Volunteer of the Month
Archives
October 2021
Don Harper
This month we’d like to shine the light on Don Harper is one of our longtime Transportation Assistance Program (TAP) drivers. Don has been a member for about 7 ½ years, and has been driving for 5 ½ years. During that time he has become one of our go-to drivers driving multiple times a week, and sometimes several trips in one day. He first heard about the center from his mother-in-law, who is a Wii Bowler. She got him a membership and he came and joined the Wii Bowling league. He then remembered then Outreach Director, Holly Andrade, talking about TAP and how they needed drivers. He gave it a test drive, enjoyed it and has been doing it ever since. He loves driving, and loves the people. He thinks of this as his job, but a job he enjoys. The clients love him too and has clients who ask for him. Originally from Fort Worth, TX, his mom brought him out here when he was two. He inched his way over from Blythe, to Beaumont, to Highland. We are thankful that his travels brought him closer to us. Thanks Don for driving that extra mile for us!
Featured Class
Sketching
Date: September 15, 2021
Time: 8:30 - 10:00 am
Length: 8 weeks
Cost: $8 members
$8 non-members
Instructor: Ernesto Almada
Location: Game Room
Description: This month we’d shine the light on one of our older classes, but one of our newest instructors. The Sketching class has a new teacher and his name is Ernesto Almada. While he may be a new instructor here, neither art, nor teaching is new to him. Ernesto is an Art major and has spent 33 years in the school district as a bilingual tutor. During that time he worked with an after school program. During that time he taught young students art skill, but teaching adults would be no different. He had several students who earned awards in local art shows. Classes will start with a foundation in basic shapes and then use those shapes to learn shading before moving on to more complete objects, 3D, still life, then finally portraits. There will be no tracing or copying of other people’s works. He wants people to show their own creativity. Students need to bring their own pencils (from 9H to 9B – The HB scale ranges from 9H, a hard pencil that leaves fine, light marks, to 9B, a soft pencil which a high ratio of graphite that leaves bold, dark marks.), or even just a #2 to start, a sharpener, as well as a sketch pad. The size of the sketchpad will depend upon a student’s personal preference. So make your mark in the world and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. That’s what they make erasers for.
Featured Activity
Cribbage - ON HIATUS
Time: Mondays 10:00 a.m.
Cost: Free members
Free non-members
Location: Dining Room
Description: Cribbage is one of the older games that we play here at the center. Introduced in the early 17th century, is a card game traditionally for two players, but can be, and is, commonly played with three, four or more. The game involves playing and grouping cards in combinations which gain points. To get started all you need is a standard 52-card deck, (cards are assigned a point value equal to rank. Aces are low and count 1; face cards count 10) and a Cribbage board. A regulation board has four rows of 30 holes, marked off in groups of five and organized in two rows of two (two for each player). The pegs that come with the board are typically different colors to identify individual players. Each player has two pegs. Before play begins, the four pegs are placed at the start end of the board. The movement of the pegs, up the outside row and down the inside row back to the start, shows the progress of each player's game. The complete trip of the pegs is equal to 61 points. The traditional game is two trips, or 121 points. Use the two pegs in alternating fashion (the first peg indicates the previous score; the second peg indicates the most recent score); in this way, scores can be checked for accuracy. If you'd like to try Cribbage before you buy a board you can use a pencil and paper. It's a fun game that, due to its longevity, must be entertaining! The Cribbage group meets on Wednesdays from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm in the dining room. If you'd like to brush up on the rules first, a complete set of rules can be located in the Program Office.
2014 Golf Tournament
By: Mike Sylva
The Highland Senior Center’s held it’s biggest event of the year on April 17th. Our annual Golf Tournament is our largest fundraiser and, as always, was a grand success. There were a few worried minds as temperatures soared into summerlike numbers the days before. However, come golf day, clouds moved in to take the heat out of the picture. This provided for great golf weather. Once all the golfers finished their rounds everyone retreated to the nineteenth hole for some food, prizes, and awards.
Leading the pact in the regular division (and overall) was the team of the Unforgettables (Tim Evans, Bob Sturner, Mike Horton, and Ben Hartnell). Their score of 57 put them into a card-off with San Manuel and S.G. Contruction, but their back 9 score gave them the edge. Taking the top honors in the Senior Division were Jim Kline, Dale Telizyn, Joe Guerra, and Ron Pickinpaugh. Next year we will be naming the Law Enforcement Perpetual Trophy as the Public Safety Perpetual Trophy, as for the first time ever, a Fire team took top honors. Congratulations to the San Bernardino County Professional Firefighters, Local 935, who beat a record number 6 other teams in their division.
Our many thanks to our major sponsors - San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Pat Fischer & Family, Cal Fire (aka:CDF), San Bernardino County Professional Firefighters, Local 935, Toyota of San Bernardino, and Jim Brulte and California Strategies. Also, thanks to all of our other various money and product sponsors, our golf committee volunteers. Finally, we’d like to thank all of the other volunteers, golfers, and everyone else who helped support the center contribute to a wonderful day and a successful fundraiser.
