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Senior Advisory Board Meeting Wednesday, March 17, 2010 - Hopewell Valley Senior Center
Attending: Lawrence Mansier, Joel May, Thomas DiMuzio, Virginia Silliphant, Nils Stout, Severino DiCocco (arrived 3:10PM) Chairman Mansier called the meeting to order at 2:07PM, noting the passing on March 11, 2010 of Allen Wiseman, an original member of the Senior Advisory Board. Notice was made of meeting the Open Public Meetings Act requirements. The Minutes of the February meeting were approved with one correction: There was a misspelling in the third line of the Events and Programs section of the Senior Services Coordinator's Report. That line should read: "meetings and met with Bob Friant regarding an accessible trail event on the Lawrence-Hopewell" New Member: Chairman Mansier welcomed Thomas DiMuzio to membership on the Senior Advisory Board. Mr. DiMuzio has been appointed as a representative to the Senior Advisory Board from Pennington Borough to complete the unexpired term of Bob Riley through 2010. Senior Services Coordinator's Report: Administration: A report on the February 2010 programs and attendance was submitted. Met with YMCA representatives regarding their progress and worked with Mark W. Moticha, the contractor, on issues that need to be resolved regarding restroom renovations (the final payment on the work is being withheld contingent upon Nils Stout approval). In the discussion that accompanied this report, strong support was expressed for the SAB to be represented by a non-voting participant at the regular YMCA meetings. Events and Programs: Worked with residents on planning music for Swing Into Spring, scheduled for April 17th. Met with Bob Friant of Lawrence-Hopewell Trails regarding an accessible trail event for Hopewell Valley Come Out and Play Day, now scheduled for April 24. Held Winter Birthday Breakfast at Hopewell Valley Golf Club, started a twice-monthly Canasta group, and hosted two AARP Tax-Aide sessions (two more are scheduled). Finance: Secured funding from Stony Brook Assisted Living for the cost of a live band for Swing Into Spring and looked at a sample of a potential replacement table for the Senior Center. Publicity: See flyers, Senior Spirit, press releases, email updates, cable, and also see the web site (www.hvseniors.org). Social Services: Worked with residents on issues relating to the storms: no phone, lost heat, no power, etc. FISH helped by delivering hot meals to homes of non-FISH participants. Transportation: Determined with RideProvide that Hopewell Valley Rides participants need to present their vouchers at the beginning of a trip. This was not strictly enforced previously and caused delayed billing. Volunteers: Bear Tavern elementary school is requesting volunteers to help with their garden project. Chairman's Report: Follow up with William Schluter: Following up on last month's visit with William Schluter, former state senator, Chairman Mansier reported that Schluter was impressed by the documentation provided him regarding progress on the new Senior Center and asked, "What's keeping you from going ahead?" Schluter will contact Shirley Turner to explore how she could be of help with the process. Kim Bruno: Kim Bruno of the Youth Advisory Group contacted Chairman Mansier to ascertain whether the seniors remained interested in sharing use of the Capital Health System's property with the teen group. He assured her that our interest continued and agreed to co-sign a letter to the editor to be submitted to the Hopewell Valley News. Committee Reports: Explorations: Five programs have been scheduled to begin during the week of April 19th, with a cut-off on registrations on April 14th. Posters, flyers, inserts in the Senior Spirit and notice on the HV Seniors web page are being employed for publicity purposes, but more is needed. An email follow-up to past participants, a letter to the editor, and a mailing to the church email list will be made. Ginny Silliphant reported that Ian Burrows could possibly be scheduled as a speaker for the Fall semester. Older Americans' Month: May is Older Americans' Month and this year's slogan is "Age Strong, Live Long." Sample proclamations to be issued by the local governments were distributed and discussion took place regarding the possibility (and desirability) of honoring local residents who exemplify the spirit of the slogan. Old Business: Joel May asked for a report on the meeting held following last month's SAB meeting of Larry Mansier, Bill Farmer, Abigail Waugh, Kim Johnson and Hopewell Township mayor Michael Markulec, the subject of which was To Decide the Next Steps Toward Realizing the Goal of a Hopewell Valley Senior Center. Chairman Mansier's memo on the meeting reports that the discussion covered the topics of the site of the proposed Center (West Franklin YMCA property as well as other alternatives); possibilities and pitfalls to be faced in financing the project; and actions that need to be taken including meeting with the YMCA, with the mayors of the three municipalities, and fund-raising explorations. Joel May also raised the possibility of having the SAB appoint outside committees and individuals to assist the SAB in undertaking tasks such as representation at the YMCA meetings and publicity for Explorations. Chairman Mansier indicated that this was, indeed, feasible and would be considered in the future when the occasion arises. New Business: Kim Johnson noted the importance of cross-promoting activities by the various agencies of the township and the two boroughs. She also suggested that testimonials by previous participants in the Explorations programs be incorporated into the publicity campaign. The meeting was adjourned at 3:15PM
Respectfully Submitted: The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at 2pm at the HV Senior Center.
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