but often illfitting shoes, that the question I was asked last week as to whether or not men even get bunions Nurse News was not at all unreasonable. While its true that 90 percent of bunions occur in women and that more than 50 percent of women in America have them, gender and shoe choice are not entirely to blame. Yes, men do get bunions, but chil-
Gloria May
dren can also develop bunions and even folks who live in mostly shoeless societies have them. So theres obviously more to bunions than just womens ill-fitting shoes. In medical lingo, a bunion is a hallux valgus. Its an enlargement of the bone or the tissue around the base of the big toe, which in turn pushes the big toe out of alignment and causes it to slant towards the second toe. The underlying cause of bunions, according to Dr. Zachary Chattler of Johns Hopkins University, is the foots genetic structure and how it causes us to walk. Bunions do run in families, but what encourages the formations of bunions is the foot type we inherit (low arches, for example) that causes the foot to turn outward (pronate) when we walk. We do not inherit the bunions themselves. However, shoe choice does play a large role. Narrow, pointed-toe, sky-high heels
can cause a bunion to develop more quickly and even play a role in its recurrence after surgery. How do you know if your shoes fit prop-
erly? Seems many folks believe that their feet havent grown since their teen years
Please see BUNIONS, page 11
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t was a chilly night, or maybe I was just in the throes of fever, as my husband and I pulled into the Annie Oakley Motel in Lawrence, Kansas, in 1976. I was so ill I have only two memories of Wise Grandma that night shivering with a thermometer in my mouth, and a love letter tucked inside a Taco Bell bag. My husband had gone to the Taco Bell across the street to get us something to eat. The neon bell was shining brightly through our motel window. When he returned, he placed the bag on the dresser along with a folded piece of paper. He panicked when he realized that I had shivered so hard, I snapped off the end of the thermometer. When all was said and done, we sat cuddled in the little motel room, eating our tacos, when I noticed the note. It was a love letter. My husband had written a
Eularee Smith
poem, complete with illustrations, hoping to surprise me. Im not sure who was more surprised by the events of the day, but it was young love at its very best. It was our fifth anniversary. We decided to have one last hurrah before settling into PTA positions and car pools. We took three months off from work, packed a tent, sleeping bags and cooking gear into the back of our car and hit the road. The crosscountry trip was filled with wild adventures, funny stories and memories that will last a lifetime. But the love letter was the most unforgettable. February has long been known as the month of romance. Legend tells us that St. Valentine sent the first declaration that today bears his name while in prison. It is believed that he fell in love with the jailers daughter, who visited him during his imprisonment. He wrote her a letter, signed From your Valentine, hence the expression that is still in use. My Dad gave me a stack of love letters written by my grandfather to my grandmother during the Depression. Grandfather Duncan wrote many of the letters on his business travels. Since my grandfather died when my Dad was only 16 years old,
I knew him only as the stiff man in the sepia-toned photographs on my grandmothers dresser. Although I felt like a bit of a voyeur, I was fascinated to learn about my grandfather through the words he so eloquently wrote. The words were intimate, pure of thought and conscious of only one reader, his dearest love. What do love letters symbolize for us emotionally? Some letters are discarded immediately. In World War II, soldiers often burned their lovers letters so others wouldnt read them. And others were saved for decades. These moments in time can be the path not taken or reminders of the paths journey. They recall a time when someone saw us at our best. Love letters can be flowery, verbose and sickly sweet. They can be as simple as few lines of prose or poetry. They can be jotted quickly on a napkin or written laboriously through the night searching for the perfect words of romantic desire. Their intent can be celebratory or apologetic, or loving words that require no occasion other than the sheer joy in the writing and the delight in the receiving. Some authors can be direct and reassuring and others are gifted with a way of tak-
ing an unexpected twist to matters of the heart. Having read my grandfathers letters, I know he spoke directly from the heart. My husbands attempt was scented with taco seasoning rather than roses. Letters from ordinary people can capture the promises of love while embracing moments of uncertainty, regret, humor and human frailty that are the essence of love. Affairs of the heart, transcribed by and for lovers, often die or are lost as years pass. The survivors are hidden away, tied up with ribbon or tucked in a box marked Taxes, silently waiting to be shared again, their words still resonating romance from between the pages. Email, text or twitter to your hearts content, but a letter remains ever the soul of the author and the desire of the lover. Whether shot straight and true from Cupids arrow or a new twist on Roses Are Red, Violets are Blue, the written words of the love letter bear repeating. Thats what a wise grandma would do. Eularee Smith is the grandmother of six, a teacher and executive director of UpStart Crow childrens theater in Eugene.
elf-propelled harvesters were taking over the wheat harvests on the American farm scene in the 1930s. Steam-powered stationary threshers, or thrashers, as we pronounced the word, Ronald Culbertson were making Musings their last stand. The last time I saw one in real action was on my Grandfather Crows farm in Pine Valley, Baker County, in 1940. It was
an impressive operation. Old-time mechanical reapers were used to cut and tie the golden ripe wheat in bushel-size bundles. Then came a horsedrawn wagon, frequently driven by a boy. Field hands used pitchforks to toss the bundles on the wagon; another worker stacked them in place to ensure a large, compact load. Usually there were two wagons one loading in the field and one unloading at the thresher. The thresher was a large, boxy contraption of tin, machinery and pipes set on wheels. It was towed from farm to farm by a steam-powered tractor set on monstrous iron wheels. The whole affair was set up in a stationary location on one of the central wheat fields.
The steam engine turned a power wheel mounted on the tractors side, which in turn was connected by a wide drive belt to a similar wheel on the thresher. Once it was up and going you could hear the cough, cough, cough of the steam engine for miles. Close up, the slap of the belt made itself known and the purring of the threshers fans caromed off its insides. The bundles of wheat were fed onto the threshers escalator track at one end. Its internal maze of machinery separated the wheat from the chaff, creating a cloud of dust that caked everything. It left you itching and scratching, with streaks of muddy dirt at the corners of your mouth and eyes. Blowers forced the chaff through a long discharge pipe onto an ever-growing stack of straw and wheat hulls. The wheat itself was collected in an internal bin from which it could be discharged into sacks or trucks for transportation to the owners granary or a commercial grain elevator.
Harvesting grain with an old-time thresher was tough work. The hours were tedious and long, with few if any breaks in the heat of the day. Pay was low or nonexistent. The owner of the thresher was paid. Most of the farmers I knew traded labor, helping each other with the harvest. The women provided a big meal. There was almost an unspoken rivalry among farm wives to set the best table for harvest crews. Food was one of the few rewards of the job. That and a good dunk in a nearby creek at the end of the day to wash off the accumulated sweat and dirt. As I recall these images, I am once again that boy tagging after the noisy caravan of steam-powered machinery passing our home on a bright, hot summer day. Ronald K. Culbertson, a retired Umpqua Bank CEO, shares his musings from time to time with Encore readers. provide free blood pressure screenings at the following sites in February: Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Roseburg Valley Mall, 1444 N.W. Garden Valley Road Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Central Douglas County Family YMCA, 1151 Stewart Parkway Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Walmart (depending on construction schedule), 2125 N.W. Stewart Parkway. Information: 541-677-4464.
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ewer people are getting married these days, according to a recent Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census data. Though no reasons were given in the study for this decline in the popularity of marriage, experts have speculated that three factors are involved. First, young adults are staying Bob Mayo single longer Now That I Think About It so they can devote themselves to their education and careers. Second, more women are working and earning enough money to live independently. Finally, there is greater societal acceptance today of cohabitation outside of marriage. According to Pew, four in 10 people today consider marriage obsolete. I cant say Im surprised by the report,
Bunions:
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(is that similar to the belief that our belt sizes havent changed?) but in truth, as our foot ligaments loosen and our arches flatten over time, our feet do get bigger. One source I read suggests that to tell if you are buying the correct size shoe, you should stand barefoot on paper, have a friend trace the outline of your feet, and then place your shoes on top of each outline to see if your foot is wider than the shoe. The idea seems reasonable given that we no longer (thankfully) have those shoe fit X-ray machines prevalent in shoe stores in the 1950s. Remember those? If you have bunions, you may require surgery. But there are solutions to try first: Make sure your shoes are the right size.
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