Senior Center Suspends Services

The rain and harsh winter weather takes its toll on one local building, prompting the facility to suspend some of its services.

The roof at the Muskingum County Senior Center is more like a sieve. It’s hard not to notice or hear the drips of water filling up buckets and trash cans strewn throughout the facility.

The problem first became noticeable in November prompting the cancelation of the annual Fraternal Order of Police dinner.

“Our hope was to have the roof repaired. This is the worst possible time of year to do that and with the amount of participation and bad weather we’ve had this winter it’s certainly hasn’t been able to be accomplished as we had hoped,” said Executive Director Ann Combs.

Since November the leaks in the roof have become worse and now Combs said they’re suspending all activities and their dining room services until they can find an alternate location.

“We’re kicking around several ideas and trying to do so quickly being a new director it’s my charge to handle very quickly and I assure you that will be done, but I don’t have any firm answers at this time,” explained Combs.

Combs does stress that their homebound meal program will continue to service the seniors even with the building’s closure. There are plans in the works to build a new senior center in Muskingum County located near the Ohio University Zanesville/Zane State Campus.

A levy on the May 5th ballot needs to pass in order for the project to move forward. The planned campaign kick-off for a new facility was scheduled for Thursday and has been postponed until a future date.