fbpx
  • Subscribe & Support
  • Sign up for Free Newsletter
  • Print Edition
    • Get Home Delivery
    • Read ePaper Online
    • Newsstand Locations
  • HV1 Magazines
  • Contact
    • Advertise
    • Customer Support
    • Submit A News Tip
    • Where’s My Paper?
  • Manage HV1 Account
  • Free HV1 Trial
Hudson Valley One
  • News
    • Schools
    • Business
    • Sports
    • Crime
    • Politics & Government
  • What’s Happening
    • Calendar Of Events
    • Featured Events
      • Art
      • Books
      • Kids
      • Lifestyle & Wellness
      • Food & Drink
      • Music
      • Nature
      • Stage & Screen
  • Opinions
    • Letters
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Local
    • Special Sections
    • Local History
  • Marketplace
    • All Classified Ads
    • Help Wanted
    • Post a Classified Ad
  • Obituaries
  • Podcast
  • Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Schools
    • Business
    • Sports
    • Crime
    • Politics & Government
  • What’s Happening
    • Calendar Of Events
    • Featured Events
      • Art
      • Books
      • Kids
      • Lifestyle & Wellness
      • Food & Drink
      • Music
      • Nature
      • Stage & Screen
  • Opinions
    • Letters
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Local
    • Special Sections
    • Local History
  • Marketplace
    • All Classified Ads
    • Help Wanted
    • Post a Classified Ad
  • Obituaries
  • Podcast
  • Log In
No Result
View All Result
Hudson Valley One
No Result
View All Result

Seniors swap venues: from VFW to New Paltz Community Center

by Terence P. Ward
June 21, 2022
in Community
0
New Paltz and Gardiner Seniors have recently moved their meeting location to the New Paltz Community Center. Pictured (L-R) are: Trustees Jannette Carcich, Marilyn Rogers, Phyllis Maier, MaryAnn Cassamento and Kathy Rivera. (Photo by Lauren Thomas)

Members of the Senior Citizen Club of New Paltz and Gardiner will moving their meetings to the New Paltz Community Center, starting July 13. The president of the group — which welcomes anyone who is 55 or older, regardless of where they live — feels that the opportunities available through this new venue were “too good to pass up.” 

Phyllis Maier, a ten-year member who has been club president for the past year, said in an interview that using this community center could allow for the variety and frequency of club activities to be ramped up. “We can use the Field of Dreams pavilion,” Maier said, and, “we can use the kitchen for a lunch or dinner” in addition to their monthly meetings, which are at 1:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month. “It’s a nice building, clean and new,” Maier added. “We think we can reach more seniors at the Community Center; a lot of them already go there for other activities.” Club members want to offer more activities and opportunities to socialize, and feel that this is a good fit. 

Senior-citizen activities already at the Community Center include a weekly luncheon on Thursdays, but there are quite a few other events throughout the week that someone who is no longer working might enjoy, including waltz, contract bridge and medieval crafts and court dancing. While that weekly luncheon is restricted by age, senior citizens with the interest and the energy can participate in most of the activities offered at the center or other town facilities. 

“We’re trying to expand, and offer other activities,” Maier said, and it seems that the schedule at the Community Center makes it easier to plug in additional events than it had been at the VFW hall on Route 208, where club members met for many years. “We couldn’t resist,” said the president. 

Members of this club — as well as all senior citizens — suffered greatly during the early part of this pandemic. As it was understood that this disease was more dangerous to anyone with other health conditions, many senior citizens found themselves isolated. “It was awful,” Maier said. “We didn’t meet for over a year,” and even after vaccinations were easy to get, the VFW hall reopening was slowed by a number of cases cropping up among the members of that organization. “Seniors were afraid to meet, especially before vaccination, even to play cards.” 

This club has been in existence since 1969 specifically to combat issues like isolation among senior citizens. “When our lives slow down, we have a hard time having fun and socializing,” said Maier, but “our need for people hasn’t gone away just because we got older. Seniors need to get to see people and do interesting things.” The club’s membership has been as high as 200 and as low as 30 in the past, and now stands at 51. The membership fee of $25 pays for lecturers and entertainers at the monthly meetings, when the goal is either to entertain or inform, and always to socialize. While the bylaws originally stipulated that residency in either New Paltz or Gardiner was required, that was recently changed, and now the only eligibility criterion is to have reached age 55. 

Club members also have the opportunity to have lunch together every month or two, as well as join bus trips two or three times a year. The next big trip planned is to a tribute event from Engelbert Humperdinck, Tom Jones and Elvis Presley in New Jersey; that’s to take place in October. 

The community center is at 3 Veterans Drive in New Paltz, and anyone interested in learning more about one of the longest-running social clubs in the area is welcome to pop in on July 13 at 1:30 p.m. to meet the members. 

Tags: members
Before you click away... grab a free month of HV1. Get unlimited access. Get the news you've been missing. Get connected to your community. Keep local journalism alive at $5/mo., or cancel anytime. And enjoy summer!
- Geddy Sveikauskas, Publisher
Previous Post

Hudson Valley Water Company customers have their say

Next Post

School resource officer debate continues in Kingston

Terence P. Ward

Terence P Ward resides in New Paltz, where he reports on local events, writes books about religious minorities, tends a wild garden and communes with cats.

Related Posts

Saugerties celebrates the 4th of July with a parade and fireworks
Community

Saugerties celebrates the 4th of July with a parade and fireworks

July 5, 2022
Something for everyone at the Saugerties Food Truck Festival 
Community

Something for everyone at the Saugerties Food Truck Festival 

July 4, 2022
Banned Book Fair
Community

Banned Book Fair

July 4, 2022
The ice cream of the crop
Community

The ice cream of the crop

July 2, 2022
Baccalaureate service sponsored by SACC
Community

Baccalaureate service sponsored by SACC

July 2, 2022
New Paltz PIGLETS take to the streets, playgrounds and nursing homes
Community

New Paltz PIGLETS take to the streets, playgrounds and nursing homes

July 2, 2022
Next Post
New committee created to help re-imagine policing in New Paltz

School resource officer debate continues in Kingston

Please login to join discussion

Trending News

  • Something for everyone at the Saugerties Food Truck Festival  0.9k views
  • No contractors available for Saugerties schools work 848 views
  • Police searching for two in Woodstock burglary 782 views
  • Free shuttle service for Fourth of July festivities in Kingston 741 views
  • Shaggy lawns may mean fines in Saugerties 736 views







Latest HV1 Podcast

Weather

Kingston
◉
70°
Partly Cloudy
5:27 am8:34 pm EDT
Feels like: 70°F
Wind: 5mph S
Humidity: 100%
Pressure: 29.76"Hg
UV index: 0
ThuFriSat
82/64°F
82/61°F
81/55°F
Weather forecast Kingston, New York ▸

Ulster County COVID-19 Active Cases

Subscribe

Independent. Local. Substantive. Subscribe now.

×
You have free article(s) remaining. Subscribe for unlimited access.
View Subscription Offers Sign In
  • Subscribe & Support
  • Sign up for Free Newsletter
  • Print Edition
  • HV1 Magazines
  • Contact
  • Manage HV1 Account
  • Free HV1 Trial

© 2022 Ulster Publishing

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Schools
    • Business
    • Sports
    • Crime
    • Politics & Government
  • What’s Happening
    • Calendar Of Events
    • Featured Events
      • Art
      • Books
      • Kids
      • Lifestyle & Wellness
      • Food & Drink
      • Music
      • Nature
      • Stage & Screen
  • Opinions
    • Letters
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Local
    • Special Sections
    • Local History
  • Marketplace
    • All Classified Ads
    • Help Wanted
    • Post a Classified Ad
  • Obituaries
  • Podcast
  • Subscribe & Support
  • Contact Us
    • Customer Support
    • Advertise
    • Submit A News Tip
  • Print Edition
    • Read ePaper Online
    • Newsstand Locations
    • Where’s My Paper
  • HV1 Magazines
  • Manage HV1 Account
  • Log In
  • Free HV1 Trial

© 2022 Ulster Publishing