Volume 2009, Issue 1 March 2009
Get out those Hawaiian shirts, muumuus, and grass skirts. We are having a luau on May 1, 2009 at the Mt. Pleasant Ruritan Hall. It will begin at 12 noon. All we ask of you is to sign up with your coordinator, pay $1.00 and bring a dish to share. It can be Hawaiian or anything else. We will provide chicken and ham.
The Golden Tones will entertain with appropriate music, and we may have some surprises too. Come and have a great time. See you then!! Any questions call me, Jean Van T
GETTING READY FOR 2009 BICYCLE TRIPS
We are privileged to live near the C&O Canal towpath and the Great Allegheny Passage. The two car-free trails connect in downtown Cumberland, MD and permit bicycle travel between Washington, DC and Pittsburgh, PA Adventure Cycling, the premier magazine for bicycle touring, ranks the combined trails as one of the top ten bike trails in the country.
The SRC bike trips this year will cover the bottom half of the C&O Towpath in small increments of 15 – 25 miles at a time with plenty of rest stops and side trips to visit places of interest along the way. My intention is to experience the entire path from downtown Georgetown to Dam #4 on the other side of Shepherdstown with total distance for the year being about 175 miles. There will be four scheduled trips during the April-June period and four more in September-October.
Our first trip will be on Tuesday, April 21 with the popular and familiar round trip from Brunswick to Harper’s Ferry and back to Brunswick for about 12 total miles. For those who want to go a little further, we will continue on to Catoctin Aqueduct and then back to Brunswick for an additional 7 miles.
The C&O is a dirt pathway and can offer up some bumpy riding in places. Mountain bikes and hybrids are best suited for the trail and skinny tire road bikes are not appropriate. Helmets and warning bells will be required for all riders.
Now is a good time to look over your bike to make sure it is ready for the upcoming season. We are lucky to have three excellent bike shops in town that can service your bike at reasonable prices to make sure it is operating safely and smoothly.
Please call or e-mail me if you have any questions about our scheduled trips or about bicycling in general. I am looking forward to the coming season.
George R
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
The Big Sweep will be held on
Saturday, April 25, 2009
SRC Activities
The Senior Recreation Council is pleased to offer its membership a variety of activities. Most of these are seasonal and some are offered continuously throughout the year. Participation in each activity may be limited due to available resources, and is managed on a first-come, first-served basis. Monthly calendars are posted on our bulletin board at the William R. Talley Recreation Center and on our website at
Basketball is offered from November through March. The coordinator is Adrian W.
Bicycling trips are offered from April through June and from September through October. Weather permitting, rides may also take place in July and August. The coordinator is George R
The Book Club meets in the Hall of Fame Room of the William R. Talley Recreation Center at 10:15A.M. on the third Monday of each month. The coordinator is Pat T. Assistant Coordinator is Jenny B.
Open duckpin Bowling on Thursdays 1-3P.M. at Walkersville Lanes. This is NOT league bowling. Prior approval is not required to participate. Participants pay for cost of bowling. Call Gerald B. or Ivah L.
There are currently two Bridge programs available:
Tuesday Bridge is offered from 9:15A.M.-12:00P.M. at Creekside at Taskers Chance. The coordinator is Libby H. A $1.00 fee per session may be charged for Tuesday Bridge.
Thursday Bridge is offered from 1:00-4:00P.M. at Spring Ridge Senior Apartments. Call Maxine W or Libby H.
Chorus practice is on Mondays from 1:00-2:30P.M..at the Senior Center from mid-January to late June and from mid-September through late December. Choral Director is Mary Lou R. The coordinator is Norma M.
The Computer Discussion Group is offered on the third Wednesday of each month from 10:15A.M.-12:00P.M. at the Frederick Senior Center. Basic computer knowledge is required as a prerequisite. The coordinator is Harvey L.
* Day Trips is a seasonal activity whose schedule will vary. The coordinators are Pat T and Judi B.
Exercise is offered on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:00-10:15A.M. at the William R. Talley Recreation Center. (Summer hours may be in effect during the months of July and August.) A $1.00 fee is charged at each session. The coordinator is Jack S.
Hiking activities are offered in two categories from April through June and from September through October.
* Moderate hikes are offered to more advanced hikers and may be five to seven miles in length on uneven ground and hills. Meeting Location may be at the trailhead or behind the Provident Bank on Route 40 West.. Call Mary B for information.
* Easy hikes are usually done on relatively flat surfaces and are usually five miles in length. Meeting Location may be at the trailhead or behind the Provident Bank on Route 40 West.. Call Mary B for information.
* Historical Excursions are offered from March through June and from September through October. Transportation fees and a fee equal to the cost of the activity may be charged. Meeting Location is the Conference Center at Frederick Community College. The coordinator is Gary D.
* Mystery Trips to unknown locations are offered from April through June and from September through October. Transportation fees and a fee equal to the cost of the activity may be charged. Meeting Location is the Conference Center at Frederick Community College. The coordinator is Shirley S or Donna D.
Softball is offered from April through September. Practice is on Wednesdays at 6:30P.M. Games are played on Fridays at 6:30P.M. and at 8:30P.M. The activity is open to women over 40 and men over 50. The coordinator is Adrian W.
* Tennis: We provide a centralized directory designed to help players at all levels find other players for social or competitive games. To register, call Tony W.
* The Walkers schedule their activities from Aprilthrough June and from September through October. Walks are usually three miles in length on relatively level ground. Transportation fees and a fee equal to the cost of the activity may be charged. The meeting location may vary. When transportation is provided participants will meet at the Conference Center at Frederick Community College. Please Note: Pat T has volunteered to keep the program active, but only on a limited, temporary basis. This program desperately needs a coordinator!.
* The popular Meet and Walk is a series of informal walks in the local area in which advance sign-up is not required. The coordinator is Pat T.
* Meeting locations may vary. Please check with the individual coordinator or trip leader prior to the day of the event.
EXERCISE—OLD AND NEW
Long Existent Policy—If any school in Frederick County is cancelled or delayed because of weather, there will be no exercise.
New Policy—The exercise class will be limited to 120 persons. If ever 120 persons check in for exercise, the class will be closed, a notice posted, and no additional participants will be permitted to check in. This puts the class on a first come first serve basis. This situation is expected to occur very rarely and no fairer approach is known.
Thorpewood Walk - September 25, 2008
Thorpewood Center in the Catoctin Mountains provided the walkers with an informative and fun fall walk. We arrived at the Thorpewood "green construction" timber frame lodge for a short orientation and tour of the Lodge, and then began our walk with our guide, John, who has been a volunteer at Thorpewood for 20 years! We walked through the arboretum, by the horse rings, toured an 1800's building and climbed a small hill up to the Hilltop Discovery Garden. After we ate our lunches at the garden, John took our picture in front of the garden shed.
From the left: Mary F, Pat C, Mary B, Pat T, Larry B, Mary B, Barbara L, Jan S, Susan K, Elayne R, Betty B and Gerry B. Afterwards, we explored the Chestnut Orchard, one of the most successful breeding sites on the East coast. On our way back to the Center, we stopped for another picture at the Bussard Log Bridge which was constructed by volunteers. Since we have had so many requests, a Spring Walk is being planned.
Bussard Log Bridge
THORPEWOOD NATURE WALK
Tuesday, May 21, 10:30 am - ~3:00 pm.
Last September about 15-20 of us enjoyed this guided nature walk so much we wanted to return in the spring. Thorpewood is a 155-acre mountain retreat in the Catoctin Mountains near Thurmont. Its primary mission is to provide educational and personal growth opportunities for at-risk youth. Its tranquil site has a lovely timber lodge, forests, wetlands, meadows, a hilltop garden, an experimental chestnut orchard, and trout streams. We will walk the arboretum and have a picnic lunch (bring your own).
Please sign up with Jan S. We can carpool from a site to be determined later, probably one near Rte. 15N.
We will meet at 9:45 am. If you drive separately, you can meet us there at 10:30. Additional information on Thorpewood and directions from Washington and Baltimore are on their website