Pleasanton Senior Center open house slated for Sunday, Aug. 25

This forlorn-looking building, a former café, on the corner of Sixth and Main streets in Pleasanton has been revived as the Pleasanton Senior Center. The center will have an open house on Sunday, Aug. 25, to show off the renovations. (Journal file photo)

By Charlene Sims, info@linncountyjournal.com

MOUND CITY – Nancy Gustin, the site manager of the Pleasanton Senior Center, thanked the commissioners on Monday, Aug. 19, for the new location for the senior center and told them that there would be a grand opening at the center on Sunday, Aug. 25, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Gustin said that refreshments would be served and there will be door prizes donated by the merchants in Pleasanton. She asked that someone come by and speak for the county. 

Commission Chair Danny McCullough said he could be there. 

“I think it is going to be a building that you guys are going to be really proud of,” said Gustin. “We want to say a special thank you to Shaun (West) and Mike (Shapel). They have really helped us in a lot of ways.”

West is the county public works administrator and Shapel does maintenance work for the county.

When the county determined last year that the former location at 201 East 13th Street was not a safe place for the senior center and the building continually needed heating and air conditioning repairs, the commission looked at several options, including using a part of the county health department building, the Pleasanton High School cafeteria and the Pleasanton Community Center. 

However, senior citizens who used the center were reluctant to leave the location that was convenient and familiar.

In April 2023, the commissioners the former Mee-Maws café building on the southeast corner of Sixth and Main streets in Pleasanton for a new home for the center.  They also put the old building up for sale.

While work has been done on the former restaurant to accommodate the new use, the United Methodist Church in Pleasanton has provided an area in their church for the senior citizens to eat while they were between buildings.

Southeast Technical Academy for Rural Students (STARS) did some of the remodeling of the building for the county. 

The new senior center opened for lunch on August 5.