Rocky River Senior Center Wins Grant for STARRS

Rocky River Senior Center applied for the Cuyahoga Arts and Culture grant and was awarded $3,880 to be used toward no-fee programs for seniors. The center will match this grant through donations. To date, donations have been made by Rocky River Seniors Council, Inc., The Welsh Home, Bradley Bay and Gloria Hardington (the SaleMaker), among others. The STARRS - Second Thursday At Rocky River Seniors - kicks off in January.

Thursday, January 9, at 1:30 p.m.  Steve Taylor, Director Emeritus of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and a Rocky River resident, will present the fascinating story of the Cleveland Zoo. Steve spent 24 years at the zoo and was responsible for over $90 million in capital improvements, among which are the Rain Forest and the award-winning African Elephant Crossing. Come and learn about one of Cleveland's many jewels.

Thursday, February 13 at 1:30 p.m.  The second STARRS Arts and Culture Grant program will warm your heart. Shuai Wang and Robert Becker will perform a program of love songs that span 300 years. Shuai Wang is an accomplished soloist and chamber musician. She has performed at Lincoln Center, the John F. Kennedy Center, and with the Cleveland Orchestra. Today she serves on the faculty of piano and theory at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Robert Becker attended the Cleveland Institute of Music on scholarship as a vocal performance major. He has sung at  Radio City Music Hall and with the Cleveland Orchestra and the Cleveland Opera. He is an instructor of voice at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music's Continuing Education Outreach program.

Both events are free and open to the public. Call Rocky River Senior Center, 440-333-6660, for more information. The senior center is located at 21014 Hilliard Blvd, Rocky River.