Senior citizens in the Hillsboro area will have a lot more elbow room when they visit the local senior center from now on. Thanks to the construction of a new cafeteria at the Hillsboro Elementary School, the Pocahontas County Board of Education was able to provide nearly the entire former school cafeteria space for an expanded senior center. The board granted a lease to Pocahontas County Senior Citizens for one dollar per year. A climate controlled storage area will continue to be used by both the school and the seniors.
The senior center formerly occupied just a small office area on the end of the cafeteria building. Hillsboro Site Director Lois Mamek said the space got very crowded when the center held a special event with good attendance. About 30 seniors regularly use the facility, but friends, family and seniors from other areas also visit during events. The center is now expanded to include a large dining / activity area and the cafeteria kitchen.
Last Friday, the senior center held an open house to celebrate the expansion. Members of the Board of Education, prominent local citizens and many others attended the event. Visitors enjoyed a variety of homemade delicacies, which filled a line of tables in the middle of the activity room. Hillsboro Elementary school children entertained the assembly with songs. Following their performances, the children were allowed to partake of the delicacies, which were plentiful.
Pocahontas County Senior Citizens, Inc., is a non-profit organization established in 1974 to enhance the lives of senior citizens in the county. The group provides a variety of recreational, educational and health-related services at three senior centers in Hillsboro, Marlinton and Green Bank. Persons age 60 or older are invited to low-cost lunches at the centers and the program also delivers meals to more than 80 homebound seniors. The Marlinton and Green Bank centers are open Monday through Friday. The Hillsboro center is open on Mondays and Wednesdays. For more information, call 304-799-6337.