Letter: senior center

Although Ms. Evascovic should not have spoken on a subject in which she had no knowledge, your newspaper reporter should have checked the story on the Yerington Senior Center with someone who had proper knowledge of what went on at the senior center.

Before making my request to the commissioners, I stated my name and my position at the center. I am listed in the phone book and would have been very happy to answer any and all questions on the matter.

First, the center is open from 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m. most days and sometimes later. We provide to the community, not just seniors, space for a Social Security consultant, an attorney who helps seniors and those who could not otherwise afford an attorney on civil matters, cancer screening, eye screening and flu shots.

We also have bridge, canasta, cribbage and pinochle card games and tournaments and two pool tables which get plenty of use. We have exercise groups which meet twice weekly and furnish trips to Reno and Carson City for doctor appointments.

Candidates for public office and incumbents have used our facilities. A veterans group uses our facilities for their meetings. In short, we are anything but a 12-1 p.m. group.

Secondly, we believe strongly in local control. The employees we have are responsible to an elected board of directors. Had Carson City had such a system, there would have been no blowup. There is no financial benefit to the county for us to be part of the Silver and Gold.

Thirdly, I personally believe Ms. Evasovic has been aggressive in deducting items from our county grant. I do not believe the county deducts utility money from other centers and has charged us $900 for cleanup when a waterline broke, something the county carries insurance for.

KENNETH A. THOMPSON, President

Yerington Senior Center Board of Directors