Volunteer of the Month
Archives
November 2019
Linda Sowell
This month we’d like to shine the light on a new, yet not new volunteer. If you read last month’s newsletter, specifically the Activity Spotlite, you would have read a bit about Linda Sowell. Well this month we’d like to shine an even larger spotlight on her as our Volunteer of the Month. Linda is the new Gadabouts Trip Coordinator. She had been working in the Thrift Store and was asked to be a relief in the Trip office. When a vacancy occurred she was asked to take over, which she was more than happy to do. Since then she has been busy scheduling new trips, chaperoning trips on occasion, and generally managing our hustling and bustling trip office. Linda also serves on our Board of Directors. If needed she also helps out at our special events. Originally from Chicago, IL, she moved out to California with her husband who was in the Navy. Once out here she was not content to stay at home raising her two kids (who themselves provided her with five grandkids), but worked in numerous types of jobs. Her main career was in Food Service. She started out at McDonalds as a cashier, and worked her way up to manager. Then she transferred to the school system where she became the Director of Children’s Nutrition for the Bear Valley School District before retiring. Thanks Linda for helping to take our members on trips of a lifetime.
Featured Class
Italian
Date: October 4, 2019
Time: 9:00 - 10:00 am
Length: 8
Cost: $8 members
$8 non-members
Instructor: Rita Sicilliano
Location: Game Room
Description: Italian is taught by Margherita Sicilliano. Margherita, who also goes by the names Margo or Rita, and is from the old country. Born in Caserta, Italy, she was actually born in the Italian Royal Palace (the Reggia di Caserta). Her mom was touring the palace when she went into labor. Not many people can say that they were born in a royal palace, much less a UNESCO World Heritage Site! Raised and educated in Italy, she was still in college when she came with her family to the United States. She continued with her education getting a Bachelor's Degree. She then went back to Italy to get her Master's Degree. Her teaching experience spans 42 years and includes teaching high school French, Spanish, and Italian in New York, as well as French and Spanish Advanced Placement classes at the local Aquinas High School. After retiring some friends told her about the center. She took a trip here and discovered a fellow Italian, Virginia Kautzman, and the two became friends. Margo also found out about our University Language classes, and decided to get back into teaching. She approached us about teaching here, and after offering a choice between Italian and German, everyone decided that Italian would be perfect. Now it is the only Italian class being offered in the area. Student’s need to bring only a pencil and paper to class. There is a work book students can purchase through Amazon for $16, but it is not necessary. The class is open to absolute beginners and those who wish to keep up their Italian. A presto! See you soon!
Featured Activity
Mexican Train Dominoes
Time: Fridays 1:00 pm
Cost: None members
None non-members
Location: Game Room
Description: This month we'd like to shine the light no Mexican Train Dominoes. Mexican Train is a modern version of Dominoes, played with 91 double-twelve dominoes. Between four to eight players may participate, but if less than six people are playing, it is recommended that only the double blank through nine (or a set of Double 9 Dominoes) be used. A unique feature of Mexican Train is the little \"trains\" used for game markers. These may be any sort of marker (such as a bead, button, or coin), but the game\'s more fun if you use actual toy trains. The object of the game is to discard all your dominoes. You discard onto your own train, onto the Mexican train, onto other trains at the station, or onto other players trains. Mexican Train is a fun variation of dominoes, and a great party game. Make sure to have enough dominoes and plenty of the little trains on hand! The train leaves the station on Fridays at 1:00 p.m.
Casino Night 2013
By: Mike Sylva
It wasn’t the day before the beginning of Lent. It wasn’t even a Tuesday. However that didn’t stop us from having a great Mardi Gras in June! That’s when the Highland Senior Center and the Highland Area Chamber of Commerce held their annual Casino Night and Taste of the Town Showcase. This year’s theme was Mardi Gras and was held at the new Highland Event Center at the San Manuel Village.
The playing area was decked out in purple, gold, and green, colors representing justice, power, and faith respectively. These colors were suggested by the visiting Grand Duke Alexis Alexis Alexandrovich Romanoff back in 1872.
Meanwhile, back in 2013, most people were interested in the green of the money, or the gold for the well...gold. Some off our partiers and players arrived dressed ready for Mardi Gras, complete with masks. Some for the fun, but most for the extra $100 in play money they received. Still everyone had a fun time playing because it was not only for fun, but to help out the Highland Senior Center and Chamber of Commerce.
The other part of casino night was the “Taste of the Town.” As part of the admission, even if you weren’t lucky at the gambling tables, you could definitely be a winner at the food tables. A J Barile’s Chicago Pizza took home the honors for the “Taste of the Town” winner as picked by the judges, while Jose’s Mexican Restaurant was proclaimed the “People’s Choice Winner,” by all who attended.
The center and chamber would like to give thanks to all our sponsors, without whom this event would not have been possible: San Manuel Tribe of Mission Indians, Urgent Care Center of St. Bernardine, Cal Disposal, Robertson’s, and Mrs. Pat Fischer, Beaver Medical, The Gas Company, Windermere Real Estate, VNA Hospice & Palliative Care, and Burrtec Waste Industries, as well as our other money, raffle, and food sponsors. Most of all we’d like to thank all those who came out to support the Casino Night and the Center and Chamber for this great fundraiser.
