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Senior
Spotlight
By John Toscano
‘Safety Theatre’ Troupe To Hit Boards Again For Seniors
Since 1996, the Queens Senior Safety Theatre Troupe sponsored by Borough President Claire Shulman’s office has been putting on shows throughout the borough to teach seniors safety awareness.They do so by using humor and drama in skits that show driving and pedestrian situations that occur frequently among older individuals.
The troupe has a full schedule of appearances set for this year, starting next Tuesday,Jan. 11th at the Transit Workers Union Housing Unit at 53-11 99th St.,Corona.
The troupe’s tour continues on Friday, Jan. 14th at Young Israel of Forest Hills, 68-07 Burns St. and Tuesday, Jan. 18th at the Richmond Hill Senior Center, 87-25 118th St.
If you would like to schedule a Safety Theatre performance, contact Sara Pecker at (718) 286-2663 in Shulman’s office.The show, which has already been seen by about 3,300 seniors, is about 30 minutes and educational materials about traffic and pedestrian safety will be distributed in English,Korean,Spanish,Chinese and Russian.
BUSY METROCARD BUS:
New York City Transit’s MetroCard bus has a busy January planned to start off the new century with 19 stops on the schedule.Senior citizens and persons with disabilities may come to the bus and apply for the Reduced Fare MetroCard.Seniors must bring photo identification proving they’re at least 65 years old. Also persons with disabilities must have a valid Medicare card along with a federal/state photo I.D. card in order to be processed immediately.If you’re disabled and don’t have a Medicare card,you must have your doctor complete the physician’s section of the application.
The MetroCard bus will be at three different locations onMonday,Jan. 10th and 24th.
From 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. the bus will be at 31st Street and Ditmars Boulevard,Astoria.
From 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. a bus will be at the Bay Terrace Shopping Center,Bell Boulevard and 24thAvenue in Bayside.
From 1 to 3 p.m. the bus will be at the Fresh Meadows Shopping Center, 188th Street and Horace Harding Expressway.
On Friday, Jan. 7th and 21st the bus will be at MainStreet and Roosevelt Avenue, Flushing from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Next Wednesday, Jan. 12th the bus will be at Bell Boulevard and 73rd Avenue in Bayside near the Windsor Park Apartments from 1 to 3 p.m.
On Tuesday,Jan. 18th, at Marshall’s/Sears Mall, Queens Boulevard and 63rd Road, from 2 to 3 p.m.
On Thursday,Jan. 13th, the bus will be at Assemblymember Catherine Nolan’s district office at 45-25 47th St., between Greenpoint and 47thAvenues from 10 a.m. to noon. Later that day, the vehicle will shift to Grand Avenue and 69thStreet in Maspeth from 1 to 3 p.m.
For more information or to find other locations call (212)METROCARD.
TERMINATING A LEASE:
If you are age 62 or older and your physician certifies you can no longer live on your own so you’re going to move in with a family member, you can terminate your lease without penalty.That’s the word fromCommissioner Herbert Stupp of the city’s Department for the Aging. But, Stupp points out, "there is no provision for you to get your original apartment back once you can again live by yourself."
Stupp said the state legislature amended the Real Property Law last year to add the lease vacating provision.The law was also amended to permit seniors 62 or over to terminate their lease if they’re moving into a senior housing facility, a health care facility or subsidized low income housing.If you have any questions about these two provisions, call the department’s Information and ReferralService at (212) 442-1000.
COMPUTER CLASS REGISTRATION:
Seniors in the Forest Hills area interested in learning how to use a computer can register for classes at the Selfhelp Austin Street Senior Center, 106-06 Queens Blvd., this Monday at 1 p.m. Next Thursday at 11 a.m. Bernard Rosen will give a talk on "Life After Depression" at the center.EATING DISORDERS:
Seniors can learn some about proper nutrition if they attend a talk on "Understanding Easting Disorders" next Tuesday,Jan. 11th at the Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens Senior Health Center, 27-15 30thAve., Astoria at 1 p.m.OLDEST NEW YORKERS:
Savoy Senior Housing, a developer of senior housing facilities,has launched a search for New York City’s oldest senior citizen.Savoy, which recently opened a facility in Little Neck, says its objective is "to honor those who have witnessed perhaps the greatest period of change in history."Plans are to announce the results of their quest at the end of this month.Anyone who thinks he or she is the oldest New Yorker, should call (212) 627-5785.MEETING:
AARP Chapter 991 in Jackson Heights meets Jan. 19th at 1 p.m. at the CommunityUnited Methodist Church, 81-10 35thAve., JacksonHeights.Folk singer Eric Levine will entertain.
