PHOTO BY BOB ROCHE
Lynnfield’s Beth Aaronson is vice president of the Lynnfield Art Guild.
BY GAYLA CAWLEY
LYNNFIELD — The Lynnfield Senior Center boasts a full schedule of daily activities and serves about 175 senior citizens a day, according to the director.
Linda Naccara, director of the Lynnfield Senior Center, said the now bustling Senior Center was once just a room in Town Hall. She said the Senior Center started at Town Hall in 1974, before moving to the Knights of Columbus building. The Senior Center then moved to its current location at 525 Salem St., in 1995.
Naccara said renovations began in 2000, when the Senior Center acquired 5,000 feet of new space. She said after the new space was acquired, about six rooms were added. Coinciding with the beginning of renovations was the hire of Naccara, who said she started at the Center in 2000.
When she started at the Senior Center, Naccara said there were about four programs offered each day and about 40 seniors served daily. Now, about 175 seniors are served a day, with those people able to participate in a full schedule of activities during the Senior Center hours of operation. The Center is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Monday to Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday.
Naccara said one of the unique offerings of the Senior Center is a hair salon, with two hairdressers. She said about 10 people make use of the hair salon each day, which is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and is booked up well in advance.
Next door to the hair salon is a room with a manicurist, which Naccara said is “another great service for seniors.” Also in that room every Tuesday,from 9 to 10:30 a.m., are blood pressure screenings.
Naccara said the Senior Center also tries to provide services for those who might have low vision or are hard of hearing.
“We try hard to provide as much support as we can,” Naccara said.
Naccara said one of the rooms functions as a game room, where seniors can play bridge or mahjong. Another room functions as a fitness room, with gym equipment in the back. The latter room was also devoted to a talk from a representative of the Peabody Essex Museum on Tuesday. The room can also be used for Bingo, Italian lessons and a book club.
“We try to always keep new things coming in every month,” Naccara said. “The goal is to get everybody out of the house.”
Another room functions as a thrift shop, with all of the items in the room donated by the Friends of the Lynnfield Senior Center, an organization that started in 2000. Naccara said the bulk of everything in the thrift shop and in the entire Senior Center is donated by the Friends.
“The Friends do allow us to keep growing and be the best we can be,” Naccara said.
Other amenities include a lunchroom with a cook on site. Naccara said all of the food is homemade and fresh. The lounge is where meetings are held. A computer lab is also on site, but she said most seniors bring their laptops and get help with any computer issues they may have.
What Naccara calls the “big room,” is where back to back exercise classes are held. She said classes include Zumba, yoga, pilates, seated exercise classes and line dancing. She said Zumba is the most popular, with about 25 to 35 people in each class. Zumba classes run five days a week. On Friday, she said a big breakfast is held in the room.
Another popular attraction is trips run by the Senior Center. For instance, on Feb. 24, seniors will make a trip to the Boston College Art Museum.
A good number of seniors attended Watercolor Class on Tuesday, which is held each week on that same day at 12:30 p.m. The class is taught by Bill Deveney.
Jane Booras, a Lynnfield resident, said she has been painting for years and used to teach a watercolor class at her house.
“I come every week,” Booras said. “It’s fun painting with people.”
Maya Jacob, a Wakefield resident, said she decided to take the class when she heard Deveney was the instructor. She said his work is “fabulous.”
“We improve our skills and he guides us,” Jacob said of Deveney.
Maryann Trudeau, a Melrose resident, said she is a retired teacher and “was always interested in music and art.” She said she comes to the class every Tuesday.
“It’s a creative outlet,” Trudeau said. “It takes me to another dimension. It’s just very soothing.”
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley.
