All right. Good day everybody. Welcome to this meeting of the Kushna Council on Aging which is located at 59 and 12 South Main Street in Nushnik. The zip code is 02743. Today is January 14th, 2026.
I was just getting used to writing 2025. Now it's 2026. This meeting is being video and audio recorded for later broadcast on local channel 18 and on the town of Aushnit's YouTube channel. I'd like to call this meeting to order at 10
a.m. >> Do I have someone? Okay, there's a motion and second. >> Okay, meeting is called to order. Uh, let's see. We have some minutes here that need to be approved. Did everybody get a chance to look at those for November? Our last meeting was November
12th. Do we have a motion to approve those meetings? Motion and seconded. Second. Okay. >> All right. Mail. >> We did get mail. >> I'm so happy. >> Wow. We did receive a lot of Christmas cards, so those are really great to see.
I had them displayed in almost like a a Christmas tree uh display. So, it was really nice. Um and we did receive a few donations from our um members. So, always never >> expected but always appreciated. So, thank you to our community members who
who always continue to give back to us. And um any donation that we receive like that I do put into the gift fund and that's um able to be used for uh different events that we have going on um our bingo parties, things like that. So, it's always very much appreciated. >> Nice. >> So, you're looking at a very special
event here. We finally got some mail. >> That's it. >> We've been waiting. >> I'm so happy. >> Okay. Old business. >> Valentine's Day is coming. Maybe we get some Valentine. >> There we go. >> Valentine's Day. Don't forget folks, Valentine's Day. My name is Dan.
>> I accept, you know, gift cards and No, I'm just playing. Don't send in gift cards. >> You probably can't take those. >> I can't I cannot do that. Um uh the monthly newsletter is delivered throughout businesses in a Kushnet wonderful businesses such as uh the post
office, the American Legion, the VFW. Uh we we we give some to Lloyd's I believe. Is that correct? Even though they're not really going to >> and uh the um the breakfast pl I have a whole list here. >> I have a list. >> The Bonville market can restaurant the
mill post office. both town hall buildings. Uh, Presidential Terrace, Scuttlebutts Convenience Store, Lloyd's Market, Truisies Market, Stop and Shop Market, VFW, and American Legion. So, you can pick up the newsletter at any of
those places, including this place right here on 59 12 South Main Street. We have gently used medical equipment and incontinent supplies available at the ACOA. Now, the incontinent supplies are not gently used. They are they are new, but the medical equipment might be
gently used. Such things as I guess as walkers and canes and so on. >> Yes. >> Uh free of charge to anyone who needs them. Inclement weather. Let's stop about this for a minute. If the schools are closed, we are closed. If the town hall is closed, we are closed here at the
Kushner Council on Aging. And I want to just remind everybody to be very careful this winter. We've seen more snow than usual. We're probably going to get more. We're probably going to get more ice. Please be careful how you how you walk, how you step. You don't want to fall. I
know for myself, I'm going to be 70 years old this year. I know I only look 30, but I'm going to be 70 years old and I can't afford to break a hip or leg or any of that kind of thing. And neither can you. So, please be very careful. And and keep in mind like I say that if if
uh if the schools are closed or if the town hall is closed, the Krishna Council on Aging is closed, uh the director and custodial staff may be on site for emergencies at times, but you're going to have to call ahead just to make sure
that they're here uh because they may be home trying not to hurt themselves either. Uh just a reminder we have two outreach specialists which are Patricia Madrki and Samantha Ortiz. The telephone number here at the Krishna Council on Aging is
508 99980280 to make an appointment to see either one of them. We have Representative Mark Sylvia Sylvia the first Monday of every month from 10 to 11 and Representative Steve Wlette the first Monday of every
month from 11 to noon. We have the veteran copy social here at the Christian Council on Aging the first Tuesday of every month with our veteran service officer Brad Fish. I met him. He's wonderful. He's he's great for the veterans. If you're a veteran, please
utilize him because he he's great. He came to us from Fair Haven, I believe. >> Yeah. And you can contact Brad at 5089980207 extension 4207. counseling and psychotherapy colle
clinic with Alexa Manise who is a licensed social worker the second and fourth Tuesday of each month by appointment. So please make an appointment with her. You can contact her directly at 508717439. And please don't be afraid to call her
if you're feeling depressed or anxious or you know I mean in the winter time we're we're stuck in the house a long time. Don't be afraid or ashamed to contact her uh because we we all need help at some point. I know I suffer from
depression myself. So don't don't be ashamed of it. Get help. Okay. Loneliness and isolation support group. That's what I was just talking about. Uh Alexa, every Thursday from 10 to 11 uh
a.m. Now, do I have a motion to approve the old business? Second. >> Second. Okay, that's approved. Let's move on to new business and we're going to begin with our illustrious leader updates from director Lauren Vula.
>> All right, >> take it away. >> Um, so we know that the um HVAC system update has been a work in progress. Um, we are still waiting for it to go out to bid. um once it's up to bid then companies can you know bid on the job and hopefully we can get this moving
because it has been some time um you know since town meeting when we were approved of those additional funds. So I'm hoping that >> in the near future that we'll we'll get this job um underway. Um we were recently notified by our sprinkler company that our sprinkler heads need to
be replaced. Um I guess there was a recall and this was a significant amount of time ago um that they were recalled. Um, so it is pretty, you know, important that we do get this updated. I, um, was able to get already my three quotes so we could start the procurement process
at least. Um, and I did send all of that over to town hall as well. So, um, it's, you know, just going to be touchand go in the meantime, but at least we started the process and we've had some companies come out and, um, take a look at the system. So, um, it doesn't seem like it would be like an overly um, I don't know
what I want to say, involved job. I mean, I know that there's things that go into it, but um it seems like it'll be a fairly quick process once we we get the ball rolling. Um I did want to just give a shout out to our Shine counselors, our outreach specialists, Patricia and Sam.
Um so open enrollment was from October 15th through December 7th and collectively they saw um about 69 people. So they each only come in one day a week. So I thought that that was pretty impressive. Um we did this time around only limit it to our cushion residents just because of their
availability. Um we just didn't want to open the floodgates and have too many people coming in and not be able to serve um to our best uh capabilities. But I I was pretty impressed with the ladies. I thought that that was a really great amount of people that we were able to serve. >> Could I get those dates again? October
what? >> October 15th through December 7th. >> Okay. Thank you. >> So awesome job ladies. Um, and we have some continuing um, folks coming back in to see them. And I think that's the the beauty in it too is that you make those connections and you know who your
community, you know, resources are. So, um, they continue to to serve our community and they're doing a great job. >> Um, and then our um, new trips for this upcoming season. We are already getting phone calls with people wondering when they will start up. Um, so I I actually
don't even have um all of the information yet. Jan Barrett um who is our trip coordinator. She does a great job. She is a volunteer here um and she goes above and beyond. I did give her a little shout out in our newsletter. Also, she does everything from start to finish with the trips. Um she's been
doing it for a very long time and she's pretty much our trip expert. Um but she's still working on getting us um our flyers and things like that. We do have a signup date of February 9th, so stay tuned. Um and we will hopefully be posting those flyers and announcing the
trips that way folks will know ahead of time what they're um signing up for. But our trips are greatly sought after. So >> sure, >> we're looking forward to another great trip season. So thank you Jan um as well for everything that she does for >> Yes. >> for the for our trips and for the
center. So >> absolutely. >> And that's about it. That's all I got. >> Thank you Golda. We appreciate that. Don't forget to write us and tell us what you think of GoldA so we can get some mail. Lauren Buller. Yes, Lauren. >> I answer to you.
>> She answers to either one of them. >> Okay. We have beginning water class uh which is $10 per person. Sorry. >> It's okay. Which is $10 per person. I from what I understand this is very popular. >> And uh it's on Wednesday, which would be
today, which you're not going to make because you're not going to see this today. Uh or it's also on January 28th and uh at 10:30. and registration is required. And that again, that's $10 per person. Improve your hearing today.
What? Improve your hearing today. Complimentary hearing screening and hearing aid cleaning. Video ear exams. Fridays, nove uh I'm sorry, January 9th, November, I'm sorry, February 13th.
My tongue is tied today. February 13th. >> Uh March 13th, and April 10th. So, if you have hearing aids and you need them to be cleaned or if you have something wrong with your tongue, >> we'll take care of that, too.
>> Okay. Sponsored self-pay lunch. Let's talk about this for a minute. This is a trip to Stone Forge in Rainham and it's Wednesday, January 21st at 10:45. Now, limited seats and registration is required. You get the ride there, but
they don't pay for the meal. You got to pay for your own meal. It's a little pricey, but I've been told it it's absolutely wonderful there. >> It's nice. >> And you might not want to miss this. You might want to, you know, save your pennies and and and take this trip. What do you think? You going? >> I am not going.
>> You're not going. She has to work. >> Yes. Maybe another time. Um, but we are going to different locations, too. So, um I just actually spoke to Marcel, our driver, who um has started up the lunch trips again next month for February. I believe we're going to Stone Forge again just because we already had a wait list
of folks that were interested in going. Um so, we opened that up for a second trip in February. Um and then I believe in March it'll be um Town Tavern. It used to um >> so be on the lookout if that's something that you might be interested in. The first one that we went to um I'm trying
to think. I know they went to Patty's Perogis and they went somewhere else. I can't think of the first one, but we we try to do different >> different places that folks might not always be able to get to. Um, so it's a good opportunity to get out and spend some time with other people and places that we might not always be able to get
to. So, >> if you're interested in the Stone Forge trip, which is in Reum, you can look them up online and and take a look at their menu. It's it's it's quite uh impressive. Quite impressive. It's it's it's a little pricey, but it's worth it.
It's a onetime deal, so at least for now. So, you know, you want to look into that. >> Manicures. We have the old colony cosmetology students. Cosmetology. Is that like when they go into space? Thursday, January 8th. You're going to
have to hurry for this one. Like the faster than the speed of light because that already went by. Uh, nutrition Jeopardy. And that's mentioned in our flyers. We got nutrition jeopardy here. >> Yes, that's with um Coastline. >> Okay. >> We have a uh dietitian
>> nutrition jeopardy. All right. Uh yes, >> they have a dietitian that comes in. That's today at 1:00. So again, faster than the speed of light. Uh I'd like to take a minute uh to talk about
the influenza that is hitting the area this year. It's very severe. this this type of flu and even if you get inoculated for it, it doesn't necessarily stop it. >> Most of the people I've spoken to say it's it's the worst illness they've had
in decades. >> And uh even even young healthy people are are being uh you know not being able to get up from bed for like 10 days. So the best way you can protect yourself from this is to continually wash your
hands. And if you go out into public, wear a mask. That's that's the best way you can try to protect yourself. And uh gloves, like if you're going to the supermarket or whatever, that's not a bad idea to wear wear gloves.
Okay. We want to make you aware of the events that take place regularly here at the Council on Aging. Flyers are always available well in advance at the front desk at the bulletin board facing the front desk. Motion to approve the new business. Do I have a motion? I have a
second. Okay. >> Please visit the following websites. The Aushnet Council on Aging, the Areshnet Library, Krishna Cultural Council, which can be found on the town of Aushnet website. Our next meeting will be held Wednesday,
February 14th. Is that Valentine's Day? >> Yes, it is. >> I think the is Saturday, so I think it's the 11th. >> Oh. >> Oh, is the 14th or Saturday? >> I think so. I don't have a calendar in front of me. >> Okay. Uh, let me just look at this for a second.
>> I want to make sure I'm not giving you false information. >> Today's the 14th. >> Okay. Here we go. You're right. It's got to be February 11th because February 14th is a Saturday. It's Valentine's Day and uh
>> so let me let me just change that to February 11th >> which is a Wednesday. That'll be our next meeting. >> And do I have a motion to adjourn? Motion. Do I have a second? Seconded. We are adjourned. Thank you ladies and gentlemen. I'll see you next month and
so will we.