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LEXINGTON COUNCIL ON AGING
Minutes of Board Meeting
January 11, 1994
Lexington Senior Center
Attending: Barbara Rubin, Chairperson
Monica Chang
Frank Chen
Ed Grant
Kevin Grimes
Gene Isotti
Dan Fenn, Board of Selectmen
Donna Hooper, Human Services Committee
Karren Santucci, Staff
The January 11 meeting was convened at 4 40 p.m. with Barbara Rubin presiding. In opening
remarks Barbara informed the Board that Linda Vine's father passed away on January 7 Board
members suggested that a group present should be sent to the family Barbara would find out
from Linda the family's choice of charity to which this gift should be directed.
A second comment concerned the fire that broke out on January 5 in Dan Fenn's house. We all
expressed our sympathy to Dan and hoped that the house could be restored soon.
The minutes of the December 14 meeting was accepted with an amendment to the paragraph on
Minuteman Home Care reflecting the Board's desire to see a two-way exchange of information
with MHC.
The financial report was deferred until John Curry could attend the board meeting.
( Karen Santucci reported that a Support Services Committee was being formed to expand on the
work of the Senior Health Monitor program. The committee members would include Katy Barber
Lynn Lees (Friends of COA), a third person being sought, a registered nurse, and Carolyn Griffith
of the Social Day Care program. The Support Services Committee would begin by defining Its
mission and program directions.
Barbara Rubin discussed the coming activities of the Education Committee: (1) At the January 24
meeting on Selling Your Home, Harriet Onello and Clark Cowen had plans to give a presentation.
(2) A March 4 workshop on assisted living, by invitation only to town officials and those with a
need-to-know The purpose will be to present information for their education on the subject.
Speakers will Include Paul Lanzikos, an expert on the topic, plus Merlyn Southwick of Mas-
sachusetts Association of the Aged. Kevin Grimes suggested that we might visit some assisted
living sites and get information on various modes of assisted living.
(3) A one-day conference on Death and Dying May 9 at Brookhaven with lunch. Emerson Hospital
will co-sponsor this event, Paul Montgomery, the Emerson Hospice Director and Susan Douglas
of the Douglas Funeral Home will both be participants,
Director's Report. In Linda Vine's absence Karen Santucci made the report. Service America has
begun providing the food for Meals on Wheels. Initial response from clients has been mixed, They
liked the quality and quantity of the meals. Some found the metal containers a problem with heat-
ing the food In microwave ovens. The Meals on Wheels program was going through a stage of
"debugging"
The parking issue came up for further discussion. At the New Year's Eve party senior attendees
were hassled by Muzzey residents. The condo manager was rude to Administrative Clerk Chris
Gelling. Dan Fenn suggested that we should deal with this problem through the Board of
( Selectmen. He also felt that the legal question raised in the letter from Steven Frederickson,
Director of Inspectional Services, could also be resolved.
w COA January Meeting page 2
Karen reported that 97 persons attended the January 10 Health Fair here at the Center with
Emerson Hospital staff participation.
Linda Vine wrote a letter on December 27 to the Lexington Food Pantry asking them to consider
handling the total distribution of the USDA food commodities for Lexington seniors.
Lexington COA will send a letter of intent to the Massachusetts Association of Council on Aging
stating that we would apply for a free van to be received by MCOA as a settlement case. A copy of
the MCOA request for letters of Intent was distributed to Board members.
A copy of the property tax work off program from January through June 1994 was also distributed.
New Business: The Center would be closed on snow days in accordance with school closings.
The Center is considering a chain calling procedure to at-risk seniors on snow days. This would
make it unnecessary for staff to be In the building on such days. We are also investigating getting
a voice mail system at the Center
The next Board meeting will be on February 8 at 4:30 p.m.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Frank Chen, Secretary