Aging Well in the Gorge June 19th 2019

If you no longer can drive, or don’t want to drive anymore, how can you get to the store, to your all-too-frequent doctors’ appointments or to activities at the Center? In other words, how can you stay connected?

One answer is the LINK, The Dalles public transportation provider, which has been providing rides since 1997. But it has been a challenge to find the “next right answer” to improve the public transportation services in The Dalles, but recently there have been several changes to better serve the general public. You can learn more about the transportation options in The Dalles at the 1:00 presentation by Jessica Metta at the Center on June 25^th. And most importantly you will be able to ask questions and share what you feel is working well and what you wish to see differently.

Until then here is a quick review of the services the LINK provides in The Dalles area.

Deviated Fixed Route: The LINK is operating a Deviated Fixed Route service on an hour loop to key destinations in The Dalles on Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM. Rides are still just $1.50 each.

Dial-a-Ride: This has been the LINK’s bread and butter service. This dial-a-ride, door-to-door service operates Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM. Trips are $1.50 each way and need to be scheduled at least twenty-four hours in advance.

Shopping Bus: The LINK also offers a regular trip to grocery stores and shopping centers in The Dalles on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Cost is $3.00 for unlimited stops with no shopping bag limit. The LINK drivers will help load and unload your bags (bags must be under 25 pounds).

For more information including schedules and routes, you can call the LINK at 541-296-7595, visit the LINK’s website at www.mcedd.org/linktransit, stop by The Dalles Transit Center at 802 Chenowith Loop or pick up a brochure at the Center.  

But LINK isn’t the only public transportation provider in the area. If you live in Sherman County, you probably already know about Sherman County’s Community Transit which provides dial-a-ride services throughout Sherman County with weekly trips to The Dalles and regular trips to Portland and points east for seniors, individuals with disabilities and others as space allows. The fare is $5.00 round-trip per rider. For schedule/route information you can call (541) 565-3553 or visit their website at www.co.sherman.or.us/departments/sherman-transit.

And for our friends in southern Wasco County, (The late Lenore Walters once told me in no uncertain terms, as she probably told many others, it is “southern” Wasco County not south. South is not an adjective!) there is the TSCC bus service which relies on volunteer drivers to take you to wherever you need to go.

The Blue Zones Cooking Demos are returning to the Center on the last Tuesdays

of the month from 5:30 – 7:00 starting June 26^th. Break out of your cooking doldrums and join the fun learning how to prepare healthy and TASTY! recipes from OSU’s “Food Hero” website where you can also find meal ideas, and cooking tips and tools.

A quick reminder: READY-SET-RETIRE is scheduled for June 26^th, 4:00 – 7:00 at the Center. In this free workshop from AARP Oregon and the Small Business Development Center, you’ll learn about tuning up your finances before retirement, Social Security and Medicare, OregonSaves - an easy way to save for retirement, and how to turn your expertise into a business opportunity by becoming an Encore Entrepreneur.

The name of the song written for the 1967 film, The Graduate and sung by Simon and Garfunkel was “Mrs. Robinson”.  I received correct answers from Rhonda Spies, Lana Tepfer, Jess Birge, Jerry Phillips, Betsy Ayers, Ron Nelson and “Hey, Hey, Hey” Janet Figg this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket.

Let’s stick with another popular song from a movie soundtrack but from the 50’s which I’m guessing will be a little more challenging. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the title of the song written for a 1957 movie of the same title; won an Academy Award for best original song; and that the Four Aces’ version reached number one for three weeks in 1955? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or return your answer with the splendid Italian version recorded by Neil Sedaka, "L'Amore E' Una Cosa Meravigliosa".

Well, it’s been another week, kicking down the gravel road and feeling groovy.  Until we meet again, don’t let the bus pass you by.

“You only find out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out." Warren Buffett