3550 They Them Theirs She Her Hers | He Him His | September 2019 a publication by and for the residents of Mirabella Portland Steve Casey Linda Wood Editor President ELL, GEE, THAT WAS FUN! ANY OF US CHOSE MIRABELLA AS OUR HOME BECAUSE WE The talk of the elevator, the hot topic in the were looking for a safe, secure place to age and Wlobby, all you could hear in the lounge, the Mto receive high-quality health care when and if subject of ad hoc resident meetings and poetry, the new we ever need it. dining plan consumed us for weeks. But sometimes it seems that the desire for security makes That’s understandable. When my wife, Adrienne, began us resistant to change. Sometimes even small changes can her sworn law enforcement career, her first job was in cause us to become confused or upset. the L.A. county jail for women. She learned quickly that Research has shown that learning new things is a major inmates hate change and if you want to start a riot, just help in keeping our brains functioning as well and fully mess with their food. as possible while our bodies inevitably age. Perhaps we Old folks and inmates have something in common. should welcome change as one more way to learn new Some of our neighbors may lose out under the new things and help our brains in the process. plan and some will do better. So if you, personally, are on Several important changes are coming to Mirabella. the losing side, you have a right to be annoyed. But the Let’s welcome them in a spirit of learning new things, wholesale cynicism and assumption that Mirabella or the while also recognizing that the planned changes have Medford Mothership somehow is out to get us financially at other benefits. every turn is not only wrong but unhealthy. One example is our new security system, with the need Yes, there is reason to watch Mirabella like a hawk, as for all of us to get new fobs. By the time you read this, we we all have serious money tied up in this operation. will probably have all managed to get through the neces- The success of any major change here rests upon a sary transition time when we needed to use two different reservoir of trust and good will that any history of playing fobs. This will be a challenging time but the ultimate goal, a fast and loose with facts can poison. It’s in our mutual significantly improved security system for the building, will interest to “trust, but verify.” be worth it. Skepticism good; cynicism bad. We are also going to experience change in our meal Personally, I like the concept of a “declining balance” plans, moving from the familiar meal credit system to a meal plan for its flexibility. This one gives us “points,” a point system which will allow us greater flexibility in how hollow term, but no worse than the original plan’s “meal we use our meal plans. credits,” a particularly amorphous phrase. It will be challenging for us to learn about the new Will this plan work as advertised? Maybe not. Maybe system and how to use it to meet our individual dining the number of points each month will have to be increased, needs. As we learn more about it, I hope that the point and we don’t fully know what items are going to cost — system will be easier to understand and use than it may something that we should have known on day one. appear to be at first. We learned the intricacies of “meal credits” and we can In this, my last column as your RAMP President, I would learn the new one. Meanwhile, please, let’s chill and lose like to thank you for the opportunity to serve the community the cynicism. in this capacity. It has been an interesting and rewarding As a friend said the other evening: “It’ll all be fine once experience. n we learn to game the points.” n 2 3550 MAGAZINE | SEPTE MBER 2019 N THE COVER: Elyssa Chen N THE BACK COVER: Oand Kai Hobbs San Juan are among staffers OMountains, wearing pronoun Colo. Photo by Todd buttons. Why? They tell Albert. See his photo Claire Weber on page essay inside. 9. Photo by Robert French. The Inside Scoop 4 News: Get Your News Right Here 9 Cover Story: The Secret Life of Pronouns 3550 Staff by Claire Weber Editor: Steve Casey Deputy Editors: Nancy Moss, 12 10,000-Seat Amphitheater Sought For Zidell Yards Ed Parker by Steve Casey Design Editors: 16 Resident Profile: Rusty Davis and Susie Hoyt John Branchflower, by Nancy Moss Ed Noyes 19 Whole-lotta Shakin’ at Great ShakeOut 2019 Copy Editor: Judy McDermott by Ed Parker Sports Editor/Photo 20 Staff Profile: Mayra Guzman Coordinator: Ron Weber by Priscilla Cowell Photographers: Todd Albert, Robert French, Ron 22 Photo Essay: Harvesting Fall’s Photo Gold Mendonca, Art Moss Text and photography by Todd Albert Illustrators: Hebe Greizerstein, Arletha 26 What’s For Dinner? Not Meal Credits! Ryan by Steve Casey Columnists: Larry Braverman, 28 “Drugs, Money and Secret Handshakes” Betty Noyes Book review by Bruce Howard Writers: Nick Cowell, Priscilla 29 At Last — Urgent Care Coming to South Waterfront Cowell, Rolf Glerum, Bruce by Steve Casey Howard, Claire Weber 32 Tracking Down Portland’s Unique Parks and Statues Advertising Manager: by Rolf Glerum Stan Tidman 34 Honoring 90-Year-Old Veterans Business Manager: by Carl Larsen Marilyn Dodge 35 Recycling In The Mirabella Kitchens 3550 Magazine by Nancy Moss © 2019 Residents’ Association of 36 Our Wonderful Neighborhood Mirabella Portland by Edward Weiner 3550 SW Bond Ave. Unit 2507 38 Arts and Entertainment Portland, OR 97239-4729 Artists Rep Theatre Opens Season www.3550magazine.org by Nancy Moss [email protected] Performing Arts Schedule Our Columnists: Larry Braverman is on leave 15 Betty Noyes 3550 MAGAZINE | SEPTE MBER 2019 3 In the News YES Project Scholarships WO MIRABELLA HEALTH CENTER EMPLOYEES HAVE RECEIVED $4,000 scholarship awards from the resident-sup- 3550 Rocks at National Awards Tported YES Project. The Oregon Community Foundation (OCF), which holds OUR 3550 MAGAZINE WON FOUR MAJOR HONORS IN THE the YES Project funds and handles its awards, announced 2019 Apex Awards national publication contest. the grants to certified nursing assistants Cassandra Y The Apex Awards judging panel evaluates Boddington and Hannah Dunton. writing, photography, layout, editorial judgment and Hannah works in skilled nursing, where she is also a overall quality. preceptor — like a tutor or trainer. The magazine took three Cassandra works in assisted living. “Awards of Excellence” and Both are pursuing nursing studies and both are the first in one of the top honors, a their families to attend college. “Grand Award.” Mirabella has two scholarship programs — one run The team of Ed Parker by the Mirabella Foundation, and a non-affiliated fund and Steve Casey received a founded a number of years ago by former residents Dave Grand Award in the writing and Linda McCammon, and administered by OCF with category for their piece on donor representation by John Branchflower and Laurie climate change in the Pacific Meigs. Northwest, published in Wendy Usher of OCF said the YES Project fund now March 2019, reporting on how global warming will affect totals $166,000. this region. “YES” stands for Your Employee Scholarships. The Award of Excellence for design and illustration went Any Mirabella hourly employee may apply for a schol- to Ron Mendonca, whose photo, “Dystopian Mirabella,” arship, no matter his or her field of study. n was the cover for that same issue. John Branchflower took an Award of Excellence in design and layout for the September 2018 issue. It Felt Like a Holiday That issue also brought another Award of Excellence for the entire staff, recognized for the quality of writing PECIAL OCCASIONS DON’T ALWAYS OCCUR ON RED-LETTER DAYS. throughout the whole magazine. Did an event that felt momentous to you take place The Apex Awards for Publication Excellence are given Soutside a traditional holiday? Please tell us about it, annually. This year there were 1,278 entries from around how it affected you and your life, in a brief essay for our the country. The winners were announced July 31. December issue. Email it to [email protected] or put it The awards are the product of Communications in mailbox #2102. Concepts, Inc., which helps publishing, public relations and marketing professionals to up their game. n Knoll Receives Book Award New Columnist Wanted IRABELLA RESIDENT PAUL KNOLL RECEIVED THE 2018 OSKAR OR OUR FIRST YEARS, VETERAN JOURNALIST MARGE CAROTHERS Halecki History Book Award in Gdansk, Poland, wrote the “Around Campus” column and did a won- on June 16, 2019, for his recent book “A Pearl M th Fderful job. Then, at age 93, she decided to hang up her of Powerful Learning: The University of Cracow in the 15 press pass. Century.” Betty Noyes agreed, reluctantly, to help out. But her Awarded at the seventh International Congress of Polish passion is health care, and the column in this issue will be Studies, Paul’s prize was followed by a session devoted to her last. It’s a fun take and we hope you enjoy it. “appreciation and assessment” by a number of scholars, “Around Campus” chronicles the notable activities of during which Paul made remarks reacting to his fellow our residents — athletic achievements, musical talent, travel scholars’ comments. Having been informed ahead of time adventures, professional honors, milestone events, amusing of his honor, Paul was able to guess what people would moments, struggles.