The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

AGE 2, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19,1978, WHITBY FREE PRESS Senitors' &-centre is'active By BRIAN WINTER Staff Writer La-st February, Whitby's Seniors Activity Centre com- pleted ' two years of opera- tion. The centre, with more than 500 members, is today, one of the most active places i. town. There is a high partici- pation percentage by t he membership, and atdances and birthday parties the cen-' tre is filled, wlth about 90 members attending these special events. <"It' is a recreation and volunteer-base centre; not a social club," says the centre's co-ordinator, Mrs. Kay Byk. The social pro- gramming bas been planned by the seniors themselves, and it is one of the. few centresý ithe province where a volunteer mnember handies this duty, she says. Social and recreational, programs have becomne weil- established at the cenrre, says Mrs. Byk, but she would like to see more development of services for seniors. This year, some progress bas been made in this- area, ,with a tax clinie and a talk on pension benefits and assis- tance by an expert i this field. Many seniors do flot kn ow the benefits they are enititled Wo, and these special programsg were a great help, she said. When' the centreopened I Febr;uary- 1976, only the up- per floor could be used, but through a New Horizons grant of '$15,5W, the base- ment was outfitted and, opened for use i September 1977. The basement bas one pool table,1 two- dart boards, two SuIT, MADGETT, 80LER a HAAR Chartered Accountants' W.A.D.Selby R.W.Boler- ,C.A. C.J.Rôberts *c-A- C.W.Marlowc.. ]B.K.Madgett C.A- T.Haar c-ý. 1A.D.Chapman c-À.' offices 171 Kir 14 8 W., l'elephones .579-5531 885-2335 839-0153 shuffleboa2rd courts, an out- fitted kitchen, and craÇt areas for pottery and cera- mic classes. The, centre board hopes Wo partition off the craft areasthis year. The basement, is used day except Saturday and Sunday-, and may be opened in the evenings this sprinig for pool, dart and shuffle- board competitions. The upstairs portion is open every night, and regui-j lar events include cribbage on Mondays, lawn bowling and euchre on Tuesdays, euchre on Wednesdjays, Bingo on Thursdays 'and films on Fridays. >Daily programis include a trip' W the Iroquois Park swimming pool on Mondays, exercises, ceraniics and sewlng on Tuesdays, square. dancin on Wednesdays and board 'meetings on Thurs- days. Social programming 'is- conducted by Vic Igglesden,, a board memnber,- and in - cludes square dancingï,and trips to the races, Niagara Falls and a Peterborough boat cruise. After.two years of opera- tion, the "'trial and, error"? periôd is over. and the basic< structure is set, says Mrs. Byk. However, to make the centre, more successful, more volunteer, belp is needed,' especially in teach- ing skills, sbe says. The goal for 1978 is to make the centre maintain îtselýwhen the New Horizons grant runs out in October. The centre has already had twýo of tbese grants, and Queen, thanIks Whitby Legion Royal uanadian Legion Branch 112 bas received a letter from Buckinghanm Palace expressing Queen Elizabeth's gratitude for the videô tapes of* the Làegion's Silver Jubilee drumhead ser- vice held at Iroquois Park last faîl. The tapes, made by Pine Ridge Cable TV, were sent to the Queen and contained the highights of the service, held Sept. il, 1977. The Queen expressed pleasure and appreciation of this dis- Quilting 18 stit a popular passtime as can be seen by the work being carried oif'bY these miembers of the Whitby Seniors Activity Centr 'e. From left to right are Jlan Dekker, Emily Ashby, Reta Barsam, Irene'Houghland and Marjorie Valley.. The Seniors Activity Centre opened two years ago, and 15 one of the busiest spots in town, with ail kinds of workshops, classes and special events. Free Press Photo cannot apply for any more. "The grants paid for equipment and. supplies to launch the centre," 'says Mrs. Byk. "INow it's on its own." The first granit covered April to October 1976 and was applied for once the centre's board of directors w as organized,. and the second, grant, to equip the basement runs from April 1977 to October 1978. Mrs.'Byk says the centre now needs to organize fund- raising events sucb as bazaars and fies mrarket6 t make its operation self-suffi- cient. Already there bas been a bazaar, in November and a flea market is planned for May. A craft sale of items made by the members is also. planned. Euchre and Bingo games also provide funds. The centre bas been aided in* many ways by local ser- vice clubs which have do- nated a television and a piano. Trhe Town of Wbitby bas co-operated well with the centre, but does not provide it with a grant. The seniors have formed their own choir and after a long search for a pianist, Mrs., Ada Baxter bas volun- teered to handle this job. The choir's instructor is Mary Dean Samanski from the County Town Singers. A volunteer registered nutritionist from the Oshawa General Hospital bas pro- vided a program on nutrition the first Friday of every month since last September. These are only a few ex- amples of the centre's many activities. Plans are afoot to repeat last' October's successfuI two-week trip to Florida. Thirty-eight members went last year, and there are hopes that 45 wiil go this faîl. "Here in,' this town the seniors are, lucky; they bave got everything they want, if they want it," says Richard England, chairman of the centre's board of directors. "«It is a great place for Neighbors making close friends,"P he says. '"Two years ago I neyer knew anyone at the centre. Thfere' is definitely a need for it and it's proved itself . "IThe main purpose of the centre is to make senior citizens more happy so they don't- get bored in town. People, once they come to the centre, are sure to corne Pack again," says Mr. England. Obj*ect to seniors' townhouses Council's administrative. committee says a 24-unit townbouse developmnent for senior citizens is "much needed," but a dozen neigh- bours have objeted Wo the proposal. Th-efts abound Durham Regional Police are mnvestigating a number of thefts in Whitby. Recently the home of Wayne Currier, 305 Dunlop Street East was broken into while he was on bolidays, and $230 ini cash and goods stolen, police said. Entry was gained by kicking in the front door of the bouse. ,Police said items stolen in- cluded liquor, food, cutlery Police also report Blake, 310 St. Lawrei bad a sterling silver from ber bon Westm~inster United Church bas proposed the senior citi- zens' housing development, called Manning Mews,, to'be located on property adjacent to the church on Manning Road. Trhe objectors say the de- velopment would devaluate their property, and there are not enough services and transportation fadlties for' seniors in that area. The administrative commit- tee intends to continue discus- sions with, residents near the proposed development at its next meeting April 17. OBITIJARY MARY CARLISLE cash. Mary Carlisle, a resident that' Mira of Fairview Lodge, died at ànce Street the Oshawa General Hospi- 'Pot stolen tal April 9 at the age of 83. ne. A daughter of James Alex- ander Morrell and Sarah Ann McKee, she was born W Sept. 20, 1894 at Belfast, * Nortbern Ireland, and came to Whitby from Belfast 10 01 years ago. She livéI with ber daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. James Hill at 806 Byron Street South. Sbe was a member of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. On Sept. 16, 1920, at Bel- * fast, she married Joseph Carlisle who died ini 1967. Mrs. Carlisle is survived * by two daughters, Mns. Jamnes 11i11(Dorothy) of Wbitby and Mtrs. Thomas Slack (Joan) of Oshawa, three grandcbildren and two great grandcbildren. E The funeral was held April il at W. C. Town Funeral Chapel, Bev. W. J. S. Mc- Clure of St. Andrew's Church officiatlng. Interment fol- lowed in Mowit 1*wn lt's sp,îng and everything seems 10 happen at oncel Get ready for whatever cornes your way with these fanciful looks by farnous miakers. The Wft wft look of sprn Pleats end bowvs and f u Il slevs are rmaking fashîon nom this sweson. 1, your Baby Bonus chiqua on.q r p - \morurd nanusd uve 10 ST EAK HOUSE 918 SROCI< ST. N. WHITBY THE HOME * 0F CHAR BROJLD STEAKS. FEVTEYI ANAIAN1 LBtRTAI L NIGHT TO AVOIDDELAY PLEASE CALL FOR'RESERVATIONS 688-9369 EVERY WEDNESDAY IS SURF & TURF NIGHT I OTHER LOCATIONS On the Go Fashions t East, Oshawa