Community Center Advisory Board Meeting Meeting 20190425

Meeting of the Community Center Advisory Board & The Community Center Foundation convened 5 pm.

Present:

Don Liebriech, Gwenn Hauck, Sheila Brogan, Beth Abbott, Bill Carbonne, Helen Leonard, Catherine Greve, Tom Lillis, Deanna Schabblik, Janet Fricke, Jeff Voight.

absent: Nancy Friedman, Lisa Garvey, Phil Dolce

Age Friendly Ridgewood completed the multi-step process necessary to join the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities and is one of only 363 communities nationwide to be accepted.

Ashton Applewhite will give a presentation, "This Chair Rocks - A Manifesto Against Ageism" Think differently about growing older and how aging is a natural, lifelong, powerful process that unites us all. The show is almost sold out already. In an effort to encourage intergenerational activities in Ridgewood, age-friendly has partnered with an RHS teacher, Ms. Kunzle, to enlist students interested in gerontology to attend the event and also to begin volunteering at Ridgecrest.

Janet Fricke announced that the new senior bus is supposed to arrive on July 1, 2019!

All are extremely excited about replacing the 11 year old bus we have been struggling to keep on the road for the last few years. The Community Center Advisory Board Members suggested putting the Bus in the Fourth of July Parade with board members in and around it to show 1) Who the Community Center Members are and 2) What we do!

June 1, 10:30-12:30 is Opening Day for Seniors at Graydon Day. Rain date is June 2.

NJ Futures Project finished a proposal for Ridgewood last Spring.

New Jersey Future is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes sensible growth, redevelopment and infrastructure investments to foster vibrant cities and towns, protect natural lands and waterways, enhance transportation choices, provide access to safe, affordable and aging-friendly neighborhoods to fuel a strong economy. The organization does this through original research, innovative policy development, coalition-building, advocacy, and hands-on strategic assistance. Now, NJ Futures plans to work with Age-Friendly to work on its "community action plan."

May is Older Adults Month.

The County is holding their annual hearing on May 7th.

5:30-7, May 23rd our Civic Youth Corps group has organized three activities for the Spring:

The first Mayor-Council Meet & Greet for to encourage student's interest in local government. Youth leaders, Tom Lillis and Nicole Kye, estimate attendance to 75-100 people at Village Hall

The Community Center Film Festival on June 9, 2019.

Art Beat at Kasshau Shell on June 11, 2019.

The Community Center Foundation was awarded a $10,000.00 grant from Colombia Bank, thanks to Deanna, the recreation aide! The request was for digital art equipment to encourage intergenerational activity to encourage art therapy and technological understanding. The entire $10,000 would go toward purchasing 6 Dell 17" laptops for skyping, 6 large Waycom Tablets for digital art, and a sophisticated color printer to print the artwork. Discussion is in the works to partner with a local art studio to run the program and help attract younger participants.

Don Liebreich informed us that this June will mark four years since the Community Center Foundation was incorporated and he accepted the role of President. The By-Laws state that no officer can stay on for more than four years in a row, so he wants members to think about  succession and discuss nominations for new officers at the May 23rd meeting to be voted on at the June13th meeting.

Meeting adjourned at 6pm.

submitted by Gwenn Hauck