by Emily Kaminsky
After years of delivering programming and services to Barre area seniors at the Wheelock Building on North Main Street, the Barre Area Senior Center has moved to a newly renovated location at the E.F. Wall building on South Main Street in Barre. According to Director Marilyn Brault, the new space is twice the size of the first floor of the Wheelock building, boasts a larger, more functional kitchen, and several rooms to host classes and clinics. Brault is particularly excited about more parking spaces. “It is going to be so much better at the new space. We have tons and tons of parking now,” she says.
“I’m super thrilled,” says the center’s Director Marilyn Brault. All programming and operations will be back in full swing by Monday, Nov. 10. While that is the official re-opening, Brault invites the public to visit the new space on two occasions. The first is the center’s Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 12 at noon. Tickets priced at $10 per person are available for purchase now at the new building. Then, on Jan. 9, Brault invites the public to the center’s grand re-opening event where they will introduce new activities and programming.
The move creates an opportunity for the center to fine tune its programming and offerings. “We’re going to try to open up more programming. But, it’s up to the people who come in and communicate what they want,” says Brault. To encourage participation in program design, the center is conducting a programming raffle. The public is invited to enter the raffle to win a prize. Entries are invited to include a program suggestion. Brault says all program suggestions will be considered. For more information on Barre Area Senior Center, the move, and its offerings, visit their website at www.barreseniors.org or call 479-9512.
In other news, the Paletteers is hosting its annual fall art show at the Aldrich Library in the Milne room during regular library hours. The Paletteers, founded in the 1950s, is an artists’ organization serving central Vermont with many activities in Barre. They host three shows annually—one in the spring, during Heritage Festival and Homecoming Days in July, and in the fall. Seventeen talented artists are exhibiting at the fall show and many pieces are for sale. Paletteers president Bob Murphy encourages the public to attend. The show is free he says and there are many artists who haven’t shown before as well as others who have been showing for years and are well known. The show started Nov. 3 and ends Dec. 19. For more information, visit www.paletteers.us.
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