50 years of Sinto

In the late 1950s when community organizing was gaining ground around the country, a small group of seniors on Spokane’s North Side got together to create one of the first senior centers in the state of Washington.

This Saturday, members of Sinto Senior Activity Center will gather for a dinner to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the center, 1124 W. Sinto Ave.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” said Marjorie E. Brunton, who worked as a volunteer at the center dating back to its opening.

Now 87, Brunton remembers the day in May 1958 when the center moved into the former Broadway Exchange building of the Bell Telephone Co. thanks to the generosity of the early members who donated money and goods. Brunton said that over the years she’s given the center a freezer, refrigerator, steam serving tables and a water fountain.

“I was happy. My heart was in it,” she said. “We would meet and we would all have such a lovely time.”

Dues in the early days were 50 cents a year and dinners were $1. Now, dues are $12 a year. Lunches are $3.50.

Membership peaked at about 700 in the 1970s, but still numbers about 600.

“We were kind of known as the dance center in the early days,” said Scott Niemeier, director of the center since 1990.

The members over the years would pony up money for live music three to four times a week. “I loved the dancing,” said Brunton, who helped organize the events for years.

To keep the doors open, the members held fundraisers, including collecting aluminum cans and putting on yard sales. The organization retired its mortgage in just eight years.

Today, the center operates on membership dues, rental fees for nonsenior classes, fundraisers, registration fees and bingo.

The parks department supports the center through Niemeier’s salary along with paying for the telephone, computer and some gasoline.

The center became affiliated with the Spokane Parks and Recreation Department in 1969, and Kaye Herzer became the first director. His wife, Marian Herzer, worked as co-director and later founded Project Joy, an organization that supports senior musicians. The senior center has had its own musical groups over the years, including the Sinto Vesper Choir and Sinto Singers.

In 1971, the center building was expanded by 14 feet to allow for a larger auditorium.

The center is also known for its contingent of pinochle players and serves as weekday home for a small group of developmentally disabled adults who attend the center on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Niemeier said that years ago members would just hang out at the center for hours at a time, but today’s members are more oriented toward specific activities such as luncheons, classes and dances. Yoga classes are filled as more seniors seek to keep fit.

One need has remained constant: a place to socialize. Seniors, Niemeier said, “want to get out of the house and meet friends.”