OBSERVER Photo by Gib Snyder Chautauqua Adult Day Services Executive Director Frank Bercik responds to a question from the audience during Tuesday’s meeting at the Dunkirk Senior Center as Dunkirk Senior Citizens President Nancy Renckens (standing at right) looks on. Seated to Bercik’s right are Karen Long from the Chautauqua Adult Day Services, Dunkirk Development Director Rebecca Wurster, Chautauqua County Office For the Aging director Mary Ann Spanos, City of Dunkirk Mayor Wilfred Rosas and Senior Center Board Of Directors members Robert Mitchell and Lenora Majka.

A full house of interested senior citizens met Tuesday afternoon at the Dunkirk Senior Center to hear about a proposal to expand the facility. The work, which has yet to clarified or put into architect drawings, would be funded by a grant of $750,000 from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York.

Dunkirk Senior Citizens Center President Nancy Renckens moderated the questions along with some give and take between the guest panel and attendees. Mary Ann Spanos, director of the Chautauqua County Office for the Aging and Frank Bercik, executive director of Chautauqua Adult Day Services were the main responders to those in attendance.

Among the main concerns addressed by many in attendance were how an addition, with a corresponding move of the day services currently housed at St. John’s United Church of Christ on Central Avenue in Dunkirk, would affect the current use of the building by the Dunkirk Senior Citizens.

A lack of parking at the facility as it is, kitchen usage and use of the current large room were all concerns expressed. It was explained an addition would be built and that is where the Adult Day Services would operate.

Spanos and Mayor Wilfred Rosas both said they were there to listen to the thoughts and concerns of the seniors. Some stated their support for the project, most others seemed to want more information.

The meeting ran slightly over an hour and did receive a note of warning from outgoing Fourth Ward Councilman Michael Civiletto, who stated that once a grant is turned down the chances of getting another one from the state becomes unlikely.

With the firm of Clark Patterson and Lee yet to begin the architectural drawings it was determined that another meeting should be held once the plans are ready.

After the meeting Spanos was asked what she took away from the meeting.

“I think it’s still up in the air about what the community wants. My involvement is to improve this center so that it can be the things that the seniors need now and will need in the future,” she replied. “That means having constructive conversation about what it’s currently being use for that’s working, what needs to be improved so it can work better for them and then what else they want to see happen here.

“I want to hear from the seniors who are not coming to the Senior Center because we would like more of them to come here. All the studies are showing that social interaction is the most important thing as we age. So we want this to be a vibrant place for everybody who lives in and around Dunkirk. We don’t want to stop anything that’s happening here.”

For his part, Rosas said there were some very good points brought up.

“We do have a $750,000 grant that we’re planning to implement at that site. That project will bring in more services at that site, including adult day care services being provided there,” he added. “I think they have issue with losing space, it doesn’t mean they are going to lose space. I think all their issues can be addressed with the planning of this project. We’re going to let the consulting engineers know what it is that we want.

“We’re still in the beginning process of this project as far as the planning and design stage so this is the right time to be having this discussion and I think all of their issues will be addressed accordingly.”

Rosas said there will be another meeting once the architects come in with their plans.

“We’re going to sit down with them and we’re probably going to have another meeting with the board at the Senior Center and invite all the members to come in so that we can express to them what we’re going to be doing, what the plan is and they can be tweaked. We still have time to tweak the plan.

“For example, the kitchen was an issue, I don’t believe they want to share their kitchen. The Adult Day Care doesn’t really use the kitchen, they use it for baking and things like that. I believe they could share the kitchen with proper scheduling but I’m also going to ask the engineers to look into setting up a smaller kitchen they could use so it wouldn’t interfere with the seniors.”

The mayor was asked if it would be safe to say this project is going to go forward.

“I would think it’s going to go forward. I can’t see us turning this opportunity down,” he replied. “Again, this project is about bringing more programs and services to our seniors and expanding the opportunity to provide these services. A lot of seniors that were there, in my opinion, were for this project and so there’s got to be a happy medium, and we can find it. We just have to work together to get there.”