Storytelling school

Ice cream social at Manistee with music and storytelling

Hello Manistee County! Hope you are enjoying our beautiful weather.

I can’t believe all the crazy time going on east and west. My son called me to talk the other day on his way home from teaching because they closed his school in Denver because of the heat. I’m still happy living in Michigan, especially here. We are all very lucky when it comes to the weather.

I must give a big thank you to our wonderful gardeners and farmers in Manistee County. We had such great products for our seniors this summer. You are amazing to share your beautiful generosity with our elders. You all rock!

I know I’ve shared this before, but September is National Senior Center month. We have additional special programs that will be running to celebrate.

On Wednesday we will be having an ice cream party here at the senior center. Ice cream will be served around 12:15 p.m., and at 1 p.m. Jonnie (Jay) Sam from the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians will be there. Jay is their Director of Historic Preservation and has many great stories to tell. At 2 p.m., Jim Toczynski, who plays the piano, will be there to play for us. It will be a very fun afternoon, so come celebrate with us.

We were going to stop doing our monthly potlucks, but the staff decided to continue until November. If you want to share a meal with some of the best people, give us a call and sign up. Everyone is welcome to join, just bring a dish to pass. The September potluck will take place on September 25th.

We had a short week due to the holidays, but yesterday we had the famous Johnny O for “Wheelin’ & Dealin’ with Johnny O.” I think we had a record number of people here in costume and ready to have a good time. John O’Hagan is an incredible example of someone who gives back to his community. John has been doing this for our seniors for several years now. He enlists his family and friends to help him with prizes, ideas and they all really go above and beyond for this fun and exciting game show. Thanks to John, his family and everyone who helps John in any way, you are all great people!

We will be hosting a discussion group on housing development on October 17 at the senior center. You are invited to participate in this focus group to discuss the possibility of the Manistee County Council on Aging developing a senior housing project here on the property surrounding the Wagoner Community Center. The purpose of the focus group is to gather information on what our seniors would like to see in housing development. This is your opportunity to provide input and feedback as we begin the process of reviewing a development to meet the needs of seniors living in Manistee County. Call us at 231-723-6477 to register for this important afternoon meeting.

There’s a lot going on at the senior center this week. On Monday we have a flu shot clinic with Rite Aid at the senior center. If you haven’t had your flu shot, come get your flu shot early. They predict a difficult year for the flu virus. Tuesday we have Cartes & Café with Maureen. It’s always a fun time, you’ll make two greeting cards and all materials are provided. Everyone always has fun with this creative and crafty activity.

On Friday we have our Seniors Food Bank which is open to all Manistee County seniors 60 and older. If you need extra food for your cupboards, stop. Everything gets more expensive and we all need a little help from time to time. This month’s food bank be prepared to show your ID, we do this once a year, and it’s that time of year again.

Hope you are having a great week and don’t forget to try something new!