Tax work-off program
The 2013 senior tax work-off program will operate under new guidelines that could save participants up to $1,000 off their property tax bills. But because the town allotment for the program remains at $10,000, the COA might have to impose income restrictions for the first time if more than 10 residents apply.
To qualify for the program, residents must be at least 60 years old as of July 1, 2012, and must have owned the property for at least a year prior to that date as a primary residence.
Applications are available online or at Hildreth House. They must be completed and returned by Feb. 28, 2013.
Monthly movie
Monday, Feb. 11, 1 p.m., Volunteers Hall. This month’s COA movie tells the tale of a six-year-old girl on the brink of becoming an orphan in a forgotten but defiant bayou community. The recent film has been nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Dining in style
Thursday, Feb. 14. The Woman’s Club will host a Valentine’s Day luncheon at Hildreth House. Italian wedding soup, corn chowder, green salad, rolls and butter, and a surprise chocolate dessert are on the menu. Space is limited; call 978-456-2140 to sign up.
Wednesday, Feb. 20. Bromfield student Ryan Kennedy will prepare and serve a noon luncheon fit for a president, with Thomas Jefferson chicken fricassee, presidential honey walnut salad, tavern hot cider, George Washington cherry cobbler, and Lady Bird Johnson lemon bundt cake. Space is limited; call 978-456-4120 to sign up.
On the road with COA
Call the COA office at 978-456-4120 for more details or to sign up for trips.
Friday, Feb. 8. At the Harvard Museum of Natural History and Peabody Museum of Archeology, seniors will see prehistoric bones of animals from the time of the dinosaurs, meteorites from outer space, and a collection of 3,000 glass flowers at adjacent museums at Harvard University. Lunch is in Harvard Square. The trip will leave Hildreth House at 8 a.m. and return by 3 p.m. The cost is $20, plus lunch.
Wednesday, Feb. 20. “Red,” at Merrimack Repertory Theatre in Lowell, is a searing portrait of an artist’s ambition and vulnerability. The COA will leave Hildreth House at 1 p.m. and return by 5 p.m. The cost is $25.00.
Tai Chi class
A short take on Tai Chi
How long can you stand on one foot? For me, after four years of Tai Chi, the answer is still: not very long. But on the other hand, I can stand on two feet for quite a long time, without the aching back and knee pain that used to go with it. (Unlock the knees and sink into your center). Harvard’s COA Tai Chi class is part exercise, part meditation, part mindfulness training, and part group therapy. Its teacher, Jeff Cote, is a superb practitioner with a wry sense of humor and a calm, deliberative manner. He leads an eclectic group of men and women with a wide range of experience and physical capability in what appears to be a life-long endeavor. The point is not to perfect the moves, but rather to gain self-awareness and strength through the process.
—Connie Larrabee
The COA Tai Chi class meets Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9 to 10 at the Unitarian Church Fellowship Building . The cost for the class is $30 a month, or $15 if you come once a week. The COA also offers morning classes in Aerobics (Monday and Wednesday), Zumba (Friday), and Yoga (Friday). For more information, call the COA at 978-456-4120. Newcomers are warmly welcomed.
