Within the main room of the Nicholas Parahus Senior Center in East Lyme last Tuesday, seniors in small groups engaged in games of Scrabble, while across the room, a pair of friends sat at a table and chatted over cups of coffee.

Elsewhere at the center, residents settled into morning routines of practicing chair yoga, or painting on canvases. The schedule for later in the day included games of bridge and mahjong, and a PiYo class.

It was another day full of activities at the senior center, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary since it first opened its doors at its home on Society Road.

In 1990, a new community center complex had opened on Society Road to house the East Lyme Public Library, Youth Services, Parks and Recreation, the visiting nurse association and senior center.

Cathy Wilson, the director of the senior center, said the agencies recognized the need to expand, as well as the synergy that could come from being housed under one roof.

A quarter century later, she said the senior center continues to serve older adults, whether they need help with finances, want to make new friends, or aspire to learn something new.

The center tries to offer activities for a range of skill levels and ages, from 55 years old and up, she said. It also provides opportunities both for seniors who want to give back to the community and for those who want to be involved in new activities.

The senior center has tweaked its offerings to respond to shifts in demographics and society, said Wilson. For example, as people understand that health and wellness programs promote a better quality of life, the center has seen those programs grow.

"You hope you reflect the wants and desires of the people you're trying to serve," said Wilson.

Scrabble, Pickleball and chair yoga are some of the center's most popular programs. Some seniors also reconnect to hobbies they enjoyed when they were younger, such as the drama club at high school, said Wilson. Seniors have put on drama productions, including "The Mousetrap" and "Plaza Suite."

The center, along with the Lymes’ Senior Center and Waterford Social Services, offers trips for seniors. Wilson said this collaboration allows seniors to meet new people who live outside of town, but are still nearby.

To mark the 25th anniversary, the center held a “Silver Jubilee” luncheon on Aug. 21 attended by about 85 residents, as well as staff members and volunteers. First Selectman Mark Nickerson and State Sen. Paul Formica, R-East Lyme, both gave speeches at the occasion.

Many at the event remarked that they couldn't believe 25 years had already gone by since the community center first opened, said Wilson.

The community complex opened under then-First Selectman Dennis J. Murphy, Jr. The senior center was to house programs of the Commission on Aging, according to newspaper archives.

Before the center opened on Society Road, services for seniors were underway, including senior nutrition classes that began in town in the 1980s, and the first newsletter for seniors which references the efforts of Virginia White, then the municipal agent for the elderly, said Wilson. In the 1970s, a private club for seniors, called the East Lyme Senior Citizens Club, had been formed. 

Today, the community center walls hold a plaque for those who helped in the effort to build the center. Parahus, for whom the center was named, served on the design committee for the community center and library, and as the Chairman of the East Lyme Commission on Aging.

"There's a pretty good history of people recognizing that there needs to be a touchstone for older adults," said Wilson.

Last week at the senior center, Joseph Palazzo, who has volunteered with the center for nearly 9 years and helped prepare meals for the jubilee luncheon, along with his wife, Rita Palazzo and Steven Kelley, said he enjoys serving the seniors.

"The seniors are a great crowd, and they enjoy every minute of it," he said.

k.drelich@theday.com

Twitter: @KimberlyDrelich