The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
SENIOR CENTER SETS GRAND REOPENING
Center has refreshed interior, new speakers, paint, officials say
A facility devoted to area senior citizens will reopen its doors March 21.
Lorain Community Seniors Inc. will hold a grand reopening of the Lorain Community Senior Center, 3361 Garfield Blvd., from 1-3 p.m.
The former school is that facility serving as an activity center and gathering place for members.
More and more people are getting the coronavirus vaccines, so their confidence levels are rising when it comes to being out in public, said Barb Bartlome, marketing consultant for the Lorain Community Senior Center.
“The older population, I think, are feeling much safer about it,” Bartlome said.
News reports have included scenes of seniors hugging their grandchildren.
“That was the biggest thing, you didn’t want anybody coming near you,” Bartlome said.
“Now you’ve got your shots and it’s like, OK, now you can see the kids.
“So, I think that’s a good safe feeling for them. And, I think they’re eager to get out.
“A lot of people are so anxious to come back to the center because this is part of their daily routine, and they’re really missing that. And, they’re missing seeing their friends as well.”
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Community Senior Center has been open on a limited basis.
Bingo games restarted last year.
The 367-seat hall is limited to 110 players and volunteers to allow for safe social distances between people.
That is the main source of income for the nonprofit group, so the pandemic conditions and limited attendance were a setback, said board leaders Nancy and J.R. Lee.
“We’re not about to give up,” said J.R. Lee, board president. “Never have, not about to.”
In fall 2020, they and Bartlome announced the Community Senior Center was undergoing a time of internal renewal with cleaning and new paint to refresh the interior. That has happened. The walls and some floors have new shades of gray.
Old curtains are gone — along with the musty smell they created.
New speakers carry music throughout the building.
The main meeting room has a new faux fireplace with stained glass windows set into the walls, and that room’s public address system has been revived.
The bingo hall has refreshed bathrooms with automatic flushing toilets.
The building is solidly built.
“When these buildings were built, they were built to last,” J.R. Lee said.
The old windows and rough driveway make it look in worse shape than it is, the Lees and Bartlome said.
The glass and frames need replacing, and J.R. Lee suggested some areas might be better walled up with new masonry walls instead of windows.
The city of Lorain has awarded a contract of $44,634 to Crossroads Asphalt Recycling Inc. to resurface the parking lot. That job won’t start until asphalt plants reopen in mid-April, but it is scheduled to be completed by May 28, said Matt Kusznir, contract and prevailing wage administrator in Lorain’s City Engineering Department.
Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley praised the project, which had been in discussion for more than a year. J.R. Lee also thanked the mayor and his administration for the help.
The roof has some leaky spots, but it remains a large multi-purpose center with a gym that includes a basketball court.
There is a commercialgrade kitchen and rooms dedicated to exercise, crafts, painting, woodworking, sewing and more.
There is a rotating cast of volunteers and helpers.
Volunteer Jane Pogorzelski worked for years on Broadway at Footprint Tours Inc., which closed last year when she and owner Pat Morrisson retired.
Leo Afrates serves as greeter in the main meeting room.
Afrates credited the work of the Lees and volunteers to inspire an attitude of unity and shared commitment to the Community Senior Center and people who use it.
“I have respect for Nancy and J.R.,” he said. “To see this place now compared to how it used to be — unbelievable.
“It’s what’s in their heart and mind that makes a difference. That’s why this is a beautiful place.”
The Lees and Bartlome also thanked Lorain County Public Health for guidance to reopen safely and Tom Brown, who is executive director of the Lorain Port and Finance Authority, for advice about equipment in the building.
During the grand reopening, attendance will be limited due to social distancing to protect against COVID-19.
Up to 190 people may be inside, and spread out, based on the size of the facility.
Masks will be required to enter.