Center for Creative Retirement

Courses

• Eleanor: First Lady of the World
• Flowers of the Fall: Design, Color and Texture
• German Meal with Christ Kindle Presentation
• Ice Harvesting History
• Murder at Historic Cherry Hill: Re-enactment
• Senior Exercise Class
• Topics in Weather and Forecasting
• Urban Renewal: Rensselaer County 1960 -1980
• Visit 1890's Bookbindery
• Visit to Burden Iron Works Museum

Eleanor: First Lady of the World

One hardly has to include Eleanor Roosevelt’s last name to know who President Truman was referring to when he called her “The First Lady of the World.” Her life story and achievements are both astounding and inspiring. Her marriage to Franklin D. Roosevelt, a distant cousin, promised a bright future but was rocked by his infidelity and later, the fact that he contracted polio at 37 and became paralyzed from the waist down, but both he and Eleanor persevered. In supporting his political aspirations during his illness, Eleanor found she had the aptitude and passion to become a skilled politician herself. Focusing on helping the poor, the disadvantaged, minorities and people of color, and young people, she and Franklin partnered in successfully steering the country through some of its most trying times - the Great Depression and World War II. Following the war, and Franklin’s death, Elanor became a worldwide advocate for peace and human rights.

This course will be held at 400 Jordan Road (In the Rensselaer Technology Park), Troy NY, 12180, Room 248

Phyllis Chapman, Instructor

Eleanor: First Lady of the World

Schedule	Section	Seats Left	Cost	Register
Tuesday, 10/21 9:30 am - 11:30 am	ZCCR-799 501	2 seats left	$28	Add to Cart

Flowers of the Fall: Design, Color and Texture

Take the opportunity to spend a morning with a versatile floral artist who can design a classical look but make it follow a modern trend. Instructor Michele has more than 30 years of experience and is ready to show you how to put creativity and energy into designs and events. If you have been with us before, you know she brings a passion for what she does and many return because they know she always brings new ideas and demonstrates what is “hot” in the flower world.  Come join us and you may be one of the lucky students who carries one of her creations home! Course fee includes a $18 materials fee.

This course will be held at 400 Jordan Road (In the Rensselaer Technology Park), Troy NY, Room 248

Michele Peters AIFD, owner of Ambiance Florals and Events, Instructor

Flowers of the Fall: Design, Color and Texture

Schedule	Section	Seats Left	Cost	Register
Wednesday, 10/29 9:30 am - 12:00 pm	ZCCR-338 500	0 seats left	$33	Section Full Call to be added to wait list

German Meal with Christ Kindle Presentation

Is your mouth watering for an authentic German meal? If so, join us at the German American Club, where our class will begin with a delicious home-cooked, authentic German meal of wurst, sauerkraut, spätzle, dessert and beverage. This fantastic meal will be followed by a virtual tour of the spectacular German Christmas markets, highlighting the most famous ones and showing what they offer tourists and locals alike. We’ll finish by singing a famous German song. Course includes $22 materials fee.

Course will meet at German American Club, 32 Cherry St., Albany, NY 12205. 

Melinda Burns, German American Club Board Member, Instructor

Jean Chenette, Instructor  

German Meal with Christ Kindle Presentation

Schedule	Section	Seats Left	Cost	Register
Wednesday, 11/5 11:30 am - 1:30 pm	ZCCR-823 500	0 seats left	$40	Section Full Call to be added to wait list

Ice Harvesting History

The ice trade, also known as the frozen water trade, was a nineteenth-century industry, centering on the east coast of the United States, involving the large-scale harvesting, transport and sale of natural ice for domestic consumption and commercial purposes. This class will provide a brief history of the industry’s development on the Hudson River and detail the process for harvesting, storing, and delivering ice. Tools of the trade will be on display. Instructor Tom Ragosta is the president of the Watervliet Historical Society, curator of the Watervliet Museum, and the Watervliet city historian.

Course will be held in  Williams Hall, Room 113

Tom Ragosta, Instructor

Ice Harvesting History

Schedule	Section	Seats Left	Cost	Register
Monday, 11/3 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm	ZCCR-647 500	10 seats left	$25	Add to Cart

Murder at Historic Cherry Hill: Re-enactment

A rifle shot, a scream, and the Cherry Hill household erupts into chaos! The dramatic tour relives the experiences of those who were at Cherry Hill on the evening of May 7, 1827, when a farmhand murdered a member of the Van Rensselaer household We will investigate the scene of the crime and the differing perspectives of those who witnessed the events of that fateful night. An actor will appear as murderer Jesse Strang, bringing to life his violent act, and divulging his motives, including a romantic attachment to his victim’s wife. The notorious murder resulted in two sensational trials and Albany’s last public hanging. Cherry Hill is a historic house museum in Albany, NY, and was the five-generation home of the Van Rensselaer family from 1787-1963. Please dress for the weather (rain or shine) and wear comfortable shoes. Inside, the tour will take us up and down two flights of stairs; outside, we’ll walk over some uneven ground. Course includes $15 materials fee.

Course will meet at Historic Cherry Hill, 523 ½ South Pearl St. Albany; located between First and McCarty Avenues. 

Fri., 10/24 - Michelle Doodian, Coordinator

Sat., 10/25 - Cherry Hill Staff, Coordinator

Murder at Historic Cherry Hill: Re-enactment

Schedule	Section	Seats Left	Cost	Register
Friday, 10/24 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm	ZCCR-736 500	2 seats left	$30	Add to Cart
Saturday, 10/25 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm	ZCCR-736 501	0 seats left	$30	Section Full Call to be added to wait list

Senior Exercise Class

Over the course of an hour, students in this class for seniors will work on 18 exercises grouped in three modalities in ascending order of difficulty. Students will be provided with a sheet listing the exercises to use at home

as part of a daily routine and will need to bring their own mat and one- or two-pound hand weights to class.

Course will be held in Brahan Hall, Room 114

Ihor Evanick, Instructor

Senior Exercise Class

Schedule	Section	Seats Left	Cost	Register
Tuesdays, 9/30 - 11/4 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm	ZREC-133 500	1 seats left	$25	Add to Cart

Topics in Weather and Forecasting

This class will cover a wide range of topics related to weather and forecasting, taught by the recently-retired science and training officer at the National Weather Service in Albany. Topics include a short review of basic meteorology related to how the weather works, radar and observations, severe weather, computer models, weather forecasting, and local Capital District weather effects.

This course will be held at400 Jordan Road (In the Rensselaer Technology Park), Troy NY, Room 248

Michael Evans, Instructor

Topics in Weather and Forecasting

Schedule	Section	Seats Left	Cost	Register
Tuesday, 10/28 9:30 am - 11:30 am	ZSPI-352 500	0 seats left	$15	Section Full Call to be added to wait list

Urban Renewal: Rensselaer County 1960 -1980

Rensselaer County saw a great deal of changes to both its urban and rural landscapes in the 1960s and 70s. The building of I-90 and 787, the widening of Hoosick Street in Troy and Routes 9 & 20 in East Greenbush, and the removal of more than 150 buildings in downtown Troy changed the landscape dramatically in this twenty-year period. Join Rensselaer County and Troy City Historian and Executive Director of the Hart Cluett Museum Kathryn Sheehan for an illustrated talk about the history of this extraordinary time in our county’s history.

This course will be held at 400 Jordan Road (In the Rensselaer Technology Park), Troy NY, Room 248

Kathryn Sheehan, Instructor 

Urban Renewal: Rensselaer County 1960 -1980

Schedule	Section	Seats Left	Cost	Register
Friday, 11/7 9:30 am - 11:30 am	ZCCR-834 500	0 seats left	$25	Section Full Call to be added to wait list

Visit 1890's Bookbindery

During this tour, we will print on an iron hand press, trim the edges of a book on a 14th-century-style cutting machine, witness printer’s type being made by hand, and learn about the creation of books in both industrial and preindustrial styles. Course includes $10 materials fee.

Course will meet at Renascent Bookbindery, 1227 Fifth Ave, Troy, NY

Tim James, Instructor

Jean Chenette, Coordinator

Visit 1890's Bookbindery

Schedule	Section	Seats Left	Cost	Register
Wednesday, 10/22 10:00 am - 11:30 am	ZCCR-812 500	0 seats left	$25	Section Full Call to be added to wait list

Visit to Burden Iron Works Museum

The Burden Iron Works Museum highlights the industrial heritage of the Hudson-Mohawk region. The museum features exhibits and artifacts representing major local industries such as iron, bell casting, textiles and precision instruments, among others. A stationary steam engine and several bells are the largest displays inside the museum, while a number of artifacts are arranged on the museum grounds. The museum’s executive director will begin the program with an overview of the region’s industrial history, with a special focus on the contributions of Henry Burden. Participants will then have the opportunity to experience the museum’s displays at their own pace, with docents available to answer questions. Course includes $10 materials fee. 

1 Session, Meet at Burden Iron Works Museum, 1 East Industrial Parkway, Troy, NY

Paula Johannessen, Coordinator

Visit to Burden Iron Works Museum

Schedule	Section	Seats Left	Cost	Register
Thursday, 11/6 10:00 am - 12:00 pm	ZCCR-530 500	0 seats left	$25	Section Full Call to be added to wait list