Brocton Portland Seniors

Brocton Portland Seniors met Sept. 25 at the Brocton Legion with President, Linda Riley, before 51 members and 3 guests. Tom DeJoe led the Pledge of Allegiance and Wendy Black gave a prayer of thanks. New member Ted Rivers was welcomed, with guest Lilian Montest. Jose Quinones and Christina Breen spoke about Suicide Prevention available programs and gave pamphlets and informational resources for help. Their administrative office is on North Erie Street, Mayville. Call 753-4104. Committee members DeJoe, Lena Elliott, Marian Delcamp and June Woollett set tables, served and cleaned up an excellent tureen luncheon. Secretary Ruth Neal read the minutes, approved by Bob Jagoda and Jane Penhollow. Treasurer Rita Stonefoot read her report that was approved by Rita Bennett and Don Reinhoudt. A thank you card was received from the Office of the Aging for the donation of funds for the Porta Potty at the annual August OFA picnic attended by over 500 seniors.

A Casino Seneca Allegany trip for $30, is in the works for Tuesday, Dec. 11. That includes $30 play funds and their buffet, which we all enjoy. Call Margaret Jagoda at 792-7385 by Dec. 1 to reserve a seat. Rose and Laurel Giambra celebrated their 50 year anniversary; Ron and Pauline Johnson celebrated 61 years; with Rick and Kate Cranston celebrating 44 years! Penhollow thanked everyone for their kindness and cards – she is doing so much better finally. Mary Tripi told in good humor, two items she had for sale. Birthday folks were Betty Erick, Stonefoot, George Travis and Shirley Wolnik. Door prizes raffles won by Pauline Johnson, Jean Jaquith, Elaine Fredrickson, George Travis, Betty Erick, Ella Gaffney and Debbie Messere. Robin Carr announced the Brocton School Band will give a short program at the October meeting.

This next meeting at the Brocton Legion is Tuesday, Oct. 30 and is the Halloween costume contest, with a catered menu of meat loaf, gravy , mashed potatoes, green beans, roll and dessert of apple pie and vanilla ice cream. The committee members are Liz Stahlman, Dorothy Reading, Beulah Williams and DeJoe. They will set up and serve the catered meal by the Legion’s Sham, at noon. Members are to bring photo for Linda’s contest; costume for the Halloween contest!; and personal table service for the noon catered luncheon.

Collins 50 Plus Seniors

Activities for the week of Oct. 21 to 27

Monday, Oct. 22: Exercises with Pat at 10 a.m., Painter Center gym.

Tuesday, Oct. 23: Active Senior Aerobics with Kim at 9 a.m., L.K. Painter Center gym, small fee; Crafts Class with Suzie at 1 p.m., Painter Center Community Room, small fee; soup and sandwich lunch. Come out and enjoy a delicious lunch of chicken noodle soup, grilled cheese sandwich, desert and drink for only $3. After lunch, there will be a seminar.

Wednesday, Oct. 24: Exercises with Pat at 10 a.m., Painter Center gym; Quilting with Florence at 10:30 a.m., Collins Library Community Room; Games & Crafts with Pat at 1p.m., Painter Center Yellow Room; Senior Bowling at 1p.m., K&L Lanes in Gowanda, small fee.

Thursday, Oct. 25: Yoga with Donna at 11 a.m., Painter Center gym, small fee.

Friday, Oct. 26: Percussion & Exercise with Kim at 9 a.m., Painter Center gym, small fee; Exercises with Pat at 10 a.m., Painter Center gym; Community Service with Pat, at 1 p.m., Painter Center Rose Room.

** Seats are still available for “An All American Christmas” on Tuesday, Dec. 4 at Salvatore’s Italian Gardens. Travel by comfortable coach bus, a delicious meal, show by Nashville artist “Ricky Lee”, and basket auction all for $75. To reserve a seat, call 532-2006 ext. 21. Make the check out to: “Town of Collins” and send to: Town of Collins, Box 420, Collins, NY 14034. Meal choices are – chicken, fish, or vegetarian. Include the meal choice either when making your reservation or note it on your check. Checks must be received no later than Oct. 31.

** The next AARP Defensive Driving Class will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 27 from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at the L.K. Painter Community Center in Collins. To sign up, call 532-2006 ext.21 and leave a message with your name, phone number, and if planning to have the lunch. The fee for the class is $20 for AARP members/$25 for non-members. Make the check or money order (no cash) out to “AARP” and bring it with you when you check in on the day of the class. The fee for the lunch is $3 and will be collected upon check-in on the morning of the class. Class begins at 9 a.m. SHARP. Check in by 8:30 a.m. Bring your check, your AARP member card (if a member), your drivers license, and a pen.

** It’s that time of year again ! Come out and join the Collins 50 Plus Seniors as they collect donations for the Salvation Army at Shop N Save in Gowanda between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Call 532-2006 ext. 21 to schedule a day and time. Please help us with this worthwhile cause.

Collins Center Seniors News

The next meeting for the Collins Center Seniors will be Oct. 22 at the Gowanda American Legion with a pot luck lunch at noon followed by a short meeting.

NOTE: Members are asked to bring non-perishable items for the food pantry.

The motor coach will depart from the parking lot behind the stores on Maine St., Gowanda at 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 23 for the trip to “SPRAGUES & FALL FUN.”

The motor coach will depart from the same location at 8:15 a.m. for the Seneca Niagara Casino for “MAMMA MIA” on Oct. 30.

Seats are available on Nov. 7 for CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY AT THE SENECA NIAGARA CASINO. Cost is $27, and you receive $30 fee slot play and a free lunch buffet. Payment is due Oct. 22.

CHRISTMAS IN THE OHIO VALLEY Nov. 28 to 30. We will travel to Steubenville; City of Murals, Historic Fort Steuben- Nutcracker Village and Dickens Victorian Village in Cambridge. Travel to Oglebay Park’s Winter Festival of Lights, one of the nation’s largest, covering more than 300 acres over a 6-mile drive throughout the resort. We will stop in Pittsburg at the Phipps Conservatory and Gardens to enjoy the Xmas displays and stop at PPG Place and visit the winter gardens before returning home. Payment is due. A few seats are available.

“THE DRIFTERS WHITE CHRISTMAS” Dec. 11 at the Seneca Niagara Casino. The Drifters have charmed audiences across the nation for nearly 60 years with charisma, talent and a perfect blend of harmonies on classics like: “There Goes My Baby,” “Save The Last Dance For Me,” “Under The Boardwalk,” and one of the most famous holiday songs “White Christmas.” Seats are available. Payment is due Oct. 22.

For additional information, visit the website at www.knowhowtours.com/collinscenter or contact Irene Pfeifer at 532-4268 or Bridget Farner at 532-9586. Make checks payable to Collins Center Seniors, 13851 Quaker St., Collins, NY 14034

Dunkirk Senior Center News

Travel highlights:

The Dec. 12 trip to Niagara Falls Casino has a few seats left.

On Jan. 24, 2019, there will be a shopping trip to Erie. $25 includes lunch at the Golden Corral and stops at Boscov’s and other stops. Sign-up begins Dec. 10.

The trip coordinator is awaiting dates for confirmation for 2019 for three customer appreciation casino trips to be held. They will take place in January, February, March. Venues are Buffalo Creek, Seneca Allegany and Seneca Niagara. There will also be a future announcement regarding details for the Easter shopping trip. Watch the newspaper for additional information.

Elections will be held the week of Tuesday, Nov. 13 through 16. Ballots will be posted Nov. 1 at the Dunkirk Senior Center. Each member must vote in person. The office, located at 45 Cliffstar Court, is open Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.

Collection for the 2019 membership dues will begin Nov. 1. The dues are $5 per year – no increase. The year runs Jan. 1, 2019 through Dec. 31, 2019. You must have an active membership to participate in all programs beginning Jan. 1.

Grape Belt Senior News

Aerobics and Weights with Catherine on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9 a.m. All trips, extended as well as day trips, are open to the public; members and non-members. Fliers for upcoming trips for 2019 are available at the Center.

Trips planned for 2018 All trips: First paid, first reserved

A Christmas Carol at Shaw Festival, Niagara-on-the-Lake – Nov. 18. Lunch at Pillar and Post Inn with time for downtown after performance. Payment due by Oct. 3. (Proof of citizenship required).

Casino Trips – Need to bring photo ID: Mamma Mia! – Oct. 30 – Seneca Niagara. This trip is full. Be behind Big Lots at 9:45 a.m.

Customer Appreciation at Seneca Niagara – Nov. 7. This trip is full. Be behind Big Lots at 8:15 a.m.

The Drifters White Christmas – Dec. 11 at Seneca Niagara. $75 due by Oct. 29.

Trips planned for 2019 – details forthcoming:

May 13: DelLago Casino

May 24: BPO Star Spangled Spectacular. Includes lunch at Pearl City Grill

June 7 or 8: Yankees and Cleveland Indians Game

July: Wellsville Balloon Festival

August: Belhurst Castle in Geneva

October: Bradford dinner theater, “Witches Brew.” Zippo Museum.

Casino Trips:

Oct. 8: Carole King Tribute

Nov. 5: Rat Pack Tribute

Dec. 10: The Lettermen

Extended trips for 2019:

Mid -Atlantic Rail Adventure:

April 24 to 27. Trip includes motorcoach transportation to Pittsburgh and a river cruise on the Gateway Clipper. Rail transportation to Washington, D.C. aboard Amtrak’s full-service Capitol Limited. Monuments and memorials. Baltimore – Inner Harbor. National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Arlington National Cemetery. Return trip by motor coach departing from Baltimore.

New York, New York on July 4: July 3 to 6. Includes Hyde Park – F.D. Roosevelt’s home, West Point Military Academy, Hudson River/NYC Harbor Cruise – view Macy’s fireworks from the Capt. J.P. II. Two-night stay at Edison Hotel in the Times Square area. Shopping. Tour of NYC. Broadway musical. Travel is by motor coach.

Bavarian Europe: Exact dates to be determined, but approximately Sept. 10 to 20. Includes air fare to and from Austria. Then tour Austria, Switzerland, and Germany by land. A detailed flier re: this trip is forthcoming.

David Wendt will be at the Center on Wednesday, Oct. 24 at 10:30 a.m. to discuss all of the extended trips for 2019.

For information and to sign up for any of the extended trips, call Marianne Serio at 672-5274. For more information and to sign up for any day trips, call Judy Marino at 672-5778.

Find Grape Belt Seniors on Facebook. Active members are eligible to join the FB group.

Silver Creek Seniors

On a crisp, Oct. 16 day at noon, Senior Citizens groups from Mt. Carmel, Sheridan and Silver Creek gathered together at the annual Silver Creek Central School senior luncheon where they were the recipients of a warm, inviting welcome from Superintendent Todd Crandall, his secretary Emily Cole, Board of Education President Greg Cole, High School Principal Thomas Buczkowski and Middle School Principal Eleanor Payne. Chaplain Dorothy Miniri invoked blessings of appreciation and gratitude for these gifts received.

Tables were embellished with symbols of the season pumpkins, turkeys and cornucopia which are emblematic of abundance. The traditional turkey luncheon with all the trimmings prepared by Dolly of Wolf’s Run Busy Beaver and served so graciously by the school’s administrative team, was indeed plentiful and rich in deliciousness. The dining atmosphere in the room was enhanced with entertainment by high school band teacher Kiersten Ferguson and her student, twelfth grader Andrea Olsen, as they sang together in sweet harmony while each played on a four-stringed musical instrument – the dainty Hawaiian ukulele.

Board of Education President Cole recapitulated the 2018 Board goals: 1. an increase in graduation rates; 2. instill character traits in young students; and 3. increase families’ engagement in the school community.

At 12:30 p.m., the auditorium doors were open to the talents of the high school band at practice. We were privileged to stay and to enjoy their gift of music. For certain, all seniors left the school with a song of thanks in their hearts and a smile of nostalgic school days on their faces.

At the next meeting on Oct. 23, at 1 p.m. at the clubhouse on Route 5, the warmth of soups will be served thanks to the generous volunteers.

Westfield Senior Citizens

Thirty members thoroughly enjoyed Kent Knappenberger’s high school string band and some Gaelic songs before the pizza and salad party.

Julie Holland, Carol Reynolds and Betty Ward helped Joyce Wainwright set up the luncheon.

Shirley Kolpien shared a couple of jokes after the meal.

President Pat Sciarrino read a devotion about changing our hearts by using a pumpkin as an example.

Minutes from September were read and approved.

Ann Cochran gave the treasurer’s report in Pat Everts’ absence. The report was accepted by members.

Sunshine Chairman Dolores Kaufman reported birthdays for Ron VanOrd and Elaine Prince (95) and Joyce and Al Wainwright’s 60th anniversary.

Pauline Emilson contacted Jimmy’s Pizza about 12″ subs of ham, turkey or Italian for the November meeting. A motion for the club to pay for them was discussed and passed.

A silent auction will be the fund-raiser in November. Six tickets for $5. Members are asked to bring new or gently-used items before the noon meeting on Nov. 8.

Union Relief has asked the club to contribute to their Christmas boxes for children and adults. A motion was made and carried that we provide hats, gloves, mittens and scarves for children and adults.

The nominating committee of Everts, Holland, Gerri Harper and Trudy Stafford was announced. Everts will call them.

50/50 was won by Kaufman and the door prize by Audrey Wilkinson.

The New Horizons Sax Ensemble will entertain in November.

The kitchen committee for November will be Wainwright, Ruth Carris and Nancy Peters.

A prayer by President Sciarrino ended the meeting.