By Sue Kiesewetter
Enquirer contributor

WEST CHESTER TWP. - Space for the West Chester senior citizen center will double - at least for the next four months.

Lakota Schools announced Tuesday it would allow the senior center to use the 3,000 square feet of space that its Wokini Academy alternative school was using until last month, when the program moved to the former administrative offices on Tylersville Road.

"We know how nice it was when Wokini was next door,'' said Kathleen Klink, the district's superintendent.

"What better use for it than for you to use and expand your program? We have no specific need for the space.''

Senior Citizens Inc. will be able to use the space for its West Chester branch at no cost until the lease expires at the end of December. After that, the center could renegotiate its lease to include the Wokini space, said Steve Schnabl, executive director.

"We wanted to be able to hold simultaneous activities that didn't interfere with each other,'' Schnabl said.

West Chester senior citizen Vivian Wallace says the extra space is welcome.

"We could use one of the rooms for the men to shoot pool or for a quilting room," Wallace said.

Seniors were also given Golden Lakota Cards, which admit those 65 and older free to all Lakota plays, concerts and home sporting events.

E-mail suek@infionline.net