Senior Center President Honored for 26 Years of Service by Breeanna Jent - City News Group, Inc.
View Upcoming Events View Your Local Sales

Community Calendar

◄ NOVEMBER ►
S M T W T F S
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
08 09 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 01 02 03 04 05
View Events
Submit Events

Senior Center President Honored for 26 Years of Service

By Breeanna Jent, Staff Writer
December 18, 2013 at 10:17am. Views: 72

During its Dec. 10 meeting, the Grand Terrace City Council recognized JoAnn Johnson for her over two decades of service to her community. Johnson, who has resided in the bedroom community since 1958, has served in various capacities on the board of the Grand Terrace Senior Center, most recently as its president. At the end of this year, she will retire from her post and her position with the board. Jane Haines will succeed Johnson in the role of Senior Center president. Her start with the Senior Center was an unexpected one, she told the Grand Terrace City News. "It's actually rather funny," she said. "I'd had a terrible summer in 1986 and I wanted to make sure, after that, that my finances would be in order. I heard [the Senior Center] was hosting a program that had a financial advisor at the center and I thought, 'I'll go to that meeting and see if I have done everything right.'" Following the presentation, the Senior Center was also electing new board members. The positions of president and vice president were already filled but the center was in need of both a secretary and a treasurer. When no one in attendance offered to volunteer for the board positions, Johnson said the current president at the time became visibly agitated. "Here I am, a total stranger, sitting at the back of the room; the president finally asked, 'Is there anybody willing to take these positions?' and I said nothing. There was dead silence! And she became very mad," Johnson said. "She said, 'If no one wants to do anything, then maybe we'll disband.' Here I am, and I don't know a soul but there's guilt written all over my face. So I raised my hand and said, 'I could probably be the treasurer.'" With 16 years experience as a middle school math teacher, Johnson felt she could fit the need for the treasurer, she explained. "That was my introduction to the Senior Center and from there it just went," she said. Throughout her 26 total years helping manage the facility, Johnson has served numerous times as the center's president and has helped establish many programs and activities throughout her tenure that Senior Center members continue to enjoy, including programs like Bingo and Bunco. Johnson's daily responsibilities include organizing bi-weekly programs, securing refreshments for presentations, writing the Senior Center's monthly newsletter, writing a column for the Grand Terrace Area Chamber of Commerce's Blue Mountain Outlook newsletter and, generally, whatever else she is needed for. "My motto is: If it needs to be done and there's nobody else to do it, you do it yourself," she said. As Haines prepares to take over the duties and responsibilities of the president, Johnson said she will be retiring from the board — but she won't disappear completely. "I'll still be available to help if they need me," she said. The Senior Center provides a breadth of recreational and social activities for Blue Mountain seniors, including daily lunches, arts and crafts, bingo, bridge, card games, educational courses, music lessons, health screenings and services, a senior boutique, senior service advising, support groups and workshops. The center's monthly general meeting on the second Friday of every month at 10 a.m., also includes various entertainment, from magical acts to live bands and more. Johnson said there's a lot that she'll miss but mostly she'll miss the residents. "I'll miss being here and being with the people," she said.

Related Articles

Photo Courtesy of: TME Photography by Titan Mom Elvira

By Titan Mom Elvira, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 231

Athlete of the Week Christopher Michael Lemos, Redlands High School Junior and Varsity Quarterback, proudly represents the Terriers with his dedication, leadership, and passion for the game.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 252

Redlands Pottery Project joins A.K. Smiley Public Library for a November 14 workshop designed for young artists ages 13 to 18. A lump of clay may not look like much at first. In the hands of a young artist, however, it can become a bowl, a decorative sculpture or an entirely unexpected creation.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.redlands.edu/

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 313

The University of Redlands Department of Theatre and Dance will present Día de los Muertos and Other Folk Tales November 5 through 8, 2026. Stories told by grandparents often become treasured parts of a family's history. Some are humorous, others mysterious, and many carry lessons that remain meaningful long after the storyteller is gone.

Photo Courtesy of: UC San Diego's ALERTCalifornia

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 261

A remote wildfire-monitoring camera overlooks a Southern California landscape. Redlands has partnered with UC San Diego's ALERTCalifornia program to improve monitoring of areas near northern Redlands and the Santa Ana River wash.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.akspl.org/events/

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:26pm. Views: 265

Annual ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial Shrine will bring American history to life on November 21. On a November morning in Redlands, the sounds of fifes, drums and historic artillery will offer residents an opportunity to experience a chapter of American history that continues to influence the nation more than 160 years after the Civil War.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:18pm. Views: 255

The first years of a child's life are filled with milestones that families often remember forever. A baby's first smile, the first attempt to crawl and the first spoken words are moments of celebration. They can also bring questions, uncertainty and new responsibilities for parents learning how to care for a growing child.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.csusb.edu/

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 293

CSUSB’s Department of Physics and Astronomy has earned recognition for it for its work to create a more inclusive, diverse and supportive physics department, earning the Bronze Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science Physics & Astronomy SEA Change program.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.naco.org/program/operation-green-light-veterans

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 422

Operation Green Light returns November 4–11, encouraging residents to recognize military service and help veterans connect with available resources. As darkness settles over San Bernardino during the first week of November, green lights will illuminate several county buildings, transforming familiar government facilities into visible reminders of the sacrifices made by America's military veterans.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.authentikusa.com/

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 255

As America's most famous highway celebrates its centennial in 2026, San Bernardino reflects on the road that helped shape its neighborhoods, businesses and identity. Long before interstate highways became the preferred routes for cross-country travel, motorists making their way through San Bernardino followed a road that would become one of the most recognizable highways in American history.

Photo Courtesy of: Corina Borsuk and provided courtesy of SBCUSD

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

November 3, 2026 at 03:06pm. Views: 211

Muscoy Elementary students join SBCUSD Superintendent Mauricio Arellano, Board of Education President Mayra Ceballos, Assistant Superintendents Dr. Sandra Rodriguez and Dr. Tasha Doizan, Director MaryRone Goodwin and San Bernardino County Supervisor Joe Baca Jr. for the official ribbon cutting ceremony that opened the school’s new outdoor learning center.

Photo Courtesy of: https://riversiderecord.org/; A photo of Moreno Valley City Hall. (Alicia Ramirez/The Riverside Record) Credit: (Photo by Alicia

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:39pm. Views: 590

A city is often judged by what residents experience every day: the condition of its streets, the reliability of public services, the availability of recreational programs and the ease of obtaining information from local government. Behind those everyday experiences are departments and employees whose work rarely attracts national attention.

Photo Courtesy of: TME Photography by Titan Mom Elvira

By Titan Mom Elvira, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:39pm. Views: 554

Athlete of the Week Zachary Scott Perez, Senior at John W. North High School, is recognized as Athlete of the Week for his dedication and accomplishments as a student athlete.

--> -->