By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY
Staff Writer
The Crest Forest Senior Citizens Club (CFSSC) hosted a community Grillin’ and Chillin’ community picnic at Leisure Shores on Saturday, June 22. The afternoon of fun attracted whole families and community members of all ages for Buddy’s BBQ, their hot dogs and hamburgers and cool drinks. They had inside and outside activities including raffles games and competitions.
The vendors included Wears the Mountain, with her misting fans making many points that sunny afternoon; Crestline’s T-shirts; Sun’s Chinese Dumplings, who was making delicious samples of pork, beef and veggie dumplings for all; Buddy’s BBQ and others who were friendly and having a great afternoon. The parking lots were jammed with cars, from fishermen and attendees.
The Macias family with the trophies the family won at Grillin’ and Chillin’.
There were raffle baskets with many happy winners, and numerous competitions. One of the family competitions was a multi-generational best-dressed fashion show, won by the Macias family. Well-known local artist Virginia Paleno was teaching artists of all ages how to paint the cutest mini bird houses, while sitting under the trees next to the lake.
The burgers and hot dogs were a family favorite at Grillin’ and Chillin’.
A community picnic is where everyone comes and has fun, while interacting with other community members and getting involved in the fun. Some of the community members who helped at this event were Kathleen Nicholson, who brought her sons Kaden, 17, Nathan, 16, and their friends Richard, 14, and Brandon, 11, Ricksecker. Everyone stepped right in and helped set up and break down the E-Z Ups, chairs and tables for the event, as they were laughing and smiling and having fun together.
Recent summers have been hot inside Leisure Shores, and many seniors need a cooling center to stay healthy, with the recently warmer summers the area has been experiencing. One of the reasons for this event was to celebrate the installation of air conditioning for the first time in the senior center. This conditioned air will be greatly appreciated by all who use the building. The building is often be rented out for community events, weddings, family reunions and classes. It was a pleasure to feel the coolness inside. Three new heaters were also installed for when winter returns.
Sitting on the lake’s shore under the trees, bird houses were being painted by Sherell Watson, Virginia Paleno, Felicity Galpong and Vicki Matell during Grillin’ and Chillin’ last weekend.
The CFSSC seniors rehabilitated a building from the Club San Moritz years, when it was used as a teen center, and have leased it since then. More recently the building has also had roofing repair work done to stop the numerous roof leaks that occurred every time it rained. Leisure Shores has seen many community uses over the decades and is a part of the Lake Gregory Regional Park. The seniors have activities and classes in the building most weekdays as do some civic groups, so the air, heat and new roof will be appreciated by all.
Marcie Collar, who manages Ye Olde Thrift Shoppe in Top Town Crestline for the seniors, said, “This Grillin’ and Chillin’ was a fun afternoon, and we hope to do something like it again next year, and maybe it will be not as sizzling.”
The seniors recently held a Spring Fling for adults over 21, and will again be having the ever popular Stuff your Spud later in October. They recently returned from a trip to the Big Bear Zoo and took Duffy boat rides on Lake Gregory as well.
Membership in the Crest Forest Senior Citizens Club is open to those aged 50 and over; they offer many fun activities, classes, special interest groups and field trips year-round. For the past 17 years, even through COVID, they offer senior nutrition luncheons twice a week for those over 60 on Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon in the San Moritz Lodge. You can see their menus and learn much more about the club and their activities at their new webpage, www.crestlineseniorcitizens.org.
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