Senior services for Newtown seniors are available at the Multi-Purpose Building on Riverside Road in Sandy Hook. The Senior Center is under the auspices of The Commission on Aging. The center is run by the Senior Services Director, Marilyn Place. For more information about programs offered at the Senior Center call 270-4310.

You may drop in at the Senior Center on Riverside Road in Sandy Hook weekdays between 10 am and 4 pm. A hot meal is served at noon for which you must reserve three days in advance.

Newtown has daily door-to-door mini-bus service Monday through Friday. Buses also run all day from the senior center to Sand Hill Plaza. On Fridays, the bus alternates between rides to Danbury Fair Mall and Berkshire Plaza in Danbury (to Wal*Mart Route 6). Cost is 65¢ each way for the Sand Hill Plaza trip, 75¢ each way for out of town. Call 748-2511 TWO DAYS IN ADVANCE to book a ride and get the out-of-town Friday schedule.

News For Week of August 1-5

*Join us on Wednesday, August 24, at 1 pm, when Dawn MaCary, from the Western CT Area Agency on Aging, and Diane Elves, the director of the local Social Security office, will be at the senior center to DISCUSS THE NEW MEDICARE PART D PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLAN.

They will be available to answer any questions and also help you understand the upcoming enrollment, which begins on November 15.

Don’t miss out on this important seminar. Call 270-4310 to sign up – remember, space is limited.

*New England’s premier event each fall, the region’s “Great State Fair,” THE BIG E returns in September and we’re planning on spending a day there.

Call for details (like the date of the event, which wasn’t included in the newsletter). Cost is $38, and departure will be at 8:30 am.

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REMINDERS: Has it been a while since you’ve played BRIDGE? Would you like to learn how? Stop by the senior center any Monday at 10 am for a game or two.

*ETHEL KAUFMAN is at the senior center every Monday at 1 pm to lead a CHORUS GROUP. Come enjoy some festive music with your friends.

*COMPUTER CLASSES are being offered on Mondays and Tuesdays from 3 to 4:30 pm. All levels of computer users are welcome.

This class will deal with email, Word and the Internet. Stop in for details.

*Pat Babbage teaches EXERCISE classes on Monday and Wednesday mornings. Classes begin at 10:30 am.

*HATHA YOGA classes are offered on Monday and Thursday mornings at 10. Try a class with Helen Herbold to get rid of stress and anxiety while learning to breathe correctly. Bring a mat or towel to lie on and wear loose clothing (no belts; sweats are perfect). Also learn how to use all the muscles in your body through relaxation.

*Lynn Flanders is teaching COUNTRY-WESTERN LINE DANCING each Tuesday morning from 10:30 until 11:30. Cost for each class is $1. Lynn has a unique style and she’s full of energy – come join the fun!

*Anyone interested in learning HOW TO PLAY MAH JONGG? Lessons will be given on Thursday mornings at 10 am.

*REGULAR MAH JONGG PLAYERS are reminded that the advanced group plays at 9 am on Fridays.

*QUILTING CLASS meets on Fridays at 10 am.

*Municipal Agent ANN PICCINI VISITS the senior center on Thursday mornings from 10 until noon to help with Conn Pace, medical information and Title 19 issues you may be having. Call ahead or just stop in to talk with someone who can help you figure your way through these sometimes confusing subjects.

If you can’t catch up with Ann during one of her visits at the senior center, try reaching her at her office at 3 Main Street (below the police department). Call her there at 270-4330.

*Also on Thursdays, Newtown’s seniors are invited to stop by between 2 and 3 pm to have their pictures taken and to fill out pertinent information that will be stored in the glovebox of your car, all of which is part of the new NEWTOWN YELLOW DOT PROGRAM.

*In the fall a  “BENNINGTON SAMPLER,” a one-day outing to enjoy the best of southern Vermont, is available on September 1 (departing 8 am, $60 per person); FALMOUTH AND MARTHA’S VINEYARD, September 7-9, includes a cruise on the Cape Cod Canal and overnight accommodations at The Shoreline Acres Resort ($369/single, $469/double or $359/triple).

There is also a four-day trip to THE ERIE CANAL available, leaving Sandy Hook on October 7 ($579/single, $459/double or $449/triple).

Stop by the senior center for a full listing of this year’s trips, and details for any of the outings.

Menu For Week of August 15-19

Reservations must be made one or two days in advance.

Meals are subject to change.

Monday, August 15: BBQ chicken quarter, macaroni & cheese, fresh zucchini, corn bread, fresh fruit salad;

Tuesday, August 16: Spaghetti with meatballs, parmesan cheese, tossed salad with Italian dressing, garlic bread, Italian ice;

Wednesday: Chicken gumbo soup, unsalted crackers, stuffed salmon with dill sauce, mashed potatoes, green beans with garlic, whole wheat bread, watermelon;

Thursday: Turkey a la king, rice, carrots, biscuit, grape juice, butterscotch pudding with topping;

Friday: Virginia ham with pineapple glaze, scalloped potatoes, peas, rye bread, apricots, lemonade.

Also, for planning ahead—

Monday, August 22: Stuffed cabbage, buttered noodles, mixed vegetables, wheat dinner roll, pineapple tidbits;

Tuesday, August 23: Honey roasted chicken, baked sweet potato, cauliflower-broccoli mix, rye bread, ice cream cup.

Activities Schedule, August 15-19

Monday: AM Bridge, yoga, exercise; PM chorus group;

Tuesday: AM Pinochle, country-western line dancing; PM bowling (at Brookfield Lanes);

Wednesday: AM Pinochle, exercise; PM Bingo;

Thursday: AM Pinochle, hatha yoga class, Municipal Agent visits, mah jongg lessons; PM bowling (at Brookfield Lanes), TRIAD/Yellow Dot photos taken;

Friday: AM advanced mah jongg, sewing, quilting; PM knitting.

 Remember, you must call at least one day in advance to book a meal or a ride, 270-4310; the Senior Bus, 748-2511.