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Thursday, November 19, 1986, p. 9.

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Community Center reaches
to overcome money woes

By TOM RUE

CALLICOON - A compromise reached by the Delaware Community Center (DCC) board of directors and representatives of the Delaware Valley Senior Citizens Association will allow the seniors continued year-round use of the center's main hall by that group. The board met on October 12th in Callicoon with 19 community members in a meeting announced in the press as a public forum.

The meeting was postponed from October 10th, due to weather conditions. All nine members of the DCC board were present and approved the compromise.

Despite voting to close Herman Hall from December 1st to April 1st, "except for presently scheduled special events," the board offered senior citizens continued use of the building, but with several conditions. First, the seniors would pay $100 per meeting, plus $1 per head when meetings number more than 100.

Also, the seniors were asked to appoint a delegate to represent their group's interests at board meetings, and to be responsible for leaving the premises secure, clean, and turned off. The seniors meet at the hall three to four times per month, according to DCC secretary Joyce Sykes of Callicoon.

Reasons for the winter closing include financial pressures and caretakers wintering in Florida, said DCC president Tom Rue of Milanville. In addition to the winter closing, the board approved an amendment to its by-laws stating: "Hermann Hall shall be open for use by any community group or organization for any purpose not prohibited by law, subject to a fee schedule to be established and periodically revised by and in the discretion of the board of directors.

Seniors president Carl Abbe of Manchester Township said he would need to meet with his group's executive board before announcing whether they can accept the proposed new terms. In the past, the Town of Delaware has given the center $1000 per year as space rental for the seniors.

Another group which has used the hall in past winters is a parents' cooperative called Playgroup. They have arranged for smaller quarters elsewhere in Callicoon, according to Playgroup parent Christina Maloney of Callicoon.

Board members noted that while they are unhappy about the temporary closing, it was necessary to allow the continued functioning of the nonprofit corporation which owns and runs the center.

When the present board took office in April 1986, the center was on the verge of bankruptcy and closing entirely, recalled DCC treasurer Barry Schuchman of Damascus.

In a related matter, Rue noted that the center has not yet received word from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) regarding acceptance of DCC's request for $275 per month rent for the Delaware River fishing access at Callicoon, which is owned by the center. The present rent-free agreement expires in February. The access is administered under a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service.

Financial contributions may be mailed to: Delaware Community Center, PO Box 354, Callicoon, NY 12723