Senior Center hosts mini open house Aug. 25

Date: 8/16/2010

Aug. 16, 2010

By Debbie Gardner

Assistant Managing Editor

EAST LONGMEADOW -- The recently renovated Pleasant View Senior Center is inviting all local residents age 60 and up to stop in and "try something new" on Aug. 25.

This one-day mini open house, the brainchild of Program Coordinator Sandy Grabierz, is designed to both showcase the new facilities at the center and offer visitors the opportunity to sample classes or activities before they commit for the fall session.

"We get a lot of calls asking us about our programs; questions such as 'What is line dancing like?' or 'What is Zumba like?'" Grabierz explained. "We thought if we could get in as many of the instructors [and] do 20 minutes, people could try out line dancing, or Zumba," or another of the more than a dozen programs that will be offered that day.

"All of our regular programs will be going on that day -- the Morning Glory Walkers, the chair exercise, Pinochle, cribbage and Mah Jongg -- and the pool room, fitness center and bocce courts will be open" Grabierz said. "We'll also have five programs not on the fall lineup. We want people to stop in and, if there's enough interest, we'll schedule a time for the program."

The list of potential fall programs includes chair yoga, chair massage, a course called "adventures in writing," and another Grabierz called "recreational music instruction," where a woman who teaches keyboards will provide instruction to individuals who own small organs or portable keyboards.

She's also trying to coordinate with Palmer artist Jeff Kern to offer a sample painting class that day.

At press time, the day's schedule was as follows: 8 to 9 a.m., Morning Glory Walkers; 9 to 9:30 a.m., chair exercises and Tai Chi; 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Pinochle; 10 a.m., bocce league; 10 to 10:45 a.m., basic instruction line dancing; 10 a.m. to noon, chair massage and cribbage; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., fun with adventurous writing; 1 p.m. Mah Jongg; 1 to 2 p.m., chair yoga; 1 to 3 p.m., Wii bowling; 2 to 2:30 p.m., Zumba.

The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) will be at the center from 9 to 11 a.m. to take photos for transit I.D.s.

In addition, the center's nurse, Lisa Fontaine, will offer a sample of the popular eight-week arthritis exercise programs she conducted earlier this year.

"I ran one class this spring and it was so popular we added another," Fontaine, who has been certified by the Arthritis Association to teach the class, said. "I'll be running a demo that day for people who want to check [the program] out."

That class will take place from 2 to 3 p.m.

She'll also have information available about an arthritis walkers' club that will be starting in the fall for people who want to walk, but find the two-plus mile routes commonly traversed by the Morning Glory Walkers too challenging.

Fontaine will also make appointments for those who want to go over the use of equipment in the new fitness room, which is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday.

"We have two treadmills, an elliptical trainer, a recumbent bike and a multi-use machine for strength training," she said. "People need a medical form cleared by a physician to use the room and they also need to sign an assumption of risk form."

The medical form is available at the center or online, she said. The Web site is www.eastlongmeadowma.gov/departments/coa.htm .

There is a token charge of $1 per day for residents, $1.50 per day for non-residents, to use the fitness center. Twenty-visit passes are available at a cost of $10 for residents, $15 for non-residents. Fontaine said the passes never expire.

Center Director Carolyn Brennan said Pleasant View is in the third year of renovations and despite the many improvements, still has about one more year to go.

"We still have one more multipurpose room to complete. It will be a media room with storage," Brennan said. "The auditorium still needs a coffee bar and dessert bar installed, and the parking lot needs a safer plan for entrance and exit."