Newbury COA Advances Senior Van Service for Town Meeting, Flags Legal Questions

NEWBURY — June 8, 2026 — Newbury's Council on Aging voted unanimously June 8 to advance a plan offering the COA's 14-passenger accessible van for senior residents to attend town meetings and elections, while directing staff to first resolve open questions about insurance coverage and election-law obligations. Chair Jerry Mayer said discussions with the Select Board Chair on building-funding pathways are continuing after a town meeting appropriation failed by a narrow margin, with possible interim money for engineering work at the site. COA Director Cindy Currier reported a full summer calendar including a free hearing clinic from New England Hearing Care on June 25, beginner pickleball classes starting June 9, and a June 29 virtual presentation on the Declaration of Independence tied to the nation's 250th anniversary. The board also discussed developing a multi-session elder-law education series targeting both seniors and their adult children, potentially in partnership with the Newbury Public Library, with no presenter yet identified. The next meeting is set for July 20 at 9 a.m.