The journey continues on Wednesday, December 18, as we visit another sacred space. Join Diane Conroy-LaCivita as she travels to the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany on Washington Avenue in Albany. Unitarians and Universalists have had a presence in Albany since 1842. The First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany is comprised of brave, curious, and compassionate thinkers and doers. They are diverse in faith, ethnicity, history and spirituality, but aligned in their desire to make a difference for the good of all. They have a track record of standing on the side of love, justice, and peace. They are people [...]

Don’t worry about creating all those holiday treats. Leave the baking to us. On Thursday, December 19, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., CSSC staff will share and demonstrate how to make their favorite holiday dessert/cookie recipes. Attendees then will be able to choose from a variety of cookies and other treats to take home with them. The class will take place at King Thiel Senior Community, 17 Elks Lane, with a $5 fee for members of THE CENTER at CSSC and $7 for not-yet members and will include a light lunch. Space is limited and prepayment for the class is [...]

Incarceration has four major purposes: retribution, incapacitation, deterrence, and rehabilitation. Retribution means punishment for crimes against society. Depriving criminals of their freedom is a way of making them pay a debt to society for their crimes. Recently, this topic is being debated and is under great scrutiny. Join Diane on Thursday, December 19 as she visits and tours the Albany County Correctional Facility, which was built in 1931 in the Town of Colonie. Everyone who would like to attend must take CSSC transportation to and from the jail (individual cars will not be allowed), and attendees will not be allowed to take [...]

Please join us to celebrate THE CENTER at CSSC! Open to all, everyone is invited. January 10, 2020, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Located at The Beltrone Living Center, 6 Winners Circle, Albany, NY. Featuring: Wine and Cheese  -  Music   -   Giveaways, raffles and information Meet our instructors   -   Enter to win membership and classes For more information: 518-459-2857 x 327 Also, schedule a tour of one of The Beltrone Living Center's apartments, a premier housing community for independent adults, 55 years of age and older.  

Golf is the greatest game in the world—just ask anyone who plays! Please join us on Tuesday, January 14, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. as we welcome National PGA Director, District 1, Noel Gebauer for a golf workshop at The Beltrone Living Center, 6 Winners Circle, Albany, NY. If you have never played golf before or want to understand the game so you can watch golf on TV, then this workshop is for you. Noel, who is the General Manager of the Colonie Town Golf Course, will bring equipment along with information on the basics of the game. There is no fee to [...]

Join us for the third session of our Positive Living RSVP Lecture series on Thursday, January 16, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the Beltrone Living Center. Sheryl Kaplan, LCSW-R, CPP, returns by popular demand to lead a more in-depth, interactive session on maintaining a healthy brain. The event is free and open to the public. Please contact RSVP Director Marisa Geraghty at 518-459-2857 ext. 308 to reserve your spot.

On Friday, January 24, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., please join Chef Kurt Vincent for a cooking demonstration relating to German cuisine and culture. With over 25 percent of the American population able to trace their roots back to ancestors from German-speaking lands, most are familiar with German foods. From hot dogs to hamburgers, gingerbread houses to German chocolate cake, Kurt Vincent will share his love of German food with a little history, a few stories from the “Old Country” and lots of samples and tastes of past and current favorites. A graduate of Schenectady Community College’s Hotel Management Program, [...]

Pie is as American as the Fourth of July. Through those first lean and hungry years in New England, daring pioneer mothers contrived “pyes” out of a few simple foods at hand often experimenting as they went. The old expression “easy as pie” is now true. Over time, pastry chefs and cooks alike have worked out simplified methods. No guessing as to the amount of water, no chilling of the pastry, no long, laborious preparations for fillings. Today, there are pies for special occasions, pies from famous eating locations, and pies for special holidays. On Tuesday, January 28, from 11 a.m. to [...]

Roger Dames, CSSC’s Driver Fitness Coordinator, will conduct a Defensive Driving Class in January as follows: Thursday, January 30, 2020 Class will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at The Beltrone Living Center, 6 Winners Circle, Albany, NY. Cost is $25 per person, due before day of class. To reserve your seat, call 518-459-2857, ext. 303.  

Roger Dames, CSSC’s Driver Fitness Coordinator, will conduct a Defensive Driving Class in February as follows: Saturday, February 6, 2020 Class will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at The Beltrone Living Center, 6 Winners Circle, Albany, NY. Cost is $25 per person, due before day of class. To reserve your seat, call 518-459-2857, ext. 303.

Chocolate has strong symbolic meaning representing love, passion, care, and a happy life. It is a known fact that many people love chocolate for the rich taste and the aphrodisiac powers associated with it. All over the world, chocolate is eaten on a daily basis by millions. In the United States, it is reported that over one hundred pounds of chocolate are consumed every second! Please join Chef John Piccolo, CSSC’s Senior Dining Coordinator, and Diane Conroy-LaCivita on Valentine’s Day, Friday, February 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., as they discuss and demonstrate some of their favorite chocolate recipes. Attendees [...]

The headquarters, situated on 42 acres in Latham, NY, houses administrative, investigative, training, and support facilities for State Police operations in the Troop G region, which includes ten counties. The facility incorporates a communications center, a traffic management center, and a forensics crime lab.  The tour is scheduled for Monday, February 24. The CSSC shuttle bus will leave The Beltrone at 9:40 a.m. and return at 11:20 a.m. To register, call Sharon at 518-459-2857 ext, 302.

Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday,” reflecting the practice of the last day of eating rich, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season. It is also the last day of the Carnival season in New Orleans. In 2020, Mardi Gras Day falls on Tuesday, February 25.  Please join Chefs Joan Porambo and Kyle MacPherson of Field Notes on Tuesday, February 25, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., for a fabulous Mardi Gras themed cooking demonstration that follows their philosophy of gaining a better appreciation for where the food we cook with comes from and [...]

Roger Dames, CSSC’s Driver Fitness Coordinator, will conduct a Defensive Driving Class as follows: Saturday, February 29, 2020 Class will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at The Beltrone Living Center, 6 Winners Circle, Albany, NY. Cost is $25 per person, due before day of class. To reserve your seat, call 518-459-2857, ext. 303.  

Please join us on Sunday, March 8, from 12 noon to 3 p.m., at The Beltrone Living Center for an International Women’s Day (IWD) celebration. IWD has occurred on March 8 for well over a century, with the first organized gathering occurring in 1911. However, the idea of IWD began a few years earlier when great unrest and critical debate was taking place amongst women. Women’s oppression and inequality was spurring women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change. Then in 1908, fifteen thousand women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay, and voting rights. [...]

Roger Dames, CSSC’s Driver Fitness Coordinator, will conduct a Defensive Driving class as follows: Tuesday, March 10, 2020 Class will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at The Beltrone Living Center, 6 Winners Circle, Albany, NY. Cost is $25 per person, due before day of class. To reserve your seat, call 518-459-2857, ext. 303.  

Is there a better bread in the world than a loaf of Irish brown bread or soda bread? Irish brown bread is as typical as a pint of Guinness or Smithwick’s Ale. It is a close cousin or stepbrother to the Irish soda bread made with white flour. Although today both are equally popular, brown bread was initially more common because white flour was more expensive. Join us on Friday, March 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., when well-known local Chef Harold Qualters will demonstrate the proper way of making delicious Irish brown bread; just in time for St. Patrick's [...]

Plans are under way to spend Saturday, June 6, and Sunday, June 7, discovering many of the sights and sounds of Seneca Falls, the municipality where the women's rights movement in America was triggered and solidified over one hundred seventy years ago, and where the set of It’s a Wonderful Life was supposedly modeled after. The group will leave early on Saturday from The Beltrone Living Center heading west and stopping at several famous New York State wineries including Montezuma Winery and Hidden Marsh Distillery for tastings. Then on to the Women’s Rights National Historical Park, which includes the Elizabeth Cady Stanton [...]

Roger Dames, CSSC’s Driver Fitness Coordinator, will conduct a Defensive Driving Class as follows: Tuesday, September 15, 2020. Class will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at The Beltrone Living Center, 6 Winners Circle, Albany, NY. Temperature check before entering classroom and mask is required to attend. Cost is $25 per person, due before day of class. Lunch is available at an additional cost. To reserve your seat, call 518-459-2857, ext. 303.

Please join us on Thursday, September 17, for No Senior Eats Alone Day. Come to any of our three housing sites for a nutritious meal and good company. Giveaways and fun included! The Beltrone Living Center, 6 Winners Circle, Albany, NY. King Thiel Senior Community, 17 Elks Lane, Latham, NY. Sheehy Manor, 8 Carondelet Drive, Watervliet, NY. Call 518-459-2857, ext. 327 for reservations and information.

Roger Dames, CSSC’s Driver Fitness Coordinator, will conduct a Defensive Driving Class as follows: Tuesday, September 29, 2020. Class will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at The Beltrone Living Center, 6 Winners Circle, Albany, NY. Temperature check before entering classroom and mask is required to attend. Cost is $25 per person, due before day of class. Lunch is available at an additional cost. To reserve your seat, call 518-459-2857, ext. 303.

Roger Dames, CSSC’s Driver Fitness Coordinator, will conduct a Defensive Driving Class as follows: Thursday, October 8, 2020. Class will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at The Beltrone Living Center, 6 Winners Circle, Albany, NY. Temperature check before entering classroom and mask is required to attend. Cost is $25 per person, due before day of class. Lunch is available at an additional cost. To reserve your seat, call 518-459-2857, ext. 303.