Director’s Comments
You never know…
One of the greatest rewards of my job is getting to know people better, a bit at a time. The brief conversations in passing reveal parts of their story, which are often full of surprises.
The tourists passing in throngs might be on the lookout for celebrities or merchandise but miss the real treasure of our community – our village is populated by some fascinating, talented, and experienced people. That person walking too slowly on the sidewalk might have injured their leg while hiking a mountain in Nepal. The friendly volunteer driver in our Sunflower Car is a pilot, computer network engineer, and art collector. The person sipping coffee at the Emporium window is a sculptor who has created landmarks all over the world.
Some of the life stories aren’t sensational or a matter of worldly influence, but just as worthy. Given the chance to delve into personal histories there’s almost always a nugget of gold to be found, or sometimes a full treasure. Like reading a novel, having the chance to learn someone else’s story adds to our understanding of the world.
I challenge each of you to do some digging – get to know someone a bit better. One of my favorite questions to start with is “What brought you to Yellow Springs?” That often elicits a great start.
Speaking of seeking treasure – our second annual auction is coming up. We can accept items which have a value of at least $50 to sell for the benefit of the Center. Please contact me if you have something to offer. The site we sell on is called “Everything But the House” and they mean it. Last year we earned over $7000 from the sale. For this year’s auction we already have a grandfather clock, a bike, a limited-edition Teddy Bear, and some original art. A little extra bonus with each item donated – they usually come with an interesting story.
– Caroline Mullin, Executive Director
937-767-5751 x 101, [email protected]
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Congratulations!
Senior Center Miller Fellow Grant Crawford was honored with the “Miller Fellow of the Year” Award at last month’s Yellow Springs Community Foundation’s Annual Meeting. Grant is shown with YSCF Director Jeannamarie Cox (left) and YSSC Director Caroline Mullin (right).
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Ripples is here!
A complimentary copy of Volume 10, the 2023 issue is enclosed for you! An electronic version is also on the website at ysseniors.org/ripples.
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Use the buttons below to visit our website for the most up-to-date information about our classes and groups. | |
Upcoming Events & New Activities | |
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Dr. J LanYé Concert, Thursday, July 20, 5:30 pm
Dr. J LanYé is an accomplished pianist, composer and vocalist who has performed recital-lectures all over the world. Dr. LanYé will offer a recital at the Senior Center in the Great Room on Thursday, July 20 from 5:30–7 pm. She will share her rich experience as a Black composer and her dazzling piano skills, with material that spans across all genres: classical, jazz, American Spirituals, and her very own unique compositions.
Community Colloquy Series, 3rd Thursday, 7 pm
The Senior Center hosts monthly guests to share their expertise and knowledge with the community.
The August 17 guest is Dr. C. Jayne Brahler who will talk on “The History of Income and Health Promotion and Wellness.”
Programs will meet in the Great Room and also on Zoom. All are welcome. To get the Zoom link, register on MyActiveCenter.com, call 937-767-5751, or email [email protected].
Monthly Financial Series, 2nd Mondays, 5:30 pm
Ryan Carpe, financial advisor with Edward Jones in Yellow Springs, will present on July 10.
Ryan Beach, financial advisor with Edward Jones in Xenia will present on August 14.
Day Trips, Thursdays, July 13 and August 24
The July 13 day trip is to the Dayton Art Institute to see the Focus Exhibit: Woodblock Prints of Saito Kiyoshi, meeting at the Bryan Center parking lot at 12:15 pm for a 12:30 pm departure. We will depart the museum by 3 pm to return to YS. General admission for the museum is $10 for seniors and this will cover the exhibit.
The August 24 day trip is to Carillon Historical Park with lunch at the Culp’s Café. We will meet at 10:30 am in the Bryan Center parking lot and depart for YS from Carillon Park no later than 1:30 pm. Museum admission is $12 for seniors, plus the cost of lunch if you plan on dining at the Café.
If you are interested in one or both trips, please register on MyActiveCenter.com, call 937-767-5751, or email [email protected], preferably by a week ahead, but late registrations will be accommodated if possible. You will receive a call with further details. Carpooling will be arranged with no charge. Please indicate if you are able to drive.
Ice Cream Social, August 18, 2:30 pm
To celebrate Summer, come for ice cream on the NEW patio or in the Great Room if the weather is inclement. Everyone is welcome.
The Shakespeare Reading Group, Sundays, 2 pm
The Shakespeare Reading Group will meet on July 9, 16, 23, and 30 and August 13, 20, and 27 at 2 pm in the Fireplace Room. For more info, contact Deborah McGee or Keith Doubt.
Rock Steady Boxing, Mondays at noon
YSSC was awarded a grant to offer this class for people with Parkinson’s. In the Great Room and Zoom.
Introducing Maggie Dean
Maggie Dean is the new Activities and Volunteer Coordinator. She has her Masters of Social Work from The Ohio State University, and has worked as a social worker, volunteer coordinator, and resource specialist. She grew up in Wilmington, Ohio, and spent many years in Seattle before settling back in Yellow Springs with her family.
She is working on new classes and groups and is looking for some volunteer leaders. If you are interested in either participating or leading any of these activities, contact Maggie at 937-767-5751 x109 or [email protected] or [email protected].
Language Classes and Practice Groups
There have been requests to start new language groups for Italian and Slavic languages. Contact Maggie if you are interested in any of these, or if you have another language you’d like to suggest.
An American Sign Language practice group meets on Tuesdays at 4:15 in the Great Room. We would love to grow the group and perhaps add a certified instructor if there are enough participants.
Seated Volleyball
The Senior Center wants to bring back “Beach Ball Seated Volleyball” in the Fall. If you would like to be a Volunteer Leader for this fun weekly activity, contact Maggie.
Walking Buddy Program
Would you like a group to meet with each week for a walk in the Glen, down the bike path, or around the Village? If you would like to join a weekly group or be a Volunteer Leader, contact Maggie.
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Utility Help
SeniorLink is active and a few people have offered to make phone calls. Two people have been matched, but there are still volunteers waiting to make calls. If you would like to be a part of this program, see our website or contact me.
Hot, summer weather is now here and there are programs available to help with utility costs for those who qualify. The Village of Yellow Springs offers assistance to residents who are at risk of disconnection of utility services. Information and an application may be found at The Village of Yellow Springs website or by calling 937-767-7202 ext. 2. Other programs from the Ohio Department of Development are also available. Please contact me if you have questions about these programs or you need assistance with Medicare, Medicaid, Food or Housing Assistance.
– Stephanie Lawson, RN, Support Services Manager
937-767-5751 x108, [email protected]
Live, Love, and Laugh
The Seniors in the Village of Yellow Springs are extraordinary. Not merely because of their generosity of monetary patronage but with zealous support of our mission at the Senior Center to enhance the dignity and quality of life of all seniors. I am enthused to see and hear the knitters as they fellowship and create such beautiful crafts, and the genuine curiosity and interest in the Community Colloquy. The comradery and awe of the puzzle table and the fun and eager participation in our wide variety of classes from multiple languages to classes that benefit the body physically. Our Ice Cream Socials are a delight. The YS Seniors indeed Live, Love, and Laugh as they gracefully waltz through the golden years. Take the time to see what we have to offer or bring suggestions of what we can do to attract seniors young and old.
–Teresa Bondurant, Homemaker & Outreach Manager
937-767-5751 x107, [email protected]
To Feel
…we walked out into the darkness to feel it better, hardly seeing
where we were stepping, everything depending now
on what we knew or thought we knew – or what we were willing to risk.
– Traveling into Deeper Country
Gregory Djanikian, Sojourners of the In-Between
U.S. Census Bureau surveys have documented the changing social lives of North Americans. They indicate that we are spending less time with friends and more time alone since before the pandemic. Indeed, the Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, recently addressed this trend in a NY Times editorial, “We Have Become a Lonely Nation. It’s Time to Fix That.”
A state of loneliness, doctors of all stripes agree, contributes an increased risk from a number of health conditions. Among the most serious concerns are the links between feeling alone and the development and worsening of instances of heart disease, anxiety, high blood pressure, dementia, depression and diabetes. Feeling lonely, a person’s risk of premature death is comparable to the risk of smoking daily!
There is a theoretical cure for this malady. It is “social connection.”
I emphasize it as a theory due to our individual and community reluctance to take the cure. Why the hesitancy? Newton’s First Law of Motion is to blame. As stated on NASA’s Glenn Research Center website, “Every object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless compelled to change its state by the action of an external force. This tendency to resist change in a state of motion is inertia.”
What to do? Keep moving! If not run, then walk into opportunities to build social connections. Reach out to those you trust and love and ask them to conspire with you to help each other – and those around you – strengthen the warp and weft of community.
You might start by allotting 15 minutes a day to talk to your neighbor, introduce yourself to someone new at Tom’s Grocery, Dan’s Hardware or sit a spell at the Underdog Café. You could sign up for one of the Senior Center activities or programs, join an exercise class or even volunteer to help drive, greet or teach others and help fortify the kindness that our Village radiates. (See also Stephanie’s article.)
– Robert Libecap, Transportation Manager
937-767-5751 x104, [email protected]
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Calendar
Use the buttons below to visit the calendar our website or MyActiveCenter for the most up-to-date information about our classes and events.
To participate in virtual classes and events using Zoom, you must register through their account on MyActiveCenter. Zoom links are emailed to participants one hour prior.
Information about how to set up an account with MyActiveCenter is at the bottom of this email.
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Garden Dinner Party Recap
The Garden Dinner Party is happening on July 1 and has raised $5500. We’d like to thank all of the attendees and also the wonderful hosts: Bill Kent & Gayle Guyre; Margaret Dunn, Marie Spohn, & Erin Quinn; Sue Augustus, Judy Fors, & Katie Egart; Kazuko & Tim Heaton; Sue Neff & Linda Mates; Lynn Sontag; Moira Laughlin, Jerry Papania, and Pegeen Laughlin; Carol Cottom & Bruce Bradtmiller; Susan Alberter, Cynthia Olsen, & Janice Gairy; Jim Johnson, Debbie Henderson, & Jon Hudson; Mary Kay Smith & Melissa Heston.
eNewsletter
PDF files of the Newsletter are available online at ysseniors.org/Enewsletter. An eNewsletter is sent to those who get the weekly emails. To sign up for them, go to the Enewsletter web page.
2024 Art Shows
The art committee is looking for artists who would like to be considered for a show in 2024. Interested artists can find an application at ysseniors.org/art.
Online Auction Donations
The online fundraising auction the Senior Center had last fall through the “Everything But The House” will happen again in August. Donations are welcome during July and should be worth $50 or more. Items can include art, antiques, jewelry, or other items – Airbnb stays, chef events, and unique experiences. Contact the fundraising committee at [email protected] to discuss contributions. All items will be sold via www.ebth.com with proceeds benefitting YSSC services, building, and programs.
Grocery Delivery
The Senior Center continues to shop for groceries weekly from Tom’s Market for anyone who is homebound due to transportation, mobility, or health issues. Deliveries are on Fridays and orders are due by 11 am on Thursdays. Orders are accepted one of three ways:
Credit Card/Debit Card/EBT cards are accepted. This is a free service; donations are gratefully accepted.
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Pencil & Watercolors by Cynthia Olsen
July 6–September 4 in the Fireplace Room
Cynthia Olsen, born in Kansas City, MO, moved throughout the US with her family as her father sought an academic career. She started watercolor painting at a young age. At the age of seventeen, she taught watercolor classes at the London, Ohio Art Center.
Entering Ohio State University she worked in both research and as a free-lance medical illustrator and paid her way through college. She illustrated one textbook in the process while matriculating onto medical school and then a career in Family Medicine and Geriatric Medicine. She would say that “if it hadn’t been for the ability to illustrate the human body and diagram many of the physiologic processes, I don’t know if I could have made it through those first few years.” She found that the ability to illustrate principles in medicine made it possible to be a good teacher for both student doctors and patients.
Her preferred medium is pencil and watercolor and her favored subjects range from still life, especially botanical, to landscapes, and the human form. As an avid gardener, she enjoys both photographing, painting and then sharing her harvest with friends and family.
“I feel it’s my role to show people where their food comes from and how darn beautiful it is. If we ate it and respected it as a part of ourselves, we would be so much healthier and better off. That’s what I would like you to see in my paintings.”
The show can be viewed during the Center’s open hours of Monday–Friday from 9:30 am–4 pm, unless there is a class in the Fireplace Room at the time.
There will be an artist reception on Friday, July 7, from 4–6 pm.
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Greene County Council on Aging |
JamFest
This year’s JamFest is Wednesday, August 16 from 4–6:30 pm at the Xenia Community Center Gym, 1265 W. Second St., next to the Council’s office and costs $10 per person.
JamFest is an afternoon of family fun, games, food, and bluegrass music to benefit GCCOA senior and caregiver services and programs. JamFest also features the Olde Country Store with homemade treats and gifts, the Cloud Race Tournament, and some special competitors, a Silent Auction (which will also be online before the event), a 50/50 Raffle, and the Action-Packed Homemade Treats & Jam Auction with Auctioneer Roy Hatfield with Real Roots Radio.
Savvy Senior Expo
Mark your calendars for a new GCCOA event, the Savvy Senior Expo, Thursday, October 19 from 10:30 am–3:30 pm at the Xenia Community Center.
Other GCCOA Events
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Caregiver Support Group: Mondays, July 3 and 17; Aug. 7 and 21 (first and third Mondays) from 6–7:30 pm at the First Presbyterian Church in Yellow Springs.
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Grief & Loss Group: Mondays, July 10 and Aug. 14 (the second Monday) from 10 am–noon at Peace Lutheran Church in Beavercreek.
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Memory Loss, Dementia & Alzheimer’s Disease: Wednesday, July 12 from 2:30– 4:30 pm at the Xenia Community Center (XCC) next door to the GCCOA Office.
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Medicare 101: Wednesday, Aug. 9, 3–4:30 pm at the Xenia Community Center (XCC) next door to the GCCOA Office.
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Legal Chat: Thursday, July 20 and Aug. 17 (third Thursdays) at 2:30 pm at Peace Lutheran Church, 3530 Dayton-Xenia Road, Beavercreek. Enter at lower level door with awning.
Contact GCCOA with questions or to register for these events at 937-376-5486.
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Thanks to everyone who came out and participated in May’s Flash Mob Event, and thanks to Lynn Hardman for creating the choreography and coordinating the event. | |
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July
7/01 - Patty Gehring
7/02 - Thomas Macaulay
7/04 - Jane Boucher
7/05* Mary Bushrui
7/05 - Susan Freeman
7/05 - Jan Holbrook
7/06 - Patricia Wright
7/07 - Anne Randolph
7/08 - Richard Bullock
7/08 - Helen Filler
7/08* Martie Jensen
7/08 - Mitzie Miller
7/10 - Annette Newman Valey
7/10 - Kathryn Van der Heiden
7/12 - Shirley Lambert
7/14* Dorothy Drake
7/14 - Keith GunderKline
7/14 - Sonia Kiser
7/14 - Marcia Sutherland
7/15* Donna Denman
7/15* Patricia Oberg
7/15 - Joanna Skea
7/16 - Kristen Andreae
7/17 - Roger Beal
7/17* George Coder
7/18 - Pat Robinow
7/19 - Margaret Veenstra
7/20 - Diana Castellano
7/22 - Andy Holyoke
7/22 - James Myers
7/22 - Karen Rasey
7/23 - Steve Piatt
7/24 - Heidi Eastman
7/25* Joan Champie
7/25 - Deborah Dillon-Bloch
7/25 - Mary Beth Burkholder
7/26* Polly Miller
7/26 - Ardis Macaulay
7/26 - Lidia Stone
7/27* Harriet Blackman
7/27 - Maria Whittaker
7/29* Carolyn Cordova
7/29 - Denise Robinow
7/30 - James Tetz
7/31 - Kathy Carr
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August
8/01 - John Atkins
8/01 - Phyllis J. Davis
8/02 - Susan Bothwell
8/02* Sheilah Conard
8/02 - Deborah Dixon
8/03* Mary E. Prince
8/04* Geneva Brisbane
8/04 - Amy Crawford
8/04 - Lynda Terry
8/05 - Susan Doubt
8/06* Patricia Dewees
8/06 - Tim Barhorst
8/06 - Angie Day
8/07 - Brian Gaughan
8/08* Bernice Kirk
8/08 - Doug Klappich
8/10* Robert Conard
8/10* Perry M. Stewart
8/10 - Chris Zurbuchen
8/12 - Diana Quirk
8/12 - Laura McCaffrey
8/14 - Judy James
8/15* Tom Dunham
8/16 - Donna Coleman
8/16 - Nancy Hirsch
8/16 - Heather Neill
8/16 - Kari Tuleke
8/19 - Joy Fishbain
8/20 - Elizabeth McDonough
8/21 - Toni Dosik
8/21 - Terri Victoria
8/21 - Pete Wehner
8/22 - Beth Knepper
8/23* Joan Chappelle
8/23* Allan Ryder
8/24* Ned Oldham
8/24* Sue Parker
8/24* David Anderson
8/24 - Marianna Stewart
8/26* Maria Varandani
8/27 - Larry Gerthoffer Jr.
8/27 - Peggy Shank
8/27 - Judith Ann Sigmund
8/29 - Joe Ayres
8/30 - Isidro Fernandez, Jr.
8/30 - Marie Hertzler
8/31* Michael Kraus
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*Indicates those known to be 80 or older.
We apologize to anyone who may have been left off the Birthday List by mistake. We include current members who have shared their birth date.
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Welcome NEW Members!
Larry Halpern
Michelle Giguere
Gail Keen
Lacey McKinstry
Patricia Oberg
Annette Robb
Sarah B. Struewing
Thomas Wamsley
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On a beautiful day at the beginning of June there was a gathering to celebrate Corinne Pelzl’s 18 years of service and to wish her well with her retirement. Above Board President Wayne Gulden thanks her on behalf of the board. | |
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The Yellow Springs Senior Center newsletter is published every other month, coming out at the end of the even numbered months. Copy deadline is the 1st of even numbered months. PDF versions of this and past issues can be found on the website.
All YSSC members also receive a hard copy mailed to their home. Memberships are $25 annually with $15 for each additional member and are due in January. Make checks payable to YSSC and mail to: YSSC, 227 Xenia Ave., Yellow Springs, OH, 45387 or use the button below to go to the website to pay with a credit card.
Email updates are sent weekly and the eNewsletter is sent every other month.
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