Dear Editor: 

In the March 17 Tribune, an article was written about the $14 million received by NWC to build a new student center. We have been in the DeWitt Student Center and it definitely needs improvement or replacement.

Our letter today is meant to explain to our fellow residents how much the Powell Senior Center needs help. The biggest problem the present center has is that it is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, just like the DeWitt Student Center.  However, it is also an old building that needs a great deal of work to make it truly efficient and safe for all seniors and staff.

Many of the seniors come in with walkers or canes and wheelchairs that do not allow them to use the entire facility. There is a short stairway to the second floor where there are many books and puzzles the seniors could use if they could get there. The restrooms are very small and though there is one stall that can accommodate those with devices that help them get around, it is very hard for them to get in and out of.

Things you may not know about our senior center:

• 80-90 lunches are delivered to seniors in their homes six days a week (Saturday delivery is in town only);

• 55-65 lunches are delivered to the Rocky Mountain Manor dining room six days a week and served five days a week in the senior center dining room;

• transportation is provided by the center to shopping and doctor’s appointments, locally, at a minimal cost. Transportation is available to anyone in the community;

• once a month a trip is made to the Walmart in Cody;

• there is a blood pressure clinic and a foot clinic once a month;

• the center also has all kinds of medical aids for those who are incapacitated, either temporarily or long term, that can be borrowed; and

• there is a huge library that also includes DVDs and audiobooks that can be borrowed.

There is so much more we could say about our senior center but the bottom line is that a new facility is needed and the funds to build it. We have several state representatives on board with the needs of the center. Now, we need the public’s help by spreading the word and encouraging the facilitation of the needs of our seniors.

The senior center should provide a friendly, safe environment for all those who need companionship or just a different set of four walls to look at. There are many smiles and much laughter and lots of stories to tell by a group of people who have lived and worked hard for many years. The consequences of not having a new senior center will be that less and less of our seniors will have a safe and accessible place to visit.

Our seniors are definitely in need of and are deserving of a building they can fully use and enjoy. 

 Sincerely,

Linda and Bob Graff

Powell