Community is lots of things. On this past August 15th it was sharing a bowl of ice cream with friends at the Armory Senior Center. It was the Annual Ice Cream Social, the brainchild of Armory Board member Karen Olson. This year neighbors met, talked, relaxed, partook of that American favorite, and, in fact, even danced.
There was lots of vanilla and chocolate with caramel and fudge sauces and gourmet toppings, all provided by our downtown neighbor Maynard’s. All in all over ten gallons were dispensed by Karen, Nancy, Dolores and Paul.
An afternoon with typical Tucson temperatures in the hundreds didn’t keep folks away. The high turnout led to a need for more ice cream than anticipated, and fortunately, the Armory Park Community Center had extra to help serve all who came looking for some cool relief.
Ice cream and conversation were complemented by the guitar licks of Shawn Kebler, an AP resident who plays a hot jazz guitar (and also gives guitar lessons). He was accompanied by two other neighborhood musicians: Guy Gershoni on drums and Colin Shook on bass.
Among the participants, one little girl wore a big smile and a great deal of vanilla. A senior from the Armory Apartments, when asked if she were enjoying herself, said with a wink, “You must be kidding. This is ice cream, isn’t it?”
From behind the counter filling neighbors’ bowls, Paul Gohdes noted, “We fed over a hundred people and most came back for seconds and even thirds.”
Armory Park Neighborhood Association 