Tomorrow, November 11 is Veterans Day. In honor of the holiday, the OLLI office will be closed and there are no classes.

OLLI's Thanksgiving break is November 21-25. We hope you get to enjoy the holiday with your friends, family, and feasting! Classes will resume on November 28.

A study by OLLI at UC Berkeley showed that the number one reason OLLI members leave OLLI is hearing loss and the frustration and/or embarrassment it causes. In an effort to counter this trend, OLLI is partnering with faculty and graduate students in the Chico State Communication Sciences and Disorders Program (CMSD) to develop teaching and learning opportunities for OLLI members and Chico State students.

Professor Suzanne Bonneau Miller and her students are offering two activities for OLLI that address hearing loss and identify ways we can improve the overall classroom experience by becoming more aware of issues and techniques used to address hearing loss. Your participation can help foster this ongoing relationship with CMSD and lead to more shared teaching-learning opportunities.

OLLI sponsor Valley’s Edge has been in the news lately, with groups voicing their opinions for and against the new 1,400+ acre community park and housing development, equally geared towards young families and older adults. Opponents worry about the environmental impact of the new development, as well as too few low-income housing options. Proponents point to the City’s General Plan, which calls for “mixed-use development,” while maintaining Chico’s “small-town character through sound planning.”

In the works for more than a decade, Valley’s Edge has looked for ways that housing, recreation, and conservation can co-exist in a place planned and designed for the people who live there. With its focus on universal or aging-in-place, Valley's Edge homes are being created to help people continue to live independently or semi-independently in their home as they age, with a proposed clubhouse and outdoor amphitheater, as well as bike and walking trails interwoven throughout.

Over the next decade, 22,000 of Chico’s current residents will hit retirement age, many looking for opportunities to downsize while staying connected to a community of other active adults. The Senior Villages proposed in Valley’s Edge are designed to help the community respond to increased demand for a wide variety of housing types, lifestyles, and affordability levels.

Last month, the final Environment Impact Report concluded that the proposed Valley’s Edge Specific Plan is consistent with Chico’s General Plan, stating that potential environmental impacts have been consciously considered and mitigated, with attention to the existing unique natural features on the site, including protected habitat, cultural resources, and rock walls.

Over the past four years, the Valley’s Edge team has included OLLI members and campus faculty in a series of meetings, workshops, and field trips, open to all members, with the opportunity to air concerns and express a vision for a lifelong learning community that is both accessible and responsible.

The Valley’s Edge Specific Plan will be moving through public hearings late this year and early 2023. Visit the Valley’s Edge website to learn more about this project and to make your opinions known.

OLLI is expanding its programming to include more day trips, as well as our first overseas adventure!

Experience the “Emerald Isle” with seasoned tour guides from Collette, a favorite touring company of other OLLIs in the Osher network. From breathtaking nature and stunning coasts to a captivating culture and friendly locals, this OLLI-exclusive experience promises a memorable journey in the company of friends.

View the Shades of Ireland full itinerary (pdf) and book now for discounted rates. A representative from Collette will be presenting at the OLLI In-Person Spring Class Preview on January 12 at the Chico Masonic Family Center and available for questions.

Want to stay closer to home? We’ve got that covered too!

In partnership with Chico Area Recreation & Park District (CARD) and Capay Rancho Women’s Club, OLLI is offering a series of day trips – starting in December!

Get into the holiday spirit at The Redding Garden of Lights. Turtle Bay Exploration Park is transformed with over one million lights, 10 acres of illumination, holiday music, food trucks and beverages.

Saturday, December 10, 3:45-9:30pm

The Simon & Garfunkel Story is told through a full band and state of the art video projection and lighting at The Cascade Theater. Join us for an evening of good music and fun. Appetizers will be served on the ride to Redding, you bring your own beverages.

Tuesday, January 17, 5 - 11pm

OLLI members joined Eric Miller and Eric Dugger, pictured, on October 12 and October 26 to learn about trash, recycling, and the history and operations of the Neal Road Recycling and Waste Facility. Eric and Eric prepared a class outline that included everything from the history of trash to the future plans for the Neal Road Landfill.

The Neal Road Landfill is Butte County's longest-running construction site, with daily changes as trash arrives and landfill staff compact and arrange it – even the roads move!

Attendance was high, with full classes both days. Members praised the class as “very interesting” and “just fantastic.”

In 1999, transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith organized a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester and other trans people who had been killed since Rita's death in 1998. Trans Day of Remembrance is now celebrated annually on November 20 to honor the lives lost to anti-transgender violence in the previous year.

Locally Stonewall Alliance of Chico and Faith Lutheran Church of Chico will hold a candlelight vigil on Sunday, November 20 at 6pm outside in the Faith Lutheran Church Courtyard (map).

Leading up to Trans Day of Remembrance is Transgender Awareness Week, November 13-19. This is a time to learn about trans people and their lives. One great way to learn about trans lives is to view the photos and read the stories on To Survive On This Shore. Photographer Jess T. Dugan and social worker Vanessa Fabbre spent five years traveling around the country interviewing and photographing trans and gender-nonconforming older adults. The result is a collection of portraits and interviews that demonstrate the wide variety of journeys trans and gender-nonconforming people take as they age.

The Social Cafeteria is a great place to connect with other members. For the second time this fall, someone there was overheard singing OLLI’s praises! Longtime member Gayle Womack joined other OLLI members, including new member Nancy Squyres for lunch when Nancy shared her thoughts about our intergenerational dining spot.

"The lunch experience at the cafeteria is wonderful! Stimulating conversations and discussions regarding our classes is an hour well spent," Nancy said. "Coming from so many different backgrounds allows for an infusion of ideas, feelings, and viewpoints contributing to discussions about our classes. It's also a time to meet and make new friends and enjoy good food at a very reasonable price."

The OLLI Play Festival is returning in Spring 2023 for its 8th year! The Zoom Play Festival will take place in March, with plans for a live Stage Play Festival in June. Plays are written, directed, and acted by OLLI members. Join in the fun!

Zoom Plays Due: January 6, 2023

Zoom Auditions: January 23-24, 2023

For more information, including submission guidelines, please contact Debbie Vermette at [email protected].

Pictured: A live screening of Space Travel 2030, Spring '22.

If you have something to say, a photo to share, or a question to pose to the editor, you can submit information using our OLLI Newsletter Submission form.