Lincoln City NOT Retiree Friendly

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by mlulu23

But considering that 10,000 people are retiring each day, the seniors need it too.

Baby Boomers Retire | Pew Research Center

They/we are not expendable. And also the fact that the people that they took it from only had 4 days notice including the weekend. That is not sufficient time to come to any conclusions. It looks like the "leaders" are trying to pull something over on the ones that owned the land.

Yeah, there really does seem something off about it. And I think that anyone who moves to what's basically a retirement community has a reasonable expectation of at least having some services designed for their demographic. This thread is a pretty good indicator of how effective the "what about the children!!!" card is (at least when it's someone else's tax dollars being used) ... combine that with the average adult's conception of sports as being a one-size-fits-all answer for teen issues, throw in the homeless card for good measure, and, well, you get the picture. Teen sports programs are also more likely to receive grant funding than other types of programs that might actually serve homeless youth better.

[mlulu23]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Yeah, there really does seem something off about it. And I think that anyone who moves to what's basically a retirement community has a reasonable expectation of at least having some services designed for their demographic. This thread is a pretty good indicator of how effective the "what about the children!!!" card is (at least when it's someone else's tax dollars being used) ... combine that with the average adult's conception of sports as being a one-size-fits-all answer for teen issues, throw in the homeless card for good measure, and, well, you get the picture. Teen sports programs are also more likely to receive grant funding than other types of programs that might actually serve homeless youth better.

I very much agree. I really like your idea of the youth day shelter in Salem where they can get the things you mentioned that they need, and maybe find a way out of their predicament. Sports has it's place, but cannot replace those basic needs.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Yeah, there really does seem something off about it. And I think that anyone who moves to what's basically a retirement community has a reasonable expectation of at least having some services designed for their demographic. This thread is a pretty good indicator of how effective the "what about the children!!!" card is (at least when it's someone else's tax dollars being used) ... combine that with the average adult's conception of sports as being a one-size-fits-all answer for teen issues, throw in the homeless card for good measure, and, well, you get the picture. Teen sports programs are also more likely to receive grant funding than other types of programs that might actually serve homeless youth better.

There is a lot of evidence in support for teen sports programs done right. Iceland and Finland have cut teen drinking and drug abuse by astonishing rates by implementing national youth sports programs after school. I doubt, however, that what little Lincoln City is doing comes remotely close to these Nordic countries.

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/a...celand/513668/

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

There is a lot of evidence in support for teen sports programs done right. Iceland and Finland have cut teen drinking and drug abuse by astonishing rates by implementing national youth sports programs after school. I doubt, however, that what little Lincoln City is doing comes remotely close to these Nordic countries.

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/a...celand/513668/

I didn't say sports didn't have benefits for some kids. What I said, again, was that they're underutilized by the homeless population and that adults tend to think of sports as a one-size-fits-all answer for teen issues. Again, my comments were specific to homeless youth, which seem to be really rare in the countries you're talking about. Based on this article, it's pretty clear that after school sports programs aren't the main focus anyway.

[mlulu23]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

There is a lot of evidence in support for teen sports programs done right. Iceland and Finland have cut teen drinking and drug abuse by astonishing rates by implementing national youth sports programs after school. I doubt, however, that what little Lincoln City is doing comes remotely close to these Nordic countries.

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/a...celand/513668/

That was an excellent article, thanks for posting it. The Youth in Iceland program has had wild success there. But although they do have some lower income people they are not a poor nation. All those wonderful clubs for kids that they built take money to get started. I see where they are trying to implement the program elsewhere in Europe. I hope they succeed. But the problem in LC is supposedly limited resources. Both segments of its population needs services. They should NOT take from one to give to the other. Those at the end of their lives are just as important as those in their early years. If elders are not using that senior center maybe it's because it has little to offer. But idk as I've never been there.

The Icelandic programs not only includes team sports, but also swimming, and art, etc. Not everybody is a team sports person. We all have different aptitudes, and abilities. As a kid if forced to play basketball, baseball, or anything like that I would have slit my throat. For me, it's like watching paint dry, lol. Not only that, but I'm an uncoordinated eel. I nagged my parents into getting me a horse instead. But even a cheap horse eats as much as an expensive one. My dad used to say "It's not the initial cost, it's the upkeep." And he was right as always. So horses only work for horse crazy kids in some areas.

So, the real issue is how to afford to care for both segments of LC's population, and not downgrade one to pay for the other. They are both important. Homelessness is a separate issue entirely, and has basic needs as a requirement. Sequim, Wa had a Serenity House Thrift store that helped to benefit the homeless. Every bit helps.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by mlulu23

That was an excellent article, thanks for posting it. The Youth in Iceland program has had wild success there. But although they do have some lower income people they are not a poor nation. All those wonderful clubs for kids that they built take money to get started. I see where they are trying to implement the program elsewhere in Europe. I hope they succeed. But the problem in LC is supposedly limited resources. Both segments of its population needs services. They should NOT take from one to give to the other. Those at the end of their lives are just as important as those in their early years. If elders are not using that senior center maybe it's because it has little to offer. But idk as I've never been there.

The Icelandic programs not only includes team sports, but also swimming, and art, etc. Not everybody is a team sports person. We all have different aptitudes, and abilities. As a kid if forced to play basketball, baseball, or anything like that I would have slit my throat. For me, it's like watching paint dry, lol. Not only that, but I'm an uncoordinated eel. I nagged my parents into getting me a horse instead. But even a cheap horse eats as much as an expensive one. My dad used to say "It's not the initial cost, it's the upkeep." And he was right as always. So horses only work for horse crazy kids in some areas.

So, the real issue is how to afford to care for both segments of LC's population, and not downgrade one to pay for the other. They are both important. Homelessness is a separate issue entirely, and has basic needs as a requirement. Sequim, Wa had a Serenity House Thrift store that helped to benefit the homeless. Every bit helps.

Iceland's per-capita GDP was $49,910 in 2017 https://tradingeconomics.com/iceland/gdp-per-capita
Oregon's per-capita GDP was $50,582 in 2016 https://www.deptofnumbers.com/gdp/oregon/

They are very nearly identical. It's not a matter of wealth, it's a matter of priorities. Oregon could easily afford to fund both world-class youth and senior programs. We just choose not to.

[mlulu23]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

Iceland's per-capita GDP was $49,910 in 2017 https://tradingeconomics.com/iceland/gdp-per-capita
Oregon's per-capita GDP was $50,582 in 2016 https://www.deptofnumbers.com/gdp/oregon/

They are very nearly identical. It's not a matter of wealth, it's a matter of priorities. Oregon could easily afford to fund both world-class youth and senior programs. We just choose not to.

Except it's funded locally, not statewide.

[haggardhouseelf]

Seniors and Teens benefit from good healthy meals, and many seniors and many kids are on fixed or tight budgets. Seniors benefit from being socially and physically active, and teens and kids benefit from being around elders in the community. It's a shame that a community center can't meet the needs of both seniors and teens and kids while utilizing the same shared resources. It's awful to pit one generation against the other, especially when they can both enrich and benefit the other. If I were a senior in this area, I think I might start a grass-roots "people" center and encourage teens and seniors to volunteer together creating meals and doing activities and community service projects all together. If the city can't get their act together, the people in the community should.

[pict]

As to what the Lincoln City Senior Center did lose in the past and has been told we will lose now:
After the community center was built and before I moved here, the then rec center director decided to take two medium sized rooms away from the senior center - one to be used for a yoga room and the other to be used for I'm not sure what other than the AARP tax service. One of the rooms that was taken away was the senior center crafts room - so that program no longer exists. As compensation, they allowed us occasional use of the room that had been ours. That room is what they say we will no longer be able to use at all because they want it for youth program storage. There is currently a "short story discussion" group that uses the room once a week and some other card game paying group (or some such thing) that uses it once a week... So those groups would no longer have a place. Although they are talking about letting us use the "AARP room". But how the limited availability of that room might be able to keep those groups going has not been clarified.

[mlulu23]

Originally Posted by pict

As to what the Lincoln City Senior Center did lose in the past and has been told we will lose now:
After the community center was built and before I moved here, the then rec center director decided to take two medium sized rooms away from the senior center - one to be used for a yoga room and the other to be used for I'm not sure what other than the AARP tax service. One of the rooms that was taken away was the senior center crafts room - so that program no longer exists. As compensation, they allowed us occasional use of the room that had been ours. That room is what they say we will no longer be able to use at all because they want it for youth program storage. There is currently a "short story discussion" group that uses the room once a week and some other card game paying group (or some such thing) that uses it once a week... So those groups would no longer have a place. Although they are talking about letting us use the "AARP room". But how the limited availability of that room might be able to keep those groups going has not been clarified.

Yeah, they are messing you guys over, definitely.