Charlotte Senior Center news – January 13, 2022

Lori York, Charlotte Senior Center Director

Happy New Year! I am very excited to be at the Charlotte Senior Center as the new director. I feel so very fortunate to spend time in such a beautiful space with a very welcoming group of volunteers and participants.

Our winter programming for people age 50 and over has started up again after the lull of the holidays, and there is a wide range of activities for the new year. If you haven’t visited our center, stop by, take a tour, attend a lecture, class or meal, or just hang out for a while. For those who start the year off with New Year’s resolutions, we have many opportunities to get a head start. Check out our website for more details on the programming that is being offered for January and February.

Senior Center’s Monday volunteer cooks served a wonderful Tuscan sausage and vegetable stew with wedge salad and cake for dessert. From L to R: Sue Foley, Andy Hodgkin, Bev Burley, Carol Strobeck, Marjorie London and Karina Warshaw. Photo by Lori York
Senior Center’s Monday volunteer cooks served a wonderful Tuscan sausage and vegetable stew with wedge salad and cake for dessert. From L to R: Sue Foley, Andy Hodgkin, Bev Burley, Carol Strobeck, Marjorie London and Karina Warshaw. Photo by Lori York.

Ongoing exercise & health classes:
Chair Yoga: Mondays at 9:30 a.m.
Gentle Yoga: Mondays at 11 a.m.
Pilates Plus: Tuesdays at 8:30 a.m.*
Strength Maintenance: Tuesdays at 11 a.m.
Essentrics:  Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m.
Chair Yoga:  Wednesdays at 10 a.m.
Mindfulness Meditation: Wednesdays at 2:30 p.m. on Zoom
Pilates: Thursdays at 8:30 a.m.*
T’ai Chi (Beginners): Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. on Zoom
T’ai Chi (Advanced): Thursdays at 11 a.m.
Meditation: Fridays at 7:30 a.m.
Essentrics: Fridays at 9:30 a.m.
Strength Maintenance: Fridays at 11:30 a.m.

* Note that both Pilates classes are hybrid, in person and on Zoom.

Snowshoe Expeditions Around Charlotte
Weather permitting. Wednesday mornings 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Dates: 1/19, 2/2, 2/16. Bring your own equipment, snacks and water.
Registration required—sign up by emailing Susan Hyde. No fee.

Meals and conversation:
Currently most Senior Center courses, events and talks are in person. Our masking and vaccination requirements are posted at the front door and on our website. If you are in doubt, please call 802-425-6345 before coming.

Monday lunches: Our Monday lunches are served from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with a suggested donation of $5. Take-out is an option. Upcoming lunch menus:

Monday, Jan. 24:  Lentil soup with salad, rolls and chocolate chip cookies
Monday, Jan. 31: Baked ziti with sausage, French bread, salad and brownies. A special thank-you to the Charlotte Grange for providing our lunch.

We are still looking for a few additional volunteers so that we will be able to offer lunch on the third Monday of the month. If you are available to help with prep or cooking, please give us a call at 802-425-6345.

Open Café: We are now offering an Open Café on Wednesday mornings in January from 9:30-11:30 for some conversation and refreshments provided by Friends of the Senior Center. A great opportunity to make new friends!

Gents Breakfast: Once a month, on the second Thursday, from 7 to 9 a.m., the men gather for breakfast and conversation. Please register by the second Tuesday to attend. The suggested donation is $5 for breakfast. Our next Gents Breakfasts will be on January 13 and February 10.

Wednesday Lecture Series at 1 p.m.
Currently our Wednesday lectures are in person; audiences are limited to 35 people and masks are required.

Jan. 19 – Understanding Chronic Pain with Justine Dee
More than 25 million Americans live with daily pain that impacts quality of life. Justine Dee is an associate professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at UVM and an orthopedic clinical specialist physical therapist. She will discuss factors related to chronic pain development and strategies to manage symptoms and reduce pain.

Jan. 26 – What Style Is That Old Building? with Frances Foster
Join architectural historian Frances Foster for a presentation of Vermont’s most prevalent architectural styles of the 19th century. Frances will show slides of buildings ranging from the Federal style through the late 1900s Colonial Revival. This lecture will take about 80 minutes.

ARTS programming:

Oscar Nomination Screenings with Sean Moran (note new dates/time)
Sean Moran will screen a to-be-announced movie or documentary from the list of Academy Award nominations. Thursdays, Feb. 10 & 24 from 1–3 p.m. Registration required. No fee.           

Watercolor Workshop with Lynn Cummings
Tuesdays 9–noon on 2/1, 2/8, 2/15. Fee: $100. Please register and pay by Jan. 25 to hold your space.

Exploring Color Workshop with Jonathan Silverman
Wednesday, Feb. 2, 10–11:30 a.m. Fee: $5. Registration required. This 1.5-hour visual arts workshop is open to all artistic levels. Co-sponsored by the Charlotte Library.

Fiber Arts Group
Thursday mornings, 9:15 a.m.–noon. Ongoing. No fee. Bring your handwork, whether it be rug hooking, knitting or other fiber projects to work on.

Arts Group on Fridays
Friday mornings, 10 a.m.–noon. Ongoing. No fee. You are invited to bring whatever you are working on and enjoy the conversation, ideas and encouragement that this friendly, relaxed group has to offer.

Questions? New to the area? Thinking of volunteering?
We would love to meet with you. We are located at 212 Ferry Road, Charlotte, just across from the post office. Hours are Monday to Friday from 9-4. Or give us a call at 802-425-6345.

Residents from other communities are always welcome. Our mission is to serve those over 50. And if you don’t see what you are looking for, reach out and we may be able to add it to our schedule.