A few days ago, I was coming out of Loveland’s General Store and looked across the street at the senior center. What caught my eye was our two buzzards, Bonnie and Clyde, looking down the street from atop their perch on the roof of the senior center. I chuckled as I remembered Jack Wright. He was one of the characters I’ve enjoyed knowing in my 20-plus years as the senior center coordinator.
Jack was the ultimate prankster and joke-teller. He was also responsible for making and painting Bonnie and Clyde. He was a master of talking people into supporting ideas they didn’t know they needed. As was the case with our two well-loved buzzards.
Jack wanted to put them on the building’s roof. He asked me what I thought, and I said it might be fun, but he had to get the board’s approval. He approached the board with his idea and was met with a mix of laughter and shock. The board put off deciding until we could see the final product.
Several weeks passed, and Jack finally showed up with the birds in hand. He also brought his wife Joan, one of his daughters, and her friend, a biologist or at least a wildlife-oriented individual. Jack introduced the gentleman to the seniors, who spoke of how Buzzards were essential to the ecosystem and said that putting them on our roof would encourage them to come to our area.
I asked the entire group how they felt about Bonnie and Clyde, and most of them favored the idea of allowing the senior center to be home to the Buzzards.
Jack then worked on getting the proper hardware to support the birds. I hung a sign in the window about not making eye contact with the buzzards.
People would stop and ask why we had two buzzards sitting atop our roof, and we would tell them the story of Jack Wright and how the birds came to be.
To this day, I don’t know if that “gentleman” friend of Jack’s daughter was a biologist, a wildlife expert, or Jack Wright’s last big prank on seniors, but I have noticed that in the past few years, I have seen several wild buzzards roosting in the trees around town.
A little bit of senior history that you never knew you wanted to know.
We have a bingo game on Thursday, April 3, from 6 to 8 p.m. Those attending report having a great time, and it generates a little bit of income for the senior center.
If you haven’t renewed your center membership yet, there’s no time like the present. You are entitled to a free meal ticket if we receive your membership by April 15th, 2025.
Menu:
Friday, March 28: Beef Barley Soup, Ham Sandwiches, Garden Salad, Mixed Fruit and Dessert.
Wednesday, April 2: Meatloaf, Baked Yams, Green Salad, Mixed Vegetables, Peaches, Wheat Roll, and Ugly Duckling Pudding Cake.
Friday, April 4: Chili con Carne, Corn Bread, Green Salad, Mixed Fruit, and Ugly Duckling Pudding Cake.
Have a great weekend!
