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Health & Fitness

Seniors Celebrate Columbus Day in Style

Seniors at The Lodge at Cold Spring Retirement Community were treated to a fun-filled, Italian-themed day for this year's Columbus Day.

“On Columbus Day, everyone is Italian,” said Executive Chef Nick Mastracchio in front of a packed dining room in The Lodge at Cold Spring. The festivities started long before 12:30 PM on Monday though. On Friday night, The Lodge’s bus driver (and occasional entertainer), Ron Casasanta surprised residents with an evening of Italian music to kick off Columbus Day Weekend. The next events didn’t take place until Columbus Day itself, but the day was packed with fun.

First, Chef Nick did an Italian-themed cooking demo. He taught residents and guests his special recipes for Pasta Puttanesca and Amatriciana, and let them sample the dishes after he was done. Residents who weren’t there from the start trickled in when they smelled the aroma of the food in the hallways. After Chef Nick’s demo, musician John Banker came by and played Mandolin as residents and guests made their way to the dining room. After everyone was seated, John began singing and playing classic Italian songs on his keyboard.

The fun didn’t stop there; residents were treated to a happy hour before supper, featuring a classic Italian antipasto platter. To top it all off, the movie “Marriage Italian Style” was shown on the big screen TV in the community room. If every day is a Holiday at The Lodge, actual holidays are that much more special.

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