The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
625 New Brunswick Rd.
Somerset, NJ 08873
908-231-7312
Open Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
A Variety of Board & Card Games (Monopoly, Po-Ke-No, Yahtzee, Dominoes & Checkers) – Available Monday – Friday. If one of your favorite games are not listed and you would like to play, or if you are interested in starting a club featuring the game of your choice, please inform the staff.
Bridge, Cards & Board Game Lessons with Quail Brook Seniors & Volunteers – Thursday & Friday, 10:30 a.m. Classic games of strategy are a great opportunity for people of all skill levels to meet and socialize. Join the Quail Brook seniors and volunteers for mind-stimulating and competitive games of Bridge, Texas Hold ‘Em,’ Monopoly, dominoes and more! If you would like to play a game that is not listed and/or if you are interested in starting a club featuring the game of your choice, please inform the staff.
Indoor Shuffleboard – Available Monday – Friday.
Computer Lab – Available Monday – Friday.
Table Tennis (Ping-Pong) – Available Monday – Friday. Ping-Pong (table tennis) has only been an Olympic sport since 1988. Go ahead and take a shot at this fun game. Play either singles or doubles games. It’s a great way to improve hand/eye coordination, concentration and agility.
Healthy Bones Exercise Class with Joan Ackerman – Monday, 9:15 a.m. This is a peer-led, 24-week exercise and education program for individuals who are either at risk of having osteoporosis or have it. Exercises help improve balance, strength, flexibility, and posture. Advanced registration is required. A doctor’s note is also required prior to the first class and then once every year. For new participants, the price is $45. This includes ankle weights, a participant’s manual and the class fee. If ankle weights are not needed the price is $15. Call Caitlin Witucki at 908-704-6339 for more information.
QBC News – Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. Enjoy discussing global breaking news and current events in a stimulating Q&A session. Fellow center members will take turns researching and sharing hot topics of the day.
The Regime Exercise Class – Monday, Thursday & Friday, 1 p.m. Get a head-to-toe workout that uses weights, stretching and aerobic movements. Learn movements that will lubricate joints for flexibility to strengthen and stabilize muscles, increase blood circulation – and with the proper diet, you may lose weight! These exercises can help decrease falls and increase the ability to better accomplish day-to-day activities. This program can be practiced while either standing or sitting and with or without hand weights. Monday – Upper Body Routine; Thursday – Mid Section Routine; Friday – Lower Body Routine. Wear comfortable and loose-fitting clothing; sneakers are required.
Continuing Art Institute with Karen Haake – Tuesday, 1 – 3 p.m. Celebrating Oil Pastels with Mixed Media. Module 1 – The Magic of Blending (oil pastels on textured paper); Module 2 – Watercolor and Oil Pastels; Module 3 – Oil Pastels with Sharpie Pen; Module 4 – The Butterfly Effect with Oil Pastels $10.00 fee per class includes supplies.
Circuit Training – Thursday, 9:15 a.m. Have fun while performing cardiovascular exercises that raise your heart rate, tone your muscles in the upper and lower body and strengthen your core. Improve your balance, overall agility and increase your ability to more easily perform everyday activities. Sneakers are required. Cost is $40 for the eight-week program; the next session begins on Sept. 5. Register by Aug. 26. Call 732-563-4213 for more information.
Yoga with Jade Ko – Friday, 2 p.m. Yoga is considered by many as a holistic approach to health and wellness. Practice physical poses, breathwork and meditation to improve alignment and relaxation. Please bring a mat and wear comfortable clothing that will allow for movement. Cost is $40 for the eight-week program; next session begins Aug. 2. Register by July 22. Call 732-563-4213 for more information.
Crochet & Knitting with Esther Fowlkes – Thursday & Friday, 10:30 a.m. Learn the difference between two methods of creating artistic patterns using fabric and yarn, a single hook or two needles. Crocheting or knitting? Which method do you think is easier? This class is for beginners, experts and those wishing to brush up on their skills. Check the monthly calendar for updates to the schedule.
Line Dancing – Friday, 9:30 a.m. Line dancing is so much fun that it doesn’t even seem like exercise! You don’t need a partner, and dancing is an easy way to stay healthy both mentally and physically. It’s suitable for participants with limited mobility and has been shown to increase cardiovascular and muscular strength and improve coordination and balance while participants work through different moves.
Aug. 1 – A Musical Consortium with Noel Javier, local music teacher, 10:30 a.m. A wonderfully talented cadre of youngsters and teens will introduce us to the silky smooth sound of a saxophone, the velvety tones of a violin, a progressive scale on the piano and the pipes projecting the sound of a pan flute.
Aug. 2 – “Agents of Change: Women in New Jersey History” by Jim DelGuidice, photographer and educator, 10:30 a.m. Meet a wide-ranging list of colorful individuals in the social context of their times. Made possible by funds from the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, a partner of the New Jersey Historical Commission.
Aug. 5 – Achy Breaky Heart – Line Dancing Lessons with Karen Jessie and Deb Gibson, 10:30 a.m. Line Dancing is the best way to get your toes tapping and participants on the dance floor. Join in this exercise class that has music to improve your emotional and physical well-being. Karen and Deb will teach line dancing steps that are easy for beginners, but the class is for experienced dancers too.
Aug. 6 & 27 – Body and Brain Yoga with Lucy Pagnetti, certified yoga instructor, 10:30 a.m. Learn a mind-body practice that combines stretching, flowing movement, deep-breathing exercises and meditation in a simple and easy-to-learn format that helps develop the body’s core strength and is the basis of physical, mental and spiritual health.
Aug. 7 – Ageless Grace Fitness Program with Roz Gerken, certified ageless grace educator, 10:30 a.m. Ageless Grace is based on the cutting-edge science of neuroplasticity, which is the ability of the brain and central nervous system to change structurally and functionally. This program is designed to activate all five functions of the brain (i.e. strategic planning, memory and recall, analytical thinking, creativity and imagination and kinesthetic thinking). The program is intended for participants of all abilities who will be thoroughly engaged while seated in a chair.
Aug. 7, 14, 21 & 28 – Yoga for Mental & Physical Wellness with Dr. Prabha Srinivas, council for Yoga Accreditation International at the S-Vyasa University of Yogic Sciences, Bangalore, India, 1 p.m. Take control of your emotional and physical well-being through the practice of yoga and meditation while reducing stress in your life. Please bring a mat and wear comfortable clothing that will allow for movement.
Aug. 8, 15, 22 & 29 – Zumba Gold with Laurie Fetcher, 10:30 a.m. With popular music designed to inspire a hearty workout, Zumba Gold makes it accessible for people age 60 plus, beginners or others needing modifications in their exercise routine. Zumba Gold builds cardiovascular health by challenging the heart and excercising the muscles of the hips, legs and arms with fun, energetic and rhythmic moves. This fun and energetic session can be done seated in a chair or standing up. Please wear comfortable clothing that allows for dynamic movement.
Aug. 8 – “Recycling, Electronic Recycling & Solid Waste Management” by Melissa Harvey, Somerset County Recycling & Solid Waste Management, 11:30 a.m. Make a positive impact on your environment and learn about solid waste disposal methods, household hazardous waste disposal, Adopt-A-Road and Backyard Composting programs. Learn how you can make a difference!
Aug. 9, 16 & 23 – Chair Yoga with Jade Ko, certified yoga instructor, 10:30 a.m. Participants will practice a series of specific poses adapted from regular yoga poses when seated in a chair. This gentle form of yoga can be an effective way to improve one’s overall health by increasing strength, flexibility, mental clarity and proprioception, and it can help reduce stress when practiced regularly.
Aug. 12 – “Reclaiming Our Voices: New Jersey’s Central Role in the Fight for Woman Suffrage” by Carol Simon Levin, storyteller, 10:30 a.m. Ms. Levin will portray Lillian Feickert, President of the New Jersey Woman Suffrage Association from 1912-1920, and tell the story of the role of NJ women during their long struggle for woman suffrage as they paved the way toward the success of the 19th Amendment. Made possible by funds from the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, a partner of the New Jersey Historical Commission.**
Aug. 13 & 20 – “See the Music” with Paul Elwood, guitar player, coach and teacher, 10:30 a.m. Join this engaging and interactive program linking the concepts of graphic design and color with music design. Participants will connect visual components and music. It’s a collaborative effort intended to create a colorized musical composition. This two-part adventure is a program made possible through a donation by the Franklin Woman’s Club, a non-profit organization that strives to make a positive impact on the community through volunteer service.
Aug. 14 – “What is Your Water Story” by Angela Speakman, director of development and communications, NJ Council for the Humanities, 10:30 a.m. This pilot event at Quail Brook is in collaborating with the Smithsonian Museum on Main Street and its Water/Ways program, which is a traveling pop-up exhibit (only seen in six locations in New Jersey). This program will provide a closer look at how water shapes our lives. This forum is presented by an environmental humanities scholar and a Rowan University professor.
Aug. 15 – “Resources for Your Path to Wellness” by Heather Clawson, prevention resources. Navigate and streamline your path to wellness. In this presentation, participants will discuss current alternative and holistic health opportunities to effective eating habits, and learn how to nurture a relationship with your primary care specialist.
Aug. 19 “Bridge Builder in Petticoats: Emily Warren Roebling & the Brooklyn Bridge” by Carol Simon Levin, storyteller, 10:30 a.m. Learn about the Brooklyn Bridge and Emily Roebling – on of the most famous woman in New Jersey and in the country.” She was wife to the chief engineer who became bedridden during the Brooklyn Bridge project and she eventually became Chief Engineer. Find out about her many other accomplishments. Made possible by funds from the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, a partner of the New Jersey Historical Commission.
Aug. 21 “Heads Up! Seniors” by Kate O’Connor, public education coordinator, Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey, 10:30 a.m. This is a fall-prevention and pedestrian campaign to increase awareness of the risks and consequences of brain injury. This program includes information about brain injury in older adults, a safety checklist and an interactive game show event. This presentation is designed to educate seniors about traumatic brain injury and how to prevent falls and pedestrian accidents.
Aug. 21 – OOA&DS Satellite Office Opportunity, Adalin Ball, MSW, eldercare educator, Somerset County Office on Aging & Disability Services, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Adalin will be at the center the third Wednesday of every month to assist with questions and/or services, offer information, assistance and support for Office on Aging & Disability Services. Adalin is available to meet one-on-one as requested.
August 22 – A Musical Recital Experience with the Bridgewater High School students. Wrap your arms around the sweet sounds of summer when this mini-orchestra of piano, strings and horns plays.
Aug. 26 – Senior Science Ecology Series at Duke Farms with Kate Reilly, educator, 10:30 a.m. Get up close and personal to the life cycle of a Monarch butterfly. Learn its four stages during one life cycle, and about its four generations in one year – from egg to butterfly. The Quail Brook Seniors will help tag and release the newly emerged Monarch butterfly garden at the Quail Brook Senior Center.
Aug. 28 – “Taste, Health and Jeopardy” by Aliz Holzmann, registered dietitian, Shoprite/Wakefern, 10:30 a.m. This game will as questions about the science of using food and nutrition to improve health for supporting healthy, lifelong decisions. Afterwards, a tasting demonstration will be provided.
Aug. 29 – “Detox Your Life” by Dr. Claudia Tamas, PT, DPT, Natural Medicine &Rehabilitation New Jersey. Learn how to safely detox your body and enhance your overall health. This presentation will explain symptoms such as heartburn, fatigue, aches and pains, gas or bloating that may be a result of toxic overload! Learn tips about how to shop smartly and use detox recipes, get practical guidelines and protocol for juicing, and learn how to detoxify your living space.
Aug. 30 – “Dog Days of Summer: The Physical Art of Hand Drumming” with Dave Miller, Earthmovers Drum Collective, 10:30 a.m. This interlude creates a time-warp reminiscent of sun, sand and surf fun music: 1958 – “Summertime,” 1959 – “Blue Hawaii,” 1960 – “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka dot Bikini,” 1963 – “Wipeout,” 1966 – “Summer Samba” and spontaneous input from the individual Quail Brook seniors for a round or expression!
