Acton Senior Bulletin May 2014 The COA Office/Senior Center at 50 Audubon Drive is open weekdays 8am-5pm. Telephone number is 978-929-6652. Please send all COA mail to: Acton COA, Town Hall, 472 Main St., Acton, MA 01720 Visit the COA website at www.acton-ma.gov. Go to Government, then down to Council on Aging. th Registration for all new programs begins in person or by phone Monday, May 5 at 1:00. ► Aging Well Dancing & Singing Troupe Performance Tuesday, May 6th, 12:30-1:30 (Call now as registration is open.) Aging Well Center Senior Troupe is a group of Chinese-American seniors who are over age 70. They perform traditional Chinese songs and dances but some English and Russian pieces as well. All members are from towns around Marlborough, including Acton. They perform as part of their goal of having a happy and healthy life. Aging Well Center is an adult day program and health center in Marlborough. ► Nathaniel Hawthorne Mad Science Living History Performance Monday, May 12th, 1:00-2:00 Literary historian Rob Velella will portray Nathaniel Hawthorne as a young, reclusive writer who does not enjoy public appearances, preferring to read his work instead of giving presentations. He will give dramatic readings related to the famous 19th century author’s fictional mad scientists. Hawthorne’s characters were so dedicated to their science or art that they lost perspective on everything else. Rob’s goal is to bring classic writers of the past back to today’s readers and prove these works are neither difficult nor boring! His programs combine both education and entertainment for an enjoyable, enlightening experience. Rob Velella holds a Master’s degree in English and is an independent scholar specializing in American literature of the 19th century. ► 90s Birthday Luncheon Index Page th Friday, May 16 , 12:00-1:30 Around Town and Beyond 9 We are hosting a luncheon in honor of all of our Acton seniors who are Calendar 11 aged 90+. Invitations are in the mail to the honorees. Please RSVP to 978- th Classes 3 929-6652 by May 9 . If you have not received an invitation and are 90 or Clinics 6 older, please call the office so we may include you at the luncheon. Dining Opportunities 4 ► Poetry Class: A Little Madness in the Spring… Exercise 6 Tuesdays, May 27th, June 3rd and June 10th, 2:00 -3:30 Friends of the COA 12 …is wholesome even for the King, wrote Emily Dickinson. Shake off the Health News 5 winter blues and celebrate spring with some uplifting poetry. Join Patti Ongoing Activities 7 Russo for this series and explore the themes of renewal and rejuvenation Outreach 8 through the lens of poetry. The group will read evocative and accessible Program Highlights 2 poems, share reactions and do some reflective writing. You do not need to Senior Cinema 5 be a poet to participate; just come and enjoy a little poetry madness! Transportation 5 Trips 3 Director’s Corner I would like to thank everyone who attended Town Meeting and voted in support of our kitchen renovations. We will keep you informed as to when work will be scheduled. We will be celebrating all age 90+ residents of Acton later this month. According to the Town census we have over 120! Staying active and social has been proven to help increase longevity and Acton is living proof. Enjoy this beautiful spring weather, Sharon, COA Director The COA will be closed on Monday, May 26th. 1 UPCOMING PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS th REGISTRATION BEGINS………………………………….………..………….... MONDAY, MAY 5 at 1:00. ► Advance Care Planning: Think, Choose, Share Tuesday, May 13th, 12:30-1:30 Should there come a time when you cannot speak for yourself, there is a way to communicate your wishes for care. Advance Care Planning is a process to help you think about, make choices and share your wishes for care. Join Acton Nursing Services and Parmenter Home Care & Hospice for ideas on how to: think about what is important to you and how to share your wishes for care; choose someone to be your voice if you are unable to communicate; and share your wishes for care with your health care agent, family and trusted friends. ► History of Television Lecture Series with Dr. Brett Rhyne Thursdays, May 15th, 29th, and June 12th, 26th, 1:00-2:00 Immerse yourself in the history of television and revisit a lot of memories in this four-part lecture series presented by Dr. Brett Rhyne. The series will cover the Golden Age of Television Drama, Comedy on Television, the Late-Night Talk Show, and the TV News Magazine. May 15th: The Golden Age of Television Drama. The Golden Age of TV drama ran from the 1950s to the early 1960s. Viewers enjoyed great original teleplays by writers including Paddy Chayefsky, Rod Serling and Gore Vidal. The dramas were performed live on dramatic anthologies such as Philco Television Playhouse, Kraft Television Theatre and Playhouse 90. May 29th: Comedy on Television. Great comedies on television seem to appear every other decade. This lecture will look at the work of 1950s comics like Milton Berle and Sid Caesar; the groundbreaking CBS series of the 1970s that included All in the Family, M*A*S*H and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and the blockbuster 1990s shows The Simpsons and Seinfeld. June 12th: The Late-Night Talk Show. Television’s first original genre was the late-night talk show. This lecture traces the history of the late-night talk show through some of its most significant hosts, including Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, David Letterman, and Bill Maher. June 26th: The TV News Magazine. The news magazine is another kind of program that grew up on television. This lecture looks at some of the most important TV news magazines, starting with Edward R. Murrow’s See It Now and producer Don Hewitt’s 60 Minutes and including later entries such as Dateline, 20/20, Inside Edition, and Bill Moyers Journal. Dr. Brett M. Rhyne is a newspaper and news website editor and reporter and teaches communications and journalism at the college level. He has also produced video, created ceramic art and painted with oils. This program is offered in conjunction with Sage Educational Services. ► Hearing Aid Technology: It’s Changing! Tuesday, May 20th, 1:00-2:00 Megan Ford, owner of Hear Smart Audiology in Littleton, will share some of the latest changes in hearing aid technology and the impacts of untreated hearing loss. For instance, did you know that the first made-for-Apple hearing aid was released just last month? Many of the changes have helped alleviate the frustration those with hearing loss often experience. Dr. Ford holds a Doctor of Audiology degree. She began her career at the MA Eye and Ear Infirmary before becoming the Assistant Director of the Cochlear Implant program at University Hospitals in Ohio. She opened her private practice several years ago after returning to Massachusetts. ► Retirement & Estate Planning Strategies Presentation Thursday, May 22nd, 1:00-2:30 George and Steve Pessotti, retirement planners and guest speakers from SOFA (The Society for Financial Awareness), a non-profit educational speakers’ bureau, will present a financial planning workshop. Attendees will learn about: 12 risks of retirement, estate planning, life estates, lifetime income, 401Ks and IRAs and tax-free income options, and new Medicaid rules. This program is free and does not promote specific financial products. ► Indicates that you must register in advance! Durable Medical Equipment: The COA has items such as canes, walkers and tub benches to borrow. Call Mary Lou weekdays after 1:30 at 978-929-6652, and please allow her a couple of days to gather the equipment. 2 CLASSES Beginner Microsoft Word with Cal Winroth – Workshop 3 Wednesday, May 21st, 1:30-3:00 If you missed the last three workshops, join us for the last in the series. The previous lessons are available for you to complete at home. The meetings are informal and designed to help you better your Word skills no matter your skill level. This month will focus on Headers and Footers. Bring your laptop or use one of the Center’s computers. ► ArtMatters Series: Women Artists and Mother & Child Art Thursdays, May 1st, May 8th, 1:00-2:00 (Call now as registration is open.) The wonderful staff from ArtMatters will conclude the art series this month. During this lively, engaging program you will learn about various art forms and artists and see many large museum-quality prints. The art will cover an entire wall by the end of each presentation! May 1st: Women Artists in the 20th Century. In more modern times, our ability to create art was less openly inhibited, but new, modern obstacles arose. Join us for a new look and a discussion about women and their struggle to make art in the 20th Century. May 8th: Mother & Child. The bond between parents and their children is very special, very personal, and yet universal. This relationship transcends language, cultures, long distances and time itself. Art speaks to this bond, so we can understand and share the connections and experiences made between mothers & their children throughout our human history. Join us for a special sharing in honor of Mothers’ Day and invite your children. Men welcome! ► Indicates that you must register in advance! TRIPS REGISTRATION BEGINS………………………………….………..………….... MONDAY, MAY 5th at 1:00. ► New Bedford - Tours of the Whaling Museum and an Historic Mansion and Lunch Tuesday, May 13th, leave NARA Park Lower Lot at 8:45 a.m.