 Okay, folks, it's it's 10 30 and we're gonna start First of all, I wanted to thank you all for coming and second of all my name is Whitney Dell And I'm a member of the senior center and Joan over here wants to know how many of you are a member of the senior center So if you'd raise your hand So congratulations, that's very that's very excellent. Great. So We are here today We are here today to talk about the senior center And I got this idea because I was very very concerned that the city needs to hear What seniors need and want from a senior center? I thought it'd be it was time especially with a resignation of the last director That you guys tell everybody what do you need and want so we can make a path forward? So that was the idea Read my notes So the purpose of the meeting as I just said is to hear what you need and want from this MSAC and If you could keep the questions in mind that we created what services should the senior center offer its members? What benefits should MSAC be offering its members in supporting towns? What needs to be changed at MSAC and what should be the top two priorities in MSAC? We're trying to concentrate the questions This is we're not here to answer questions, but if you have them You can email Diane who's the chair of the advisory board? This is not a time for complaints We the members of the senior center want to tell the city what we need to formulate a way forward for a vibrant future for MSAC So the format of the meeting is this you'll have two minutes or less To express your views The moderator that's me Will call the name of the speaker and also tell you who the next speaker will be Laura Morris will be the timekeeper and where's Laura Morris? Right here and she she's the she's the timekeeper great and Right My time is up Also, I'd like to I'd like to explain the microphone use This is Tina over here, and she's the only one will hold the microphone besides the people up here So when it's your turn to speak she'll hold the microphone and you'll speak into it And people said from the flood meeting in Montpelier that if you don't turn your head back and forth If you just look straight ahead that will work really well and won't Give Tina an army in the process of it all we have an excellent note taker Mary right over here so she's going to be taking notes and Matt back here is handling zoom so we're going to try to work zoom into we're going to try to work zoom in this And it may be a little we haven't done it before so we're just going to figure it out as we Go go along, but he'll let us know if somebody from zoom wants to speak and the people on zoom You know you can use the chat box that will really help if you want to be recognized good and Good we're getting to that part, but yes if you turn off your cell phones that would be great I want to introduce some oh another thing I forgot to say was there's some confusion about services and benefits and Mary and I went back and forth on this and I decided the benefits are things that make you happy or satisfied and services are things you get from the senior center like this afternoon. There's a Afternoon there's a tow clinic or you come to coffee at 9 30 on Monday You know that's that's to me a service or you get tax preparation run by Jody here So I think that's really a good thing Also, we have advisory council members in here. So if they would let's see if I can get them all So Mary is over here and Diane is right here and here's Susie right here and Let's see and Gail is here somewhere There's Gail good and Rick is here somewhere was he over here and who did I forget? Oh? Chris oh Chris. Thank you. Good. I think I got them all great So I'd like to introduce two people This is Kelly Murphy right here and she's the assistant city manager of Montpelier and Arnie McMullen is now the director of the senior center. So yes Oh and Laura's of Irish council member two good. Okay. I think we got them all great So I'm Kelly would like to say a few words and then we'll get this meeting on the road Can you hear me? Okay? Good. No All right, is that better? Thank you. Just wanted to make sure Kelly Murphy assistant city manager. It's nice to see you all some of you. I know some of you I don't so thanks for coming. I'm really Interested to hear what you have to say today I want to keep this relatively brief in terms of an introduction because we've got a lot to talk about But all of you saw as you came in there's a set of talking points that I wanted to provide in advance so that you can take a look At them This is sort of the background of where things stand today for the senior center. So some things to consider And just sort of highlighting key points within this document I think first and foremost really what we're here today to talk about is The quality of the senior center and the opportunities that exist within the senior center But in order to do that, we've got to get through some tough stuff So with the transition at the senior center With the director leaving in a reclassification and then also some other things declining membership Diminished programming and then budgetary deficits and so you can see them within the talking point outline Just to kind of give you some sort of facts to look at I'm also happy to take any questions you have Related to what's been provided But just kind of working our way through this document. It's kind of in sections. So The first section is really related to the budget Management and operations and then the other items are programming membership and feast And so I'll give you time to take a look at this But if you've got questions we can certainly get into it But this is also sort of the foundation and basis for what we're going to be looking at when we do our performance and program audit so then we can sort of get some of the pieces together To move forward and to not only Provide the support that's needed but to provide strength and to eventually thrive So I don't want to take too much time But I'm happy to be here and I'm really thankful to have this opportunity for your input This is the first opportunity really, but it's not going to be the last there will be other opportunities as well So without further ado, I'm going to hand this back to wit and we'll get started Thanks Kelly. So who's on first Nancy Schultz is going to speak first and then and is going to speak next I'm here today as a longtime member student volunteer and instructor because I'd like to see the senior center once again become the Hub of community life that it was prior to March of 2020 Before the pandemic MSAC offered 80 classes per term as well as delicious and healthy congregate lunches every Tuesday and Friday The Tuesday lunches were especially popular with full tables that filled this room in addition to a wide range of classes and great food There were many bus and van trips to interesting and varied destinations Among the current staff members at MSAC only Norma was here pre-pandemic and only Norma has the Institutional memory to know firsthand how lively this place was other staffers don't have this important reference point However, many of us who have been involved here as instructors and program leaders do remember Once upon a time MSAC was head and shoulders above every other senior center in the state It can be again To restore MSAC's vibrancy, I recommend the following use front porch forum PSA's Social media and flyers to spread the word that the senior center didn't flood and is open Mention some of the classes that will be offered this fall Emphasize the reasonable prices for classes, especially for Montpelier residents Stress that anyone age 50 and over can become a member Get back to offering two appealing lunches per week rather than two lunches per month if you feed them They will come keep Keep the meal schedules consistent switching the days of the week or the weeks of the month creates confusion and causes a drop in attendance People vote with their feet. They will come back if MSAC offers good food and interesting programs Thanks for listening. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah Didn't start my time again Thank you for considering the following suggestions by a long time long time member instructor drop-in group leader trash rips and Participant of over 20 years the return these are the things I'd love to see for the future of MSAC is the return of art classes by a variety of instructors armchair travel talks Bone builders exercise classes trips for both the day as well as longer excursions including cruises just saying Evening classes to draw in more working people Congregate meals twice a week guest speakers I really like nature ones from vins Vermont fish and wildlife North Branch Nature Center Photography Vermont history especially Montpelier local experts in for example beekeeping and raising chickens I think it's interesting stuff and the process of designing and implementing creative wood stacking. I'm just love that stuff Implementing craft classes with guest artists like block printing weaving knitting More and varied coral opportunities. I'm thinking also about a hospice choir cake decorating to certain and then the cakes are They're gonna oh Serve the congregate meals and two meals on wheels participants New and fun physical activity classes chair volleyball. It's fun They do it other places. It's a blast Chair, I'd like chair massage sign-ups. Yeah coffee house with some quiet music I Opportunities to serve and to be of assistance to the larger community The top two priorities for me are programming and trips followed by number three meals Thank you Bob or Ali and I would like to see the senior center back to our lunches with our band players Just to sit back and just have a nice afternoon of music Dinner and music hi, I'm Joyce Warnkin and I retired in 2014 and didn't know what to do with myself So I decided I would learn to play the ukulele So I came to the soonest senior center learned the ukulele Discovered the incredible programs that we hear and so I I do aren't I do writing I do ukulele. I do singing with John Harrison and this is not Bone builders bone bill is the most important because not only am I a very happy person, but a very healthy person I had surgery in 2019 and the nurses couldn't believe how quickly I got up and what got going again And I think it's related to bone builders. I'm sure it is this what I wanted to say is this is not an Ordinary senior center This is an extraordinary senior center with a lot of people that are really involved and I My my my wish is that we have a dedicated Director to the senior center Because when you when you have somebody that's doing two jobs, they're not they can't concentrate on On on the senior center and so the senior center to me is so vital so important That I think we really need Dedicated director and then there'll be less of declining membership because you'll have somebody that's greeting people involved with people and so it's I'm think I'm through I'm Janet leader. I live in North Middlesex, and I'm a member here My top two priorities for the Montpelier senior center are one the availability of social connection and two the Availability of physical strengthening classes the byproducts of those two goals are fun laughter and better health I value the yoga the writing class the ukulele group the bone building classes Plus the occasional day trips in Vermont these activities are all led by women which I very much appreciate I Look forward to continuing to participate in this center I have really just two things that I want to talk about well, maybe three one is yes We need to have lunches twice a week always another is I several years ago, and I mean several and Also before that we had groups that met that could talk about almost anything and we had somebody who could lead each one of them and We didn't talk politics, but we talked about current events things that were going on in the news and It was really quite interesting to hear all of this Another thing I'd like to talk about is that I think just the way we have volunteers bringing meals on wheels And working in the kitchen We need to have some volunteers who will pick up seniors who are no longer driving and Who would love to come to the senior center for a meal or to talk with people and We have volunteers to do these other things. I think we need volunteers to do that as well Hi, I'm Barbara Thompson Excuse me. I have two top priorities For what the senior center represents and what it means to this community and I think a lot of people have talked about What it means for seniors, but I think it's very important for the community leaders Are elected officials and appointed officials to recognize what the senior center gives to this community? To start with I would like to point to this page of members new and renewed on page seven Well, there is a precipitous drop. There were in 261 new members in 2019 95 in 2023 there were 928 renewed members in 2019 and 662 this year Now if you were a community leader if you were in the mayor's office or the city planning office You might think that this was due to the fact that nobody really cared about this senior center for me as a senior center member who moved to this community in 2012 just after this center Re-opened in this beautiful pristine condition that it was I Moved here from Minneapolis, Minnesota, which is not a town that lacks cultural amenities I Found in this senior center the most progressive most advanced Programming that I could have found I couldn't believe my luck to have landed in this community. I Want to mention some of the people that I learned from in those years Joanne Greenberg in her drama classes Eric Nielsen in his music classes Rick Winston, thank you Rick in his film classes Janice Woffren I learned to draw a person who thought she could never draw my time is up Thank you very much Nancy and Anne for trash traps and Sherry Olson for poetry and Tina for trips Well at the risk of repeating I don't want to repeat it I'm a group in agreement with everything that's been said here, but when I lost my partner in 2018 I really didn't have any connections here from after moving from California to be with him and you know taking the the trips in the summer and the bone builders with Nancy and of course John Harrison's class is my Happiest time of the week. I we laugh we have fun and the the Ollie programs are great I think for me And and the week I I also came to the twice weekly meals I think for me the opportunities to socialize and also to learn new things or Be healthy the classes I was so amazed at the vitality and young at-heartness of this senior center when I got involved with it back then pre-covid and I just really hope that we can revive a lot of that You know the opportunities here, I I think that There there are many opportunities yet to be You know started here, so thank you. Hi. I'm Jodi Pedersen. I would start with a little bit of gratitude I am very grateful for being able to volunteer doing taxes for four or five years here It's just it's a real hope and if anyone has a math brain and things They might like to do that also, please talk to me because we certainly could use more volunteers and the other thing I haven't Participated in a lot of the classes But I it's sound it all sounds great and I should do more of that But I would also want to ask Arnie or whoever ends up being in charge overseeing the senior center to really get a good relationship a good connection going with the advisory committee So that all these people who know what's been happening in this building and all these great ideas That you're following up with them and and knowing what's going on. Thanks Hi, hi, I'm Nancy and First of all, I just want to say I love it here too like everybody and this is an aging Community we know that my peeler has a lot of aging people therefore a lot of attention should be paid to the senior center and and having a director who Is whose responsibility is here and whose presence is here Other than that and I want to talk about meals on wheels which I deliver for and I'm delivering for today and We are now I don't know whether it's a senior center or the council on aid aging But some of the people that we deliver for are now getting meals from another senior center and Speaking from the people that I know who are getting those meals. They're disgusting I'm sorry to say it and Some of them are really in need of that nutrition and we need to get them Delivered from here again That's it. Okay. Good. Okay. I'm Carolyn red path and I've been a member for years and The thing I want to do is I agree with everything. Everybody has said and I particularly love the programs pre-covid I mean they were great, but When I look around I don't see a lot of diversity and there are so many people. We aren't reaching There are very few men here. I doubt that they're very many working people here They're a Couple of disabled people So so we're missing vast swaths of people in Montpellier and 20% of the population is over I don't know. I think it's 55 or 60 So I think we need to make a real effort to be more inclusive Okay, and I'm gonna speak right up because I am hearing impaired and I have struggled to hear people So just a couple of points One I have loved the remote classes Tina's bone builders for years now I can hear Everyone whereas in the big echoing Acoustically challenging room upstairs. I could only hear people on a third of the room my side Second, I would like to say that I have been so moved by Everyone's varied Experiences and you all are inspiring me to do more Tina knows I am such a homebody But and I've done Tai Chi dance classes, of course bone builders forever Spanish classes But there are so many other opportunities and I would just want to mention one That was very meaningful to me when I had just retired from teaching and I was a new editor I was working with an Iranian writer in Iran who was having some political threats and And international actually got him out of Iran But during that period a speaker from Dartmouth an Iranian himself a professor of Political science spoke you would think that was an arcane topic. The room was jammed My questions were answered and I learned so much and it was really Thrilling to have a local opportunity to hear directly from an expert on the topic of International importance that was a personal relevance to me. So I think what's offered here is absolutely Priceless and I'm hoping the Spanish classes come back. I am Glenda Otto I Attended to the community meeting on recovery resilience in the future of Montpelier last Thursday I'm I Experienced it as a call to action. I'm wondering could I see the hands of people who were there? Hello, okay Right now on the other side of COVID and a devastating flood We know we're required to wake up and take action I think a socially active vision is essential for the senior center We need a director a Dedicated director and program director who understand and factor in our need to engage in the vital issues of our time I have a great appreciation for past vitality of the senior center We had dedicated director and a strong vision and a program director who really delivered on encouraging vital programs The result was a vital center with life-giving programs that met the needs of members in the face of issues like global warming finding green solutions need To have expertise on how rivers and waters work in this region homelessness. None of these have immediate answers I think we're stunned overwhelmed we're More likely to pull back than to have the energy to show up in the midst of our devastation and grief There's a need to gather Connect support each other be renewed remain vital and find ways to take the very personal stand that is needed for our future and This community is filled Hello with vital seniors Thank you, I have a friend who's adopted the practice of doing small acts Invested with great love that is her personal stand I'm here to just say this one thing That we need to support each other remain vital and find ways to take that very very personal stand We need for the future We've seen the power of Montpelier alive Montpelier strong Taskforces are forming to address essential issues in our community We can get engaged in the task force of our choice We can invite a couple of task force to meet here at the senior center My name is Dorianne Prescott and I just agree with what everyone has said. I don't know that there's that I Don't know that there's that much more to say I've I've enjoyed the senior center pre-pandemic and I just thought it was hard to pick Which classes to take there were so many it was so vibrant and it was so much fun Just to see people the same people every week To just get to know the teachers. It's it was just such a wonderful place and I would really like to see it grow back and Be as vibrant and as socially conscious and just as friendly and Open to all people as it was Everyone for being here coming into this room reminds me why It's so wonderful. It's so I'm so happy to see people I know who I haven't seen for a while coming to other meetings. I see people I know who haven't seen for a while It's just wonderful and you've had such great ideas that I'd forgotten about that we used to do I just wrote down some things that I remember that we used to do we used to be able to go to a swimming pool and It's opened up again. So that would be a great thing if we could start that up again and Coming back to the lunches. That's also someplace where we see each other and That's it's just so nice to see everyone that you know that you don't really always see on the especially now You don't see them on the street, but I'm sorry to say I don't go to the streets at this point. Ah One thing that we used to have not a very often, but we had and it's important is the repair shop. I Have a Tony doll That needs to be put together and I would really appreciate having a repair shop where I could take it or her and then At one point there was talk about having a group like we have for scrabble for people who do crossword puzzles These are all great ideas. So, thank you. Hi. I'm Anne and Ditto everything that's been said I've been taking classes and I feel that the mission and the The impetus behind the senior center just took a hit with the pandemic I feel like the mission is an eight broke. Don't fix it thing You I do see wanting to restore the numbers But I feel like it's been a treasure and it's already head and shoulders above others I've been taking classes and Loving it so top priority classes The meals both on wheels and here and affordability I think the it's been really affordable and it should stay that way So I can everybody hear me. I'm very hearing impaired as well Um, I hate meetings. So the fact that I'm here is due to Nancy saying You know, we have a choice. We can restore it to the vibrant thing it once was or and I thought oh, right? Because I've been taking Nancy's class for I don't know close to ten years before that I was in Tina's class and I was happy with that I have a great time in class and I wasn't expecting a lot more, but listening to everybody. I was like, oh, yeah I mean this is our clubhouse. This is where we come to have fun This is where we come to get jazz This is where we come to be together and I'm always I I always am struck by how funny we look Because our generation did not expect or does not really understand that we're old like Like is that a thing? So um, yeah, I you know I'm really glad it came because I feel like all of the things that have been talked about is like Yeah, that would be fabulous and the person who said We are not getting all the people who would have a great time here. I think it's really important. So Outreach, you know, I think there's a lot of people that just would have no idea What was possible and I had forgotten what was possible. So thank you. I was one of the few men here I really miss being able to associate with other guys. I I Worked at my profession for 50 years and when I quit I was bored to tears. I didn't know what to do Senior senators helped me the answer is I was As I read what goes on in the world today, I Realized it's in a completely different language than I grew up with and I simply don't understand it I don't understand All the social media communications. I don't understand why anybody would pay attention to Twitter or any of those things And I don't understand What Younger people I don't know what the answer is, but I would love to be introduced To what I regard is a completely foreign language to the way I've conducted my life. I just don't use All of the electronic means of communication and it's very hard to find Talk and talking is frequently Invasive and it puts people off Why Why are you asking me that question? Why is that a concern to you? But those are really efforts of communication. I don't know how we Breach that But it's a very fundamental change in my life. Thank you for listening. Wow. How do I follow that? So I'm Barb I've been in the senior center. I don't know 15 or 20 years maybe Someone I can't remember how long but anyway, it's been a wonderful experience and I agree with Most of what people have said that the two things that I Look back on and really miss our Swimming is so important for older people Because it's a great form of exercise Whether you're swimming or doing water aerobics. So I wish we could get back to that and Another thing is that we used to have a coffee machine over here in the art room Where after class you could come With your classmates and have a cup of coffee and socialize. I know there's the Cafe the coffee with friends or something like that But I would like to have something like that available every day So those are my two things Hi, I'm Mary Alice Bisbee and I've been coming since the 1980s since the last century Let's say when I lived in Waitsfield And commuted out here and there was a TV set We had a nice little social group where we could sit and chairs and talk it wasn't one great big hall and I've been coming since before this building was repaired when they moved us because of the fire We were moved over there. I've been there. I've been there Bill Doldger, and I have been on the Advisory committee when it was not an advisory committee We actually made decisions and we weren't trying to make money for the city We were you when you joined you got a membership You were able to use the printer you were able to use the computers There was all sorts of free stuff here. This is what I'm talking about for diversity We have a lot of wealthy well educated College educated, I should say mostly people here who enjoy the programs and that's wonderful But we don't have the diversity. We're not feeding the housing housing People they used to come in and eat for free and we had meals two or three times a week Which is very very important for congregating My degree is in gerontology, and I know that senior centers were started for the poor for the people that were lonely for people who didn't have anything to do and Didn't have anywhere to go and no friends and this is what I consider is the most important thing about the senior center It is diversity. It's diversity of age There are many of us here over 80 and I haven't seen them in a long time We don't get a chance to socialize. We only have it twice a month now My time is up. I'm sorry, but I could go on for probably a long time buddy. I'm Julia I don't generally come to the meetings and Since I retired I have not spoken in front of a large group of people So I find myself having sweaty palms and being kind of nervous Yeah, I see that It seems like a lot of people I came to the meeting a little bit late But it seems like a lot of people have been speaking very eloquently and heart feltly about all the wonderful programs and all the Incredible meaning that this center has for folks for so many people look at all the people that are here today And it's a community forum for so many issues. I had the privilege to watch the development of this senior center from a distance over a period of many years as Janna Clare was tasked with building this center and I want to say that there there was so much creativity and openness to new ideas and openness to new people and Networking with all kinds of people in the community to bring the finest teachers here and also to create An incredible group of volunteers who do so much in this community But if if anybody here thinks that that can be done In another office off with Tasking it to somebody who already has a lot of responsibilities on their shoulders and not have a person here Who's dealing with I was an administrator also and I the personnel issues that come up The issues amongst volunteers that come up All of those things have to be dealt with very skillfully because any one or two of them in a six-month period can blow things up and it takes a very skilled director to deal with all of the personnel issues the volunteer issues to keep everything going and To infuse this place with the creativity that it that has brought it to the place that is so beloved by so many people So I'm very concerned about that Yeah, so I wasn't I wasn't planning on talking here, but I realized I'm a very weird creature here in this room We moved here my partner moved here about two years ago And we were very lucky to run into the senior center and trash tramps and other things we do here And it's been very it really helped us Get into this community But I do see that getting people our age Into the senior center. It must be difficult. So I'm just gonna focus on one thing I bring I came from a tech side and I Think one of the things that's inhibiting getting people new people. Yeah, everybody in here has been here for 20 years But getting new people in here new people really Expect online services. They expect being able to pay their membership online They expect a nice website that says here's the schedule. Here's the classes. I can sign up with I can just do it online And if you don't have that There are people and I am almost one of them, but not quite that's like if that doesn't exist I'm not interested in doing it I'm so used to that ease that I want that there. So I really think the senior son needs to think about Having a dedicated website having a dedicated payment system of registration system something like that and that I would go some Distance to help pull in younger people who expect that My other topic would be Classes here. We haven't done a lot of them. I don't know what it was like before COVID and before things got shut down We've done some classes here. They're great, but I we would both like to see my partner I More variety of instructors having the same class, you know, eventually like well I'd like to take that art class from somebody new so recruiting more people to come do that and then Providing more varied times and into the evening would be great as well. Hi. I'm Lindsay Wade and I First got involved when there wasn't a senior center and burned down and Jana Clark was the director and She got a hold of me because there was a band back then called the swinging over 60 band and They needed somebody to substitute once in a while on the piano or the keyboard so We did it and sometimes we'd be at St. Augustine's Church Sometimes we'd be at the high school and the place would be packed people would come and For the hour before the meal was served People could sing with us. I mean it was all stuff people were familiar with or maybe they were learning, you know as we were learning and and then they dance and eventually I Never became the real keyboard player. I was always just the fill in but I love to come So I did it whenever they wanted me We did move into this beautiful building and the people would come for that hour before we ate and The room was packed Not originally, but they would start coming in and coming in and then there was this one couple in particular And others who would get up and just dance through the whole thing It just it was it was just beautiful and other people would come up We had a microphone and the band got kind of better and better I thought anyway and And then there was COVID and the band disappeared And I think something like that where people are involved, but they don't have to worry about being social They can come in for that hour When people are playing music it could be you know different types of music and the other thing I must say Jenna was always here for at least part of that time that we were encouraging, you know this band And the people that came and and filled the room and the meals were really really good That's pretty much it. I think the services the MSAC should offer our classes Regular meals health clinics for flu shots and foot care tax preparation a state preparation and opportunities for seniors To gather and share time together The benefits of being an MSAC member should offer a healthy healthier way of aging through exercise companionship Volunteering and a chance to learn something new What needs to be changed at MSAC if you're hiring a director? Seniors need to be involved in the process have a chance to meet perspective candidates We need a director who understands geriatric issues and is fully present to members They know senior names. They drop in on all the various activities that happen MSAC Also program finance membership fundraising all those committees need to meet regularly The top priority to me of MSAC at the moment is the meals on the wheel program Financing of the program should not be the sole responsibility of MSAC Keeping the program going has taken up a lot of the last director's time Inquired great efforts to write grants and hold fundraising events The cook only cooks meals for the program and not the congregate meals Which is why they're not so regular for the seniors at MSAC Perhaps there could be a collaboration now that we're in this period of change with the food bank Which is looking for a new place where the two services maybe could work together on offering this vital service The second priority is to rebuild our membership, but this will have to be on hold until we get our space back. Thank you Hi, I'm Cindy Bogart. I just want to say I Commend the wonderful bunch of ideas that have come out over the course of the hour and I so agree with the idea of needing a Dedicated director whose first job is probably outreach So that we can build our membership again. I have become a novelist since I retired and it's due to MSAC I took a class from Maggie Thompson She inspired me and so did the other people in my group and I've written two novels since then That's in the last three years. So now to the ad part. Um, I thought maybe it would be fun to have a twice a seasoned book talk Here at the center and I volunteered my own book for the inaugural event and the next one will be Rick Winston's book on the Savoy. I thought one fiction one nonfiction. This is that my idea for programming So I just wanted to tell you that My book a history of silence, sorry but I'll be talking about it on Thursday September 21st Right after lunch at 1 30 And so what you need to do though is read it between now and then I have a couple of copies floating around free I would sell you one for five dollars off today 15 dollars or you can even owe me it later if you want Sorry, I would say I would send you all the bear pond, but I can't I would if you want to pay me the retail price, which is 20 dollars I will donate five of it to bear pond books along with the donation. I'm willing to make But anyway, I have a few books here today if you want them So I just want to announce mine September Thursday September 21st at 1 30 and also Rick's is gonna be talking about his book save me a seed a life with movies It was just published You know, I guess by rootstock. Well, sorry, I'm gonna go anyway even though my time's up and this is going to be at Thursday November 2nd at 1 30 also again after lunch, you know this winter when the power went out And I was sitting in my apartment. It was getting colder and colder I thought wow the senior centers must be open as a shelter for when this happens And it wasn't but I'm wondering if it could be if it could be Montpelier's place One things like this go wrong. I'm Dora Jonas, and I didn't sign up, but I have a couple of comments One that there should be opportunities for us to volunteer in the larger community Oh, I'm sorry. Oh, okay The non-audition singing was fantastic and we should definitely keep that going I I'd like to see programs to which we invite the larger community speakers and much or what else are there and also access to a notary public wills all the information that we need regarding Dying because we're all gonna do it and we also all have friends who are doing it It would be nice to have a central place where one could gather the information and have access to a notary public Thank you to all of you that stuck to the time and those of you who almost stuck to the time We have somebody's cell phone up here, so you'll need to come claim that nice pink simp. Who's it pink? Yeah, it's pink cell phone Good. I wanted to thank everybody for their comments You have a comment sheet, so we'll happily accept that at the end if you want to write down some more comments We also have Diane's email address up here if you like email and want to email or your comments or your thoughts and Matt how many people did we have on zoom? What's that? I Know but how many people on zoom? Oh? 25 or a let's give them a round of applause for hanging in there Good I'd like Diane wants to say something just okay, so I wanted to thank all Everybody who helped out with this meeting. I think it was very successful, and it was very inspiring to hear all these comments And anybody else forever hold your peace Poa wants to say something here. He is we just want to invite you to stay for the meet we want to I want and Based on the awesome Cooking that chef Joey has been doing today Thank you, so I'm chef Joey. I'm the senior chef instructor for the community kitchen Academy and Barry at capstone Right, I don't want to yell at people. I have a very loud voice, so I can hold it I got I can hold my own microphone. We're good. Thank you So We have four students back there who are fantastic, and they're all back there working hard to cook lunch today For the senior center and we come back and do this every so often right with you guys and every Supposed to be in about a half an hour. I'm gonna say 12 15 perfectly Based on the efficiency of my crew in the kitchen at the moment It is a roasted pork loin with mashed potatoes Oju and we have carrots and we have a little salad to start and then we have a berry berry cobbler at the end Yeah, sound good. So yes, ma'am Well, we do have a vegetarian option of mac and cheese that I made yesterday with cabbage cheddar It's delicious and salad and the veggies too Okay, yeah Nice to see you again. Thank you so much Hi everybody, I don't know if I'll really need this because I actually do have a gym voice for my physical education background and Coaching, but I want to thank everybody for those of you Try that again. All right Speak speak slowly. Thank you. Mary Alice will work on that So I want to thank everybody for their participation today in the town hall meeting You know, there's a lot of valuable feedback there for those of you who do or don't know me I've been working for the city for over 30 years We used to be under the school system as a recreation department and used to run a lot of our programs in the schools As well as on our outdoor spaces Mm-hmm Busy is not something that we get nervous about I hear people talking about dedicated Directors and this and that you know in recreation. We've learned to do it all we do more with less We always have hours are not a concern of mine. You can ask my wife she knows I live in Montpelier during my working days and But our goal going forward with a senior center is to try to bring back that vibrancy Some of you may have remembered Bob Jackman who was here many years ago And they used to have the swing in over 60s band used to be here every Tuesday You know when they needed when they needed assistance They would call the rec department to come down and help because Don Lorenovitch used to be the director of the senior center As well as the recreation department So there's been a lot over the years on how different things have changed and and how we go forward But one of the things that I want to do I'm trying to start out here is meeting with the committee's the advisory board has been great Trying to meet with the program committee because I don't know if that committee has been overly active in the last couple years and It's those ideas that come from this group that really help us move forward because myself or staff could make up things and You guys might say I hate that. I don't want to do that. You know who wants to go bungee jump You know, I know some people who do but not everybody so The ideas that come from this group so we can start developing and focusing on programs and growing things back and also the membership piece You know, that's huge and we got to create value. We got to make sure that we have an office It's open during business hours. Somebody mentioned the warming center This building used to be a warming center for people and then somebody made the decision Not at City Hall, but a decision was made that they couldn't have the doors available open for that. So This is stuff that we should be able to do because we're a community-minded organization So for those, you know, who really want to believe in community We all have to work together. We've all suffered if you've seen one of my athletic fields, you know It was under 10 feet of water. We got a lot of work to do and and You know, it's gonna take energy and time I'm not a believer that somebody has to sit in office and be here every minute of the day to have access I have email people can hit me with email. It travels with me 24-7 even on vacation. I get yelled at for checking it So We're here. We're here for people and Kelly is a huge supporter and so is the city because the city Really does support its departments and this is one of the city's departments and that's what we're here for We're here to work for you We do want to build towards a really great future for the center But it also you also need to be realistic about the fact there's some constraints right now in terms of the space We're using which is the city is using the upstairs spaces. So we're kind of challenged to find new spaces We're working on that everybody seems to be working on that but it is it's like a little bit of a Stumbling block, but it's definitely gonna happen that we're gonna be much better after that Thank you very much, and I think I'm I'm all done here. Thank you everybody appreciate it