New Rules Taint New Senior Center:

Senior Center Attendees will all say the new Senior Center is Beautiful. Then they will say, the way it is managed is driving them to attend lunch and other activities at neighboring Senior Centers. They were ready to welcome new members. However, the new building and new level of Management of their space and activities is driving prior participating seniors away in a steady trickle.

The Seniors used to have control of the operations and use of their center in the past and now there are rules. No Children, No Sale of Used Items to raise funds. No Decorations. Add that to the No, No, No, No for the use of the Petta Park...

The Garden Space being for Senior Housing Residents ONLY also limits the "PUBLIC OPEN SPACE USE" and inclusiveness of the Senior Center. "Not for Seniors Only" was their slogan in the past. Well behaved young adults could participate in special nights and programs. BUT, now there is a sign NO CHILDREN ALLOWED... so that ALL Children are EXCLUDED from the Building. One has to ask will this include the High School Choir or Groups from Terrace View, or Terrace Hills? Aren't they "Children? These conditions or Rules may violate the requirements of the use of Redevelopment Funds and the General Plan.

The loss of the "Regulars" will be replaced by the residents of the Housing Complex so the "Need" for services will not be diminished. However, the alleged purpose of providing "Our Seniors" with an improved level of service has failed. GT Seniors are being effectively driven out by the "New Management Rules" over the building they now are not in charge of.

Well, this too was projected.... yet another example of how smaller was better. Smaller did not have a big long term debt to pay back either.

Mayor Marrietta Ferre has her Show Place of a Senior Center and another Park Built to Look at but not be used, and a boat load of No No No No No rules to dictate to the Public, Children and Seniors in the community. This is supported by the Management of the Complex and unless the Mayor and Council directs the "Management" to reform these restrictions will persists. GT Citizens are paying for a Private Park and Private Senior Center and Private Housing... and WE are welcome to Run OUR Senior CENTER as we did in the past. Former City Manager / Redevelopment Agency Director Tom Schwab has delivered a disservice to the Seniors of Grand Terrace he used to support the Housing and New Center... He has delivered a long term debt to be paid of by the taxpayers of Grand Terrace.

The Seniors Have Figured it out... They were USED...

Highgrove, Colton, Loma Linda, and Redlands Senior Centers welcome our seniors and provide food give aways and other services precluded or not offered at the Grand Terrace Senior Center.

Truth is the Current Management of the Building does not care if the Old GT Seniors Leave the City to go to other Senior Centers... all the better they gain more control.

This is the same management that contributed to the GT Days while they had decisions in front of the Planning Commission and City Council.

Unless the "Management" changes the "New Senior Center" will be the Blue Mt. Villas Lunch Room, and the GT Seniors will have gone to other communities. Management should be turned over the the Senior Citizens as it was in the Past.