The Buzz - Foothills Center

The Chelan Public Utility District (Chelan PUD) has revamped their discount program, increasing the amount to 25% and greatly expanding who will qualify. Cathy Melton, Customer Service Program Analyst for the PUD explains who will qualify and how to apply. You can apply for the program at https://f-cc.link/cpudpromise .

Frankie Fitzjarrald has been teaching line dancing classes for over 30 years in Arizona and Wenatchee. Her classes at Foothills Community Center (FCC) are extremely popular, with up to 40 people per class. FCC members can join her classes at no additional cost.

Zaylie Doll, Jaylee Hix and Isabella Schultz, sophomores at Eastmont High School, are competing in the upcoming Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) competition in Spokane in the event management category. They decided to create an intergenerational event at Foothills Community Center called Petals & Pals that allowed Eastmont students to visit the Center and build flower bouquets with th...

Nick Davis is a lifetime Wenatchee Valley resident and the son of orchardists. He recently become involved with the Foothills Community Center and is fired up about helping us as an ambassador and fundraiser.

Darlene Backlund moved to the Wenatchee Valley in the fall of 2024 to be closer to family, but that hasn't slowed down her passion for staying fit. She has won hundreds of race walking competitions around the world, and most recently won the USATF Masters Half Marathon Race Walk in the age 80-84 category in Santee, CA. Darlene joined Foothills Community Center to build her own network of frien...

Stevie Knemeyer, Director of Sales at Colonial Vista Senior Living, gives a tour of their penthouse suite. The 10,000 sq. ft. living quarters was the home of the founders, Carl and Betty Campbell. The Campbells were pioneers in developing the modern concept of retirement living communities and brought this concept nationwide. The staff at Colonial Vista have kept the penthouse intact with it's...

The Coloring Group is one of the newest activities that has started at our community center. It's one of our most diverse groups with people of all ages and abilities coming together to work on their art skills and socialize. Carol Prag started the group about a year and a half ago, and since then it continues to grow. Carol is from Leavenworth and is a retired business owner. She became invol...

Mary Jinneman was one of the founding members of the ping pong group at the Wenatchee Valley Senior Activity Center. At age 99, she still has a pretty mean serve! She enjoys playing ping pong to keep active and socialize. Unfortunately, during the COVID-19 pandemic and closure, our thrift shop needed extra space and took over the Golden Apple Room where the ping pong tables were stored. We won&#39...

Bella Martinez has been a volunteer in our Senior Nutrition program for four years. She originally came to us through the Transitions program in the Wenatchee School District, but she enjoyed volunteering for us so much that she came back to help us on her own time. For more information on the Wenatchee Valley Community Transitions Program, visit wenatcheeschools.org/transitions/

Dr. Steve Kaster has been a member of our board of directors for over 12 years and is also an active volunteer in our senior nutrition program. Hear what he has to say about our new name change, building expansion needs and suggestions to help seniors stay in control of their health.

As part of our Meet the Board Members series, Russ Alman interviews Erin Cass, who holds the Director A position. Erin has worked with many nonprofits in the Wenatchee Valley in a variety of roles and currently operates her own business called Health Aging. Listen to this episode to find out more about Erin's vision for the Senior Center.

Russ Alman talks with Lydia Agidius, Program Director, from her hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Lydia is chaperoning a trip as part of our Travel Program to attend the 2025 Balloon Fiesta. Lisa Blair, Executive Director, outlines our upcoming Big Giving Week coming up in mid-October. And watch the podcast to find the Secret Word -- the first person to email Russ at russ@wenatcheeseniorcenter.com...

This interview was conducted on August 8, 2025, prior to the announcement of our Renaming Contest that ran from August 15-31 and before we officially started The Buzz . However, we still wanted to share this with you as part of our series of interviews to meet our board members. Jim Tarbert was elected chairman of the board earlier this summer has also acted as the head of our building expansion c...

Mandy Ketcham, CDP is a dementia support specialist for Highgate Senior Living. According to Mandy, over 80% of the population is directly affected by someone with dementia, yet the condition is widely misunderstood. Mandy is hosting a workshop at the Wenatchee Valley Senior Activity Center on Friday, September 26, 2025. The seminar will provide hands-on learning, practical insights and valuable t...

The first of our series of interviews with WVSAC board members. Marco Martinez is now in his second year serving on our board of directors in one of the at large positions.

Russ Alman interviews Mary Fran McClure, volunteer coordinator of the Wenatchee Valley Senior Activity Center's Sunday Dances. The dances are held from 2 - 4 p.m., feature local live bands, and are open to the public for people of all ages.