According
to the Hearing Loss Association of America, one out of three adults 65 or older
has a hearing loss - which includes me. I’ve
found hearing aids help – my wife knows when I forget to put them on because I
keep asking “What did you say?” which she finds very annoying! Yet even when wearing
hearing aids, hearing can be difficult because of distance and background noise.
But wouldn’t it be nice if at different venues, you could hear everything
directly from the microphone - whether it is in a theater, or church or at a city
council meeting? Now you can at many places in The Dalles because of loop
technology and the efforts of Tim McGlothlin and the Lions Club.
A hearing
loop provides a magnetic, wireless signal that is picked up by any hearing aid that
is equipped with a telecoil. This system provides clear and clean sound without
needing a headset.
Today,
approximately 71 percent of all hearing aids dispensed in the United States
have telecoils. But you may not have heard of telecoils because few consumers
are told about them. You can contact your audiologist to determine if your
hearing aid is equipped with a telecoil and whether it is activated.
When Tim
McGlothlin, a member of the local Lions Club, learned about hearing loops he
jumped on the idea. Lions Club support communities in many ways, but one focus you
often hear about is on sight and hearing through the Oregon Lions Sight and
Hearing Foundation. (You probably have seen the collection boxes for recycled
eyeglasses, hearing aids and cell phones around town including one at the
Center.)
Since
then Tim has been busy, installing hearing loops in public spaces in The Dalles
including several churches, the City Hall, the Civic Auditorium’s Fireside Room,
Spooky’s and just last week Tim, with the help of Ron Sutherland and Gary
Patton, installed a loop in the dining room at the Center. Because Tim does the
installation for free, the cost is affordable - for the Center it cost less
than $800.
With the
growing recognition of how hearing loss affects the well-being of millions of
older adults, hearing loops are increasingly being installed in community
spaces across the country. Thanks to Tim McGlothlin and the Lions Club for
being the sparkplug in bringing this technology to The Dalles.
The elevator
installation is moving forward. Unfortunately, now that the concrete has been
poured for the expansion in front of the Center, the outside stairs are closed.
To enter the downstairs, you will need to walk around to the back. But the
weather is warming up, so you won’t be slipping and sliding on your way.
Dick
Frost had to cancel the AARP Smart Driver Class in January because of the
weather, so he is eager to start teaching the class again. The class will be
held on Monday and Tuesday, February 20th and 21st from
8:45 – 12:05 each day. The cost is $20 and $15 for AARP Members. Besides
learning how to be a smarter driver, you may be able to receive a discount on
your auto insurance. To sign up, just call the Center.
Tuesday Night Music has started back up at the Center and
on February 21st the Simcoe Boys will be performing for your dancing and
listening pleasure. Doors open at 6:00, music starts at 6:30 and donations are appreciated.
The
singer was Johnnie Ray - who I found out attended high school in Dallas, Oregon
at the same time as Harold Stephens. And Johnnie Ray’s No.1 hit in January, 1952
was “Cry”. (The winners of a quilt raffle ticket each are Lucille Stephens and
Betsy Ayres.)
This
week’s “Remember When” question is about a song released on January 27, 1956 and
reached the top five on the Country and Western, Rhythm 'n' Blues and Pop charts
simultaneously. What was the name of the song that included the chorus, “You
make me so lonely baby/ I get so lonely/ I get so lonely I could die”? Email
your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or
mail it with a picture of Alvin Krolik, the man who “walked a lonely street”.
Well,
it’s been another week, reminding myself to stand up straight. Until we meet
again, I’m finally beginning to feel spring may just be around the corner.
“You can never lose a homing pigeon – if your homing pigeon
doesn’t come back what you’ve lost is a pigeon.”
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