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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 2019)
10 Wednesday, December 18, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Sisters marks ‘age-friendly’ status By Sue Stafford Correspondent Carmel Perez Snyder, Director of Advocacy and Outreach for AARP Oregon, made a formal presentation to the council of the designation of Sisters as an official World Health Organization (WHO) Age Friendly City at last week9s City Council meeting. That designation is held by only seven areas in Oregon, and Sisters is the only one in Central Oregon. Snyder made the point that the designation is much more than just a piece of paper to hang on the wall. She likened it to a building permit that provides a template for the City to start working on cre- ating an <age-friendly= com- munity in everything they do, taking into consideration the quality of being age-friendly in a broad sense. The other six Oregon locations with the Age Friendly designation include: Multnomah County, Newberg, Talent, Salem, Springfield, and Portland, the first such designation in the U.S. Sisters is the newest and the smallest in Oregon, but the Age Friendly Sisters Country board hopes it will serve as a model for the rest of Central Oregon. In the early 2000s, the WHO began the Age Friendly movement. Portland State University was invited to join the WHO efforts in 2006, thus making Portland the first city in the country to earn the designation. PSU continues to provide leadership in the movement. The goal is to make Oregon communities great places to live, work, and play for people of all ages and abilities. Advocates note that what is good for an 80-year- old is good for an eight-year- old and everyone in between. With 10,000 people a day turning 65, the need for walk- able streets and neighbor- hoods, vibrant and convenient gathering places, and acces- sibility for all abilities and ages is of great importance. Public transportation allows for greater mobility and reduces isolation. Safe routes to school benefit the children. By using Age Friendly stan- dards in decision-making, the City will be taking everyone in the community into con- sideration for building ordi- nances, public spaces, trans- portation options, and more. Snyder told the coun- cil that the best attitude for PHOTO BY SUE STAFFORD Sisters City Council was presented with the certificate denoting the City’s designation as an Age Friendly City by the World Health Organization. everyone is, <If you live here, you have a stake in the future of the community.= In the U.S., AARP was chosen as the lead organiza- tion because of already hav- ing an established nation- wide network within the communities. Last week, Oregon held its first statewide Age Friendly summit in Portland for people already part of or interested in joining the Age Friendly movement. There were 350 people in attendance from all corners of the state. Sisters resident and Age Friendly Sisters Country board mem- ber Dixie Eckford was part of a panel discussion on transportation options, shar- ing the plans in the works for Sisters. They came together to explore and discover inno- vations and promising prac- tices in housing, transporta- tion, health, intergenerational connections, and other criti- cal Age Friendly domains. Governor Brown opened the summit and Gil Penalosa, originally from Bogota, Columbia, was the keynote speaker. Bogota is a city with open streets, not centered around vehicles; a commu- nity able to be easily used by everyone. Governor Brown is being encouraged to apply for the state to be designated Age Friendly. There are already seven or eight states that have received the designation. By meeting with other areas promoting the Age Friendly concept, cities are able to connect, collaborate, and share resources while hearing from experts in the field. Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays From Our Family to Yours! What is an age friendly city? " A city that has struc- tures and services accessible and inclusive to people of all ages with varying needs and capabilities. " A city that emphasizes enablement rather than disablement. " A city that is friendly for people of all ages and abilities. The availability and qual- ity of these community fea- tures impact the well-being of older adults and help make our community more livable for people of all ages and abilities. Domains to be considered include: outdoor spaces and buildings; transportation; housing; social participation; respect and social inclusion; work, volunteerism and civic engagement; communication and information; and com- munity and health services. For more information email AFSC at agefriendly sisters@gmail.com. Open 7 days O d a week, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. | 403 E. Hood Ave. | 541.549.2699 | Serving Breakfast & Lunch