New Van ‘A Gift From Above’

By Nancy K. Crevier

“Holy cow! This is gorgeous!” crowed Newtown Senior Center Director Marilyn Place, Thursday, August 18, as the newly purchased 16-passenger Ford E-450 rolled into the parking lot at the Riverside Road facility. The 2008 van was purchased from Matthews Buses, said Ms Place, with money from the Commission on Aging gift fund, and will replace the 1999 12-passenger vehicle donated nearly ten years ago by Ashlar of Newtown (now Masonicare of Newtown).

“That vehicle served us well, but we were really in need of a new one for a while now,” said Ms Place.

Ms Place was not the only one excited about the van, which will serve the members of the Senior Center for day trips around town and in the region.

“What will I miss about the old van?” asked center member Phyllis Fives. “Let’s see: the rain coming in through the roof, the mildew, the mold, the heat on my feet in 90 degree weather — I could go on,” she said, and did. “Will I miss sitting down and finding out that the seat is wet, the rust everywhere? This is heavenly,” Ms Fives said as she stood on the van’s top step and poked in her head.

Ms Place said that she was grateful to Hartford Area Regional Transport (HART) for telling her about Matthews Buses. “I had applied for a grant through HART that did not come to fruition, but they put us in touch with Matthews,” she said. The company had a van lease ending with Trinity College in Hartford at the time.

The opportunity to purchase the three-year-old van, with just 30,000 miles on it, for a bargain price of $22,000 was too good to pass up, she said.

“All of those bazaars, and fundraisers we have had, and donations we have received over the last 20 years to the gift fund made it possible for us to get this bus. The seniors deserve to have a van they can ride in without getting rained on,” Ms Place declared.

The van seats 16 passengers, or two wheelchairs and 14 passengers, and is equipped with an automatic lift. The roomier bus means that the seniors will be able in many cases to provide their own transportation to area theaters and events, rather than having to pay for an outside bus service, said Ms Place.

The van will be registered and officially on the road the week of August 22. Last Thursday, several of the members climbed aboard to inspect it. Sturdy, rust-free steps, greater headroom, the fresh scent, and clean, comfortable seats received rave reviews.

“I’ve waited, and I’ve prayed for this,” said Rose Lindmark. “It’s beautiful. I thought I’d die before we ever got a new bus,” she laughed.

“Thank you, to the Commission on Aging,” reiterated Ms Place. “This is a great gift to our seniors.”