Oak Park Arms presents its popular series “You Be the Critic” at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. The 1960 film “The Alamo” will be viewed and reviewed with radio announcer Dan Kane.

Directed by John Wayne, who also starred in the film as Colonel Davy Crockett, the Alamo is a war film about the Battle of the Alamo, a pivotal event during the Texas Revolution.

When General Santa Anna and his Mexican army were sweeping through Texas in 1836, General Sam Houston (Richard Boone) bought time to arrange his troops by asking Colonel William Travis (Laurence Harvey) to defend a mission against the Mexican army at all costs. Davy Crockett and Colonel Jim Bowie (Richard Widmark) also joined the fight.

Mixed reviews have touted the film for its battle scenes and criticized it for its historical inaccuracies. The film’s production costs kept it from becoming an immediate success, despite a large box office take. The film won the Academy Award for Best Sound, and was nominated several times, including for Best Music, Best Film Editing and Best Cinematography.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. Call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

The Oak Park Arms will present a Veteran’s Day tribute at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Avenue. Roger Kotecki will perform a musical tribute about the American Civil War. This event is free and open to the public.

Kotecki is a storyteller, musician and historian. For the past decade Kotecki has told the history of the Civil War through music. He not only sings songs significant to the war but also educates audiences. Rogers explains the history of the melodies and lyrics which give a strong sense of the poetry and eloquence of this critical time in history.

Music has always been part of Kotecki’s life. He began as a student of classical piano. His musical background expanded to include rock bands and experience as a church keyboardist.

Kotecki has a direct familial link to the Civil War. His great grandfather served with the 82nd Indiana Infantry as part of the army that took Chattanooga, Atlanta, and then marched to the sea with General Sherman. This sparked his interest in the music of the Civil War.

In 1919 President Woodrow Wilson declared Nov. 11th as Armistice Day in order to honor the soldiers of World War I which at the time, people believed it was the last war. As more wars occurred, however, the name was changed to Veteran’s Day so all veterans would be included.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. Call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

A professional from Interim Health Care will present a talk about hearing titled, “Can You Hear Me Now?” at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, at the Oak Park Arms retirement community, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. The public is invited to this free program.

Gradual hearing loss that occurs with aging is common. According to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated one-third of Americans between the ages of 65 and 75 and close to one-half of those older than 75 have some degree of hearing loss.

Doctors believe that heredity and chronic exposure to loud noises are the main factors that contribute to hearing loss over time.

In most cases, hearing loss results from damage to the inner ear. Aging and prolonged exposure to loud noise may cause wear and tear on the hairs or nerve cells in the cochlea that send sound signals to the brain. When these hairs or nerve cells are damaged or missing, electrical signals aren’t transmitted as efficiently, and hearing loss occurs. Higher pitched tones may become muffled, and it may become difficult to pick out words against background noise.

Ear infection and abnormal bone growths or tumors of the outer or middle ear can cause hearing loss. Other factors, such as earwax blockage or a ruptured ear drum, can prevent proper hearing as well.

Talk to your doctor if you have the following signs and symptoms:
•    Muffled quality of speech and other sounds
•    Difficulty understanding words, especially against background noise or in a crowd of people
•    Frequently asking others to speak more slowly, clearly and loudly
•    Needing to turn up the volume of the television or radio
•    Withdrawal from conversations
•    Avoidance of some social settings

Hearing loss cannot be reversed, but there are steps to take to improve hearing including hearing aids.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The program is free and open to the public. For more information call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

The Monday Night Concert Series continues with pianist Mark Valenti at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

Valenti received his master’s degree in Music from Northwestern University and his bachelor’s degree in Music from the Philadelphia Musical Academy. He has studied with such notable teachers as Benjamin Whitten, Zoltan Kocsis, and Mary Sauer.

In addition to giving solo recitals in cities throughout the U.S., Valenti has performed in France, Belgium, Hungary and Luxembourg as well as for former First Lady Barbara Bush in Washington, D.C.

Valenti has performed in recital live on WFMT classical radio. He has done extensive work in the jazz field including performances with Gregory Hines, Frank Foster and Al Grey and has appeared on television with Joe Sudler’s Swing Machine and singer/actor Christopher Durham.

Formerly a professor of music at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Xavier University in Chicago and the Loire Valley Music Institute in France, Valenti currently teaches at his studio in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. Call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

Taught by Roberta Kulik, the Oak Park Arms’ monthly dance workshop takes place at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 8, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. This month Kulik will teach the Mambo.

The Mambo is a flashy Cuban dance known for its complicated footwork. It was first created in the late 1940s by Perez Prado. By the 1950s the Mambo had gained popularity and was performed in the ballrooms of major cities.

Kulik will teach senior-friendly Mambo dance steps and sequences.

The dance can be tricky and beginners often make the mistake of moving too soon, as the Mambo requires dancers to begin on the second beat of the music rather than the first. Today it is a dance most often only performed by advanced dancers.

Popular Mambo songs include “Mambo Italiano,” Papa Loves Mambo,” and “Mambo #5.”

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The workshop is free and open to the public. For more information, call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

Taught by Roberta Kulik, the Oak Park Arms’ monthly tap dance workshop takes place at noon, Thursday, Nov. 8, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

The first 15 minutes features basic tap moves that can be done either sitting or standing. Kulik continues the class with 45 minutes of basic tap steps and routines. Tap shoes are welcome, though not required.

This type of dance is a left-brain/right-brain workout great for coordination, balance and memory.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The workshop is free and open to the public. For more information, call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

The Oak Park River Forest Garden Club of America presents “Garden Therapy,” at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14, at the Oak Park Arms retirement community, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

Club members will guide and assist participants in making beautiful floral arrangements with seasonal flowers and greens. These arrangements can be kept and taken home.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The workshop is free and open to the public. Seating is limited. Call to reserve your spot. For more information, or to reserve a spot, call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

Visitors are welcome at the next meeting of the Mills Investment Club at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. New members are always welcome to join or visit.

For more than 30 years the investment club has come together to learn how to follow economic trends and use that information to expand its portfolio. With guidance from Pat Koko, president, club members jointly purchase stocks and make decisions as a group on a month-to-month basis.

The club provides a fun, easy, way to learn about investing by combining camaraderie, education and buying power, and confidence.

“Our year-to-date is 9.7% right now, which puts us ahead of the Dow,” said Koko. “We’ve got a variety of stocks, and we’re doing really well.”

To make the best financial choices, a special presentation is given by a different group member each month. Topics are presenter’s choice and always range. Each member is also in charge of following one stock throughout the month and presenting the group with a report of the stock’s activity.

There are currently over 15 members. To formally join, attendance to at least 3 meetings is required and the final decision is voted on by the group, but anyone can come as often as they like without becoming a member.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. Call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

Mary Maryland, PhD, RN, will present a talk titled, “Cancer Awareness” at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, at the Oak Park Arms retirement community, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. Dr. Mary, as she’s known, will present important information about cancer awareness.

Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the U.S., exceeded only by heart disease. Half of all men and one-third of all women will develop cancer in their lifetime.

Anyone can develop cancer. About 1,500,000 new cancer cases were diagnosed in 2011. Since the risk of being diagnosed with cancer increases as individuals age, most cases occur in adults who are middle-aged or older. In fact, about 77 percent of all cancers are diagnosed in people 55 years and older.

Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. Mutations in the genetic blueprint of cells—the DNA—cause them to become abnormal. About 5% of all cancers are strongly hereditary, in that an inherited genetic alteration confers a very high risk of developing one or more specific types of cancer. However, most cancers do not result from inherited genes, but from damage to genes occurring during one’s lifetime.

Genetic damage may result from either internal or external factors. Internal factors include hormones, inherited mutations, immune conditions or mutations that occur from metabolism of nutrients within cells.  External factors such as tobacco, infectious organisms, chemicals, sunlight and radiation can also damage cells.

Cancer is caused by both internal and external factors. These causal factors may act together or in sequence to initiate or promote carcinogenesis. If the spread of these cells is not controlled, it can result in death.

Years ago, people diagnosed with cancer didn’t have very long to live. Today over 13 million people in the U.S. are either cancer survivors or currently battling the disease.

Cancer is treated with surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, biological therapy, and targeted therapy.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The program is free and open to the public. For more information call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040

The public is invited to enjoy an intergenerational choral performance at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, at the Oak Park Arms Retirement Community, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

The first and second grade elementary students from the Oliver Wendell Holmes School chorus will join the Oak Park Arms Chorus in the ballroom as part of the Arms’ Halloween Extravaganza. Both choruses will perform songs together (such as the Halloween classic “Monster Mash”) and individually. A solo by Howard R. McClain will also be featured, as well as a community sing-along.

The Oak Park Arms Social Programming Director, Desi Vasquez, has partnered with Anjali Asokan Karia, the Holmes School music director, for a captivating night of performances.

This is the students’ annual debut, and also the first time they will be singing in harmony together.

Festivities will also include a costume parade open to anyone interested in participating. The best-dressed winner will receive a prize.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The day’s events are free and open to the public. Reservations are requested. Call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.