Oak Park Arms presents its popular series “You Be the Critic” at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. The 1997 film “Amistad” will be viewed and reviewed with radio announcer Dan Kane.

The critically acclaimed movie depicts the rebellion of African captives on the slave ship, La Amistad, in 1839. After freeing themselves from their shackles, the slaves kill the majority of the crew, save for the two owners of the ship who the Africans hope will sail them home to West Africa. The owners instead sail the ship to the coast of the United States where the slaves are imprisoned and put on trial.

The captives don’t speak a word of English and it seems they are doomed to be killed until an abolitionist lawyer decides to take their case.

The case eventually reaches the Supreme Court, where John Quincy Adams (Anthony Hopkins) makes an impassioned and eloquent speech for their release.

Based on a true story, this film was directed by Steven Spielberg and starred Djimon Hounsou, Anthony Hopkins and Matthew McConaughey.

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 tap dance workshop takes place at noon, Thursday, Oct. 11, 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

Michael Pritchard said, “You don’t stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.” To that end, David Kelm of Forest Park will lead “Laughter Yoga” at 10:15 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

It has been determined that just 10 minutes of laughter is similar to a 30-minute workout. In this 45-60 minute class, participants will experience self-triggered laughter through a blend of playful, empowering and otherwise “tension-releasing” laughter and breathing exercises.

Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain and conflict. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring the mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. You need not be happy, have a sense of humor or have any initial reason to laugh to take part in this class. Kelm will shed light on some of the whys and wherefores of intentional laughter.

Humor lightens burdens, inspires hopes, connects one to others, and keeps a senior grounded, focused and alert. With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for seniors to deal with their problems, enhance their relationships, and support both physical and emotional health.

Kelm has been a certified Laughter Yoga Leader through the American School of Laughter Yoga in Oceanside, CA. since 2006. He also studied under Dr. Kataria, the founder of the Laughter Yoga movement. Kelm has held monthly Laughter Yoga sessions in Oak Park for half a decade and has facilitated sessions for a variety of clubs and organizations. He is also a member of the local group of Laughter Yoga Leaders, the Chicago Coalition of Chuckles.

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.

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

The public is invited to Brain Gym® with Aimee Edwards at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

Brain Gym movements, exercises, or activities refer to the original 26 Brain Gym movements, sometimes abbreviated as “The 26.” These activities recall the movements naturally done during the first years of life when one is learning to coordinate the eyes, ears, hands, and whole body.

The 26, along with a program for “learning through movement,” were developed by educator and reading specialist Paul E. Dennison and his wife and colleague, Gail E. Dennison.

For more than two decades, clients, teachers, and students have reported the effectiveness of these simple activities. Although it’s not yet clear why these movements work so well, they often bring about dramatic improvements in areas such as:

•    concentration and focus
•    memory
•    academics: reading, writing, math, test taking
•    physical coordination
•    relationships
•    self-responsibility
•    organization skills
•    attitude

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. For more information, call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

The Oak Park Farmer’s Market band will play in the lounge at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. The public is warmly welcomed and light refreshments will be served.

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. Call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

Oak Park Arms presents its popular series “You Be the Critic” at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. The 1970 film “Waterloo” will be shown and reviewed with radio announcer Dan Kane.
“Waterloo” stars Rod Steiger as Napolean Bonaparte, alongside Christopher Plummer and Orson Welles. This Soviet-Italian film depicts the Battle of Waterloo and is famous for its lavish battle scenes.

Months before the cameras started filming, 16,000 Soviet Army soldiers began training to learn 1815 drill and battle formations, as well as the use of sabers, bayonets and handling cannons. A selected 2,000 additional men were also taught to load and fire muskets.
Directed by Sergey Bondarchuk and written by Hal Craig, “Waterloo” was one of the most expensive motion pictures ever made with an estimated 100 million dollar price tag.
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 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

Kulik will be teaching traditional ballet barre exercises and senior-friendly routines. Basic moves on the barre include plies, eleves, battement tendus and rond de jombes.

Plies stretch the leg muscles by bending at the knees either partially or completely. An eleve is performed by rising to the balls of the feet. In a tendu the working leg opens and closes, stretching along the floor and ending in a point. A rond de jombe requires the working foot to make a semi-circular motion either while in the air or on the floor.

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, Sept. 12, 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.

A health professional will present a talk titled “Pneumonia and Flu” at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11, in the Terrace Room at the Oak Park Arms retirement community, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. The public is welcome to attend this free event.

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs, usually caused by infection. Bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites can cause pneumonia. Pneumonia is a particular concern if you’re older than 65 or have a chronic illness or impaired immune system. It can also occur in young, healthy people.

Pneumonia can range in seriousness from mild to life-threatening. Pneumonia often is a complication of another condition, such as the flu. Antibiotics can treat most common forms of bacterial pneumonias, but antibiotic-resistant strains are a growing problem. The best approach is to try to prevent infection.

Pneumonia symptoms can vary greatly, depending on any underlying conditions you may have and the type of organism causing the infection. Pneumonia often mimics the flu, beginning with a cough and a fever, so you may not realize you have a more serious condition.

Common signs and symptoms of pneumonia may include:

•    Fever
•    Cough
•    Shortness of breath
•    Sweating
•    Shaking chills
•    Chest pain that fluctuates with breathing (pleurisy)
•    Headache
•    Muscle pain
•    Fatigue

Ironically, people in high-risk groups such as older adults and people with chronic illnesses or weakened immune systems may have fewer or milder symptoms than less vulnerable people do. And instead of having the high fever that often characterizes pneumonia, older adults may even have a lower than normal temperature.

Because pneumonia can be life-threatening, someone with symptoms should see the doctor as soon as possible, especially if there is a persistent cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, and unexplained fever — especially a lasting fever of 102 F (38.9 C) or higher with chills and sweating.

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

A workshop called “Word Play” will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. The public is invited to this fun and stimulating session.

Presented by Lisa Markwart of the Light Verse Foundation, the workshop concerns the etymology (origin) of words, palindromes and rebuses. Word games, brain teasers and puzzles will delight participants.

Where do words come from? How and when were they invented? Questions like these will be answered. Palindromes are words or phrases that read the same in both directions such as “eye” or “racecar.” A rebus is a representation of a word or phrase by pictures or symbols that suggest that word or phrase or its syllables. An example is: a picture of two gates and a head is a rebus for Gateshead.

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.

Word Play is free and open to the public, but reservations are requested. Call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.