All seniors 55 and older are invited to a special meeting next Tuesday in the Senior Center. The meeting will begin with cookies and lemonade. The speaker will be James Carter, the director of a nonprofit organization dedicated to making the golden years fun and interesting.

“We have too many seniors who act old because they think they’re old,” said Carter. “Our goal is to help seniors realize that they’re as young and active as they want to be. Getting older does not mean sitting around waiting to die. It means getting out and doing all the things you never had time to do while you were working and raising a family.”

Carter will identify the services and activities that are available to seniors locally and statewide. Included are legal aid, tax advice, discounts for bus and taxi travel in the city, and free blood pressure testing on the first Monday of each month. Testing for diabetes and for cataracts is offered four times a year for a nominal fee. The city also provides inexpensive dinners called Meals on Wheels. Volunteers deliver these meals to seniors who are homebound because of illness or injury.

An Internet class begins this month for seniors who want to visit the World Wide Web. “Many seniors still use typewriters,” said Carter. “They see no need for a computer. But after they take this course, some of them may decide to buy their own laptops.”

New activities at the Senior Center include Bingo on Friday and Saturday nights, with a grand prize of $50 each night. The center is also offering Strength Training classes. “As you get older,” said Carter, “you need to keep both your mind and your body active. An active mind helps prevent Alzheimer’s, and an active body helps prevent osteoporosis.”