Panels Will Help Senior Center Make New Building Reality Open House Will Offer Occasion For Discussion

Thu., March 12, 1998

By Mike Prager mikeprager15@gmail.com (509) 459-5454

The Southside Senior Activity Center is getting help from more than two dozen prominent residents in its drive to build a new senior center building.

A 17-member advisory board was named this month to help the center reach its goal. It will be headed by Gordon Budke, a well-known business leader in Spokane.

Also, a separate task force has been appointed to oversee the design and construction of a new $1.8 million center.

Both groups will work with the center’s board of directors in planning the project. The center is tentatively eyeing a site near the water reservoirs on South Ray Street.

A fund-raising campaign will be held later this year.

The center has about 1,200 members. The organization is trying to expand its reach on the South Side so it can serve even more seniors ages 55 and older.

An open house is scheduled for April 18 from 1 to 4 p.m. to talk about plans for the new center. Two free Amtrak round-trip tickets on the Empire Builder are being given away as door prizes.

Myrna Johnson-Ross, director of the center, said the door prize is being offered to encourage a big turnout at the open house.

Members of the new advisory board include Budke, Birney Blair, King Cole, Carol Delehanty, Ed Ewell, Priscilla Gilkey, John Lothspeich, Spike Lynch, Jack O’Brien and Ric Odegard.

Other members include Wendell Satre, Dale Stedman, Ray Tomlinson, Carol Wendle, Mary Wilson, Steve Wuitschick and Carole Zuppe.

Stedman, who retired as chief executive and president of the Inland Automobile Association, will head the building/architectural task force.

Joining Stedman will be Bonnie Abernethy, Ernie Hicks, Don Hornbeck, Nick Ogden, Ron Sims, Bruce Walker and Bruce Winer.

Members of the senior center board who will serve on the building task force are Delehanty, Jack Stallcop and Don Woods.

The groups will move ahead with recommendations from a consulting firm hired by the senior center to help plan the project over the past year or more.

A new center would offer better facilities for classes, socializing and entertainment.

The current senior center is housed on two floors in the northwest corner of the Lincoln Heights Shopping Center at 2727 S. Mount Vernon.

, DataTimes

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