Disturbed by treatment of county's seniors

I was deeply disturbed after reading the write up in recent newspapers the Lapps’ proposal that the Flathead County Commissioners sign a two-year lease on the Red Barn that the Lapps own and have been renting to the Agency on Aging.

The county has already paid them over the past 11 years a half million dollars in rent and another $75,000 to make the building even “functional.” Now the Lapps want a two-year lease for putting snow dams on the roof because the AOA requested them for safety purposes.

I know that the Whitefish Community Center (the senior center) in Whitefish just had snow dams put on over two entrances, and it only cost them a $100. So why is there such a rush to make them sign a two-year lease and be stuck in that non-functional building any longer?

The present arrangement is a month-to-month rental of about $5,000, but now they want to put the AOA in a two-year lease when just recently another option for housing the AOA was presented to the commissioners by Dr. Shane Hill. Why the rush?

Today, I attended an RSVP committee meeting at the Red Barn, and due to the office where we were to meet being so small, we had to move to the dining area where the seniors sit to have lunch.

In the middle of the meeting, I asked if the noise from machines running was always that loud since it was very difficult to even hear the lady sitting right across the table from me, and they said, yes.

Inside, I felt tears of sadness that our seniors have been treated like second rate citizens having to meet in such pathetic surroundings for the past 11 years and not even able to carry on a decent conversation nor enjoy fellowship with each other while having lunch.

The building is totally an undesirable place for the offices and senior meal program, yet the Lapps now want a two-year lease!. I would also like to mention that it is very difficult for anyone in a wheelchair or using a walker to move around in such a small area. And this is a place for seniors.

A recent newspaper article presented a ray of hope for the seniors when Dr. Shane Hill, who has a  heart for seniors, offered to rent with the option to buy, or sell, the former furniture building on U.S. 93 to the county.

What a perfectly designed building for the AOA. It would take very little work on the inside to make it serviceable for the AOA, and they could probably be in the building in a short period of time, and pay him rent until the county could purchase the building. It only makes good sense. But now, the Lapps want the commissioners to sign a two-year lease on their building that is not functional for the senior services.

So commissioners, why not do the right thing for the senior population and get them out of the Red Barn and into a well built decent building that Dr. Hill has offered that will be a warm and friendly atmosphere for our very deserving seniors?

Marianne Dyon lives in Whitefish.