New senior complex plans ribbon cutting

WESTFALL — A ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the full occupancy of the Westfall Senior Citizens Housing Development will be held on Friday, Sept. 15, at 10:30 a.m, in the Common Room of the complex, located near the K-Mart in Westfall Township.
Lunch will follow the ceremony. Governor Tom Wolf, U.S. Senators Pat Toomey and Bob Casey, and other dignitaries have been invited.
Project developer Jonah Mandelbaum, chief executive officer of MJJ Corporation and Devon Management Company, reports that all units are occupied, and there is a waiting list.
Each one-bedroom apartment is 774 square feet. They are available to people age 55 and older who meet the income and household size requirements. Veterans receive a preference.
"The full utilization of this important complex provides a milestone for Pike County," states the announcement by the Pike County Commissioners. "Pike’s percentage of the population who are 65 years and older is substantially higher than one would expect as compared to the general population of the United States."
Citing Census data, the commissioners say people age 65 and over as of July 1, 2016, make up 15.2 percent of the nation's population, but 21.8 percent of Pike's population.
Commissioner Matthew Osterberg will be the master of ceremonies. This event is the culmination of the October 2015 groundbreaking, when construction began on the facility.
County officials say Pike has plenty of room for additional housing of this type.
"Commissioner Osterberg said that he and his fellow commissioners, Richard Caridi and Steve Guccini, are keenly aware of this need and are always looking for this and other types of investment that cater to seniors and the needs of the county," state the commissioners.