Salem Council on Aging
Board of Directors
Minutes from meeting of March 17, 2010.
Meeting was called to order by Chair Pat Donahue, at 6:35 p.m.
Roll call
Present: Pat Donahue (chair, PD), Elaine Heredeen (treasurer; EH), Dolores Nangle (DN), Domingo Alvarez (DA), James Willis (JW), Jane Sarnowski (JS) Joan Lovely (JL, City Council liaison to the COA).
Absent: Donna Clifford, Alice Williams, Pam Greaves.
EH: Motion to waive a reading of the minutes of the January meeting.
JW: Notes the minutes were incorrectly listed as having been from the January meeting and requested it be changed to correctly refer to the December meeting.
DN: Seconded motion, following correction.
PD:
· Thanks board members for being in attendance and abiding by the bylaws of the board governing attendance.
· Asks COA Assistant Director Bill Woolley to present the Director’s monthly report, in Doug Bollen’s absence.
Bill Woolley:
· A new part-time driver (12 hours/week), Jim Grocki, was hired through grant money that will cover the position through June 30.
· One of two new vans, anticipated by the COA, should be delivered soon, possibly as early as next week.
· Reminder that board members are required by the state to take an online ethics test by April 2, 2010. Computers and assistance are available at the Senior Center.
· A new, informal, advisory, ad hoc committee started meeting to make recommendations on the interior layout and design of the new facility slated for the corner of Boston and Bridge streets. The committee includes: Paul Lanzikos, Pat Donahue, Pam Greaves, Elaine Heredeen, Matt Veno, Kay Walsh, Jason Silva, Tom McGrath,~ Bill Woolley,~Joan Lovely and Doug Bollen. The next meeting is scheduled for March 23.
· A Wii was donated by activities advisory board.
· Linda Conrad, who led the writers group on a volunteer basis for six years, met with the group for the last time and was given a plaque of appreciation by Doug Bollen. The new volunteer leader for the group will be Chris Coleman, who will be on hand, along with Bill Woolley, at the group’s next meeting, April 12.
· The Goldtentones’ new leader is Judy Frances, a 34-year music, band and chorus teacher in Peabody school system.
· Bill Woolley is working on an upgrade of the two-way radio equipment used in the COA vans, to comply with new FCC~requirements.
· Bill Woolley is working with Acting Purchasing Director Tom Watkins on securing less expensive telephone service plan (Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with Centrex switching) through Verizon. It will be part of a plan being pursued by the City to cut monthly line charges and per-minute local calling fees by enabling four-digit extension dialing between City facilities.
· The COA, like all city departments, is being asked to submit an FY 2011 budget that is level-funded, as well as one that reflects a 10 percent cut.
JL: It will be a very difficult budget year. The City is still waiting for hard numbers from the State House. Hopefully, we won’t have to close schools, but there may also be layoffs. At what point do we have to consider going to part-time government? Our hope is that we’ll eventually have some good news to report.
Bill Woolley:
· The spring/summer recreation booklet is complete and delivery from the printer is expected by Friday, March 19. More than 10 pages of ads were sold for revenue of about $2,500. The booklet will be mailed to every household and business in Salem.
· Statistics: Transportation -- In February 2009, COA transportation provided 1,340 point-to-point rides; 1,260 in February 2010. Congregate meals -- In February 2009, 191 congregate meals were served; 367 in February 2010. Home-Delivered Meals -- In February 2009, 1,944 meals were delivered; 2,883 in February 20010. Social Services -- In February 2010, 267 senior citizens (60 and older) were served 415 times; six people under the age of 60 were served eight times.
· The Senior Volunteer Property Tax Workoff Program is full (25 participants) at this time.
· Volunteers, through AARP, are helping people with their tax returns at the Senior Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays through mid-April.
· Activity attendance: 108 people attended the Valentines party February 11 at the Moose Family Center; 90 people attended the St. Patrick’s party on March 18 at the Senior Center; 35 people are registered for a cooking demonstration that will be presented by the Abbott House at the Senior Center; 50 people have registered for the pizza party scheduled for April 8.
· Anticipated activities: Children from the Saltonstall School Band will perform Tuesday, April 13, at the Senior Center; A Lunch & Bingo event for 20 people will be Thursday, April 15, at the Devereaux House in Marblehead. Volunteer Appreciation Week is April 19-23 and will feature: a Crazy Hat Tea Party and pianist Amanda Freeman (Pat Gorton’s~granddaughter) will perform Tuesday at 10 a.m.; Flower Day on Wednesday; Candy Day and a volunteer dinner Thursday, 3-6 p.m., at the Ward 2 Social Club; and “Plant the Seed of Kindness Day” Friday, with the Mayor visiting for lunch at 11 a.m. The COA’s annual book sale, will be Tuesday, April 27,
through Thursday, April 29.
PD: Opens the floor to visitors.
Lucille St. Cyr (Friends of the Salem COA liaison to the COA board):
· The Moose will host a second spaghetti dinner as a fund-raiser for the Friends.
· An appeal letter be sent out in May. The Friends are not expecting to make much money because it will be the their first such effort, but the group hopes it will become as successful as the Peabody COA appeal letter, which has been used as a fund-raising tool for 45 years.
PD: The Friends have been wonderful. They’ve really coalesced nicely as a group.
Teasie Riley-Goggin: I’m happy to see board members Domingo Alvarez, James Willis and Jane Sarnowski in attendance.
Joseph “Pep” Cornacchio: I was invited to the Volunteer Appreciation Dinner.
DA: As part of the outreach effort to Spanish-speaking senior citizens, a group of people visited the senior center in Chelsea, several weeks ago. The Chelsea COA has a multi-cultural program of activities, and the senior center is well attended by Spanish-speaking people. Senior citizens from the Chelsea COA are planning to take a trip to visit the Salem Senior Center in the spring.
Bill Woolley: The Salem outreach program has been successful, especially with the hiring of bilingual receptionist Rosanna Donahue. The number of senior citizens who identify themselves as Latino or Hispanic has risen from a few to 52. They are taking advantage of transportation, meals and activities.
DN: Motion to adjourn.
JS: Seconded.
PD: Adjourns meeting at 7:27 p.m.
EH: The next meeting will be Wednesday, April 21.
Respectfully submitted by Bill Woolley, having taken minutes at the request of COA board.
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