LIR members injured in Oregon bus fire
A 71-year-old Green Bay woman was critically injured when a tour bus caught fire Sunday afternoon (Sept. 12) on an Oregon highway, state police said. The bus carried 33 passengers who were on a Pacific Northwest tour organized by members of the Learning in Retirement Institute headquartered at UW-Green Bay.
The Associated Press reports Rosemary Lou Dionne suffered burns and smoke inhalation and was rushed by helicopter to the burn unit at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland. Seven other people were taken to Tillamook General Hospital to be treated for injuries. While the original AP report indicated those seven passengers were all released by Monday morning, University officials subsequently learned two of those passengers had remained in the hospital. At the time the fire erupted near the front dash area, the AP indicated, the motor coach was heading from Cannon Beach to Cape Mears before continuing on to Portland.
All of the travelers affected by Sunday’s bus fire in Oregon are members of the Learning in Retirement Institute, University officials have confirmed. The travel tour was not part of the program’s standard course offerings, but rather an additional, ad hoc trip that LIR members organized using an outside travel agency. LIR is an independently directed organization both distinct from the University yet strongly part of the institution.
“LIR has nearly 1,000 members, and each and every one is part of our larger University family,” said Steve VandenAvond, UW-Green Bay associate provost for outreach and adult access. “Many LIR members are alumni, former UWGB employees or community supporters. We share the thoughts and concerns of all the friends and families of those affected by this incident.”
Among those on this week’s bus tour of the Pacific Northwest was one of UW-Green Bay’s most prominent alumni, Keith Pamperin, who traveled with his wife, Judith. The Pamperins were seated in the front of the bus and were among the first to evacuate before the fire spread quickly toward the rear of the motor coach. University friends of the couple called today to confirm they were OK after receiving news of the incident; the Pamperins had mentioned plans for a Portland trip at last week’s dedication of Keith Pamperin Hall.
Officials in UW-Green Bay’s Division of Outreach and Adult Access were seeking additional information Monday afternoon about the fire. Because the travel tour was arranged independently, as an ad hoc activity apart from the fall schedule of LIR classes, details related to registrations, travel rosters, and payments were handled by tour participants dealing directly with their travel agency.
The University hosts the Institute for Learning in Retirement by providing an office, classroom use, web server space and limited administrative support coordinated by the Division of Outreach and Adult Access. Members of the nearly 1,000-member group are responsible for developing their course catalog based on members’ interests and willingness to serve as volunteer instructors and group leaders. Retirees become LIR members for a fee of $75 per year, which entitles them to take the non-credit courses for fall and spring semester. LIR has its own officers and committee structure.
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