Lebanon Seniority

Lebanon is a great place to be a senior citizen. Any senior interested in expanding their activities, meeting new people, or just in need of some support needn’t search far from home. Let’s take a little trip around Colburn Park.

First stop: The Recreation, Arts, and Parks Department of the City of Lebanon, located at 15 Hanover Street on the Lebanon Mall. The Savvy Seniors outings each spring and fall provide lunch-time visits to restaurants and regional cultural sites, such as last year’s trips to the Strawberry Banke Museum, the New Hampshire State House, and Vermont Country Store. An exciting upcoming trip is to The Big E, the fourth largest fair in the country, in Springfield, Massachusetts.

The Dartmouth Health ARC offers fun and enriching programs, including a drop-in ukulele jam. Photo by Lars Blackmore

If mobility is an issue, they’ve got you covered. “We support a variety of ability levels and are happy to talk to folks to accommodate different needs,” said program manager Hannah Falcone. There is a small fee (usually $5) for transport in the department van; lunch at the chosen restaurants and any venue admission costs are paid by the individual. Information about all the department’s offerings and how to register is available on the city website (ebanonnh.gov/246/Recreation-Arts-and-Parks) and in the bi-annual department brochures, available both in print and online (lebanonnh.gov/384/Program-Guides).

Looking for some fresh air? The Recreation, Arts, and Parks department also sponsors a chapter of Cycling Without Age. Volunteers pedal electric “trishaws” (three-wheeled cycle-rickshaws) for seniors and others with mobility limitations to enjoy rides on the Northern Rail Trail and Mascoma River Greenway. For more information and to sign up, visit: lebanonnh.gov/1759/Ride-in-a-Trishaw—Cycling-without-Age-

Next stop: 1 Court Street, above Three Tomatoes restaurant, where The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Dartmouth is located. Osher is an adult continuing education program offering dozens of courses in a wide range of topics: current affairs, history, literature, social and physical sciences (to name a few). “Lifelong learning happens in many forms, and at Osher it comes with no tests, no papers, and no grades. Just passion, discovery, and a whole lot of fun,” said Osher President Iain Sims.

Courses are offered in person, online, and in combination. In addition to classroom experiences, there are film showings and discussions, opportunities for travel, shared interest groups around various activities, and an annual summer lecture series on timely topics. (This past summer’s theme, “How is AI Changing America?” generated a great deal of interest.) Course catalogs are available seasonally (fall, winter, spring) in print at the office and in various locations around the Upper Valley, and online (osher.dartmouth.edu). Yearly membership, the cost of which amounts to less than a cup of coffee a week, provides access. Each course carries an additional fee, depending on its length (typically one to eight weekly meetings). If you’ve never taken a course, you can try one for $40. Interest groups and tech cafes are free to members, as are the friendships.

Next, travel around Coburn Park and turn up Bank Street to #11, AVA Gallery and Art Center. For over 50 years, AVA has fostered the visual arts in the Upper Valley, and “is where you come to make things…or find something you didn’t know you were looking for.” Known best, perhaps, for its member exhibits and classes in almost every artistic medium, such as painting, drawing, pottery, printmaking, wood carving, welding, and blacksmithing, AVA is open to any adult and has free community arts programs. Visit avagallery.org/programs for more information.

The AVA Senior Art Program takes place on Thursdays from September through June. “Senior Art is a free weekly open studio — not a class — for participants to work on their own individual projects,” said Education Manager Nick Gaffney. “It’s a very friendly, supportive atmosphere. There is typically an artist/teacher who can help get participants started and provide materials.” A free lunch is provided by the Upper Valley Senior Center.

Rachel Stoddard, Brian Erskine, Janet Adams

To see the many offerings of the Senior Center, head back towards Coburn Park from Bank Street and bear right to 10 Campbell Street. The Upper Valley Senior Center is one of the centers of the Grafton County Senior Citizens Council, which has a mission is enrich the lives of older adults and those with disabilities.

The Senior Center has a myriad of free programs, including meals (daily luncheons and home-delivery of hot meals for the homebound); aging and disability resources and counseling; transportation; exercise programs, such as chair yoga and exercise, Bone Builders, and a walking group; games and entertainment programming.

The Senior Center also provides volunteer opportunities through AmeriCorps Senior RSVP; Chore Corps, where volunteers assist with chores, repairs, and safety modifications in and around homes; and telephone reassurance, providing a daily call to elderly individuals who are homebound, living alone, and at risk.

“We offer many exciting and musical activities,” Director Jill Vahey said during a lunch event as a volunteer expertly played show tunes on the piano. “Come check us out and volunteer.” The phone number is 603-448-4213 and the newsletter can be found online at gcscc.org/upper-valley.

For the last stop on the tour, head up route 120 to 444 Mt. Support Road, Colburn Hill Entrance E, to the Dartmouth Health Aging Resource Center (ARC), which is dedicated to enriching the lives of older adults and their families.

“The goal of our center is to promote healthy aging, independence, connection, and overall well-being,” said Program Specialist Jason Page. “We offer educational and engagement programs and support groups, both in person and virtually, designed to meet the evolving needs of older adults and caregivers.”

Programs include advance directive assistance to help individuals document their healthcare wishes; dementia resource programs that provide education, support, and resource navigation for people living with dementia and their care partners; and fall prevention initiatives that promote safety, confidence, and independence. The organization offers many fun and enriching programs, as well, such as birding, singing, memoir writing, watercolor painting, and a drop-in ukulele jam.

All ARC programs are free and open to the public, and participants do not need to be Dartmouth Health patients to participate. To learn more, visit dhaging.org, call (603) 653-3460, or email agingcenter@hitchcock.org.

As you can see from our brief tour, wherever you find yourself on your life-as-a-senior journey, you’ll find something in Lebanon for you. Enjoy.