If you haven’t heard, Brain Goodwin and his small staff of dedicated teachers are running an amazing educational program at the Wahtonka Community High School. There the fifty-five students focus on hands-on, project based learning by working with community members to create and participate in service projects that help others. 

Since February, I have been working with Kyla Mitchell, a senior at the Wahtonka Community HS, on one of her service projects: a “Seniors-4-Seniors Dance” on May 1st from 6:00 – 8:30 at the Center. Tickets are $4.00 a piece or $6.00 for a couple and can be purchased at the Center or at the door. Andre Lamoreaux is putting together a one-of-a-kind band for this special event. 

What is unique about this dance is that it is an opportunity for the Wahtonka Community HS seniors to support the “seniors” in the area by organizing and promoting a dance for them. At the same time, the “seniors” are helping the Senior Class of Wahtonka Community HS since all the money raised from the dance will be used for their first ever high school graduation. It is a two-way street of mutual support. Pretty cool idea of Kyla’s. 

Although this is a dance for “seniors”, it is open to all ages. I hope you will come and support the Wahtonka Community High School’s first ever graduation while enjoying an evening of entertaining music. Kyla also wants to invite everyone to the Grand Opening of GISMO – General Integrated Science Museum Operations at the Wahtonka Community HS Campus on May 4th. Afterwards it will be open to the public on Mondays and Thursdays from 12:45 – 2:15. GISMO is organized and run by the students of Wahtonka Community HS as one of their learning-by-doing projects. 

Every spring, I take advantage of my annual Medicare Wellness exam so I can find out if my body is still operating properly and what maintenance is required. At my most recent visit I was pleasantly informed that in 2016 I would be eligible for my next colonoscopy! Eligible? What is this, the Publishers Clearinghouse of medical procedures? As if I’m now eligible to win a cruise through the inner workings of my colon as if it were a Viking Cruise on the Rhine River. Oh look over there! Isn’t that a polyp? It’s so spectacular! 

And since I’m on a roll, when did I become of age to start receiving mailings for cremation services? In one mailing, I even had a chance to win a free pre-paid cremation – like that is something I am really looking forward to enjoying! Oh, well. As the English have often said, “Keep calm and carry on”. 

I haven’t shaken up the weekly Tuesday Night Music announcement for quite a while. So once again a quick test of your synapses and neurons. .detaicerppa syawla era snoitanod dna – srelddot gnuoy ot srezeeg dlo morf – emoclew si enoyrevE .00:7 ta strats cisum eht dna 00:6 ta nepo srood ehT .erusaelp gninetsil dna gnicnad ruoy rof senut nretsew yrtnuoc dlo doog emos gniyalp eb lliw Friends and Martin,14th April no retneC eht ta ecnaD dna cisuM thgiN yadseuT eht roF 

The actor who starred as Lucas McCain, a widowed Union Civil War veteran and a homesteader, in the ABC television series Rifleman was Chuck Connors. (The winner of five raffle tickets for the Necktie Quilt is Janet Williams who told me you can still watch the Rifleman on MeTV.) 

This week’s “Remember When” question came from an email for “older” kids. I tried this dance when I was much younger and could actually touch my toes, (And yes Debra, I know your chair Yoga class at the Center would really help my flexibility.), but today I wouldn’t even think about it. What was the name of the dance, popularized by Chubby Checker in his 1962 hit song, where you would ‘dance’ under a stick that was lowered as low as you could go? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or send it with a picture of yourself doing this dance in the 60’s – and I promise I won’t make fun of your hairdo. 

Well, it’s been another week, still trying to decide what to be when I grow up. Until we meet again, remember if plan A doesn’t work there are 25 more letters in the alphabet. 

“It is utterly false and cruelly arbitrary to put all the play and learning into childhood, all the work into middle age, and all the regrets into old age.” Margaret Mead