COMMERCE CITY ­— The word from Commerce City senior citizens was rather clear July 18.
    Four committees that have been studying program participation told city council attendance is improving, and they want to see more numbers in their programs.
    The Senior Focus Group  started meeting in March. Its members have been surveying senior participations on needs, interests, concerns and suggestions.
    “We’re reaching them, but we have a long ways to go,” said Sandy Carruthers, who spoke on behalf of the outreach committee. “Our No. 1 outreach priority is to increase the 62 and over participants to maintain a sustained core population. We need to develop an organized, targeted outreach effort.”
    Carruthers said the senior center was “one of the best examples of a grassroots effort,” one that started before the new recreation center opened in 1987.
    “If those people were 55 then, they’ve aged,” she said. “There’s been a failure to keep getting new seniors and older adults involved. We baby boomers are hitting the market fast. I’ve seen improvements, and we’ve started to make some growth. We can’t afford to have our senior center die.”
    Carruthers wasn’t the only one to speak to council. Beth Scott talked about sprucing up the existing center with such things as space for a lounge, a library/television area and furniture.
    “We need single chairs instead of couches,” she said. “Believe me. One little old lady sits on a couch. She doesn’t want another little old lady sitting alongside.”
    Thelma Cole, representing the program committee, talked about changes to the senior center’s news letter and how proceeds are used from the center’s gift shop.
    “The money you get goes to a friendship fund, which is for anyone to use who wants to go on a trip and can’t afford it,” she said.
    The health and wellness committee representative was George Maxey. He talked about generating ideas to increase vendor participation in future fitness fairs and making health and wellness more fun.
    “We visited other senior centers to study their programs and collecting other brochures for assessment,” he said. “There is no duplication of services between those centers and the senior center. The commonality of the centers was to provide, within budget availability, equipment, staff, volunteers, programs and services – the most effective health and wellness benefits for their citizens.”
    One by one, members of council praised the work of the committees and hoped they could be scheduled regularly on future council agendas for progress reports. Mayor Paul Natale suggested the same arrangement be made for other city groups and task forces.
    “Our senior population is going to do nothing but grow,” Councilman Jason McEldowney said. “If we can see this kind of regular update, staff is going to be able to hear what your needs are. It makes it better for everybody.”
    “I have seen positive changes at the senior center lately,” Carruthers said. “I have a concern. I want to make sure we see positive change and not just minor, short-term. We did have a storm a while back. That calmed down, and progress is being made. But we need to be ever-vigilant. We need some direct communication to the city council.”