Where, oh where has my Senior Center gone?
All over the place, it seems.
As of this merry month of May, the west wing of our home-away-from-home is coming down, to be rebuilt better than ever.
The whole process is scheduled to take six months, but don’t fret. Though a major part of our building may temporarily disappear, the programs it houses won’t. All you need to know is where to find them.
St. Barnabas Parish Hall is the new home for Tai Chi, line dancing and all of the exercise classes, except chair yoga. Also meeting at Saint Barnabas are the Tuesday and Thursday bridge groups and the Shakespeare class.
The Evergreen Singers meet at the Bainbridge Performing Arts modular building. Bingo and the Chuck Wagon lunch program are at Virginia Villa.
Some things simply moved to the other side of the Commons and reappeared in the east wing of the senior center. This is where you’ll find the reception area and staff offices and be able to sign up for classes or trips. All of the language groups, game groups, memoir club, book club, driving class, art partners and chair yoga are now meeting in the east wing conference room.
If you have any questions about where to find your activities, call the senior center at 206-842-1616.
Or better yet, pop into the east wing with your questions. You can have a cup of coffee while you’re there and sign up for free classes and transit trips.
Speaking of trips, the Bainbridge Island Senior Community Center is offering an interesting one to Ireland this October. Titled “Ireland’s Coastal Treasures,” the nine-day trip, from Oct. 18-26, will take participants from Dublin to Kinsale to Galway, with stops at Cork, Limerick and several other towns and sites of interest along the way. Double occupancy is $2,999, with triple occupancy a bit cheaper and a single more expensive. This price applies if you sign up by May 18. Airfare is included in the amount.
A brochure with more detailed information can be picked up at the senior center, along with a registration form.
If past senior center trips to far-off places — Alaska and Australia, to name but two — are any indication of the camaraderie and fun to be had from traveling and learning together with people you know, this trip to Ireland should be a rewarding experience.
If you want something rewarding to try a little closer to home, plan to attend the aquatic center’s open house for age 50-plus from noon to 2 p.m. Friday, May 18.
The open house will include a tour of the facility and talks about all of the classes and activities offered. Learn about water aerobics classes, lap swims, or, if you love to dance, aqua Zumba.
Get the inside information about weekday and evening workouts for strength building and cardio health in deep and shallow water, the river fitness class, or water qigong from staff and pool users while enjoying the refreshments.
If chronic back pain is an issue for you, the aquatic center offers a class for that too. For more information, you can call Jamie Whitney, the aquatics manager, at 206-842-2302, ext. 102. The open house for 50-plus is free and informative.
The secret ingredient for an active, enjoyable maturity is the ability to adapt and be open to new things. Prove to yourself that you possess that magic potion. Don’t let change throw you for a loop. Continue to enjoy your favorite Bainbridge Island Senior Community Center activities in their new, temporary locations and add other opportunities not yet tried. Experience the Bainbridge Island Aquatic Center, or a trip to Ireland.
