Circumventing Social Isolation though Creative Aging Communities in Wheat Ridge, Colorado Presented at the 41st Annual Meeting & Educational Leadership Conference of The Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE), February 26, 2015 to March 1, 2015. Nashville Tennessee. Linda “Mariposa” Marangia, Ph.D. Professor of Sociology The Metropolitan State College of Denver Denver, Colorado 80217

"Silver Tsunami” in Colorado …….”The largest number of older adults lived in the inner cities before the 1970s, because the young adults were moving to the new suburbs in the '50s and '60s. Now that those young adults are aging in place, suburban America faces a seismic shift, and trends like retrofitting suburbia are already popping up in places like Wheat Ridge, trends which has the highest proportion of seniors in Jefferson County, which in turn has the state's largest older population.”…… (Colorado's cities and counties prepare for the "Silver Tsunami”State's aging baby boomers expected to double by 2030. By Colleen O'Connor) The Denver Post Posted:  ( 03/30/2014 )

Wheat Ridge, Colorado 65 years or older account for 18.6 percent of the city’s population of 31,000 Ranked fifth on” Best Places to Retire in the United States.” (“Livability’s 2014 Best Places to Retire list”)

National Center for Creative Aging (NCCA) (Founded by Dr. Gene Cohen: The Creative Age and Susan Perlstein: Elders Share the Arts National service organization dedicated to fostering the relationship between creative expression and healthy aging.

Community Services for Creative Aging ---in Wheat Ridge Colorado, and immediate vicinity Senior Center Theater Historical Character Enactment Readers’ Theater Laughter Jam Sessions Outdoor Sketch and Paint Rambles Sponsors: Highland Senior Recreation Center; Wheat Ridge Active Adult Center

Historical Character Enactment --Tempest Storm Role, by Virginia Auge. Denver, Colorado Other Roles include: Mollie Brown; Mattie Silks; Mamie Eisenhower; Tokyo Rose

The Highlands Senior Center Players Director and Producer: Jan De Luna, Denver Colorado Production of Scrooge Other Productions include: Arsenic and Lace; You Can’t Take it With You; The Odd Couple; Wizard of Oz; A Lot for Sale (forthcoming, and written by a Troupe member)

“A Lot For Sale” Forthcoming original “message “ play written by Highland’s Troupe Player, Daniel Angel Martinez Excerpt from the play: Who knows you deep inside? Is there something that you denied? You and only you have the key. To set the inner child free……

Readers’ Theater Directed and Produced by Tricia Ferlic, Wheat Ridge Colorado

Laughter Jam Sessions Leaders: Dr Laughter Jam Sessions Leaders: Dr. David and Tricia Ferlic Wheat Ridge, Colorado

Urban Sketch and Paint Rambles in Wheat Ridge, CO, And Vicinity. W. Courtney Armstrong Eleisa Marsala Trampler Lorrie Harness Norman Ziegler Henry Anderson Diane Potter