FROM THE NEWSROOM: The Pomfret Senior Center Committee and First Selectman Maureen Nicholson have found it necessary to cut back senior center hours, from April 1st onward. The center will only open two days a week; Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 12-5 pm, with representatives from the Thompson Ecumenical Empowerment Group available during those time frames. This decision follows the recent discovery by town officials that leaving the senior center open without supervision was in violation of the towns insurance policy and the town would be liable should an emergency occur. Members of the Senior Committee also feel the senior center is underutilized for the number of hours it is open; Committee members say many seniors do not attend activities and trips they request, and when they do they frequently complain about sitting next to other seniors and van drivers. Some seniors also allegedly refuse sign-in when attending, refuse to pay a $5 membership fee; and, despite the center being open for five-years, no amount of advertising seems to bring in enough seniors to justify keeping it open many hours, which Committee members say is further complicated because some seniors abstain from volunteering for fundraisers citing the fact they have already spent most of their lives working. Senior Committee members also said that offering computer classes has been unsuccessful so far, and the last time this was attempted seniors held a noisy card game which prevented the instructor from teaching. The senior center will be holding “learn it” lunches run by TEEG, and classes such as quilting and exercise still available. Also, regarding liability issues, locks will be changed to the building and new keys handed out to select individuals; Committee members worry that too many individuals possess keys to the building, with no records of who has one, which is a liability issue. Tune in for the full report.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 10:58:17 +0000
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