COUNCIL ON AGING

BOARD MEETING MINUTES November 13, 2003

 

Present:  Brunetta Wolfman, Anita Berman, Greg Howe, Gerry Brennan, Gladys Johnstone, Florence Alexander, Val Carrano, Friends: Vern Wilson

Minutes from the October 9, 2003 Board Meeting were approved as corrected – to be e-mailed by secretary to Town Clerk.

Correspondence:

·        G. Brennan sent a thank-you letter to Sarah Peake in appreciation of her lunch visit with the COA Board 11/5/03, and her interest in and her acknowledgement of our place in the community.

·        A request for Chef volunteers was put into the PBG Newsletter.

·        Thanked Donna Vallincourt, President of the PBG, for the flyer.

Director’s Report:

·        Director is doing the agency budget and expects no problems, level funding.

·        Seniors are invited to lunch at the Nov. 22nd meeting of TRIAD for the entire Cape.  It’s at 12:00p.m. in Eastham Sheraton.

·        On Dec. 3, from 1:00 to 3:00p.m. at Town Hall there will be a seminar held to discuss affordable assisted living.

·        Director went to the TRIAD volunteers tri-town meeting in Truro regarding the REACH program.

·        Beginning Dec. 12 there will be “freedays” on Fridays at the COA where people can come to socialize, play board games, read, watch movies, etc.

·        Jon Arterton will be directing and Polly Saunders will be accompanying a Senior Choral Group.  Rehearsals will start shortly.  The Choral could entertain in May for Senior Citizens’ Month and for our Volunteer Day.

Friends:

·        P. Hudson did the labels and V. Wilson and G. Johnstone did the mailing for the Friends Annual Appeal.  To date, $1,867 has come in with another $200 today.

·        There were no big expenses, just the usual costs for events.

·        It was reiterated that the Friends need volunteers to rent cushions at Town Hall events and to sell Cookbooks.  Again it was pointed out that the Friends are a very small organization and the volunteer pool is very small.  Marge will rent cushions for Town Meeting.  The annual appeal response has a space for volunteers, so we need to review those responses and contact those people checking off the volunteer box.

SALT Council:

·        G. Howe again stated that volunteers are still needed.  He reported that the DECIDE training was completed by our Police Dept. and he asked V. Carrano for guidance as to when will it be convenient to schedule training classes at the COA and direct seminars on Senior safety.  Perhaps Feb. or March.

Old Business:

·        Xmas sales – D. Oliver has wrapped some cookbooks and B. Wolfman will gather more of her cards together for the sale at the bank.

·        G. Brennan took measurements for windows and cushions and Debbie Noons will make cranberry cushions and dark green valances to match our sofa.  The Friends have graciously agreed to pay the approximate $550 cost.

 

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·        B. Wolfman went to the last ongoing community development session and reported that our Town Manager spent one hour talking about affordable housing and his suggested 3% real estate tax surcharge to support it.

·        B. Wolfman attended the GU focus group at Michael Shays and reported that several GU managers were present and that they were really concerned about what the Town thinks of the store.

·        It was good to have S. Peake come to visit the COA Board and listen to our concerns for the community.  We were hoping for a little feedback then and there but are now in a wait-and-see position.

New Business:

·        Two-month Planning – the Board reviewed the Town calendar:

·        December 7 – Senior Dinner.

·        December 12th and 19th – sell cookbooks and cards at Seaman’s.  G. Johnstone and G. Brennan to get things ready and sell.  D. Oliver to wrap cookbooks and cards.  More volunteers are welcome.

·        January – COA annual report due.

·        Painting class with Steve Kennedy will start Nov. 18th for 4 weeks.  A. Berman was asked to contact Carol Wescott to set up a time for her to teach a class in the winter as Carol said she would do.

·        Staff in the kitchen providing meals and the cooking class participants have complained of the gas leak when they were here and said people were getting sick – said it was not a safe situation.  Judd suggested 2 stoves could be obtained for about $1,000 to replace the old industrial one.  V. Carrano will call Days in for repair and based on what they say and do, we’ll make our decision about the next steps to take.

·        REACH volunteers are needed.  Alzheimer’s Organization is supporting a Safe-Return Program that will register all Alzheimer’s patients on a national log.  We need people to help registering people in their homes along with their caregivers.  The $40 registration fee will be covered by a grant until the end of the year.

·        B. Wolfman asked the Board if we were interested in meeting with Howie Schneider, the cartoonist, to share some experiences that might help him with his new comic strip about older animals.  We all agreed to the visit.

·        Provincetown TV came and shot film about our cooking class.  They will come again and feature our class on a cooking show.

·        B. Wolfman will try to set up an “open house” at the school for all interested.

·        G. Brennan asked if the Newsletter could be a little “newsier” – adding personal bits of news. V. Carrano said if someone would supply it, she would print it.

 

There being no further business, it was motioned and seconded to adjourn the meeting.  The next meetings will be December 11, 2003 at 3:00p.m. in room #6 of the Grace Gouveia Bldg.

 

Respectfully submitted, Gerry Brennan, Secretary