Turn around ramp.
The steep three-level ramp at Branford’s Senior Center is a stark reminder of the challenges facing a group of women lobbying for an accessible center.
Helen Kelsey, who is nearing her 90th birthday, knows she may not see a new senior center in her lifetime, but that doesn’t keep her from championing the cause.
“I’m an old firehorse — I just keep going,” Kelsey said. “I’ve always done something if I felt strongly enough about it. You can’t go half-hearted.”
Kelsey and several other women formed Voices For Branford Seniors in 2013 — a grassroots effort to replace the outdated and inaccessible Canoe Brook Senior Center on Cherry Hill Road. The women have been instrumental in scheduling public meetings that attracted overflow crowds. But discussion is not enough for these women — they want results.
The leaders of the Voices group will meet this week to plan their strategy for the upcoming weeks. They know that time is a luxury they cannot afford to waste, and they want to make sure public officials are listening.
“We want to keep our voices in the forefront — so they don’t forget us,” Kelsey said during an interview with the Eagle. “We got the awareness out there but that’s not enough. We have to get this going.”
Canoe Brook Building Not ADA Compliant
The former Canoe Brook school, which was built in 1898, has served as the senior center since 1975. It does not meet accessibility standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In addition to the steep ramps and two-level stairs, the building is not large enough to accommodate the number of activities and exercise programs. Efforts to replace the center in previous years were not successful.
Marcia Chambers Photo
Kelsey attends activities at the Canoe Brook Center weekly, including the advanced Tai Chi class, where she is pictured above. Although she is still able to access the center, she feels compassion for people who cannot climb the stairs or navigate the ramp to enter the building. So she is continuing her efforts to spur public officials to relocate the senior center.
“I’m trying to get people involved. I’m so tired, but I won’t let it go,” Kelsey said. “I want to see something being done, even if it’s not in my lifetime.”
A new member recently joined the Voices group, Maureen Carr, who at 68 is the youngest of the advocates.
“I am so passionate about helping people regain as much autonomy and independence as they can,” said Carr, who worked 25 years as a Vision Rehabilitation Therapist for the Veterans Administration.
Carr, who is legally blind, knows the importance of accessibility from her own experiences and from her years of working with visually impaired veterans.
“I love being actively involved in things. The present Senior Center is so inaccessible,” Carr told the Eagle. “Since I’m visually impaired, I’m familiar with these issues.”
Marcia Chambers Photo
Ramp leading up to turn about.
Carr typically uses the ramps to enter the center, where she volunteers as a teacher for a class on low-vision issues. However, on one recent winter day, she and other members of the class had to climb the stairs because the ramps were too icy. Here is the ramp leading up to the turn-about.
Kelsey said it would be easy for anyone to slip on the ramps “We’re just lucky no one has gotten hurt and sued the town,” she said.
The Voices Speak Up
The Voices For Branford Seniors group had its beginnings in the summer of 2013 when Florence West brought up the access issues during one of the “Hot Topics” monthly sessions at the center. Click here to read a story about that.
Because it was a local election year, the women decided to meet with the candidates and discuss their views. The group also held an awareness rally at the Blackstone Library in October 2013 to address the issues with the three candidates for first selectman’s office. About 70 people attended. Click here to read that story.
The women contacted State Rep. Lonnie Reed, who met with them, and accompanied them to discuss their concerns with First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove after he took office. Those efforts led to Cosgrove hiring Sandra Vlock of the architectural firm of Arbonies King Vlock PC to assess senior center needs. Public forums were held in November that were attended by large crowds at the Branford Fire Department Community Room. Click here to read about that.
Cosgrove initially said the assessment would be complete by the end of November. The results have not yet been announced. Cosgrove told the Eagle on Friday that no meetings have been scheduled, but he anticipates doing so in the next few weeks. “We’re actively working on it,” he said.
Vlock told the Eagle Friday that she is very involved in the assessment and planning process. “We’ve been steadily working on this and there’s a lot that’s happening,” Vlock said without giving details.
Senior Center Possibilities
The public forums in November focused on the needs of the seniors. A future meeting is supposed to address building requirements and possible locations. Many seniors have said they don’t care if the center is new construction or a renovated building, as long as it meets the needs of the elder population. Officials have said it would not be feasible to attempt to renovate the Canoe Brook building for the seniors.
One issue raised in November was whether the new building should be strictly for seniors, or also used as a community center. Another issue is the possibility of an interim solution to help the current seniors while long-range plans are made.
Canoe Brook is still used as a venue for many town meetings, even through most meetings were moved to the Community Room at the new Fire Headquarters on North Main Street.
Final lap of ramp to back door.
People with mobility impairments who wish to attend town meetings at Canoe Brook are faced by the same challenging stairs and ramps.Here is the final leg of the ramp, the one leading to the back door.
Diana Stricker Photo
The main door is accessed via steps.
Among the meetings still held at Canoe Brook are the Commission on Elderly Services, Planning and Zoning, and the Inland Wetlands Commission — none of which are televised on BVTV, the local cable station.
At the December meeting of the Commission on Elderly Services, there was discussion about televising meetings to benefit people who cannot attend. A motion to look into the feasibility of televising was approved by a 4 – 2 vote, with one abstention. The next elderly commission meeting will be Feb. 5 at 5 p.m.
A Lot To Be Done
In addition to Kelsey and West, two other women — Dorothy Ricker and Helen Laird — were founding members of Voices For Branford Seniors. Others joined along the way, but some had to take a less active role because of failing health.
“There’s a lot to be done,” Kelsey said.
She credits her civic involvement to her 50 years as a member of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs. She was a long-time member and officer of the Branford Women’s Club, which helped in the efforts to build the Community House. When the local club disbanded a few years ago, she transferred to the North Branford Women’s Club.
Kelsey remembers how nervous she was during her first public speaking venture decades ago. It’s much easier now, she says.
Kelsey, and the other seniors who attend the center, always emphasize that the programs, lectures and activities are top-notch. But she is concerned about people who cannot access the building to participate and socialize.
“Sociability is so important,” Kelsey said. “You don’t realize how important it is to have friends until later years. Friends are precious.”
She said people whose physical impairments keep them from the senior center lose opportunities to socialize. “You really don’t want to lose that connection with people. You don’t want to give it up.”
A New Voice
Carr, the newest member of Voices for Branford Seniors, is happy to lend her support. She said Helen and the other women in the group are inspirational.
“I don’t want to be the image of the old person sitting around with a shawl on my shoulders. I want to be a go-getter,” Carr said. “These women are role-models.”
Carr said issues about the senior center cross generations. “It’s not just about our needs now, but for those who are coming after us,” she said, adding that seniors are living longer. “If people would only remember — what we are today, they will be tomorrow.”
Carr, who has a masters degree in counseling, has seen what happens when mobility issues prevent people from participating in their usual activities. “They tend to become more isolated and withdrawn. Physically, it’s bad and mentally it’s bad,” she said. “Isolation is a huge factor in terms of physical and mental health.”
She said seniors need to be able to participate in activities with their peers.
“The activities at the senior center help people feel good about themselves,” Carr said. “They do so many wonderful things at Canoe Brook. …It’s the camaraderie, the fun, the laughter. My experiences with the senior center have been positive except for the accessibility.”
Carr said working with the Voices group is a natural choice for her. “After I retired, I felt a desire to give back. I’ve been so lucky and blessed,” she said. “I love advocating for others.”
No Swap
Previous attempts to locate a new senior center have failed. Four years ago, there was an ill-fated three-way building swap proposed by Anthony “Unk” Da Ros, who served as first selectman at the time.
DaRos was trying to find larger locations for both the senior programs and the school district’s central administration office, which is housed at 1111 Main St. He was looking for a way to do it with minimum impact on the taxpayer, he said. The plan called for moving the school offices to Canoe Brook, and moving the senior center to 145 N. Main St., owned by the Giordano family. The Giordanos would have swapped their corner building for the one at 1111 Main St, which is owned by the town.
After months of contentious meetings regarding the swap, the plan was put to rest by the Board of Finance.
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