Letter: Why no capital improvements for senior center?

Posted 4/18/21

To the editor:

Every week I read the Portsmouth Times and recently there has been much commentary about the Senior Center. With an announced closing of the center on June 30, 2021, the crisis …

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Letter: Why no capital improvements for senior center?

Posted

To the editor:

Every week I read the Portsmouth Times and recently there has been much commentary about the Senior Center. With an announced closing of the center on June 30, 2021, the crisis for senior citizens becomes greater.

The Portsmouth Senior Center has been a focal point for our citizens providing its almost 1,000 members with a variety of social activities, health programs, annual health screenings, book clubs, music and vocal groups. AARP and Child and Family have partnered with the center to provide assistance to all citizens, regardless of their age. Programs offered include a meal site (currently providing pick-up-and-go lunches), Income tax assistance and Medicare enrollment guidance. 

Although I have seldom written letters to the newspaper, I was shocked into action by the capital improvements projects that are planned by the town administrator. I read of the needs to fund the fire station, police vehicles, parks and grounds, DPW mower, Sandy Point bathhouse etc. The anticipated outlay is over $1.4 million and surprise, surprise, there is nothing designated for the Portsmouth Senior Center. Perhaps they are waiting for a definitive plan for the center, but wouldn’t it have been a sign of good faith and confidence to allocate something for the center?

Tia Scigulinsky

368 Sea Meadow Drive

Portsmouth

Editor’s note: The town has a memorandum of understanding with Church Community Housing to develop a new senior center combined with affordable housing. Any definitive plans would come back to the Town Council for approval.

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Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.