Senior Citizen Happenings

After an August break, Senior Citizen Happenings resumes its schedule of weekly talks on Sept. 10. Sponsored by the City of University Heights, the talks are open to all senior citizens, and take place on Thursdays at 2 p.m., at the University Heights Library. For information, and to suggest program topics, contact the UH Office for Senior Services at 216-397-0336 or info@universityheights.com.

Sept. 10: Joseph Valencic, president of the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum, will present the story of Frankie Yankovic, Cleveland’s own legendary Polka King. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Yankovic’s birth, in 1915, and Valencic will share tales of Yankovic and the music he popularized in his many years of touring around the country.

Sept. 17: Marian Morton, John Carroll University history professor emeritus, will trace “The Several Lives of Severance Town Center in Cleveland Heights, 1890–2015.” Her image-packed presentation will explore the site’s transformation—from farmland, to mansions, to indoor mall, to refurbished strip mall—marking dramatic changes in both the city and the shopping center. 

Sept. 24: The Cleveland Play House is celebrating its 100th season as America’s first regional theater. Its artistic associate, Rachel Lerner-Ley, and associate producer, Corey Atkins, will talk about their work—nurturing artists, creating bold new work, initiating innovative educational programs for young people, and satisfying audiences—and discuss the eight stage productions planned for the 2015–16 season.