The Center news: Jan. 11, 2017
<em>The Center will be closed Monday, Jan. 16, in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.</em>
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<strong>Editor’s note:</strong> After the resignation last week of The Center administrator Jerri Sue Crawford and three board members – Sue Herning, Rhonda Suter and Sally McKay – this statement was shared with the Times by Starr Kohler, CEO of SeniorAgeMO, which oversees some of The Center’s activities, especially those related to on-site weekday lunches and home-delivered meals. Board members Diane White and Nancy Thomas continue in their positions.
“We’re thankful for the help Jerri Sue Crawford and board members of the past have invested in the hard work of transitioning The Center to a great new location. We sincerely wish them wonderful new opportunities. Sheila Smith, our employee and a familiar friend to The Center, joined our cooks, Kasey [McKee] and Megan [Pueppke], today [Monday] to help with the current transition. Plans have been made to assure we have a service manager on site every day, assuring that services are uninterrupted. Cindy Bailey and Treva Warrick will be continuing their outreach support from The Center, as well. The Gainesville Senior Center is well loved by the community, SeniorAge and a host of others. We see a bright future for The Center’s growth and outreach and will continue to invest our funding and faith in this center, helping with the on-going building improvements and outreach. We look forward to the future and invite the community to help The Center grow.”
Board president Diane White also expressed thanks to Crawford “for the good work she’s done and the dedication she has shown to The Center. We will really miss Jerri.” She also expressed thanks to the resigning board members who have worked “lots of volunteer hours” on The Center’s behalf.
<strong>Menus</strong>
Lunch is served daily from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and is open to everyone. The cost is $6 for those younger than 60; a $3.50 donation is requested for those over 60. Call 679-4746 to order take-out for 25 cents more.
Wednesday, Jan. 11: chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, roll, dessert. Thursday, Jan. 12: lasagna, salad, garlic toast, cake. Friday, Jan. 13: fish, beans, cornbread, coleslaw, dessert. Monday, Jan. 16: Closed for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Tuesday, Jan. 17: mushroom Swiss burger, tater tots, pasta salad, dessert. Wednesday, Jan. 18: fettucine Alfredo with grilled chicken, salad, garlic bread, lemon blueberry cake. Thursday, Jan. 19: Smothered burrito, refried beans, Spanish rice, cinnamon cake.
<strong>Activities</strong>
Thursday, Jan. 12: bingo 1 p.m., music jam session 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13: arthritis exercise class 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 16: Closed for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Wednesday, Jan. 18: Beltone hearing aid rep is here 9 a.m. to noon, youth guitar lessons 5:30 p.m., adult guitar lessons 6:30 p.m. Call Billy Pippin for information, 417-543-3952. Thursday, Jan. 19: bingo 1 p.m., music jam session 6 p.m.
<strong>OATS</strong>
OATS transportation is available to the entire county. If you don’t see your area listed, call Angela Pleasant, 417-343-0573, for help planning your ride. OATS transportation is available to anyone regardless of age, income, disability, race, gender, religion, or national origin.
This is the OATS schedule for the rest of January: Each Thursday of the month, Caulfield and Bakersfield go to West Plains. Monday, Jan. 16: Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The office is closed, and no buses run. Tuesday, Jan. 17: Theodosia and Gainesville go to Mountain Home, Arkansas. Tuesday, Jan. 24: The whole county goes to Gainesville for the business meeting at 12:30 p.m. at The Center. Business meetings are open to the public. The Ozark County Food Pantry is open this day at a special time for OATS riders only. Monday, Jan. 30: Pontiac goes to Branson.
For rides from Bakersfield, Caulfield and Dora, call Jean Lawing, 284-7377; from Theodosia and Gainesville, call Mary Piepergerdes, 679-4142. To arrange rides to Springfield, call Jean Lawing or driver Angela Pleasant.
The Center news
