Somerset County Senior Centers Announce September Activities

submitted by the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders

Freeholder Robert Zaborowski, human services liaison, announced that county senior centers, operated by the Somerset County Office on Aging & Disability Services, have released their latest program schedule. All programs begin at 11 a.m. unless otherwise listed. Please call for lunch reservations by 10 a.m. the daybefore you wish to come. For more information, contact the appropriate centers.

SOMERSET COUNTY SENIOR WELLNESS CENTER

202 Mt. Airy Road

Basking Ridge, NJ 07920

(908) 204-3435

Open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Computer Lab – Daily, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (Call for Availability)

Computer Instruction:

Individual Instruction with Mike Dias – Friday, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. (Sept. 19 - Oct. 31) Appointment required

Group Instruction with Mike Downer – Monday, 10:30-11:30 a.m. (Sept. 8, 15, 22 & 29)

Classes will resume in September

Pool Sharks – Pool Table Available Daily, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. (Call for Availability)

Stretch & Flex Class (Upper & Lower Body Chair Exercise) – Every Monday & Thursday, 10:45 a.m.**Please check monthly calendar updates**

Tai Chi – Monday, 1:00 p.m. (Sept. 8 – Oct. 13) Advanced registration required.

Zumba – Wednesdays & Fridays, 9:30 a.m. (Sept. 17 – Nov. 7) Advance registration is required. The fee is $40 for eight classes; or $80 for 16 classes.

September 1 – Holiday – Center Closed

September 3 – Brain Workout, 10:30 a.m. (Get those thinking caps on, it’s time for another brain workout! Please register for this program).

September 3 – “Volunteers of America: Supportive Services for Veterans” (Volunteers have organized this division to offer services to support our veterans and their families while they are away as well as when they transition back home).

September 5 – “Healthy Grains” by Kaitlyn McGowan, RD, 10:30 a.m. (Kaitlyn McGowan will discuss the benefits of various grains that you can incorporate into your diet and will demonstrate how to construct a healthy grain salad. Samples will be provided).

September 5 - Hands On Origami Lunch & Learn Opportunity by Joy Ann Lara, 12:00-2:00 p.m., sponsored by the Horizons Foundation (Joy Ann Lara will instruct on how to create learn how to create beautiful lotus flowers using special origami paper and unique paper-folding techniques. There is a $5 program fee. Lunch for those 60 and above is a donation of $2 and for those under 60 is a cost of $6.75. Class size is limited. The reservation deadline is August 29th. This program is made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and administered by the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission through the State/County Partnership Local Arts Program.

September 9 – “What Makes Us Laugh” by Helen Vasko, 10:30 a.m. (Helen Vasko leads this discussion on comedy and comedians through the years).

September 10 – “Tin Pan Alley: The Great American Songbook” with Lyricist and Trumpeter Gordon James,10:30 a.m. )From the 1920’s to the 50’s in a section on New York City known as Tin Pan Alley, some of the greatest music from the 20th century was composed. This music went on to be what is known as the Great American Songbook. Gordon sings, plays the horn and shares interesting and humorous anecdotes about the composers and lyricists of this great era).

September 12 – “Up From Ground Zero: Rebuilding the World Trade Center” by Angus Gillespie, PhD, Rutgers University, 10:30 a.m. (Angus Gillespie, author and American Studies professor at Rutgers University presents the time line from the events of 9/11 to the completion of the Freedom Tower).

September 12 – Lifeline Screenings, 9:00-3:00 p.m. (This is a preventative health screening event that can identify stroke and vascular risk factors. Receive a $10 discount off one of the screenings by registering directly with LifeLine at 1-800-324-9458 or by registering online at www.helpinghandsforhealth.com).

September 16 – “Virtual Bird Walk” by Randy Little, 10:30 a.m. (Randy Little presents photography of our local birds).

September 17 – “Emergency Preparedness at Home” by Kaitlin Kordusky, 10:30 a.m. (Kaitlin presents various ways you can prepare yourself for any type of emergency).

September 19 – “Standing Tall Against Falls” by Caitlin Witucki, MS, Health Promotion Coordinator, Somerset County Office on Aging & Disability Services, 10:30 a.m. (In this program created by the New Jersey Geriatric Education Center, UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine and the New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging, you will learn to determine the risk factors associated with falls, realize how common falls are in older adults, understand the consequences that can occur from a fall, how to maintain a healthy lifestyle in order to reduce your risk of falls and identify what you should do if you fall).

September 23 – “Stroke Education” by Astra Health Center, 10:30 a.m. (A representative from Astra Health Center will conduct this informative presentation on the risks as well as the symptoms of a stroke).

September 24 – “Keeping Your Mind Sharp” by Laura Cummings, RN, BSN, Somerset Hills Visiting Nurse Association, 10:30 a.m. (Laura discusses ways we can keep our brains sharp at any age).

September 24 – September Birthday Celebrations, 12:15 p.m.

September 26 – Rubber Stamping Halloween Cards with Gerry, 10:30 a.m. (Get a jump start on the upcoming holiday by creating your own greeting cards for your loved ones).

September 30 – “Take Good Care of Your Skin” by Susan Zolandz, RN, Morristown Medical Center (Susan will present an informative program on what affects our skin and how we can prevent further damage).