SINGLES DANCE CLUB IN LANCASTER HAS 250 MEMBERS.Byline: Bettie Rencoret Senior columnist Bill Michaels founded the 40 and Up Singles Dance and Social Club in 1992 after he realized most night clubs catered to younger crowds. His idea was to organize a group of older singles who would dance and socialize so·cial·ize v. so·cial·ized, so·cial·iz·ing, so·cial·iz·es v.tr. 1. To place under government or group ownership or control. 2. To make fit for companionship with others; make sociable. once a week. The first dances were held at the Maxim Plum, evolved from the old Sand Sailor Restaurant and bar on Sierra Highway Sierra Highway is a road in Southern California, United States. It runs from Tunnel Station near the north limit of the City of Los Angeles, where it intersects with San Fernando Road and Foothill Boulevard, as well as Interstate 5, and continues north to Mojave, mostly paralleling , now known as the Sierra Retirement Village for senior citizens. It wasn't long before the club outgrew out·grew v. Past tense of outgrow. the Maxim Plum and had to find other facilities. A longtime Elk, Michaels was able to arrange the dances at the lodge on Sundays. Under his leadership the club now boasts approximately 250 dues-paying members and is growing. ``One thing we like about the club is the mix of generations,'' said Michaels. ``While people in their 70s feel real comfortable, the majority of our members are in their 40s and 50s.'' It's really a singles dance and social club but in the last 7-1/2 years, Michaels said, many members have married. ``We now have 50 married couples as members. We don't make them drop out when they marry,'' he said. ``That's different from some singles clubs, but we don't think they should have to give up their memberships. We let them continue to participate if they like and a few of them, not all, take advantage of that privilege.'' ``Our regular Sunday dances, are well attended,'' he said. ``In fact, they've been so successful we've begun to add some special events.'' A case in point was the recent dance held on a Friday night at the Occasions, a new banquet hall Definition A banquet hall is a room used for social gatherings like receptions, reunions, parties, and business events. in Lancaster. ``The dance floor is big so people have plenty of room to maneuver around and those of our members who attended the special dance loved it,'' Michaels said. He said another Friday dance is planned for sometime in January, and he expects when the word gets around there will be greater attendance at that one. ``What they've done to the place is spectacular,'' he said, ``and it's nice to have all that room but you can't beat the cozy atmosphere here at the lodge. We're happy here on Sundays.'' Born and raised in Chicago, Michaels received his early education there before moving to Florida with his parents in December 1941. He was too young for the service when World War II broke out but a couple of years later he joined the U.S. Army and served as a payroll clerk for 3-1/2 years in the U.S. southeast. ``I never went overseas,'' he said. ``I couldn't go to OCS OCS - Object Compatibility Standard (Officers Candidate School) because of an eye problem, but it also kept me booted out of the port of embarkation The geographic point in a routing scheme from which cargo or personnel depart. This may be a seaport or aerial port from which personnel and equipment flow to a port of debarkation; for unit and nonunit requirements, it may or may not coincide with the origin. Also called POE. every time. That meant I couldn't go over and get shot up. I guess it was a fair trade.'' ``I made corporal twice,'' he said with a laugh. ``I lost my first stripes when I went AWOL from Fort Benning Fort Benning, U.S. army post, 189,000 acres (76,500 hectares), W Ga., S of Columbus; est. 1918. One of the largest army posts in the United States, it is the nation's largest infantry training center and the home of the Army Infantry School. one night when they were having an all night march. I went to Atlanta to watch Miami High School Miami High School is a term used to refer to many high schools in the United States, as well as one school in Australia. This page provides a list of:
He attended Northwestern University and several other schools over a period of eight years. ``I had it in mind to study journalism,'' he said, ``but I finally wound up graduating from the University of Miami This article is about the university in Coral Gables, Florida. For the university in Oxford, Ohio, see Miami University. The University of Miami (also known as Miami of Florida,[2] UM,[3] or just The U in 1954 with a degree in business administration.'' He came to Marina del Ray from Florida in 1971. The last job he had where he received a regular salary was as director of the Long Beach College of Business, from which he retired in 1975. ``By the time I retired, I had already started my own business conducting thoroughbred horse racing handicapping seminars. I did that for 15 years,'' he said. ``I did these seminars very successfully and I made a lot of money. It was something I'd always wanted to do.'' Michaels migrated to Lancaster from Arcadia in December 1988. He became an Elk in Arcadia in 1983 so he joined the Lancaster lodge when he came here. ``Last March I bought a big old beautiful 1972 Buick with a license plate frame that says `BPOE BPOE abbr. Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks BPOE n abbr (US) (= Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks) → organización benéfica 1625 Lancaster.' The former owner had died but he'd been an Elk,'' he said. He loves that car and he has a good senior's line for it. ``I tell people,'' he said, ``it's big, it's old but it'll get from zero to 50 in 6.5 gallons.'' Menus for the week at the senior life nutrition sites in Lancaster, Palmdale and Pearblossom have been announced. All meals include bread, margarine and coffee, tea or milk for the suggested donation of $2. Monday: Polish sausage, parsleyed potatoes, cooked cabbage, garden salad, oatmeal cookies. Tuesday: Crispy chicken, mashed potatoes, beets, carrot and raisin salad, banana. Wednesday: Beef tips, parsleyed noodles noo·dle 1 n. A narrow, ribbonlike strip of dried dough, usually made of flour, eggs, and water. [German Nudel. , broccoli, lettuce and tomato salad, ice cream. Thursday: Turkey with bread dressing, butternut butternut: see walnut. butternut Deciduous nut-producing tree (Juglans cinerea) of the walnut family, native to eastern North America. A mature tree has gray, deeply furrowed bark. squash, tossed salad, apple juice, fruit. Friday: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, fiesta coleslaw cole·slaw also cole slaw n. A salad of finely shredded raw cabbage and sometimes shredded carrots, dressed with mayonnaise or a vinaigrette. , orange jello with pineapple. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Lancaster resident and Elks member Bill Michaels started the 40 and Up Singles Dance and Social Club. Bettie Rencoret/Special to the Daily News |
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