VPAS Augusta News

Staunton Senior Center: SSC Members Learn How to Live to Be 100 May 18

Marcy Jordan, Care Transitions Coordinator at Amedisys Home Health Care in Lexington, played a hang man game with SSC members on Thursday, a fun way to learn ways to possibly live to be one hundred years old!

She provided puzzles on the white board that each stated the suggested health practices for long life. The puzzles included (1) Have a healthy weight, (2) Be a non-smoker, (3) Handle stress well, (4) Be an extravert, and (5) Keep your brain busy. Marcy also reminded us to check our family histories as many diseases are genetic.

Marcy left the seniors with a variety of puzzle books to keep their minds stimulated, and congratulated all members present on displaying that they are extraverts simply because they attend the Center! Studies conducted on centenarians yielded these simple lifestyle practices that are believed to contribute to their longevity.

Marcy will be coming to SSC monthly to provide relevant health programs. In June she will be investigating the health concern of COPD with members. Marcy’s presentations are fun and interactive, so seniors can have fun and learn about their health at the same time!


May 18, 2012 | Leave a Comment


Staunton Senior Center: Grandma Moses Inspires Listeners at SSC

Frank Johnston held the attention of over one dozen listeners at the Staunton Sr. Center as he described the interesting life of Grandma (Anna) Moses.

Frank has conducted extensive research on this artist that lived in Augusta County for eighteen years. Many of Grandma Moses’ paintings were inspired by her memories of her life in the Shenandoah Valley. This artist contributed to the development of the senior citizens movement as she is admired internationally for her work which she began in her mid-70s.

Anna Moses was also a clever business woman; she had a very successful butter making business as well as a potato chip making business and sold to the Greenbrier Resort.

May is Older American’s Month; Grandma Moses is a prime example of a senior who was very productive in her later years. Frank donated three very nice books to SSC on Grandma Moses so that we may further study and enjoy her life here at the Center!


May 14, 2012 | Leave a Comment


Staunton Senior Center: Sara Hollberg Presented ‘Super Natural’ Staunton

Sara Hollberg, Land Use Planner from Valley Conservation Council, was the featured speaker after lunch at the SSC on Tuesday, May 8.

Sara’s presentation highlighted beautiful, interesting, and special places in Staunton, each with a unique benefit. Members found it wonderful to view how local property owners have created spaces that offer recreation, clean our streams and air, shelter wildlife, produce food, or just provide us with respite and beauty.

The charming town of Staunton actually has some parks that members didn’t even know existed such as Woodrow Wilson Park on Sears Hill! Sara referred to”Quail Doughnuts” in the program denting the special doughnut shaped areas of rust colored grasses that have been planted in this area of Sears Hill to serve as a special habitat that quail need in order to live and survive. Quail, at one time, were quite prolific locally, and by planting these “doughnuts”, citizens are in hopes of attracting these birds back and increasing their population again.


May 10, 2012 | Leave a Comment


Churchville Senior Center: CSC Members Turn Pennies Green in ‘Science for Seniors’

CSC members had fun turning pennies green and nails copper-colored in an experiment they conducted on May 10.

What at first seemed doomed to failure for the impatient scientists turned into a successful demonstration of chemical reactions through the use of salt, white vinegar, old pennies, and new nails and screws.

Pennies soaked in a salt/vinegar solution gradually became clean and shiny, looking almost new again.  Some of the pennies were put out to dry without being rinsed; the others were rinsed and then put out to dry.  The residue on the unrinsed pennies caused a blue-green coating to develop, the result of a chemical reaction between copper and oxygen; the rinsed pennies remained shiny.

After removing the pennies, our amateur scientists placed a new nail and a new screw in the solution to observe different chemical reactions.  The nail eventually acquired a copper coating, and the new, shiny screw turned black.  Tiny amounts of hydrogen gas were produced during this process, which visibly bubbled up from the metal surfaces.

Although the nail and the screw were relegated to the science experiment graveyard, members kept the pennies, which, even though green, are still spendable!


May 10, 2012 | Leave a Comment


Staunton Senior Center: BB&T Employees Painted Art on Walls at SSC

BB&T Bank employees Cassie Burke, Thomas Beck, Amanda Sheets and Mary King (L-R) paint a vine design to finish the front wall at Staunton Senior Center Saturday, May 5.

The team, from the Staunton Mall branch on Frontier Drive, took part in the company’s fourth annual Lighthouse Project. They selected two projects for SSC, to complete during May or June, that will make a positive impact on the lives of people in need.

The second project is construction of one or two raised flower beds for Center members to grow their own flowers, herbs and vegetables. SSC is very grateful to be the beneficiary of their time, talents and donations.


May 8, 2012 | Leave a Comment


Staunton Senior Center: Two-Day Sale Reaped Modest Results at SSC

The Staunton Senior Center had its annual Country Store on May 3 and volunteers decided to stay open a second day on May 4.

The two-day event brought in a modest $423.36 that will be used to help pay down the match amount needed for the new van. Most leftover items were put into storage in anticipation of this summer’s Forty Years of Fun Faire on the lawn in front of the Center, which will offer yard sales, food, entertainment and more.


May 8, 2012 | Leave a Comment



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