Gateway Urban Center Kicks Off Healthy Happy Hour Series

Gateway Community & Technical College has begun a new Healthy Happy Hour Series of fun, informative family activities at its Urban Center in downtown Covington at 525 Scott Boulevard. The activities are free of charge and open to the public.

The activities are designed to help Covington become a healthier, happier community, said Michael Lee, Gateway director of inclusion and cultural initiatives. They are part of our outreach to bring the community into Gateway where we make success happen.

The series began May 7 with Zumba classes that continue for another five weeks on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Its not too late to come and have fun in these Latin-inspired, dance-fitness classes led by licensed instructor YVonne Burkart, Lee said.

The second installment in the Healthy Happy Hour initiative is a series of discussions of world beliefs. The seminars will take place every Thursday from June 6 until Aug. 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. The discussions will feature the different viewpoints of Christians, Jews and Muslims on end times' topics.

The world-belief seminars will be led by Dr. Alma Burnette, a native of Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine area. She is a graduate of Taft High School, the University of Cincinnati and St. Luke Evangelical Bible School. She holds associate, bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in topics as diverse as electronic technology, website design, theology and Biblical studies. A speaker, teacher, graphic designer, and writer, Dr. Burnette wrote the award-winning teaching guide Zorro in the Classroom for the Family Channel, as well as many other cultural resources.

The world belief seminars should be fascinating as participants explore translations of ancient scriptures and the change in meaning of words as they were used when they were written within the context of the cultural background, Lee said.

The Healthy Happy Hour series will feature additional family activities, including a kettle bell exercise program and martial arts classes. Dates and times will be announced as new classes are scheduled.

For more information or to sign up for sessions, call (859) 442-1166.