HomeMy WebLinkAboutWUSSB 10-09-2014West University Senior Services Board Meeting October 9, 2014 Present: Pieter Vrancken (Chair) George Baker, Michelle Moore, Philip Bryant, Sarah Ballanfant, Selby Clark, Janet Vrancken, Becky Arnold, John Palmer, Mary Ryerson, Joe Mitchell, Virginia Lootens. Absent: Stan McCandless, Candyce Beneke. Staff: Toby Brooks. Guests: Councilwoman Joan Johnson, Councilman Dick Yehle, Alida Drews. There being a quorum the meeting was called to order at 2:03PM. The Minutes of the previous Meeting held September 11 , 2014 were approved as presented. Activities (Toby Brooks): An Arts Festival will be held in the Community Center from 10AM to 1PM on Saturday October 18 th . Board Members are encouraged to attend. A Meeting of the Men’s Club (9 members) was held on Oct ober 6 th to plan future activities. Among locations to be visited were the Military Museum, the Marit i me Museum and the Port of Houston. Previously a visit to the Military Museum on Wall is ville attracted over 2 0 parti cipants, which included t he Silver Eagle exhibit (fol lowe d by lunch at the Cadillac Bar). A Health Fair is planned for November 5 th from 10:30AM to Noon. Classes in beginner and advanced watercolor have commenced. A class on Genealogy has drawn 9 participants. The Great Decisions Group or ganized by Louis Wu will hold a talk on Islam by a professor from Rice University on Thursday October 30 th at 1PM. The Post Oak branch of the National Charity League (Girls from 7 th to 12 th grade) has approved West University as a volunteer location. Blank ets will be offered to our Good Neighbor Team with help assembling these from 3 to 5PM on November 5 th . A Spring Tea will be announced in our next newsletter. APAC (Virginia Lootens): A Meeting of APAC was held on October 2 nd . Andrew Hardwick from Social Security spoke on “Medicare Changes and Updates 2015”. The New Medicare & You Handbook for 2015 is available. Call 1 -800 -252 -9240 for information. Open Enrollment for Medicare is from October 15 through December7, 2014. Any changes to coverage must be made between those dates. Area Agency on Aging (AAA)is sponsoring benefits counseling at their offices, 8000 N. Stadium Drive, Third Floor. Applications for Social Security Benefits, Social Security Disability Benefits, Medicare and extra help with Medicare pr escription drug costs can now be made online at www -socialsecurity.gov. It is also possible to estimate your future benefits, get a benefit planner, create a mySocialSecurity account. There is also www.social security.gov/faq for frequently asked questions. Contact Paula Johnson for information on the Open Enrolment: 832 -393 -4620. AAA reported that for the Funding Year that begins October 1 st some projects have small amounts of money left over from this past year. The Meals on Wheels home project needs more funding. MOW expects to provide 4,000 meals for the Thanksgiving holiday. Each meal costs $5.00 and we are asked to donate a number of mea ls by October 30. Volunteers are needed to drive the meals to 10 pick -up locations and on to residents. Jane Bavineau Nominations Chairperson asked for volunteers for offices in the coming year. Virginia Lootens will fill the post of Assistant Secretary. T he next meeting is scheduled for November 6 in Multipurpose Center on W. Gray. Council (Joan Johnson): Council has embarked on a 30 year look at future requirements for the City’s buildings and facilities. It is anticipated that the City’s premises may ult imately occupy the area between Auden. College, University and Amherst. The recycling depot site is to be leased out. A recycling fest combining West University and Bellaire will take place on Saturday November 1 st . Good Neighbor Team (Michelle Moore); A m eeting of the GNT will take place on Thursday October 16 th at 1PM to prepare fall greeting cards, to consider the year’s meeting schedule and to agree redistribution of seniors to be visited (currently 137). PARD (Toby Brooks): 1 full time park maintenance employee will start work in 2015, replacing two part timers. Fathers & Flashlights raised $91,000 towards urban camping. (Tent space has been maxed out). Following completion of the Parks Task Force Survey (the results of which were previously distributed to this Board), two Town Hall Meetings will be held in the Auditorium of the Community Center at 6:30PM on October 20 th (Monday) and November 20 th (Thursday). Heavy Trash will be accepted on Saturday October 25 th . Previous Business (Various): The committe e formed to consider a change of name for the Senior Services Board has yet to report. A lively discussion ensued from which it transpires that some members wish to keep the present name while others feel that we cannot ignore the wishes of the next genera tion of residents to be served and that to do so while older residents continue to decline in numbers could lead to a reduction in funding for our current programs. The Meeting adjourned at 3:08PM