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Cape senior center articles one-sided

August 8, 2014

Gazette there were two articles concerning a “members meeting” held July 30 at the Cape Henlopen Senior Center. The articles were an appalling, one-sided misinterpretation of the events surrounding the recent controversy.

Reporter Henry Evans noted in his article that the center has over 1,000 members. He failed to mention that the membership has soared to that number since the new director was hired.

He also failed to interview any of the hundreds of very satisfied members, even those in attendance - and there were many. Most of the membership had no idea that a meeting was even held because it was not announced in the center’s recent newsletter and there was no formal agenda. It appears to have been an illegal meeting in violation of nonprofit organization guidelines. It fact, it was just a gripe session for a group of unhappy, angry people who are upset because their once-private club has become a vibrant, exciting and well-run senior center.

In Cape Gazette reporter Chris Flood’s article, with the headline “Seniors: Center on wrong track” he reported that, “Members say…the center has changed for the worse and employee morale is at an all-time low.” But he failed to name names. Are these the same little cadre of people who have spent the summer sending out nasty, acrimonious, libelous and always anonymous letters and petitions?

As for employee morale - there seem to be two employees who are instigating most of the unrest. They are sisters and also friends of the employee who was fired after failing to respond to repeated warnings and counseling. Chris Flood should have noted this fact. These two insubordinate employees and their little gang of nasty activists should not be allowed to bring harm to the senior center.

The center’s director, Lesley Boehlert, is a charming, gracious and very professional woman who has done much to make the center come to life. Her detractors should be ashamed of themselves.

Enid S. Lagree
Rehoboth Beach

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