November is a couple of steps away. And if you live in the Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation District, you know November is more than falling leaves and cooler temperatures. It is your chance to vote on the proposed pool bond which will replace the current pool – first built in 1938 and substantially rebuilt in 1990-91.

 And if common voting patterns hold true, those of us 65 and older will vote at the highest rate of any age group. According to a Census Bureau report, the turnout rate in the 2012 national election for adults 65 and over rose to 71.9% from 70.3% in 2008. In comparison, the rates among 18-to 24-year olds actually fell to 41.2% from 48.5% in 2008

 There are many reasons given for why older adults 65+ vote at such higher rates.Some suggest it is basically self-interest: protecting government benefits such as Social Security and Medicare. But more recent analysis suggests several other reasons.

 Older adults generally have more time to vote (although that is not as much an issue with mail-in ballots), and believe voting is their civic duty (How often have you heard “If you don’t vote, you can’t complain”.). But the key factor may be older adults are less mobile. They stay in one place longer and consequently are more connected to the local issues and candidates

 But what about measure 33-80 to build a new pool in The Dalles? There is no question that the pool structure needs to be replaced. (You can find pictures and a video on The Dalles Public Pool and Splash Park Facebook page.) But do you replace a ‘38 Chevy with another ’38 Chevy? Or do you buy something affordable, but with newer features that will save money and provide a better driving experience. (I personally don’t want to go back to the days without power steering and air conditioning!)

 That is why I am voting for the new pool. The new pool is affordable (just over $5.00 a month for a house accessed at $175,000); and will include several practical improvements that will increase the use of the pool including a moveable bulkhead and a water slide. Plus a new Parks and Rec office will be built at the pool to eliminate the cost of renting office space, and provide better oversight of the pool and the adjacent skate park.

 I may be a little biased. I coached the summer swim team for several years and my two children swam. But that experience has also shown me how important swimming is – especially in a community that sits along the Columbia River.

I encourage you to thoughtfully consider this bond measure – because I know you are going to vote. It is our civic duty.

 Last week I said I would step it up a notch. So this week’s music announcement for the Center is backwards – by letter this time. And then before you give your brain a rest, try counting backwards from one hundred – by 3’s and then 7’s.

.elbuod a rof 3$ ro elgnis a rof 2$ si noitanod detseggus eht dna 00:7 ta strats cisum ,00:6 ta nepo srood ehT .yojne ot lla rof gnicnad dna cisum thgiN yadseuT fo htnom rehtona rof ffo gnidael “dnaB niatnuoM yrrebwartS” eht htiw redro gnittab eht fo pot eht ta ffo trats lliw retneC eht ,rebmevoN fo ht5 eht no yadseuT txeN

The often controversial author of the satirical comic strip Lil’ Abner, featuring the Yokums from Dogpatch, was Al Capp. (And this week’s winner of a free Saturday Breakfast on November 16th is Charlotte Adkisson.)

 But this is Halloween week, with the spooks and goblins visiting the neighborhoods on Thursday. And even if you may not have been around in 1938, most of us have heard about the excitement generated by the Mercury Theater’s Halloween radio broadcast that simulated news bulletins of a Martian invasion at Grover’s Mill, New Jersey. The episode was directed and narrated by Orson Welles, but who was the author of the science fiction novel it was adapted from.

E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or mail it with the original radio script for “The War of the Worlds” sold in 1988 for $143,000.

 Well, it has been another week trying to catch the lost thought before it escapes the room. Until we meet again, “Live life as long as you live”. “Never take someone for granted.

“Hold every person close to your heart because you might wake up one day and realize that you’ve lost a diamond while you were too busy collecting stones.” Unknown