William M. Voigt, executive director of the Jefferson County Office of Senior Citizens Services, eyes a mounted TV screen as he tries his hand at Wii bowling Monday at the Kimberly Senior Center. Behind him is Roy Mansell of Morris and Larry Bridges.

By Melanie Patterson

The North Jefferson News



Jody Newman deemed the opening day of the Kimberly Senior Citizen a hit.

On Monday, about 15 seniors gathered for the first official day that the center was in operation.

Newman, the center’s director, was thrilled to see men and women singing karaoke Elvis tunes and learning to play Wii, the newest electronic game that keeps players on their feet and moving.

“I wasn’t sure anybody would come,” said Newman Monday morning. “They have come. They are participating. I’m so excited.”

The ribbon-cutting for the center is today at 9 a.m.

Jefferson County Commission President Bettye Fine Collins is scheduled to speak, along with Dr. Horace Huntley, chief of staff for Jefferson County commissioner of Health and Human Services George Bowman.

Health and Human Services heads up the Office of Senior Citizens Services (OSCS), which oversees senior centers in Jefferson County.

Also scheduled to attend today’s ceremony is Kimberly Mayor Sammie Maze; Dr. Fredrick Hamilton, Office of Community Development; William M. Voigt, executive director of OSCS; OSCS nutrition coordinator Eloise Staples and others.

Voigt made an appearance at Monday’s grand opening, where he tried his hand at the Wii bowling game. Voigt said he hopes to see a crowd there today for the ribbon cutting.

The Kimberly Senior Center will be the thirty-sixth senior center in Jefferson County, according to an OSCS press release.

Guests for today’s event can expect bluegrass music, clogging by Valerie Childers and a reception after the speeches and ribbon-cutting.

Several events have led up to today’s ribbon-cutting, including a well-attended pot luck supper at the center on Thursday. Newman said it was so crowded that people had to park at the post office down the street.

There was also a yard sale Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Kimberly Community Center that netted almost $2,000 for the senior center.

For the first day of business on Monday, Larry Bridges, who heads up the electronics department at Wal-Mart, donated his time to set up a TV, Wii game system and karaoke equipment at the senior center.

Bridges also stayed for several hours to teach the seniors how to use the equipment.

The Kimberly Senior Center is located at 8013 Warrior-Kimberly Road. For more information, call the center at 647-9154.