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Salem for All Ages Project Overview and Survey Report December 2015 ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE____ SUMMARY 1 BACKGROUND 2 PROJECT OVERVIEW 4 SURVEY METHODOLOGY 5 RESULTS/KEY FINDINGS 6 APPENDICIES APPENDIX 1: SURVEY 15 APPENDIX 2: OUTREACH SITES 17 APPENDIX 3: LIST OF RESPONSES TO “ETHNICITY/COUNTRY OF ORIGIN” 18 APPENDIX 4: OPEN-END RESPONSES TO “WHAT MAKES SALEM A GOOD 19 PLACE TO GROW OLDER APPENDIX 5: OPEN-END RESPONSES TO “WHAT WOULD MAKE SALEM 26 AN EVEN BETTER PLACE TO LIVE? WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?” APPENDIX 6: OPEN-END RESPONSE TO “WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING 34 WOULD IMPROVE YOUR EXPERIENCE OF LIVING IN SALEM…OTHER?” ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 2 SUMMARY In February 2015, Jewish Family & Children’s Service (JF&CS) launched Salem for All Ages, a community-based project designed to build awareness of what it means to be an age-friendly city. Through a series of outreach events and information-gathering activities, this project focused on answering two key questions: What makes Salem a good place to grow older? What would make it better? Partnering with the Salem Council on Aging/Senior Center, JF&CS initiated conversations with stakeholders throughout the city, including organizations focusing on aging issues and groups with a broader mandate. Our goal was to reach as many residents as possible, extending beyond the Senior Center’s constituency to engage people who were unaware of Salem’s resources for older adults. Gathering input from residents throughout the city, Salem for Ages took a grassroots approach to identifying issues and stimulating ideas for making Salem a more age- friendly community. As part of the project, Salem for All Ages distributed a short survey to Salem residents age 50 and older, a cohort that now comprises one-third of the city’s population. A total of 209 residents responded to the survey, representing residents from all parts of the city and ranging in age from 50 to 90. Most respondents were women, and almost half had lived in Salem for 30 years or more, a clear indication that many Salem residents are “aging in place.” We also note that the race and ethnicity distribution of those who returned surveys reflects the current profile of Salem’s population as a whole. While survey results reflected the heterogeneity of Salem’s 50+ population, a consistent theme – regardless of the respondent’s age or ethnicity – was the desire for more transportation options. Enhanced accessibility, greater frequency, and lower cost were among the suggested improvements. Respondents also commented on their desire for more housing choices, recreational activities, employment and volunteer opportunities, health services, and other improvements that would make Salem a better place to grow older. The richness of survey responses is captured in the full report beginning on page 3. As Salem’s newly formed Age-Friendly Steering Committee begins the process of developing a strategic action plan, the information gathered by the Salem for All Ages project will help these local leaders identify and implement projects whose early success can generate momentum for ongoing organizing and change. Salem for All Ages Project Overview and Survey Report ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 3 BACKGROUND What does it mean to be age-friendly? Among leading organizations that are now sponsoring age-friendly initiatives – including the World Health Organization, AARP, and Grantmakers in Aging – common themes are emerging that can guide age-friendly initiatives of all types, from city-wide efforts to projects that focus on discrete issues, such as housing, transportation, or access to cultural resources. Large or small, age-friendly initiatives aim to: Encourage full participation of older residents in community life; Encourage activities that enhance the health and wellbeing of older residents; and/or Ensure support for vulnerable older residents. JF&CS’s approach to “seeding” age-friendly activity in local communities is based on insights drawn from the growing body of literature on age-friendly projects and our own experience fostering age-friendly movements in local communities. Consistent findings include the following: Age-friendly activities and services that increase the involvement of older adults in community life inevitably improve the life of the whole community. Successful activity reflects the specific characteristics and priorities of the local community. Flexibility and responsiveness are essential. Age-friendly initiatives are most likely to succeed in communities with progressive leadership, from local government, the Council on Aging and residents. Early success of initial projects is necessary to help the community understand what the initiative is. “Early wins are necessary to help the community visualize the initiative.” (Keyes, et. al. “Transforming the Way We Live Together: A Model to Move Communities from Policy to Implementation”, Journal of Aging & Social Policy, p. 128, 2014) The only way changes can occur on a town/citywide scale is if there is advocacy, education, and sharing of information with organizations and institutions outside the aging network. “The definition of success is not the creation of new programs and services specifically designed to serve older adults which can often be expensive, but integration of aging issues into what is already being done for the population as a whole.” (Glicksman, et. al. “Building an Integrated Research/Policy Planning Age-Friendly Agenda”, Journal of Aging & Social Policy, p. 141, 2014) Since 2005, JF&CS has developed expertise in fostering age-friendly initiatives in a variety of settings, partnering with community organizations, businesses, government, and local residents to launch ongoing efforts. ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 4 JF&CS’s Aging Well at Home programs facilitate resident-driven activities and motivational strategies that increase physical activity, healthy eating and social connection among older tenants of housing development in Boston, Brookline, Framingham, Beverly, Danvers, Peabody, Salem - JF&CS is a Founding Partner of Brookline Community Aging Network (BrooklineCAN),1 a model program that promotes Brookline as a great place to age. Engaging older adults of all income levels and ages, BrooklineCAN’s work focuses on concrete projects and advocacy that result in tangible products and services that improve life for all residents. From 2009 – 2012 JF&CS conducted a demonstration project in North Brookline to “Put Connection Back into the Community” by developing a neighborhood approach to linking residents to services and activities that make daily life easier, safer, and satisfying. 2 3 In the spring of 2014, JF&CS explored opportunities on the North Shore to foster age-friendly initiatives. North Shore Elder Services (NSES) hosted two meetings with NSES staff, board members, and community members to discuss the possibilities. During these exploratory conversations, Salem was identified as an ideal place to begin. Ranked among the top places to live in Massachusetts, Salem has progressive municipal leadership and is investing in the rebuilding of its Senior Center as a new Community Life Center, to be completed over the next few years. Stakeholders at the NSES meetings felt that these assets would provide fertile ground for seeding a successful age-friendly initiative. 1 www.brooklinecan.org 2 See JF&CS online report at: 3 Gonyea, Judith and Kathy Burnes, “Aging Well at Home: Evaluation of a Neighborhood-based Piolot Project to “Put Connection Back into Community”, Journal of Housing for the Elderly, 27:333-347, 2013. ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 5 SALEM FOR ALL AGES PROJECT OVERVIEW The Salem for All Ages project focused on outreach to residents and organizations to spearhead conversations on what makes Salem a good place to grow older and what would make it better. Our goals were to: Build awareness of what it means to be an age-friendly city. Familiarize residents and organizations with the programs, services and resources that currently exist for older adults in Salem. Capture and report on information from residents and organizations about what makes Salem a great place to grow old and what would make it even better. Develop a grassroots approach to generating ideas for making Salem more age-friendly. Target and implement resident-led projects whose early success generates momentum for ongoing organizing and change. In the spring of 2015, Patricia Zaido and Christine Sullivan, two community leaders who had recently retired as executive directors of Salem-based organizations, brought this age-friendly initiative to the attention of Mayor Kim Driscoll and key stakeholders throughout the city. The advocacy of these two local leaders has been critical to the city’s embrace of the project and the establishment of the Salem Age-Friendly Steering Committee. On October 22, 2015, AARP presented the City of Salem and Mayor Kim Driscoll with a certificate congratulating the city, mayor, and steering committee members on their efforts to join the age- friendly network. Having invested in seeding an age-friendly movement in Salem, JF&CS is now playing a supporting role, working with the Salem Age-Friendly Steering Committee to develop a strategic plan for advancing the initiative. Next steps include targeting and implementing projects whose early success will generate enthusiasm and momentum for ongoing organizing and change. ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 6 SURVEY METHODOLOGY From February through September 2015 – through meetings, conversations, and widespread distribution of our survey – JF&CS collected qualitative and quantitative data from hundreds of residents and staff at community organizations. The JF&CS Program Coordinator, Kelley Annese visited organizations, housing sites, neighborhood meetings, speaking at existing events and setting up special events to gather input. We used an informal approach, fostering conversations to talk about life in Salem, what would make it better, and what age-friendly means. Participants were also given the Salem for All Ages survey to record their individual feedback. (See Appendix 1 for a copy of the survey.) We focused on gathering data from residents age 50 and older, currently one-third of Salem’s population. The goal was to gather information to reflect the opinions and ideas of the multiple generations that now comprise Salem’s older population. We adopted a “convenience sampling” process for our survey, a method that fit well with our outreach efforts and could be implemented with limited resources. As the name implies, a convenience sampling includes participants who are easy to access. To insure representation of different age cohorts, ethnic groups, and income levels, we visited sites throughout the city, often “piggybacking” on existing activities/events with captive audience participation. (See Appendix 2 for a list of outreach sites.) The survey was also available on-line and translated into Spanish and Russian; however, we received few responses using these methods and did not receive any using the Russian translation. Mirroring the data-gathering efforts of Boston’s Age Friendly initiative, the Salem for All Ages survey solicited open-ended responses to two questions: What makes Salem a good place to live and grow older? What would make Salem an even better place to live? What would you change? Drawing on the World Health Organization’s “Checklist of Essential Features of Age-Friendly Cities”4 our survey asked respondents to check off features that would improve their experience of living in Salem. Choices included: 1) affordable housing or housing choices; 2) cultural events; 3) recreational activities; 4) better communication about events, services and resources; 5) opportunities for employment/volunteering/civic engagement; 6) increased transportation options; 7) health services; and 8) other. We also asked respondents to add their own ideas for making Salem more age-friendly. The range and specificity of responses, summarized and ranked below, provide input for the Salem Age-Friendly Steering Committee. 4 http://www.who.int/ageing/publications/Age_friendly_cities_checklist.pdf ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 7 RESULTS/KEY FINDINGS A total of 209 residents responded to the survey. I. Demographics AGE We were successful in reaching older adults in different age cohorts. Participants responding to the survey ranged in age from 21 to 94. GENDER The overwhelming majority of participants were women ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 8 Gender of all Respondents by Age Decades Gender of All Respondents by Age Decade (n = 209) Female Male Gender not reported Age by Decade % of Respondents % of Respondents % of Respondents 90s 4% 0% 0% 80s 15% 3% 1% 70s 19% 4% 2% 60s 23% 5% 0% 50s 10% 2% 0.5% under 50 4% 1% 0% Age not reported 2% 0.5% 3% LIVING SITUATION Respondents who answered the question were almost equally divided between homeowners (52%) and renters which reflects the breakdown for Salem as a whole. ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 9 LENGTH OF TIME LIVING IN SALEM While just over 20% of respondents had lived in Salem less than 10 years , almost half had lived in Salem for 30 years or more reflecting a substantial number of older adults “aging in place” in Salem. ETHNICITY/COUNTRY OF ORIGIN In an effort to capture an understanding of the ethnic representation of those responding to the survey we asked them to fill in the blank with their “ethnicity/country of origin”. While Salem is predominantly white racially, there are small Black and Asian populations and a growing Hispanic population (almost 16%). As reflected in the responses there was a broad representation of ethnic origin/identification by Salem residents participating in the survey. (See Appendix II. What Makes Salem a Good Place to Live and Grow Older? The first of three open ended questions asked respondents to comment on “What makes Salem a good place to live and grow older?” ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 10 Sixty-seven percent (141) of respondents provided comments. (See Appendix The sample quotes below reflect that the following key themes in the responses to this question include: Walkable with good public transportation Quiet and safe community Diversity City has a lot to offer – history, museums, cultural Sense of community – friendly people/neighbors Affordable housing Senior center, and medical facilities Close to the ocean “Salem is alive; it has the feel of a big city without the sprawl. We are a coastal community, home to a major cultural institution, a state university, and a major medical center; it draws people from outside Salem and enriches the experience of living here. It also helps having an active downtown with many fine restaurants to choose from.” “There is a multitude of things to do in Salem and as a younger older adult, I can do them without the need to drive a car. Being able to walk to my destinations is an important part of making the city a good place to live and grow older.” “The diversity of the city along with the quality of life provided by the many nonprofits. There is something for everyone in Salem and as we grow older the health care is easy, accessible and quality driven.” “Salem is a very friendly, walkable city with countless opportunities for volunteer work. The proximity to the ocean, world class museum, theatre, restaurants, House of Seven Gables, and educational options make it a city for all ages.” III. What Would Make Salem an Even Better Place to Live? What Would You Change? Sixty-nine percent (144) respondents shared comments about changes they thought would help make Salem a better place to live. Improving traffic flow (e.g. in and out of the city; traffic lights) and transportation (e.g. more options, better access and frequency, lower cost) led the list of desired changes. Below is a summary list of categories for suggested improvements with number of responses in that category. ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 11 Traffic (23) Transportation (18) New Senior Center, nighttime classes (13) Lower taxes (12) Fix sidewalks that are uneven and potholes Parking (more spaces; free parking, particularly in October; handicapped parking) Clean up (e.g. Bridge Street, care for trees) Regular trash pick-up; snow removal Housing (e.g. more options for one floor living in downtown; more affordable housing; quieter housing; senior friendly developments for those who want to downsize) More benches (e.g. near businesses on Essex Street) and more shelters Stores downtown that cater to residents not just tourists (e.g. grocery stores; men's clothing store) More job opportunities Improve schools Improve and add to bike baths IV. Which Would Improve Your Experience of Living in Salem? Respondents were asked to indicate what changes they would make to improve Salem. A top priority for all ages surveyed was improvements in transportation (e.g. more access, affordability, options, frequency). The total responses produced the following ranking: transportation; affordable housing or increased housing choices; more recreational activities; better communication about events, services and resources; open-end “other”; cultural events; employment/volunteering ; and health options. What Would Improve Experience (n = 209) # of Respondents %/Rank of Respondents * Affordable housing or increased housing choices 89 43% Cultural events 71 34% Recreational activities 88 42% Better communication about events, services and resources 76 36% Opportunities for employment/volunteering civic engagement 65 31% Increased transportation options 104 50% Health Services 60 29% Other: 71 34% *Note that is tied between Cultural events and Other ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 12 The following summary shows the range of the responses to the “other” category (34%) for “What Would Improve Your Experience of Living in Salem?” Improved transportation (e.g. weekend between various Salem locations; bus a 6 p.m. for Macy employees) Improve sidewalks, fix streets, public restrooms, benches More housing options; Low-cost/interest free loans to homeowners to fix up their houses Better communication for those without technology (not all elderly are without money); handbook on activities Improve walking routes and add bike paths, make exercise activities more accessible for people who are older; year round pool beside YMCA Clean up (e.g. Bridge Street, street sweeping) Parking (e.g. keep elevator in Mall garage open after 9 p.m. Cultural events during the day; more free events Walk-in health service; 100% dental coverage for poor people Lower taxes More computer classes New senior center; more accessible senior center; add movie nights, cooking class, music Better trash cans More businesses for residents on Essex Street ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 13 RANKING BY AGE DECADE Total 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s Housing 2 3 2 4 2 1 Culture 5 1 4 6 8 2 Recreation 3 3 2 2 4 1 Communication 4 4 3 5 3 1 Employment/ Volunteering 6 5 5 8 5 2 Transportation 1 2 1 1 1 1 Health 7 5 7 7 7 2 Other 5 4 6 3 6 2 ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 14 Finally, the survey provided respondents with the opportunity to provide contact information to learn more about the survey results and age-friendly activities in Salem. Half of all respondents provided contact information providing the Age-Friendly Salem steering committee with an opportunity to further engage respondents. ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 15 APPENDIX 1 ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 16 Salem for All Ages Jewish Family & Children’s Service (JF&CS) and the City of Salem are collaborating on the “Salem for All Ages” project. Salem is a great city with a rich tradition, and ranks among the top places to live in Massachusetts. The Salem Senior Center of the future will be a new Community Life Center scheduled to be completed in the next few years. Now is an exciting time to explore the changing experience of aging and how to meet the needs of residents who are living longer. The Salem for All Ages project focuses on outreach to residents and organizations to spearhead conversations on what makes Salem a good place to grow older and what would make it better. Our goals are to: Build awareness of what it means to be an age-friendly city. Familiarize residents and organizations with the programs, services and resources that currently exist for older adults in Salem. Capture and report on information from residents and organizations about what makes Salem a great place to grow old and what would make it even better. Develop a grassroots approach from which will emerge issues and ideas to make Salem more age-friendly. Target and implement projects whose early success generates momentum for ongoing organizing and change. These will involve residents in experiencing and/or fostering healthy aging, social/community engagement. We hope you will volunteer to fill out a Salem for All Ages survey so that we can learn about Salem’s assets and ideas for enhancing quality of life for residents as they age. Please complete the survey on paper or on-line at: www.surveymonkey.com/s/Salem_For_All_Ages_Survey If you would like more information or a paper survey sent to you, please contact Kelley Annese at: or [PHONE REDACTED]. Your ability to receive or participate in services from JF&CS or the Salem Council on Aging/Senior Center will not be affected by your participation or lack of participation in the survey. Survey responses are anonymous unless you choose to provide your contact information. Please note that no identifying information will be included in any reports created from the results of this survey. ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 17 Salem for All Ages Survey What makes Salem a good place to live and grow older? What would make Salem an even better place to live? What would you change? Which of the following would improve your experience of living in Salem? (Check as many as apply and add a few ideas of your own) ○ Affordable housing or increased ○ Opportunities for employment/volunteering housing choices civic engagement ○ Cultural events ○ Increased transportation options ○ Recreational activities ○ Health Services ○ Better communication about events, services and resources Age: Gender: Ethnicity/Country of Origin: How long have you lived in Salem? Years How many people in your household? Living situation: ○ Rental Sr. Housing Apt. ○ Rental Apt. ○ Condo ○ Single Family If you would like more information or want to become more involved in this assessment, please provide your contact information below. Kelley Annese will be happy to contact you. Email: Location: (for office use) ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 18 APPENDIX 2 SALEM FOR ALL AGES OUTREACH SITES Organizations/Events AARP Salem * ASANA (All Salem Neighborhood Association) * Bingo St. James’s Church * Envision Your Future event at Salem State University* Explorers Lifelong Learning Institute * Hawthorne Hotel focus group * Independent Living Center of North Shore Library Lifebridge NIAC (Neighborhood Association meeting) * North Shore Career Center North Shore Community Development Coalition North Shore Medical Center Wellness Center * North Shore Moving Market Over the Rainbow Supper Club * Peabody Council on Aging Peabody Essex Museum Rotary Club meeting Salem Commons Neighborhood Mtg. * Salem Food Pantry Salem Main Streets Salem State University, School of Social Work Salem Trolley Salem Senior Center * St. Peter’s Church * Triad * YMCA Independent Housing (Public Housing, Affordable Housing, etc.) Charter Street * Congregate Housing * Dalton House * Essex House * Fairweather Salem * LaFayette * Lee Fort Terrace * Morency Manor * Pequoit Highlands * *Indicates places where surveys were gathered ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 19 APPENDIX 3 Ethnicity/Country of Origin (n = 154) America 2 American 9 American-USA 1 Anglo/USA 1 Asian 3 Black 1 Canadian/Salem 1 Caucasian (white) 31 Caucasian/USA 13 Dominican Republic 8 English 3 English/USA 1 French Canadian 1 French Irish 1 Guatemala 1 Hispanic 3 Hispanic/USA 1 Ireland 1 Irish 1 Irish American 3 Irish USA 2 Irish & French 1 Italian American 1 Jewish 3 Latino 1 Native American Indian 1 Peru 1 Philippines 4 Polish 2 Polish/American USA 1 Portugal 1 Portuguese 1 Puerto Rico 2 USA 41 U.S./Latina/Caucasian 1 U.S. - Salem, MA 1 U.S./Irish 1 USA - Polish heritage 1 White/Irish 1 Yankee 1 ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 20 APPENDIX 4 What makes Salem a good place to live and grow older? 1. Goes to variety show 2. Goes to museum 3. There is a lot of help for people with low resources and who are older. 4. Salem is the best I have found in the U.S.; Salem is wonderful. 5. It is a multicultural place. We need support to learn English to be part of the community; also to learn computers. 6. The tranquility 7. Adequate senior housing 8. For me, living close to downtown 9. A little bit of everything; it's a historic place. 10. 2 washers in building; need more. Donna needs another lock on door; told to call maintenance. 11. People 12. The people are friendly and helpful. 13. People 14. Good neighbors 15. Quiet 16. St Peter's, Pickering Wharf, history 17. St. Peter's Church - all the activities; stores, convenience. Pickering Wharf; history. No call list that works; no junk mail list. 18. Walkability; grocery delivery; easy access to pharmacies. 19. It's a walkable city with many cultural events. 20. Salem is peaceful because people work hard here. 21. The city is walkable. 22. Location (train to Boston, college, water, walkable). Good/lovely housing stock. History; architecture ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 21 23. Walkable; all the major festivals, Halloween, destination restaurants, diversity, inclusiveness, respect for all opinions. 24. Ability to walk places, restaurants, cultural events, volunteer opportunities 25. Lots of history, culture, etc. 26. Walkable; always activities in town 27. A lot of activities, such as festivals, museums and movies 28. There is a multitude of things to do in Salem and as a younger older adult, I can do them without the need to drive a car. Being able to walk to my destinations is an important part of making the city a good place to live and grow older. 29. Salem is alive; it has the feel of a big city without the sprawl. We are a coastal community, home to a major cultural institution, a state university, and a major medical center, it draws people from outside Salem and enriches the experience of living here. It also helps having an active downtown with many fine restaurants to choose from. 30. Lots to do; lovely to look at; very walkable; lots of tolerance to diversity 31. Cultural/historical opportunities; healthcare; university; restaurants. Access to Boston (train/ferry) 32. Walkable, interesting buildings at a human scale (makes you feel relaxed), many, many activities. Near water (again relaxing) 33. The diversity of the city along with the quality of life provided by the many nonprofits. There is something for everyone in Salem and as we grow older the health care is easy, accessible and quality-driven. 34. Meters at Willows 35. Senior Center 4 days week- exercise, Pilates, chair yoga 36. Strong bones, (7 people), knitting and crochet. Use the ride; it's great. Feel safe; there is security. 37. Like lunch, bingo at Senior Center, get food from Black Cat Cafe at Salem High school. Get the Ride only- no car 38. Tap dance & ballroom; easy to drive around. Enjoy gardening in my backyard. 39. I love living here, until I'm getting old enough cause my family is here & they like it here. 40. Good neighbors, peace & quiet 41. As for me, yes I enjoy living here in Salem but I'm planning to go home to the Phil. area after 15 years. 42. Peaceful place, good climate 43. Peaceful place; good climate; progressive place 44. The many activities for older people ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 22 45. We will be getting a new Senior Center 46. Likes pizza parties, hates elevator 47. You can walk everywhere & public transportation. 48. Salem has Salem Willows and Winter Island 49. Everything. A real sense of community. Decent housing downtown. Important things (Bank, drug store, P.O., Library, mini grocery, etc.) all in walking distance! Wonderful museum, many programs, places of interest. I could go on & on. 50. Easy access to most events - doctors, shopping etc. 51. Public affordable housing, Senior Center 52. I like living with my daughter's family. 53. It is a great city; Salem has a lot to offer. 54. Exercise at COA 55. Like to do crafting. Like Lynn Recycle for the Arts Center. Ideas for people might be garage sale once a week, donate. Could be a business tax write off; have organizations offer time or space for classes or garage sale. 56. Quiet-Pioneer Terrace 57. Someone comes in everyday to clean + do laundry 58. Willows, downtown, cinema 59. Many things to do 60. Easy to get around; live near downtown. Driving easy; bingo is fun; Wednesday bingo at COA 61. Safety 62. Safety 63. Only good for the tourists... I've lived here all my life (66 yrs) and feel I get nothing back from the city for the taxes I pay. 64. Halloween time - love it 65. Atmosphere, history, Halloween 66. Community atmosphere, Halloween, family oriented 67. I like living in Salem and the Willows. I lived in Salem all my life! I was brought up here! 68. Lot of history and museums 69. We have a lot of history, activities, museums in great city to live in. ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 23 70. Activities 71. It's a very walkable city- if the day comes we have to stop driving, it has good access to Mass Transit. Also, Salem is beautiful and historic. 72. Everything is close-knit and close together. 73. P.E.M., Activities for Seniors- Seven Gables. good places to dine downtown 74. Love Salem, Mayor has done a wonderful job for the arts & fun diversity. Housing; overall appearance. 75. Lots of cultural events, many free on the water...high-speed ferry to Boston, train service, friendly folks, increasingly "green" (environmentally) 76. Lived here in Salem 56 years- will be here till the end! 77. The people 78. I have lived in Salem all my life; I love living here. 79. It’s a great city with many parks to walk in. 80. I've lived here since birth and love this city. Many opportunities for all; wonderful mayor and city leaders 81. Yes & no 82. Parks; restaurants; transportation (trains, buses) 83. The city is walkable, and there is also public transportation. There is a welcome atmosphere in the city. Easy to get to Boston for all that it offers, near enough to the airport, and not too close. The library is exceptional, great selection of books and discounts to museums. The Peabody Museum is free to residents, special exhibits are always superb, the old exhibits are fun to see again and again. (Time to bring back the giant turtle) Many people make Salem their life-long home, lots of familiar faces wherever you go. Lots of diversity, makes the city very vibrant. 84. Cement to walk; Willows; Sept free passes for trolley residents only; Bertini's restaurant. 85. Have been here for more than 30 years. Dine, walk, and run; enjoy all the activities 86. Angry because I had to give up license. Hard to make friends here. I don’t go to CoA. Don’t like to be with old people. Want to go clothes shopping with young people. Like to go out to eat 87. Good medical facilities; convenient shopping; good restaurants 88. Good medical facility- good MD's in most specialties. outstanding restaurants 89. I love Salem. 90. Born and lived here all my life 91. This is my life, always have lived in Salem and my family is here ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 24 92. The total environment-e.g. home, cultural events, close to ocean for sailing etc. we are close to our children & grandchildren & relatives. It has all the convenience one needs: e.g. hospitals, shows, restaurants. 93. The neighborhood; downtown shopping; museum; maritime history; Salem's history; state university; school system 94. Lived here all my life and have enjoyed being a Salemite. Our family is also here so we enjoy being with them, and everything else Salem has to offer. 95. Salem museum free to Salem residents & free concerts. Best recreational centers in North Shore. Only 17 miles from Boston. Beautiful waterfront maritime and cultural history. 96. It’s a walking city; it’s historical; the people are friendly. Trolley handy and lots of great stories about Salem, museum the Willows and beautiful waterfront 97. Diverse population 98. Plenty of cultural activities, organizations, clubs that provide a diversity of activities 99. Many interesting places to visit such as museums. Programs at Salem State University. 100. Lots of things to see and do 101. You can walk most places; nearby public transportation, community gardening, Free passes at PEM, Peabody Essex coffee houses to meet with museum friends 102. Access to waterfront, parks, festivals, PEM, "seniors free access", waterfront, family churches, diversity 103. Tons of activities, restaurants, museums, etc. 104. Convenient markets, good transportation. 105. Overall ambiance -sea, museums, restaurants, college for CEU & adult education, Athenaeum. Like shopping in Market Basket as well as small boutiques 106. Vibrant city 107. Close to the ocean - Winter Island a great asset. Lots of neat, locally owned shops and restaurants Great place to "show off" to visitors - historical as well as hysterical! Beautiful mature trees, flowering trees and bushes. We find mostly friendly people wherever we go. 108. It's a beautiful, compact town with ocean parks at Derby Wharf, the Willows, Winter Island and Forest River Park. You can meet people from all over the world, both residents and visitors, and its residents are socioeconomically diverse. It has a world-class museum, arts and cultural events, a university, a good hospital and a cinema. The City welcomes civic involvement and has a commitment to transparency. Transportation to Boston is readily available by train, bus and boat. 109. Have lived here in Salem since 1959 - before that Danvers, MA. Family grew up here - schools great! Near hospital NSMC ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 25 110. Friendly folks, diverse population, smallish-town feeling with easy access to town government, cultured events including PEM 111. Museums, health care and doctors; parks (Salem Willows & Winter Island) 112. Transportation good; diversity; walkable city; great mayor; LGBT-friendly 113. Historical, schools 114. Lifelong resident with community connections 115. Ability to live in or near town and walk to grocery store, activities 116. PEM, History, Salem State University/Explorers, 2 YMCA's, churches 117. A place where I know well! 118. Services; a downtown that is vibrant; culture (PEM, Salem State) 119. Safety in the neighborhood; at intersection crossing streets; in the building. 120. Near ocean; good environment; quaint, excellent senior assistance (North Shore Elder Service). 121. City hall!! 122. Beautiful small town 123. Vibrant downtown, lots of educational and cultural opportunities. Wonderful restaurants, good people, great mayor, walkable city. Free use of PEM. 124. Everything! Salem is amazing! 125. The diversity of the community 126. Lots of good people live here; lots of interesting activities 127. Lots of varied activities; art, music, great restaurants; well-lit and safe 128. It's historically bountiful, full of fun, art and a wonderful place to spend time. It offers everything a larger city does in a beautiful, easy-to-travel setting. It's a city of multicultural attractions, difference creeds, religions and beliefs which only enriches the experience you have here. 129. The city has a lot of great energy, lots of cultural events and for the most part easily accessible. 130. Exciting small city with much to offer; maritime opportunities. 131. Great cultural events for small city; fabulous people, shops; great entertainment 132. Location 133. Location, walkable 134. Diverse; easy access to public transportation and close proximity to shopping & services, but doesn't feel like Boston ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 26 135. I have only been here for one year, so for me it would be easily accessible, ongoing events/lectures, etc. 136. Walkability; variety of activities/cultural events 137. PEM, ocean nearby, good restaurants and events. 138. Very walkable, many things to do, many places to volunteer, cultural events. 139. Walk ability, great restaurants, proximity to train/ocean, PEM, common and the fact that the city tries to save historic buildings rather than tearing them down. 140. Salem is a very friendly, walkable city with countless opportunities for volunteer work. The proximity to the ocean, world class museum, theatre, restaurants, House of Seven Gables, and educational options make it a city for all ages. ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 27 APPENDIX 5 What would make Salem an even better place to live? What would you change? 1. Traffic 2. Bus drivers knew your name; police officers knew you and walked around. Idea: Police gather off- duty out of uniform to mingle; penny candy stores; less people 3. Provide and make accessible more exercise activities for people with low resources and old age. More information for older adults about nutrition and exercise to age healthily. [Translated from Spanish] 4. The safety of Salem makes it good to bring your family to this country. 5. I wish there were more job opportunities for Hispanic people.; also, that we could participate in cultural events and recreational activities. 6. More job opportunities 7. Essex Street needs more benches near businesses. More clothing stores for men downtown; pool table at Senior Center; Comcast discount for senior housing residents. 8. Transportation 9. More senior housing apartments; Essex Street too noisy; need more quietness. 10. Cleaning and more organization; other places where we can go besides senior center 11. I can get in and out of restaurants; affordable YMCA membership. 12. More cleaning in the streets 13. Better transportation 14. Lower taxes 15. I would fill the pot holes 16. Programs that encourage active transportation; walking, biking gets people outside in all weather and keeps them engaged socially. 17. More transportation and cheaper transportation 18. I think they should have more things for kids. ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 28 19. Parking - no charge in October. Sunday morning. Bridge St. along railroad needs clean up-make better clean up 20. More benches along major streets; assure brick cobblestones and sidewalks are even; audible signals at corners, mobile chair lanes in streets, maybe even golf carts. Speakers of Spanish, Portuguese, French, Polish 21. Easier parking; leave good smooth side walks next to bricks and cobblestone. 22. My street - Harbor St - in Salem is the only street snow left on sidewalk over 3 feet. Hurt my feelings! 23. Fix the cobblestone sidewalks - even out. 24. Real Estate taxes 25. Traffic calming! More learning opportunities outside of work hours; better public transportation and shuttles in Northfields, especially on Halloween. A more robust Parks and Rec department. 26. Senior center downtown; grocery story downtown. 27. More traffic lights; police should hand out more tickets for poor driving 28. Grocery store within walking distance in downtown. 29. My most important concern would be transportation. My mother wasn't able to drive after a certain age, and she found it frustrating. 30. Although it is not a problem now, as I grow older navigating the quaint brick sidewalks and cobblestones in the Essex Street pedestrian mall will make it difficult to get around. 31. It is not easy getting around the city and the same is true for leaving and coming. Traffic seems to be constantly gridlocked and the city does not seem to be doing anything to address it. 32. Better concern for historical restoration; improved traffic; lower taxes 33. Additional "senior friendly" developments for housing (downsizing) 34. I am concerned the city does not abide by its own zoning laws, wonder what the future holds. Perhaps some neighborhood meetings .with city officials. Issues forums such as you are holding. There has been an improvement in cleanliness, but not everywhere; more trees (healthy, good- sized ones) 35. More downtown activities by invigorating the pedestrian mall; continued improvement with the schools and even more involvement of the nonprofits for the residents 36. Lower taxes/house tax; Halloween month 37. Traffic bad ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 29 38. Computer classes 39. New senior center; parking at center bad 40. Nice people living here; good neighbors peace and quiet 41. Going back in the Phil 42. Going back home in the Phils. 43. People are friendly & kind. 44. The people are friendly; food is available especially fruits, vegetables, and dairy product 45. I like living in Salem. 46. I have lived here all my life. 47. COA 48. Senior Center is worst on North Shore. It should be a home away from home, all one floor. 49. New Senior Center- more classes day & night 50. We need a downtown senior center 51. COA once a week; new senior center with new management. New management took away programs; they don't make the seniors feel welcomed at the center. 52. Less traffic; not enough regulations on apartments; affordable housing; cannot give them small place to die; give them space to live 53. Too many people. Sister and daughter help me. Have carpel tunnel from diabetes. Van takes me to medical appointments. Want to play bingo but need help. 54. Walks 55. Know more about Salem 56. Wants to be able to fish more 57. Fewer restaurants and condos- bring back more stores, clothing stores, poker game; only goes to senior center to see Sharon 58. Less traffic 59. People have more respect in the street 60. Pedestrians (tourists) need to respect the traffic signals and should only cross on their designation not on my green light. Lights on every corner with pedestrians ignoring the rules ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 30 61. Tourists and pedestrians don't obey the lights; lights too long when crossing 62. Less traffic 63. Highway access; affordability of housing in relation to Western MA 64. More interesting stores; take meters out of the Salem Willows; lower taxes! Free transportation anywhere in city + others 24 hours. Fresh milk; the milk’s been sour. More parking; too many traffic lights! Better things in East India Mall. 65. Take away the meters at Willows, stop raising taxes 66. Lower taxes; take away the meters at Salem Willows 67. Lower taxes; traffic issues 68. More opportunities for jobs for older people who are still not quite yet at retirement age, or can't quite afford retirement 69. A gay/lesbian bar - why does Lynn have three and we have none? 70. A better property tax break for the elderly and handicapped 71. Love the painting on Ground at Artist Row - please make them permanent. 72. More affordable housing; more benches to sit to rest; loop bus through town and to The Willows + Winter Island; better paved sidewalks and streets 73. Better traffic routes and more HP parking spaces! Avoid downtown areas always!! 74. Happy with all Salem offers 75. Better communication with older people 76. Absolutely nothing -there are many services available for all ages 77. Social club missed 78. A senior center we can all be proud of - will I live to see it? 79. Trash pickups (on a regular schedule) 80. The traffic makes walking, biking and driving difficult. There is a conflict between the goal of the city (keep the traffic moving as slow as possible, and the downtown closed to traffic all for safety) and the desire of residents to get around. It also makes it very difficult for businesses that cater to residents to locate in Salem. Unless you can walk, downtown residents don't go there to shop. South Salem heads to Vinnen Square or Marblehead to shop, North Salem heads to the malls, the Willows heads to Beverly. I can walk downtown and try to shop there as much as possible, but the stores cater mostly to tourists. Many people work downtown and some cater to them, hair dressers, barbers, wine shop, book store etc. I appreciate being able to walk to these places, but a ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 31 real grocery store, there used to be two, a department store, there used to be two, a jewelry store, there used to be three, not to mention many clothing stores, would be welcome. There seems to be a strong desire by the city for development, alas it does not serve the residents very well. The buildings are getting bigger and bigger, old buildings are not being used very well. Downtown there seems to be lots of space above the ground level that is empty not to mention the storefronts. It is time to think about the residents and put them first. Our taxes keep going up, and we are getting crowded out by new buildings while the old ones sit there. There seems to be lots of construction, garages, new large buildings while the center of the city seems to be crumbly. More emphasis on fixing what we have; e.g., Recreation and Senior Center. 81. More small clothing stores 82. CoA used to have ballroom dancing but no more. Used to have lunch field trip; want to be challenged; feels like people treat you like a nobody 83. Want to get to senior center easily! 84. Day trips - Boston theatre, Kittery shopping, out to lunch, foliage tour or spring bloom tour 85. A standalone senior center. Traffic is terrible; parking is awful. Improve recreational facilities 86. A senior center in our lifetime! Too much traffic-SSU is taking over! 87. Configure some of the one-way streets 88. When they complete the changing of pipes, wires, & powerplant with a deeper channel, and people learn to accept every person for who they are! 89. Salem needs means clothing stores. 90. A new council on Aging Building, we're still waiting. 91. More affordable housing & shuttle services; free concerts 92. Better parking areas for older residents who want to attend events or visit downtown 93. Difficulty getting through; Salem improved! 94. Lower real estate taxes 95. More parking downtown; more open space 96. Better parking near university and at other venues downtown 97. Salem would be a better place if people CARED more for each others’ surroundings and helped people and not lie, such as the trash bin people. 98. Opportunities to mix with multi-generational groups, more free transportation within the city ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 32 99. More structured contact with Hispanic community; more thoughtful solutions to "Snow Ban" parking for disabled and elder citizens 100. More security 101. The schools 102. Cost of housing; taxes; better school; better roads 103. More affordable housing; more restaurants downtown that are handicapped accessible 104. If people would take more responsibility to pick up litter in front of their house/apt/condo; could city jail prisoners pick up litter along sidewalks, etc. if properly supervised? For instance, along Canal between downtown and Family Dollar. How about weeds growing along some sidewalks? 105. I'd like to see the Council on Aging stress healthy activities over bus trips to tourist sites, since the private sector can arrange buses to Plymouth, Newport etc. There should be an over-60 women's volleyball league with coaches and someplace for them to play. Ice skating at the Salem State rink. Bocce. We need more opportunities for active games for people over 60. Many older Salem men play hockey but I think they drive to Danvers or Saugus. The city needs to do a better job of maintaining its parks, properties and its infrastructure. There's little done to maintain historic properties such as the Dickson Chapel in Greenlawn, or the Council on Aging or the historic burying grounds. Brick sidewalks get zero maintenance, and street trees are in terrible shape with new saplings dying a year or two after they're planted. Transportation funding isn't used to repair sidewalks or the pedestrian mall. We desperately need dedicated bike lanes on the major routes through town, and no progress has been made for 20 years on this. We need a municipal traffic engineer with an active, transportation orientation to improve the walking and biking infrastructure. 106. More HP parking spots in downtown area - also @ SCOA!! 107. Late night train/bus services (Boston - Salem), even pavement on side walks 108. A new senior center, free parking especially at Salem Willows and downtown. We go out of town to shop. We received a parking ticket while at the dentist so changed to an out-of-town dentist with free parking. 109. Activities for younger active seniors More housing options 110. Communications 111. Stand-alone senior center 112. New senior center 113. Lots of one-floor living close to downtown and/or public transport around town 114. Communication about services; "Lumpy" sidewalks ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 33 115. Development of new low income housing; design of a website with all the info needed for elderly; increase seating and shelters at bus stops 116. Thursday SUMMER FARMERS MARKET - 4:00 P.M. is too late for seniors and it is too hot to walk back with food; more trips to nice places like the Willows; we need transportation 117. Receptive police liaison 118. Don't know 119. Transportation 120. Access to public transportation; better scheduling to and from Boston 121. I'm concerned about the traffic around the community and the new location of the senior center. Cars blow through lights and speed and the road is narrow. It’s hard to cross and navigate especially in a wheelchair, cane or walker. 122. Better traffic control; improve traffic into and out of city 123. Better walkability - sidewalks; more coordinated traffic crossing lights; lower real estate taxes for seniors 124. Repaired sidewalks; better pedestrian crossings 125. Traffic is awful; less with museums 126. Improve and add to bike paths; better public transportation. The "senior center" needs to offer more creative programming after hours for working adults. Bring back sewing, dancing, art, language and add cooking classes in the 6/7 pm time slot and weekend recreation like volleyball, badminton, etc. 127. Reduce witch emphasis 128. More community outreach; more activities for teens - keep them occupied. Better public toilets; more for elderly to do; better assistance for homeless. Make walkway, crossing lanes that elderly can use - we have crosswalks to nowhere that are unsafe for elderly 129. Need police to be involved in day-to-day improvement of living; speeding enforcement; drunk and disorderly; graffiti 130. Social opportunities for people over 50; assistance to lower-income seniors; upkeep of Common; home care services, park benches, community toilets 131. Ability to get around (traffic, parking, snow, ice) needs improvement. I would imagine October would make it tough for seniors to get out - maybe intimidating with the crowds. Personally if I am of retirement age I would consider someplace warmer but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. 132. Its been a great experience for me to come from Middleton to Salem. I find most people are genuine/caring and eager to have you be a part of their community. ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 34 133. Better sidewalk maintenance (e.g. snow clearing, and not just in 2015) 134. Please fix all the potholes instead of spending our tax dollars on things like this 135. Better on-demand public transportation 136. Additional activities for seniors;, updated Y; police presence downtown; making sure establishments are not in violation of their entertainment license (volume, acoustic?, times, etc). 137. Improved infrastructure; better snow removal of the sidewalks and a zero tax increase. Also, love all the new restaurants that have come to the city but each one is more expensive than the previous one. Transportation options for seniors would also be welcome. ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 35 APPENDIX 6 Which of the following would improve your experience of living in Salem? “Other” Comments 1. Increased transportation options for people who don't drive 2. Salem Cinema from Senior Center 3. Make exercise activities more accessible for people who are older. 4. Fix the streets 5. Senior activities in senior housing; send info of activities in mail for everyone in senior housing 6. Local transportation/bus service between Salem locations; weekend service; walk-in health services 7. There are lots of 1-7 (the items above) in Salem which makes it a good place to age. We need more and better walking routes, better attention to sidewalks, and also protected bike lanes for people to get out and exercise on their own. 8. Better and safe sidewalks; better street sweeping 9. More events for youth 10. Better sidewalks 11. Better sidewalks, trash cans, and for sitting 12. Bridge Street along train tracks clean up hot top, trees, etc. Important: October parking should be free Sunday morning. More things for children 13. Free cultural events; better communication especially for those without technology and not in public housing; not all elderly are without money. 14. Recreational activities for old ladies and kids and middle age; bus for 6:00 a.m. Macy employees; 100% coverage dental for poor people All I ask is that we enter into communication; barriers are trying to destroy Salem and prostitution 15. Year-round pool beside YMCA ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 36 16. Should be a handbook on activities/services; outside elevator on Mall garage; elevator shuts down at 9; Museum events, dinner, movies often end later. 17. Facebook rocks! 18. Better in-town public transportation 19. I repeat this: I would like to see the city anticipate problems; e.g., the mall parking garage elevator is locked up at 9pm. Those at the PEM events or at dinner often have to walk up the garage road to get to their cars, which are usually on higher levels...Not good for some of the elderly and limited-ability folks I have spoken to as they look for access. An outside glass elevator would solve that problem. 20. Telephone 21. Telephone 22. I've been waiting many years for a new senior center. Salem is way behind our neighbors. 23. We have a good bus/train service weekdays but not weekends. Can't go to theatre in Boston on weekends for evening performances, daytime have to go to Wonderland 24. Live in Peabody 25. Likes listening to oldies music-Everly Brothers 26. Walks a row 27. Game groups, cooking class, music movie nights popcorn 28. Would like to be informed 29. Making it easier to get around during tourist season instead of tourists 30. Morencey-chair yoga 31. Not happy with the parking in front of the Salem public library - why is this designated as a bus stop when there's one a few houses down? Not everyone has a computer so think of those of us who don't. 32. I like living in Salem because of the benefits to the elderly. 33. Pizza party functions at our housing authority for our people. No hear in community room at Morency-Put air conditioners in. need activities for men+women. Curtains and awnings by property owners for in community rooms. senior bathtubs-walkin showers. Positively no smells! I need close-by guess parking. Health services free to age 50+ up. Public housing unit for stroke. 34. Lower house taxes ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 37 35. Cultural events for younger people 36. Fix roads, especially Boston Street 37. New senior center needs to be finished. 38. To me, Salem is a wonderful place to live and I love it. 39. I volunteer at Salem Council on Aging on average 76-80 hours a month year round. 40. Has family that drives and visits 41. Easily accessible senior center 42. Areas above are well covered. A great help would be to provide low-cost/interest-free loans to homeowners to fix up their homes. Bridge St. needs help, there are beautiful historic homes on that street covered in tin siding, peeling paint, or left vacant. Help businesses that cater to residents get started downtown, open up Essex St. to traffic so that business would locate in all the empty store fronts. You only have to look at New Derby St. and Front St. to see what driving past a business will do. Help the owners on Derby Street near the Gables open businesses. There are many closed-up storefronts right in that area that could provide services to residents. More single level condo's -there are too many townhouses that are fine for younger people. I know many who would leave their homes something with garages, larger than 1000 square feet and near downtown. That leaves out Derby Lofts, the Old Tompkins Furniture building, the Waterfront Hotel top floors, and the Essex. All single level and newly done in recent years, no garages at any of them, the dark dank downtown garage not place at night. The loft style does not appeal to all, Derby Lofts, Tompkins, The Essex units are very small. Waterfront Hotel has limitations being part of a hotel, very busy with no outside areas. It is time for the city to encourage something new. 43. Senior transportation for medical is to restricted surrounding communities should be 5 days a week. 44. Planet Fitness offers through SSI. Transportation: uses bus and the ride but cannot get it all the time. 45. More events for seniors 46. Have to pay to park to run in & pay a bill!! 47. More information for services like dental. 48. Improved "climate" in senior center & completion of new facility! 49. Publicize on radio, newspapers & scale across TV 50. List events in other than Salem news; list classes at senior center 51. Summer shuttle?, Volunteer opportunities ---PAGE BREAK--- JF&CS Salem for All Ages Report – December 2015 38 52. Plus better housing people, maintenance people who do not lie to your face 53. Tai Chi classes 54. Senior-supported access to community gardening 55. Chair yoga, exercise class 56. Shuttle to the movies once a month 57. We get PLENTY of information/communication from the city through our cell phones and computer. I've also connected with many Salem sites on Facebook. There are tons of opportunities if people want them! 58. Salem has very good communication about services and occurrences and lots of opportunities for volunteering. We need to bring older residents outside for exercise and socializing so they can stay healthy, active, and engaged. Why not convene a group (including medical gerontologists) to discuss ways to improve elder health by increasing activity levels and see what ideas emerge? 59. Cultural events available in daytime hours so seniors could attend or hold them at SCOA; availability for transport on weekends (van service) 60. More benches in tow; public restrooms; Big need for more "senior" housing to accommodate "babyboomer" generation; sensitivity training for staff @ Salem Housing; authority for dealing with residents (e.g. bed bug evaluation) 61. More subsidized housing 62. New senior center 63. Senior living options, intergenerational programs that create an extended family for both age groups 64. Computer lessons 65. Make Fairweather Salem a safe building to live. 66. More social activities in our building (Fairweather). 67. Transportation to Willow; reach us Gringos "Español"; open craft spaces/resources 68. Affordable in-home health care and/or assistance with daily chores 69. Better walkability 70. More cross-generational activities; see above 71. Walkability