Amherst Senior Center 1968—2008 40th Anniversary Souvenir Booklet By Nancy Hirsh Pagano 1 HISTORY of the COA Other COA Members Through the Years Amherst Golden Age Club (In alphabetical order) Esther Almeida 1994-2000 President Alice Dowd, one of the Mary Barkowski 1971-1974 original founders of the Club in J. Richard Beattie 1979-1985 1955, addressed Town Meeting Isaac BenEzra 1997-2003 Benson Bowditch 1996-2002 in 1967 with her concerns and Dorothy Burke 1997-2003 hopes for Town services and Al Byam 2003-2006 programs to be established for Amherst’s Albert Chevan 1996-2002 older residents. John T. Conlon 1991-1997 Clara Cook 1971-1977 As a result, a nine-member Council on Aging Ruth Curtis 1975-1981 was established and this new board’s first Richard Davies 1967-1976 members were appointed by Town Manager Rev. Gordon Dean 1970-1974 Janice Denton 1998-2004 Allen Torrey. Rev. Charles Farrell 1974-1979 Elsie Fetterman 2002-2008 The First Council on Aging Ferne Finger 2000-2003 Harvey Friedman 1986-1992 1967 Margaret Gage 1986-1993 (Name, Year of Term Expiration) Ann Grose 1989-1996 Richard Davies, Chair 1970 Jean Haggerty 2002-2005 Alice M. Dowd 1970 Inez Hegarty 1987-1993 Janet R. Dugan 1970 Paul Healy Jennie Cowles 1969 Doris Holden 1987-1993, 2004-2010 Irving Howards 1989-1995 Alfred Marcotte 1969 Rev. Edward C. Jager 1979-1985 Eveline L. Sears 1969 Ed Kaler 2006-2008 Jeannette M. Elder 1968 Joan Keochakian 2004-2007 Gwen Gilmore 1968 Bettie Kravetz 1970-1979 Robert Lentilhon 1968 Frank Lattuca 2003-2006 Katie Leadbetter 1977-1985 Alice Lewitin 1985-1988 The Current Council on Aging Elizabeth Massey 2002-2005 2008 Thomas McAuley 1987-1990, 2005-2008 Barbara Melrose 1998-2004 (Name, Year of Term Expiration) Martha Montague Barbara Sutherland, Chair 2009 Theodore Morrill 1983-1989 Daniel Clapp, Vice-Chair 2009 Doris Mundo 2002-2005 Rosemary Kofler, Secretary 2010 Ilsa Myers 1993-1999 Doris Holden, Treasurer 2010 Grunow O. Oleson 1974-1978 Joan O’Meara 1992-1998 David Yaukey 2009 Shirley Packard 1994-2000 Joan Golowich 2011 Henry Peirce 2002-2005 Joel Gordon 2011 Vera Peterson 1996-1998 Kathy Koplow 2011 Jerome Peterson 1974-1977 Juana Trujillo 2011 Jean Potash 1981-1987 Richard Prout 1988-1991 Father Joseph Quigley 1985-1988 Eleanor Quint 1987-1992 Lisa Raskin 1988-1995 Arnold D. Rhodes 1978-1984 Alan Root 1999-2002 Esther S. Rothenberg 1981-1984 Eveline Sears 1967-1987 Marilyn G. Singer 1984-1987 Rose Marie Sleasman 1999-2001 Mary Thomson 1973-1977 Ralph Timberlake 1993-1995 Barbara Turner 1976-1982 Helen VanAlstine 1980-1986 H. Sidney Vaughn 1971-1973 Richard Vincent 1985-1988 James Watt 1993-1996 Phyllis Weidig 1976-1983 Susan Whitbourne 2004-2007 Earle Whitney Sara Wolff 2001-2004 2 BEGINNINGS * (starred areas are direct quotes from the 1970 COA survey) The first COA, established in 1967, had the task of assessing and meeting the needs of Amherst’s older residents. At the time there were about 1,573 residents 60 and older and there was a commu- nity concern about their circumstances and a desire to determine what services might be needed which were not already available. Meetings were held with various groups, including the Board of Health, the Recreation Commission, the Housing Authority, and the Department of Continuing Educa- tion, but these only partially answered the questions. To get specific answers to the questions of aging in Amherst, and with the assistance of Sociologist and Amherst Record Reporter, Jean Elder, a study plan was developed and a questionnaire prepared. A random sample of residents 60 and over was drawn from the Amherst Street List and a letter signed by all members of the COA was sent ask- ing that an interview be granted. “The interviewers were carefully selected, mature, long-term resi- dents active in town affairs, with a genuine concern and liking for older people.”* The survey results “accurately reflected the conditions and the attitudes in Amherst in the winter of 1970.” SURVEY FINDINGS* Amherst is attractive to many but high costs discourage retirees from remaining residents of the town. One out of every four of Amherst’s older residents live alone, three times as many older women than men live alone. Amherst’s older residents have a serious transportation problem. Lack of public transportation makes “pre-mature shut-ins” of older people in a society where the automobile is a necessity. Consequences of this deficiency are costly in social and psychological terms. There is little recognition of the fact that older residents have special housing needs. Amherst housing attention has been exclusively on the needs of people with low incomes. Elderly people have need for housing that is designed and equipped to meet their special requirements. Unlike in earlier times, many elderly people maintain their own homes and do not move in with rela- tives. With current conditions continuing, Amherst is becoming a place in which elderly residents cannot afford to live. Retirement residences with built-in services are needed. Also needed are suitable apartments accessible to stores, churches, the post office and similar places. Older residents with fixed incomes just about poverty level are in a difficult position because their incomes are too high to qualify for aid and not high enough to meet rising costs. Elderly with incomes $3,000 to $7,000 are especially hard hit by inflation and increasing taxes and rents. Only 20% of Amherst’s 60 years and older residents are eligible for federal or state aid. Financial worry is more prevalent than poverty in Amherst. Fewer elderly people are eligible for tax abate- ments than before the change in the law in 1970. Reassessment of Amherst real estate in- creased the burden of elderly residents. There is a need for financial consideration for those older people with modest incomes ($3,000-$6,000 per year) and modest assets. Recreation for older residents is a major need in the Town of Amherst. Activities need to be planned to appeal to a wider range of people than those now participating in recreational activi- ties. Bus trips, caravans, plays, concerts, and movies rated high on the list of desired recrea- tional activities. Not all elderly are now being reached with information on what is available. Lack of transportation is a major obstacle in providing needed recreational activities. Leadership in evaluating needs, establishing priorities, and planning and carrying out programs probably would require a salaried person. Some of the services and activities offered in the Town do not coincide with the diversity of needs and wants of the older population. Almost half of Amherst’s older residents want a financial advisory service. Of these older resi- dents there is a particular worry that they may not have enough resources in the future to make ends meet. The existing services and facilities available to the elderly would be used more fully and effectively if there were a centralized community-wide information service. In a community where the primary industry has always been the education of youth, Amherst has been also mindful of the needs of its oldest residents. A wide variety of resources have been committed to improving life for this potentially at-risk group thanks to deliberate study and planning by the COA and other Town boards. Elders feel fortunate to have low cost transportation services, well-designed public housing in the heart of the downtown, and a centrally-located multi-purpose senior center with a professional staff. 3 The Early Years 1968—1978 The Amherst Council on Aging, established in 1967, opened the Senior Center in 1968 on the bottom floor of Oddfellows Hall located at 17 Kellogg Avenue. All activities were held in an open multi -purpose great room which was divided by three large bookcases on wheels that served to delineate the lounge and pool table area. The recep- tion desk, pictured here on the top right, was the first stop for all who entered. The first hostess was Ethel Moore, who was hired with funding from the Commonwealth Service Corps to assist the Town Manager-appointed, nine member C.O.A. with the running of the Senior Center. Ethel always made visitors welcome and comfortable. She kept daily use statistics, encouraged friendship, answered ques- tions about programs, prepared and served snacks, played the piano at sing- a-longs and in general made the Senior Center a welcoming place. She served until December, 1975, when she retired. 4 Shared Office Space There were three offices--one big one, shown here, that the Sr. Ctr. Director (Wayne Ude) and the Leisure Services Director (Nancy Hirsh) shared, along with volunteers. (North side facing Kellogg Ave.) ( South side facing Main St.) These were the days of typewriters, carbon paper and correction tape. The Senior Center‘s newsletter, The Senior Spirit, was published monthly. Nancy has been the Editor since 1973. Social Worker‘s Office The counseling office was chal- lenging to use at times because of the physical layout—the office had one of the two Senior Center bath- rooms within it. Seated are Hedvig Watts and Dorothy Sherman. Transportation Office The Senior Surrey was dispatched from the S.C. Transportation Office. You can see a bit of it through the open door behind our Chief Dispatcher, Ethel Casey. Barbara Griffith, has her notebook in hand. She initially served as Community Aide, but held the position of Director from 1976 until 1981 when she and her husband moved to the Washington, D.C. area. 5 THE KITCHEN AT 17 KELLOGG AVENUE The second bathroom was off the kitchen, but you could only access it when the refrigerator door was closed. Sometimes it was a little em- barrassing to use the facilities when volunteers were working in there. #1 Picture shows Gladys Reed (print shirt) and Jean Yankopoulos #2 Picture shows Mary Meakim, Gladys Tiner, Nancy Hirsh, Gladys Reed & Jean Yankopoulos ACTIVITIES 1968-1978 Senior Center programs at 17 Kellogg Avenue all took place in one large multi-purpose room. The reception desk, lounge area, and activity areas were a hub of activity. A big bulletin board kept people informed about programs— especially trips, the most popular program. Pictured here is weekly scrap-booking for the Belchertown State School. Volunteers cut and pasted pictures from used greeting cards into wallpaper sample books. Residents at the BSS appreciated having them to look at as an activity there. When the School closed, some of the residents moved to group homes or housing for the elderly in the greater Amherst area and we saw them at the S.C. While Ethel Moore plays the accompaniment, the ―Senior Chorus‖ is led by Margaret Walters who formed the group in 1974. Coca-cola donated robes and the Chorus performed on TV! Penny BEANO (BINGO) was very popular and the money won helped augment modest budgets. Esther Mencer never missed a chance to play. Rughookers here are Patty Dorsey, Dorothy Russell, and Elizabeth Lewis. Other arts and crafts classes were also popular, such as handcrafts with Grace Rhodes, wood carving, fly-tying & painting. Northampton‘s Brunswick Lanes picked bowlers up at the S.C. and the Amherst Nursing Home for weekly candlepin and ten pin play. This program particularly attracted lots of men. Other activities at times included: pitch, monthly luncheons, holiday and theme parties, billiards, bus trips, concerts, seminars, blood pressure clinics, tax assistance, senior swim, dance classes, movies, fishing, exercise with Renate Rikkers, and Santa‘s workshop —where old toys were made new for area children. 6 THE BOLTWOOD WALK PROJECT 1. The back side of the Intermediate School soon to be Bangs. The adjacent Cook building was torn down. 2. Looking at Kellogg Ave. Other buildings in the Amherst Redevelopment Authority‘s Boltwood Walk area were demolished to make way for the Ann Whalen and Clark House apartments. 3-5 The Intermediate School in the process of renovation. 7 Amherst Senior Center Surrey History 1972-1996 Initially free transportation for elders (to medical appointments only) in Amherst was provided by volunteers using their own cars. In December 1972, a 12-passenger minibus was obtained by the COA with funds from a Title III Federal Grant and the Town of Amherst. The grant paid for a transportation coordina- tor, a driver, and a part-time ―community aide‖ (social worker). Almost named the ―Jolly Trolley‖, the Senior Surrey was immedi- ately popular and rides were available for any reason, including recreation. The COA purchased a station wagon in February 1975 to help with increasing ridership. In July 1975 the trans- portation program affiliated with P.V.T.A. and in September expanded to include two evenings a week and Saturday hours. In February 1976, with funding from a Federal Grant, transporta- tion services expanded to include Leverett, Shutesbury, Pelham and Belchertown. Younger disabled people became eligible for transportation under ADA and three new lift-equipped vans were awarded . In July 1982, because of Federal cutbacks, riders were asked to contrib- ute toward their ride costs. For all subsequent years, donations, fees, annual solicitations and Town Meeting appropriations carried the Surrey in the face of reduced government support. Finally the C.O.A., under Director John Clobridge, decided in 1996 to not rebid its contract with P.V.T.A. This signaled the end of twenty-four years of directly providing this door to door service. Throughout these years many wonderful drivers/dispatchers car- ried on this important work and endeared themselves to area seniors. Our longest working Transportation Coordinator was Ethel Casey who worked for the Senior Center 1975-1994. Alan Tilton was Chief Driver from 1976-1996. Maureen Vanhoutte worked for the S.C. in various roles from 1975-2003. She started as a Surrey driver and went on to serve as dis- patcher and later as a secretary/administrative assistant to John Clobridge before her retirement. Karen Sheehy 1987–1996, worked as driver first, then Access Services Coordinator. Sal Colbert served as driver and later Access Services Coordinator from 1978-1991. Transportation employees (not mentioned above) who come to mind are: Michael Mahoney, Michael Nix, Alan Colby, Bob Lynch, Jamie Cope, Ed Silver, Denise LaMontagne, Maureen Vanhoutte, Mary Ward, David Colston, Chris Howell, Tom Monahan, Richard Hall, Jan Sobiech, Sal Colbert, Nickolaus Hawes, Cheryl Dickinson, Sara Vonarsdale, Simon Alciere, Beata Tikos, Terry Tuttle, Rita Burke, Chris Diaz, Luis Gaviria, Alden Booth, Alton Cole, Beth Emming, Mona Iles, John McDonald, Demetrius Moyston, Jennifer Ruth, Gary Urich, Jayne Costa, Jon Gillespie, Earl Brown, Peggy Leuenberger, Kenneth Palhete, Barbara Hart, Bob Thun, Bob Flaherty, Cindy Cary, Tom Chalmers, Brian McCullough, Norman Bland, Kathy Alves, Kathryn Mahoney. 8 MEMORABLE PEOPLE There have been so many memorable people through the years that it‘s really impossible to show them all here. Here are photos of some: Ned Markert & George Barker & Barbara Taylor Genie Stacey Jean Elder Maggie Smith Elizabeth Garrabrants Arnold & Grace Rhodes Grace Thayer Eleanor Chase Everett Sanctuary Barbara Griffith Bill Paul & Mike Kapinos 9 The Beginning of the Bangs Center Be it remembered that I, FANNIE WARD BANGS of AMHERST in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, being of sound mind and memory, but knowing the uncertainty of this life, do make this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all former wills by me at any time heretofore made. After the payment of my just debts and funeral charges, I bequeath and devise as follows: SEVENTH. I give and devise to the Town of Amherst the homestead I now own which is the estate conveyed to me by Frank E. Whitman by deed dated May 31, 1921, and recorded in the Hampshire Registry of Deeds Book 769, Page 219. It is my preference and wish that this homestead may be used for the hospital provided for in the will of my late husband Edward D. Bangs and further provided for in this will. This property does not go to my trustees. The Town of Amherst may make use of the property as a source of income to the hospital fund until such time as the hospital may be established. If from any circumstances it is found after my decease that it is not feasible to use this property as the Bangs hospital any other use of it or the sale of it shall be only a proper decree of the Probate Court therefore. NINTH. Upon the death of my daughter I desire that the net income from said trust fund be added from time to time to the principal thereof until said trust fund, plus the value of the homestead devised in the seventh clause, shall amount in to- tal to one hundred thousand ($100,000) dollars, except as hereinafter otherwise provided. When the accumulated trust fund of twenty years from the date of the death of my daughter, even if said amount of one hundred thousand ($100,000) dollars be not then reached, the entire trust fund with all the accumulations shall be paid over and transferred to the Town of Amherst, Massachusetts, by it to be used with such other funds as it my acquire under the will of my late husband Edward D. Bangs, for the erection on my said homestead devised in the seventh clause of this will of a hospital to be known as the Bangs hospital which name shall appear in a conspicuous place on a bronze tablet in the interior of the building, my husband having provided for the same name to appear on the exterior. It is my desire that this hospital be open to all people without discrimination as to nationality or reli- gious belief. TENTH. It is my recommendation that an act of the legislature be obtained incor- porating said hospital and providing for a suitable board of trustees. THIRTEENTH. If this scheme of charity for a hospital cannot be carried out exactly as outlined, I desire that it may be carried out as near as possible in accord here- with. FOURTEENTH. My executor and trustee may close the estate and pay over the ac- cumulations to the Town at a period earlier than indicated in the ninth clause if in their opinion it is expedient to do so and on leave of Probate Court obtained there- fore. In Witness whereof I hereto set my hand and seal at Woodstock, aforesaid this 8th day of November AD, 1927. Fannie Ward Bangs (Editor’s note: Because the Town of Amherst did not feel it needed a hospital, the Will was broken so that monies could be used for the new “Community Facilities Building”. Renamed the Bangs Community Center, it would house the Amherst Health Department among other Town human services departments. ) 10