Crafty Seniors Welcome New Instructor

By Nancy K. Crevier

The Newtown Senior Center on Riverside Road welcomed new craft instructor Rita Steiner this month. The center was without a craft instructor for several months, much to the dismay of the many seniors who looked forward to the class.

Ms Steiner, a Newtown resident, was in education for 35 years in the Monroe school system until her retirement in 2004. For 23 of those years she was the art teacher for grades K–4.

“I love crafts,” she said, as she prepared the supplies for the March 21 class. “I’ve been doing them since I was a child. The opportunity came [to teach at the Senior Center] and I wanted to do a little something. So I came over here to see what fun things I could do with the seniors.”

The craft class meets two Tuesdays each month from 1 to 3 pm. There is a minimal charge for each craft, which varies depending on the supplies required, she said.

“We made a St Patrick’s ornament last time and are making a ribbon bulletin board today,” said Ms Steiner. The craft for the next class will be a Gallery Glass sun catcher. “After that, we will probably make a flowered straw hat to hang on the door,” Ms Steiner said. All of the crafts selected for the class, she said, will be completed in one two-hour session.

Samples of the crafts are on display at the Newtown Senior Center. The popular class requires preregistration. Call the Newtown Senior Center at 270-4310 for more information.