Members of the Functional Fitness class at the Falls Senior Center, taught by Donna Fetzko, came to wish Fetzko well as she is moving away. Pictured left to right: Kathy Gooch, Norma Talcott, Fetzko, Chris Faux, Ted Blakeslee, Jerry Blakeslee.
More than 80 yoga and fitness practitioners assembled at the Dietrich Theater to pay a tribute to Donna Fetzko, their beloved teacher and friend.
Donna is moving away, but she will always be remembered for her Simply Yoga, Chair Yoga, Functional Fitness and nutrition classes over the last 15 years, classes that she taught at the Dietrich Theater, at area senior citizen centers and the Tunkhannock Public Library.
Even during our COVID quarantine, Donna taught and continued to make Chair Yoga available on Zoom.
Donna taught us that everyone can benefit from the movements in the practices she teaches, enabling us to have more active lives, no matter our age or physical condition. So many say that her calm, steady voice and her simple but powerful movements have changed their minds and bodies. Donna Fetzko has improved the lives of so many in this community and we thank her from the bottom of our hearts.
We are so pleased to reassure you that her classes at the Dietrich will continue. We welcome Renae Egan, who comes to us from the Jaya Studio in Clark Summit, to continue Chair Yoga on Mondays and Fridays in person and on Zoom and Simply Yoga on Wednesdays, all classes starting at 10 a.m. So classes do not skip a beat!
Veterans Connecting Meetup & Workshop is another Dietrich Theater response to the needs of our community. I asked veteran Larry White, facilitator of the group, to tell me what his goals are for the group for the coming year. “First of all I want each veteran to connect, not only with other veterans, but to learn about other organizations in our community, such as Heroes Heartstone in the Back Mountain area, Patriot’s Cove in Noxen, and 555 near Silvara.” He wants them to know about Valhalla Veterans Services in Scranton and its ASIST program, a program to prevent suicide. And there are so many more organizations: Warriors Path to Peace, Camp Freedom, Hunts for Healing and Equines for Freedom and more.
One Friday each month all veterans are invited to Veterans Connecting at the Dietrich from 7:00-9:00 p.m. to meet with others who have shared experiences, a free meeting to show that you are not alone. There is a community of veterans at the Dietrich and you are invited to come. “Last month we welcomed three new veterans,” proudly says Larry White. The next Veterans Connecting Meetup is on Friday, September 8 and continues on October 13, November 10 and December 8. For information call the Dietrich at 570-836-1022 x3.
My friends and I are planning to go the Preview Day on Thursday, September 14 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., a chance to see the trailers of all 21 films of our Fall Film Festival, beginning with our Opening Night Gala on Sept. 22 and ending on Oct. 12. One movie that I will see for sure is Umberto Eco: A Library of the World. Umberto Eco described his library of 45,000 books as “memory of the world.” An intriguing thought.
Another film that intrigues me is Jules, starring Ben Kingsley as an unassuming man whose life is upended when a UFO lands in his backyard with an extraterrestrial he calls Jules. These are two unusual stories that may intrigue you, too. Come see their trailers on our free Preview Day.
Breaking news! The Fall Film Festival brochures just arrived at the office and should land in your mailbox very soon. You can always pick one up at the theater. I will make my reservations for Opening Night Gala today. You can too.
So much to look forward to in the next few weeks! We wish Donna Fetzko all the best in the next chapter of her life. The best tribute to her is to keep your dedication to the yoga practices she taught you that can change your life. Welcome to a new chapter. Isn’t that what life is all about? New chapters?
