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Home My WebLink About1988-10-17 Council on Aging MinutesCouncil on Aging<Zoard Meeting Room 16 Town Hall October 17, 1988 Present: Gladys Cail, Ruth Vitkovich, Gail Rourke, Woody Baldwin, Loretta Spaulding, Arleen Bazarian, Linda Nordberg, Dorothy Foxon, Barbara Ritchie, Lois Bond, Lee Roberts. Meeting called to order at 5:35 pm by Chairperson, Gladys Cail. Lee Roberts, Friendly Visitor Coordinator, shared a description of her job. The Friends program is designed -fgr homebound elderly, 1) Three foci of the job include 65 Friendly Visitor volunteers in the program withx.30 Reading people, matched with a Visitor. 2) Telephone reassurance is established for individuals needing a phone call or a flexible calling schedule. 3) Sunshine cards, made by Girl Scout troops and campfire groups, are mailed by volunteers to elders. Appreciation was expressed to Lee for coming before the Board. THE MINUTES of the previous meeting were accepted with no changes by unanimous vote. It was accepted by.consensus the November meeting will be held on November 7, 1988. THE TREASURER'S REPORT was voted and accepted. 14.33p~.of the 4pr propriated $73,093.00 budget has been spent to date. THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT was accepted. THE SENIOR CE1TER OPEN HOUSE was discussed with thanks to a111 or making a.t_a successful event,.;. Appreciation was expressed to Linda Nordberg for the table' setup.. and equipment lQa:ned by Nordberg's Caterer Company. THE ANNUAL THANKSGIVING DINNER will be held Nov. 20 at Austin Prep. Four options are being explored. 1) Ex-teacher at Austin Prep prepare dinner gratis; 2) Ex-teacher prepare dinner at dis- counted price; 3) Austin Prep chef would cater dinner; 4) Peter Hechenbleikner and volunteers would cook dinner. Discussed the confusion surrounding the rush for seats and the safety of handicapped individuals. Explored taking reservations by table Need to continue developing seating plan. WAYCEFIELD ELKS THANKSGIVING DINNER tickets will be given to Coun- cil Aging Board members who will take reservations by phone. Barbara Ritchie, liason from Patrons for Older Adults, stated the purpose of the Patrons is for the betterment and pleasureof Reading's Senior Citizens aged 55 or over. Patrons meet four times a year. The 281 members enjoy bus trips and dinners- $12,000 has been contributed by the Patrons to Council on Aging Pa'ojects. 1 A letter was read from Don Allen, Chairperson of the Finance Com- mittee for the Town of Reading. Because "Fin Com" has gone from 15 to 9 members, they can no longer assign liasons to each Town Board. If we need a member for a specific meeting, arrangements can be made. Woody Baldwin announced his resignation effective immediately. Appreciation was expressed for his leadership and time commit- ment. A lengthy discussion on council on Aging Board appointments ensued. A prior decision was confirmed to not have the Board of Selectmen appoint associate members. It was,determined the Direc- tor would speak with the chair of the Selectmen about our concern for sensitive treatment of applicants during the public inter- viewing process. Suggested solution was to interview at one meet- ing and vote at the following Selectmen's meeting with a written recommendation from the Council on Aging Board. The Board members voted 5-2--1 to recommend Irving Stackpole to the Selectmen. Somerset Nursing Home asked if the Council on Aging van could transport nursing home residents to a restaurant. It was con- firmed that the primary function of the van is for transportation tc~ the mealsite. Lee Roberts, Friendly Visitor Coordinator had a situation where pan 'individual hoped a Friendly Visitor volunteer position would dead to a paying position. The Director will draft aizpolicy on volunteerism.,for the Board's perusals Nev. 7-..pleeting wi.~lw include a budget discussion, Ruth Cogan, D~.,rec~cr of, Human Services,., will be= present. Two alerts for the new budget include partial funding of Shopping Assistance Coor dinator on town budget and a capital funds request for a new van. Reflections followed on how long we will be located at Pearl Street School. Clarification was made regarding Reading Elder Services being a Division within the Department of Human Services. The Council on Aging is the equivalence of a board of directors. Elder Services refers to staff and the program. A discussion ensued about the people from Greater Lynn.. Mental Health utilizing the Senior Center on Tuesday, Wednesday-,and Friday, and in Medford on'Monday and Thursday. Although some may feel uncomfortable we cannot and should not discriminate against who uses the facility. The meeting adjourned at 7:15 p.m. with around thanks to Woody Baldwin. BOARD OF SELECTMEN iRr7rrmn NOV O a 1q~g 2 d.1i~1:r of4Yapplaus,e and 0 J .>J f -