MASTICK THRIVES AT 25
(WITH HELP FROM ALAMEDA P&T!)

ALAMEDA, Calif., August 1, 2005 — Mastick Senior Center bustles with activity. On an average day, 500 people call, visit, take classes, or volunteer at the center. Open to those 50 or over, it offers bingo, college classes, and everything in between.

Mastick is also a prime example of a building wisely reused. Once an elementary school, it became a part of the City of Alameda's Recreation & Parks Department in 1980 and reopened for its current purpose.

But such transfers can run into challenges, particularly as buildings age. By 2001, it was clear that the heating and cooling system needed to be replaced. "The building had the original boiler. If it wasn't on its last legs, it looked like it could be," explains Senior Services Manager Jackie Krause.

Even if it continued running, however, the center lacked a sufficient cooling system. Originally designed to hold mostly younger children during the coolest months of the year, the building now held mostly people ages 50 and above, even during the hottest summer months. Record temperatures added to staff concerns. "We had had some pretty hot summers, and so people experienced health problems due to the heat," Krause explains. While recently retrofitted areas had air-conditioning, this was not true for the entire building.

Some action had been taken in 1997, when Mastick underwent an Alameda Power & Telecom energy audit. That audit prompted the Center to retrofit their lighting, saving $3,600 per year on the Center's utility bill and garnering a rebate of nearly $2,200. More efficient lighting meant less unnecessary heat from the lighting, but it didn't entirely solve the problem.

In 2001, Mastick used a Key Accounts Grant from Alameda Power & Telecom to install high-efficiency air-conditioning. In addition to a rebate of over $4,100, the efficient nature of the air-conditioning kept energy costs low while keeping everyone comfortable. Adding window film provided additional energy savings. Not only did the window film reduce the amount of heat from the sun shining through the windows (and therefore causing the air-conditioning to run less), but it also allowed the center to install a much smaller air-conditioning unit. The result is a building that keeps everyone comfortable and uses less taxpayer money to do so.

On Sunday, September 18, 2005, at 1 p.m. Mastick Senior Center will hold a 25th anniversary celebration, "Mastick Thrives at 25." Come visit the Center's social hall for music, dancing, food, games, and more. The event is free. (Oh, and you might notice the energy-efficient film on the windows, the energy-efficient lighting, and enjoy the energy-efficient air-conditioning, too.) Please visit www.mastickcenter.com for more information.