CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – The Clearlake Oaks community on Friday celebrated the official ribbon cutting of the Live Oak Senior Center.
While the center opened its doors to seniors in April after six months of construction, Friday was the day for officials and town residents to gather to share in the process of dedicating the spacious new building.
On hand were District 2 Supervisor Jeff Smith and District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing; county administrative staffers, among them County Administrative Officer Matt Perry and Eric Seely, deputy county administrative officer for special projects, who worked on the new center; retired County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox; and Pastor John Pavoni of the Clearlake Oaks United Methodist Community Church, located next door.
The $1.5-million, 4,000-square-foot building sits on the Clearlake Oaks Plaza, a revitalized area that features public park space.
Initial design was done by Thompson and Hendricks Inc., with Ruzicka and Associates doing the design update and Chico-based Randy Hill Construction Inc. building the center.
Rushing said the process to build the new facility was many years in the making.
She credited Cox and Perry for their efforts to make the project a reality.
“This has been a tremendous effort on all parts,” said Rushing.
She also acknowledged the efforts of the Methodist Church next door as well as the energy and support of center Executive Director Pat Grabham, who postponed her retirement in order to see the project through.
“This community put its heart into creating a new plaza and a new place to gather,” Rushing said.
Grabham told the group, “It's been a community effort.”
She said that the center's new large screen television and sound system were donated by the Clearlake Oaks-Glenhaven Business Association. That group, said Grabham, has been a continuous supporter of the center, as has Cox.
After the group gathered in front of the center doors and Grabham cut the ceremonial red ribbon, she showed off the center's kitchen and offices.
She told Lake County News that the center has a computer club that meets there, and also will serve as a cooling center during the hot summer months.
The center is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., said Grabham, who noted that many seniors like to come in the morning for coffee and to visit, and then stay for lunch and more socializing, which she said is important for seniors.
“It's such a beautiful center,” said Grabham. “I think the seniors really enjoy coming.”
The center offers a shuttle for seniors to come in to have lunch on weekdays. Grabham said they are serving approximately 90 people a day, five days a week, at the center, in addition to offering more than 30 additional daily meals through Meals on Wheels.
“None of this could happen without my volunteers,” said Grabham, noting that her dedicated group of volunteers numbers 35.
“We just have a great crew,” she added.
With the center now completed, Grabham – who has been the executive director for 17 years – said she's not going to put off her retirement much longer.
She said she's planning to leave her job at the center in the near future, but she added that she hasn't set a date for her retirement yet.
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