BOARD OF DIRECTOR APPLICATIONS

OSTA members who would like to be considered for a position as a director on the state board need to fill out an application and be interviewed at a monthly board meeting. The membership will be voting on directors at the state meeting on October 20. For an applicant to be considered for election this year, the application must be submitted as soon as possible and the interview conducted at the board meeting on September 12. Contact Jane Capron for an application.

MH/OSTA just received the following letter (greeting and name of park deleted) from members in a Salem-area Park. We want to share it so everyone will know that our District Directors do whatever they can to help people who own their homes but rent the land under them.  We hope all you Polk and Marion County members will support Marilyn, your director, by encouraging your neighbors to join OSTA.  We help OSTA as we help ourselves, and your directors are part of your team.

Dear _____,

Several months ago we contacted OSTA for some help with our park and were contacted by the current District Director, Marilyn Davis.  We met with Marilyn and Susan DeLateur early this year.  They gave generously of their time looking through our rental agreements, rules, and documentation of events here in the park and gave us guidelines to begin to work our way through the issues.  To be honest, we were all very angry, and our original intent in wanting OSTA in our park was in hopes of putting an end to what seemed to us to be a bit of bullying, retaliation actions, threats, being lied about, and so on.  Our attitude was ‘let’s get them’, believing somehow we could be vindicated and life here in the park would return to normalcy.  Life here in the park hasn’t returned to normalcy, but changes have happened.  They’ve happened in us.  Through the gentle, positive, upbeat way Marilyn has, we have been able to view the situation in a new way.   She has turned our ‘intent’ to one of bringing healing to our park by doing positive, good things.  The stress we seemed to carry everyday has been turned to excitement.  We are looking forward to offering some fun, uplifting events to the park that will lift the spirits of all, with great anticipation.  Who woulda thought! 

Your decision to choose Marilyn Davis as your new District Director was a wise one.  It’s hard to find words to express our gratitude for her patience as we worked through our anger, discouragement and, at times, through our tears.  She waited for us, encouraging us, empathizing and accepting, working always to change our perspective, until she brought us to a place where we could see light.  The circumstances in the park haven’t changed, but we are no longer ‘under the circumstances’.  We have risen above them!  We have been empowered!  We are amazed!  You can’t purchase this with money.  You just need someone like Marilyn.  You should be proud to know she is out in communities representing OSTA in such a professional, helpful, life-changing manner. 

Sincerely,

Jan Hurst

Becky Strom

Donna Barley

Lori Dollarhide

Plans are now underway for the MH/OSTA annual meeting. Mark your calendar for October 20 at the newly remodeled Shadow Hills Country Club in Junction City. And start considering donations for the silent auction that day. We get many great bargains and the organization makes a little money on your wonderful baskets and other items.  

Judy Morton, OSTA board member and mh-osta blog administrator, is recovering from serious but successful surgery. We wish her a speedy recovery, both for her sake and for ours! Meanwhile Paula Chambers, our Call Log administrator from Central Point, will attempt to handle the posting of blogs.
                                                                                                          --from Jane Capron 6-26-12

Congratulations to the new owners of Vida Lea Mobile Home Park in Leaburg,

Congratulations to the new owners of Vida Lea Mobile Home Park in Leaburg, just up the river from Eugene. Residents of one ofour Lane County neighbor parks have bought their park and can now control their own destiny. Way to go!

2012 SUMMER REVIEW POSTED

Download the 2012 SUMMER OSTA REVIEW with the link on the left under MH-OSTA REVIEWS

engAGE in Community Expo

At the invitation of Bandana Shrestha and the AARP organization, Director Rita Loberger
attended the engAGE in Community Expo at Providence in Oregon City on May 31st.
The panel discussion revolved around 'aging in place' in the Portland area, which as
many of you recall was the theme of last years convention.  Also on the panel was Brenda
Jose of Unlimited Choices.
The day long event gave us a chance to meet many people.  Among them was Bob
Reeves, a fellow speaker and president of his OSTA chapter in Welches.
The programs consisted of:
     Preventing the misuse of prescription meds.
     It takes a village - neighbors helping neighbors
     Transportation - availability and types
     The Gatekeeper program - dealing with referrals.
     Housing - home share, manufactured housing, aging upgrades and senior housing
There were also 'break out' programs:
     Resource connections in Clackamas county.
     Multnomah County aging and disability services
     Mediation and civil advocacy speakers
     Financial and food security panels
     Volunteer connections
As we move forward, we anticipate more connections with AARP and the "Aging in Place" connection.