the messenger - City of Las Cruces

THE MESSENGER
August 2015
City of Las Cruces Senior Programs Newsletter
Senior Programs Highlights and Updates
This is a new section we’ve developed to share news and information with you; whether we are announcing a new service
or program or want to introduce new staff members to you.
“to promote and enhance the physical, intellectual, and social well-being of people 50+ who
live in Las Cruces”
Munson Center
New Mexico Senior Olympics State Champion—
Mission Statement
Billiard’s player Charles Gardner placed 1st in 8-Ball for the 70
-74 age group during the State Games in Roswell, NM.
Sage Café to Offer More Activities—yoga, drawing, Bunco, Hands N Feet (cards), Karaoke, Help with Electronic
Gadgets and Grief and Loss Support Group are ideas for new
activities. If interested, sign up with Jean at 528-3151.
Codes Presentations-City of Las Cruces Codes Enforcement and Animal Control has partnered up with City of Las
Cruces Senior Programs to help seniors with awareness and
assistance. Visit with Codes staff and let them know your recommendations, concerns and requests for assistance. Wed,
Aug 12 from 10:30 to 1pm, at Eastside Center.
Her close friends call her “Mamasita” and
helped her celebrate her 105th birthday on
July 9th at the Benavidez Center. Pictured
with Mamasita are Consuelo and Jesus Ordonez.
In 1910 the average life expectancy for men
was 47 years. 14% of homes had a bathtub.
3.8% of homes had a telephone. There were
only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved
roads. The maximum speed limit in most cities was 1-12 mph. The average American
wage was 22 cents per hour, and the average
worker made between $200 and $400 per
year. Eggs cost 14 cents a dozen.
Celebrating 105th Birthday !
See page 4
for details
on next
dance!
In This Issue

Activities

Lunch Menu

The Network

Grandparents

Nutrition News

Suggestion Box
ACTIVITIES
Fees for classes are presented at a public hearing for public input then approved by City Council. Public
hearings are held during the last quarter of the year. Class instruction provided by volunteers. All classes
held at Munson Center unless noted otherwise.
REGISTRATION DATES AUG 3-7
Arts & Crafts—registration is required for these classes during the registration dates.


Gourd Painting—Wed, 1-4pm, Studio 4, $9 for 6-week session.
Lapidary (cutting, shaping and polishing of stones) - Mon, 12-3:30pm, Studio 1 (class limit of 6 students). $12 for 6-week session.

Lapidary lab (requires proficiency test to work independently) - Tu & Th, 8am-4pm, $4/day

Silver Jewelry—Fri, 9am-12pm, Studio 1, $50 kit required. $12 for 6-week session.

Stained Glass—select from 4 classes, all head in Studio 1. $5 kit required for beginners. Mon, 8:3011:30am, Wed, 8:30-11:30am, Wed, 1-4pm, Fri, 1-4pm. $6 for 6-week session.
Open Studio—registration is required for these classes during registration dates. These are self-directed
classes with no formal instruction. Fee for each class is $6 for 6-week session.


China Painting—Mon, 1-3pm, Studio 2
Clay Works Tu & Th, 8am-12pm, Studio 3; Clay Works, Tu & Th, 12pm-4pm, Studio 3; Clay Works, Fri
8am-4pm, Studio 3;

Mosaics Fri, 1-4pm, Studio 4

Painting, Mon, 8:30-11:30am, Studio 2
Lifelong Learning –most classes are drop in unless specified. Class instruction provided by volunteers.
There is no charge to participate in these activities.

Coffee & Conversation– Tue-Fri, 9:30-10:30am, Sage Café, for a limited time enjoy 1 free coffee
and 1 pastry.


Community Gardeners Meeting—3rd Wed, 1-2pm, Meeting Room 2.
Crocheting (social gathering) - Tu & Th, 8:30-11:30am, Eastside Center classroom. Items donated locally.

Knitting (social gathering) - Thu, 10am-12pm, Sage Café.

Quilting (social gathering) - Tu & Th, 8:30-11:30am, Studio 2. Items donated locally.

Spanish Conversation Group—Tue, 1:30-3pm, Meeting Room 4. Next class is Sept 8.

Spanish (Intermediate) - Mon, 1:30-3:30pm, Meeting Room 4.

Spanish (Spoken, for Beginners) - Fri, 10-11am, Meeting Room 2.

Wood Carving—Wed & Fri, 8am-12pm, Eastside Center classroom.

Writing (Desert Writers) - Wed, 9am-11am, Meeting Room 2
ACTIVITIES
Fitness Classes—registration is not required for these classes during the registration dates. Fees vary
and are noted for each class. Certified instructors teach classes.

EnhanceFitness—Mon, Wed & Fri, 8-9am, Munson auditorium. No charge for this class.

EnhanceFitness—Tue, Wed & Fri, 9:45-10:45am, Sage Café dining room. No charge for this class.

Line Dance (beginning) - Mon, 2-3pm, Munson auditorium. No charge for this class.

Line Dance (intermediate) - Fri, 2-3pm, Munson auditorium. No charge for this class.

Tai Chi-Movement for Better Balance— Mon, Wed & Fri, 4-5pm, Munson auditorium. $1 ages 60+ or
$2 under age 60 per class. Interim instructor to begin soon.

Table tennis—Tu & Th, 8-11am, Papen Center. No charge. No instructor.

Zumba Gold—Mon & Tue, 5:30-6:30pm, Munson auditorium. $1 ages 60+ or $2 under age 60 per
class.
Games—no registration is required and there is no fee to participate unless noted.

Billiards—Mon-Fri, 8am-2pm, Eastside Center, pool room.

Billiards– Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm, Munson Multi-purpose Room.

Billiards Tournament—last Wed monthly, 9am-1pm, Munson Multi-purpose Room. $3 per player.

Bingo—Wed, 12:45-1:45pm, Benavidez Center.

Bingo—Thu, 12:45-1:45pm, Sage Café.

Bridge—Mon & Wed, 11:30am-3:30pm, Munson, Meeting Room 3.

Canasta—Wed, 11am-3pm, Munson, Meeting Room 3.

Chess– Fri, 8:30-12pm, Munson, Meeting Room 4.

Hands N Feet (cards) - Thu, 12pm-4pm, Munson, Meeting Room 3.

Horseshoes—Tu & Fr, 9am-11am, Munson, outdoors on East side of building.

Mah Jongg—Thu, 9am-12pm, Munson, Meeting Room 3

Mah Jongg—Fri, 11am-2pm, Sage Café dining room

Michigan Rummy—Fri, 11am-2pm, Sage Café dining room

Pinochle—Fri, 11:30am-4:30pm, Munson Meeting Room 3

Train Dominoes– Tue, 10:45am-1:45pm, Sage Café dining room
MEETINGS & EVENTS





Senior Programs Advisory
Board Meeting—2nd Thu mo.
Aug 13, 9am-11am, Benavidez
Center.
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Group meeting—2nd Tue mo. Aug 11,
10:30-11:30am, Benavidez
Center.
Grief & Loss Support Group,
2nd Wed mo. Aug 12, 9-10am.
Munson, Room 4.
Low Vision Support Group, 1st
Tue mo. Aug 4, 9:30-11am,
Munson, Rm 2.
Stroke Support Group, 1st Thu,
mo. Aug 8, 1-2pm, Munson,
Room 2.



50+ Programming for Working
Boomers, Thu, Aug 20, 6-7pm.
Topic—water conservation.
Everyone invited.
Electronic Friday—each Fri in
Aug. Bring your phones, cameras, other portable electronics
you want help with. See
Jeneca in the Munson Keyboard Café from 9-10am.
Country Dance, Thu, Aug 20, 24pm, Munson Center. Admission $3 per person. Door prizes awarded. Light refreshments
served. Come dressed as your
favorite cowboy or cowgirl. We
have a Dance Committee of 5
seniors who determine each
dance theme, type of music,
type of refreshments served
and door prizes. Let them
know what you think!

New staff member, Lisa Padron! Look for Lisa at the Munson front desk soon!
NUTRITION NEWS
Dear Patrons:
When I talk with new members
who have just discovered our centers, they always remark how surprised they are that the City of Las
Cruces has such a gold mine of
opportunities for senior citizens.
What continually surprises me, is
that there are still so many who
could be taking the advantage of
the opportunities to learn, socialize, share a meal, exercise or volunteer at the centers. I invite you
to explore one of Las Cruces’ best
kept secrets and see for yourself
the many different activities Senior
Programs has to offer. Please take
a close look at the activities section in the Senior Messenger and
see what the excitement is all
about.
Volunteers are needed at all of our
senior centers and are being recruited for Dining Room Aide,
Kitchen Aide, Breakfast Packer
and Driver positions. If you have
time, talents, skills or hobbies you
would like to share, please contact
Ryan Steinmetz, Volunteer Coordinator, at 528-3035 to learn more
about opportunities not only in
Senior Programs, but all around
the City of Las Cruces.
tial donation in the secured box at Barrera’s para control de muthe meal site, or mail it to:
chedumbre
Senior Programs, ATTN: Senior
Nutrition
Program
P.O. Box 20000
Las Cruces, NM 88004
If you are a home delivered client,
please place your confidential donation into the locked donation
box brought into your home by the
driver, or mail it to the address
above. We greatly appreciate your
donations. Thank you!
Roger
Bishop, Nutrition and Meals Services Program Manager 575-528
–3013.
Crowd Control Barriers
Senior Nutrition has implemented
crowd control barriers at the congregate meal sites in an effort to
designate the space for the sign-in
and serving line. Some of our patrons are asking why we have
done this. The reason is that we
are experiencing some minor
problems with patrons who are either violating the social code of
waiting their turn or skipping the
sign-in process all together to
jump ahead in the line. It is required that all consumers who eat
lunch at the meal sites sign in on
the roster. Your signature allows
the City of Las Cruces to request
a partial reimbursement from the
state for the cost of your meal.
Your feedback, comments, compliments and complaints are important to us. Suggestion boxes
are located in each center to provide you an opportunity to give
your input on the services we provide. Senior Nutrition is working
closely with our new Recreation
Services Leader, Jeneca Maya, to
plan fun activities. Please share
your ideas with us by placing a If someone should happen to cut
suggestion in the box.
in front of you, please do not get
angry. Instead, politely confront
the line cutter and inform the OfMany thanks to all of our guests fice Assistant or nearest staff
for continuing to donate to our pro- member. You can say something
grams. Our donations have been like, “Excuse me, but I believe you
dwindling in both congregate and just cut in line”. If you forgot somehome delivered meals. Did you thing at the serving window,
know that every dollar donated please go to the back of the line
goes right back into our Senior and wait your turn. I hope that
Nutrition funds to help keep this the new crowd control barriers
wonderful program going? Donat- help ease this problem.
ing is simple. Place your confiden-
El Programa de Nutrición ha implementado barreras para el control de la muchedumbre en los
centros de congregación para el
horario de la comida con el efecto
para designar el espacio para firmar por su comida y para controlar la fila de la ventanilla donde
sirven. Unos de nuestros patrocinados han preguntado por qué
hemos puesto estas barreras. La
razón es porque estamos teniendo unos problemas menores con
patrocinados que están violando
el código social de esperar su
turno o adelantarse del proceso
de firmar para adelantarse en la
fila. Es requerido de todo patrocinado que comen en los centros de
congregación que firme antes de
preceder a la ventanilla de la comida. Su firma permite que la
Cuidad de Las Cruces requiera el
reembolso por parte de su comida, del Estado de Nuevo México
por el costo de la comida.
Si alguien corta en frente de usted
en la fila, por favor no se enoje.
En lugar, confronte a la persona
en una forma buena y avísele a
cualquier trabajador. Le puede
decir algo como lo siguiente,
“Disculpe pero acaba de meterse
en el frente de la fila, si se le olvido algo por favor fórmese en la
fila de nuevo y espere su turno.
Espero que las barreras nuevas
ayuden controlar el problema.
FOR YOUR HEALTH
Personal Hygiene Tips for Good
Health
One of the most effective ways you
have to protect yourselves and others
from illness is good personal hygiene.
Good personal hygiene is the first step
to good health. Habits such as washing
your hands and brushing and flossing
your teeth will help keep bacteria, viruses, and illnesses at bay.
Practicing good body hygiene also helps
you feel good about yourself, which is
important for your mental health. Proper
personal hygiene is essential for social
interactions and respect in the professional arena as people who have poor
hygiene (body odor, bad breath, etc) often are seen as unhealthy and may face
discrimination. The steps below will help
you improve your personal hygiene:
Bathe Daily: A daily shower is a
must whether you feel grungy or
not. A regular bath (every morning and after all athletic activities)
helps in keeping you clean, fresh
and odor free. Cleaning your
body is also important to ensure
your skin rejuvenates itself, as
the scrubbing of your arms, legs,
and torso will slough off dead, dry
skin and help your skin stay
healthy and refreshed, and will
prevent acne, blemishes and other skin eruptions. Also, do not
share your towel and wash them
on a regular basis.
Wash your hands: Washing your
hands after using the restroom,
before making or eating food, after handling dogs or other pets,
after handling garbage, and after
coughing or sneezing (or if you
have been around someone who
is coughing or has cold), goes a
long way toward preventing the
spread of bacteria and viruses.
Most infections, especially colds
and gastroenteritis, are caught
when you put your unwashed
hands, which have germs on
them, to your mouth. Hands and
wrists should be washed with
clean soap and water, using a
brush if your nails are dirty. Dry
your hands with something clean
and dry, such as paper towels.
Trim your nails: Keeping your finger and toenails trimmed and in
good shape will prevent problems
such as hang nails (when a loose
strip of dead skin hangs from the
edge of a fingernail) and infected
nail beds. If possible, trim them
weekly and brush them daily with
soap so that no dirt or residue
remains beneath the nail. Fingernails should be trimmed straight
across and slightly rounded at
the top whereas toenails should
be trimmed straight across. The
best time to cut your nails is after
bathing when they are soft and
easy to trim. It's also a good idea
to moisturize nails and cuticles
regularly.
Practice good oral hygiene: The
mouth is the area of the body
most prone to collecting harmful
bacteria and generating infections. Recent studies have found
a strong link between gum disease and narrowing of the arteries (a process known as atherosclerosis), which can lead to
heart attacks and stroke. The researchers believe that the bacteria that causes gum disease can
leave people's infected gums and
enter the bloodstream, activating
the immune system and making
their artery walls inflamed and
narrowed. Another theory is that
the bacteria enter the blood and
attach themselves directly to the
fatty deposits that are already
present in a person's arteries,
causing further narrowing.
To minimize the accumulation of
bacteria in your mouth (which
can cause tooth decay and gum
disease), brush your teeth at
least twice a day and floss daily.
It will also help to prevent bad
breath. Replacing your toothbrush (after 3-4 months or when
bristles become out of shape) is
also essential to good oral hygiene. A new toothbrush is free
from germs and plaque. Try to
store your toothbrush in a place
where it can easily dry. In order
to have and maintain good oral
hygiene, it is critical to visit your
dentist at least every six months.
Take care of your hair: Washing
your hair at least every other day
is important to keeping your hair
and scalp healthy and in good
shape. If you suffer from lice or
dandruff, then take necessary
action at the earliest. Also, it is
critical that you get a hair cut frequently for healthy hair. The longer you wait to get your hair cut,
the more frail and brittle your hair
can become, especially if it is
longer.
Wear Clean Clothes: Wear a fresh
set of clothes as often as possible. Dirty clothes are a source of
contamination and can cause
very serious skin disorders if
worn over and over without
washing them. Also, try wearing
a clean pair of socks every day
(especially after athletic activities)
as this keep your feet dry and not
smelly. Wash clothing and linens
on a regular basis as the longer it
takes you to clean them the
smellier they become.
Good hygienic habits are easy to begin
and maintain, and are the most effective
ways to protect yourselves and others
from many illnesses.
Senior Programs has a Resource Center as well as Case Managers who are
on staff to assist seniors who may need
additional resources or information on
additional resources. The Resource
Center is staffed by Lena Reta and is
located in the Munson front office. Case
Managers James Mitchell and Chris
Gomez are also located in the Munson
front office. To see Ms. Reta, Mr. Mitchell or Mr. Gomez, simply stop by the
front desk and speak with the receptionist and she will arrange for assistance.
If you have recently lost a loved one,
have low vision, suffered a stroke or are
raising your grandchildren –we have a
support group that may help. Many
times when we experience a loss—any
type, vision, health, loved one, etc. we
feel we are alone. We don’t want to impose on others because we assume
they are busy. Our support groups are
open to anyone who wishes to attend
and we encourage you to lean on us.
For meeting times and dates, please
refer to page 4. For questions, please
call 528-3000.
If you have a suggestion for a support
group that currently does not meet at
one of our centers, please contact Sally
Schutte, Senior Centers Manager at 541
-2005. You are important to us and we
want to know how to serve you better!
NUTRITION NEWS
GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN
see that you are really concerned for the
child's progress. Try to attend all parentteacher conferences. When possible,
schedule in-person meetings to talk
about the child's progress. And if a faceto-face meeting isn't possible, arrange
for a telephone conference. If your
grandchild has learning disabilities or
behavioral problems, keep the teacher
informed of the situation. Often, teachers are more understanding if they know
there is an explanation behind a child's
behavior. For example, if you know your
grandchild is usually upset when returning from a visit to a parent, let the teacher know when those visits occur.
Being an Advocate for Your
Grandchild
Angela Wiley, Family Life Specialist,
University of Illinois Extension
In a recent survey, education was the
number one concern for nearly 90 percent of grandparents who are raising
their grandchildren.1 And, studies show
that children do better in school when
their caregivers support, or advocate for
them, and regularly talk with school
staff.
But, the policies and practices at some
schools are often unintentional barriers
for grandparent-headed families, because they are specifically aimed at traditional nuclear families. For example,
most schools do not permit child enrollment or release official records without
proof of legal custody or formal guardianship. Sometimes grandparents also
have a hard time getting information
about and access to educational services. And, grandparents often feel that
they don't get enough information about
their grandchildren's academic progress, challenges, and needs. What
can you do? Start by learning about the
school's policies. Visit with the principal
and ask for help with tasks like enrolling,
giving consent for special activities, and
accessing the services that are available to your grandchildren. Be prepared
to contact the school board if districtwide policies prevent your involvement.
Also, establish a direct relationship with
your grandchild's teacher that includes,
but clearly goes beyond, the official parent-teacher conferences. The teacher
can keep you in the communication
loop. Once you make the first move and
show your commitment to your grandchild's education, the teacher is likely to
be the best ally of both you and your
grandchild.
Working With Your Grandchild's
Teacher
Amy Griswold, Family Life Educator,
Did You Know Senior Programs
University of Illinois Extension
Offers A Program for GrandparWhen your grandchild starts school, ents?
make sure teachers are aware of your
situation. Children who are being raised
by grandparents may feel like they don't
fit in when classroom activities focus on
traditional family households. By keeping the teacher informed of your home
situation, she may be able to adapt
classroom activities - like changing
"making Mother's Day cards" to "making
cards for someone special." Get to know
your grandchild's teachers from the
start. If possible, visit with teachers,
counselors and other school staff before
you enroll your grandchild in school. Inform them that you are raising your
grandchild and let them know about
special needs or situations that they
should be aware of. Let teachers know
that you want to be informed of your
grandchild's progress in school and you
want to be involved. Make sure the
teacher knows that you are available for
calls or meetings concerning your
grandchild. Attend school open houses
and special programs. This will help the
teachers become familiar with you and
Senior Programs offers a Grandparent
Raising Grandchildren Support Group
Meeting that meets the 2nd Tuesday of
each month from 10:30-11:30am at the
Benavidez Community Center. Grandparents must be age 55 years of age or
older, must live with child, must be the
primary caregiver of the child and must
have a legal relationship to the child. A
child is an individual not more than 18
years of age, or an individual with a disability (adult child).
Call 541-2005 for more information on how you can join
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren for FREE!
THE SUGGESTION BOX
hicles are no longer permitted there.
Can something be done about the
doors on the north end of Munson
Center to make it a little easier to get
into the building?
The green beans and gravy were
cold, almost refrigerator temperature
Dear Frustrated—we have good news.
at Benavidez.
A work order has been placed requesting the interior door on the north hall be
removed. We have asked Facilities if it
Dear Reader—we apologize that the is possible to remove this door. Another
food you were served was not at the change we are making is to remove the
proper temperature. We hope you im- door from Studio 3 (pottery room) and
mediately took your tray to the serving replace it with a partial glass door (like
window and asked for a new tray. We the one on the multi-purpose room).
will continue to monitor both hot and This way students can enter and exit the
cold temperatures of food served in our art wing thru the new door on Studio 3.
centers.
ANNOUNCEMENT—annual survey to
I attended the July dance and really be distributed to all participants in
enjoyed myself. But I’m wondering if activities and meal program in Septhere is a way to request music from tember.
the 1940’s and 1950’s be played at a
future dance?
Dear Dancer—I will pass along your request to the Dance Committee. Members of the dance committee are dancers who participate in Senior Programs
activities.
Committee members are:
Velia Autry, Flora Seamons, James Riley, George Norman and Anna.
I attend the Benavidez Center for
meals and would like to know why so
many people do not use the parking
spaces. There is plenty of parking
when I arrive. I’ve seen cars parked
on the grass in back of the handicap
spaces and this doesn’t make sense.
Dear Driver—staff at Benavidez are
working with Codes Enforcement to stop
illegal parking. The number one concern is safety for seniors. Anyone who
parks in back of vehicles in handicap
spaces is not safe. Drivers who back up
may not be able to see pedestrians and/
or may back into vehicles. New multidirectional signs will be placed in the
bus lane, around grassy areas and at
the kitchen entrance to notify drivers ve-
Each year we ask everyone who participates in our programs and activities to
complete a Quality Survey. We do this
because we want to know what other
services and activities they are interested in. We are required by the NonMetro Area Agency on Aging to “include
clients (seniors) served in the development of services that will assist them in
the quality of their lives.” The survey
contains questions about income; responsibility for minors; health exams
done as scheduled; awareness of our
programs and how to find out information; lack of medications, need for
home repairs, etc. The more truthful
seniors are on the surveys, the more
assistance may be available. All responses are confidential and are used
to provide additional assistance.
Contact Us
Sonia Saldana, Administrator, 541-2464
Office: Munson Center
Email: [email protected]
Roger Bishop, Nutrition & Meal Services Program Manager, 528-3013
Office: Eastside Community Center
Email: [email protected]
Lora Garcia-Palacios, Long Term Care Services Manager, 541-2459
Office: Munson Center
Email: [email protected]
Sally Schutte, Senior Centers Manager, 541-2005
Office: Henry Benavidez Community Center
Email: [email protected]
There are no income or residency requirements to participate in Senior Programs.
City of Las Cruces Senior
Programs
Munson Center
975 S. Mesquite Street
Las Cruces, NM 88001
www.las-cruces.org/Seniors
FACILITY LISTINGS
ALL CENTERS LISTED BELOW, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SAGE CAFÉ, SERVE
CONGREGATE MEALS MON-FRI 11AM-12:30PM. RESERVATIONS MUST BE MADE BY 1PM THE DAY
BEFORE. CALL 528-3012 TO MAKE RESERVATIONS.
1. EASTSIDE COMMUNITY CENTER, 310 N TORNILLO, HOURS 8AM-2PM, MON-FRI
2. HENRY BENAVIDEZ COMMUNITY CENTER, 1045 MCCLURE ROAD, HOURS 10:30AM- 1:00PM,
MON-FRI, 541-2005
3. MUNSON CENTER, 975 S MESQUITE STREET, HOURS 8AM-5PM, MON-FRI, 528-3000
4. FRANK OBRIEN PAPEN COMMUNITY CENTER DINING ROOM, 304 W BELL (MESILLA PARK),
HOURS 10:30AM-1PM, MON-FRI, 528-3012
5.
SAGE CAFÉ, 6121 REYNOLDS DRIVE (EAST MESA), HOURS 9AM-2PM, TUE-FRI, 528-3151
Activities and programs at centers are open to all who are age 50+. To qualify for suggested donation, must be age 60+.