SENIOR SCAPE: What a great woodshop!

July 28, 2015 · 0 Comments

By Jim Abram

Congratulations to Ron Coe who won a Gold medal in Progressive Euchre at the York Region 55+ summer Games held at the King City Seniors’ Centre! That is quite an accomplishment.
Progressive Euchre is a tournament format Euchre. Play begins when the lead table rings a bell. The lead table plays eight hands, the deal revolving to the left with each hand, so that each player has dealt twice, then rings the bell again.
When the bell rings, players at each table finish their current hand, record their team score on an individual tally. The losing team at the head table moves to the tail table; otherwise the winning team at each table advances to the next table, and one member of the losing team changes seats so that partners in one game are opponents in the next game.
Play begins on the next game immediately without waiting for another signal. After 10 games, players total their tally sheets, to determine high score and low score for the tournament.
Ron also contributed to the Pan Am games. Angus Glen Golf Club, one of Canada’s most prestigious golf courses, hosted the first-ever Pan Am Games golf tournament this month and Ron designed and created just short of 200 tee box markers in our very own woodshop.
You’ll find one of these tee box markers in the display case in the reception area of the Aurora Seniors’ Centre. You will find many of Ron’s creations in the display case including the Maple Leaf Forever pen that Ron also created as well as the many awards for various Canada Day and Santa Under the Stars parade floats. Check it out. You will be impressed.
Ron and the woodworking experts also built several flower boxes like the one at the entrance to the Seniors Centre and the garden boxes at the CHATS new therapeutic garden.
The concept of this type of garden was actually brought to CHAT’s attention by Karen Shea, who is associated with the Blooms of Joy Project (www.bloomsofjoyproject.ca/blooms/), a social enterprise aimed at providing therapeutic horticulture, floral design and landscape design to organizations, day programs, treatment centers, residences and businesses.
When described, CHATS felt compelled to make this happen for their Day Program clients and fortunately, this sort of project qualified through the New Horizons grant program for funding. CHATS received $24,700 in 2014 which saw the creation of the deck, seating and pergola, all erected to be fully accessible from both the back entrance as well as ramped to the driveway.
The members of the Aurora Garden & Horticultural Society have been instrumental in their assistance from planting to providing tools and other implements.
Funding was not sufficient to cover the costs of some of the added features, such as the raised gardens and thanks to Ron Coe, and a $100 gift card from Home Depot, the Aurora Seniors Centre Woodworking shop stepped up and built 2 garden fixtures at cost.
Given the success and participation with this facility, CHATS has applied for a 2016 New Horizons grant to expand this garden with a ground level patio and fencing. CHATS appreciates the support of the Aurora Seniors Centre and welcome members to visit. It’s great to see the results of Ron’s dedicated commitment paying off like this!
Visit CHATS to see the fruits – or in this case vegetables – of his labour!

Seniors Day at the Farmers Market
Don’t forget to visit the Aurora Farmers Market located at Town Park on Seniors Day – Saturday, August 1.

Jimmy’s last word: “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow” – Audrey Hepburn

For more information on the Aurora Seniors’ Centre and all it has to offer, drop by 90 John West Way, visit the web site www.auroraseniors.ca, email auroraseniors@rogers.com or call 905-726-4767 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday to Friday.