LIFE issues: Aging, poverty

from the Wausau Daily Herald

Community Planning Council's sixth report identifies challenges

By Amy Olson
Wausau Daily Herald
aolson@wdhprint.com

Marathon County residents face serious challenges caring for a growing number of elderly and poor, according to a new report on local quality of life.

The Community Planning Council of Marathon County released on Thursday its sixth Local Indicators for Excellence report. The LIFE report compiles objective and subjective data on 80 factors, which should guide the community's efforts to address issues, said Jim Rosenberg, planning council chairman.

"It's very important for the community to understand where we are and where we've been," said Joanne Kelly, a steering committee member of the council, adding it will help leaders identify where improvement efforts can be made. "Nothing here is going to be too alarming, but it's not all good news, either."

The three top priorities -- problems affecting the elderly, poverty and domestic violence -- were selected by the council's steering committee from among 14 issues.

Nearly 20 percent of the county's population is age 65 or older, said Ken Day, a member of the council's steering committee. That percentage is expected to grow during the next 20 years. Affordability of long-term care and resources for community-based programs to help people remain in their homes were cited as important issues.

Almost 8 percent of the population lives in poverty, up from 6.9 percent in 2000. Enrollment in free- and reduced-cost lunch programs at Marathon County schools increased from 22 percent to 28 percent during the past 10 years, Kelly said.

"One in five people are barely able to make ends meet," she said. "All it takes is for something to go wrong, and people can be on the verge of crisis."

The other top issues are family life, safety, civics and the environment, schools and employment, according to the report.