Charlestown
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Senior Citizen News
01:00 AM EDT on Friday, June 29, 2007
Rita Cormier, above center, of Peace Dale, talks with Marge Andreas, of South Kingstown as they and Lois Wall, of Wakefield, right, taste the various fish dishes Elsie Foy, of Aunt Carrie’s Restaurant, prepared during a cooking demonstration at the South Kingstown Senior Center on Tuesday. At right, Elsie Foy gives away some tips on preparing a healthy fish meal in a simple, quick way during the cooking demonstration.
The Providence Journal / Gretchen Ertl Gretchen Ertl
The YMCA of South County, 165 Broad Rock Rd., Peace Dale, offers several fitness classes for older adults, including water exercise, “Light ’n Lively” low-impact aerobics and stretching, and “Sit to Be Fit” flexibility and strength, as well as monthly health lectures.
A walking group meets Tuesday and Thursday from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m., for walks preceded by stretching, strengthening and endurance building. For information, call 783-3900.
Senior schedule: The Charlestown Senior Center, at Ninigret Park, hosts the following activities, except holidays:
Monday, cribbage, 1:30 p.m.; Tuesday, painting, 9:30 a.m.; Wednesday: bridge class, 10 a.m., and games, 1 p.m.; and Thursday: knitting, 1 p.m., and Scrabble, 1:15 p.m. Money bingo games are played the third Thursday of the month, at 1:30 p.m.
Help with Medicare, or other senior issues, is available by calling Joan Pistone or Andrea Chesky at the Westerly Senior Center, 596-2404.
Reservations for noontime meals may be made, or cancelled, by calling 364-9955 two days in advance. Each meal costs $2.50.
The center is looking for volunteer drivers for Meals on Wheels. For information, call 364-9955. A poll is being taken for coming class topics; to vote, call 364-9955.
Trips: The center is sponsoring a trip to see the Tall Ships in Newport, Thursday, for a fee of $35. Two trips are scheduled to the Newport Playhouse, Sept. 16 and Nov. 4. For information, call 364-9955.
Senior schedule: The Narragansett Senior/Community Center, 53 Mumford Rd., is the site of the following weekly activities:
Monday: quilting, 9:30 a.m. to noon, and painting, 1 to 3 p.m.; Wednesday: bingo, 10 a.m.; Thursday: ceramics, 9:30 a.m., knitting, 10 a.m., and chorus, 1:30 p.m.; and Friday: line dancing, 10:30 a.m., bridge, 12:30 to 3 p.m., and games, 1 to 3 p.m. A knitting instructor is available to help at that group’s meeting the second Thursday of the month, for a $5 fee.
The Narragansett Notables choral group rehearses Thursday at 2 p.m.
A health clinic is scheduled for the third Tuesday of each month at 11:30 a.m.
The senior association meets the first and third Tuesday at noon, followed by a social at 1 p.m.
Transportation is available to the following:
URI’s “Senior Swim,” every Monday, and second, third and fourth Friday, 8 a.m., returning 10 a.m.; to local medical appointments, with pick-up at home, Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Wednesday bingo, with home pick-up; and Salt Pond Shopping Center, Thursday, home pick-up available. Reservations should be made by calling 782-0675 at least two working days in advance for home pick-up.
Trips: The center has scheduled the following trips:
Tall Ships/Bay Queen cruise, today, $74; July 30, Foxwoods, $18; Aug. 8, Chez Josef lobsterfest, Agawam, Mass.; Sept. 17, Longfellow’s Wayside Inn, Sudbury, Mass.; Oct. 8 through 12, Rocking Horse Ranch, Highland, N.Y., $479. For information or reservations, call 782-0675.
Senior activities: Beechwood House Senior Center, 10 Beach St., North Kingstown, hosts the following weekly activities, except on holidays:
Monday: “dancercise,” 9 a.m., computer class, 9:30 a.m., health clinic (first and third), 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., stamp club (second and fourth) and Italian class, 1 p.m., and “People With Arthritis Can Exercise,” 3 p.m.; Tuesday: gardening, exercise class and computer class, 9 a.m., craft workshop, 10 a.m., pinochle, 1 p.m., and yoga, 3 p.m.; Wednesday: line dancing, 9:30 a.m., reflexology, 10 a.m., military whist (second and fourth) and computer class, 1 p.m., and tai chi, 1:30 p.m.; Thursday: bridge, 9 a.m. (10:30 for beginners), low-impact aerobics, 9:30 a.m., “Swingers,” 1 p.m., “P.A.C.E.,” 3:30 p.m., and “T.O.P.S.” (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly), 5:30 p.m.; and Friday: “Fun Fitness,” 9:30 a.m., library hour, 10 a.m., and bingo and quilting (second, third and fourth), 1 p.m.
A shopping bus is available to pick residents up, at their homes, each Tuesday morning for a trip to Stop & Shop. Transportation is provided each Thursday morning at 10 to Dave’s Marketplace, to local doctors’ offices each Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 10:15 a.m. and 2 p.m. Rides to medical appointments that day may be arranged by calling 461-9760 or 295-1121.
Lunch is served every weekday at noon. To make reservations for the following week, or to cancel them, call 268-1592 by 1 p.m. Thursday. The requested donation is $2.50.
Reflexology is offered each Wednesday; massage therapy, Friday; and Reiki each Tuesday, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The fee is $10 for 15 minutes; for an appointment, call 294-3331, ext. 402. Manicures are available each Tuesday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The fee is $7; to make an appointment, call 294-3331, ext. 402. Podiatry services are available; for an appointment, call 268-1590.
The center’s book club meets the fourth Tuesday of the month at 1 p.m. For information, call 294-3331, ext. 402.
“Life Strategies” group: Nurse and social worker Joanne Waites leads a group addressed to issues affecting senior citizens, including loss, depression and anxiety, physical challenges, family concerns, adjusting, and coping skills, at 1 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month. For information or to register, call 294-3331, ext. 402.Acting program: Beechwood House will host an eight-session acting program for senior citizens, entitled “Acting Up and Acting Out,” beginning with auditions July 5 from 1 to 3 p.m. Anyone interested in acting, or costume and set design, may attend.
Trips: Beechwood House has scheduled the following trips:
July 12, Boston duck tour, $75; July 17, PawSox at McCoy Stadium, $15; July 28, WaterFire, $22; Aug. 1, Accommodations at Newport Playhouse, $50; Aug. 19, Tanglewood, Lenox, Mass., $136; and Aug. 29, Newport cruise, $40. For information or to register, call 268-1590.
Senior activities: The Richmond Senior Center, 1168 Main St., Wyoming, conducts the following activities on a weekly basis:
Monday: quilting and tai chi, 9 a.m., coffee circle , 10 a.m., and cardio-fitness, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday: walking group, 9:30 a.m., art class, 10 a.m., and bingo, 6 p.m.; Wednesday: “Sit Down/Get Fit,” 9 a.m., Spanish, 10 a.m., writing group (first and third), 1 p.m., cribbage, 1:30 p.m., and “T.O.P.S. (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly),” 4:30 p.m.; Thursday: crocheting/needlepoint and knitting, 9 a.m., computer class, 10 a.m., and cardio-fitness, 5:30 p.m.; and Friday: “Sit Down/Get Fit,” 9 a.m., chorus,, 1 p.m., and board games, 1:30 p.m.
A veterans group meets the last Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m., and a book club meets the last Friday of the month at 2:30 p.m.
Registration may be made for art classes, meeting Tuesday morning from 9:45 to 11:45, by calling 539-6144.
The Senior Affairs Association meets the first Tuesday of each month at 9:30 a.m. at the Richmond Town Hall.
An elder information specialist is at the center from 1 to 3 p.m. the third Monday of the month.
Water exercise classes: The YMCA of South County offers two ongoing water exercise classes for senior citizens, meeting Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at the Y, 165 Broad Rock Rd., Peace Dale.
“Aqua Fit” classes meet for 45 minutes. For information, call 783-3900. The Arthritis Foundation also offers an aquatic program, featuring gentle activity in warm water, under the guidance of trained personnel. For information, call 434-5792 or 783-3900.
Senior center schedule: The following activities are conducted at South Kingstown’s Center for Senior Services, 25 St. Dominic Rd., Wakefield:
Monday: ceramics, 9:30 a.m., yoga and computer help, 10:30 a.m., canasta, mah jong and dominoes, 1 p.m.; Tuesday: podiatrist, 9:30 a.m., autobiography writing and line dancing, 10 a.m., “Seniors in Action,” 11 a.m., and pinochle and classic movie, 1 p.m.; Wednesday: wellness clinic, 9:30 a.m., current events and bocce, 10 a.m., exercise class and drama club, 11 a.m., and bridge, sewing, and knitting, 1 p.m.; Thursday: mythology club, 9:30 a.m., bingo, 10 a.m., “Seniors in Action,” 11 a.m., conversational Italian, cribbage and canasta, 1 p.m.; and Friday: Spanish class and woodworking, 9:30 a.m., gardening, 9:45 a.m., walking group and bocce, 10 a.m., chorus, 11 a.m., and mah jong, 12:30 p.m. Games of cards and cribbage are played daily, with a cribbage tournament the last Thursday of the month. For information or to register, call 789-0268.
A hot meal is served each weekday at noon. For reservations, call 789-0268. Transportation to the center is available. Members are asked to “bring a friend to lunch” the first Friday of the month, when the meal, and a tour of the center, will be free to both.
A support group for widows and widowers, “Extended Hands,” meets the first and third Wednesday of each month at 1:15 p.m. at the center. An anxiety support group meets the first and third Tuesday of the month at 1:30 p.m.
The center hosts support groups for people with diabetes, the third Wednesday of each month at 10:30 a.m.; and for caregivers, the second Wednesday of each month at 1:15 p.m.
Health screenings: The center offers free blood-pressure checks the first Thursday of the month from 9:30 a.m. to noon; the third Tuesday of the month from 9:30 to 11 a.m.; and the fourth Tuesday of the month between 9 a.m. and noon.
Transportation available: South Kingstown residents age 60 and over are eligible for free transportation for non-medical needs such as shopping, errands, and appointments, through South Kingstown Senior Transportation each weekday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Appointments are required a day in advance, and may be made by calling 789-0268, ext. 109.
A bus also travels to the Wakefield Mall from the center each Wednesday at 1 p.m., returning at 2:30 p.m. Transportation is available home from the center each Tuesday and Thursday at 2:30; to arrange transportation to the center, call 789-0268.
Senior activities: The Neighborhood Guild, 325 Columbia St., Peace Dale, is the site of the following activities for senior citizens:
Monday: multi-level tai chi, 8:30 a.m., and introductory tai chi, 10:45 a.m.; Tuesday: bridge, 1 p.m., and crafts, 9:30 a.m.; Wednesday: introductory tai chi, 10:45 a.m., line dancing for beginners, 10:30 a.m., and creative writing, 10 a.m.; Thursday: intermediate line dancing, 11 a.m.; and Friday: multi-level tai chi, 8:30 a.m. An exercise class for people over 50 meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8 a.m. There is a free health check the first Monday of the month from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. The senior van is available for shopping and lunch alternate Fridays. For information, call 789-9301.
Senior center activities: The Westerly Senior Center, 39 State St., Westerly, hosts the following weekly activities:
Monday: wood shop, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., pinochle and knitting, 9:30 a.m., coffee circle, 10 a.m., bridge, 1 p.m., ceramics, 1:15 p.m., line dancing and scrabble, 1:30 p.m., and cribbage, 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday: wood shop, 8:30 a.m. to noon, table shuffleboard, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., tai chi, 10:15 a.m. to noon; Westerly Hospital lab, 11 a.m., mah jong and stamp collecting (second and fourth), 1 p.m., TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), 6:30 p.m., and square dancing, 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday: wood shop, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., table shuffleboard, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., sewing/crafts and practice bridge, 10 a.m., bridge and ceramics, 1:15 p.m., and bingo, 6:30 p.m.; Thursday: wood shop, 8:30 a.m. to noon, Social Security information, 9 a.m. to noon, pitch group and exercise class, 9:30 a.m., tai chi, 1 p.m., canasta, 1:15 p.m., line dancing, 1:30 p.m., TOPS, 6:30 p.m., and bridge, 7 p.m.; and Friday: wood shop, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., crafts, 9 a.m., cribbage, 9:30 a.m., painting, 10 a.m., drawing, 1 to 3 p.m., pinochle and Songbirds, 1:15 p.m., bowling, 1:30 p.m., and square dancing (second and fourth), 7 p.m.
The board meets the second Thursday of the month at 1:15 p.m. A bereavement support group, “Learning to Live With Loss,” meets the second Friday of the month at 10 a.m. Blue Chip advice is available the first and third Tuesday, at 1:30 p.m. Seniors Helping Others and Insight meet the first Wednesday, at 9 and 10:30 a.m., respectively. A podiatrist visits the center the first Monday of the month at 9 a.m., and a visiting nurse is on site the last Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. For activity information, call 596-2404.
Transportation is provided to the Crystal Mall the second Monday of the month, and Warwick Mall the last Friday, leaving at 9 a.m. For reservations, call 596-7216.
Trips: The center has scheduled the following trips:
Boston’s Italian North End, July 2, $63; Atlantic Casino cruise, from Lynn, Mass., July 20, $43; Providence Harbor cruise, July 23, $67; Newport dinner train, July 28, $77; Twin Rivers, July 30, $18; Peter Pan at Warner Theatre, Torrington, Conn., Aug. 5, $67; Anything Goes at Thomaston (Conn.) Opera House, Aug. 12, $68; Boston Duck Tour, Aug. 14, $60; Saratoga, N.Y., Aug. 15 and 16, $209 or $259; lobsterfest at Hu Ke Lau, Longmeadow, Mass., Aug. 23, $72; Rumours at Stage Loft Theatre, Sturbridge, Mass., Aug. 26, $72; Tony Orlando at Mohegan Sun, Sept. 6, $65; Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory, South Deerfield, Mass., Sept. 20, $53; Hawaii cruise, Sept. 16 through 30, $1,699 and up.
For information, call 596-2404.
Elder information: A representative from the Rhode Island Department of Elderly Affairs is available to help seniors and their families, and provide information in such areas as assisted living, nursing homes, senior housing, adult day care and Meals on Wheels.
The office, in the Westerly Senior Center, is open Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Wednesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. For information or an appointment, call 596-2404.
Caregivers’ support group: Westerly Adult Day Services, 65 Wells St., Westerly, hosts a caregivers’ support group the second and fourth Tuesday of the month, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Volunteers sought: Westerly Adult Day Services is looking for volunteers to provide kitchen assistance, weekday mornings from 8 to 9:15, and at lunchtime, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. For information, call 596-1336
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