Tricia Dias

Dreams CAN come true! It was a dream that inspired Sutherlin authoress, Bett y L. Klopp, to write (and illustrate) her first novel, The Last Elves of the Golden Forest.

Tricia Dias

Ok, everyone talks about this but what is it? What do the numbers mean? What’s normal? What’s high? What’s low? When should we be concerned and what can we do about it?

Have you been wondering about the construction on Stewart Parkway (near Mercy Medical Center) that’s been going on since the groundbreaking ceremony in 2006? Well, that’s the new 33,000 square foot, $11 million comprehensive Community Cancer Center (CCC) which is scheduled for completion in April 2009. As a result of this new facility, the Center will be able to acquire $2.3 million in new state-of-the-art equipment and expand the radiation therapy services currently provided by radiation oncologists, Dr. Randy Moore and Medical Director Dr. Gene Lienert. Dr. Sylvia Gosline, although recently retired, still follows patients and fills in for the other physicians as needed.

Now pay attention because there WILL be a quiz! Besides, you never know when one of these answers will show up on Jeopardy.

From Tricia's Desk

My father was an Irish-Catholic born and raised in Protestant-controlled Belfast. I don’t remember him telling me any stories of how St. Patrick’s Day was celebrated there. I know that it is now a bank holiday in Northern Ireland and a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland lasting at least 5 days long.

The program for the March 10th Monthly Membership Luncheon Meeting for the Roseburg Area Chamber of Commerce was a Candidates Forum for Douglas County Commissioner Positions #1 and #3. The Forum rules allowed each candidate 4 minutes for their opening statement, 90 seconds to respond to questions from the audience and a VERY short closing statement. The forum was moderated by Norm Gershon of the Umpqua Training & Employment. All of the Position #1candidates were present. Of the four Position #3 candidates, only John Ayers was unable to attend. Candidates presented their opening statements in alphabetical order starting with the candidates for Position #1.

I’m sure that there are other writer groups out there, but so far these are the only ones with which I am acquainted. I am constantly amazed at the wealth of literary, poetic and artistic talent in Douglas County. Don’t believe me? Check out the Community Exhibits at our County Fair, the Oregon Writer publications on sale at area book stores, the museum, etc. If you are a writer, you couldn’t ask for a better place to live for inspiration, publication opportunities, communication and kindred spirits. Don’t be timid. We won’t bite! And, you just might be the next best-selling author that makes their home in Oregon!

If you remember holidays being celebrated on their actual dates as opposed to the nearest Monday, then you were born before 1968. That’s when the 90th Congress enacted the Uniform Monday Holiday Law. Then, in 1971, Richard Nixon proclaimed one single federal public holiday, the Presidents’ Day, to be observed on the 3rd Monday of February - honoring ALL past presidents of the USA. Result? February isn’t what it used to be!

From Tricia's Desk

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. Wouldn’t it be nice if all the world were devoted to chocolates, lacy hearts, flowers and the cherub with the arrows? Yes, it WOULD be nice, but it’s NOT reality. Love is Hard. True love is about making the hard choices.