OLLI Observer
June 24, 2018   
 
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In This Issue
Meditation Special Interest Group
Monday, June 25th, 4:15 - 5:45 p.m.
Reuter Center's Room 120
 
"The Practice and Purpose of Classical Buddhist Meditation"

John Muecke 
John Muecke, Instructor at OLLI's College for Seniors, will lecture on the practice and purpose of classical Buddhist meditation as the means to unify a clear, stable mind with insight, and the ensuing realization that changes everything.  John will then lead the group in a Buddhist meditation.

All OLLI members are welcome.

SIG contact: Sally Ekaireb 
  OLLI VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

MANNA Foodbank Team
Providing tens of thousands of meals a day to the hungry
  
Homeward Bound's 
Welcome Home Center
The key to ending homelessness

Veteran Restoration Quarters' (VRQ) Cooking Team
Restoring the lives of homeless vets
Click here for details

 
VOLUNTEER NOW ... 
You can make a 
difference!
Email for more information: 

Norman Markel    

I love volunteering at OLLI because it has helped me become familiar with the Asheville area and the OLLI community and allows me to share experiences with others.    

Norman teaches "Beyond Hello: The Five Vital Signs of Conversation." 
Guardian Ad Litem 
Volunteer Opportunity
Looking for a challenging but fulfilling volunteer opportunity? Want to have a positive impact on the lives of children? How about becoming an advocate for abused and neglected children in your community? Guardian ad Litem is always looking for dedicated and motivated community volunteers. Free training is offered quarterly; the next training will begin September 2018. 
or call 828-259-3443.
2018 OLLI Art Bazaar      

R egistration is now open for the 2018 OLLI Art Bazaar.  The Bazaar is s cheduled for Friday, November 9, 2018, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday, November 10, 2018, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.  This year's bazaar will again be a two day format and the registration fee is $35/for a single table; $70/for a double table. 

Exhibitor registrations are coming in quickly, and space is limited. Don't wait to get your registration sent in.  If you are interested in participating or know of an OLLI member who would like to join the fun, let us hear from you!

Click here to download and print an Exhibitor Registration form  or you may drop by the OLLI office to pick up a registration form. 

We are looking forward to an exciting bazaar and hope you  plan to be a part.  And if you can't exhibit this year, be sure to mark your calendar to attend and get a jump-start on your holiday shopping.

Click here to download an event flier
to post in your community center, place on your Facebook page, hand out to friends....you get the idea!

Questions, contact Leanna Preston [email protected] 
Sierra Club Meeting 
and Film Screening 
Wednesday, June 27, 6:30 p.m.
The Collider, 1 Haywood Street, Downtown Asheville
 
How can we continue to build America's economy while we protect our environment, our people and our culture? You'll find answers in a new documentary,  "Reinventing Power: America's Renewable Energy Boom." 

Join us at a free screening of the 50-minute documentary featuring North Carolina's massive Amazon Wind Farm and some of the local people who have benefited from its presence in our state.

""Reinventing Power"  shows how clean energy can help us reinvent our workforce, support clean energy industries, and protect our traditions and our environment.

Please join the WNC Group of the Sierra Club, MountainTrue and the Collider to see how clean energy is changing lives for the better in North Carolina and across the United States!
There is a suggested $10 donation for individuals and $20 for families. 


Community Volunteer Opportunity 

  The Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre (SART) in Mars Hill is seeking volunteer ushers for an exciting summer season that runs through August 12.  Ushers will have a brief orientation session before each show, will escort people to their seats and are invited to watch the show in the usher-designated seats (or buy a ticket to watch the show in reserved seats). If you are interested in volunteering, please send your name, address and telephone number to [email protected]

Dear OLLI Members,
We had a busy first week of OLLI summer classes and had good attendance for all of our special events last week. Thanks so much for including OLLI in your summer plans.

Don't forget we have College for Seniors Hot Topics presentations on Wednesday, June 27.  We will feature a panel including Jim Lenburg, Sarah Anne Smith, Julie Snyder, and Larry Wilson discussing U.S. foreign policy and a presentation by Angela Harris on cyber security strategies.  And don't forget that you will have two more opportunities to hear performers from Janiec Opera at the Brevard Music Center. 

OLLI volunteer opportunities continue throughout the summer.  Please see the opportunities offered through our Civic Engagement Committee and take time to read Beth Davey's story about the OLLI members who volunteer through the Read to Succeed program. Find out more in this newsletter about ways to volunteer as an usher with the Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre or begin to think about volunteering in the fall as a Guardian Ad Litem. And of course OLLI runs on vollunteer talent and energy. The deadline for teaching at OLLI's College for Seniors this winter is August 1; click here to find a course proposal and learn more about teaching at College for Seniors. We know that volunteering has benefits not only for the organization served but for the person who volunteers.  Make time for service as part of your creative retirement!

Thanks so much to all of you who give your time, talent and treasure to make OLLI a vibrant community of teachers and learners.
Catherine Frank
Executive Director


 Check the links here to see OLLI and UNC Asheville current events:
 
calendar
UNC Asheville Concerts on the Quad 2018
Monday Nights, June 25 and July 9 & 16, 7 p.m.
 
June 25: The Steve Alford Collective / UNC Asheville Faculty Jazz
July 9: The Get Right Band: Funk
July 16: Rissi Palmer: Southern Soul

The free concerts take place June 18 and 25, and July 9 and 16, from 7-8:30 p.m. on the UNC Asheville Quad. Concert-goers are invited to bring lawn chairs, blankets and picnics to enjoy along with the music. Meals, treats and drinks will be available from concession stands on the Quad.
Brevard Music Center Performances at OLLI
Tuesday Afternoons, July 3 and July 17, Both Performances 4 p.m.
Reuter Center Manheimer Room
 
Come get a special taste of the summer Brevard Music Festival with performances by students from the Janiec Opera Company at Brevard Music Center (BMC) on Tuesdays, July 3 and 17, 4 p.m. in the Reuter Center's Manheimer Room. Enjoy previews of "La Cenerentola" and "Candide." Gain insights into life as a young opera singer and summer at the Brevard Music Center and have your questions about the music and performance answered. 
These performances are free and open to everyone. 
Shaping Futures: One Word, One Child at a Time
by Beth Davey
 
OLLI members Patricia Hart and Sarah Bevington have discovered that 'giving back' is one of retirement's greatest joys. That's why they volunteer at Read To Succeed Asheville, where low-literacy children and adult coaches share the incomparable discovery of reading.
Hart, a retired nurse from Chicago, embraced the literacy program's early intervention with students K-Grade 3. "I feel a lot of children are getting short-changed," she says. "They're being pushed through the school system, and they fall further behind and wind up hating school and dropping out."

The Forum Special Interest Group
Friday, June 29, 1-3 p.m., Reuter Center Room 120
 
  Meeting Topic: Foreign Relations Since 1948

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

SIG contact: Beth Johnson, [email protected]
  Two Hot Topic Events
Wednesday, June 27, Manheimer Room
Free and open to everyone


9-11 a.m. U.S. Foreign Policy:  Possibilities, Perils and the Changing World Order 
A panel of OLLI members Jim Lenburg, Julie Snyder, Larry Wilson, Sarah Ann Smith and moderator Bob Bond from the World Affairs Council will discuss a range of topics including foreign relations, trade policies, U.S.-China relations, the Middle East and more.
 
 2-4 p.m. Get Ready, Set, Don't Click! Cyber Security Strategies
Angela Harris
From creating strong passwords to identifying phishing scams, come learn about the latest cybersecurity threats, unsafe behaviors related to shopping, banking and using social media. Learn take control of our digital lifestyles.

Angela Harris has been a consultant, educator and business owner for more than 14 years with expertise in online learning and personal development.


The OLLI 
Authors series continues to recog nize the many very talented poetry and prose writers among OLLI members. An OLLI Authors reading is schedul ed featuring two local writers.
 
On June 28, 5 p.m. in Room 206
  Leissa Shahrak and Richard Horvath will read selected works.  

              
                                  This series is free and open to the public.

Love Makes a Home: The Life of Rebecca Boone
By Kiesa Kay
Saturday, June 30, 3 p.m., Folk Art Center, Blue Ridge Pkwy Mile Marker 382

Daniel Boone has achieved legendary status in America as a  pathfinder, soldier, horse trader, land speculator, constantly on the move to the next frontier. "Love Makes a Home: The Life of Rebecca Boone" tells the compelling but lesser known tale of his remarkable wife, Rebecca. She traveled alongside Daniel through 20 moves and kept the family together through rough times. She gave birth to ten children and raised six more as well.  This production stars Patti Louise Smith with period-appropriate music chosen by old time fiddler and Boone family descendant, Bruce Greene, and performed by rising star William Ritter.  Tickets are $10 and available at rebeccaboone.bpt.me
Stories on Asheville's Front Porch
Saturdays, July 7, 14, 21, and 28, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Jubilee!, 46 Wall Street, Downtown Asheville

July 7, "Busking in Asheville" by Abby the Spoon Lady and Chris Rodrigues
July 14, "Appalachian Culture" by Sherry Lovett and Frederick Park
July 21, "Gullah Culture" by Donald Sweeper
July 28, "Outdoor Adventuring" by Nancy Reeder and Pat Stone


New to Medicare Class
Friday, July 13, 2 p.m.,Reuter Center Room 206

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. In partnership with OLLI, the Council on Aging of Buncombe County will hold a free class in the Reuter Center that 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 using the agency's online services at www.socialsecurity.gov


Click here to visit the Asheville Lyric Opera website  to find out how to purchase tickets for this performance at the Diana Wortham Theatre
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute | 828-251-6140 | [email protected] | http://www.olliasheville.com
Reuter Center, CPO #5000
UNC Asheville
One University Heights
Asheville, NC 28804