Renovations and floods are the challenges for the local senior centers in August.
“It’s all about adapting,” said Mary Flood, director of the Portland Vitality Center.
The center was flooded in the heavy rains in July that flooded a number of Portland buildings. Not knowing when the flood repairs are scheduled makes it difficult to plan events because they are short on space.
The East Hampton seniors are also adapting since they have moved to Friendship Hall of the East Hampton Congregational Church while renovations proceed on their center. It was a tremendous amount of work for the staff but they accomplished it so that many of the regular programs are available. The biggest adjustment for everyone is that the hours are now 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
But adapt they do, and seniors will be taken care of just the same by both centers because of dedicated staff that won’t let anything stop them.
In Portland, on Aug. 1, Christie Carpino, the State Rep. from the 32nd General Assembly District that covers Cromwell, Middletown and Portland, will be at the Portland Vitality Center to hold office hours from 10 to 11 a.m. Anyone with concerns or who have questions to ask can see her then.
East Hampton is going to try again to get to Harkness State Beach on Aug 3. Their last trip was canceled due to the heat.
On Aug. 11, the Portland seniors will be taking a tour of Old Saybrook. Old Saybrook is a very old, historic town since it was one of the first areas settled in the 1630s.
East Hampton seniors are excited for the opportunity to see Herrmanns’ Royal Lipizzaner Stallions at Mitchell Farm in Salem. There is a $12 fee plus transportation for the Aug. 12 trip. Of course, no one can go to Salem without stopping at Salem Farms for ice cream, so there will be an ice cream stop on the way home.
This summer, East Hampton seniors have joined with KOCO (Kids of Chatham Organization) for pen-pal letter writing. They will hold their last get together on Aug. 25 at 10 a.m. It has been great fun and educational for the students. They love to interact with the seniors and find out if they have pets.
Another great event in East Hampton is the annual picnic at Sear’s Park on Aug. 22 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The Portland Rehabilitation Centre is sponsoring the always-enjoyable three-piece jazz band once again.
This is an exciting month all around. On Aug. 25, the Portland seniors will have a barbeque at Portland Rehab with the entertainment being the Yale Spizzwinks. If you have never heard this group, they are fantastic. They are an all-male cappella group with a diverse repertoire. They include great humor with their music.
Hopefully there will not be a reoccurrence of extreme heat such as in July that will force cancellations.
Older adults, who are very susceptible to health problems caused by extremes in temperature, suffered through the near 100 degree temperatures last week.
