By CHARLENE DEAN

PVT

On Friday, in a press release from Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., it was announced that a bill has been submitted that includes $200,000 toward a new senior center.

Nye County Commissioner Butch Borasky said he was responsible for adding the senior center to the list of requests submitted by commissioners. The difference is in the amount — Borasky asked for $1.2 million.

Robert Elliott, the Southern Nevada regional director for Sen. Harry Reid’s office, and his constituents from Washington, D.C., did not expect a full house and the media waiting for them to arrive at the Pahrump Senior Center Thursday.

Jim Gronemann, president of the Pahrump Senior Center board of directors, had done his homework after receiving an e-mail from Elliott, asking if a visit to the center was convenient.

“This senior center is old and outdated,” Gronemann said. “We no longer have space for the number of seniors who come here for meals, and we don’t have room for some of the activities we used to have. The ones we do have overlap each other, and the space isn’t adequate.”

Gronemann also said the kitchen is too small and outdated. The biggest concern with that facility is how many seniors can be accommodated with the Meals on Wheels program, a service provided to shut-ins.

Before the visit from Reid’s crew, Gronemann circulated a flyer asking for the seniors using the center to write letters to the senator asking for funds to build a new senior center and stating reasons why it was needed.

By the time Elliott, legislative director Dayle Lewis Cristinzio and policy advisor for agriculture Kasey Gillette had arrived, more than 30 letters had been placed into a folder.

The letters were given to Elliot after he briefly addressed the crowd gathered for lunch, saying Reid is concerned about seniors and that he would take the letters back to the Las Vegas office and present them to the senator.

Tom Brede, public relations liason for Reid’s office, wrote in a statement, “Due to limits in discretionary spending and the reductions in earmarks, it is impossible for Senator Reid to fund every request at the amount requested.

“Although this amount is lower than what was requested, he hopes that it can be paired with existing state or local funds to help begin the process of planning and building a new senior center. Sen. Reid will also consider attempting to secure additional federal funds in future years for this effort.”

In reaction to the difference in the submitted request to Reid’s office and the press release from Brede, Gronemann said, “We’ll take what we can get.”

SHIP volunteers

Medicare volunteers are needed to join other SHIP volunteers in helping senior beneficiaries by providing unbiased information to help make informed decisions and give information about programs to provide extra help.

Free training will be provided.

Call 702-486-3478 for more information.