At the Annual Breakfast on Saturday, June 29, we said good-bye to Ken Perry, who has served as our chef for two years. We also acknowledged the four people who were stepping down from the Board of Trustees. They are Cam Johnson, Tony Gatti, Ralph Ferguson and Dick Grondin. Ralph and Dick had been sharing a position.

The new trustees coming on board are Gail Burke, Cyndy Lewis, Arlene Polewarczyk and Rudi Rines. Gail and Cyndy will be sharing a position. The new officers are Carl Hewitt, chair; Earl Dighton, vice chair; Dale Wenners, treasurer; and Gail Burke and Cyndy Lewis will share the secretary’s duties.

Ellie Tracy, who is stepping aside as chair, will remain a trustee. In her report, Ellie said we have struggled through some difficult times but we still managed to accomplish many good and positive things. She said that the Senior Center is not going to die but rather grow and flourish over the coming years. She thanked everyone for their support and urged them to continue to support the new chairman.

The volunteer of the year was announced and it turned out to be me. I was indeed surprised and pleased to have that honor bestowed on me. I sent the following to all the trustees and now send it to all members and non-members:

“Now I hope you realize what you have done by making me volunteer of the year. That only encourages me to voice opinions, offer suggestions and be a general annoyance. I think that the Senior Center can be an even better place with more opportunities for people over 50.

“I encourage you all to follow along with Ellie’s recommendations and I encourage you to accept change, embrace change and set lofty goals for the coming year. The trustees traditionally appoint chairs to the various committees at the first meeting in July. I encourage you all to set the committees on the proper path and expect nothing less than results that exceed the set goals. I encourage the trustees to work with the new chair and the new chef and make the meal program a successful venture.”

The silent auction at the Annual Breakfast was a huge success. The Senior Center of Wiscasset recieved $520 from the auction. Thanks go to all the members who donated items for the auction and all the people who bid on the items.

Our new chef, Julie Bellefleur, starts this week. She is an energetic person living with her husband and daughter here in Wiscasset. Currently she operates a successful catering business, Bellefleur Bakery & Catering out of her home.

She intends to prepare meals at the Senior Center that are visually appealing, taste good and make for an enjoyable dining experience. She said that the smell of cooking and baking food should set the stage for a delightful dining experience as each person enters the dining room for a lunch or dinner.

There was only one Cribbage Tournament last week because of the holiday. Once again I was not at the cribbage tournament on Tuesday and I was unable to get the scores.

Meals for next week: Wednesday, July 17 – Dinner, Stuffed Shells and Meatballs.

Thursday, July 18 – Lunch, Italian Sandwiches. Call 207-882-8230 at least two days in advance for meal reservations.