GREENFIELD — Greenfield’s new community center will be named after John Zon, a man who Town Council Vice President Isaac Mass said epitomized service and commitment to community.
The council voted 6-5 in favor of naming the building, which has yet to be constructed, the “John Zon Community Center.” The new building will house the town’s senior center, and there was concern among some residents that the word “senior” is being left out of the name.
Mass, who proposed the name, said Zon, who died in 2012 at 89 years old, was a tireless advocate for seniors, veterans and young people in Greenfield. He served as the Council on Aging chairman for many years.
“I think he exemplifies not only those items that are related to valuing our seniors, but being a senior who is fully engaged in our community,” Mass said.
Several people advocated during last week’s council meeting to include the word “senior” in the name. Thomas Goodwin, a member of the Council on Aging, said many seniors are unhappy with the building being called only a community center.
“The seniors are upset over the hijacking of the concept of a senior center,” he said. “It is a senior center, the money came for a senior center and the seniors in Greenfield are very active.”
At-Large Councilor Mark Maloni said there is no reason why the building can’t be both.
“If we can be the city known as the town of Greenfield, then we can certainly have a senior center in the community center,” he said.
Mass said nothing prevents the council from adding “senior” to the name at a later date, but added he believes calling the building a community center will make people who may not feel old enough to use a senior center want to come to the building.
Some councilors were also hesitant to name the building after an individual, and the town’s Planning and Construction Committee voted unanimously not to name the building after a person.
“I don’t think it’s worthwhile to name buildings after people — I’d rather have a memory garden where we can include all the people that mean something to us,” Council Treasurer Karen “Rudy” Renaud said.
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