2007 News

August 1 , 2007

Commissioners Focus Spotlight on Bucks County Seniors During Bi-Monthly Meeting at Pennridge Senior Center
Preservation of Two Farms Lifts County Agricultural Program Total to 9,842 Acres

Silverdale Borough’s brand-new Pennridge Senior Center is a spacious, ornate recreational, dining and meeting facility that will serve Upper Bucks senior citizens with state-of-the-art programs for decades to come. This morning, it provided a most-appropriate setting for the bi-monthly meeting of the Bucks County Board of Commissioners.

During a wide-ranging agenda, Commissioners Charles H. Martin, chairman, James F. Cawley and Sandra A. Miller unanimously approved 27 contracts totaling more than $2.2 million for the Area Agency on Aging (AAA).

“These contracts underscore the commissioners’ support for the senior community,” county Acting Human Services Director Joe Funk told the board and an audience that included Nancy Keenan, one of the primary visionaries in the building of the Pennridge Senior Center.

The 27 contracts also showcased the breadth of choices that seniors have in service options, particularly with regard to adult day services. According to Funk, that diversity is intentional, as the county does not want to “dictate a particular care provider.” The multiple seniors’ choices range from Beelong Adult Education Day Centers in Huntington Valley, to Chandler Hall Health Services in Newtown, to LifeSpan Adult Day Care in Quakertown, to Senior Care Centers of PA in Trevose.

“This represents a $2.2 million commitment to seniors, and that’s not all of it,” county Chief Operating Officer David Sanko noted during his bi-weekly report.

According to Keenan, an integral member of county AAA Advisory Board, the county’s 13 senior centers “could not offer services without the commissioners.” Thanking the board, which provides approximately $100,000 in operating assistance (including meals served both at the Pennridge Senior Center and in area homes), she said the commissioners continue to “make a difference.”

In addition to the AAA contracts, the commissioners also unanimously approved contracts for 14 other departments, including the Agricultural Preservation acquisition of the 136-acre Henry L. and Charlotte Rosenberger farm in Hilltown Twp., and the 32-acre Robert E. Bartholomew farm in Plumstead Twp. The two farms raise the county total to 107 agricultural preservation acquisitions since 1989 – while keeping the county squarely on track to reach a goal of 10,000 preserved acres during 2007. The current acreage total stands at 9,842, according to county Agricultural Preservation Director Rich Harvey.

Also noteworthy was a $42,000 one-year contract with the District Attorney’s office with the Jamison-based Network of Victims Assistance to provide project coordination and training related to the Older Adults Crimes Task Force. The commissioners are deeply committed to providing assistance to senior outreach-related programs.

The meeting also featured three proclamations (recognizing the Center for Independent Living of Bucks County Week; Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children; and Child Support Enforcement Month) and one very poignant commendation letter, which was presented to Danboro’s John Jameson in recognition of his selection as 2007 Legionnaire Scouter of the Year.

Pictured: Top--Commissioner Martin, Commissioner Cawley, Jennifer Alivernini, Ginny Florentine, Joanne Beltz, Emily Yaskowski and Commissioner Miller, with a Proclamation for the Center of Independent Living of Bucks County Week. Middle Top--Commissioner Martin, Commissioner Cawley, Stacey Jacobs, Stacey Mulholland and Commissioner Miller, with a Proclamation for Family Day-A Day to Eat Dinner with your Family. Middle Bottom--Commissioner Martin, Tom Stoehr, Deputy Director of Domestic Relations, Laura LoBianco, Director of Bucks County Domestic Relations, Commissioner Cawley and Commissioner Miller, with a Proclamation for Child Support Enforcement Month. Bottom--Ray Jameson, Alexandra, Madelynne and Jack Jameson and Commissioners Cawley, Miller and Martin, with a Commendation for being awarded 2007 Legionnaire Scouter of the Year.