Senior center effort progresses.

Byline: Kathy Tamburri

CLINTON - It ain't over `til it's over. That may be the most apt expression to sum up the current wave of publicity regarding the potential fate of Clinton's American Legion post at 239 Chestnut St.

Citing the fact the old home of the James R. Kirby Post 50, Clinton, is "under agreement" but not yet sold, former Clinton resident Pete Tencati, now of Sacramento, Calif., has mounted a phone-call and letter-writing campaign to prevent the building's demolition and give it a new dual purpose for the town.

Tencati wants the Legion and the Clinton Council on Aging (COA) to come together to share and renovate the building, so it could become a combination of a Legion post and a new senior center.

However, current COA plans can't accommodate Tencati's proposal, according to COA Chairman Claire Agnitti.

According to minutes of the COA's Nov. 19 meeting, its members voted that day to disregard Tencati's proposal, on the advice of attorney Michael Ciota, of Fitchburg.

"He's (Ciota) helping us draw up our proposal (Request for Proposal, or RFP)" for a site on which to build a new senior center, Agnitti said Friday. Ciota could not be reached Monday before The Item went to press.

Agnitti said the COA has been "working diligently and very hard" in preparing two RFPs, with Ciota's help: one for a building site for the new senior center, and one for an architect. A COA meeting held Monday, after the Item's printing deadline, was to have members voting whether to approve the RFP for the building site and release it to be advertised per state regulations, Agnitti said.

Kathi Bailey, director of the Clinton Senior Center and the non-voting director of the COA, said Friday the RFP for a site should be "good to go on Monday.

"A committee will be appointed to select from the proposals received," Bailey continued.

Later, the RFP for the architect will be completed, Bailey said.

"The goal for the architect selection, as I understand it, is to make sure the architect has had experience with senior-friendly construction," she said. "The architect will need to be able to take into consideration the hearing, vision and physical limitations that seniors have.

Bailey said she could not comment on details of the Tencati proposal. She referred to a promise Tencati has made, to "remember the seniors in my family's final philanthropic act," regardless of what happens with his proposal or the new senior center.

Bailey said the senior center will mount...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT