Can't stand alisible Okay, I have some announcements. Uh, this meeting is being recorded by the local scene. Anyone intending to make an audio or video recording of this meeting should notify the chair at this time.
There are several volunteer opportunities at the Council on Aging, including but not limited to Meals on Wheels volunteers, volunteer help at the cafe, volunteers needed with computer skills, and senior tax writeoff volunteer opportunities. If you are
interested in any of these or would just like to volunteer in general, reach out to the director, Paulie. Reminder that the email for the advisory board is coa ab kingstonmass.gov
and I've been checking the emails and haven't seen any activity at this time. So right now is anybody here for open forum? Um she's in that chair over there.
Oh, please stand. That's fine. You don't have to. It's okay. It's so good. You're so cute. We want to see you on TV. So, we are here from the Kingston Public Library Foundation. So, um just a little bit of a background. There are when we
think of the library, there are three different and separate parties. So, we just want to clarify that we are not part of the actual library itself. We are the foundation. There's also the friends of the library which um does some fundraising too. And again, separate from what we are here for today. like the friends do like the book
drive and book corner and things like that. What the foundation is, we raise funds to kind of supplement what the town gives the library to help with like programming and author talks and all the events like that the librarians hold and
things like that. So, we help with that part. So, I'm Kimberly, by the way. We kind of skipped over that. I'm Kimberly Sprag. I'm actually the vice president of the board newly elected. Um I've been on the board the foundation since 2024. I'm Sarah. I am so on the foundation
board. I'm head of like social media. So you guys are on Facebook and everything. That's kind of my role is getting the word out there of things that we are doing and um information about the library to support them and all the good things that the library has to offer.
So, I know Sarah already mentioned a little bit about what we are, but we're a private nonprofit fundraising organization um comprised entirely of volunteers from the community. So, we're all from Kingston. Um and we were formed over 15 years ago. We do currently have about 12 members on the board. We are
looking for some more. Um and the reason we're here today to kind of give this information to you all is that we are really looking to diversify um the representation on the board. we would love to have um some voices from the senior demographic. Um so we were hoping to give you guys a little more
information and answer any questions you might have about who we are and what we do. Um so as Sarah said, you know, our our mission is really to support the library to supplement what the town um does budget-wise for them. We have a little bit less red tape, a little bit less uh things to go through like
budgeting wise. We can fund raise and supplement that for them. So some of the things we've done um ensuring equal access to quality materials and programs for youth and adults. So for example in 2020 during uh the building's closure due to the pandemic we spearheaded and
funded the renovation of the children's room um which was fantastic. Um and then in 2025 we were just chatting about this with some of you before we started. Uh we applied for and received um the T-Mobile hometown grant. So we used that to redo the lobby area of the library.
it's refernished. Um nice and inviting area to sit down and and read. We welcome you all to check it out. Uh so that was something the foundation did for the library. We also like um have a scholarship. So the Sid Stew Sid Stewart
staff scholarship funds. So um it provides funds for the library staff to go and further their education. So, if they would like to go back to school or if they want to go to a lecture or things like that, um we help provide funds so they can make that
happen. Um to then bring that back to the library to help the community with um things like that. Um, and then also, like I said, we do like we help fund the
story time and music circles and things in the kids' room. Also, the more on the adult side. I um we're going to start bringing I've heard more community events to hear for your you all. Um, and
that's helped also funded by the field. So the foundation operates with a lot of different subcommittees um to accomplish our goals. So they're mobilized around specific tasks. Give you an idea of what some of us do on the board. So we have an events subcommittee. Um we tend to do one big fundraising event every year.
This year it's going to be the live brewery. So it will be an event um at the library where local breweries will come and you buy your ticket and you get you know a glass and so many pores from each brewery which is really neat. Food trucks that sort of thing. Um that was done in 2022 as well. Well, it was a big
success. Um, we've also done the endless possibilities gayla was last year. Last year, yeah, big fancy gayla. It was a lot of fun. Um, it's actually where they recruited me and got me on board. Did a carnival too um for that was
three years ago, I think. Um, right in the library parking lot. We had like um carnival games and then we set up mini putt throughout the library. And so all of those funds also went back to the library. So that's one of the subcommittees is you know people on the board can participate in planning and
you know making those events happen. Uh we also have a board development and nominating committee. So a little bit later on or after this we'll talk about if you are interested or know somebody who is interested the next steps would be to meet with them. Um and they kind of do a little formal interview more about who you are and what we do and see
if it would be a good fit for everybody. Um there's also donor recruitment and solicitation. So safer donations from the community is a big part of what we do. Um also donor recognition. So we get those donor those donations and we want to say thank you. So people on the board help us with that. Um communications,
social media as Sarah said and finance. Um a lot of those roles are already filled within the board. Uh so really I mean my first year was a lot of kind of finding my place. Um you know where do I fit in here? Something I want to do. I love the library. I want to give back. I want to volunteer. Um, so if you're
hearing that list and not really sure, um, that's okay. Like we'll help, you know, figure out ways that you can contribute. That's like also like that's why we're here because we want to make the library like a place for everybody and bringing other people on board brings different
ideas. So maybe there's a space that we're lacking that you all could like help with and bring that idea back to the table and we can make it happen. Absolutely. So if you are interested or know you know this is jogging your mind like oh this would be perfect for so and
so they would love this um there the first step would be to reach out and get in touch via email. So it's info@kplf.org. We also are going to leave these here. So there's more information about who we are, what we do and the contact info is on there as well. Um there's QR code but
there's also other ways to get in touch. So we'll leave those um for you all and we can even link some in. I know you guys had a great setup. We were looking at all the cool flyers and programs and whatnot you have out there. So, we'd be happy to leave them there for anything. Thank you. Questions,
but we're not able to respond. We're we're aboard, so it would have to be an agenda item. Got it. No problem. So, some of the frequently asked questions or things that we thought of um we only meet we meet once a month um in the evening. It's a Monday second Monday, third
Monday. Um for about an hour in the evening in the library itself. um is where we tend to meet. Subcommittees may have additional meetings. Right now, we're doing a lot of those for the library. Um but yeah, that's um more about us and if you have any questions, feel free to
reach out via email. Also, if you do have any questions or whatever, we do have Facebook pages so I can respond to you on those or if you have friends that have questions and think they want to come join us, um feel free to just message on Facebook or
email and We can get back to you. Thanks for your time. We appreciate it. Anybody else open for him? I just want to thank Joan Hutcherson who has left the board after After an
enormous amount of time with the board of 15 years helping the seniors, when I joined the board, uh she had already been on it for number
of years and um she helped me enormously and I want to say I'm very appreciative that she helped me uh come up with agenda items right up until the last
month that I was on as a board. Uh she does more than just help the seniors. Uh Joan is a member of the Kingston Garden Club and has been an officer on
the club and she also is a writer. She just wrote an article in the June Kingston Living magazine about gardening after retirement and it's
really a very good article and Joan from the bottom of my heart thank you for the nine years that you helped me out. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Anyone else? Um, my name is Doug and I have applied for um either an alternate or voting position on the board. Um,
I've been part of um the senior center for a number of years. Um actually since I moved to Kingston which was about eight years ago. Um I'm part of book club. I enjoy that very much and a lot of very nice people. Um I participate in
some of the um exercise classes. I think I participated in a crafts um retired special needs teacher taught in Boston 35 years. Um
I Recently my mother had wanted to be part of the senior center. She recently passed but she couldn't participate in a lot of the activities and I I think it would be nice to be on the board and see how I can help make
this more of a um not it isn't a welcoming entity. How to make it something for everybody at whatever capacity they could be involved. Welcome. Any questions?
Thank you. Anybody else? Uh our next item, the meeting minutes. Have you all read your secretar's report for uh June 10th? Thank you. Any questions?
I can make a motion. of the minutes for June 10th, 2025. Anybody second? Second, Lucy. All in favor? I I
Okay, next item. Uh under new business. Uh the first one, reorganization of our board. for the new fiscal year. Uh as of July 1st, our advisory board members term dates are as follows. Uh Donna Weinberg,
myself is 2028. Gail D. Tomaso uh 2028, Lucy Kleta 2027, Marin Lwood 2026, Kathy Studley 2028, and Deb Bruno uh
associate uh 2026 renewal. So, and of course, the town needs to update their website to reflect this. Um any discussion before we vote for offices? So does anyone want to make a motion to
nominate one of us for the chair? I would like to nominate Donna for chair. I second that. All in favor? I. Okay.
So, now for a vice chair. Does anyone want to make a motion to to nominate a vice chair? Gail. Somebody has to make a motion. Say motion. See, I'm learning. I make a motion. You want to make a motion? Anyone
second? I'll second it. All in favor? I I Those opposed opposed. Anyone? We weren't We weren't unanimous. We We're not
Oh, I I didn't see your Everybody in favor of Gail, Vice Chair. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I can Do she? No. Okay. No. So, does anyone want to make a motion to
nominate a secretary? I'd like to make a open debary. Definitely. Now, first of all, we have to ask Deb. Oh, are you okay? Oh, sure.
Motion by and seconded by Lucy. Yes. And all in favor I So the results are in. The results are in. Chair, vice chair. I never seen everybody's secretary
nervous. Good fun. So as you all voted last month, I agreed to preside over today's meeting and take the minutes. Right. And effective immediately, I am to continue being chair moving forward till our next election.
And effective immediately, Gail will be vice chair. So in effective next August meeting, Deb will be the new secretary. Um, and she will begin her duties until the next election.
Now, is everybody now? Does she have to go to the town hall or anything? She's No, I just reported to the town because she's already done this morning. Okay. So the next item is resignations.
In addition to Katie Star, we have had two other board members resigning, Mary Haramman and Joan Hutcherson. Let's wish them well and thank them for their contribution to our board. Katie served 10 years at the Council on Aging, nine
years on our COA advisory board in all capacities from secretary vice chair all the way to chair. Mary Haramman has been a member for the last two years on our board. Joan Hutcherson has been a member
of the COA and board for almost 15 years, serving in all capacities as chair, vice chair, and secretary. It was Joan with the help from Joe Favalaro who persuaded me to join this board three
years ago. Well, thank you all again and the town will be acknowledging them and thanking them for their service. Now, we are now a board of five members having a couple of openings. For any others interested
out there, please feel free to attend our upcoming M meetings expressing your interest, possibly during an open forum. It is all a process. Once we hear of your interest, we can place you on an upcoming advisory board agenda and have
discussion with you and our board members vote recommending sending results to the town clerk. Also, you need to send a letter of interest to the town clerk. Once they receive all that they need, they will forward information
to place on the agenda at an upcoming select board meeting for approval and appointment final step your sworn in as you all know. So, any anybody have any comments about the resignations or anything else to
say? What did you ask? Um, Pauline is already in the process. Am I correct? Yes. And can you explain where she is in the process? You know, at this point now, you've already sent
your letter so we can place you on the next month's agenda. So, so now, do we still have opening? We have one more. We have one more. So now it would be and Deb can serve as secretary right now
even though she's a non- voting member but if she wishes she can go through the process to move to a voting position. So does she have to write a letter? Is that what what is her next step? I would say so write a letter for Yes.
Yeah. if you want to move into a voting position and we will have you too. She has such a plan. I'll do that. Unfortunately, there is a process that has to be done and it takes time. It does.
Yeah. So, anything else regarding the resignations or Sorry to see them go. I know this is to you, Joan. I hope she's watching. Good luck, John. Good luck, Mary. Good luck, Mary.
Thank good luck, Katie. Good luck. Byebye, Katie. Next item, uh, a contact list. All of you just review the list I passed out and let me know. I have all your correct information necessary to communicate with you all.
And usually I'll send something out and I, you know, would think you might get back to me that you received it. that Lucy, do I have your correct information? Maybe not. Just just if you might take a moment just to look at the list. Just looking for the paper that I should
have. It should be part of your package. Well, you don't me. I don't need that. I got it. Got it. Yep. Everything's correct. Oh, good.
No voice. Yep. No voice. Yep. your computer. And do you get the whatever is sent out to you on your computer? Uh, if if it works. Okay. If it works, I get it. So, any questions about that or is everybody okay with the list?
Everything's fine here. Okay. Um, so the next item is number four, uh, new business, uh, agent dementia working group update. Now, Paulie, do you wish to discuss this under your director's report? Yes. Okay. Um Kathy, is anything you
wish to comment on after your meeting? Again, it was a great meeting and Holly will be able to update us with dates or whatever. I don't know what you know what's on your director's report, but it is a great working committee. It's a
great group of people that are really interested and it's not seniors. It's all ages. It's really good. And I'm sure Holly will have much more to add to that. Okay. Anybody else? Any
So, next item is new business number five, advisory board office hours. I don't know if you remember a couple years back, we used to hold advisory board office hours once a month, Tuesdays 10 to 11, right before our
board meeting, each member taking a turn to sit in. Now at that time we didn't have much activity so we discontinued it and then we developed an COA advisory board email which hasn't had a lot of activity but now could we have a
discussion regarding bringing these office hours back perhaps uh it's up to you to talk about uh on a Thursday morning a busy day uh say 10:30 to 11:30 before the lunch begins each of us taking turns amongst ourselves to
represent the board with especially with this age and dementia working group preparing sur passing surveys out to distribute. Uh could this be a good idea? Uh especially few of our board members are there in the dining room on
Thursdays. So any comments, questions? I know you looked right at me. I think it's a great idea. That's just me. speak. People don't necessarily come online or are willing to speak, but
if if a friendly face is there, they're more apt to sit and talk and ask for things. Um, and again, I'm looking at the paper surveys. I've always got this in my mind. You want to talk to us? Here's a survey. Could you fill this out when we
No, I just think it's great to have somebody there on a Thursday when we're busy. And the fact is that a lot of the elderly don't have computers like mine. Very, very nasty. Either worse. And it doesn't have to be every week.
Well, with the survey, we want to get that. You want to do it once a month. We want to do it twice a month. You want to do it once a week to begin with to get the survey out. Well, the surveys won't be ready. Probably will get into that. But what do you what do you feel about Yeah.
it coming back? hour hour before we can see how it works. If it works, it works. If it doesn't, we can always I mean, once a week isn't too bad, but again,
it's going to take a couple months. Yeah, I think the office hours um I mean, we do it for Well, we were doing it for the selectman, we do it for the police chief. Um Kathy Latro comes in once a month. So, I think probably just
in terms of overall once a month would be sufficient. You may want to do it like at the end of the month. That way if there's issues or concerns that someone has, you can put it on your agenda for the following week, following month's meeting, right? Um
in terms of the survey specific to the age and dementia friendly designation, that's really that's just a limited period of time we're talking about. So, if you want to schedule your advisory board office hours for once a month, we can definitely do that. Um,
you say last last week, I think that makes sense. If you have something to put on the agenda for the next month, it won't interfere with the chief. Yeah. So, I don't It won't interfere. Isn't he the third? It's either the third or fourth.
Yeah. But yeah. So, does anyone want to make a motion? You make the motion. There you go. Okay. You can't
make a motion to office hours on the last Thursday of the month. Okay. Seconded by This is the point where you can discuss. Yes. Yes.
Um the uh police chief's hours are the fourth Thursday. You say the last Thursday of the month, you're going to conflict. Well, sometimes there's five. That's where sometimes it's five. Oh, I think this month has five.
Yeah. So, you would be okay if on a fiveweek month. But what time? 10 9:30 10:30. It could be 10:30 11 before bingo. Yeah. Right. Okay. In between bingo.
Cannot leave bingo. Once I sit at bingo, I'm uhuh. Don't bo. Well, you probably want to do it before lunch even. So, you could do 10:30 to 11. 10:30 to 11:30 on the last Thursday of the month starting. It's a busy day. this month.
See how it goes. We can add the other. The date is 24th. No, no, the next week. It'll be the 31st is the last Thursday. We want to start this month. Uh, do you
want to wait till August? So, do you want to review that motion? What do you motion meen? Huh? What do you motion? So, okay. What? Reread the motion. So, we are to have office hours the last
Thursday of the month 10:30 to 11:30 starting in starting starting is it the 31st of July? July. of this month. Okay.
So, should we say okay with that motion? Yeah. Okay. Okay. So, seconded by I'll second the motion. All in favor? So, we can work it all out. So, next item,
staff and committee reports. Holly. Uh so you all have a copy of my director's report. I can go to it. Uh for programming, we're continuing to
bring new programs and activities to the senior center. Tomorrow we're hosting Singo, which is a program that we've had in the past. Um it's music bingo. And on Friday, we're introducing a new fitness class called headtotoe fitness, which includes strength training with light
weights, bands. Uh it uh focuses on flexibility, balance, and breathing, and stretching. So, we're going to do a demo class for that this Friday morning at 9:00, which is free. And then, uh following Friday,
we'll begin the $5 per person class at 9:00 am. So, we're trying to fill We had a um a fitness class that ended on Friday mornings. So, we're trying to fill in those empty spaces in our
calendar. And although it feels like summer has just begun, we're already thinking about end of summer celebrations and planning for fall activities. So, we're just constantly thinking ahead. Uh so our age and dementia friendly
designation update, we had a meeting yesterday. Um we had nine people out of the group attend including myself and Kathy. Joanne Ziggment from OCPC led the meeting via Zoom and we discussed the methods that will be utilized for promoting and distributing the survey.
We'll be using a variety of sources to promote the survey, including the town website, Facebook, uh the Silver Lake Regional School System newsletters, and events around Kingston. The one of the events that came up was the live brew live brewery event that the ladies were
talking about today. Um, print versions of the survey will be available as well as digital versions that can be accessed with a QR code much like you see on the brochure from the library.
Uh, the final version of the survey will be distributed to the working group by July 19th. Um, and then it will go out to the public until September 27th. So, we have we have reviewed the draft of the survey. Joanne made there was a
couple suggestions, changes that we uh had that either were specific to Kingston or felt like we that we didn't need because it wasn't applicable to us. Um, so we'll get the final survey and then
the survey will go live to the public. It will be available via this QR code and it will also be available. what we discussed yesterday in places that people tend to linger was the the term that we use. So here at COA, people that are at the library, not so much that the
town hall or um at a breakfast restaurant, things like that where people are more just transactional. Um those will be available for the QR code and people will be encouraged to just do them online. It's a 10-minute, maybe less than 10 minute survey. Um, and all
of those results will be tabulated by OCPC. So over the course of between July 19th and September 27th, all of the results will be tabulated. But halfway through, we start to focus on those areas, those those domains that we're
finding we're getting the most response in and the most what the community is saying they want to focus on. So it's it's all coming together. It may seem slow, but we did end up pushing it out a couple weeks knowing that we felt the
committee felt like later on in the summer would be a better time for people to start, you know, getting back into the routine of kids going back to school and going back to work, not as many vacations. Um, we just felt like that was a better timeline. So,
it it's great. It's a really good working group. They have a ton of ideas and I think we're all working well together. So coming up at selections meetings and library meetings and you know it's a townwide initiative. Again it's not a
COA driven thing. Um but for health um healthy Kingston is going to have it on their um channel a couple of times on their the show show. And again, it amazes me being the
probably the oldest one on the board, but it amazes me that there are so many younger people that are really thinking about it. And that's what we want because again, it is not a sprint. It's a marathon. So, anybody in their 50s
now, in five or six years, you're looking at 60, right? You know, so they're at least thinking. And it's very interesting to talk to people. They're excited about it. So, I think it's great. Really cool.
Can't say enough about it. It's not going to cost anything. It's just costing people and energy. Um, and it will give the town a good perspective of what might be needed, right? Yeah. Just provides Yeah. road map.
Yeah. It's really a good thing. Um, a quick transportation update. Uh, we have another an additional van driver that started last week. Uh, her name is Deborah Jenkins. She's begun internal training uh, riding on the van, learning
the manifests in our reporting system. She will attend Gatra training soon and, uh, she'll be official to drive the van within a couple of weeks. Um, in fiscal year 25, we provided 3,575
rides to seniors through our transportation program. Uh, for outreach, Jenny has been doing a great job getting out into the community and visiting agencies that we partner with, including food pantries, assisted living facilities, faith organizations, and more. She has also been researching
grant opportunities for outreach programs. that's something that uh Deb was helping her identify for uh initiatives that she would like to implement, you know, would be supplemented through our uh department budget.
And then I did give you a um Excel spreadsheet just to I always find it interesting to see how the cafe is doing month over month. Um, in June we served 303 meals and we closed out the fiscal year serving only 3,222
weeks. Uh, and so for June, keep in mind we had two events uh, back-to-back weeks and then we were closed one week the holiday. So really only cafe day essentially was one Thursday. Uh, but we did have those events as well. So just
a little snapshot there. Very good. Thank you, Holly, for all you do. So, uh, next item. I don't have an official chairman's report, but I'd like to say I'm thrilled to be voted
as chair. I hope our board can all move forward in a positive direction in the coming months working together with Holly uh doing what a board does uh respecting each other's opinions all equally having a voice with valuable
contribution and participation representing our Kingston COA and our senior community. I hope you can all feel comfortable with me having your support. Uh always know when you can, you know, contact me with any questions,
comments or concerns. As a once famous wise person said, uh be nice. Be nice. Who that person? I immediately knew. So um so anyway, no, thank you again. Um
so respect for each other. So at this time we don't have anything under old business. Um is there anybody that we need to remember? Well yes could be anything. We always have our remembrance.
We can remember the just say we should also think about the people in Texas. Oh our children. That's right. So our next regular uh meeting is Tuesday, August 12th, 11:30 here at the COA plus Zoom.
Um the time is now 1207. Does anyone wish to make a motion to adjurnn? I'll make a motion. I did. All in favor? Hi. Well, thank you again uh for being here
today and have a great day. Thank you, D. Thank you.