Community effort improves community room at Senior Center
By Sarah Freedman Contributing Writer

Marlborough - The Marlborough Senior Center opened its doors to a new and improved community room Oct. 17, with Mayor Nancy Stevens and Marlborough Rotary Club President Marilyn Perry cutting the ribbon.

Emily Greenwood, the owner of EKG Networking and former president of the Marlborough Rotary Club, said the renovation was a project a few years in the making.

"I decided to get it finished in my year [as president]," Greenwood said.

The project is just one example of when the Rotary works successfully to aid the community, she added.

Greenwood, who is a longtime member of the Rotary, said her role at EKG Networking, a computer consumer firm, helped her get support from local businesses, such as Holland Woodworking.

She found that members of the Marlborough Legion, of the Rotary Club and of the Business Networking International (BNI) were happy to volunteer their time to complete the project.

Greenwood called the renovated room an "inviting" place where the seniors can do more activities, such as yoga, card games, mahjongg, and take computer classes and dance lessons.

She added that the residents enjoy the greater accessibility.

"They seem to love it," she said.

According to Greenwood, the room has a window that looks out on the Common," new tables, chairs, desks, computers, air conditioning and a fresh coat of paint.

In addition, she hopes to add to the functionality of the area with new ideas for activities and accessibility.

Overall, she said the room is a big improvement because it has a homier feel to it.

"It is just a warm and inviting environment for them," Greenwood said.

Amy Loveless, the executive director of the Council on Aging, said the renovation was done "to make it much more user-friendly."

Prior to the renovation, Loveless said, it was much more of a hassle to have activities there. The room was not set up to switch easily from one activity to another.

And, since the seniors depend on the community room as their main space for activities, the new renovation was "really vital."

The air conditioning was a major part of the renovation, Loveless added. Since there will no longer be an issue with the summer heat, the seniors can participate in activities longer and get more enjoyment out of what they are doing.

Loveless called the area "much more appealing" and said the renovation "maximizes the actual space."

She also credited Greenwood for getting the project completed.

"[She was] definitely a mover and a shaker [in the project]," Loveless said, as well as in the community.

Ultimately, Greenwood said the room was more than just a renovation project for the Senior Center.

"It was a huge community effort," she said.