$45,000 senior van delivered

by Larry Austin and Terry Duffy
Lewiston Porter Sentinel, June 17, 2006

Jim Ward, representing state Sen. George Maziarz, presents Jeanette Collesano, director of the Lewiston Senior Center, and former director Betty Zucco with a proclamation from the state Legislature honoring the center’s 25th anniversary of service to Lewiston. (photo by Larry Austin)

Celebrating a silver anniversary, patrons of the Lewiston Senior Center received a $45,000 birthday present Tuesday with the delivery of their new senior van.

“No birthday would be complete without a birthday present,” Town of Lewiston Supervisor Fred Newlin told the seniors, who packed the center on Lower River Road for an afternoon party. “And the timing has worked out terrific.”

Parked outside was the brand new senior van, which the town could afford thanks to funding from state Sen. George Maziarz. “Back when Betty Zucco was senior center director, Betty had written me a letter along with one from John Ceretto, who was liaison to the Senior Center,” said Maziarz. “(Highway Superintendent) Steve Reiter actually invited me out to take a look at the old van. Steve has actually been taping together that old van, mechanically.”

Reiter said the old van, which is only five years old, has well over 200,000 miles on it. “It gets an awful lot of use,” he added.

Shown with the Lewiston Senior Center’s new $45,000 van are Town Supervisor Fred Newlin, center director Jeanette Collesano, former director Betty Zucco and Niagara County Legislator John Ceretto. (photo by Larry Austin)

“Jeanette then contacted me and told me their No. 1 need was for a new van,” Maziarz said. The senator then went to work and secured state funding, leading to the delivery of the spanking brand-new 2006 Ford Super Duty van “with all the bells and whistles.”

It was delivered over the past month, painted with “Town of Lewiston” lettering and officially went into service last week. It was a focal point at the Senior Center’s 25th anniversary bash.

After the party, Newlin, Steve Reiter, and County Legislator John Ceretto showed off the new set of wheels.

“People are already calling it the Cadillac of vans,” Newlin said.

The gift comes at a high water mark of the center’s history. From its beginnings in a local church, to its temporary stays at town hall and the Lewiston-Porter Community Resource Center, the center has grown under directors Betty Zucco and Jeanette Collesano to assist hundreds of local seniors.

“The main reason people come here is to experience friendship and fellowship and cooperation, and it’s those values that help make Lewiston and this area so strong,” Newlin said.

In the above photo, (left to right) John Ceretto, a former Lewiston Town Board member, now 12th District Niagara County Legislator, joins with Sen. Maziarz, Highway Superintendent Reiter, and two highway department workers as the license plate is affixed on the new van. (photo by Terry Duffy)