Grand Opening Saturday, June 3, 2006, 11am at Hurlbutt South House - read all about it!!!  Nancy asks Jen to ask the Attorney General if they need a license to use this pair of scissors to cut the ribbon...

Weston Senior Activities Center Grand Opening Ceremony, Saturday, June 3, 2006, 11am

Weston Senior Center Director Jen Ruddy resigns
Weston FORUM
Written by Kimberly Donnelly
Wednesday, 10 August 2011 11:50

Jennifer Ruddy, who served as the town’s Senior Center director for nearly a decade, has resigned her position as of Friday, Aug. 12.

Ms. Ruddy tendered her resignation on Monday, Aug. 1. Her last day at the Senior Center was Wednesday, Aug. 3, due to a previously scheduled vacation this week and a one-day suspension that she served Thursday, Aug. 4. She was not normally scheduled to work on Fridays, when the Senior Center is closed.

“Please know this has been a tremendously difficult decision for me. It has been an honor to serve the seniors of Weston,” Ms. Ruddy wrote in her letter of resignation. “I am proud of what I have accomplished during my tenure here in Weston, particularly launching a physical location and a vast expansion of programs. However, most important to me was forging my relationship with seniors. My seniors mean the world to me and I will cherish the memories I have of the time we spent together.”

Ms. Ruddy concluded, “I wish the seniors of Weston and the Weston Senior Activities Center success in the future.”

“I want to thank Jen for her service to the town and our seniors,” said Weston First Selectman Gayle Weinstein.

Town Administrator Tom Landry said he and Ms. Weinstein “had some conversations” with Ms. Ruddy about her performance back in December 2010. “Some of those issues were still here in July, so we had another discussion. After that, she obviously thought about it and her decision was to resign,” Mr. Landry said.

Because it falls under employee confidentiality rules, Mr. Landry said he is not able to elaborate on the specific issues discussed with Ms. Ruddy.

Mr. Landry said Ms. Ruddy had been given a verbal warning, and a written warning before the one-day suspension was issued.

“I don’t think she ... agreed with all our assessments, but I felt we documented our position pretty well,” he said. “Several times over the last months, I offered to assist her or to give her additional assistance. She did not accept that.”

Mr. Landry said that while the disciplinary actions taken were “performance based,” Ms. Ruddy’s leaving the position was by no means a foregone conclusion. It’s always the hope that an employee will be able to turn things around when a problem is identified, he said.

“The easiest thing — easiest for me — is not for them to leave, it’s easiest for them to improve,” Mr. Landry said.

Despite the actions taken, Mr. Landry said he appreciates Ms. Ruddy’s rapport with the town’s seniors over the years.

“The seniors have always seemed very close to her. I don’t think it’s over the top to say they really love her. It’s been tough on them,” Mr. Landry said.

Ms. Weinstein said, “It’s a big change, but hopefully the changes will be for the positive in te long run.”
In good hands

While the Senior Center is now in transition, both Mr. Landry and Ms. Weinstein are confident it is in excellent hands.

Wendy Petty, who worked part time (only about six hours a week) as the volunteer coordinator for the Weston Social Services Department, has been hired as the interim Senior Center director.

She has been hired to work the same hours — 24 hours per week — at the same pay rate — $28.13/hour —as Ms. Ruddy had been working.

Ms. Petty will be working with Pam Wilson, who took over in June for Nancy McCormick as the Senior Center program coordinator.

This week, however, Ms. Wilson was away on a previously scheduled vacation. Christina Hillman was filling in for her.

“So far, everything is going really well,” Ms. Petty said this week. The center had been scheduled to be closed this week, so it’s been “a little slow,” she said, but that has been a blessing, enabling her to get situated and organized.

Ms. Petty began in the post on Monday, and by Tuesday, had already been putting together Wednesday’s senior lunch at Norfield Church, as well as figuring out some upcoming programs to include in a newsletter that she planned to print and send out by the end of the week.

Ms. Petty, who said she plans to apply for the permanent position, is excited to work with the library and other organizations in town to come up with some new and interesting programs for the town’s seniors.

Despite having closed for much of August in previous years, the Senior Center at Hurlbutt Elementary School is open this month for its regular hours: Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Senior lunches at Norfield Church take place on Wednesdays at noon.

Mr. Landry said he expects Ms. Petty and Ms. Wilson will work very well together and that the seniors will like them. “The two strike me as very similar in their approach and their attitudes toward the seniors. They are very approachable and very genuine,” he said.
Open positions

The open position at the Senior Center brings the number of town vacancies to three. In addition to the Senior Center director, the town is also looking to fill the administrative assistant to the building inspector and the assistant animal control officer posts.

The assistant animal control officer position has been open for awhile. The administrative assistant job opened up last week when Mary Gunshor moved from that post to take over as the Police Department secretary.

The town is advertising all of those positions in The Forum this week. They all fall under the town hall bargaining unit, which means they are supposed to be posted internally and open only to that union’s employees for 10 days, Mr. Landry said.

However, Mark Harper, president of the town hall union, delivered a letter to Mr. Landry waiving the 10-day waiting period so the town could advertise the positions immediately.

“We have a lot of people in town who are hurting and who need jobs. These could be a good opportunity for them,” Mr. Harper said.

First Selectman Woody Bliss welcomes the overflow crowd to the new Senior Activities Center at Hurlbutt South House
Superintendent of Schools would have been present but had to visit elderly relative in Florida - Chair. of Board of Education proudly represented Dr. Pierson in welcoming seniors and the Town to Hurlbutt Elementary South House!   President of the Seniors greets everyone and Woody especially...Woody reads the Town of Weston Proclamation making June "Senior Activities Center" month in Weston...


Always welcome in Weston, Attorney General of the State of Connecticut Richard Blumenthal is warmly greeted;  he says hello again to the familiar audience (he visits many times to discuss legal matters of interest to seniors).


Former Chairs. of the Commission for the Elderly Martha Diamond and Richard Miller look on pleased and proud...


As present Chair. of the Commission  Carlton Anderson sums up the work it took to get the Senior Activities Center to this point (thanks to all contributions of all kinds [click here to go to Program listing everyone involved])...


Senior Center Director reads off names of those especially to be thanked for this day...the new windows installed at Hurlbutt recently open to bring in the cool North light as cross ventilation makes it even nicer!  Ceiling lights make everything bright and the views out the wall of windows bring in lively School campus activity during the week!


THE WESTON SENIOR ACTIVITIES CENTER IS NOW OFFICIALLY...OPEN!!!  Left to right: 
Almost out of the picture, Nancy McCormick (Program Planning for the Center), Attorney General Blumenthal, First Selectman Woody Bliss, State Senator Judith G. Freedman and Senior Center Director Jen Ruddy together cut the ribbon!!!