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OLLI winter/spring 2018 semester announced | December 27, 2017 SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — Osher Lifelong Learning Institute — OLLI — Winter/Spring 2018 semester begins Tuesday, Jan. 30 with an overview of the “Weapons of Fraud,” and how to stay vigilant against becoming a victim. This local educational group is pleased that its membership has steadily increased as people have become familiar with the engaging style of the speakers and the topics offered. Sponsored by the University of Vermont, OLLI is run by local volunteer members and is geared mainly towards seniors who are 50 years of age and over who enjoy learning for the fun of it. Anyone who would be interested in this type of program, regardless of their age, is welcome. There are many interesting programs planned by the local committee to inform and interest participants such as local and Vermont history, nature, health, science, literature, art, music, world and current event subjects. The programs are held Tuesdays at 2 p.m. and last about an hour-and-a-half. The meeting location is the Nolin Murray Center on Pleasant Street, next to St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Springfield, Vermont. Memberships are $45 each semester and include entrance to all nine programs in the semester as well as admittance to the seven other Osher Institute programs throughout Vermont, such as in Brattleboro, Rutland and St. Johnsbury. Non-members are welcome and encouraged to attend individual programs for an $8 program fee. To facilitate registration, please send memberships to UVM OLLI Registration Office, 460 South Prospect St., Burlington, VT 05401. Include a paper with your name, address, phone number and email address. Checks should be made payable to The University of Vermont. Indicate that it for the Springfield OLLI. Memberships and day fees may also be paid at the program. The latest brochures have been printed and distributed throughout the area at public locations such as local libraries, town halls, community and senior center and chamber of commerce offices. Requests for a brochure can be made by calling (802) 885-3094. The program listing can be viewed and downloaded from the internet at www.learn.uvm.edu/olli. Choose statewide sites and scroll to Springfield. For weather-related changes to the schedule, check the above mentioned website or SAPA TV at (802) 885-6248 or call (802) 885-3094. Thanks go out to local benefactor Barbara Sanderson and also to the Springfield Garden Club and the Ascutney Mountain Audubon Society, who are co-sponsoring programs. Following is the listing of programs for the Winter/Spring 2018 semester: Jan. 30 “Weapons of Fraud,” with Elliott Greenblott, coordinator at AARP Vermont Fraud Watch. Every two seconds, someone in the United States falls victim to identity theft — by phone, in the mail, and on the internet. The group will hear an overview of the leading scams and techniques of con artists and discuss steps to take to avoid victimization. Feb. 13 “The History of Spices,” with Hank Kaestner, former director of Spice Procurement for McCormick & Co. This program is co-sponsored by Springfield Garden Club. During his travels as spice buyer for the world’s largest spice company, Kaestner literally followed in the footsteps of the early explorers, Vasco Da Gama and Columbus. Feb. 27 “Gold Mines of New England,” with Jim Pecora, author, mining historian, director of Mica Mine Schoolhouse Museum in Alstead. Co-sponsored by the Ascutney Mountain Audubon Society. New Hampshire and Vermont produce nearly 24-carat gold right out of the ground. The group will hear scams, myths, and facts about the most sought-after metal in the earth. March 13 “Mozart: Child Prodigy Makes Good!” with Erik Nielsen, professional composer. Once the young child grew out of prodigy status, however, Mozart had to earn his living by his art. The money was often inadequate, but Mozart’s variety of creations demonstrated his genius. March 27 “The Construction and History of the Cheshire Railroad,” with Alan Rumrill, director of the Historical Society of Cheshire County, New Hampshire. The Cheshire Railroad ran from North Ashburnham, Massachusetts to Bellows Falls and operated for more than 130 years. The group will learn how this technological marvel of the 1840s impacted the people and economy of the Monadnock Region. April 10 “The Cornish Colony,” with Henry Duffy, curator of Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site. At the end of the 19th century, the village of Cornish flourished as the center for classical arts in America. The group will learn how the great sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens was the focal point of a gathering of artists, writers, musicians, political scientists and even the President of the United States, that came to be known as “the American Athens.” April 24 “The Granite Cutters’ Story: A History of Vermont’s 200-Year-Old Granite Industry,” with Scott McLaughlin, director, of the Granite Museum in Barre, Vermont. The group will learn about the cultural and anthropological perspective of Vermont’s granite industry as a tale of hope and loss, and of the eager immigrants, chasing a dream, who shaped the nation’s cemeteries, parks and public architecture. May 1 “Life of a Foot Soldier During the Revolutionary War,” with Damien Cregeau, independent historian. The group will learn what life was like for a soldier in America’s Revolutionary War from our speaker who will come dressed in a Revolutionary War military uniform and carry his “kit” of equipment of the era. May 8 “Political Polarization in the United States: Causes and Consequences,” with Eric Davis, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Middlebury College. The group will consider the causes of the political polarization that has increased in the country over the past 15 to 20 years to an all-time high.
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