11/02/2026
November 1 - Barkhamsted Senior and Community Center
Welcome to November and I hope you turned your clocks back an hour. I don't like the early sunsets, but do appreciate the sunrise being earlier in the morning.
The big news of the day is that we have reserved the Log House again this year for our Holiday party. It will be on December 8 and I will provide more details next week when everything is finalized. The cost will be $25 per person and we will cover the cost in excess of that figure, including the tax and tip. Their back room can hold 50 people, so we will need to give them a final number a week ahead of time. We will be asking you to make a reservation and provide payment prior to that date.
Don't forget, NWR 7 is holding a breakfast on Veterans Day (November 11) to honor our Veterans. If you are a veteran or know any, please let them know, and plan to attend. This is a wonderful opportunity for the students to learn about our history and the sacrifice so many people made.
Most importantly, Election Day is Tuesday. If you haven't taken advantage of early voting or an absentee ballot, please go to the Barkhamsted Elementary School to vote. They are open from 6 AM to 8 PM and have curbside voting available. If anyone would like a ride, please give me a call (860-605-7380), and I will arrange for someone to pick you up and take you to the school so you can vote. Please note that there is no early voting on Monday.
Please make sure that you read the items below the menu, as things have changed a bit, and I have been able to schedule (11/18 after lunch) the Geer Village Fall Prevention/Balance Screening session.
LUNCH – Tuesday, November 3 – 12:00 noon – spaghetti with meat sauce, caprese salad and pumpkin roll for dessert
BREAKFAST – Thursday, November 5 – 7:30–9:00 – cooked to order, as usual -- your choice of eggs any way you prefer: bacon, sausage links or patties, ham, pancakes, French toast, waffles, home fries, hash, fresh fruit cocktail, orange juice and more.
We also have gluten free bread and turkey bacon available. If there is interest, we can also provide gluten-free pancakes or waffles.
As always, meals are $5.00 – additional donations are always welcome. Gluten-free options are usually available, so please let us know if those dishes are something you would like or need. We also try to accommodate other dietary restrictions for those who cannot eat certain foods.
Here are the upcoming activities:
Monday and Wednesday, November 2 and 4 – 11:30-12:30 – Tai Chi – Tai Chi is normally twice a week. The classes are only $5. Feel free to join us even if you have never tried it, as It is focused on improving balance and flexibility for seniors who are beginners. All of us who are there are amateurs, and no one gets embarrassed. I know it's a little early, but for planning purposes, classes will be canceled on November 25 and December 23, 28 and 30 due to the holiday season.
Saturday, November 7 - Meadow Minders - Dave Lewis will be holding a course for you to learn how to “winter sow” native wildflower seeds for spring planting and raise seeds for the wildflower meadows in Peoples Forest and your own garden. The class will be from 3-4 PM and you will need to register with Dave. You can email Dave at [email protected] to register,
or if you have any questions, he will be able to answer them for you.
Tuesday, November 17, after lunch - Fall Protection/Balance Screening - Geer Village will hold a 1-hour class with the theme "Falling doesn't have to be part of aging". It will focus on fall prevention strategies, improving coordination and more and participants can engage seated or standing.
Wednesday, November 11 - 1:00 PM (after Tai Chi) - there will be scrapbooking at the Senior & Community Center for everyone who is interested.
Friday, November 13 - 6:30-8:30 - Sole Friends Band, a local music group based out of Hartland, will be playing at the Center. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. They sing and play music across various genres and timelines - Rock, Alt, Blues, Indie, Folk, Country, Soul, Classics, Deep Cuts & Originals & more.
Tuesday, November 17 - 6:00PM - Monthly Trivia night will be held on the 3rd Tuesday each month These continue to be great successes, thanks to Bob and Linda Pulford. Everyone is welcome whether you are part of a team or come by yourself. Last month, we set a record with about 40 people, so it is clearly a popular, fun activity. We have room to for more players, so come on down and give it a try.
Saturday, November 21 - 5:30-9:30 - Scrapbooking Club - come on down and join your friends and enjoy the evening.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 20, 21 and 22 - the Northwestern Regional High School Theater will be performing Peter and the Starcatcher. A flyer is attached and if you want to enjoy some very talented high school actors, please reserve your tickets and plan to attend.
Thursday, TBD - after breakfast - The Weeders and Readers club meets during the Spring/Summer months as a garden club and during the Fall/Winter it becomes a book club. They typically meet on the last Thursday of the month at 9:00 (after breakfast), but will not be meeting at the Center in November and December due to the holidays. However, after their holiday banquet on December 2, they will be decorating a Christmas tree at the Center like they did last year. It will be exciting to see the tree, since they do a great job.
Tuesday, December 8, 12 noon - Holiday Party - I will provide more details next week when everything is finalized. The cost will be $25 per person and we will cover the cost in excess of that figure, including the tax and tip. The menu will be similar to last year and their back room can hold 50 people. We will need to give them a final number a week ahead of time will be asking you to make a reservation and provide payment by that date.
Friday, TBD - 6:30-8:30 - the Traveling Trout is back and were at the Center last Friday to provide their usual range of music with great vocal and all the instruments. Everyone always has a good time, so come on down and join in the fun and enjoy their music. You can sing along or just listen. I will announce their next date when they compare holiday calendars and available dates for the members of the group.
The Medicare One-on-One Counseling sessions are scheduled for Wednesday, November 4. The day is full at this point and I sent out times and information that the participants need to bring to their session. The WCAAA also holds sessions in other towns. Let me know if you are interested in a session and I will try to find a spot for you.
If you would like to hold crafts or another activity or have an additional exercise class that you would like, please let me know. If you have ideas for events or programs you would like to have us schedule, please reach out to me and I will work to get them on the calendar.
We continue to collect food for the Community Food Bank in Barkhamsted. It is extremely important that those who can help, contribute what they can, even if it is a small amount. The food bank is at the Pleasant Valley Methodist Church and does a great service for those in need. Check their page for their operating hours. We also have a box at the Center if you would like to leave a donation off and we will make sure it gets to the Food Bank. If you have food or cash to donate and they are not open, you can also message them on Facebook to let them know about your donation. Their page is https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551048540688.
They are open every other week on Monday and Thursday. Here are the dates for November.
Monday, November 2nd, 4-7 p.m.
Thursday, November 5th, 2-4 p.m.
Monday, November 16th, 4-7 p.m.
Thursday, November 19th, 2-4 p.m.
That's it for today. Please stay safe. Feel free to reach out to me if you need assistance and I will do whatever I can to help or get you help from the Town.
Don Stein
