Young at Heart

By Vicki McCullough

November is here and so is the rain, cooler temperatures and maybe even some snow. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and with it comes the need to go shopping for holiday gifts. These are all things that we look forward to each year, and they’re also the things that can give us a troubling headache.

Blaine Senior Center is buzzing with activity as it gears up for the holiday season. We’re hosting a Veterans Day celebration at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, November 12. We will serve lunch and allow guest speakers to share their stories at noon. We are also making plans for our annual Christmas Bazaar, which will take place on Friday, November 30 and Saturday, December 1 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. We have some new and returning vendors and we want to thank everyone who applied. We wish we could have included all of you but we ran out of room. Please apply again next year – variety is the spice of life.

We are looking forward to a festive evening on Saturday, December 8. Angels Descending, featuring Wendy Donaghy and Sharon Mayson, will present ‘Christmas Joy,’ a holiday concert. Tickets cost $25 per person or $40 per couple and are on sale at the senior center office. It may seem like the Blaine Senior Center is having a lot of fundraisers this year and you are right. We do get a lot of donations from organizations, sponsors and generous people in the community, but it takes a lot to keep the senior center running. Several volunteers donate their time, effort and elbow grease to keep the Blaine Senior Center working properly and we appreciate all of them.

Despite the city of Blaine owning the building, it is our responsibility to keep the senior center clean and running. This requires cleaning carpets, painting, general maintenance and updates like the gym this year. We have also had to replace our refrigerator and stove in the last couple years and we must replace the dishwasher soon. We updated the fitness center this year and thanks to Peter Kelly, Paul Dean, Mac McCullough and Phil Aguirre, we got it done in record time. Thank you to the men in the pool room for obtaining another pool table and updating the room – it looks great.

Maintaining the Blaine Senior Center takes money, and it’s not used just for us, but by the Community Assistance Program for weekly community meals as well. The need is great. The Blaine Senior Center is run by volunteers, with exception of the director, staff and cook. The next time you pop in, remember to thank those that are working to make your time there pleasant and even a little fun.

The Blaine Senior Center is located at 763 G Street. To learn more, contact 360/332-8040.