The 2008 Orange County Senior Games is rapidly approaching. This year's games will be April 21-May 21. The SilverArts competition will be from Feb. 26 to April 10.

Events include racquetball, billiards, golf, badminton, horseshoes, croquet, basketball, shuffleboard, track and field events, cycling, bocce ball, bowling swimming, archery and table tennis. The early-bird registration deadline of the athletic events is March 7 and the final deadline is March 24.

The SilverArts is the visual art component of the games and is a juried show. This year's exhibition will be at the Seymour Center. Artists must deliver their work to the Seymour Center by Tuesday between 9 a.m. and noon. The show will be juried and then open to the public on March 3 at 3 p.m. with an afternoon tea.

For information on the athletic events, call Dana Hughes at 918-7372. For information on the SilverArts, call Cydnee Sims at 969-3025.

Seniors on the road and more travel

Seniors on the Road has a selection of spring trips. On April 5, we will travel to Mayberry in beautiful Mount Airy. This tour includes a guided windshield bus tour including Old Mayberry Jail, Andy's Home Place, Floyd's City Barbershop, Granite Buildings, Andy Griffith Playhouse, Aunt Bee's Room, Wally's Service Station, The Mayberry Courthouse and the world's largest Andy Griffith Collection at the Main Oak Emporium. A buffet lunch is included. Cost is $60 per person and includes transportation, driver gratuity, tour attractions and lunch.

If short day trips are your thing, then look no further than the local senior center. Trips depart from the Seymour Center and the Central Orange Senior Center almost weekly. March excursions include Temple Theater, Glencoe Village and Textile Museum, Carolina Premium Outlets in Smithfield, and the Charlotte Hawkins Museum at the Historic Palmer Institute. To register, call the Central Orange Senior Center at 245-2015.


Free tax assistance

The free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program continues through April 15 for low- to middle-income households, with special assistance for the homebound, elderly or disabled. No restrictions on age or county of residence apply. Tax situations that are complex or lengthy may be referred to IRS. Volunteers trained according to IRS and N.C. guidelines will be available to prepare computerized federal or North Carolina returns. Returns are filed electronically at no charge. Non-English-speaking clients need to bring an interpreter, although a limited number of trained VITA volunteers do speak Spanish and may be available by appointment. Spanish-speaking clients may call 245-2010 (Orange County) or 742-1448 (Chatham County) to be matched with a Spanish-speaking tax preparer. For appointments or information, call 968-2070 or 245-2015. Schedules and information at www.co.orange.nc.us.


'In Praise of Age'
"In Praise of Age" is a weekly award-winning TV production dedicated to informing and entertaining Orange County citizens on issues of aging. All shows are sponsored by the Department on Aging, Carol Woods Retirement Community and the Friends of the Seymour Center and air Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. on the Peoples Channel (Time Warner Cable Channel 8), with rebroadcasts Sundays at 7:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The programs also are shown at the Seymour Center the following Monday at 10:30 a.m. and at the Central Orange Senior Center the following Monday at 2 p.m. following their weekend broadcast on TV. Show topics for March are:

March 1: "Florence Soltys Memorial." The program includes memorial excerpts of speakers and music that recount Florence Soltys' life of service, which was held at the Seymour Center on Nov. 11, 2007.

March 8: "Boosting Brainpower: The Role of Novelty, Humor and Variety in Memory." Charlene Swansea offers timeless tips for cognitive staying power in this 2002 archive.

March 15: "Mariah McPherson: Volunteer Extraordinaire." Orange County fondly remembers Mariah McPherson in this 2001 archive.

March 22: "The 2005 Orange County Senior Games" (part 2 of 2).

March 29: "The Role of Routine, Work and Leisure in Aging." Host Nerys Levy follows presidential scholar and historian William Leuchtenburg in his personal experience with aging.


Seymour Center

Senior Center Cinema: 1 p.m. Free. Popcorn is available. March 4, "Vertigo"; March 11, "Dream Girls"; March 18, "The Long, Long Trailer"; March 25, "The Magnificent Seven."

Join your friends to watch the ACC Tournament at the Seymour Center, which is hosting March Madness basketball on the big- screen television. Games start on March 13 at noon and continue March 14.

The Seymour Center Potluck dinners are famous for food and entertainment. Join us March 13 at 5:30 p.m. for the March potluck. Corned beef and cabbage will be served. Bring dessert or a side dish to serve at least eight people. Entertainment for the evening will be the UNC Achordants. Call the center at 968-2070 to register and let us know what you are bringing.

The workshop "Getting Clutter Out of Your Life" will be presented March 28 at 10:30 a.m. Sessions include how to become motivated in decluttering "extra" possessions, techniques to take the first step in cleaning out your space, and sharing ideas with other participants. Sign up at the front desk or call 968-2070 to register.

"In the Eyes of Opera" with Victoria Windler will be offered March 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Watch opera performances and then take part in a group discussion. Bring a lunch. Sign up at the front desk or call 968-2070 to register.

Art at the Seymour Center

March workshop topics include introductory origami, pencil drawing, beginning oil painting, woodcarving and scrapbooking. For information about the classes, call 968-2070.

Spanish Classes

Introduction to Spanish, Spanish for Continuing Beginners, Early Intermediate Spanish and High Intermediate to Advanced Spanish will be offered in March. Call 968-2070 for dates, times or to register.

Dancing at the Seymour Center

Line dancing is offered every Monday from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Fee is $3 per class.

Ballroom dance classes, which cover swing and salsa-mambo, will be offered March 4, 11, 18, 25 and April 1, 8 with the free practice dance on April 15. Fees are $72 per term, and $135 per couple. Register at the front desk, or call 968-2070.

Tap dance classes are available throughout March. Learn basic tap technique, historical tap steps and routines and tap dance to some old standards. Fee $52 (for four lessons). Sign up at the front desk, or call 968-2070 to register.

Wellness programs

The Wellness Program at the Seymour Center offers a wide variety of classes and services. Classes include Awareness Through Movement Feldenkrais Method, Strength Training; Senior Yoga; Pilates; beginning and intermediate T'ai Chi; Stretching for Active Seniors; Inspired Movement; Get Some Balance in Your Life; Fit and Fun in the Afternoon; Salli's Senior Workout; Strength Training and Movement; Stretch and Tone; NIA (Neuromuscular Integrative Action); Senior Seated Kickboxing; Qi-Gong, Spring Forest style and Boomer Yoga. Fees vary for classes and services. For details pick up a copy of Senior Times at the center.


Central Orange Senior Center

On March 18 at 3 p.m. International Tea Time will help us say goodbye to winter with a traditional Irish tea. Bring flowers from your garden to use around the room as we enjoy a "spot of tea." Reservations are required. Contact the center to register. Final registration is one week prior to the event.

Coffee with the Director on March 12 and April 9 at 9:30 will include a question-and-answer session with Jerry Passmore, director of the Department on Aging. Call 245-2015 to register.

The Potluck Dinner on March 20 at 5:30 p.m. will honor St. Patrick's Day. The center will provide corned beef and cabbage; you bring the sides. Call the center to register and let us know what you plan to bring.

Films by Alfred Hitchcock will be show on Thursday, from March 27 to April 10 from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Films include "Rear Window" (1954), "Dial 'M' for Murder" (1954), and "Vertigo" (1958).

One Stroke Painting will be offered on Fridays from 9 to 11 a.m. March 14 and April 4 and 18. You do not need to know how to draw or paint to enjoy creating each project. Contact the center to register one week prior to each workshop, or if you would like details on each project. Fee: $20 each workshop.

The Wellness Program at the Central Orange Senior Center offers classes and services, including Inspired Movement, Aerobics, Beginning T'ai Chi, Senior Yoga, Seated Tai Chi and the Sit to be Fit Class. See the current issue of Senior Times for a complete listing of the classes.