OLLI Observer
May 14, 2017 
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In This Issue
 
Kathleen,Mainardi ,Secretary of the OLLI Steering Committee 2016 - 17.
     
"I love volunteering at OLLI because I love giving back."
 
Click here to visit the OLLI Volunteering webpage and learn about volunteering opportunities 
Summer Cafe

Reuter Center Cafe hours next week are changed as follows:

Monday - closed
Tuesday - closed
Wednesday - closed
Thursday - 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Friday - 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

The Cafe will be closed
May 21-June 9, reopening first day of the summer term, June 12, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday-Thursday.
Please note that on campus 
Brown Hall (Lifestyle Dining) will be open Tuesday, June 6 through
 Wednesday, August 2
Breakfast: 7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Dinner: 5-6:30 p.m.

Argo Tea
(inside Ramsey Library)
Open Monday through  Friday
7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
The Great American 
Total Solar Eclipse of August 21, 2017
Learn More:
Wednesday, May 17, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, July 26, 6;30 p.m.


Bernie Arghiere, an observer of other total solar eclipses, will share his experiences, including why you should travel the short distance out of Asheville to see the total eclipse. He will discuss how and where to best observe the eclipse safely, what to expect during the brief 2½ minutes of totality, the Sun's chromosphere and corona (both visible during a total solar eclipse) and the celestial mechanics of how and why total solar eclipses even occur.

Documentary on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Thursday, May 18, 7 p.m.
Reuter Center Manheimer Room

A recent documentary film on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,
The Occupation of the American Mind, will be screened 
Thursday, May 18, 7 p.m. 
at UNC Asheville's Reuter Center.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion led by a member of PAJET (Palestinian and Jewish Egalitarian Team), a co-sponsor of the film and
is free and open to everyone.
  Special Interest Group: The Forum
 Friday, May 19, 1 p.m. 
Reuter Center, Room 205

"Democracy and Capitalism: 
Are They Compatible?"


  The Forum offers a free-flowing dialogue designed to enrich and expand participants' thinking on topics ranging from changing demographics of retirees to nuclear disarmament.

SIG contact: Eugene Jaroslaw, 828.255.9925, ejwestwood@gmail.com 
  Meditation 
Special Interest Group
 Monday, May 22, 4:15 p.m. 
Reuter Center, Room 120
Dr. Azra and Seren Bertrand: 
Chanting of the Sacred Feminine 
 
We welcome you to enter the soft embracing space of the divine feminine as she has been celebrated in many spiritual traditions, including the East Indian Vedic, Mystical Gnostic Christian and indigenous. The divine feminine invites us to go deeply within our own hearts and souls, and, in doing so, make contact with the universal field of consciousness. These sacred sound vibrations bring us into a state of peace, relaxation, well-being and expanded awareness.
 
All OLLI members are welcome.
For more information, Sally Ekaireb
 
Trash or Treasure?
Wednesday, June 14, 9 a.m.
Reuter Center Manheim er Room

Wonder what it's worth-that settee that you seldom sit on or the Appalachian folk art from Ashe County? Bring it to OLLI for an evaluation from renowned auctioneer Bob Brunk. founder and
Robert Brunk
president emeritus of Brunk Auctions of Asheville, Bob will give an overview of the antique/ auction world and most of the major fields of decorative arts, glass, porcelain, textiles, furniture, folk art and silver. He will also offer informal and fun evaluations of those long-stored family heirlooms. 

If your furniture is too large to transport, email a good photograph in advance to   olli@unca.edu

Free and open to the public.
Did someone say Twitter?  
Follow us on Twitter  OLLI at UNC Asheville has begun to use Twitter to send out announcements of events and happenings.  We hope you join the fun.  Here are some links that might help you get started:
Instructions for how to create an account
 
Click on the box below to follow OLLI Asheville on Twitter  
Follow us on Twitter 
Special Thanks 
OLLI would like to thank Creative Retirement Exploration Weekend   Major Sponsor, Beverly-Hanks and Associates for their longtime support of our programming.
Beverly-Hanks and Associates: "The Choice is Black and White: Unsurpassed Local Knowledge, Global Reach"

CREW helps those considering relocation in retirement examine all their options carefully and make an informed decision about this major life transition.
Dear OLLI Members,
In this season of graduations, weddings, family reunions and Mother's Day Celebrations, we hope that you remember that there is still time to be part of the allocation process for the Summer 2017 College for Seniors term.  Click here for access to the OLLI registration page.  We will have registration help available at the Reuter Center on Monday, May 15, 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. and on Tuesday, May 16, 8:30 a.m. through noon.  Click here for step-by-step instructions for online registration. Please remember that registration closes at noon on Tuesday, May 16. We will send schedules on Thursday, May 25, late in the afternoon, and our add/drop period will begin on Friday, May 26, 10 a.m.

We also hope that you will read Carol Gillen's story about Lynn Spaight, our special projects manager and College for Seniors program assistant and the OLLI Volunteer Spotlight on Kathleen Mainardi. There are also some great pictures from the Faculty Appreciation event on April 28 that capture the joyful spirit of our instructors.  Special thanks to Chancellor Mary Grant for speaking to the group, to Provost Joe Urgo for enjoying this event as part of a series of end-of-the-semester celebrations and to Jim Canavan, OLLI's university liaison, for his efforts to make sure that OLLI is a valued part of the rest of the university.

Thanks so much for everything you do to make our program thrive,
Catherine Frank
Executive Director


Check calendarthe links here to see OLLI and UNC Asheville current events:
 
Faculty Appreciation Event Photos

On April 28, 2017, OLLI College for Seniors (CFS) program hosted an appreciation event for CFS instructors.

College for Seniors Instructor Support
Spring Workshops teacher

A Workshop on Beginning PowerPoint
Thursdays, May 25 and June 1,9 a.m. to noon
at the Reuter Center.

To READ MORE and REGISTER for either, click on workshop title.


Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society Meeting
Tuesday, May 16, 7 p.m.
Reuter Center Manheimer Room

Nicaragua: Birds, 
Coffee, and People
by John Gerwin

May's Birdathon fundraiser program will feature John Gerwin speaking on birds and coffee-growing in Nicaragua. An amazing total of 706 bird species occur in Nicaragua. Habitat deforestation in the country, mainly for coffee-growing and other agricultural purposes, poses the most significant threat to resident and migratory birds. In his program, John will discuss the coffee-growing/harvesting process and the various certifications involved for shade-grown and bird-friendly coffee. He will also highlight birds and other wildlife found among coffee farms.

John Gerwin is a research curator of ornithology with the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, where he has worked since 1988. 
EMAS programs are free and open to the public. A $5 or donation of your choice is requested only at our May Birdathon fundraiser program. Thank you for your support.


Medicare Choices Made Easy!
Friday, May 19, 2 p.m., Room 206
Medicare
Are you new to Medicare? Are you confused by the many choices? Unbiased and accurate information is available from trained volunteers from the North Carolina Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program.
The Council on Aging of Buncombe County will offer a free class on
Friday, May 19, 2-4 p.m.
 in the Reuter Center. 
The class will provide important information to assist you in understanding how Medicare works and what you need to do to obtain benefits and save money.  Spaces are limited so reserve your space by registering online at www.coabc.org.   

In addition, beginning at noon,  representatives from the Social Security Administration will be available to answer questions about Social Security benefits and Medicare enrollment. They will also provide detailed instructions for accessing the Agency's online services at www.socialsecurity.gov .

Volunteer Opportunity
Buncombe County Schools 
Provides a Summer Free Lunch Program  
and Volunteers Are Needed

In 2016 Buncombe County Schools Summer Food Service Program served 72,309 free and healthy meals
 to children ages 2-18.
 
Let's keep our most precious commodity healthy and ready to learn when they come back to school in August! This is a fun, rewarding and important experience! Join us.

Get involved. Become engaged. Receive satisfaction 

Lynn Spaight: OLLI's Special Projects Manager and College for Seniors Support is all-round OLLI Cheerleader!
 
by Carol Gillen
Lynn Spaight moved to Asheville from Iowa when her husband, Tom, became engineer at WCQS public radio in 2004. Her work experience is vast and varied, including production assistance in television and publishing companies. She has also owned several businesses: Linens of the Valley in Davenport and Huck Finn University Detours, where she led tours on houseboats on the Mississippi River and met such "characters" along the way as Mark Twain, General Grant, and Colonel Davenport. In addition, she worked as program manager at Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation and at Humanities Iowa.

Click here to read the rest of the story. 

OLLI Member Book Swap

graphic-bookstore-people.jpg
Did you know there is a book swap outside Room 230 at the Reuter Center? OLLI members are free to take, read, return and donate books, whether fiction or nonfiction.  Some members would like to impose some order on the books so that members do not have to search the entire collection to find an author or book they like.  The proposal is to order the fiction books by the last name of the author and arrange them on shelves labeled A to Z.  Volunteers are needed to sort existing books alphabetically by author.  Contact Steve at  
swshanley@gmail.com
 or just start sorting.  Everyone is encouraged to return and/or donate books alphabetically.  No prior experience is needed.  Thanks for your efforts!
 
Volunteer Opportunity   

The Workshop Committee at OLLI is growing, expanding and looking for new members to serve on our committee. We are venturing out into the community with experiential learning opportunities and adventures, which will build upon what we and the College for Seniors programs already do. These are exciting times!  Bring your ideas and share the fun as we evolve.

If you wish to learn more Laurel Jernigan (staff liaison) and Ian Rudick, (committee co-chair) would love to meet with you! Email Ian comefth@frontier.com, or call 828-505-8175.  
Chautauqua History Alive

J une Festival: The Power of Words 
The president, the poet, the picket and the press-listen in as they speak for themselves! All Buncombe Chautauqua  shows will be held at AB Technical College in the Ferguson Auditorium, 340 Victoria Rd, Asheville NC.
Tickets are $5 per show or $15 for all four shows. Tickets are available at the door. For group rates please contact:  buncombe2016@gmail.com

Chautauqua is a nonprofit, experiential oral tradition that brings history to life through interactive theater and compelling discussion aimed at stimulating critical thinking.

Click here to view an event flier.

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute | 828-251-6140 | olli@unca.edu | http://www.olliasheville.com
Reuter Center, CPO #5000
UNC Asheville
One University Heights
Asheville, NC 28804