October 09, 2000|BY A SUN STAFF WRITER
Senior citizens have one place to go each year in Baltimore County to have their hearing tested, listen to big-band music, look for a job, shop for a nursing home and surf the Internet.
Baltimore County's 14th annual Senior Expo will be held Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. The event will feature more than 150 exhibits ranging from gambling casinos to cemeteries to attorneys specializing in legal issues for the elderly.
The expo raises money for needy seniors to fund emergency payments, including utility bills and medications, or to pay for wheelchair ramps, said Arnold J. Eppel, deputy director of the Baltimore County Department of Aging.
Last year, said Eppel, more than 7,000 people attended the expo, which raised $116,000.
This year, visitors can vote in a straw poll for president, compete in either ballroom or Latin dancing and watch demonstrations of cooking, fitness and woodcarving.
For the first time, this year's expo will feature several types of health screenings, including hearing, vision, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose. Physicians and pharmacists will be available for talks. Flu shots and pneumonia inoculations will be offered.
A senior job expo will be held Thursday and will offer job opportunities in banking, retail, food service, clerical and nursing. Information: 410-887-4006.
On Wednesday the county's Commission on Aging will host a "2000 Legislative Expo Breakfast" at 10:30 a.m. Local elected officials will discuss prescription drug coverage for the elderly, Older Americans Act Reauthorization and other laws that oversee health care and housing for seniors.
Admission is $5 and includes a free mesh bag to encourage people to recycle. Information: 410-887-2594.
