COOK – The fate of the senior meals program here depends on the public, according to Harlan Tardy, executive director of the Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency.

“If you want this site, we have to work hard to keep it — that’s the bottom line,” Tardy told those attending a meeting on Monday at the Pioneer Building. “If you want to take shots, ruin the site and don’t patronize it, I can tell you what is going to happen. It’s going to go away.”

Monday’s meeting was prompted by frustration over the termination of cook Sue Dickson, who had served as the site’s cook for nine years before being fired on June 27. Assistant cook Kim Brunner and longtime volunteer Clara Gustafson both quit in protest after Dickson was fired, as did volunteer Dick Edblom, who helped deliver meals to seniors.

In an interview with the Timberjay on Friday, Dickson and Brunner said Dickson faced criticism for making too much food on a couple of occasions and for not following other rules to the letter.

“We got in trouble because we had silverware set at the tables instead of having seniors pick up their eating utensils when they got their food,” Dickson said. But she defended that practice, saying some seniors use walkers or have medical conditions such as Parkinson’s that make it difficult for them to carry silverware to their tables.

She was also cited for having bar soap instead of liquid soap in the bathrooms. Dickson said the building’s management purchases the soap. Kathie Irish, assistant director for the AEOA’s Senior Services Department and Dickson’s supervisor, sometimes tossed out the bar soap when she discovered it in the bathroom, said Dickson. Dickson later purchased liquid soap for use by the kitchen staff.

Dickson also noted that AEOA did not provide coffee for seniors, but offered only water or milk. She purchased coffee filters with her own money while a senior donated coffee for the meals.

Dickson and Brunner also provided snacks or treats for seniors out of their own pockets.

Tardy acknowledged the issues, but said they were “trivial” matters and didn’t play a part in the decision to terminate Dickson as cook. He also agreed that some of the rules for the nutrition program were “ridiculous.” He said AEOA pushed back on those issues, but had to abide by the rules in place or funding would be jeopardized.

Tardy said he could not discuss personnel issues with the public, but said the problems with Dickson were significant enough to proceed with her termination.

Firing questioned

But many of those attending Monday’s meeting remained unconvinced that Dickson’s termination was warranted.

According to Dickson, she had never failed a health inspection in her nine years and seniors were satisfied with the meals they received. In addition, AEOA had sent her to advanced training at a cost of $400 prior to terminating her for problems that officials said had persisted for months.

Larry Gustafson, who spoke on behalf of his 93-year-old mother, Clara, questioned the AEOA’s decision to bill her for meals even though she volunteered countless hours to the senior nutrition program.

Gustafson noted his mother had been eating free beforehand but suddenly was being billed for meals.

Marilyn Ocepek, director of Senior Services for the AEOA, said the program can not afford to provide free meals to volunteers. She later added that Gustafson had the option of foregoing the $4 donation for her meal just like any other senior who decided they could not afford to pay for the meal. But her name had to be included on AEOA’s list to qualify for federal reimbursement for the meals.

Gustafason also noted that the AEOA had gone through a series of other cooks before Dickson, who had been with the program the longest since it was initiated.

Several others spoke in favor of reinstating Dickson as cook at the site, but Tardy was adamant that Dickson would not be rehired.

According to Ocepek, the site served an average of 40 meals a day for the first six months of 2014. The figure includes meals that were frozen and delivered to Orr.

Ruth Jacobsen estimated that more than 700 meals were prepared each month, while Dickson pegged the number at more than 800, saying a high of 880 meals had been prepared in April.

Ocepek said 40 meals a day for a site with two senior housing units nearby was low and AEOA members asked what they could do to encourage more seniors to eat the meals.

One of the problems cited at the meeting was the need to phone a day in advance if you planned to have the meal. Previously, the AEOA allowed people to make reservations until 9 a.m. that morning.

Ocepek said the reservation system helps the cook plan better and not have wasted food. She said the organization operates on a tight budget with $3.1 million available in federal and state funds and meal fees for operating 43 sites across seven counties. Tardy said the program can not even afford to pay mileage for volunteers who deliver meals to homebound seniors.

Even so, Ocepek said if enough food is available, seniors without reservations may still obtain a meal.

Edblom noted that there was no waste at the Cook site, because many of the meals were frozen for delivery to Orr, but Ocepek noted that not all meals could be frozen.

Several also complained that the AEOA had billed them for meals they never ate or charged them more than they owed. Don Lettow was among the latter, saying he had written the AEOA about the problem, but the agency had not responded.

AEOA officials said the mistakes could have occurred at the Cook site or AEOA office, and apologized for the errors.

Donna Ruhl, who helped to initiate Monday’s meeting, expressed her disappointment with how the AEOA had handled Dickson’s termination, as did others who lamented the disruption in the meal service following Dickson’s firing.

Paul Carlson, assistant executive director for the AEOA, said the agency had backup plans but they fell through, temporarily interrupting service.

The initial plan had been to have the assistant cook and kitchen volunteer provide the meals, but when they quit, the AEOA had to scramble for another solution.

AEOA looked at contracting with the Cook Hospital and the Montana Café to provide meals for seniors, but both were unable to accommodate the service.

Ocepek said a new cook has since been hired and meal service has been restored to the Orr area, as well. She said the current numbers do not justify adding an assistant cook, but that could change if more seniors start using the service.

Tardy again stressed the program’s future will be determined by those using it. “If you boycott the service, it will be gone,” he warned those at Monday’s meeting.