Volunteer of the Month
Archives

November 2019
Linda Sowell

Photo of 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

Conversational French
Date: October 1, 2019
Time: 1:00 - 2:00 pm
Length: 8 weeks
Cost: $8 members
      $8 non-members
Instructor: CiCi Tenney
Location: Game Room
Description: Parlez-vous francais? Would you like to ? We're not talking about speaking with a Charles Boyer 'Come with me to the Casbah' accent. We're talking true French. If so you're in luck, our Conversational French class will enable you to chat like a Parisian. Your instructeur, Cynthia 'CiCi' Tenny will help you to learn to understand, speak, and read French in an enjoyable way usable in 'everyday' situations. The class is a mixture of beginners and intermediate students alike. For those who already have learned a little French, this will be a fun refresher experience.

Featured Activity

Canasta
Time: Thursdays 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Cost: Free members
      Free non-members
Location: Parlor
Description: If you'd like to participate in a card game as where you need a poker face, bridge intellect, and rummy fun, then you just might want to try Canasta. What exactly is Canasta? It is a game of the Rummy family and was once the most popular American game. Originating in Uruguay in the early 1940s, it spread rapidly to Argentina and the rest of Latin America, and reached the United States about 1948 where it is played by millions. The usual number of players is four, in two partnerships, however, it may also be played by two, three, five, or six players. The packs are made up of 108 cards, two regular packs of 52 cards, plus four jokers, all shuffled together. They have 3-4 full tables going so a seat is always available. If you don't know how to play but would like to learn you they are always ready and able to teach the ins and outs. They will gladly let you sit in and play and learn. After one hand you'll get the basics. If you are an experienced Canasta player, or are just someone looking for fun time, stop by the Parlor every Thursday from 1 - 4 p.m.
Luau a Success
By: Mike Sylva
Our Polynesian party proved to be popular as the Highland Senior Center proudly hosted its annual Luau and it was a sellout with all the seats filled. The mood was festive with the partiers decked out in their finest Hilo Hattie wear and mu mu’s. As people arrived they were greeted with leis and island music.

Duke Ching’s “Duke Kaleolani Polynesian Review featuring lovely girls from Hawaii” served up the entertainment with family members, he has done in the past, including his granddaughters and a cousin. Other entertainment included our very own HSC Hawaiian class dancers. The dancers made it look so easy some of the crowd volunteered to come up and give it a while.

Also served was our version of “authentic” luau food, minus the spam or poi. Hawaiian chicken, rice pilaf, fruit cocktail and a role, washed down with a mango-pineapple punch. The crowd remarked that it was great food and the best show they’ve ever seen!

We’d like to thank all those who bought tickets and came showing their support for the center and its activities. Mahalo and see you next year!