February/March/April 2022

QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

FEBRUARY/MARCH/APRIL 2022 With the numerous variants of the Covid virus in the state and in our city, the Hays Center is asking ALL members to wear your mask while in the building. Please get your vaccines and booster shot. It is still important to wash your hands several times per day and stay 6 feet apart.

If you have a fever, headache, cough, lack of taste or difficulty breathing, please stay away from others until you have been tested and receive a negative result.

We value our members and want you to be safe and healthy so you can return to the center...we’re not going anywhere!

Address: 401 W. Pershing Blvd. | NLR

WHAT’S INSIDE Overnight Oats PLEASE MASK UP From the Director Center Updated Holiday Closing Gardening Health and Wellness Celebrate Travel

African American Women in Arkansas

Stay updated on the Hays Center: www.nlr.ar.gov/hayscenter | www.facebook.com/hayscenter

Phone: 501-975-4297

Web: www.nlr.ar.gov/hayscenter

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FROM THE DIRECTOR

WELCOME & NEWS

Since this is the first newsletter of the New Year, I would like to take a moment and reflect on some key moments of 2021. In 2021, we started the year with anticipation to move beyond the Covid pandemic.

We worked diligently to make improvements on the ballroom and continued to keep the building sanitized so members felt safe to return. As we entered into the spring and summer months, we became more active and members began to return, excitement filled the building.

During the fall, we continued to move forward and began more maintenance projects that renovated the Aerobic Pool area with fresh paint and a new concrete floor. Also, new carpet was installed on the first floor south and north hallways and rooms. These new improvements help the building remain fresh and vibrant for our members. Plus, we had a wonderful Christmas party with music and a cookie celebration!

In January of 2022, we experienced a new concern with the Covid pandemic. We continue to fight this changing virus because your health and safety are very important. I encourage you to do everything you can to stay healthy. Please wear your mask as much as possible when you are in public and at the Hays Center. Also, please take all necessary shots to ensure your body can recover from any symptoms that occur during this winter season.

Finally, The Hays Center staff understands the necessity of this facility for many of our members, and we will do everything in our power to protect, sanitize, and ensure positive progression as we journey through 2022. Please encourage each other to be safe, follow the guidelines that have been set by our city, the leadership of the Hays Center, and our Health Department. You are the best influence on the people around you.

I look forward with anticipation to an exciting year. Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Director.

Steven Carr

The center has been updated. We now have new carpet in the halls and the floor in the aerobic pool has been resurfaced.

The pool floor is much safer now and ready for you to come join in.

SPRING 2022

The Hays Center will be closed February 21st in observance of George Washington’s and Daisy Bates’s birthdays.

SPRING 2022

Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you can’t get a head start on your summer garden. Plan out what you want to grow in your garden and purchase or order seeds. Place your seeds in a warm sunny area. Be sure to keep the seeds damp until they sprout.

Continue to monitor your plants taking care not to over water or let them get too hot. As the temperature begins to warm, you may place the seedlings outside for some time to acclimate them to the weather. When the time is right for planting, you will be ahead of the game! Did you know you can plant potatoes in February and you will have a bushel by fall.

GARDENING

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If you are planning on planting flowers this spring, consider pollinator or native plants. Without food for bees and butterflies, some of our food sources cannot be grown without pollination from them. Plants to consider are Eastern Beebalm, Butterfly and Common Milkweed, Purple Coneflower, Black Eyed Susan, Foxglove, Sunflower, and Asters.

Consider if your area is sunny or shady. Do you have a convenient water supply?

Could you possibly plant an “all season” flowering garden.

You can get help and advice from experts. Some places to consider are BJ’s or Plantopia in NLR, Four Seasons in Gravel Ridge or River Valley Horticulture in LR. Gardening is good for your heath….gets you out in the fresh air and sunlight, digging in dirt and planting takes away stress. Sitting back and watching your flowers grow gives you a sense of satisfaction and helps the environment!

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

SPRING 2022

Seven Spring Habits for a healthier you in 2022 1. Identify the “why” Getting in shape does not always mean losing weight. Perhaps you just want to feel better about yourself, have more energy and know that you’re doing something good for your body. If you identify why you want to get fit, it will help you power through a tough workout or give you the willpower to say “no thanks” to takeout tacos for the third time this week.

Looking for more inspiration? Go in to a new class at the Hays Center and try it out.

2. Find a way (or a few ways) to be active every day If you find activities that you truly love, you will find joy in being active every day, even if it’s just going for a walk in your favorite place. Eliminate the “I don’t have time to work out today” excuse by embracing the short but effective exercise session. Anything you can do to get your body moving will put you in a better place mentally and is better than being completely stationary.

3. Eat real, whole food Focus on fueling your body. If you are eating nutritious foods with as few ingredients as possible — fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy and clean proteins — you’re treating your body well. This spring, try some healthy recipes that will have you feeling refreshed!

SPRING 2022

HEALTH & WELLNESS

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Seven Spring Habits for a healthier you in 2022

4. Don’t think of health as a punishment Find physical activities and nutritious meals and snacks that feel like you’re giving yourself a reward. This is exactly what your health should be — a gift, something that makes you feel healthy and happy.

5. Don’t skimp on sleep Easier said than done, I know. In our hectic, overscheduled lives, sleep often gets pushed to the back burner. But sufficient rest should be one of your top priorities. Create a regular routine of going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day.

6. Hydrate Drinking more water is one of the simplest ways to achieve a healthier you.

Proper hydration aids digestion, refuels our bodies for upcoming workouts, boosts energy, nourishes the skin… the list of benefits goes on and on. Keep a water bottle with you during workouts as a constant reminder to drink more H2O, or just carry a water bottle with you everywhere you go. The weight of a heavy water bottle will remind you to do your best to empty it!

7. Enlist a buddy Being vocal about your goals to get in shape can be a powerful motivator and may even inspire a friend or coworker to join you. Schedule regular workout dates with a friend so you stay committed and feel accountable.

Strength in numbers!

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CELEBRATE

Valentines Day—Don’t want to get out? Consider pampering yourself with a bubble bath and lighted candles. Dress up in a favorite outfit. Get out your best dinnerware and treat yourself to a fancy delivery dinner.

St Patrick’s Day—Shamrock pretzels. Melt green candies. When melted, dip mini pretzels and place on a covered cookie sheet.

You will need 3 pretzels to make a shamrock.

You can add pretzel sticks to make the stem.

Cool in fridge and enjoy.

Easter - I don’t know anyone that likes eating Peeps, but they are cheap, easy to work with and come in all colors. So...you can make an Peep candle or Peep tree as shown here. Will try to have a craft class on these soon.

Please remember the true meaning of Easter… Christ arose!

TRAVEL Mackinac Island:

SPRING 2022

For the first time in over two years, we have a full bus headed to Mackinac, Michigan May 15th thru 21st.

For those going, please have your total payment in no later than March 10th. About a month before we leave, there will be a trip meeting where you will receive your name tag, luggage tags and itinerary. Should you have any questions, please give Susan a call at 501-975-4297.

SPRING 2022

OVERNIGHT OATS

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Overnight oats are healthy, simple, delicious, and endlessly variable.

HAVE YOU HEARD OF OVERNIGHT OATS? THEY’VE BECOME QUITE POPULAR IN THE LAST 10 YEARS OR SO AND THEY’RE A GREAT AND HEALTHY WAY TO SIMPLIFY YOUR MORNINGS. THE NIGHT BEFORE, FILL A CONTAINER WITH A 1:1.5 RATIO OF ROLLED OATS AND A DAIRY OR NON-DAIRY MILK OF YOUR CHOICE. MASON JARS ARE A POPULAR CHOICE OF CONTAINER. YOU CAN ALSO SUBSTITUTE YOGURT OR OTHER DAIRY PRODUCTS LIKE RICOTTA CHEESE FOR 1/2 OF THE MILK. COVER THE CONTAINER AND PUT IT IN THE REFRIGERATOR OVERNIGHT. IN THE MORNING, YOUR OATS ARE READY TO EAT, JUST ADD YOUR FAVORITE TOPPINGS AND HEALTHY SWEETENERS!

RECIPE IDEAS:  STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM: MIX INTO OATS AND DAIRY, 1/2 CUP CHOPPED STRAWBERRIES+1TSP MAPLE SYRUP OR HONEY+1/2TSP EACH ALMOND AND VANILLA EXTRACT+PINCH OF SALT  PEACH PIE: MIX INTO OATS AND DAIRY, PREFERRED SWEETENER, 1TSP CHIA SEEDS, 1/2 TSP EA OF VANILLA EXTRACT AND CINNAMON, 1/8 TSP GROUND GINGER, 2 TBS CHOPPED PEACHES+MORE FOR TOPPING  ANY FRUIT, SWEETENER, NUTS, OR SUPPLEMENTS CAN BE ADDED!

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AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN IN ARKANSAS

February is Black History Month and March is Women’s History Month, so let’s celebrate some African American women pioneers from Arkansas!

Florence Price: Born in Little Rock in 1887 to the city’s only black dentist, Price became a successful classical music composer after attending the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.

She is the first African American woman recognized as a symphonic composer and the first to have a composition played by a major orchestra. Price spent most of her adult life in Chicago, where she was a part of the Chicago Black Renaissance. Her works are highly regarded today and the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra recently showcased several of her works in their 2021-2022 season. Price passed away in 1953 in Chicago.

SPRING 2022

Raye Montague: Born in Little Rock in 1935, Montague attended Arkansas A&M (later UAPB). She hoped to major in engineering, but that was closed to women of color, so she majored in business and graduated in 1956. That same year she began her career with the US Navy as a civilian computer systems operator. She rose through the ranks and in 1984 became the first deputy program manager for the navy’s Info. Systems Improvement Program. She retired in 1990 and in 2006 she moved back to Little Rock where she passed away in 2018. Called a “real life hidden figure” by Good Morning America, Montague is credited with creating the first computergenerated rough draft of a U.S. naval ship. She was awarded numerous awards and is recognized as breaking many color barriers and glass ceilings.