Ormond Beach music academy offering free guitar lessons for veterans

Ormond Beach Observer
Your Town

As the Elite Academy of Music and Motion celebrates its fifth-anniversary, it is once again offering a free guitar class for veterans with a service-related disability, beginning Saturday, Sept. 21 at 1:30 p.m.

The six-week session led by Elite Academy Director Damian Bonazzoli will meet every Saturday after that, and the Elite Academy has 8 guitars to give away for class participants who don't yet have one. All students will receive a free lesson book as well.

Vietnam veteran Garry Norton participated in the guitar classes last year. He said he saw it advertised and decided to try it out.

"The lessons and comradery were more than I thought they would be," Norton said in an email. "So much so that I still continue with the lessons at the Academy now."

Preregistration for the class is required. The Elite Academy of Music and Motion is located at 142 E. Granada Blvd. Call 386-256-5847.

COA delivers hundreds of Meals on Wheels

The Council of Aging of Volusia County volunteers delivered more than 150 Meals on Wheels throughout the county prior to the Labor Day weekend and the anticipated arrival of Hurricane Dorian.

“We thought we would need staff and substitute drivers to get all the meals out,” said Gladys Lacen, manager of recreation, nutrition, and respite programs in a press release, “but our volunteers expressed concern for the individuals they deliver meals to, and many even volunteered to take on extra routes.”

Volunteers delivered both hot and frozen meals.

COA President and CEO Sarah Gurtis reported no accounts of hurricane-related problems from clients when case managers called to check on them.

“We are very relieved that all of our clients came through this without reported problems, and we are extremely grateful to our dedicated volunteers,” she said.