Mike Beck brings smiles, jokes and, ah yes, pontoon rides to town's seniors

LAKEVILLE — Mike Beck is quick with a smile and a laugh — something his constituents have come to expect from the director of senior services for the town of Salisbury.

One recent afternoon after lunch with seniors at the Town Grove at Lakeville’s Lake Wononscopomuc, Beck spoke of the outings he and the seniors take on his department’s newly acquired pontoon boat — a donation from town resident Bill Pulver. One senior, Pearl Mansfield, said she’d like to go along and stick her toes in water.

“Pearl wants to jump in,� Beck chuckled. “We have to keep Pearl tethered.�

Beck, 54, revels in the company of others. He grew up outside Lansing, Mich., graduated from Central Michigan University and then traveled to the Northwest Corner, where he landed a summer job as a counselor at YMCA Camp Sloane in Lakeville.

“It seemed like a better idea than working in a factory in Michigan,� Beck said.

To his surprise, he turned it into a full-time gig and stayed there for 24 years, most recently as director of alumni affairs, before deciding to leave in 2006. While at Sloane, Beck also met his wife, Betsy, who is currently director of college advising at The Hotchkiss School.

“We were going in too many directions,� Beck said of the couple’s family of three children and his decision to leave Sloane. “It was a family slowdown.�

In his spare time, Beck is also a familiar face to young athletes, umpiring youth baseball in the Northwest Corner at all levels. But the Sharon resident pours the bulk of his professional passions into providing interesting and stimulating services to Salisbury’s senior citizens.

First and foremost, there are the lunches held at the Grove building every Monday through Thursday. The cost is only $3; interested seniors are asked to give Beck 24 hours notice so that he can make sure to have enough food on hand. But Beck was quick to add that, “We’re happy to take everybody.� On a typical day, there are about 20 diners. There are also jigsaw puzzles going all the time in the Grove building.

Then there are the potluck dinners, fishing outings on the pontoon boat and exercise classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In addition, Beck recently received training allowing him to advise seniors on taxes, Social Security and Medicare choices. He’s even an AARP-certified driving instructor.

“Basically, I’ve become an answer man,� he explained.

Beck is excited about the upcoming replacement of the old 1950s-era Grove building, which he described as “a retrofitted picnic pavilion,� with a more modern structure. Last year the town received a $750,000 grant from the state for construction of the new building. It’s not clear when construction will start but Beck described the project as “in the contracting stage.� The new structure itself will not be significantly larger, but “greener, more user-friendly and more efficient.�

Asked whether he enjoys his job, Beck replied without hesitation: “Are you kidding? These are great people!�

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