To Ozaukee Press: Around June 2005 there was much controversy about closing down the meal sites in Ozaukee County. Most of the seniors fought back and the meal sites were kept open. At that time we received good, flavorful and nutritious meals. But what has happened since May 2006? Since the new program went into effect, our meals have gone downhill drastically. We have received smaller portions, burned food, undercooked food and some still frozen. For example: we’ve had baked potatoes that must have been rewarmed several times because they were black inside; we’ve had burned potatoes, under baked dinner rolls that should have been more than one-half inch thick and baking powder biscuits that were still frozen when put on our plates. We used to get nice portions of chicken, meat loaf and other meats. That has changed. One day we had to look for the tiny breast of chicken under the gooey gravy. The meat loaf is so thin and tasteless that most of it ends up in the garbage can. On June 29 we had pork cutlet on the menu, sorry but that wasn’t a pork cutlet—it was some kind of ground up mystery meat (if it was meat). That too ended up mostly in the garbage can. The day the sheriff’s representatives came to the Port center to eat, they were served hot dogs amongst other things. What can you do wrong to a hot dog? Why didn’t they come on a day when normal cooked food was served? The portions have gone down and some days there isn’t enough to go around to the signed up people. The sheriff said they would be paying less for the meals to the new company and yet our prices have gone up and portions have gone down. What’s going on? We don’t blame this on the cooks. They only can cook what they receive, and we think the quality of the food is to blame. Could it be pre-packaged and possibly outdated or some cheaper substitute? Good cooks can’t go bad all at once or were all the good cooks replaced? Give us some kind of honest answer. We deserve that. The people who have been eating at the meal sites and those who receive home delivery were asked to fill out a questionnaire stating how they felt about the food. We never did hear the complete results. We think some people were afraid to express their honest opinion for fear they wouldn’t get any meal at all. Is this the way the county wants to treat our tax-paying senior citizens? The people who receive home delivery and about half who come to the meal sites rely on this meal because it’s probably the only meal they get. Some would sit at home eating cold cereal or a jelly sandwich. Is this another way of trying to close down the meal sites? Come on, you people of Ozaukee County, let’s hear from you and let’s get back to the delicious and nutritious meals we used to have before the new company came in. Just remember, hopefully we’re all going to be senior citizens one day. Thank you for letting us sound off, and please help your senior citizen friends.

Joan Murphy Theresa Gillich Aileen Wiltgen Ralph Seyfert Bonnie Knaub Sandi Preisler Therese Huberty Lois Hartley Elmer Medinger Lois McQuaid Harold Thill Lee Winter LeRoy Johnson Nancy Klever Don Race Sr. Nelda Bartz Chris Garhell Ruth Gasper Jerome Gosse Louise Buser Al Peiffer Vickie Gerl