Skip to content
  1. Home
  2. Local News

New West dance instructor wants to gets folks moving this summer

What's happening Around Town? Retirement beckons for Tie Day founder
Theresa McManus
Theresa McManus
Zumba 2 contributed
Janice Stevens has led all sorts of dance and fitness classes, including this outdoor class at a community event. She's got some new offerings starting this month. Contributed

Janice Stevens wants to help folks get moving and stretching this summer.

The owner of Dance With Me Studio is leading drop-in Zumba and stretch classes at Centennial Community Centre on Tuesdays starting July 5 (today).

The drop-in Zumba combo is a combination of music with the one-pound maraca weights. The class, running on Tuesdays from 5:15 to 6:15 in the River Room at Centennial Community Centre, is $2 per person.

After teaching the Zumba combo class at Centennial Community Centre, Stevens will head up to Century House, where she’s teaching a stretch class on Tuesdays from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m. It costs $6.50.

“As the name suggests, it is all about setting aside dedicated time to stretch your muscles,” she wrote on Facebook. “Starting with a gentle warm-up, we then move into the major muscle groups to provide the most effective stretch with a longer ‘hold’ position maximizing flexibility and preventing injuries."

Because the classes are drop-ins, folks pay when they arrive at the class. Both classes will be running in July and August.

Retirement beckons

After three decades at Royal City Jewellers and Loans, Ken Basso has called it a day.

Basso recently retired after working at the Columbia Street business for 34 years. Through the years, he worked his way up the ranks to loans manager and then general manager.

“It’s a very long stretch of time,” said Michael Isman, president of Royal City Jewellers and Loans. “He has made a lot of friends along the way.”

Basso has been a “fantastic” employee and will be missed, Isman said.

“He is in charge of all customer issues,” he said. “He has the final word on what we can lend on an item, what we can take an item in for as a trade. He is also responsible for stocking jewellery and pricing the used jewelry that goes out for sale.”

Isman credited Basso for creating a Royal City Jewellers and Loans’ fundraiser that raised a significant amount of money for charity.

“He created Tie Day, which was a 21-year fundraiser for Greater Vancouver Food Bank that raised about one-quarter of a million dollars,” he said. “That was his baby.”

Happy retirement, Ken!