The proposal for the Kearns Regional Community Center (which will cost the towns zero dollars and provide savings to Granby of $50,000 per year) continues to be well received. In the last month, the Steering Committee has started speaking publicly about the Community Center to churches, senior breakfasts, community dinners, councils on Aging, Celebrate Granby and people running for office in the region. The committee is continuing to reach out to groups of people in Granby, East Granby, Hartland, and Simsbury, to talk about what is being proposed and how to make sure it meets currently unmet needs while not duplicating existing efforts.
The project has only been possible due to the incredible commitment of so many—the building design, accessibility, plans for programming, logo, and more—all come from community members of Granby, East Granby, and Tariffville who have stepped forward to be a part of this project. If you would like to be involved or have questions about the project, the Steering Committee invites people to reach out through their Facebook page or email (kearnscommunitycenter@gmail.com).
The big change since the Steering Committee first shared their proposal publicly is that the proposal now includes operating the adult day care center in-house. Running it as a part of the community center, instead of contracting with another agency to provide the services, allows the Community Center to more meaningfully integrate adult day participants in the activities of the center while providing greater financial stability and keeping more money in the local economy.
As a small historical note, Frank M. Kearns brought the first youth center to Granby and was a staunch advocate for youth engagement and local agriculture.
Elliot Altomare is co-lead of the steering Committee for Kearns Community Center.