AARP hosted a happy Thanksgiving in October

MILFORD - Lukon Farms in Hawley was the scene this month for an early Thanksgiving dinner for 75 members of AARP Chapter 3455. The fall foliage was beautiful to see on the drive to the restaurant and members found the dinner to be excellent, as well as a treat to sit down for a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner which someone else cooked. At the October meeting two serious topics were covered by guest speakers. First members heard from Bill Kiger and Krista Grimalski, who discussed the “Keep Pike Green” effort. They reported that currently in Pike County, 40% of the large acres of land are owned by camps, private people, hunters and so on, and these acres could be sold for development. Therefore they recommended that on November 8th members vote for the Scenic Rural Character Preservation Bond which, if passed, will raise funds to implement the new county plans to Keep Pike Green and will cost taxpayers about $29 per family per year. Those who want to volunteer to help Keep Pike Green should stop in to their office which is located in the Old Lumberyard Shops. The second speaker was Karen Seeber of AARP who gave an overview of Medicare Part D, Prescription Drug Insurance. She covered many of the confusing issues of this plan including the fact that those already covered by a prescription plan should shortly be getting a letter which will tell them if their plan has creditable coverage or not. If it is creditable, members can stay put and do not need to buy further prescription insurance. Others will have to make a decision whether or not to buy more insurance, and for those who decide to go with a supplemental prescription insurance plan, before signing up, check with the company to see if they will allow the drugs you currently take, as some will not pay for all drugs. Before signing on the dotted line, also make sure your current pharmacy will accept that insurance. All the speakers for this meeting answered many questions from the members and were quite informative. Mark your calendars now for the many activities which are coming up for the Milford Chapter of AARP. • On Nov. 9 we have a bus trip to see Cabaret Lulu’s in New York. Call Rose Ecklemann at 570-491-5785 for details. • On Friday, Nov. 18, at our next meeting, President Freed will be presenting a donation check to representatives of eleven local worthy charities. • Dec. 8 will be the day of the Christmas Party at Mt. Haven. The price is $21 per person and you can call Mary Hoffmann at 570-296-6553 to make a reservation. Ex President Claire D’Esposito was handling the Christmas party, but she is at home now recovering from a broken hip. • The January meeting is one where a “finger food lunch.” is served Everyone brings something that can be easily eaten such as pinwheel sandwiches, stuffed eggs, cheese and crackers, cakes etc. It is always a fun time. • Also in January, our annual cabin fever trip to the Villa Roma from Jan. 30 through Feb. 3. That is five days and four nights for $295 per person with a single supplement of $75. Call Coordinator Martyn Freed for reservations at 570-296-6509. For those of you who have already signed up for this trip, be advised that the pick up point for the bus has changed. Due to the building going on at St. Patrick’s you will now be picked up on Jan. 30 at the Best Western Inn at Hunts Landing. The bus leaves promptly at noon and parking is in the far right parking lot. • February’s meeting will feature the fifth Senior Spelling Bee, which is sponsored by the Senior Center at Blooming Grove. Dick Siss urges those interested to sign up as soon as possible. • On March 15th at noon we will be at The Inn at Hunts Landing (Best Western) for a St. Patrick’s Day Celebration. Besides eating a great Irish meal, there will be entertainment by Jolly Joe’s “Irish” Band. The cost for this is $19 per person and for this there are two coordinators to call: Josephine Higgins at 570-296-8037 and Martyn Freed at 570-296-6509. • Finally on April 5th we will be going to a Ralph Pope Production of “The Four Aces” at the Pocmont Resort in Bushkill. The cost is $39 per person which includes a prime rib or roasted chicken lunch, plus the show. There is limited seating so call the coordinator Dorothy Ames at 973-293-8465 for reservations. • Another outing which is in the works is an overnight visit to Foxwoods in May of next year. Rose Ecklemann is handling this event and she will have flyers out shortly. Call her for information at 570-491-5785. The cost for this outing will be $125 per person. As you can see we have a very active chapter. New members are always welcome and you can call Beth Stickle for information about membership at 570-828-7984. The next meeting will be held on Friday, Nov. 18 at St. Patrick’s Parish Hall, 111 High Street, Milford.