Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Community Services Center executive assistant Lourdes Terratas, left, and assistant senior services director Ememi Hernandez jot down suggestions from seniors during Thursday's public forum.
PORTALES - About a dozen local senior residents on Thursday met with Community Services Center staff members in Portales to discuss the needs of the local senior community.
Multiple requests had to do with accessibility, as Joyce Cox, one of CSC's foster grandparents, asked that more automatic door openers be located around town as seniors with walkers or canes can have trouble opening doors.
That led to discussion of the accessibility of the CSC meal site itself, leading to questions as to why the building's side door located closer to the meal site could no longer be used. Executive Director Michelle Madrid said that's due to safety issues.
"You have to remember, we have an adult daycare here and we are responsible for what people enter the building. At one time years ago some of you may remember, anyone could walk into any one of these doors and we had no clue who was coming in our building," Madrid said.
"And unfortunately with some of the workplace violence shootings going on and it's really close to home, that is why ... I know it created a little bit of a ruckus because people were a little upset, but it's for everybody's safety."
Portales resident Smokey Ball suggested that if all of the handicapped patrons of the meal site arrived at a set time, someone could hold open the door located closer to the meal site for the seniors.
Madrid said they cannot make that request of people and CSC does not have the man power to have a staff member stand by the door for the full 90 minutes the meal site serves lunch.
Ball had a pair of requests for improving the CSC: adding a salad bar and replacing the meal site floor. Ball said a salad bar has been requested by the local seniors for years and he noted the floor is worn down.
Executive assistant Lourdes Terratas said after the public forum that the meal site could potentially add a salad bar, but it all comes down to funding.
Ball said he appreciated the chance to offer his opinion and Terratas said the public forum was important in order to let the state know what are the needs in the community.
