Bookends
September 2026
It’s time for the 2nd Annual Senior Fair in Custer County! Sponsored by West Custer County Library and Landing Well, the Senior Fair takes place Friday, October 2 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lange Hall, and includes snacks and a free lunch. It’s open to everyone, not just older adults: anyone who is, knows, or works with elders. That’s most of us!
What will you find there? Vendors, products, and services all geared to address aging, and aging in place, in Custer County. You will find organizations that help with the whole gamut of elder needs – from dementia and durable medical equipment to end-of-life planning, caregiver support, nutrition and wellness, mental health – and even fun! And a whole lot more – over 27 organizations will be there, with more still being added. Each organization will have a representative there to answer your questions and refer you to further resources. Think: the Area Agency on Aging, Wet Mountain Valley Rotary medical lending and van service, the Senior Center, Altitude Fitness and Solvista Health, just to name a few of who you’ll find there. Custer County Public Health will also conduct a free flu shot clinic at the Fair. And in the wake of the Aspen Acres fire, this year’s Senior Fair has a special focus on emergency preparedness. Prepare to welcome first responders and representatives of Custer County’s Office of Emergency Management. Meet all these resources, take advantage of the education they offer, ask your questions, and enjoy a free lunch! Friday, October 2 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lange Hall, 312 South Third Street Westcliffe, kitty-corner from Hermit Park on Third Street.
While you’re waiting, here are some reading and watching suggestions featuring elders. Start with Wayne Ewing’s In the Land of Forgetfulness: Meditations on Dementia Care as Spiritual Formation. If you’re ready for something lighthearted, try The Thursday Murder Club (Osman) and sequels: four residents of a retirement community investigate an unsolved murder. Then there’s The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules (Ingelman-Sundberg): a group of retirement-home residents decide that a life of crime might offer more excitement—and better living conditions. Then take it to England with The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (Joyce), where a recently retired man sets off on foot across England to visit an old friend, discovering much about himself along the way. And if you’re into thrillers, try Killers of a Certain Age (Raybourn) and sequel, in which four women in their sixties, trained as elite assassins, discover that their own organization has marked them for elimination. All of these are available for free in print, e-book, and some as e-audiobooks (except Wayne’s book, not available as an e-book or e-audio). Several have sequels and are also films.
Don’t have a library card? Let us help you! September is Sign Up for A Library Card month. The Library is So Much More Than Books! Besides the Senior Fair, the Library has lots of educational programming geared to older adults. Call 719/783-9138, stop in, or follow the instructions on our website www.westcusterlibrary.org to apply for a card online and to check our event schedule.