Sawmill senior citizens show their appreciation for Supervisor White
The Sawmill Senior Center expressed its appreciation to Supervisor for Apache County District II Tom M. White Jr. with a luncheon and gifts on April 25.
Agnes Bennett, the supervisor of the Sawmill Senior Center, said that the senior citizens decided to hold an appreciation ceremony for Supervisor White to thank him for his valuable work in helping to bring equipment to the senior center, including a large screen television set and a van.
The van is used to transport senior citizens to the site and to deliver meals to some clients. It's also used to take senior citizens shopping, to the post office and to meetings when needed. The van was purchased a few years ago using the Transit Fund.
"We also get funding from the county which is strictly for senior citizens," Supervisor White said.
In addition to the equipment purchases for the center, Apache County District II also graveled the parking lot for the senior center and the chapter.
The senior citizens presented Supervisor White with a Pendleton chief blanket in appreciation of his leadership. They served large meals of mutton stew and ribs, beef brisket, blue corn mush, macaroni salad, cake and ice cream to the crowd of about 50. The words: "We appreciate your hard work Tom White from Senior Center," were written on the cake.
What made the celebration even more special is that it was the senior citizens themselves who volunteered to bring food, held fundraisers and donated the gifts presented to White.
"The elderly volunteered to bring food. We had a list going," Bennett said. "We did fundraising to buy the sheep. Everybody brought everything."
Supervisor White updated the senior citizens about recent activities of District II, including the clean up of Blue Canyon Road which is near the Sawmill Chapter.
"We took three dumptruck loads yesterday and still didn't get it all," Supervisor White said about the trash pick up on Blue Canyon Road. "I noticed that there was more trash so I asked the transport drivers to return with three more trucks today.
He also invited the senior citizens to the unveiling ceremony for the National Association of Counties (NACo) Prescription Discount Card Program to be held May 29 at the Apache County complex in Fort Defiance.
The program targets the underinsured with cards that offer an average savings of 20 percent on prescription drugs compared to regular retail prices. It will be available to residents of Apache County after May 29.
Following Supervisor White's remarks, several audience members spoke thanking him for spending time with them and for his work to bring in new equipment.
Tom M. White, Jr., is currently serving his third four-year term as Apache County Supervisor for District II. He is one of three supervisors serving Apache County as part of its governing body, the Board of Supervisors. Apache County covers over 7 million acres. The District II offices maintain 348.3 miles of road within the following chapters: Tsaile/Wheatfields, Sawmill, Fort Defiance, Red Lake/Crystal, Kinlichee, Cottonwood/Tselani, Steamboat, Lower Greasewood, Klagetoh, Wide Ruins, Houck, Nazlini, Ganado and Cornfields.
Supervisor White currently serves as the chairperson of the Northern Arizona Council of Governments Regional Council, which is comprised of officials from various governmental entities from four counties of northern Arizona, including Apache, Coconino, Navajo and Yavapai counties. White is the first Native American to be elected to the chairmanship.
As a county official, Supervisor White was appointed to the National Association of Counties Board of Directors by that organization's president Colleen Landkameer. In fact, he is the only Native American who sits on the national board, which he has been serving on for nine years.
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