The Golden Age News is published monthly by the Bluffton Senior Citizens Center, 132 N. Main St. It contains an overview of programs and classes held at the center. Members receive mail or email versions. Some 41 area businesses sponsor this service.

Below are some highlights from the April 2022 issue.

MONTHLY DINNER MEETING

Monday, April 11, 6:00 p.m., Bluffton Senior Center

Our meal will be catered by Schnipke Inn. We will have fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, mixed veggies and cupcakes. Cost is $9.00 and reservations need to be made by April 6.

MC: Richard Bucher PROGRAM: Elaine Wehri will play her accordion for us.

HOBBY CENTER

Beth Hoch's Leprechauns were perfect for St. Patrick's Day. I hope you got to see them. In April, JoAnn Krugh will share her collection of Spring Tea Pots. If you have a collection, hobby or art work that you would be willing to share, please let Tonya know.

BRIDGE

We have some members who would love to play Bridge on a weekly basis. We are looking for a fourth player. Please let Tonya know if you are available.

CHRONIC PAIN CLASS

Do you struggle with chronic pain? This class is for you. It is FREE and open to the public. We have rescheduled it to Mondays hoping this day will work better for people. It starts Monday April 11 and runs to May 16 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Registration is required! Please call Ashlin at 567-204-6947 to register.

INTRODUCTION TO MAHJONG

Mahjong is a fun game with tiles like dominos and suits like a deck of cards. In traditional Mahjong, there are usually four players and 144 Mahjong tiles, based on Chinese characters and symbols. Each player begins with 13 tiles and takes turns drawing and discarding tiles until they form a winning hand. Today, Mahjong is a strategy game, with many different variations around the world but we would like to start playing the U.S. version of Mahjong. Join Elaine Buroker on Wednesday, April 6 at 10 a.m. to learn about the game. If we get enough people interested, we will start playing weekly in May.

MEDICARE 101

The Allen County Council on Aging will present Medicare 101 on Wednesday, April 20 at 10 a.m. This is an information program on the different options that Medicare offers. It is perfect for someone new to Medicare or someone who has changes in their coverage and need to know their options. It is free and open to the public. If you have questions about the program, call Gerry, Pam, Judy or Tammy at 419-228-5135.

COMMUNITY MEALS

St. John's UCC will serve the Community Meal on Thursday, April 7 and Mennonite Community Homes of Ohio will serve the meal on Thursday, April 21. The meals are served at 6 p.m. and are free and open to the public. A good will offering is taken to benefit the local food pantry. Meals are eat-in but we let the catering group know that some people still like to carry out so that they have take-out containers available.

ACTIVITIES

Activities at the Senior Center are changing just a little. Crafts will now be on Thursdays instead of Wednesdays. This works better for many people and the more people who are here the more social time we can have. Feel free to call if you have questions about an activity. Here is a list of activities. Hope you find something interesting.

Crafts - Thursdays at 9:30 a.m.

Dances - Tuesdays at 3 p.m.

Dominos - Fridays at 9:30 a.m.

Dulcimers - Tuesdays at 1 p.m.

Exercise Class - Mondays and Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m.

Bowling - Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. at Southgate Lanes

Euchre - Thursdays at 1 p.m.

Bingo - Monday, April 11 at 2:30 p.m. sponsored by MHCO; Monday, April 18 at 2:30 p.m. with HCS management 

Line Dance Class - April 12 & 26 at 11 a.m., $2 members, $3 non-members 

Jam Session - April 13 & 27 at 2:30 p.m.

Western Square Dance - April 28 at 7 p.m., $3 members, $4 non-members (no dance on April 14 because of Maundy Thursday)

OVAL

Our Version of Adult Learning classes will continue in April and May. Classes are free and open to the public. All classes are designed with both education and entertainment in mind. Reservations are not required but are requested to help the presenters know how many people to expect. Come and enjoy.

April 13 at 10 a.m. Gary Wetherill will present a talk on "American Indian Toys and Games." Not all kids' toys. Gary will talk about gambling games that the women played. Come and check out the games.. Maybe you will find a new game to play.

April 14 at 10 a.m. Larry and Jenny Crest will present "Wheelhouse." Wheelhouse is a Christian Bicycle Cooperative providing transportation to those in need. Come and hear how it works and how it started.

April 22 at 1:30 p.m. Tonya Meyer will present "Bluffton, USA." This is a PBS production filmed in 1974 of our town. Come back almost 50 years with us and see if you recognize anyone or just check out how things have changed.

April 27 at 10 a.m. Author Marty Gitlin will present "A Funny Program About Funny Programs." This program is based on Marty's book "The Greatest Sitcoms of All Time." Marty will have fun clips from what he calls the top ranked sitcoms. Come ready to laugh.

May 2 at 10 a.m. Doris Corey RN will present "Aromatouch Hand Massage." Doris will explain the value of the human touch and aroma therapy and then walk participants through simple hand massage that they can do on friends and family. You may invite a friend or family member or we can pair you with someone else in the class for the demo part of the class.

May 4 at 10 a.m. Keith Sommer and lven Friesen will be at the Swiss Historical House to present "Bread Ovens." Iven will heat up the bread oven and bake some bread. Keith will tell the history of bread ovens in the area and the importance to the Swiss community. Please bring your own lawn chair if possible. After the class, you will have time to tour the house, summer kitchen and machine shed. May 5 will be our rain date. If you need directions to the Swiss Historical House or need a ride, please ask Tonya.

BOWLING BANQUET

The bowling season is coming to an end and that means it is time for the bowling banquet. We will have a pizza party on Thursday, April 28 after the last game. We will sell tickets at the bowling alley for $6 each which will include a drink. Reservations need to be made by April 21.