The Central: updates

Dian Ferguson shared the latest in Senior Center news at the third Wednesday member meeting which followed one of the favorite Central Café’ lunches: Broccoli Cheese Soup with Shrimp Salad in Pita.

Before Dian arrived, Nyla Gray showed us some posters of Tuskegee Airmen celebrating Washington State’s designation of Tuskegee Airmen Day in the state of Washington (March 23). Although all the Washington Airmen are no longer with us, the exercise class at the Center has both a daughter and a widow of Tuskegee Airmen.

Joan Ervin told members about the Mobile Cause, an app where you can purchase tickets for the Green Dolphin using your phone or your computer.

Dian arrived with the big news: the new Bingo Board should be here by the end of the month and big Bingo events are being planned. Although I have not been to a Bingo event since I was a kid and accompanied the elderly woman I lived with to a church basement bingo party, I remember thinking what fun it was to hear these older folks get excited and shout bingo! Having reached a “certain” age, I will try this out for myself when the events begin.

Dian has hired an administrative manager who will begin on the first Monday in April. This person will be responsible for training, recruiting volunteers, communication through social media and the newsletter, program development and a sharing of the rentals with Dian. This person will start on a 9am–3pm schedule and work up to an eight-hour day.

The Central needs to get its paperwork into the City of Seattle by April 15 (for buying the building). This is a draft and the City will respond with any need for clarification or additional paperwork. The final needs to be in by April 30.

There was discussion about the Green Dolphin and evaluating acts as to ‘income”. Dian F said that she had never considered Green Dolphin as a fundraiser; when she came on board, it often lost money. She has revised the program so that it breaks even at least, but there are a few performers who do bring in extra.

However, it will be kept as is considering that the neighborhood often supports performers that the members don’t. There were many compliments for Rachel Foxx who appeared in March; the members liked her and especially liked the fact that her band members did not drown out her voice! Rachel had been one of the Supersonic Soul Sistahs and is now on her own.

The Taproot Theater will be holding improv classes again and the first class starts on March 26 (sorry!) But there are three more classes: April 2, 16 and 23. Classes are $2 each. Unleash your inner actor!

There will be CPR class and a workshop on property tax and how to apply for an exemption but check with the desk on the dates, as Dian did not have them, 206-726-4926.

~Diane Snell