Now as Saratoga TODAY gets ready to celebrate its third year, Publisher Chad Beatty is planning to make more improvements in an effort to continue to please the current readership and engage new readers.

Recently, Chad and Executive Editor Eric DeGrechie came to Age-wise with a few suggestions for the “senior page.” How about more news about senior activities,” they said. So in Don Quixote fashion we ventured out on a quest. (Now we must be honest, and tell you that we have our own perceptions about the so-called “senior” demographic and how seniors spend their time.) For your information,  adults 50 years old and older represent 29.6 percent of the population in Saratoga County.  So much for demographics and perceptions, let’s get on with the quest.

First we searched community and event calendars and found two programs designated specifically for seniors. Going online we browsed through weekly church bulletins of 12 county churches. This quest produced one event called Mature and Moving that appeared to be geared for “seniors.” 

We decided to go the Senior Citizens Center of Saratoga Springs to check out the activities offered there.  Other than the fact that membership is limited to people 50 years old and older, the 1,300 plus members can take advantage of a variety of activities that any age group might be interested in. The schedule includes, but is not limited to, classes from watercolor painting to T’aiChi. The Shenedohowa Senior Center offers a similar variety of activities  that Chad and Eric might enjoy, like Italian conversation or the golf league.

If you had a preconceived notion that folks at a senior center are just hanging around with nothing much else to do you couldn’t be further from the truth. While visiting one senior center, a member informed us that she was going home to take a nap so she would be alert while attending a lecture at Skidmore in the evening.

Next it was off to the YMCA. Any day between 6 a.m. and noon the Y is being used by young mothers and a lot of those other people (seniors) who are vigorously swimming laps, using the aerobic equipment, participating in the Silver Sneakers program or walking the track. According to the membership director approximately 3,350 members fall into the 50 and older group out of the total 20,000 members of the Y.

When I spoke to Yonka Perkins, the Activity Director, she said, “These members are vigorous, totally competitive and having fun every minute. We clock rowing meters here as an intra-facility competition. Guess what, one of the most competitive members is a woman 69 years old who is neck and neck with a member 30 years her junior.”  The tennis program located at the Wilton Branch has 50 percent of its participants over 60 years old. It is open to all adult members, no special age designation. The same can be said for the spinning classes and the evening dance program.

The entire cultural scene in Saratoga Springs is well supported by the “senior” demographic. Go to any Film Forum program, Saratoga Chamber Players performance, or art venue and they are the majority of the participants. This demographic takes advantage of lectures at Skidmore; they fill the course offerings at the Academy for Lifelong Learning and pack the brown bag lecture series at the library.

So what does this all have to do with a face lift? Age-wise will continue to write about the humor, the angst and the passion that comes with aging. Age-wise will address the issues that confront those of us who are making transitions in life. Age-wise will also seek out and expand on information of specific interest for the “senior” demographic of this community.

We have seen your face and we aim to please. We know who you are no matter what age or label we use.  You are semi-retired, retired once or twice or looking for a new career. You take classes, travel, care for parents, grandchildren and even neighbors and friends. You support the community with your volunteerism, with your dollars and your participation.

If you have any ideas about a face lift, please let us know by contacting us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it