The Commons at Central Hall in D-F will offer programs for all ages

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Following a decade of work to preserve and rebuild the more than 135-year-old Central Hall on East Main Street, the newly christened The Commons at Central Hall was formally opened to the public in mid-May. The building is the site of an event center on the upper level and a senior commons/gathering space on the first floor with an adult day service center planned for the future at the back end of the first floor.

Various events have been held at The Commons at Central, including for special occasions and ongoing happenings, with more being planned. “The focus has been on older people but we would like to be thinking of multigenerational programming,” Commons Director Tara Smith said following a recent weekly Eastern Area Agency on Aging (EAAA) Community Cafe served at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesdays. “We really want to offer programs that are connecting the generations.”

“Ultimately this is a space for the whole community and I think we all want to see it being used by the whole community,” Smith said. This concept is reflected in the mission statement and vision plan for the facility to address the needs of the “Highlands Region Community” (Piscataquis County and portions of Penobscot County).

“This is the third one we have done, but we would like to grow it and get the word out,” Smith said about the EAAA Community Cafes with the recent meal featuring Caribbean Mango pork. “Folks are eating and playing games with each other,” Smith said.

“There’s a suggested donation of $4 and it’s open to anyone,” she said, with the donation option for those 60 and up and those under 60 paying.

“In July we had a total of 30 people come to the cafe,” Smith said as the month before featured a pair of meals.

Volunteers help make the Community Cafes happen, setting up in advance, getting the food ready and then serving and cleaning up. “We are always looking for volunteers who can help,” Smith said, saying ideally three to four people would assist each week.

She said she is in the midst of getting an AmericaCorps VISTA volunteer to help develop a volunteer network.

The Commons at Central Hall can use volunteers elsewhere, such as hanging flyers for events and assisting with other programs.

Smith said from 1-3 p.m. on Tuesdays an adult quilting group meets. “It’s a club, not a class,” she said, with group sessions having up to 10 attendees so far. “It’s a space where anybody can try new things, it’s skillshare. It’s just a space where people can come together and share knowledge and skills.”

The front end of the first floor of the building features the senior commons and a meeting area. “We want to have the space open for people to come in and socialize and have coffee,” Smith said.

“From 8:30 to 11:30 Monday to Friday we are having open center hours,” she said. Smith said coffee and tea will be ready and per requests the Boston Globe and New York Times will be on site for those wanting to stop by and read.

“The Commons will have a library card with the Thompson Free Library so people can check out books here like at the library,” Smith said.

She said the Thompson Free Library donated a large bookshelf for the senior commons. Other entities have contributed items to The Commons at Central Hall “for upstairs and downstairs so that’s been great,” Smith said.

“So far we have had a handful of events up here,” Smith said, sitting at a table in the middle of the event center which is managed with the Center Theatre as Theatre Executive Director Patrick Myers also serves on The Commons at Central Hall board. “Starting with our medieval dinner in March to our grand opening. There have been weddings and receptions, a few anniversary celebrations including the (Dover-Foxcroft) Kiwanis.”

Smith said the upper level will host drama camp performances on the stage, a workshop for Mayo Regional Hospital, concert and dance to benefit the Aliza Jean Family Cancer Foundation, an Oktoberfest for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Sangerville and Dover-Foxcroft, the Partners for Peace Valentine’s Ball and more.

“We have our first contra dance which was last month and that was a blast,” she said. The dance featured live music by Some Reel People and a caller teaching the steps while later yelling out the dance instructions.

“We would love to do those every month, the second Friday of every month,” Smith, with the next contra dance scheduled for 7 p.m. on Sept. 14. “You don’t have to come with a partner, you can also come and watch and listen to the music. You don’t have to dance at all. I would love to see more dances and more music happen here, any maybe even classes leading up to it.”

Thursday evenings, from 6-9 p.m., will feature an open mic at The Commons at Central Hall. “Hopefully we will get some musicians for that and it’s open to storytellers and poets,” Smith said.

“We have been sponsoring a monthly coffee talk with the Mill Cafe with a speaker each month, it’s the last Tuesday of the month,” she said. The coffee talks are sponsored by the AARP at the cafe up East Main Street.

Other programs at The Commons at Central Hall include a monthly trauma reduction series held by NAMI Piscataquis County as well as the organization hosting a senior support group the first Wednesday of the month right after the Community Cafe.

Smith said morning and evening tai chi classes should start in several weeks.

“We have had a walking group, we would really like to continue that,” she said. Smith said the walking group is working with other community organizations, including the Cub Scouts, on cleaning up trails and identifying ideal spots for park benches as the mission of The Commons at Central Hall extends beyond the building.

Another program being developed in conjunction with the Thompson Free Library would bridge generations as high school students would lend their skills with technology to help elder residents use their devices. “That will be a fall start,” Smith said.

She said a basket making workshop is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 20 “for a small fee that includes supplies.”

“We are working to have a wellness day with the Community Cafe Day,” Smith said. She said the day could include blood pressure checks, vision and hearing screenings with retired nurses, pharmacists volunteering their time and nursing students helping out while they gain hands-on experience.

“There is a storytelling group,” Smith said as the Oral Folklore Society recently presented on how to interview to capture tales of the lives of area residents to compile an archive of oral history. Smith said the Thompson Free Library has purchased recording equipment and the library and The Commons at Central Hall are working with the Dover-Foxcroft Historical Society to develop a list of people to be interviewed, with these stories perhaps to be captured by Foxcroft Academy film students.

“I would love to eventually see a documentary we could show here at The Commons,” Smith said. She said the event center stage has a new drop down screen for films and presentations, which can also be shown on the first floor.

“I would love to collaborate with some of the work going on in Monson with the artists having residencies there,” Smith said. She mentioned in addition to visual art possibilities there could also be writing workshops and poetry slams and maybe a community chorus and dance groups. Smith said other ideas mentioned are programs involving therapy dogs, a senior college, cider and wine making workshops, game nights and drive-in movies.

Smith said The Commons at Central Hall will always work with other organizations and programs in the region, not seeking compete to compete with these other entities.

“Our board is refocusing from building and restoration to programs,” Smith said. She said new directors have joined and others have been invited to various committees, including groups for governance, programs, finance, public relations and the building.

“The board meets less frequently and the committees meet more frequently,” Smith said.

“We finished the front of the downstairs and the back of the downstairs is not finished,” she said about about the adult days service center space. “We are looking at an entity to manage that space.”

“We are still fundraising to complete that space,” she said.

Those interested in additional capital campaign information or what is most currently needed to complete the building restoration can contact Smith at info@centralhallcommons.org or 343-3018. For more information on The Commons at Central Hall, please go to http://www.centralhallcommons.org.