SEE PAGE 4 FOR arts education Task force for california
SEE PAGE 2 for wonder of opera at the community room MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2015 - FEBRUARY 8, 2015
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VOLUME 2, NO. 5
Californians Can Soon Vote on Death Special Topics and Screenwith Dignity by nick kipley ings At The Having once failed in the Senior Center polls, voters in the State of California will soon be able to decide again whether or not a For February patient of a terminal disease can electively end his or her own life under new, “Death With Dignity,” legislature. The measure, which has seen various revisions from the time it has been up for debate in 1992, 2005, and 2007, is gaining in support after 29-year-old Brittany Maynard, a California resident, moved to Portland in order to electively end her life, which she succeeded in doing on the 1st of November, last year. Oregon, Washington and Vermont have voted into their state legislation the right for a patient of an end-stage terminal disease to take a deliberate overdose of a heavy sedativehypnotic—typically a mixture of barbiturates—slip into a coma and die peacefully. Maynard had been diagnosed with a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer whose prognosis indicated irreversible physical and mental scarring if she were to undergo even the most successful treatment. Even
defendant, who entered pleas of “not guilty” and “not guilty by reason of insanity,” was found to be legally sane at the time of the murder by the jury on Oct. 31, 2014. At approximately 6:30 a.m. on Sept. 16, 2009, Le spent the night at a family member’s home with her children, 5-year-
The following programs will be offered at the Cypress Senior Center. Reservations are recommended, unless otherwise indicated. For more information or reservations please call (714) 229-2005. BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENINGS Glenda Papa, R.N: Fridays - February 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th 10:00-11:30am Free. Walk-in. VETERANS BENEFITS FOR ELDER CARE: Tuesday, February 3rd 10:00 - 11:30 am Carl Leiter, Entitlement Advocate; Retired Attorney. Learn about VA benefits that are available to pay for home care costs, assisted living costs, and longterm nursing home care costs. Find out if you are eligible and how to apply. CALIFORNIA TELEPHONE ACCESS PROGRAM - CTAP: Thursday, February 5th 10:30 am - 12:00 pm. CA Communications Access Foundation. Californians who are deaf, hard of hearing, speech disabled, blind, have low vision, cognitive impairments or restricted mobility are eligible to receive equipment from CTAP. Eligible customers can receive equipment absolutely free. Find out if you qualify and how to apply. Free. Walk-in. BONE DENSITY SCREENING: Monday, February 9th 9:00 - 11:00am. HealthCare Partners Medical Group. A bone density test is performed to detect osteoporosis, which is the weakening of bones that can lead to fractures. A bone density
Please see page 3
Please see page 4
- File photo by Terry Miller
worse, it was feared that, after months of these personalityaltering treatments, the radioactive waves would fire through her skull and kill her. “I considered passing away in hospice care at my San Francisco Bay-area home. But even with palliative medication, I
could develop potentially morphine-resistant pain and suffer personality changes and verbal, cognitive and motor loss of virtually any kind,” she said in a final statement released to CNN on the 2nd of November. Please see page 2
Mother Sentenced for Attempting to Murder Her Two Children On January 23rd, a mother was sentenced to 11 years to life in state prison for attempting to murder her two young children by stabbing them while they were asleep. Thuy Thi Le, 43, Westminster, was found guilty by a jury Feb. 4, 2014, of two felony counts each of attempted murder, and child abuse and endangerment with sentencing enhancements for the personal use
of a deadly weapon and committing great bodily injury. On Oct. 27, 2014, a unanimous jury found the sentencing enhancement for premeditation and deliberation for the attempted murder charge to be true following a retrial of the sentencing enhancement as a former jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict, finding 11 to one for the sentencing enhancement to be true. The
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Death With Dignity Continued from page 1
“Because the rest of my body is young and healthy, I am likely to physically hang on for a long time even though cancer is eating my mind. I probably would have suffered in hospice care for weeks or even months. And my family would have had to watch that,” she added. Oregon’s forms “To Request To End My Life In A Humane and Dignified Manner” read: “I am suffering from _________________ , which my attending/prescribing physician has determined is a terminal disease and which has been medically confirmed by a consulting physician . . . I have been fully informed of: my diagnosis; prognosis; the nature of medication to be prescribed and potential associated risks; the expected result; and feasible alternatives, including comfort care, hospice care, and pain control.”
As a seeming counterpoint to the argument that this law might result in physicians or cruel family members, “putting down,” elderly patients unable to pay for treatment, Oregon paperwork has been designed to be a lengthy, complex, bureaucratic procedure. The form requests two separate witnesses who are not in any way related to the patient, that they are the patient’s physician, and that they will not befit monetarily from the patient once they are deceased. These two witnesses must indicate that the patient is in sound mind, that they know the patient personally, and that they aren’t employees at a health care center where the patient is receiving treatment. The Doctor’s consultation form for this procedure is much longer, requires two separate visits and for the patient to re-
Wonder Of Opera On Saturday, February 7th at 2:30 p.m., LA Opera representatives will conduct a multimedia presentation and talk exploring the world of opera. Its music, pageantry and en-
lightenment will be discussed. Join us in the Cypress Community Room. Adults and teens are welcome. No reservations are required. Please call the library for more information.
ceive the proverbial “go ahead” from a psychologist. Then, the acquisition of the drugs from the pharmacy requires a couple of days. The whole process requires of the patient, “to be logical to the bitter end.” And, probably for this reason, of the patients who have filled out the prescription to end their life in Oregon, only about two thirds have gone through with it. Julie Sosa, a Registered Nurse and the Clinical Supervisor at Five Star Home Hospice in Pasadena, said that patients have voiced their wish to die because of unbearable pain. Because the majority of these patients are under the influence of mind-altering medication, they would not fall under the “Death With Dignity” legislation. However, Sosa has “always supported this” proposed law for California.
At the Hospice, the nurse also cares for many Alzheimer patients, who “lose the ability to remember where [they] are, forget how to talk, how to walk, how to go to the bathroom . . . [and finally] how to chew and swallow food.” Those are not eligible under Oregon’s law to electively end their own lives; however, for them, Sosa claims that the Hospice is the best alternative to intensive care. The Hospice’s “job is to make them comfortable so they can prepare to die.” Some would see this as a total loss of dignity, dying choking on your food. Some would see wasting away in hospice care in your early thirties (Maynard) as a loss of all dignity. But what it comes down to, both in a philosophical sense and in a medicalterminology sense, is how comfortable you want to feel in the end.
Orange County Wind Symphony Presents “Theme and Variations” The Orange County Wind Symphony (OCWS) will present the third concert of its 2014-15 season on Sunday, February 8, 2015, featuring music based on the idea of “Themes and Variations”. The program begins with The Variations on a Korean Folksong by John Barnes Chance. Arnold Schoenberg composed his “Theme and Variations, Op. 43a” in a somewhat tonal manner and, in his words, giving the bands “something better to play”. The first half concludes with the “Variations on America” by Charles Ives. Mark Camphouse composed “Whatsover Things…” as a tribute to John P. Paynter, Director of Bands at Northwestern University. The concert concludes with the “Fantasies on a Theme of Haydn” by Norman Dello Joio. The concert starts at 7:00 p.m. with a pre-concert lecture
at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for general admission, and $15 for seniors and students. For February only, concerts will take place at the Church of Power, 1026 So. East St. The Orange County Wind Symphony is a regional semi-professional Wind Ensemble serving a metropolitan area of approximately 3 million people. The OCWS is honored to be part of the Anaheim community and in July 2011 was designated, along with the OCS as the Resident Wind Symphony for the City of Anaheim. The Wind Symphony is led by Dr. Anthony Mazzaferro, an accomplished Wind Band & Orchestral conductor, who currently serves on the faculties of the music departments of Fullerton College, Cal Poly Pomona, and Irvine Valley College. For more information, visit: www.ocsymphony.org
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February Events at the Senior Center Continued from page 1
test uses special X-rays that measure the amount of calcium and other minerals in the bone. The test is non-invasive and painless. A HealthCare Partners physician will be available to answer questions. Free. First-come, firstserved for screening. Limited availability. THE BRAINIHEART CONNECTION: Tuesday, February 10th 10:30 - 11:30 am. Dr. Will Rogers. Seacrest Health & Wellness Center. Did you know the right cortex of your brain is more concerned with the rate of your heart, and your left cortex is more concerned with the rhythm of your heart? Did you know that CoQIO can give you more cardiovascular stamina? Learn these and many more amazing things about your heart health. MELT ANTI-AGING & 5-MINUTE FACELIFT: Thursday, February 12th 11:30 am 12:00 pm.. Niki Parker, MELT Instructor. Learn simple self-care techniques you can use every day to make your body feel better and function more efficiently. Relieve aches and pains brought on by aging and active living; reduce inflammation. Experience a free “mini” MELT with a softball, done sitting in a chair. UNDERSTANDING LOW VISION: Tuesday, February 17th 10:00 —11:30 am. Donelda Dansby, Instructor. Braille Institute. Are price tags and labels becoming harder to read? Home-lighting giving you problems? This program will cover basic information regarding terminology and four basic eye conditions that can lead to low-vision, non-medical signs and symptoms of vision loss, and an overview of the services of the Braille Institute. HEARING SCREENING & CTAP PHONE DISTRIBUTION: Wednesday, February 18th 9:30 - 11:30 am. Hearing Screening by Connect Hearing and California Telephone Access Program. Hearing screenings will be provided by Connect Hearing. If you are
certified as having a hearing loss, and have never received a phone from the California Telephone Access Program, you will leave with a phone the same day. To qualify for this screening and program you must not have been a customer of CTAP. Appointment required! REVERSE MORTGAGES: Thursday, February 19th 10:30 - 11:30 am. Michael DePaul, Society for Financial Awareness. Is what you know about reverse mortgages fact or a myth? A lot has changed in recent months. HUD has implemented new safeguards to protect you and your heirs. How do these changes benefit you? For example, a spouse not yet 62 can now have the benefit of
no mortgage payments. Did you also know that in addition to refinancing into a reverse mortgage, you can also use it to buy a new home? Find out how. SENIOR SCAM STOPPERS: Monday, February 23rd 10:30 - 11:30 am. Drisha Melton, CPUC Liaison. Information will be provided on the latest telephone, internet and door-to-door scams seniors should be aware of, including telephone scams such as “slamming” and “cramming.” Learn what the California Public Utilities Commission is and what it does, plus an explanation of the charges on your telephone and utility bills. ...and more. For more information visit www.cypressrec.com.
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Arts Education Task Force Submits Recommendations to Restore the Arts to California Classrooms An arts education task force formed by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson is calling for arts education to be elevated to a core subject and be available to all students so it can retain its vital role in developing creative expression and critical thinking skills in preparation for 21st century careers. “We have been extremely fortunate to have such a knowledgeable and creative group committed to helping our state rebuild its infrastructure for arts education,” Torlakson said. “The picture they paint is one of a relevant, robust, and dynamic curriculum to keep kids in schools, narrow the achievement gap, and give students an opportunity to discover and develop
their individual talents. But they also highlight the need to make certain all students have access to arts education so they can explore their own artistic vision,” he said. The 30-page summary report, A Blueprint for Creative Schools, was compiled by Torlakson’s 100-member Blueprint for Creative Schools Task Force that he formed in 2012. This is a streamlined version of the full 118-page report, meant to highlight the Task Force’s important work. “We are pleased to submit this report to Superintendent Torlakson,” said Sarah Anderberg, chair of the CREATE CA Leadership Council. “It distills more than two years of important
Mother Attempts to Murder Children Continued from page 1
old Child Doe #1 and 3-year-old Child Doe #2. Her boyfriend, who is the father of the children, was at work. Le slept with her two children together on a mattress in the family room. The defendant went into the kitchen, picked up a knife from the sink, walked back over to the children, stabbed each of them in the chest, and then stabbed herself nearly 25 times. She then called 911. Child Doe #1 suffered a
stab wound to the chest and the knife penetrated her heart. Child Doe #1 was sent to University of California Irvine Medical Center and underwent emergency open-heart surgery to save her life. Child Doe #2 suffered a stab wound to the chest area, but the stab wound missed any vital organs. Senior Deputy District Attorney John Christl of the Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted this case.
ground work and lays the foundation for implementing a 21st century model for schools in which arts and creativity become central components.” Torlakson appointed the Task Force in partnership with a broad coalition of agencies and organizational partners on an education reform movement called CREATE (Core Reforms Engaging Arts to Educate) CA. This Task Force included representatives from the five CREATE CA partners—the California Department of Education (CDE), California Arts Council, California Alliance for Arts Education, California County Superintendents Educational Services Association, and the California PTA— and many other groups, experts, and industry leaders from around the state. Torlakson charged the Task Force with providing advice in seven policy areas. The resulting work groups made key recommendations about how to resolve the difficult issues facing the arts in schools while keeping in mind the state’s financial realities. The Task Force made a se-
ries of policy recommendations to enhance arts education. The resulting document is divided into sections that address key themes and critical issues: • Supporting the Arts Curriculum • Enhancing Educator Quality, Preparation, and Professional Learning in the Arts • Producing High-Quality Arts Assessment, Research, and Evidence • Ensuring Equity and Access • Strengthening Collaborative Relationships • Expanding the Role of Business and Industry in the Creative Workforce • Providing Funding for the Arts A Blueprint for Creative Schools will be discussed at a public convening led by CREATE CA tomorrow and Saturday in Oakland. The Blueprint may be found on the CDE Web site at the bottom of the Arts Education Task Force Web page. For additional information please visit CREATE CA.
Dine-Out to Benefit Local Boys & Girls Club The Boys & Girls Club of Cypress invites everyone to join them at Chick-fil-A, Seal Beach for food, fun, and fundraising on Thursday, February 12, 2015 from. A portion of all meal profits from dine-in and carry-out orders will be donated to the Club between the hours of 5:00pm -8:00 pm when a fundraising flyer is presented. Fundraising flyers can be requested by email from Erika Gary, membership coordinator, at membership@ bgccypres.org. Chick-fil-A is located at 1201 Seal Beach Blvd, Seal Beach, CA. 90740; the fundraiser is not valid at the drive-thru.
The Boys and Girls Club of Cypress offers homework help, social recreation, sports and fitness programs, and specialized clubs to youth members. The proceeds from the fundraiser will be used to purchase supplies for after school programming. We are very grateful to Chick-fil-A for hosting this event and appreciate their community support. For more information about upcoming events or how to get involved with the Boys & Girls Club of Cypress, please visit our website at www.boysandgirlsclubofcypress.com, like us on Facebook, or call the Club at 714-527-2697.