Council Corner: Decision-making and transparency
Being on the City Council, I have learned that decisions come from a group process and things don’t always go the way you might want.We are a diverse group of councilors with different life...
View ArticleCouncil Corner: Addressing affordable housing
Can we really achieve affordable housing in Ashland?There is definitely a need for housing affordability in Ashland. Housing in Ashland costs more than in many of the surrounding communities.On one...
View ArticleCouncil Corner: The view from inside the eye of the storm
There’s a lot of swirl out there right now, in case you haven’t noticed. National politics is beyond what we might call “interesting," and here in Ashland we are grappling with weighty issues, trying...
View ArticleCouncil Corner: One piece of the housing issue
As a community we have had many conversations regarding housing and affordable housing in Ashland. Occasionally there is consensus on the definition of the problem, and many possibilities to address...
View ArticleCouncil Corner: Can we do it all in Ashland?
Ashland is a city of involved and proactive citizens who work hard on their areas of passion and concern. We have commissions, groups, ad hoc groups and advisory groups in the public and nonprofit...
View ArticleCouncil Corner: How to present your ideas to the city
Citizens often feel frustrated at the City Council's lack of response to the ideas and concerns they express during public forum. The councilors aren't really disinterested, but because public meeting...
View Article'Prepare for Care' forum coming May 7
If you’re convinced you might be aging, then you might also consider that the time will come, ready or not, when you might need care. Or you may be called upon to provide care for another. This topic...
View ArticleIncreasing use by elders of CBD for anxiety
Grace was living in her own home with help from caregivers, but was experiencing anxiety and agitation due to dementia. Her doctor had prescribed anti-anxiety medicine, but it only seemed to increase...
View Article5 kinds of navigators who help with aging issues
A few weeks ago, there was an event at Southern Oregon University sponsored by the Osher Life Long Leaning Institute (OLLI), on preparing for care for yourself and others. I happened to be one of the...
View ArticleAging Happens: What you need to know about guardianships
Here’s what happened with June. June’s niece, who was her health care representative, died unexpectedly. June lived in a memory care facility, had no other family, and now had no one who could be her...
View ArticleSleep apnea can lead to dementia diagnosis
“To sleep, perchance to dream” — or maybe to snore or even develop symptoms of dementia? Is this possible? Yes, as I learned recently at a seminar in Medford called the Alzheimer’s and Dementia...
View ArticleInner Peace: Easier ways to navigate life's headwinds
“May the road rise up to meet you,May the wind always be at your back …”I ponder this Irish blessing when I’m on a challenging bicycle ride into headwinds. This helps me to have the strength to succeed...
View ArticleInner Peace: Learning to say 'so long'
When I was a child, my godfather had a requirement when parting. He would say, “Never say 'goodbye,' always say 'so long.'" If I forgot, I would be corrected, remembering to reply as he wished with a...
View ArticleInner Peace: Is the world broken? Can we fix it?
Don't worry about this world; it is not broken. And don't worry about others. You worry more about them than they do. There are people waging war; there are people on the battlefield who are more alive...
View ArticleYou are responsible for your own happiness
One of the wisest things I’ve ever said was in a group that I was leading about 45 years ago at the height of the Human Potential Movement. Most people in the group were in their 20s. I was in my 40s....
View ArticleFind ways to accept the unacceptable
At times we accept what is a profound pointer, a suggestion, easily verbalized but yet difficult to apply in one's life. Let us be honest: Severe pain, constant debilitating symptoms or a death in the...
View ArticleInner Peace: To be or not to be a Buddhist
We are told that a prince named Siddhartha Gautama, who lived around 400 BCE, left his home and family, went on a spiritual quest and became enlightened — “awake.” Buddha can be translated as “awake.”...
View ArticleInner Peace: Wisdom marries awareness with consciousness
The mind of an enlightened human being is flexible and adaptable.The mind of an ignorant person is conditioned and fixed.—Ajhan Sumedho, "Don’t take your life seriously" (Buddhist Publishing Group)A...
View ArticleOnly the closed mind is certain
To me, political polarization is the biggest challenge facing us today. Until we start bridging the divide between "left" and "right" we can't work together solving problems effectively. We’ll be stuck...
View ArticleHow the 'Killers of the Flower Moon' affected my life
What does genealogy have to do with inner peace? In my case, a great deal. It has to do with the Rogue Valley, my Osage ancestry, the Osage Reign of Terror and a current best seller, "Killers of the...
View Article