Senior Lifestyles

Mary Larsen/Town Crier
Chuck Baker, 100, displays the refurbished flight jacket he wore during World War II.

Los Altos resident Charles “Chuck” Baker celebrated the big 100 Feb. 15. He received many certificates of congratulations – from the Rotary Club and the mayor of San Carlos, as well as from members of the U.S. Congress and President Donald Trump.

With parties in his honor at the San Carlos Rotary Club and Los Altos United Methodist Church, and another with close friends and relatives, it was “one celebration after another,” the centenarian said.

The House Sharing Program, a joint effort from Catholic Charities and Santa Clara County, is a free service that aims to help local residents remain in the area and/or be closer to their work or family.

The program defines “house sharing” as two or more unrelated people sharing a home. That can mean a homeowner and renter relationship, or two or more people renting a home together. Residents typically have their own bedroom (and sometimes bathroom) but share common areas.

Courtesy of Bob Simon
Bob Simon, left, accepts a challenge from Larry Chu.

Regulars at Chef Chu’s know all about the wall – photos of VIP diners over the years, posing for posterity. Challenged recently by young Larry Chu to wax poetic over the wall, I grabbed my Muse.

The Los Altos Senior Program is located at Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays.

Senior Expo scheduled Friday

The Los Altos/Los Altos Hills Senior Commission and the Rotary Club of Los Altos’ Partners for Elder Generations have scheduled a free senior expo, “Let’s Get Engaged,” 2-5 p.m. Friday at the Los Altos Youth Center, 1 N. San Antonio Road.

The program will feature a variety of local volunteer and service organizations with the theme of engaging seniors in the community.

Photo by Mary Larsen/Town Crier
ArtVentures participants Germaine Decker, right, and Kazuyo Kada work on their current projects.

Wednesday mornings at the Los Altos Senior Center are relaxed and creative, with artists of many styles, media and skill levels meeting to work on projects, offer support and spend time with friends – and make new ones.

Kathryn Macaulay Alexander founded the ArtVentures program. Although “Kay” died in 2016, her spirit lives on in the weekly meetings of a dozen or so artists. They range from former art teachers and lifelong artists to people just discovering art post-retirement.