CORTLANDT, NY: On Wednesday July 9th, State Assemblymember Dana Levenberg welcomed local seniors to Cortlandt Town hall for her third annual Senior forum, themed “Sustaining our Seniors: Happy, Healthy Hobbies.” Along with a breakfast sponsored by NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital, this event provided seniors with resources and inspiration for staying mentally, physically, and socially engaged while aging. 

“Helping our seniors stay active and connected is essential to building brain health as well as supporting healthy, equitable communities,” said Assemblymember Levenberg. “This year’s forum was a celebration of the many ways older adults can age well and joyfully.”

The program began with a warm welcome from Assemblymember Levenberg, Cortlandt Town Supervisor Dr. Richard Becker, and Marie Hargrove, a program manager with the Alzheimer’s Association’s Hudson Valley chapter. In her remarks, Levenberg shared that the theme of healthy hobbies was inspired by her husband, who has been managing early-onset Alzheimer’s through a combination of medication, physical exercise and mentally stimulating activities such as writing, attending plays, learning sign language, and being read to by a friend. 

Attendees enjoyed a variety of engaging presentations and activities. Lisa Feiner, co-founder of the cognitive health nonprofit Sharp Again, gave a presentation titled "Age Well with a Sharper Brain," offering strategies for preventing dementia and maintaining brain health. Marti Wolfson from NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital led a live cooking demonstration featuring a nutritious recipe. Adam Choper, Farm Director at Hilltop Hanover Farm & Environmental Center, presented “Pollinator-Friendly and Small Space Gardening Tips,” providing rationale for native plant gardening at home. Local resident and AARP volunteer Dennis Sklenarik hosted a coin collecting show and tell, and local musicians Jim Garber and Izak Breslauer delighted the crowd with a rousing fiddle and banjo performance. 

The forum also featured presentations on scam prevention and legal matters from Kate Martin, Assistant Attorney General from the Westchester Regional Office of the New York State Attorney General and Emily Rowe-Smith, Assistant District Attorney from the Office of the Westchester County District Attorney. Outside the main event, representatives from NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital, New York State’s Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) Program, and Westchester County Parks hosted tables along with the presenters and their organizations. 

For those who were unable to attend the event, the Assemblymember’s office has made PowerPoint presentations and other information shared at the forum available on the Sustaining Our Seniors page of her website, www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Dana-Levenberg. 

Photos from the event