Oldest Park Ranger Brings Black History to Life

Work ZoneBetty Reid-Soskin, America’s oldest National Park Ranger, works at the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, CA, honoring the women who did factory worked for the war effort. “A black woman who has seen both the end of segregation and the election of the first black United States president, Reid-Soskin is a Bay Area treasure with a keen understanding of local and national history—much of it observed over her 91 years.”  Click here to learn more about this treasure of living history and her drive to share her knowledge and experience.

 

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Community Photo Albums: February

Our EngAGE communities were offered a variety of services and activities again in February, from Food Bank and Second Harvest food delivery to drum circles, from workshops in computer skills to classes in basic English Conversation. There was no shortage of creative arts opportunities, too, from art and crafts classes to a museum visit for art students from Menorah Long Beach. They were welcomed to the Long Beach Museum of Art by curator Sue Ann Robinson, then given a personal tour of exhibits that include work by Jim Dine and Catherine Opie.

February also saw the opening of the first art show at NoHo Senior Arts Colony and the inaugural performance in the theatre featuring MaRia Bodmann and her Balinese Shadow Play puppets. This marked the start of her residency at NoHoSAC during which she has been teaching classes in this ancient art form. We’ll post more about these events soon.

Meanwhile, enjoy all the pictures below and be sure to take a look at our Community Highlights post today, too! (Click to enlarge the pictures.)

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Community Highlights: February

Alma Wright worked with residents at the Magnolia to create “Venetian” masks: “We’ve used all kinds of materials such as acrylic paints, feathers, yarn, sequins, wire and glitter to achieve very different looks for each mask.”

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Shirley Yu at the Jasmine led the crafts class and noted: “February 10th was Chinese Lunar New Year and February 14th was Valentine’s Day. We combined these two festivals together. I brought some pendants from Taiwan as a craft project. These pendants symbolized appreciation and good luck. In addition, we made heart-shape Valentine’s Day cards.”

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Be sure to see our Community Photo Album, also posted today!

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Jerry Reid Goes to College at 68

Business TechnologyWe posted a few days ago about the opportunity to audit college classes, but there’s always the possibility of a more traditional arrangement. Jerry Reid, 68, “filled a void in his life by heading back to school to get a college degree after most people retire. He’s now an undergraduate at the University of Virginia, member of the Chi Phi fraternity and a UVA sports fanatic enjoying the school’s basketball’s revival this season.” Read more about him here and here.

 

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Worth Repeating: More Housing Options for Seniors

WORTH-REPEATING“Worth Repeating” is a weekly feature on the EngAGE Blog that will bring you previous posts that we think are still timely, interesting, or just plain fun! From 3/26/12:

EngAGE is always interested to see how communities outside of the Los Angeles metropolitan area are addressing the housing needs of seniors. Here are some of the latest stories we’ve found:

Massachusetts: The town of Rehoboth is investigating turning the old Anawan School on Bay State Road into affordable housing for  seniors and veterans with the help of the Massachusetts Housing Partnership Read more here.

Utah: In Taylorsville, Plymouth View senior housing complex serves residents who are at least 62, all are very low-income and living almost entirely on an average of $800 per month in Social Security benefits. Read more here.

Virginia: In Roanoake, Friendship Retirement Community, home to nearly 900 people, is in the early stages of developing a research partnership with two of Virginia’s leading architecture schools. The aim is to define and design the senior retirement community of the future. Read more here.

 

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Mad Men Illustrator Is An Original

 

TELEVISIONAre you a fan of “Mad Men?” Do you enjoy how the show captures the look of the period? Read on!

“As the show prepared for its new season, which begins April 7, its creator, Matthew Weiner, inspired by a childhood memory of lush, painterly illustrations on T.W.A. flight menus, decided to turn back the promotional clock. He pored over commercial Vector abstract color pencils and paint brush in the caddyillustration books from the 1960s and ’70s and sent images to the show’s marketing team, which couldn’t quite recreate the look he was after. ‘Finally,’ he said, ‘they just looked up the person who had done all these drawings that I really loved, and they said: “Hey, we’ve got the guy who did them. And he’s still working. His name is Brian Sanders.” ‘

Click here to learn more about this 75-year-old veteran advertising illustrator who lives near Cambridge, England, but can create a flawless New York of the ’60s.

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Experience Talks 3/23: Charles Owens

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Tune in to Experience Talks, our “Radio Magazine for the Experienced Listener.” Saturdays 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles, 98.7 FM Santa Barbara, 99.5 China Lake, 93.7 N. San Diego, streaming live online and now syndicated on up to 100 Pacifica Network stations! You can also enjoy hearing all of our previous shows on the Listen Page of our Experience Talks website.

Saturday, 3/23: Host Bobbee Zeno talks with Charles Owens

ca-charles-owensCHARLES OWENS is a master woodwind musician who maintains professional proficiency on tenor, alto, soprano and baritone saxophones, clarinet, flute, oboe, bassoon and English horn. His skilled musicianship and rare ability to produce original sounds on all of these instruments places him in demand as a first-call studio musician, a popular nightclub/concert performer, and a jazz artist of international repute. Read more about him here.

Mr. Owens is the conductor of the 20-member Luckman Jazz Orchestra, an internationally admired ensemble of some of the best jazz musicians around. On Saturday, April 13th, the LJO will be joined by Diane Reeves for a one-night-only performance.

Dianne ReevesOne of the most important jazz vocalists in history, Dianne Reeves’ impact on the art form is deeply rooted. The four time Grammy Award-winner’s incredible artistic range is celebrated throughout the world. The New York Times says Dianne Reeves is “the vocal heir of Sarah Vaughan.” More information about the performance here.

 

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