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.

This Week’s Programs

*Bill Michaels be at the senior center on Wednesday, August 10, for a HAWAIIAN LUAU.

Come join us for a fun-filled, Hawaiian-themed time. Wear your grass skirt and/or Hawaiian shirt.

There will be plenty of prizes, singing and dancing.

*The following afternoon, on August 11, join us from 1 to 3 for HAWAIIAN BINGO.

Don’t forget to make a lunch reservation.

News For Week of

August 8-12

*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.

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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.

*Back by popular demand: 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.

*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.

This is a Triad Project that will help save lives, and it’s the first project of its kind in our state. The project consists of an information card and a yellow dot sticker that is affixed to your car window. In the event of an emergency, first responders can identify the vehicle as being part of the Yellow Dot Program and will look for the information in an envelope inside your car, saving time and supplying life saving information. The project is a partnership between the community’s senior citizens, People’s Bank and Newtown Police Department.

*Newtown seniors are invited to MOHEGAN SUN AND CRUISE, an outing planned for Tuesday, August 16. Enjoy several hours of gaming at your own pace, and then enjoy a 90-minute cruise during the afternoon on a Seapony LLC boat.

Cost is $42, which includes a $20 casino bonus, two $5 pull tabs, the cruise and even a voucher for the casino’s buffet. Departure from Sandy Hook will be at 7:15 am.

*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 8-12

Reservations must be made one or two days in advance.

Meals are subject to change.

Monday, August 8: Veal parmesan with mozzarella cheese, penne pasta with sauce, parmesan cheese, spinach, Italian bread, diet fruited Jell-O with topping;

Tuesday, August 9: Grilled chicken Caesar salad with croutons, soft breadstick, mixed fruit juice, fresh melon wedge;

Wednesday: Fish & chips, French fries, tartar sauce and ketchup sides, coleslaw, pickle, whole wheat bread, pears;

Thursday: Meatloaf with onion gravy, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, rye bread, coconut custard pie;

Friday: Chicken noodle soup, unsalted crackers, spinach-mushroom quiche, broiled tomato, green beans, dinner roll, ice cream sandwich.

Also, for planning ahead—

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.

Activities Schedule, August 8-12

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 Hawaiian Luau Bingo;

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

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.