Aging agency director: Cement, Geronimo centers may be next

The senior nutrition site landscape is changing rapidly, and the current wave of consolidation may not be the last, Lawtonians were told Friday.

Ken Jones, director of the Area Agency on Aging (AAA), was at the north Lawton nutrition site at the H.C. King Center to explain changes being made in the nutrition program to deal with continuing budget cuts. He's been on the road much of the time lately to talk to seniors and other interested people about changes in the works.

The north Lawton site is one of several that will no longer have its own kitchen staff under recommendations approved last week by the AAA executive advisory committee. Delta Community Action, which operates the meal service, also would be allowed to close kitchens at sites in Cache, Elgin and Cyril; they would be served from a central kitchen in the former American Legion post at the Medicine Park exit on Interstate 44.

Just to show how fast the landscape is changing, Jones said the Apache community  which would have been served by the Medicine Park kitchen under the Delta plan  has decided to forego state/federal nutrition funds and will become an independent center Nov. 1. There's also a possibility Cyril may opt out, he said.

A Delta plan to close the south Lawton site  which for years was at the Comanche County Fairgrounds until it moved to Centenary United Methodist Church  is on hold until the full AAA advisory board meets Oct. 9. The executive board did, however, recommend that funding be eliminated for the lightly used site in Randlett. All the recommendations will go to the full board for approval.

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