A C T I V E S E N I O R S
N E V A D A C O U N T Y
L I V I N G
VICES AND RELOCATION
Never Think You ’ re Too Old !
By Paula C . Collins
SENIORS IN NEVADA COUNTY can find plenty to do and are found lifting weights at the fitness center , participating in chorale groups and community theatre , mentoring young people , practicing yoga and serving on non-profit boards . Seniors do a lot !
“ If you ’ re not active , you ’ re waiting to die ,” is something Nedom ( Bud ) Paul hears from his doctor . At 90 , Paul definitely falls in the active category .
Looking for a place to retire , he and wife Theresa discovered the area through friends and moved to Lake of the Pines in 1985 . Through his retirement year ’ s , Paul ’ s life has been filled with activities from installing lifeline units for the elderly , helping out at a Ronald McDonald Camp to playing golf and traveling .
Although he has slowed down some over the past few years , he still does volunteer work , and at age 87 became a docent at the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum , which fits perfectly with his life-long interest in history .
He continues to exercise by walking , enjoys his clock making hobby , is an avid reader and two years ago took up baking . The results are enjoyed by his fellow volunteers at the railroad museum .
Reyes . They are approachable to those with problems . “ If a kid gets lost at a Thursday Night Market , he doesn ’ t mind going up to a grandma ,” she says . This did happen to Reyes , and his family was quickly found .
Born and raised in Southern California , Bryon Glenn and his wife Gloria fell in love with Nevada City as they explored the Gold Country for a place to retire . They moved here , but picked a spot where it snowed a lot , so it was off to Arizona . They are now back for good , but at a lower level .
Glenn fills his time with a variety of activities . He is on the 49er Rotary Club of Nevada City Board of Directors and is in line to become president . Having lost his mother to the disease , he is also working with the Alzheimer ’ s Outreach Project sponsored by the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation .
When he is not volunteering , 71-year-old Glenn does a lot of “ tinkering .” He likes to fix things and considers himself a “ home problem solver .” He still has his Harley-Davidson motorcycle and especially enjoys riding the Downieville loop .
The Glenns “ love to get on the water and love islands ,” so it follows they also love to sail , especially in the Caribbean . They take short trips alone , longer ones with friends or family .
Ten years ago it was time for 84-year-old Peg Veilbig and her husband Joe , 87 , to downsize , so they moved from Lake Wildwood to a house in Eskaton Village where they discovered there was a lot to keep them active .
The Veilbigs participate in aqua exercise , and take Qi Gong and fitness classes . Peg is also on the Eskaton Landscape Committee which is very active , and she is proud of the fact she still does all her own housework .
For years , the couple took to the road in their RV . They still like to travel and try to take a cruise once a year and short trips around Northern California .
According to Peg , they have lots of social interaction with friends and get together for lunch or dinner , and they attend many of the activities held at the Eskaton Lodge including live music events .
Donna Reyes , who moved to Nevada County from Wisconsin 15 years ago , says she has never been able to sit still long , so her volunteer work with the Grass Valley Police Department is a good fit .
Ten years ago , she heard about a Crime Scene Investigation class offered by the GVPD . It sounded interesting ( her son is a retired police officer ), so she enrolled . At the end of the class , they were asked if they wanted to become part of the volunteer police program . She did and signed up .
The process involved six months of training , and Reyes now 73 , admits she was “ kind of scared ” to drive a patrol car at first . Today , her duties include traffic control , making court runs , working events like parades , as well as some inside work .
Working alone or in pairs the volunteers serve a sort of public relations role says
Donna Reyes
KATY HIGHT
152 NEVADA COUNTY GOLD