Election Day, Tuesday May 13  Polls will be open from 7am to 8pm  at Town Hall, 19 Washington Street.   In addition to elections for office, there are two ballot questions:

                     Question 1:  Shall the Town of Sherborn be allowed to exempt from the provisions of proposition two and one-half, so called, the amounts required to pay for any bond issued to fund the purchase of certain real property located adjacent to Town Hall at 23 Washington Street, Sherborn, Massachusetts?

                      Question 2:  The following is a non-binding question:  Shall the Town of Sherborn undertake the necessary steps including, if appropriate, the acquisition of real property, for the purpose of developing a senior center?

For more information, visit the Town of Sherborn website at http://www.sherbornma.org/ .

Volunteers! Volunteers! Volunteers!  What would we do without them?  Sherborn Council on Aging will be honoring volunteers' contributions to  Sherborn's seniors on Thursday, May 22 at the Sherborn Community Center.  Here are some of the jobs our devoted volunteers do:  Make SureLine calls to homebound seniors.  Provide transportation to Drop-In luncheons and COA/Town events. Get out the Sherborn Link.  Serve as members or associates on the COA Board.  Host Shared Sunday meals. Host "Afternoon at the Movies" for Woodhaven residents. Speak or perform at the weekly Drop-In Luncheons.

                       Meet our new Volunteer Coordinator, Ani Gigarjian  Ani says, "With more volunteers, we can do more.  We  need people with a variety of interests and abilities.  If you have even an hour on a weekly ro monthyly basis and are interested in becoming a COA volunteer, please call the COA office at 508-651-7858.

  Visually-Impaired Elders Program  Aging.  Who knew so much would happen when you became a "senior"?  Difficult decisions seem to constantly weigh on your mind and declining eyesight makes everything harder than it used to be.  Where to turn?

                      The Visually-Impaired Elders Program at MAB Community Services offers answers to your questions about living with vision loss.  Professionals can conduct a functional vision assessment; improve telephone dialing and message keeping; evaluate lighting and glare; show how to reduce clutter and modify appliances; identify dangerous situations in the home; provide information about vision loss and community resources; and make referrals to MAB's support groups, volunteer services, Braille and recording services.  Please call 617-926-4232 or 800-852-3029 ( MA only) for more information.

"File of Life" Emergency Access Information   The Council on Aging is working with the Police and Fire Departments to help update information useful to all organizations in care of emergency.   The COA office has the File of Life available to all seniors and family members.  This information should be kept in a place accessible to the Police or Fire Department in case of an emergency.  Information provided should include emergency contacts, nearest family members, medications taken and physician contact phone numbers.  Please call the COA office at 508-651-7859 to receive your File of Life or to provide information that will help the Police and Fire Department personnel help you in an emergency.

  Blood Pressure Clinic   The Natick Visiting Nurse Association will hold a Blood Pressure Clinic at 1:15pm on May 15, at Pilgrim Church.  This program is sponsored by the Sherborn Health Department.   Call the COA office at 508-651-7858 for more information about the clinic and the Drop-In program that precedes this clinic.   Volunteers will provide transportation for those who need rides.

  COA-Sponsored Legal Referrals  George Shea from Sherborn offers his professional legal services to help advise anyone in need.  Legal issues can be confusing and sometimes overwhelming, but all a person may need is to be pointed in the right direction.  George Shea is in the COA office on Mondays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  Call the COA at 508-651-7858 to schedule an appointment, or stop by the COA office on the lower level of Town Hall.

  Fuel Assistance   If you received fuel assistance last year, you already should have received your fuel application in the mail.    If you are applying for the first time this year, applications are now available at the COA office.  The Sherborn COA is the official intake site for all of the Sherborn Community.  Fuel assistance is not age-restricted. To discuss eligibility and benefits, or to get assistance with filling out forms, call Karen Juhl at 508-651-7858 to set up an appointment.  All interviews and applications are completely confidential.

  Free Firewood for Sherborn Seniors   The Sherborn Town Forest Committee has announced that it has started a program to convert dead fallen hardwood trees in Town Forest to firewood that will be offered free to senior residents and at modest cost to other Sherborn residents.  Committee Chair, Dave Killeen explained that this move is an effort to help residents offset rising fossil fuel bills, as well as to make public land more accessible and more protected from storm and fire damage.  A cord of seasoned red oak has the heating equivalent of around 150 gallons of #2 fuel oil.  Volunteers will gather, prepare, store and deliver wood.  Bob Ambos, the first volunteer, has a supply of wood that he will deliver to any senior who requests it.  Call COA to make a request for a wood delivery. 

  Veterans Benefits   Bob Ambos is Sherborn's Veteran Agent.  If you would like to set an appointment to discuss benefits, call 508-655-1045.

 JFK Transportation  Sherborn senior transportation assistance is provided by JFK Transportation. The service operates from 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.   Travel within Sherborn is one ticket each way.   Sherborn travel to and from Dover/Natick/Framingham/Medfield is 2 tickets each way.  Sherborn travel to and from Weston and Wellesley is 3 tickets each way.  Sherborn travel to and from Newton/Needham/Milford is 4 tickets each way.  Each ticket costs $3.00.  A 10-ticket punch card can be purchased for $30.00 from the COA by mail, or in person at the COA office at 19 Washington Street.  Call JFK Transportation at 508-653-4500 to arrange transportation.

                        Medical Rides to Boston  Special tickets are required for JFK rides to Boston.  These are available by mail or in person at the COA office at 19 Washington Street.  A one-way ride costs $20.00, and round-trip costs $40.00.  Call the COA office at 508-651-7858 for more information.

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  Haircutting Service for Seniors   If you are a senior who can't get out and about, Toni Richards will come to your home to cut your hair.  The charge for the service is $20.00.  Please call Toni directly at 508-785-1340 to set up an appointment.

  AAA Roadwise Review  The American Automobile Association has introduced a first-of-its-kind scientifically validated tool to help seniors screen their driving health.  Roadwise Review: A Tool to Help Seniors Drive Safely Longer is CD-ROM that you can run on your computer to assess the eight most important physical and mental abilities needed for safe driving.  The skills assessment provides feedback to guide the user's decisions when driving.  Copies of this CD can be borrowed from the COA office. Call 508-651-7858 to reserve a copy to borrow.