I mean Paula. >> Okay. I call the Council on Aging meeting in order on Monday, May 11th at 12:32. >> We'll do a roll call vote for attendance. >> Annie
>> here. Paula >> here. >> Harold >> here. >> Elaine >> here. >> Harvey >> here. >> Donna here. >> Okay. Should we have a quorum? Okay. Public participation. Okay. Seeing none, we'll move on. Did
everybody receive April minutes? Any changes or corrections? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> I have um Teresa Rogers present and also absent. She was present.
>> I think >> he was. >> Yes, she was. Because I have her further talent. >> Yeah. Yeah. Donna knows. Anything else? No. >> Anybody? >> Donna, did you find anything else?
>> Okay. Do I have a motion to accept minutes? >> Motion to accept the minutes as written. >> Second. >> Okay. So, we have a motion to accept April minutes. We'll do it with a roll call vote.
Paula, >> yes. Carol, >> yes. >> Elaine, >> yes. Harvey, >> yes. Oops. >> Okay. New business. Address the uh line items in the budget. >> So, apparently some people um in town
don't know that we have line items for the budget that the town puts gives us for our portion their portion of um our budget. Um most of all our budget is
out of a um formula grant that we get from the state. We get two deposits, one in Octoberish and another one in May. This year they divided May's up for three months. So they made May instead of getting one chunk in May, they did
January, February, and March um deposits. So that would be my May one. Um the town um gives us $250 for dues. They give us they give us $9,000 for ex education
classes, which is actually our exercise classes. Um they give us $300 for um like a flu clinic. Um conference and travel is 22 238. Minor equipment is $150.
Supplies is $5.42. And hardware and software, which probably will go away. um because everything if we need something for our computers it comes out of probably a new line item this year. But >> the two um 238 was conference and travel
um and so our total operating budget from the town um is $11,35. The portion we get um from the state is normally 22 22 is
going to be like 44 44,000 um for the year that would that we get from the state. They divide it up between the October um deposit and the May one. Um so we get like 22,000. That is what we do everything with. If we
need a new chair, we get it. if we need um like the movie theater, that's where that it came out of the grant. Um >> or it came out of the grant. >> It came out of the grant money. Um so normally, um we don't normally go over
this in public, but because there was another board that mentioned, how can the town cut 10% of our budget this year, this coming year, and then the senior center went and bought a new movie theater. Well, we didn't pay for a $50,000 movie theater, like a real movie
theater. We just put in six chairs. The new TV was like literally $750 for an 85 in. Um, we did due diligence and really found quality stuff for cheaper prices. Um, so the movie theater cost us like
under $3,000. Um so for our seniors and that's what people need to understand is we provide for the seniors. We bring in more activities and more things here at the senior center to make other people come out. We have younger the younger
generation of seniors in their 60s now coming to use our gym and more and more are coming to use our exercise classes. Um, so the movie theater is just another thing for the seniors to come and do. We have our first movie um coming. It we
have a book club in in South uh Southwick. Um I don't know if it's part of the library or whatever, but the book club, there's like 10 people in the book club. They read a book. Now they called and asked if they could watch the movie. So all of them are coming. We'll add some more chairs and then they're
they'll all come and watch the movie. Um so that's on May 14th. Um, so it's being used. We just started May 1st with announcing that we had the movie theater. >> Master plan, isn't it? They they want you to bring stuff in like that to do, isn't it? >> Well, that's our job is to to bring
things here so the seniors will have a place to go and do stuff. >> There are seniors coming up. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> And also, we should point out that we did cut our budget for next fiscal year by 10%. So, they asked us to do our
budget minus 10. We did and we're going to be fine. >> Um, you learn to live within your means and and a lot of our first two years of being here for me. Um, we made a lot of changes. We did a lot of new things. It was all a one-time buy. So, I won't have
to buy that cabinet again. I'm not going to buy these chairs again. I'm not going to buy a new TV again next year or in the next budget. Um, and that's what people need to understand. the money that we have for the budget that we'll get in October will go more toward um activities like bringing
people in speakers because you have to pay to to have a speaker come in. Um a lot of our seniors that come here unfortunately or fortunately for us are a a good percentage of them are women. So they like crafty things. They like
when someone comes in and teaches them how to cook or teaches them how to do that. So, we'll have a lot more of those um classes for to be available. Um, >> and we now have stuff for the men with the pool tables, which were taken down, which >> nobody likes, but
>> Right. And it was funny because I I I really kept putting it in my head that, okay, it's it's pool tables. We have a few men that play it. You know, they might not even notice that they're gone. I swear to God, >> I can't make this up. I like literally the next day I had two men come in and
go, "Would you move the pool tables?" And I said, "I didn't. I didn't." Um, maintenance did. I said they had to because we have three elections this year and we're not going to make the town pay to move them. Put them up. Move them. Put them up. It just doesn't make sense. So, we'll put them
back up in November >> and it'll be fine. And so, they were like, >> every year now? >> I don't know. I I don't know. I don't know what that um I know there they said they would try to look for another avenue, another place to put the um
voting, but that's been in other towns and in schools. >> Yeah. >> You know, and and I think they are going to look at that and then see what that entails. Um I I don't know. I can't promise anything. I can only tell you that you know that's our area and I know we're
real real um you know dedicated to it and you know I really didn't think moving the pool tables was going to be a major thing but I I seriously I just died laughing when the guys came in like the first four days and I was like wow more people
played it than I knew. >> Lisa what was wrong with the bing in the old um gym? I don't know. I I honestly can't answer any of those questions. >> Who who decided to change it from the schools.
>> So apparent So what I was told apparently years ago >> had it in the schools. We always had it upstairs in the auditorium and then they simply moved it downstairs because >> from what I understand and I could be wrong, first floor easier
>> um >> ADA access but >> people to come in. That's what I have absentee ballots for us. >> Shall I? >> Should you shall please? >> Um, so there are new voting machines and with ADA requirements that auditorium is not big enough any longer.
>> So we certainly are going to be looking into finding a new location. We know how busy the senior center is and we understand that completely. Um, we weren't able to do it for this year. >> Yeah, it was tight. It was last minute. We and and we were, you know, measuring and trying to figure it out, but there
are new voting machines that require more space for um, you know, that ADA this size. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Well, that's good to know. >> So, if anyone's asking Yeah. >> It's a one time thing. We can live with that. >> We're trying.
>> It's a three time thing this year. >> Yeah. Yeah, first place, but um you know, we're going to do our best to not displace the senior center in the future. >> Okay. >> Okay, >> that works. >> Okay, moving on to summer picnics June
23rd. Sarah, the Fida for entertainment and the police department is sponsoring. >> The police department is going to be flipping burgers. >> Oh, nice. We're hungry. >> So, I figured just like anything else, it's nice to change >> Oh, yeah.
>> the the group. So last last year um it was a fire department. This year it will be police. >> Um maybe next year we pick another group. It'd be nice even if we included like the departments if you know almost like the um the meet and greets. Maybe
we could include the different you know maybe DPW guys will come over and have lunch and do something. You know what I mean? It's like include them in our picnic and that type of thing. And the gives >> more people that get involved more people more say is around town. >> Right.
>> Yeah. How good the senior center is. Right. Right. >> So I think that's a a good thing. The cops were the police department was all for it. So >> Okay. Update classes. I know our numbers are up >> 124. >> Yeah. That's
>> in two years it was it went from 70 6970ish to 124 a week. >> That's a lot of people. >> Excellent. And the new class is going to be >> so u we have new yoga class.
>> We have a new yoga class um that's on Wednesdays. And now someone asked well more than one person. So, I might try doing um it just for June, July, and August, maybe September because um Zumba goes to Wall-E Park.
>> That's true. >> For the for the um from June, usually through October. >> Yeah, usually through October. So, she's going to be gone and then they pay her directly. So, I don't I don't have to pay her for the thing. >> But since she's gone, maybe we can try a
class. It's usually when you get out of surgery, we have a lot of people that have surgery. They get out and they have muscle um >> they need their muscle strength back. So, it's kind of like a rehab, but it's called something. I forgot the I forgot the name of it, but I've had like five
or six people ask about it. >> Um so, >> good idea. >> Yeah, good idea. >> And I I did tell them we have Tai Chi, which is also lowkey, and um what's the other one? Tai Chi and um Chiang. Chiang is really good for when you if you've
had surgery that it it's muscle um based based. Um but this one is really about getting your strength back. Um so I got to talk to Donna >> um Davis and see if she'll do one for and try to fit it in somewhere maybe
where Zumba was on that time. Yeah. And that's the other one that we might add. >> Excellent. round bag. >> It's 30 families, 30 bags we're making and most of them are going. So, >> and we changed it to today. We had to
call the state and ask them if they could come today because they usually would come tomorrow and it would have been too much chaotic big truck in the parking lot >> was coming in and out. >> Yeah. Yeah. And voting. We didn't want to disrupt that at all. So, we moved we asked them to move it and they picked today. So, first thing morning they
came. So, >> dining room >> still there, still going. Um, we'll see what we can bring in for the summer. Um, we did get the grill donated, so that was fun. Um, and then what we'll do is,
um, in the May and um, June newsletter or June and July newsletter, I put it in there that we do hot dogs and hamburgers twice a month and that will bring in >> and anytime there's a specialty anything, if it's a meat or and greet or
anything, we get a lot of people come in. So, I think the hot dogs and hamburger and it will bring in a lot of people. >> Yeah. And it's and it is different than Highland Valley >> once in a while a little entertainment out there while we're there. I mean it >> I did I got I didn't put that in the
newsletter because I'm still booking people but I'll post it on the bulletin board. >> Um and and by word of mouth people will know but I do have two single um went to the inn and I saw a guy play and uh he was someone's s remember Sandy that used
to do maintenance. >> Oh yeah. her grandson was there and I said, "Okay, it's this kid." And she goes, "Here's his car." And so I called him and he so he'll be at one of them. >> So he was pretty uh really good. >> Oh, good. >> So we'll have some new people.
>> And finances, which you've talked about a little bit, but I don't know if you want to >> say anything else. >> Just that I don't want people to think that we don't get help from the town. And that's why I wanted to do it that, you know, and
us putting in a movie theater. I guess I would never go on on a on a meeting and condemn somebody else for doing a positive thing. So, I guess I was shocked that they that that group did that and questioned it. Um it it it just
didn't seem fair. The town we're everybody's going to get cut 10%. It's not a big deal. Just do it. We'll all manage. Um, >> you know what I'm saying? >> It's a public meeting and you're addressing it. >> Oh, >> because somebody said something.
>> The library board said it >> and so they said, "Oh, the town's um, you know, you could watch it and see it." >> So, I I I that's the only reason I even brought up the line items so that they understand where our money's coming from. Um, I don't want them to think that the town's not giving us anything.
And then I don't want them they didn't I don't think they realized that we have a grant that that pays for everything. Um >> right and and the people on there know me. So I'm really shocked that they they
went on live TV and and kind of put that question out there without even >> how they even know about it. Did they come in here? How did they the library? >> Oh, I'm sure they I don't know. I don't know. Well, they I'm sure some other person in town read the newsletter, you
know, was in the newsletter or question it, but if that was me, I think I would have walked in and said, "Oh my gosh, is this your new movie theater? This is great. What a wonderful thing. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Wow, that must have been expensive." And I tell everybody, they go, "Oh my gosh, those chairs must have
been expensive." I go, "No, three movie chairs that light up and go all the way back and hold your popcorn where three for $9.99 on on Amazon." So, I think I did pretty pretty good buying six of them. I only bought two sets. >> You know, it's going to be a fun thing
for the seniors. And that's basically that. >> That's what we're here for, >> right? But I just wanted to address it and and and that's exactly what our job is. Our job is not to appease everybody else, but our job is to bring in new fun things for that will bring the seniors
in. So they're not staying home getting depressed. They're not staying alone. They they >> few years they'll be here using it. >> Okay. >> Hey, moving on. Grants. Anything else we want to say about that? >> So, we should be getting the um we apply
for grants. We we should be getting a notice on the Sarah Gillette grant. um that usually comes out about the end of May, 1st of June. Um so hopefully we get that every we usually get it every year. Um we got a grant from the U Mass
Cultural Council for $700. That's what's paying for Sarah the Fiddler. Um and the reason I put that money toward Sarah the Fiddler because we have 120 people that come to the picnic every year. That's a big >> and it's a a big event and a lot of our
our seniors and um >> and they love it >> and they love it and I thought what better way to get a lot of people for a cheap price to to see the >> someone like her. >> Um >> yeah, and the friends group is is paying
um a little bit too. So that's what that was. >> Okay. Anybody else? Any new business? Okay. Then old business um newsletter. >> Yep. So, it cost us $6,000 out of our grants to mail the newsletters with the
post office and it's going up and up every year. So, we tried something different. Um we I had them printed and then we have Elaine grabs a bunch and brings them to um Rosewood. Um I have D.
Gerard that brings a bunch to Winfield Circle. We drop off a bunch at um Southwick Village. Um Harvey did Aaron Circle and we're going to try and grab Depot Court for all the senior housing. >> The problem with Depot Court, they don't
always leave a door open to get in. >> Yeah. Yeah. We'll have to try to find someone there. We have a guy that that lives there that maybe he can uh let us put the newsletters in on a certain day. And then everybody else, we were thankful that everybody else gets them either by email. They gave us their
emails and so they automatically So if you have your if we have your email, I put them I put them in to get printed to the printer. LPI prints them. That was last week. As soon as I hit that button, send to the printer, everybody
that it goes gets that >> email automatically got June and July already. >> Yep. Yeah. >> And our June and July, we only do 10 newsletters a month. So June and July is together and December and January are together. >> You put them at the library. The library
that >> we do we had someone brought some to the library. So if there's another place out there that you know seniors go to, we we will we have a box of them and then we put them all here. We put them up in the um 100 people that go do the um
exercise classes. They're going to do them. claim some of them. >> We're only mailing them if you call me and tell me that you want it mailed and we literally we only had two >> so far. >> Did you hear from the person that's in
charge at the village, South Village? Um, do they need more? You know, did you tell? >> So, they brought a a big stack, probably 50 of them. >> Okay. >> So, I don't know if the ones in the little cottages will go there and get them. Yeah.
>> Um, but they could or you can, we also told people you can go online to the town website and go to the senior page and it's also up there. >> Trouble with that trying to get online. I finally got to it. But >> you did it from your phone though,
right? >> Yeah. >> Yeah, I did it. That's hard. >> Yeah, it's harder when you're trying to type on a little phone, but you It's You can still do it. >> I got there, but it takes a >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Well, because it comes so like it automatically just comes to Southwork,
>> right? That's what ends up happening. Then you have to start digging. Like you can't just put Southwork Council on Aging and put it pops up. You can't. It comes out, >> right? And I think a lot of people when they get it in the email even, they come in and they go and they say, "Well, it won't let me view it." Well, you have to
hit the one more thing that says view and then it opens it up for you. They they weren't doing that last step. So, they could feel free to come in. Yep. But anybody if they have problems doing it with their phones, come in because we have a lot of people. Juliana is really good with it. Denise Ziver, she's um
really good with her um finding things on the phone. They'll they'll she'll sit there and take the time to show you how to find it on your phone. Um so yeah, so it seems to be working and that'll save us like six grand. >> Print it. >> Doesn't cost us anything to print it
because we have advertisers. >> So they come once a month or once a year. They just came in May. They sat with us and they and they go over who do you think in town um businesses would want to support you and I have to give them names and numbers and everything
and they go and they cold call them and we have a lot of supporters. >> So it doesn't cost us anything to print. >> So for now we're doing good. >> So you just save $6,000. >> Yeah. >> That's is that more than your 10% or is it
>> Don't worry about the 10%. It's not it's not going to hurt us at all. Anybody else business? No. >> Um I we should remind everybody the
volunteer lunch is May 26. >> Is it >> May 26th? >> May 26th. >> Yeah. I don't have a newsletter with me yet. >> It's going to be at Roma. >> It's at Roma's. Yeah. >> It's a little different. Like Tucker >> catered to us quite a bit and would
weigh on us. Tucker is a a buffet. >> Romans is a buffet. >> I mean, Romans is a buffet. >> It's fine. Yeah. >> And that's 11:30. Correct. >> 11:30. Yeah. >> Uh the other thing that people are asking me about is could we get pickle ball instruction again with Frank?
>> Yeah. >> Now, it's nice out and >> you know, he had he had a fabulous turnout when we did do it. So, >> yeah, he came twice, I think. He did, right? >> Yeah. Okay. Okay. So, they're asking >> they're asking, "Can we um Okay. >> Yeah. Do that again."
>> That was Frank Nunan. >> Yeah. >> Okay. I will um call him when I go downstairs. >> Okay. >> And do you want a certain day or >> No, no, no. I would just say see when he's available and if he would do that. He was very gracious and he's very very
good. >> Yeah. >> So, >> yeah. Okay. >> Yeah. Because we've had a few people get hurt on playing sick. >> I know that. It's the running back. >> They say don't do it, but when you're playing, it's hard to stop yourself. Yes. I've been out there when
>> playing when people have fallen. >> Yeah. >> But it's it's part of you're going to see it happening even if it's not >> a senior. I guess I guess so. >> It's been others even other than seniors. What happened with the dance
classes? >> I'm waiting for him to res respond. >> Oh. So, I sent him out his thing out there telling him we had like between 10 and 15 people, which is a lot. Um, and then I just waiting for him to tell me if it he wants to do it during the day,
at night. >> Okay. Is it would be during the regular >> I don't know. That's why I'm asking summer. >> I want to know. Well, I'm sure it'll be this summer. So, it won't be able to get in the June or July newsletter because that's already out. But we can post it
on the board and and by word of mouth do >> I wasn't here for the last meeting but what happened on the drumming class? I was interested in that. >> The drumming one. Um Donna's drumming one. She's still I guess there's people interested in that. That's Donna. She's got to tell me if she wants to do that
or not. >> Yeah. >> It's it's all it is is it's kind of funny. It's just a a um laundry basket, a tall one with one of those brown balls on top of it and she has the drumsticks and she it doesn't make noise really.
It's just moving your arms and your muscles and she makes you stand. She'll make you sit. She'll >> when you get mad at the library, you go over. >> Um so yeah. So I mean >> hopefully class. So, I just have to see when she wants to start it. That would be fun.
>> Yep. >> It's almost like the chair volleyball. >> Yeah. >> A fun one, but nobody I think we filmed it and put it out there on Facebook. Maybe watching if we can get >> trying to get people to >> four people on each side to do it. Was
Yeah, >> it was actually funny. But, um I think if we videotaped it with with four people on each side playing it, I think we'd probably get more people wanting it. They got to see it because they don't really They're thinking volleyball. I can't do volleyball. But
yeah, you can. >> Yeah, you can. >> Yeah. >> You have to have a ch Did you have somebody chasing the ball row and you missed it? >> Yeah. I think one person walking. >> Then you have an extra person. Yeah. >> Yeah. You won't have to get off the
chair. >> Any other old business? Anyone? >> Seeing none, do I have a motion to adjurnn? Motion to adjurnn. >> I'll second it. >> Okay, so I have a motion to adjurnn and
seconded. Any further discussion? Okay, we'll do a roll call vote. >> Paul, yes. Carol, >> yes. >> Yes. >> Harvey, >> yes. >> Donna, yes. Okay, so we adjourn at 12:59.