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About The Southwest Portland Post. (Portland, Oregon) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2015)
April 2015 COMMUNITY LIFE By KC Cowan and Don Snedecor The Southwest Portland Post 3 Find a new slant on calligraphy: A group show, “Play! Whimsical Words & Calligraphic Capers,” opens at the Multnomah Arts Center Gallery this month. The show features two- dimensional works as well as artist books by members of the Portland Society for Calligraphy. Opening reception is Fri., April 3 from 7 – 9 pm at the MAC, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy. The show runs through April 28. 11 A look at vision loss: Join experts at Oregon Health & Science University’s Casey Eye Institute for an in-depth look at efforts to improve the diagnosis and treatment of macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss among older people. Saturday, April 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at OHSU Casey Eye Institute, MacDonald Auditorium, 3375 SW Terwilliger Blvd. Free, but advance registration is requested. Call 503-494- 3537 for more information and to register. Introduction to birdwatching: Would you like to learn how to identify local birds, attract birds to your CALENDAR/NEWS backyard, and how to become a birder? Jens Tomas Larsen will share photos of common birds in Portland, printed and online resources, and best tips to a spectacular birding experience, such as what kind of weather to look out for, when and where to see a swallow roost in fall, and much more. Saturday, April 11, 2 – 3:30 pm at the Capitol Hill Library, 10723 SW Capitol Hwy. Call 503-988-5385 for more info. Free. 12 Jewish Community Orchestra: This top-notch community orchestra performs Mendelssohn, Magnard and Berlioz in its spring concert. Sunday, April 12 at 3 pm at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy. Tickets available at the door. $10 adults, $8 seniors and $5 students. Under the Big Top: Auction night to benefit Wilson High School. The All-School Auction takes place Saturday, April 18 at 6 p.m. at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy. Door prizes, entertainment, and the chance to win a 1.08 carat diamond worth more than $6,000. Proceeds benefit the Wilson High School Foundation. Tickets are on sale now through the school website: www.pps.k12.or.us/schools/wilson. 18 23 Shredding confidential documents in Raleigh Hills: The annual Raleigh Hills Business The Southwest Portland Post • 5 Association Shred Event will be held Thursday, April 23, 12 to 4 p.m. at the New Seasons in Raleigh Hills, 7300 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy. Free. The folks at Accu-Shred will be taking paper products and shredding it on site. Other recycling: Eco Binary is accepting used electronic equipment, Interstate All Battery accepting household dry batteries, Cartridge Network accepting spent ink cartridges from printers. Visit the RHBA website for more information. 25 Electronics recycling: Do you have electronic items that you want to get rid of and keep out of our landfills? Take them to the Sunstone Montessori School (6318 SW Corbett Ave.) on Saturday, April 25. For a small donation, they will take them off your hands. Everything from televisions and video cassette recorders to ink cartridges, scanners, laptops, cell phones, and more are accepted. The recycling event will held from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. For more information call Green Century Electronics Recycling at 503-764-9963. Make the sun pay! Learn why solar is a smart choice for your home at a solar for residential workshop. Topics include: how solar works in Oregon’s climate; available solar technologies and how they fit into your overall energy use; assessing your site for solar; how financial incentives and tax SPRING SWING: Maestro Yaacov Bergman leads the Portland Chamber Orchestra in works by American composers Meyer, Barber and Bernstein, April 25-26 at Lewis & Clark College, Agnes Flanagan Chapel. Featuring violinist Aaron Meyer (shown above), guitarist Tim Ellis, soprano Nicole Greenidge, and tenor Brian Tierney. Visit www.portlandchamberorchestra.org for details. credits can cover up to 80 percent of the cost. Hillsdale Library, 1525 SW Sunset Blvd. Saturday, April 25, 2 – 3:30 p.m. Registration required; register online, in the library or by calling 503-988-5234. Southwest residents organizing aging-in-place network for seniors By Erik Vidstrand The Southwest Portland Post By 2030, the Portland metro area is expected to grow to almost 395,000 people aged 65 and older. Even if all these seniors wanted to move into retirement homes, there simply aren’t enough facilities available, now, or being built to accommodate this many people. On top of that, approximately 75 percent of these seniors don’t have enough retirement savings to be able to afford the costs which could be $3,000 and much more per month. According to a recent American Association of Retired Persons survey, almost 90 percent of older adults want to grow old in their own homes and neighborhoods. For many baby boomers (born from 1946-64), their vision of aging doesn’t include retirement homes. To address this concern, there has been a growing concept to create supportive communities of people who want to age-in-place. Villages are been organized all over the country, the first one in Beacon Hill in Boston. These aging-in-place villages are a group of like-minded individuals in a geographic area who come together to figure out and develop the resources they will need to age comfortably in their own homes. In the Portland area, Villages NW, a local organization, is in the process of forming a nonprofit corporation. In the meantime, the organization has created seven hubs, one of them in Southwest Portland. Named River West Village, with boundaries from the Willamette River, to Hwy. 26, to Lake Oswego, was created over a year ago. Approximately 30 people, mostly elderly, attended an orientation on a blustery Sunday in mid-March. Dr. John Dougherty (left) stresses a point as River West Village participants C.B. Wright, Darl Kleinbach, Sharon Marcus, and John Mouser look on. (Photo courtesy of Hsi Li Sui) The seniors expressed wanting to retain their independence, mobility, and social activities as best as possible. According to Dr. John Dougherty, an independent researcher who has lived in Hillsdale for many years, individuals have been forming alliances with each other for a long time just by living together. “We’d like everyone to become a member,” he continued, “so we can help provide you with services that aging seniors will need.” “Once the River West Village is up and running in 2017,” according to committee member C.B. Wright, “membership fees could be under $1,000 and perhaps even lower. This fee would provide a variety of services that would normally costs thousands and thousands of dollars a year.” Coordinators said it will take at least 100 members to make it feasible. There are over 11,000 elders alone in Southwest. Discussion turned to the fact that young and old will be needed to help to age-in-place. “The Village” will need to draw its volunteers not just from its members, but from the broader community, which further nurtures intergenerational interaction and relationships. Audience members brainstormed a list of services that they would like to see, including yard and house projects. Rides will be needed, especially when driver licenses are revoked. “That’s when the isolation sets in,” commented one audience member. “There will be rides to take people to their appointments,” Dougherty said, “as well as to remain engaged in cultural events. Some may want to go to a party or a concert, even stop for a drink. “We’re not just talking about knitting and bridge groups,” Dougherty smiled. Most ride-shares stop at certain times and are restrictive. “Help with computer issues will also be needed,” Dougherty replied. “A senior ‘geek-squad’ will be available at no cost…if you’re a member.” Others suggested a list of networks, a calendar of social and recreational events, and educational outings such as trips to OMSI or the World Affairs Council. “There are lots of logistics to make this program a reality,” Wright explained. “We want everyone to feel safe for those who come into your home.” “This is not a model to provide healthcare or replace other services,” Dougherty assured, “but we do need volunteers, committees, and people with specific skills to help promote the village. “We’re all skilled, talented, but we just have grey hair.” The next informational overview will be at the Hillsdale Community Church on Sunday, May 17 from 12 to 1:30 p.m. For more information, visit www. villagesNW.org or call 503-281-4698. Word to your Mother! Mention “Mother's Day” in your retail display ad in May and save 20 percent off the open rate, with this special offer. Includes, space, design, position and color. You must mention this offer to get the deal. Call Don or Harry at 503-244- 6933 to place your ad. Deadline is April 20.
