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Seniors Approve Adult Daycare Center in Mock Senate Session

May 13, 2008 — A mock Senate session on St. Thomas Tuesday brought to light several issues facing senior citizens throughout the territory, including a lack of adequate transportation and funding needed to repair various assisted-living facilities in both districts.
Senior citizens from all three islands flooded the Earle B. Ottley Legislative Chambers early Tuesday morning to debate on a fictitious bill appropriating $10 million to the Department of Human Services for the construction of adult daycare centers on St. Thomas and St. Croix.
"This service provides participants with cognitive stimulation and socialization, as well as some medical care and assistance with activities of daily living," the bill stated.
The senior participants — each one representing a senator in the 27th Legislature — stood up in turn and supported the bill, using some of their own experiences to describe various conditions facing the territory's growing senior population.
"It's very important to have a facility like this for senior citizens, but we are also in need of buses that can accommodate us," said Claudia Willock, representing Sen. Ronald E. Russell. "Right now, the buses we have are too high — some of us got to crawl and pull to get in."
Mary John, representing Sen. Carlton "Ital" Dowe, said the bill should have provided for daycare facilities on all three islands.
"I'm 83 years old — I don't know what tomorrow will bring for me," she said. "I may be the first one in that facility. But this is important enough that we should not only provide for one island, but for all three."
John later sponsored an amendment that called for the St. Thomas center to be built on the site of the former Warren E. Brown Housing Community.
"It has a view, is close to the hospital and nursing students can come work there to gain experience or credit," she said. John's amendment, which also pumped the appropriation to Human Services up to $30 million, later failed, as other senior senators questioned where the money was going to come from.
Staying in character, John said that bonds floated by the government would serve as the funding source.
An adult daycare would help some residents — who leave their loved ones at home during the day to go to work or school — save money on home-care services, added Lucy Rodriquez, representing Senate President Usie R. Richards.
After several amendments, the bill passed unanimously, and Tuesday's session ended on a positive note, with remarks from both senior and sitting senators, along with a Mother's Day serenade from Sen. Celestino A. White Sr.
Before pounding the gavel to end the session, Rodriquez reminded residents in the gallery that "age is just a number," and that senior citizens deserve respect from younger members of the community.
"As people get older, the important thing is to age with dignity and respect," she said. "And we want everybody out there to respect the elderly and treat us just like everyone else."
Also participating in Tuesday's mock session were:
— Catherine Douglas, representing Sen. Shawn-Michael Malone;
— Kora Fredericks, representing Sen. James Weber III;
— Lola Richards, representing White;
— Henry Jackson, representing Sen. Carmen M. Wesselhoft;
— Clarisa Baptiste, representing Sen. Alvin L. Williams;
— Doris Smith, representing Sen. Basil Ottley Jr.;
— Gustavus Cass Connell, representing Sen. Louis P. Hill;
— Juliet Greaux, representing Sen. Liston Davis;
— Olive Oliver, representing Sen. Neville James;
— Cecille Serville, representing Sen. Norman Jn Baptiste;
— Robert Johnson, representing Sen. Juan Figueroa-Serville;
— Milton Henry, representing Sen. Terrence "Positive" Nelson;
— Selina Cannonier, replacing Albion Lambertis as sergeant of arms;
— Angelita Jennings as the legislative reporter;
— Elaine Millington as the legislative page;
— Rebecca Simon, who served as timekeeper during the session; and
— Adina Dore, who performed the opening invocation.
Tuesday's session was sponsored in conjunction with the Department of Human Services and is part of ongoing Senior Citizen's Month activities.
Senators present were Davis, Figueroa-Serville, Hill, Nelson, Richards, Weber, Wesselhoft, Williams and White.
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