OLLI_TopBarNewsletter
 Calendar and Announcements
UPCOMING SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 
April 17, 2016
In This Issue
Quick Links        
Please Note....
mark your calendar
OLLI and the Reuter Center are closed to normally scheduled classes, meetings, and other activities
April 22-24, 2016 during the Paths to Creative Retirement Workshop.  
Transit of Mercury Presentation
Tuesday, April 19, 2016, 2 p.m.
Reuter Center's Room 206


On Monday, May 9, 2016, our solar system's smallest and innermost planet will transit across the disk of the Sun, as seen from Earth, for the first time in nearly a decade, Here in the Asheville, North Carolina region, with clear skies, the entire 7� hour event will be visible.  This Mercury transit may be thought of as a special type of partial (very partial) eclipse of the Sun by a planet!

Find out all you want to know about this rare event on
Tuesday, April 19, 2-4 p.m., Reuter Center Room 206.  Bernard Arghiere, long-time OLLI astronomy instructor and member of the Astronomy Club of Asheville, will present a fascinating explanation of this unique event, discuss where and how to observe it safely, and answer your questions. 

This event is
free and open to the public.
Fab Friday Lunch and Learn Lecture
Friday, April 29, 11:30 a.m.
Reuter Center's 
Manheimer Room 
Please note that there is no 
Fab Friday on April 22, 
when the Reuter Center 
is closed for the 
Paths to Creative Retirement Workshop
   
"Dietary Modification to Decrease Inflammation and Improve Healthy Living" by Marilyn Haas-Gassman PhD, RN.

Are you looking for ways to improve your health by starting in the kitchen? Marilyn Haas-Gassman will increase your understanding of food labels and measurements to help individuals have a healthy kitchen for healthy living. Learn how to integrate plant protein into meals and select healthy vegetables, fruits and carbohydrates. Also learn how to select healthy herbs and spices that can help serve as protective, disease-fighting compounds. Guidelines from Dr. Andrew Weil's anti-inflammatory diet will be shared to maximize vitamin-and-mineral-containing food and phytonutrients needed for bodies to maintain health. This lecture is part of the
Health Education Series.

Free and open to the public.
OLLI volunteers ROCK!
We all know that OLLI members are busy people, but not too busy to give countless hours of time and talent (and probably treasures too) to over 150 nonprofit agencies and programs in our community.
 
The Civic Engagement Committee wanted to know more about where we choose to volunteer.  So we asked. Boy, did our fellow members respond! We are an amazing group of people who volunteer for a multitude of causes.
 
Want to see where we spend our volunteer hours? Or, perhaps you are looking for a volunteer opportunity.
 
Go ahead...feel proud of yourself and your fellow OLLI members!

OLLI - Voices and Stories

Beginning April 17, 2016 local low-power FM radio station WPVM at 103.7 will broadcast
OLLI - Voices and Stories on
Sundays,  7 p.m. 
You may also tune in any time to WPVM.org
to listen to archives of the programs.
The program is being organized by the OLLI Marketing Committee to provide the Asheville community with a variety of stories by OLLI members who can best share their experiences. 
Listen in and tell your friends.
Education Impacts Us All: 
North Carolina and You 
Thursday, April 28, 
4:30-5:45 p.m. 
 Reuter Center's
 Manheimer Room adult-education-header.jpg
Mark your calendar to attend this presentation to learn more about the current state of public education from Dr. Gordon Grant, Principal of Hall Fletcher Elementary School; Dr. Dale Carpenter, Dean of Western Carolina University's College of Education and Allied Professions; and Kate Pett, Executive Director of Asheville City Schools Foundation.
 
North Carolina has a proud history of leadership in public school education.  Come join us to learn more about the current state of education, proposed state legislation and the future needs of our state.  We encourage you to invest your time in ensuring North Carolina's public schools continue being great!
This event is sponsored by Mountain Allies for Public School 
Smart Driver Class  
Friday, April 29, Noon-4 p.m.  
 Reuter Center's Room 207
aarp Safe Drving
The four-hour Smart Driver class offers numerous tips for coping with inevitable changes in perception and reaction time, as well as increased hazards on the roads with faster cars and busier traffic.  
Participants can expect to review the rules of the road, tips on dealing with aggressive drivers and general safety tips such as how to make left turns into heavy traffic. 
The course, offered nationwide, is designed to help participants avoid crashes and remain safely behind the wheel. 
Contact instructor Jan Stephanides,  828-443-1051 to register 
Blue Ridge Orchestra Concert
Homecoming: Vienna
Saturday, May 7, 7:30 p.m.
 Biltmore United Methodist Church (376 Hendersonville Road, Asheville)

 Sunday, May 8, 3 p.m.
 Unitarian Universalist Congregation 
of Asheville 
(1 Edwin Place, Asheville)
The
Blue Ridge Orchestra'will celebrate the works of some of Vienna's greatest composers, with performances of Beethoven's
Egmont Overture, Brahms'
Double Concerto for Violin and Cello, and Vanhal's
Symphony in G Minor. The orchestra is joined for the Brahms by locally renowned soloists Kathryn Gardner on violin and Franklin Keel on cello.
Click here to purchase tickets online.
or purchase tickets in person (cash or check only) at 
Soli Classica 
and Musician's Workshop.  
  Join Pan Harmonia for a fabulous 16th season 
finale concert
"Baroque Vibes"
Sunday, May 22, 3 p.m. 
First Presbyterian Church,
40 Church Street
 Downtown Asheville

Baroque Vibes creates a unique, heart-felt, and swinging mosaic through the music of the Baroque masters and beyond. Harpsichord, vibraphone, flute and bassoon create sound combinations that are beautiful and exciting and take the music in a sweet and creative direction that is sure to delight. Works by G.P. Telemann, J.S. Bach, Corette, Rammeau, and dances from 17th century England will be featured.

Tickets are $15 in advance, 
$20 day of, 
$5 students, plus Handling for Credit Cards only and 7% sales tax. Available online at www.panharmonia.org/shop

Blue Ridge Ringers Handbell Concert
Tuesday, May 24, 7 p.m.
Grace Lutheran Church in Hendersonville, NC

The Blue Ridge Ringers is a community handbell group in Henderson County, organized in
Dear OLLI Members,
Please take some time to read the impressive list of volunteer activities that demonstrate the many ways OLLI members give back to Western North Carolina.  Many thanks to the members of the OLLI Civic Engagement Committee who collected this inspiring information. We hope that you see your favorite organizations represented.  Thanks to those of you who are volunteering at OLLI and in the wider community!

Thanks to David Langdon, Dave Castel and the members of the OLLI Marketing Committee who are working with WPVM radio to bring the voices of OLLI to a wider audience.  Please check out WPVM.org in the next few weeks to celebrate the voices of your fellow members.

Please remember that OLLI and the Reuter Center will be closed on Friday, April 22 so that we may hold the first Paths to Creative Retirement workshop of 2016.  This workshop brings participants from all over the country to help them begin to craft a creative retirement.

With gratitude for the many people who contribute to OLLI's success,
Catherine Frank
Executive Director

Reuter Center Singers Spring Concerts

A Legacy of Song: 
The Carpenters & John Denver

Friday,  April 29, and Saturday,  April 30, 7 p.m. 
Reuter Center's Manheimer Room

"It's Yesterday Once More," celebrating the song legacy of The Carpenters and John Denver!  Come experience with us the nostalgic musical memories that are a soundtrack of our lives.  
Performances will include musical renditions of
"We've Only Just Begun," "For All We Know," Rainy Days and Mondays," "Top of the World," "Annie's Song," "Rocky Mountain High," "Take Me Home, Country Roads," "Leaving on a Jet Plane," and more. Director Chuck Taft     Accompanist Nora Vetro
Free Admission     Donations Welcome     
Limited Seating     Reception Following
Medicare Information Session
Friday, April 29, 2016, 2 p.m. 
Reuter Center 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 (SHIIP). In this partnership between the Council on Aging of Buncombe County and OLLI, a free class will be held on
Friday, April 29, 2 p.m. This session will be an overview (plans, parts and policies) of Medicare. Spaces are limited, and registration is required. Reserve your space by visiting the Council on Aging of Buncombe County website (you may click here.)
   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

SIG Womens Group Seeks New Members 
 
Women's Group #12 is looking for new members! Our group started in November 2015. We now have nine members and are hoping to find three new members to join us.  We meet the first and third Wednesday from 4:30-6:30 p.m.  At the first half of each meeting, we share our past two weeks, and then we all discuss a certain subject that changes at each meeting.

We are a warm and caring group of women. Please contact Maria Thomas to learn more. 828.507.1622 

SIG Men's Wisdom Works Group 
Seeks New Members
Would you like to join a group of men for meaningful friendship and bonding?  Men's Wisdom Works (MWW), an OLLI SIG since 2009, has 11 groups of men, one of which needs new members. 

The premise of MWW is simple.  We're retired, we're aging and we're men.  We meet twice a month to discuss issues of importance to our members.  But we do more than talk and listen.  We play.  Groups meet for breakfast, lunch or happy hour, and we hold two annual events for all groups. 

If you're interested just send an email to Bob Tomasulo, our membership chair, at [email protected].  You'll be glad you did.


The Magic of Pastel Painting Workshop
Course Dates: Saturday, April 30 & Sunday, May 1
Time: Saturday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. & Sunday: 1 - 5 p.m.
Instructor: Lorelle Bacon
Fee: $120/member; $130/non-member
Materials fee:
$20/person payable to the instructor at the first meeting, if students do not have their own supplies. A materials list will be provided.

Whatever the subject matter, pastels are an excellent and fun medium. Learn about the different types of pastels and grounds available to you as an artist. Learn ways to layer different colors without getting muddy. Explore complementary colors and proper framing while completing at least two paintings to take home. This workshop is geared for beginning and intermediate students.

Lorelle Bacon ([email protected]) has been a well-known artist and instructor in the region for 20 years. She teaches and uses most 2-D media. Her works have won awards nationally and internationally. She believes anyone CAN learn to create good art.
OLLI Workshops are open to the public.  Membership is NOT required to participate.  You may register anytime by calling 828.251.6140.  Cash, checks, Visa and MasterCard accepted for Workshops only.
Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society Program
Tuesday, April 19, 2016, 7 p.m.
Reuter Center's Manheimer Room
 The Nature Conservancy in 
Western North Carolina
Megan Sutton and Mike Horak
The mountains of western North  Carolina feature a renowned ecological biodiversity. The conservation of this biodiversity has led The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to protect more than 160,000 acres of land within an hour's drive of Asheville.

At this program, staff from TNC Asheville office will talk about local land protection goals, forest restorationand conservation of species like the golden-winged warbler. They will also share their global conservation strategies and the investment the organization is making to protect the last great places.
 
Megan Sutton is Director of The Nature Conservancy's Southern Blue Ridge Program in North Carolina. She oversees all of the conservation work in western NC and specializes in forest and bog restoration and management.   Mike Horak is Senior Associate Director of Philanthropy for the North Carolina Chapter of The Nature Conservancy.

Free and open to the public.
Spoken Word OPEN MIC!
Wednesday,  April 20,  
Sign-up begins 6:30 p.m
Show begins 7 p.m.
  No cover charge
Buffalo Nickel, 747 Haywood Road, Asheville

Poets, storytellers, writers and comedians are welcome to bring their work to our stage.  Names will be drawn randomly, and they'll have up to ten minutes on our stage in front of a welcoming audience.  Only two rules, hold your stage time to ten minutes or less and keep your clothes on.
Dinner reservations are recommended 
by calling 828-575-2844.  
Come early to enjoy drinks and dinner.
David Joe Miller and Chuck Fink
This month's OPEN MIC! will be co-hosted by Professional Storyteller, David Joe Miller and former corporate trainer, Chuck Fink from the OLLI storytelling program at UNC Asheville.
Do you love Downtown Asheville? Would you like to help spread the story of the evolution of our rich urban environment?
Julian Price had a vision for downtown Asheville long before it was the destination it is today.  The Julian Price Project hopes "To inspire civic engagement by showing how Julian helped make downtown more livable for everybody." The group has a series of articles that they would like to distribute to publications where they can have an impact. 



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Sundays with Brevard Music Center &
Autumn Players Readers Theatre
Sunday, May 1, 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Reuter Center's Manheimer Room

Mark your calendar to attend these two very special events.  First, at 1 p.m., Brevard Music Center will be in the house with a recital by Scott Rawls, viola, and Jihye Chang, piano. 

At 2:30 p.m., Asheville Community Theatre's Autumn Players will offer a readers theatre performance of My Name Is Asher Lev, by contemporary American playwright Aaron Posner and directed by Deborah Austin.  Tickets $6.  
Asheville Choral Society Concert
 "The Music of the Living: 
A Celebration of the Human Spirit"
Saturday, May 7, 2016, 7:30 p.m.
Central United Methodist Church, 
27 Church Street, downtown Asheville

This concert closes the ACS season with some of the best in contemporary styles and classical treasures. Music expresses that which cannot be expressed by words, and this promises to be an evening of that unforgettable and indescribable expression. Come hear the music of Norman Dello Joio, Dan Forrest, Aldo Finzi and Pentatonix!
This uplifting program concludes with rousing spirituals arranged by Moses Hogan and Stacey Gibbs, such as, "I'm Gonna Sing When the Spirit Moves in My Heart," and, "If I Got My Ticket," and others. Come celebrate the joy of singing and the beautiful music of 100+ singers!
Visit ashevillechoralsociety.org to buy tickets and for additional information.
Click here to view an event flier
VOLUNTEER TREASURER NEEDED (A LOT!)
The Lord's Acre
 (TLA), WNC's leading hunger garden, needs a new treasurer. It's a very part-time job for a nonprofit that's doing wonderful, beautiful and fun work. TLA (which is not a faith-based organization) grows and gives away fresh organic food (12 tons last year) to those in need, gives hundreds of people the chance to volunteer in a garden, teaches gardening and teaches groups all over the country how to start their own hunger garden. Learn more about us at www.thelordsacre.org. Contact Susan Sides, Executive Director ([email protected]
  828.628.3688) if you'd like to consider helping us help.
 
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