Seniors Divided About Type of Senior Center

Senior citizens made their voices heard at community workshops Thursday, but those voices were divided when it came to a question of who the new center should serve.

“Are we going to have a community center …or a senior center?” asked Brennan, 78, pictured above. ​“Now that I have white hair, I want to be with white haired. Those are my people,” she told the crowd of about 100 at the morning workshop. ​“We want to have a place for our contemporaries. You young people stay with your own people,” she said.

Brennan asked to only be identified by her first name; some other speakers did not give last names. 

“I disagree with the lady who said the building should not be for children,” said Jean Consolo. ​“If you go to some of the other senior buildings, the building is used constantly for some younger programs and some older programs.”

“It’s very, very sad that I have to leave Branford to go to a better center, whether it’s a community center or a senior center,” said Janice Bishop, who attends the Guilford facility which serves all age groups. She said some programs there are more expensive if you’re not a resident, but the building is easily accessible, not like the Branford center.

The question of senior vs. community was one of many topics raised at two community workshops held last week to discuss the need for a new senior center. The meetings were held at the Branford Fire Headquarters, since the Canoe Brook Senior Center is not easily accessible due to steep steps and a crumbling ramp. Other issues discussed were time frame, transportation, programs and services.

The workshops were convened by First Selectman James Cosgrove and architect Sandra Vlock of the Branford architectural firm of Arbonies King Vlock.

Vlock said it is estimated that the elderly population in Branford will increase by 43 percent between 2010 and 2025,

“It’s time to move forward and get something done,” First Selectman James Cosgrove said as he opened the morning session. ​“The point of today is to hear about what you want…This is the time to hear your voices.”

Cosgrove said he knows the Canoe Brook Senior Center is small, outdated and not easily accessible. He said he hopes the assessment of programs and services will be complete by late November.

The former Canoe Brook School, which was built in 1898, has served as the senior center since 1975, but it can only be accessed by steps or by an outdated, multi-level ramp which is not in compliance with the federal disabilities act. Efforts to replace the center in previous years were not successful.

Vlock told the crowd that a senior center is a community issue. ​“Take the moment to think forward and to recognize all of us have a stake in this,” she said. ​“Today is about your input. An opportunity to talk about what senior means, not just an age but as an outlook. To talk about the programs, resources and activities and services that are meaningful to you now and where that might be going in the very near future.”

Seniors Or Everybody?

Vlock said she did not want to discuss design or specific locations or buildings at the initial sessions. ​“We’ll get to all of those details” at later meetings, she said.

Vlock said she also wanted people to think about alternative models. ​“That’s not to necessarily get stuck on the subject of should it be a stand-alone senior center, or should it be part of a community center. But just to imagine the entire community and resources we want to bring to everyone.”

But many people who spoke passionately at the morning session wanted to talk about those very things.

“It’s not the programs, it’s the damn building. When are we going to have a meeting to talk about what we’re not supposed to talk about,” asked 87-year-old Genevieve Goff. ​“When are we going to have that meeting Jamie?” she asked to hearty applause.

Cosgrove said he was not trying to avoid the discussion. ​“I want to hear you, but I want to have this be a productive conversation of what we actually need and actually want. Then we can create the building.”

Richard, who attends the Canoe Brook center, said he feels the seniors have been forgotten. ​“We built every other thing around here, but nothing for ourselves,” he said. ​“You bypassed the seniors. We’re like the third world and we don’t get what we deserve.”

Beverly Esposito said it’s important that the needs of the seniors are not forgotten. ​“I’m not saying it’s wrong if you eventually decide to put up a building that houses both the community center separate, and the senior center separate, as long as the senior center provides whatever resources we need.”

Sandy Murray said Branford already has a Community House, and that different age groups should interact but have separate facilities. ​“Different programs should have different buildings,” she said.

Judy said a community building that serves everyone would be better. ​“I think if we had a community-wide building that everyone could use, we’d have more activities there. We could go at night time — our senior center is not open at night. It’s open for (town) meetings, but it’s not open for us.”

Peter Black, a Republican member of the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) who attended both sessions, also addressed the issue. ​“One of the threshold questions that has come up here is —- Do we want a segregated seniors-only facility or do we have something that’s connected with a community center — a more flexible building?” he asked.

At the evening session, which attracted about 40 people, Peter Hentschel, a Democratic RTM member, said he and other RTM members visited senior facilities in Guilford and Madison. He said both towns have well-designed buildings, but they have different models. The Guilford building is a community center that also serves seniors, and the Madison facility is for seniors only. Hentschel said directors at both buildings were ​“very passionate” about how well their programs worked.

When?

Another big question was timing.

“Do you have any kind of timeframe that you’re talking about?” asked David during the morning session. ​“You say we’re doing this in the future. What’s the future? When? Are we going to be here doing this same planning a year from now? Two years from now? When are you actually thinking of starting a building?”

Cosgrove didn’t give a timeframe but said the assessment should be done by the end of November and then a plan would be formulated. ​“It’s moving along,” he said.

The question of time was also raised in the evening session by RTM Democratic minority leader Chris Sullivan. ​“I thought you might be following up with some information about what’s going to be happening next?” Sullivan asked. ​“What are the next steps? Will there be some sort of proposal put forward and another chance for public input at that point?”

“Well, there is no date set right now,“Cosgrove said, adding that the current task is to analyze needs.

“I am not a proponent of build it and they will come and let’s increase the square footage because of our aging population,” Cosgrove said, adding that the planning stage is important. ​“What we have heard from many of you tonight is that this (new building) should be utilized — that there should not be limited hours, it should be utilized by the senior community, by the younger community, by the whole entire community.”

Questions were also raised about what could be done in the interim.

“I think we’re here for seniors who can’t get into Canoe Brook by the ramps and by the stairs if they use walkers,” said Justine at the morning session ​“We have to address what we need right now for our seniors. You’re addressing the future — in 15 years we’re going to be dead.”

Is There A Transitional Solution? 

State Rep. Lonnie Reed, (D‑Branford) who has worked closely with the seniors, asked Cosgrove about the possibility of a transitional solution that could address some of the problems until a new facility is built. Reed said something is needed ​“so people aren’t feeling they are being left here with nothing happening at all while we come to a final determination.”

“I don‘t want to fall into a trap of just making band-aid fixes here and there and not address the real issue,” Cosgrove said. ​“I’m optimistic about keeping this moving forward.”

Cosgrove said he wants the process to be ​“transparent and open” and that he envisions ​“coming up with a thoughtful solution to a problem that everybody in this room has identified and relates to.”

How To Define Senior

“We’re not yesterday’s seniors,” said Donna Robinson, who attends Canoe Brook. ​“We are a different group of people, we have different needs.” 

Robinson said she enjoys the opportunities at the senior center. ​“It’s a community of who we are, and our peers, and that’s important…. I’ve met great people and we have a commonality.”

Nancy Cohen, activities director at Canoe Brook Senior Center, said she and director Dagmar Ridgway have worked with seniors for more than 35 years. She said back then, elderly women would wear muumuu dresses, roll their stockings below their knees, and only participate in sedentary activities. ​“Thank goodness times have changed,” Cohen said. ​“We offer so many different activities for everybody’s interests and abilities.”

Fred Russo, pictured with microphone above as he addressed the crowd, asked about the definition of a senior center. ​“I think when we use the term senior for a senior center, we really restrict and limit who can use it.”

Russo said he doesn’t consider himself a senior, even though he is. He said his friends don’t want to go to a senior center because ​“there are old people there.”

Russo said it’s time to change attitudes and labels. ​“Maybe we need to change the perception of what a senior center is. Let’s stop calling it a senior center and let’s call it a community center.”

The Transportation Issue

Chris Gracey said he participates in several fitness programs scattered throughout town, but that transportation is difficult. He swims five days a week at Walsh Intermediate School and does yoga at both the senior center and the Community House

“The problem with having multiple places to go for senior services is racing around town, going to all these different activities,” Gracey said.

Another man said that programs at the Soundview Family YMCA are great, but seniors who don’t drive can’t get there.

Dennis Flannigan, RTM moderator, said transportation is a key issue. ​“I am hoping, in your equation here, that we factor that in.” He said the RTM does realize there is a ​“definite need for a senior center to address the current population of which I have now become part of.”

Vlock said she knows that there are many programs available in town, such as the senior center, the YMCA, the libraries and the Community House. But she said traveling from one to another is difficult for many seniors who no longer drive. ​“Freedom to go where you want is limited when you get older,” Vlock said. ​“Transportation is key.”

Vlock assured people there will be more opportunities to speak as the process moves along.

“There may not be a consensus today, but I think we’ve learned a lot listening to you,” Vlock said. ​“We can understand what the complexities of this subject are. And we want you to stay engaged.”

Following the morning session, the Eagle spoke with Helen Kelsey, one of the women who spearheaded the grassroots group, ​“Voices for Branford Seniors.” The group has been meeting with Reed and Cosgrove over the past year to discuss the continued need for a new senior center. Click here to read about a rally they held more than a year ago. (link oct 29, 2013)

“I’m very hopeful,” Kelsey told the Eagle following the morning session. ​“It’s been a long haul for us since that October meeting (last year).” Kelsey, who is 89, said she is optimistic about a new building, but said ​“I don’t know if I will get to see it.”

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