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News From
Academy for Lifelong Learning of Cape Cod, Inc.
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October 2026
"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall."
F. Scott Fitzgerald
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- Fall Academic Calendar
- President's Message
- Register For 2nd Session
- Spring Course Proposals
- ALL Annual Appeal
- Reflections 2027 - Call For Submissions
- Upcoming Fall Social
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- RMD Financial Workshop
- Coordinator Luncheon
- Super Seniors Podcast Series - Episode 3
- Things To Do In October
- Tell A Friend About ALL
- Check Out Our Updated Art Exhibit
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The ALL office at Cape Cod Community College is open from
9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Feel free to contact us:
Email: lifelonglearning@capecod.edu
Telephone: 774-330-4400 (please leave a message)
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Temperature and humidity are going down, and membership numbers are going up. The number of members, at over 500, is a post-Covid record—and still growing.
In terms of capacity, ALL has two classrooms on the college campus.
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Monday through Thursday, with five daily sessions in each classroom, that gives us 40 available class slots. Thirty-eight of those slots currently have classes in them. That’s about 95% of our classroom capacity for those four days.
What about Friday? It seems that no one wants to “work” on Fridays on the Cape, so we currently use the classrooms for in-person and hybrid board and project meetings. But we encourage coordinators and members to consider Friday courses, including more courses on Zoom. What a great way to end the week—with intriguing food for thought for the weekend!
Keep in mind that not every class is filled; there is still room in many classes, especially in the second set of six-week courses, which begin in late October—only a few weeks away. Check our website under “Courses” for a list of open classes (capecodall.org).
In other news, we will be celebrating our 40th anniversary in the coming year. That is a lot of stability and clear evidence, as if we needed any, that ALL is here to stay.
And don’t miss reading about the many opportunities beyond the classroom that come with being a member. One of those opportunities will bring together one of the largest gatherings of present members—the Fall Social. Watch for your invitation!
Every time I step into a class, or simply walk through the door of our suite, I am delighted to be part of such a joyful gathering of enthusiastic Cape Cod seniors. It sure keeps me going!
Roger Shoemaker
ALL President
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Register Now for Our
Second 6-Week Session
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Second Session Classes
Run From
October 27 Through December 16
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In addition, ALL members already registered for fall 2026 classes are also welcome to sign up for classes with openings. We will contact the coordinator for approval.
Click on the following button to access the open ALL class list
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An Invitation To Submit
Spring 2027 Course Proposals
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Do you have a unique interest or skill you would like to share with others?
Consider submitting a course proposal for Spring 2027. We are particularly interested in courses in foreign languages, nutrition, fine arts, crafts, art history, health care management, technology, and climate change.
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The Curriculum Committee happily announces that our portal will open October 16 and will be ready to receive course proposals for the Spring 2027 semester.
The deadline for course submission is Monday, November 16.
Veteran coordinators are invited to submit courses for Spring 2027. Information on how to access the portal and submit your course will go out to all current coordinators soon.
If you are interested in offering an ALL course for the first time, the first step is to discuss your course ideas with a member of the Curriculum Committee who will guide you and answer all your questions.
Contact: lifelonglearning@capecod.edu
Henry Tamzarian
Chair, Curriculum Committee
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ALL Annual Appeal
Donate To Our Future
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The Academy for Lifelong Learning is growing and with that brings changes in ways to meet our membership's wants and needs. ALL has set a target of $10,000 for this year’s donation request for those needs.
We’ve raised $1,500 in the first three months of this year. Thank you for your generosity.
Join us at our Required Minimum Distribution/ Qualified Charitable Donation Workshop scheduled for October 30th and learn how you too can donate and bypass paying taxes on your IRA distribution. See details elsewhere in this month’s newsletter.
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Reflections 2027
Request for Submissions
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As summer begins to wind down on Cape Cod, I begin to wonder if I took full advantage of all the Cape has to offer. Did I check out the sunrises and sunsets, especially with the drama that the Canadian wildfires provided? Did I eat enough summer treats? Did I take in the sea air? Did I avoid the traffic as only a local can? Did I invite enough company to indulge in tourist temptations? As you can see, reflection is part and parcel of fully capturing the moments that turn into memories.
And that, my friends, is what we on the Reflections team are asking you to do. We want you to plumb those memories you are so famous for. The theme for our 2027 Reflections magazine is “Colors of Our Lives.” We are soliciting submissions that speak to that theme in the ways that only you can provide.
Please send us your essays, poems, photography and artwork that illustrate the language of colors. They may be natural, rainbows, political commentary, ecological, romantic, humorous or anything else. Please use the button below to go to the website for our submission guidelines and then write your hearts out. We’ll do the rest. We look forward to hearing from you!
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DJ Foley
Reflections Editor-in-Chief
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Fall Social - October 15, 2026
It's Time To Meet And Mingle!
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Last year, over 90 members attended and enjoyed an opportunity to socialize, meet new folks and reconnect with old friends. This is an open-house type event. Come for a short time or come for the whole time!
The Fall Social will be held Thursday, October 15 at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod at 307 Old Main Street in South Yarmouth from 5-7 p.m. Wine, soft drinks and appetizers will be provided.
There is no cost to current Fall 2026 ALL members, but we do ask that you sign up for the event by Friday, October 9.
Please sign up early as there is a limit on the number attending!
To RSVP, you can call the ALL front office or email us at lifelonglearning@capecod.edu.
We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, October 15.
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Upcoming Financial Workshop:
Demystifying RMDs
October 30, 2026 - 10:00 a.m.
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Are You Turning 73 This Year, Or Already Navigating Mandatory Retirement Distributions?
If you hold a Traditional IRA, 401(k), 403(b), or other tax-deferred account, reaching age 73 introduces an important financial milestone: Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs).
Understanding how and when to draw from these accounts is essential for protecting your savings, avoiding steep penalties, and minimizing your tax burden before year-end.
Join us for an informative, practical workshop presented by financial expert Mary Crawford.
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Date: Friday, October 30
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Time: 10:00 a.m.
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Location: Grossman Building - Classroom 115
During this session, Mary will cover critical concepts every account holder should know before tax season arrives, including:
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RMD Essentials: How distributions are calculated and the crucial deadline rules for your first withdrawal.
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Avoiding IRS Penalties: Key steps to ensure compliance and prevent costly excise taxes.
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Smart Tax Strategies: How options like Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) can help fulfill your minimum distribution requirements while lowering your taxable income.
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Year-End Tax Prep: Practical steps you can take today to avoid unexpected tax bill surprises next spring.
Make sure you are managing your retirement assets with confidence. Click the button below to reserve your spot today:
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On Friday, September 25, almost 30 ALL coordinators took time out from pre-storm preparations to attend a luncheon in the Lorusso Atrium hosted by the ALL Curriculum Committee.The purpose of the luncheon was to thank the coordinators for their invaluable contributions to ALL's continued success.
Members of the Curriculum Committee also took time to review the results from a recently conducted survey sent to the coordinators. A lively discussion reviewed several suggestions for future course topics, schedules and activities.
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Redefining Age:
Super Seniors Podcast Series Continues
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This podcast series, produced by ALL’s Joan Freedman and hosted by Jay Green, highlights these remarkable individuals—our Super Seniors—whose lives demonstrate that value, purpose and achievement are not defined by chronological age. Through their stories, we challenge stereotypes and celebrate the lasting contributions of older generations.
Please watch the third installment of this series, which illustrates that age is more than just a number and that many older adults continue to contribute, create, lead and inspire!
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Foliage, Festivals and
No Crowds!
| Yarmouth Seaside Festival — October 10–12. Celebrate fall during the annual Yarmouth Seaside Festival, a multi-day Cape Cod tradition featuring arts and crafts, food, entertainment and family-friendly activities. | | |
Wellfleet OysterFest — October 17–18. One of Cape Cod’s most anticipated culinary events returns to Wellfleet in October. Wellfleet OysterFest celebrates the town’s famous shellfish heritage with oysters, local food, live entertainment, educational programming, arts and crafts, and the celebrated Oyster Shuck-Off. For seafood lovers, it’s one of the highlights of Cape Cod in October.
Bike the Cape Cod Rail Trail. The paved trail runs through Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham and Wellfleet, with a Chatham spur. October riding temperatures are cooler and the trailhead lots that overflow in July have loads of space.
Autumn is also prime time to visit Crow Farm in Sandwich to pick-your-own apples, Cape Abilities Farm in Dennis for monster mums and pumpkins, and Coonamessett Farm in Falmouth for hayrides, pumpkin picking and fall treats. Thanks to an abundance of Farmers’ Markets on the Cape, you can get all that and more - including homemade breads, locally-grown pumpkins and handmade crafts.
The Tennessee Williams Theater Festival — October 8–11, held in Provincetown, is where Williams spent several summers working on his classic plays. Theater buffs from far and wide come to Cape Cod each year just to attend the fabulous Tennessee Williams Theater Festival! Festival events are held at different venues around Provincetown and include performances of Williams' works, opportunities to meet the artists, and get togethers for Williams’ aficionados at coffee hours, mixers and parties.
Please check websites for complete information on dates, times, location, pricing or cancellation information.
Dianne Tattersall
| | Is there a friend who would like to know more about ALL? | | | | |
Many ALL members tell us they first found out about ALL from friends.
We now have a 2-minute video (see link below) that provides an overview of who we are and what we offer. This video is also on our website.
Feel free to share this newsletter and tell your friends to take a look.
| | Check Out the ALL Art Gallery | | |
The ALL Art Gallery exhibits the works of artists connected to the Cape Cod Academy for Lifelong Learning. The graphic poetry works of Larry Brown and the collages of Cynthia Jayne are currently on display.
The ALL Art Gallery walls are outside classrooms 106 and 115 and change regularly.
Please contact the ALL office if you are interested in exhibiting your art.
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ALLways Welcomes Comments and
Suggestions About the Newsletter
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What would YOU like to see in the next edition
of our newsletter?
What are YOU curious about?
Help us create content that matters to you by sharing your topic ideas. We appreciate all our readers, with special thanks to ALL members who contribute their articles and photographs to our newsletters.
Please address your comments or suggestions to lifelonglearning@capecod.edu.
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Academy for Lifelong Learning of Cape Cod, Inc.
Cape Cod Community College
2240 Iyannough Rd
West Barnstable, Massachusetts 02668
774-330-4400
lifelonglearning@capecod.edu
www.capecodall.org
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Enjoy All That Autumn Has To Offer!
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