To the Editor

This is an open letter to all the seniors in the valley. I happened to stop in to the municipal center in Jacksonville the other day about the time of senior meals. I was approached by many seniors who were very upset. They told me that they were getting “kicked out” of the municipal center by the selectboard and/or the kitchen committee. The rumors were running rampant. Someone told me they thought that once they moved to another location for a few weeks that they were not going to be able to come back and use the center for the meals again.

Let me try to reassure you, none of this is true. I am a member of the kitchen committee and I was at the last meeting. No one is trying to kick the senior meal program out of the municipal center. When you leave for the time of the renovations you will have the option of coming back.

In order for the work to be done in a timely manner, so that all the groups that use the building can resume their programs, the place has to be vacated for a while. It will be easier for Mr. Bernard to do his work without trying to work around people cooking and eating. The downtime will be shorter if he has the area to work in free of activities.

The time stated may be longer then the actual time because we want to be sure that we don’t have a “too early” time in case there is a delay in finishing because of a late delivery of equipment or materials or a surprise difficulty in the work being done. We all know how things happen that are unexpected. We are hoping for an earlier, rather then later, time frame.

I assure you that we were thinking of the senior program. We discussed how to make the transition easier for you. We tried to think of an option for you to make this time period as easy as possible for all. We talked about this at length at the last meeting and we were all in agreement that we should make this situation as easy as we can for everyone, yet still get the job done in a timely manner.

The kitchen committee and the selectboard all know how important it is for the senior programs to continue at the center. There are more participants then ever and it is a very healthy and necessary part of the seniors’ lives are. It is a social time that gets them out and keeps them “going.” Bone builders, library, and other special programs, we know this is very important.

Everything is being done to assure the seniors of the valley that the programs will be able to continue in the municipal center. We all have to be patient and look at the kitchen project with an open mind. Before you know it you will be eating a meal from a brand new, safe, and efficient kitchen. One that will be a joy to work in. If you have any questions feel free to call me at (802) 368- 7215.

Sherry Adams

Whitingham