The Pohls, both 81, have been retired more than 20 years and been Wilmore residents since 2003 when they moved from New York to join their daughter Christine and son Ron in Jessamine County. Christine is a professor at Asbury Theological Seminary, and Ron, a seminary graduate, has been a youth minister. The Pohls have four children, nine grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

Dorothy and Gunther had never visited a senior center until the opening at Wesley Village when they became the Center's first two charter members. "We're completely surprised by how good it looks," said Dorothy. "It's so elegant, like a nice hotel. It is absolutely beautiful. I didn't think senior centers looked like this."

Not until now. The $3.4 million Wilmore Center, funded by a public-private partnership, embodies a new vision of aging that shatters stereotypes of "old-age homes."

For example, when visitors hit the exercise room, they will work out on state-of-the-art equipment especially designed for seniors. The ergonomically designed machines by NuStep allow anyone from de-conditioned elders to world-class athletes to exercise in a safe, secure seated position that provides for a full body workout without putting stress on joints.

The Center also includes such modern features as separate rooms for arts and crafts work, a computer lab, a private dining room and a library. Every room is carpeted and has high ceilings. And natural light floods through floor-to-ceiling palladium windows.

The centerpiece is a 4,000 square-foot auditorium that includes a stage for performances, lectures, seminars, recitals and plays, plus a screen to show DVDs. The stage also doubles as an altar for worship services and includes a church-type organ.

At the opening on June 22, Mayme Hamby, the 80-year-old grandmother of basketball star Rex Chapman, played standards such as "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" at the new baby grand piano. A frequent performer at senior centers in the area, Hamby, too, was impressed with the Wilmore Center.

"It's spectacular," she said. "The community really needed this." The Pohls agree. They expect to be frequent visitors to the Center, enrolling in such classes as rug hooking, water color painting and photography.

"This will be a place to see neighbors and meet people," Dorothy Pohl said. "This is a fantastic addition to the community." That observation gratifies Damron, the state representative who has "a special place in my heart for Wesley Village."

"The Community Center has been a great project," he said. "The most important thing about the Center is that it can extend the life expectancy of seniors, giving them new focus and new purpose by improving their quality of life."

For information on classes, dining and event opportunities, call 858-3865.

John Lynch
Editor
Lexington Family Magazine