Suffolk News-Herald

Sheriff Raleigh H. Isaacs Sr. said his office, the Constitutional officers of Suffolk and Suffolk Parks & Recreation believe their &uot;Sixth Annual Senior Citizens Forum&uot; was a complete success this year with dozens of people from across the city attending the event last Wednesday. Isaacs said the event proved that Suffolk’s senior citizens are not just getting older, but that they are definitely getting better.

&uot;A little bit of knowledge and information goes a long way toward improving the quality of life,&uot; said Isaacs.

&uot;This forum was one of the most successful we’ve ever done in that we had people from so many agencies and they came armed with plenty of information for our seniors. We look forward to meeting with our seniors each year, and this year was especially well-attended. We are grateful to all those who helped make the event a success, and look forward to our seventh annual forum next year.&uot;

The sheriff said many of the seniors walked with door prizes contributed by local merchants including an outdoor gas cooker donated by AmeriGas of Suffolk. Bennett’s Creek Nursery donated 70 plants and 45 plants were donated by Lancaster Farms. Fresh Pride and Sheriff’s Deputy Tommy Salmon donated a ham each.

Lynnette Brugeman, director of tourism for the City of Suffolk, served as mistress of ceremonies for the event that was held at Birdsong Recreation Center. The luncheon was initiated to acquaint senior citizens with all the types of free services that are offered locally. They will also be asked to take part in discussions of future needs for the continuation and improvement of services they receive.

As they enjoyed a free luncheon, provided by the Sheriff’s Office, those attending welcomed people like Sean Miller, recreation superintendent for the city; and Alice Malborne, executive director of the Virginia Association of the Blind. Pam Alexander, outreach coordinator for Main Street Physicians, also addressed the senior citizens, and the Director of Marketing for Lake Prince Center, Angela Green, was also on hand to discuss the assisted living program benefits at that facility.

The committee members for this special event include Sheila Bailey of the City of Suffolk; Patti Ferguson, Eastern Oxygen & Medical Equipment Company; Gail Clements, Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia; Virginia Savage; Partnership for a Healthy Community – Obici Hospital; Bee Norris, Suffolk Task Force; and Bill Ward, Compassion Care.