NEW MSCN HEADER (With border)
Issue No. 53
September/October 2014
The MSCN Newsletter

Welcome to Your September/October Newsletter!


The Maine Senior College Network office has seen a few staff changes since the last newsletter in August. Kali Lightfoot has now retired and Fran Myers has left. The good news is that the University of Southern Maine has confirmed its continued commitment to the network by providing in-kind space and a half-time professional program coordinator position. This commitment is significant considering the financial constraints under which USM is currently operating. 

I know that many of you have worked closely with both Kali and Fran over recent years and will join me in sending them both best wishes for the future.

In this special September/October issue of the MSCN Newsletter issue be sure you don't miss the great offer from Skidompha Secondhand Book Shop in Damariscotta. They are offering to all members of MSCN (students, teachers, staff, and volunteers) a 50 percent off all purchases during their Senior College Week from Oct 20 to 25!

We also have news from Coastal, Gold LEAF, Bridgton and Lewiston-Auburn Senior Colleges in this issue. 

Lastly, if you are in Portland on November 2nd, come and visit the Maine Senior College Network's table at Portland's Health and Wellness Expo at the Cross Insurance Arena.
 
Best wishes,  

Anne Cardale

Program Coordinator

Maine Senior College Network    


 

Celebrating a 99th Birthday at Owl's Head Transportation Museum
Stell Shevis, CSC memoir writing class student, rides in a 1915 Model T (same age as Stell) as part of her 99th birthday celebrations at Owl's Head Transportation Museum. Stell also pretended to drive a red MG but complained that she couldn't see the road.

 Submitted by - David Bailey, Coastal Senior College

Gold LEAF Members go Tromping and Paddling in Rangeley and Oquossoc

Gold LEAF held a special summer series of events in Rangeley and Oquossoc that proved wildly popular. Two of the trips involved hour-long cruises on Rangeley Lake with a registered Maine Guide aboard the "Gray Ghost." A third option, involved a guided kayak trip in Oquossoc Cove. The cruises and paddle trip were guided by Doreen and Kevin Sinnett, owners of Rangeley Region Lake Cruises & Kayaking, voted by Downeast Magazine as the Best Boat Cruise in the state of Maine. They specialize in teaching visitors about the history and wildlife of the area, and also provide equipment for the kayak rides. The Gold LEAF summer cruises and the kayak paddle were followed by lunch at the Gingerbread House in Oquossoc

An hour-long cruise on Rangeley Lake with a registered Maine Guide aboard the "Gray Ghost." 

After lunch, the groups visited the Rangeley Lakes Region Logging Museum. This museum celebrates Western Maine's timber heritage and adds research and preservation to the mission statement. On the day of the kayak paddle Gold LEAF  members also visited the Rangeley Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum and Rangeley's Annual Blueberry Festival.  
A guided kayak trip in Oquossoc Cove.

As leadership at any of the senior colleges can attest, these types of multi-event trips take much time to set up and truly extraordinary attention to detail. Gold LEAF is especially grateful to 1st Vice President Myrna Vallette for striking up all the relationships with business owners and museum docents. In addition, Membership and Promotion Chair Pat Chick led the group on the day of the paddle. Gold LEAF  staff are working on ways for more members to enjoy these cruises at some point in the future. 

 

Submitted by - Eileen Kreutz, Gold LEAF Institute Senior College

Senior College Week Oct. 20 to 25 at Skidompha Second Hand Book Shop

 

BookShopThe week of October 20 through 25 has been designated Senior College Week at the Skidompha Second Hand Book Shop in Damariscotta. All members of any Senior College - students, teachers, staff, and volunteers - will be entitled to 50 percent off all purchases. 

 

According to Rosie Bensen, co-manager of the shop, "Senior College and the book shop are a natural combination. Senior College courses represent a wide range of interests and areas of expertise, and so does our collection. We have books that relate to nearly every subject on the Senior College course list. Some of those books will be in a special display during the week." 

 

To receive the discount, a customer needs only to mention his or her Senior College connection to the volunteer shopkeeper when checking out. 

 

This is the shop's second Senior College Week. The first one was held in October 2013, and many Senior College members took advantage of the special sale. "Sometimes," Bensen said, "after a course is ended, students donate their assigned texts to the shop, which creates another connection between the shop and Senior College. Such donations are gratefully received and every one benefits the library."

 

Besides books for adults and children, the shop's offerings include music CDs, audio books, movies on tape and DVD, and puzzles. The book shop is a major fund-raiser for Skidompha Public Library. All items are donated, all staff members are volunteers, and all proceeds go to the library. The shop is located at 115 Elm Street, in the "Red Barn," just up the hill from the library's back door. Shop hours are Monday through Friday, 10 to 4, Saturday 10 to 1. 

 

For more information about the shop, contact the shop at
563-7807 or visit its page on the library's website.
 

 

Submitted by - Janice Lindsay, Book Shop Volunteer and Coastal Senior College member

Bridgton's Fall Classes
Above: Bridgton Instructors. (Left ) Peter Berry and (Right) Dee Miller
Bridgton has several great Fall offerings. These include Peter Berry's class in Jazz Music Appreciation and Dee Miller's "Federalist Papers".

To learn about Bridgton Senior College's other Fall offerings and for their contact information see the attached pdf.

 

Submitted by - Allen Crabtree, Senior College at Bridgton
Gold LEAF Kicks off Fall Classes

FARMINGTON - The kick-off event of the fall /winter term of the Gold LEAF Senior College-UMF will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15 at the University of Maine at Farmington Olsen Student Center, North Dining Hall, 111 South St., Farmington. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. 

 

The 21 offerings for the term, which runs from October to March, are listed in detail on the Gold LEAF Senior College website but a summary is attached here as a pdf. There is something for everyone, including a computer lab offering tips and techniques, poetry writing, book discussions, Tai Chi, tours, concerts, handcrafts, and classroom sessions on a variety of interesting topics. 

  

Submitted by - Eileen Kreutz, Gold LEAF Institute Senior College

LA Senior College Announces its Board of Directors for 2014-15

 

 


 

Photo: USM's Lewiston Auburn Senior College Board of Directors for 2014-15
Seated: Cynthia Peters (Secretary), Rose Goodwin, Karen Bernier, Paul Robinson, Claire Small, Joanne Sabourin; Standing: Crystal Ward, Rachel Morin, Cindy Boyd (Vice Chair), Pat Vampatella (Chair), Edith Jordan, Sharon McGilvery, Anita Poulin; absent: Lucy Bisson, Richard Lee 

 

Submitted by - Rachel Morin, Lewiston-Auburn Senior College

 

Come and say Hello on Sunday, November 2, 10am-4pm!
 

 

ExpoThe Maine Senior College Network hub office will have a table at the Expo.

 

Location: 
Cross Insurance Arena

(Formerly Cumberland County Civic center)

Portland 

Maine

 

Like MSCN on Facebook

Facebook logo Now you can "like" Maine Senior College Network on Facebook. We've created an MSCN page on Facebook, so please visit it to share experiences, ideas, photos, and information about upcoming Maine Senior College happenings. We'll also post links to articles about lifelong learning and other topics relevant to senior college members.

 

photo
"Early Fall in Maine" photograph by Anne Cardale
In This Issue
Celebrating a 99th Birthday
Tromping and Paddling in Rangeley and Oquossoc
Senior College Week at Skidompha Second Hand Book Shop
Bridgton's Fall Classes.
Gold LEAF Kicks off Fall Classes
LA Senior College Announces its Board
Come and say Hello
Like MSCN on Facebook!
Don't forget to go to the Maine Senior College Network website to find out what is happening around the state!

Maine Senior College Network
Maine Senior College Network
Links

Acadia Senior College

Augusta Senior College
 
Coastal Senior College

Downeast Senior College

Gold LEAF Institute

South Coast Senior College

Midcoast Senior College

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Penobscot Valley Senior College

SAGE at UMPI

Senior College at Belfast


St. John Valley Senior College

Sunrise Senior College 
 
Western Mountains Senior College

York County Senior College
The Maine Senior College Network Display Boards are available to any senior college that would like to borrow them. For more information, check out the link below.

    
Maine Senior Guide is a comprehensive web resource about all things senior that provides "one stop shopping" for Maine's seniors at the link below: 

    
Contact Information
Maine Senior College Network 
P.O. Box 9300 
Portland, Maine 04104-9300 
(207) 228-4128
(207) 780-4317 (fax)
 
Anne Cardale
MSCN Program Coordinator 

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Submissions
Please submit your articles and photographs to
Anne Cardale at  [email protected]

Deadline:  Third week of each month for the following month's edition