Senior group urges county to preserve History Room for regular activities

A representative of the DeKalb County Senior Citizens told the DeKalb County Commission during public comment that the History Room in the county complex is used daily by older residents for exercise classes, social events and community meetings and asked the commission to support efforts to preserve the space.

The speaker — identified in the record only as a resident speaking on behalf of DeKalb County Senior Citizens — said the History Room hosts volleyball three days a week, a cardio upper-body drumming class on Tuesdays and a tai chi and yoga class on Thursdays. "The age range that we are currently serving is from age 62 to 99," the resident said. "The History Room is used every day by the DeKalb County Senior Citizens."

Those uses, the speaker said, extend beyond senior programming. In the past 12 months the room was used for weddings, bridal and baby showers, birthday parties, receptions, meetings of the DeKalb County Telephone Cooperative and as an auxiliary lunch area for band and chorus members on Veterans Day. The speaker also said the DeKalb County Board of Education has used the room for teacher in-service events and that the county commission has met there on a Thursday night.

The resident told the commission they understood that "Mr. Curtis is wanting to honor the history of the county" and suggested that Mr. Curtis be allowed to support the effort by helping form a DeKalb County Historical Society. "It is my personal opinion that Mr. Curtis would benefit greatly if he would allow a DeKalb County Historical Society to be formed to support him," the speaker said.

No formal action or vote on the History Room was recorded in the meeting transcript. The remarks occurred during the meeting's public comment period; the record shows 13 commissioners present during roll call.