Bored? Have you senior options?
The 60+ Activity Center at the Newport Senior Center continues to provide a varied schedule of classes and events for mature and motivated community members. Learn a new dance, create some art or even start a small business this summer — the sky’s the limit.
Let’s talk business
Thinking of starting a small business? You’re not alone. Encore entrepreneurs over the age of 55 are one of the fastest growing groups of business owners. Your knowledge, passion, life and professional experience can help you turn your hobby into a business and diversify your income in retirement.
On Tuesday, July 12, Wendy Ludwig leads an informative workshop, “Let’s Talk Business.” Bring your ideas for starting a small business and learn about the steps to a successful startup. Discover the risks for older entrepreneurs, and find out what assistance is available from the Small Business Development Center at the Oregon Coast Community College.
Ludwig is a small business adviser at the SBDC, where the mission is to create joy and wealth in Lincoln County by helping start, grow and retain profitable businesses. She has a degree in accounting from Linfield College and CPA designations in Oregon and California.
Before relocating to the Oregon coast in 2017, Ludwig worked as a CPA and finance executive in the San Francisco area, initially in public accounting, and then in tax management at large companies in several different industries.
The workshop begins at 2 pm.
Ancient mosaic mirror class
Mosaic is an art form dating back to ancient times. It involves placing small pieces of pebble, stone, shell, tile, glass or other material (called tesserae) together to form a pattern. Many methods and techniques from thousands of years ago are still used today.
On Wednesday, July 13, Eugene Sterud will be teaching a class on how to make a 9x9” mirror mosaic using vitreous glass, beach glass, pebbles, shells, half marbles, buttons and beads. Everyone will go home with a completed project.
Sterud is a retired anthropologist/archaeologist with an interest in ancient Roman/Byzantine mosaics.
The class is from 1:30 to 4:30 pm, and there is a $16 fee for supplies to be paid on the day of the class. Seats are limited.
Line dancing
Are you looking for a way to stay fit and healthy? Line dancing can give you a great mind-body workout. It improves memory skills by requiring you to remember dance steps and sequences. It can help strengthen bones and muscles, increase stamina and flexibility, improve your posture and balance and give you the opportunity to socialize at the same time. And, you don’t need a partner.
Beginning on Wednesday, July 13, three weekly classes will take place back to back — a beginners class for people who have never line danced, who want to review basic line dance steps or who just enjoy doing easier dances to slower music, an “Improvers” class for those dancers who are already familiar with line dance steps and dances and an intermediate class for more experienced dancers. This final class will have a variety of dances, some quite complicated, and some quite fast, but still fun.
Dances will include the Gypsy Queen, Mamma Maria, Ready to Fly, Skinny Genes and Waltz Across Texas and will be performed with music of all kinds, not just country western.
The beginning class is from 1 to 2 pm, the “Improvers” class is from 2 to 3 pm, and the intermediate class begins at 3 pm.
Christmas in July
Instructor Ann Tebo invites you to a one-time “Christmas in July” class on Friday, July 15, to create a cute reindeer from cork, pipe cleaners and other assorted art supplies.
Don’t be afraid to explore your creativity in this fun, free class and create your own masterpiece.
Supplies will be provided by the instructor, but bring a glue gun if you have one.
The class will be held in the Education Center from 1 to 3 pm. Class size is limited to 10 participants.
The Newport 60+ Activity Center is located at 20 SE 2nd Street. For more information and to register for the art classes, go to newportoregon.gov/sc and click on “Browse the catalog and register,” or call 541-265-9617.