Center executive director Sean O'Leary said much of the center's work to expand its offerings and grow its programs was put on hold beginning in March, when staff and members began to get a whiff of the possible move. From then until mid-July, when the city council realized it couldn't afford to make the new property a satisfactory location for the center, O'Leary concentrated on getting things planned for a move that could occur as early as this fall, as well as trying to build support for the move among an uncertain membership.

New furniture had even been ordered for the center's current location before they became aware of the chance for the move, he said, and staff and members were trying to figure out how the furniture would work in the new location. Ordering of some of the new furniture was put off until plans were finalized. Now, he said, the center is three months behind getting the new furniture in.

"That whole thing just is really unfortunate," O'Leary said of the lost chance to move to the bigger site. "But it's all a moot point now. Now it's time to get back to the work of creating the best programs and services in the Bay Area."

Many of the seniors were opposed to the move, especially those involved with the state-certified Adult Care Center, which was uncertain the new facility would allow it to retain its certification without extensive modification. But O'Leary said there were others who supported the move, and he describes the situation as a test for the center and its membership to determine whether or not the experience will unite or divide the group. One thing he hopes will bring everyone back together is a casino night fundraiser Nov. 2.

The fundraiser was another thing that the center had postponed until the move was complete, said center program director Sheila Arthur. And fundraising is one thing the center, like all area nonprofits these days, needs to focus some serious attention on. At the June general membership meeting of the Saratoga Area Senior Coordinating Council, which oversees the center, council vice president of finance Philip Gould said the organization needs to solicit more donations—income from its endowment is shrinking, he said, and the council is not allowed to touch the investment principal.

Arthur is also back in the game of finding room for all of the programs she has spent the past two years adding to the center's extensive list of offerings. She and her instructors were in a holding pattern during the spring and summer, uncertain where classes would be held this fall. She said she called all of her instructors once the word came in that the center would remain and then worked hard to get everything ready for a new schedule. But she has already had to juggle space and has even had to turn some new program ideas down because of lack of room in the center.

"We've been running a bit later because I didn't want to plan anything until we knew," Arthur said. "Now it's trying to get everybody squeezed into the rooms. But we're all in fine shape now, and our September schedule is in shape and ready to go. We're making it work."