A Cold Reality for Seniors

The Sentinel and Enterprise reported this weekend that the Senior Center is closed on Fridays -- and the main hall is closed all winter -- due to heating costs (Sentinel homepage).

This, of course, is bad news, and further proof that the budget situation is not good, not good at all. Senior centers are often one of those city departments that get budgeted for just enough to get by, and things like higher-than-expected heating costs can cause big problems. The fact that there's no financial backup is well-established and means seniors are losing their Fridays at the center.

A senior center is probably more a luxury than a necessity, but it's a luxury that a good, strong, community should be able to provide its residents. That Fitchburg can't do that five days a week is not a source of community pride.

We get the feeling this won't be the last cutback made in city services over the next six months. There's still half the budgetary year to go, and no help in sight.

So, what's the answer? We don't want to hear "override," and someone needs to make a convincing argument that state funding is at least a 50-50 proposition. Anyone have any ideas, because it seems like options are few and far between.