Dutchess County Office for the Aging’s
AGING NEWS
For the week of July 13th
Golden Living . . . News for Seniors, Their Families and Caregivers
Todd N. Tancredi, Director
Dutchess County Office for the Aging
2020 “DRIVE-THRU” SENIOR PICNICS
The Office for the Aging’s 28th annual Senior Picnic program kicks off this year on Tuesday, July 28th – and will look very different from previous years’ picnics, because of restrictions on gatherings made necessary by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Because the traditional sit-down picnics with hundreds of guests and live music won’t be possible, we’ve adapted to new realities with a series of “drive-thru” picnics. Seniors will make a reservation for the picnic serving their community; drive to the picnic venue on the specified day; pick up a to-go lunch prepared by a local deli; and go on their way.
Each of the 12 picnics scheduled this year is open only to the senior citizen residents of each village/town(s) specified, and their guests. Proof of residency and advance reservations are both required, and space is limited; therefore, we cannot accept walk-ins at the picnics.
To make a reservation for the picnic corresponding with your municipality, call the Office for the Aging at (845) 486-2555. There is an $8 charge for each non-resident guest and those 59 or younger.
The 2020 schedule is as follows:
Tuesday, July 28th – West Road School, 181 West Road, Pleasant Valley
(Pleasant Valley seniors)
Thursday, July 30th – Memorial Park, Beacon
(Beacon seniors)
Tuesday, August 4th – Wappingers Junior High School, 30 Major Macdonald Way
(Town of Wappinger/Village of Wappingers Falls seniors)
Thursday, August 6th – Bowdoin Park, 85 Sheafe Rd., Poughkeepsie
(Town of Poughkeepsie seniors)
Tuesday, August 11th – Stissing Mountain High School, 2829 W. Church St. (Route 199), Pine Plains
(North East/Millerton, Pine Plains, Stanford and Washington/Millbrook seniors)
Thursday, August 13th – St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 55 Wilbur Blvd., Poughkeepsie
(City of Poughkeepsie seniors)
Tuesday, August 18th – Church of Regina Coeli, 2 Harvey St., Hyde Park
(Clinton and Hyde Park/Staatsburg seniors)
Thursday, August 20th – Geering Park, Geering Way, Fishkill
(Fishkill seniors)
Tuesday, August 25th – Freedom Park, 212 Freedom Rd., LaGrangeville
(Beekman and LaGrange seniors)
Thursday, August 27th – East Fishkill Community Center, McGrath Field Parking Lot, 890 NY 82, Hopewell Junction
(East Fishkill seniors)
Tuesday, September 1st – Dutchess County Fairgrounds, 6636 US 9, Rhinebeck
(Milan, Red Hook/Tivoli and Rhinebeck/Rhinecliff seniors)
Thursday, September 3rd – Boyce Park, 6420 NY 55, Wingdale
(Amenia, Dover/Wingdale, Pawling and Union Vale seniors)
The Senior Picnic Program has been held annually since 1993 and is made possible through private/public partnerships and support from many local municipalities and businesses. Special thanks to this year’s Platinum sponsors: EverCare at Home and Home Energy Consultants.
Volunteers of all ages are needed at each picnic to help with set-up and clean-up, and to bring meals to attendees’ cars; and at the Office for the Aging to make reminder calls prior to each picnic. For more information about volunteer opportunities, email bjones@dutchessny.gov or call (845) 486-2544.
Golden Living is prepared by the Dutchess County Office for the Aging, 114 Delafield St., Poughkeepsie, New York 12601, telephone (845) 486-2555, email: ofa@dutchessny.gov website: www.dutchessny.gov/aging
CORRECTION
In last week’s (July 6th) Aging News, the income eligibility guidelines for the Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) should have read as follows:
1-person household: $1968/month
2-person household: $2658/month
3-person household: $3349/month
Keep reading for important information on distribution of SFMNP coupon booklets.
SFMNP DISTRIBUTION INFORMATION
Because of pandemic-related safety needs, we cannot distribute SFMNP coupons to walk-in visitors this year.
Distribution of SFMNP coupon booklets is happening on a drive-thru basis, only on the following days, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the OFA parking lot at 114 Delafield St. in Poughkeepsie.
Wednesday, July 15th
Monday, July 20th
Wednesday, July 22nd
Monday, July 27th
When storms are in the weather forecast, please call ahead before leaving home.
Residents of low-income senior housing can find out more about obtaining SFMNP coupons from their residence manager.
Participants in OFA’s Senior Friendship Center program now receiving meals at home due to pandemic restrictions will receive SFMNP information from Friendship Center site managers.
Other aging news online:
Alzheimer’s research is going back to basics: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/06/25/883026917/alzheimer-s-research-is-going-back-to-basics-to-find-best-way-forward
For you amateur astronomers, and anybody else who just enjoys unusual sights in the sky, there’s a comet informally named “Neowise” that should be visible with the naked eye if we get reasonably clear skies over the next week or so. More here: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/comet-neowise-could-be-spectacular-heres-how-to-see-it/
You’re not imagining things. There really are more chipmunks around this year: https://www.vpr.org/post/its-not-just-you-there-actually-are-lot-more-chipmunks-out-there?fbclid=IwAR0GBpl7IG-Fp4oAREFV3taNzlTu5hCgfmrVQXCn0bS7-ZoiThKhyk118TE#stream/0
This week in senior birthdays:
7/11: Fashion designer Giorgio Armani (86)
7/12: Singer-songwriter Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac) (77)
7/13: Game show announcer Johnny Gilbert (96)
7/14: Football player/actor Rosey Grier (88)
7/15: Singer/songwriter Linda Ronstadt (74)
7/16: Drummer/songwriter Stewart Copeland (The Police) (68)
7/17: Actor/producer Donald Sutherland (85)
And a Bad Joke to finish the week:
Concerned about all the time he spent in the sun, a pirate told his dermatologist “Arrr, I’m concerned about these blotches on me skin.”
The dermatologist took a look and said “I’d say they’re benign.”
“Arrr, look again!” said the pirate. “There be ten!”
Brian Jones
Outreach Coordinator
Dutchess County Office For the Aging
