SOMETHING TO DO ALL THE TIME — Senior centers throughout the area, including the Brooke County Senior Center at 948 Main St. in Follansbee, provide daily activities and special events for older people living within the Ohio Valley. Among the list of offerings at various centers are bi-monthly dances, line dancing, playing bingo and cards, exercising through chair volleyball and chair yoga classes or simply getting together to share in daily lunches or annual Lenten fish frys. These centers are more than just buildings that entertain seniors ... they are places where people can gather to spend time with old friends and make the acquaintance of new friends as well. -- Warren Scott

STEUBENVILLE — It hardly seems possible we are already standing at the threshold of a new season.

But as the winter chill begins its slowly retreat from the Ohio Valley, there is a certain buzz of activity in the air which reminds us that our local seniors are ready to step back out and embrace the springtime, along with all of the activities which goes with it.

Senior community centers across the region are the keepers of our history and the heartbeat of our neighborhoods.

Looking at the calendar for the next couple of months, many of these centers will be offering various events and activities which are open to the public.

The Prime Time Senior Center on Lovers Lane remains a beacon of light for so many.

As we move into March and April, the halls will be filled with the familiar sounds of shuffling cards and the calls of winners shouting “bingo,” every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

The daily lunches served at 11:30 a.m. are more than just meals, as they are a time for old friends to catch up and for new ones to be made over a warm meal and a kind word.

Also in Steubenville is Our Place, tucked inside the welcoming walls of the First Westminster Presbyterian Church on North Fourth Street.

The energy inside this center is just as high with line dancing and chair volleyball keeping everyone alert and active, proving that “acting your age” is truly optional when having a good time.

Of course, it wouldn’t be spring without the excitement of a good road trip, and Regina Truax has been hard at work ensuring the Senior Tours schedule will be packed with highlights.

Many people are already looking forward to the March 27 trip to the Ohio Star Theater in Sugarcreek for the “Let’s Hang On” Frankie Valli tribute, along with a stop for a buffet lunch at the Dutch Valley Restaurant.

Truax announced additional trips will include: Meadows Hollywood Casino, bonus $10 in food, cash or casino points, transportation, March 24; “Let’s Hang On, the Four Seasons Tribute,” Ohio Star Theater, Sugarcreek, an 11:30 a.m. buffet at the Dutch Valley Restaurant, show at 1 p.m. and transportation, March 24; Rock and Roll Doo Wop Vol 28, Jay and the Americans, the Original Coasters, Dennis Tufano and the Motown All Stars; Capitol Theater, dinner at Mehlman’s at own expense, April 4; Chattanooga Choo Choo, six days, five nights, five breakfasts, three dinners, boat cruise, three train rides on the Missionary Ridge Local, Lookout Mountain Incline Railway and Blue Ridge Railway, Rock City Gardens, luggage handling, all taxes and meal gratuities, May 18-23; Sugarcreek, June 12; “Legally Blonde,” Lincoln Park, dinner at Connie’s Corner at own expense, June 28; Meadows Hollywood Casino, $20 bonus, $10 in food, cash or casino point, bus transportation, July 21; “Joshua,” new Sight and Sound Theater, Lancaster, Pa., “Pretty Woman,” Dutch Apple, two breakfasts and two dinners, Aug. 19-21; Seneca Niagara Falls, $100 bonus, $40 food, transportation, hotel, baggage and handling, Sept. 23-25; and Branson, six show trip, seven days, six nights, six breakfasts, four dinners, Oct. 4-10.

To make a reservation or receive additional information, contact Regina Truax for senior tours at (304) 723-0419 or e-mail truax40@yahoo.com.

Across the river,residents of Brooke and Hancock counties are staying just as busy this spring, with the Brooke County Senior Center offering nickel bingo sessions and the monthly shopping trips to Walmart that offer a nice change of pace.

The Hancock County Senior Center keeps local traditions and creativity alive with its drumming and chair yoga classes.

The Greater Weirton Senior Center along Main Street in Weirton will continue to hold its dances on the first and third Thursday of the month.

Jeanne Smith, the center’s director, explained the dances are open to the public and take place from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Guests are asked to bring a covered dish or dessert to share in dinner with attendees. The center provides the main course and drinks.

The cost is $10 per person or $15 per couple. The entertainment alternates, with the center offering live music performed by a local resident one week and a disc jockey playing popular hits during the next dance.

As the Lenten season approaches, along with the arrival of St. Patrick’s Day, there will be the return of those famous local fish frys that bring everyone together on Friday evenings.

Among the fish frys already announced is at the Sacred Heart of Mary Church, located at 200 Preston Ave. in Weirton. The first sale will take place Wednesday and remaining frys will continue weekly through March 25.

The menu will consist of baked fish, fried fish, fried shrimp, haluski, macaroni and cheese, potato pierogies, sauerkraut pierogies, coleslaw, homemade bread and desserts.

Carryout orders can be placed by walk-ins or by calling (304) 723-1648. Carryout orders can be picked up between 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Patrons can dine in between 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Download the church’s app in the app store to view the menu and place orders.

The Wellsburg Elks will hold its Lenten fish frys beginning Wednesday, with frys continuing every Friday during Lent. The hours will be from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dine-in or carryout options will be available, along with delivery.

Located at 834 Charles St. in Wellsburg, the Elks will offer menu items which include fish dinners, shrimp dinners or cod nugget dinners at the cost of $13 each. All dinners include either french fries or macaroni and cheese and coleslaw.

Fish sandwiches, shrimp baskets or an order of cod nuggets will be available for $9 each; crispy chicken sandwiches are $8; chicken tenders are $6.

A la carte items include: French fries, macaroni and cheese, pierogies or haluski, $4 each; zucchini, cheese sticks or onion rings, $6 each; coleslaw, peanut butter sheet cake or chocolate sheet cake, $2 each; and assorted Coke and Pepsi products or water, $1 each.

To place an order, call (304) 737-9806.

No matter what activity or event you plan to attend this spring, seniors will have a wide variety to select from. And it is in these moments — whether it is a quiet craft class, a lively dance, or a bus ride to attend a show, that we are able to see the true strength of this community.

It is a reminder that staying active and remaining connected is not just about filling a calendar … it is about sharing our lives with one another in the place which we all call home.