Pocono News Section

Senior Center Manager Suspended

Senior Center Manager Suspended - Thursday, June 19, 2008 at 4:58PM EST

Reported by: Laurie Monteforte
Thursday, Jun 19, 2008 @ 04:58pm EST
EAST STROUDSBURG, MONROE COUNTY- The manager of the Loder Senior Center in East Stroudsburg is suspended without pay.

"I don't like it. She's a very nice lady," said Celia Hamilton.

Officials say Consuelo Erickson-Suhy is under investigation but no one at the center seemed to know why. Ina Willis complained, "They won't tell us anything."

Erickson-Suhy has been working for the Monroe County Area Agency on aging for about 11 years. Willis said she has a good reputation. "Very nice lady and I don't see why they did that to her 'cause I never seen her do anything wrong since I've been here," she said.

Betty Saunders told us Erickson-Suhy helped her through a tough time. She explained, "I needed a place to stay and she gave me a beautiful recommendation and I was admitted into housing."

Other seniors said they appreciate the manager's involvement. She leads them on trips and in exercise classes. Now some say they're bored. Saunders said, "We're not doing anything at all now. We're just sitting around, watching television, playing bingo and that's it."

A Monroe County Commissioner told Eyewitness News she can't explain why the manager is suspended because it is a private personnel issue - that answer was not good enough for many of the people who visit the place. "We want Consuelo - we want Consuelo - we want her back," chanted Saunders.

Hamilton added, "She's always for us - so I don't know what she do for it to get against her."

County officials expect to hear the results of the investigation some time next week. Of the nearly two dozen seniors at the center Thursday, only one said she thought the suspension should stand. She chose not to speak on the record.