There were enough senior activities each week in December to satisfy any person’s desire to get out of the house and have some fun with the Lyons senior community. Every corner of the senior center was decorated by myself and a Christmas tree put up by Helen Vanderwerken. In mid-December, the Lyons Community Church, led by Jani Little, brought evergreen garland and china plates to the Walt Self Senior Center and served a gourmet meal. In addition, they sang several holiday-inspired songs, accompanied by fiddles and more.
Speaking of caroling, Cheri Hoffer lead the annual Lyons Christmas carol group to the doors of many of the seniors living in downtown Lyons apartments. The 15-month-old baby’s giggles and red cheeks brought smiles to the seniors’ faces. Also, the Lyons Valley Preschool stopped by the Senior Center to sing some jolly carols. Thanks to all for the cheerful Christmas events!
The biggest holiday experience was a bus trip to see the Longmont homes listed as having the top Christmas lights displays. It included a first-class meal of roast beef or salmon at The Roost restaurant. Two very long tables filled half the room, and loud conversation and laughter fed the festive mood. Diners enjoyed sharing stories about their favorite restaurant, their childhood Christmas traditions, and jobs they loved or hated. Thanks to the Town of Lyons for putting on such a great event.
The Walt Self Senior Center, part of the Boulder County Housing complex, opens its community hall to all seniors at the holidays, so that they will always have a place to go and share food, games, stories, and song. For the holidays, seniors enjoyed a free seafood dinner one night, and a place to celebrate on New Year’s Eve.
Another celebratory event is a monthly birthday party for all Lyons seniors. For 2020, it will take place after lunch at 12:30 p.m. at the Senior Center on the second Wednesday of each month. Free cake and often games or stories are shared. Seniors can reserve a Lyons Bistro lunch (see below) or just come for the cake. In January there was a big turnout. Happy birthday to Richard Bennett, Rhonda French, Anita Rodriguez, Sandy Spellman, Cathy Rivers, Novella Maia, Lora Gilson, and Geneva Sabados.
This is a good time to look back at 2019 and thank Oskar Blues Grill & Brew for another full year of delicious monthly senior-style lunches exclusively for Lyons seniors. If you would like to join the group of approximately 25 people, call in your reservation to Ruth at 720-289-3525 by Tuesday. Your only cost is a tip for the hard-working waitress.
This first article on the new Lyons Recorder web site will summarize all senior events and activities and meals that take place in Lyons.
TOWN OF LYONS SENIOR ACTIVITIES
The Town’s first quarter of 2020 senior bus trip takes place in January to see the Monet art exhibit at the Denver Art Museum January 13. The trips for the rest of the year have not been planned yet.
The Town offers four programs to Lyons seniors, at no cost, taking place in the Senior Center. Register with Lisa Ramsey at lramsey@townoflyons.com mailto: lramsey@townoflyons.com. First is a monthly watercolor painting class, open to all levels of skill, on the third Wednesday, from 9:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Second, there is a monthly Game Day at 12:45 p.m., after lunch. The group has played dominoes the past couple of months, and on January 22, they will be playing BINGO. Third is the birthday party on the second Wednesday at 12:30 p.m.
The fourth program is a bi-weekly exercise class from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the Senior Center basement. On Tuesdays, participants do circuit training followed by gentle yoga. Circuit training uses higher intensity exercises targeting strength building and muscular endurance. Thursdays offer a Get Moving exercise class with gentle stretching. In good weather, the first half of the class is taking a walk on quiet streets, followed by stretching. You can come for both or one, as often as you like. It is best to register for the class so that you know when there are cancellations.
Marissa Davis started working in the Parks and Recreation Department in 2005. This January she has started her new job as Deputy Town Clerk. Over the years, Marissa has always had a keen eye on what was happening at the Senior Center. She took care of the maintenance of the building, the minor repairs, cleanliness, and some supplies, and was always open to comments and questions from the seniors. She even taught some craft classes. Her smiling face and swift attention to senior matters will long be remembered.
ACTIVITIES OPEN TO PUBLIC
Help Mother Earth! Note, most activities sponsored by the Town or the library are now aiming to be Zero Waste and promote recycling, which means you need to bring your own cup, plate, and utensils. You can also do your part by not putting excess fats, oil, or grease (FOGS) down the drain. Recycle at the free single-stream recycling center, located near Bohn Park and open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. There are good sturdy stairs to help you easily dispose of your items. Don’t you feel better already? We’re living in a town that cares about the earth.
Other events that you may be interested in, and may want to bring your friends or grandkids to are: The Winter Wonderland Concert Series in LaVern Johnson Park, on January 11, January 25, and February 8 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Bring your own mug for the hot cocoa; ice skate rental and parking are free during these events. The next interesting series is a monthly Herbal Healing Arts class taught by a local certified clinical herbalist. The next class is January 18, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. There is a $15 fee and requires registration through the Town. The ice rink in LaVern Johnson Park will be open before the end of this month. You can rent skates through the Town. Contact Lisa Ramsey for more information at lramsey@townoflyons.com mailto: lramsey@townoflyons.com.
The Lyons Regional Library is sponsoring two programs that will be enticing to seniors. They are monthly Community Dinner and Storytelling on the third Thursday of each month at 6 p.m., co-hosted by Wide Spaces Community Initiative. And, Busy Readers Book Club meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. See the library for more details.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Do you want to have more input into the services offered to seniors in the town of Lyons? You can do this in two ways. The first is to run for the Trustee or the Mayor position for the Town of Lyons Board of Trustees. There are many steps to take to get on the ballot, so contact Town Hall personnel for more information. The application is due by January 27 and voting takes place in April. http://www.townoflyons.com/589/Run-for-Mayor-or-Trustee
The second position of influence is with the Aging Advisory Council, which is recruiting new members and would like to have a representative from the Lyons community. Applications will be accepted through January 10. Apply for a position at https://www.bouldercounty.org/government/boards-and-commissions/ and click on Vacancies.
FOOD & WELLNESS ASSISTANCE
Do you need information on mental wellness, food or utility bill assistance, and more? The Lyons Emergency Assistance Fund (LEAF) can help. It is located in the Lyons Community Church at 4th and Main Streets, and open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays. The food bank has available canned and dry goods, as well as fresh vegetables, milk and eggs, and frozen meat packages for those in need. It is open between 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Wednesdays. More information can be found at www.leaflyons.org or 720-864-4309.
LEAF hosted the Holiday Giving Tree program again this past December, anonymously matching local residents with seniors, who got gifts or gift certificates to bring them good holiday cheer. Some have stated that this is the only gift they receive, as they live alone. Seniors who applied for help also got bountiful food baskets, with some hygiene and household items. Many thanks to the volunteers and donors. Once again, the partners, Lyons Elementary School, Lyons Middle/Senior High School, Lyons Catholic Community, LEAF Believer, Cemex, Higher Ground Ministries International, and more helped create a bountiful Christmas for those Lyons residents in need!
SUPPERS
Tired of eating alone? Want to have some fun, smart conversation with people your own age? There are two ways you can enjoy this camaraderie among Lyons seniors. The first is a free drop-in Monday supper, and the second is a catered lunch twice a week.
The four local churches provide a free supper almost every Monday at 5:30 p.m. at the Senior Center. No reservation is needed. These suppers started out as a way to guarantee that every senior in town would receive a weekly hot supper. Many thanks are sent to the hard-working, kind-hearted volunteers who have done this for several years!
The River Church, the first Monday of each month.
Lyons Community Church, the third Monday of each month.
Lyons Catholic Church, the second Monday of every other month (February 10)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, note, this is the only supper on a Tuesday, and takes place quarterly (tentatively February)
There is generally a potluck supper at the Senior Center on the last Monday of each month, at 5:30 p.m. run by local seniors. It is open to all Lyons area seniors. Bring a dish to share that serves eight people. The next potluck is Monday, January 13, at 5:30 p.m. There may be an additional one on the 27th. Write LovingLyonsSeniorGroup@gmail.com to confirm any of these dates a week before the meal.
LUNCH
Lyons seniors can enjoy quality catered food at the Wednesday and Friday lunches at noon in the Lyons Bistro, located in the Senior Center. The successful senior lunch program will be entering its fourth year come April. A long-time tradition is that you will be served at the table on a china plate. Pick up a copy of the menu during the lunch period for more information. This newspaper also publishes the menu. Next week’s two-day menu includes baked chicken with scalloped potatoes, and citrus fish with rice pilaf. Later in the month is Szechwan chicken with wontons, and vegetable lasagna with Alfredo sauce. Volunteers are always needed for occasional two-hour shifts.
The lunch cost is $3.00, or what you can afford. Those people under 60 years of age, or guests, or live outside of Boulder County pay a $8.25 flat rate. Reserve your meal at 303-441-1415 by 1p.m. the day before the lunch. The meals are provided by Boulder County Area Agency on Aging (BCAAA) and their grants. The aging services contact is Teresa DeAnni, their dietitian is Patty Murphy, and their local kitchen manager is Helen Vanderwerken. Sincere thanks to them and the volunteers for a very fine job!
Activities taking place during the lunch hour include occasional talks by BCAAA health personnel on wellness, cooking, nutrition, or Medicare. There is a monthly free shoulder or neck massage by Taryn at Om Bodyworks. The Town sponsors a birthday party and a Game Day each month after lunch.
SENIOR NEWS
The Loving Lyons Senior Group (LLSG) sponsors two movie viewings each month at 5:30 p.m. at the Senior Center. On the first Thursday, a movie is presented which stars a senior actor with a topic of interest to seniors. It is followed by a discussion period. On the third Sunday of the month is a first-run feature, with popcorn served. Both are 5-star quality movies. Reserve your seat by contacting LLSG.
A good way to be in touch with senior events, trips, groups, and more is to get on the free quarterly newsletter email list of the Loving Lyons Senior Group (LLS). Besides the five pages of activities, it has five pages of tips, scam warnings, government agency contacts, health and wellness articles, and more. Contact them at LovingLyonsSeniorGroup@gmail.com or talk with director Kathleen Spring (myself).
