NORTON - Although budget cuts have slashed the Norton Senior Center's hours, Norton seniors are finding their hangout open at times - but not to them.

Former Human Services Director James Dinsel opens and closes the building to the Norton Mental Health Support Group after leaving town hall every Wednesday, when the site is closed to seniors.

Located at 55 West Main St. (Route 123), the center is open to seniors from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. Senior volunteers run it, Dinsel said.

Now Norton's director of veterans services, Dinsel said Wednesday that "a goodwill gesture" by him and Town Manager James Purcell is preserving the support group's routine following budget cuts that eliminated the human services director's position and salary and reduced the senior center hours on July 1.

Two years The group has met at the senior center for 60 to 90 minutes for at least two years, Dinsel said.

"We didn't want to disrupt that activity," Dinsel said.

"Special needs folks fall into a routine, and we didn't want to disrupt that."

Council on Aging Chairman Thomas Burke said no seniors have complained to him about the Wednesday situation.

"The Wednesday thing doesn't seem to bother anybody, those that know about it," Burke said.

"Wednesday is probably not the most popular day for seniors. The people that I know use it Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. They're really affected by the Fridays at this point."

Dinsel said he approached Purcell about opening the building - on his own time, after work - to the support group.

"There's no provision to provide human services at the level prior to July 1," Dinsel said.

The Tuesday and Thursday hours "at least provide the lunch and a couple of recreational activities," such as Bingo and Whist, he said. Senior lunches primarily have been held those days in the past.

"I'm sure that it's a drastic cut in the sense of the timing, but I can't be two places at once," said Dinsel, who is based at town hall. Purcell said he is corresponding with the state Department of Veterans Services about allowing Dinsel to take on human services work.