Seniors Want Answers On Senior Center

Even before Branford takes the first step in an assessment of senior citizen needs, a group of seniors want to know what the next step will be in the search for a new senior center.

First Selectman James Cosgrove and Sandra Vlock, president of Arbonies King Vlock, attended last week’s meeting of the Elderly Services Commission to discuss their plans. Cosgrove recently hired the architectural firm to conduct an assessment of senior programs and to hold public forums to determine the needs of the community.

First Selectman James B. Cosgrove and representatives from Arbonies King Vlock will be hosting two public meetings on Thursday, November 6, 2014 at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. at Branford Fire Department Headquarters to hear from residents concerning the Senior Center (Due to a conflict the meeting previously scheduled for October 28, 2014 is canceled). He is asking residents of all ages to attend one of the meetings to share their thoughts and ideas concerning the current and future needs of the senior community.

“What do we need and what do we want for today’s seniors and for the future?” Cosgrove said as he discussed the importance of community participation at the forums. ​“Hopefully in three months’ time, we’ll have a plan in place,” he told the Commission (pictured). 

Elaine Balough asked Cosgrove what happens after the assessment and forums are complete. Cosgrove said the next step is to ​“move forward” but he did not elaborate.

Cosgrove said the ​“build it and they will come” philosophy won’t work. He said the center has to be tailored to meets the needs of seniors and the community.

The former Canoe Brook School, which was built in 1898, has served as the senior center since 1975. It can only be accessed by steps or by an outdated, multi-level ramp, and does not meet current accessibility standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Efforts to replace the center in recent years were not successful.

About a year ago, seniors formed a grassroots group, ​“Voices for Branford Seniors,” to get the message out about the continued need for a new senior center. They organized a rally last October to present their needs to the candidates for first selectmen. Click here to read that story.

Following the meeting, Balough told the Eagle that she wants to know the timetable for creating a new center. ​“Am I going to live to see a new senior center?” she asked.

Balough said she can’t attend the Canoe Brook center more than once a week because it’s too difficult to climb the stairs. She said many Branford seniors go to centers in East Haven or Guilford because they can’t climb the steps or maneuver the ramp.

“I’m looking for definite answers,” Lillian Olejarczyk, 82, told the Eagle. Olejarczyk, who attended Canoe Brook when it was an elementary school, said it’s ironic to find herself back at the building that was designed for school children.

Multi-Generational Approaches

Prior to Thursday’s meeting, Vlock toured the building with Anita Visentin-Perito, who chairs the Elderly Services Commission. ​“This building is a nightmare,” Vlock said in regard to the physical structure of the senior center. ​“This is a wonderful challenge to take on.”

Vlock (pictured)said the town needs to come up with a plan that will benefit everyone. ​“This is a unique town and our interests are different than other communities.” She said she will be working with the staff and the commission during the coming weeks.

Olejarczyk suggested Vlock come to the center when activities are going on. ​“If you could spend some time with each activity…makes notes and observe,” she said.

“That’s a great suggestion,” Vlock said, adding that she wants to look at all aspects of the situation. She said the assessment and forums will not just be another study. ​“It will be idea-driven and need-driven,” she said. ​“The goal is to change the situation that exists now.”

Resident Nancy Lynch asked if they can determine the demographics of seniors who don’t come or can’t come to the center. ​“Do you have a ballpark figure of people who are not being served?” Lynch asked

Vlock said it’s important to look at all the people who could be served by a senior center. ​“The stakeholders are all of us,” she said, adding that the spectrum of seniors covers a wide range of ages.

“I’m in this group and it is multi-generational,” Vlock said. She said there is ample information available on the national level in terms of senior center issues and local demographics.

The nationally-known architectural firm headed by Sandra Vlock and her late husband, Glenn Arbonies designed many projects in Branford. Some of the local projects include the Soundview Family YMCA, and renovations at both the James Blackstone Library and the Willoughby Wallace Library in Stony Creek.

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