Courses and Forms Spring 2021
Spring 2021 Course Descriptions 1. National Popular Vote – A What IF??? As many of us have witnessed these past few months, elections and all the related counting of votes are in the purview of the 50 states and territories, not the federal government. In the same manner, states set policies for their electoral college representatives according to how they see fit. Due to the “winner-take-all” (i.e., winner in that individual state) guidelines, we end up with electoral college hangnails and very, very much angst. But what if a significant number of states joined in an effort to have their electors cast their votes for the presidential candidate who received the majority of the total votes cast across the nation? Legislation of this type would override the “winner-take-all-in a state” way of doling out the electoral college votes. Now many states are joining the Interstate Compact that would clear things up once and for all. Come learn how this Compact would work, when it would take effect, and how the effort is coming along in our very own state. This class offers a very possible path forward. Presenter: Eileen Kreutz Dates: Tuesdays, Feb 23 and March 2 Time: 10:00 to 11:30 AM Limits: None Fee: $8.00 Biography: Eileen Kreutz has been an active GLI member since its earliest days, and a regular participant in the Friday Views on the News gathering. 2. Voting Down the Rose: Florence Brooks Whitehouse and Maine’s Fight for Woman Suffrage This talk is based on the book Ann Gass wrote about her great-grandmother, Florence Brooks Whitehouse. Florence, a novelist, painter, vocalist, and mother of three sons, joined the suffrage movement in 1914. The talk focuses on Whitehouse’s leadership in moving suffrage forward in Maine through a World War and the 1918 flu pandemic. She joined forces with national suffrage leader Alice Paul in a desperate, last-ditch effort to ensure that the Maine legislature would ratify the 19th Amendment through which most women won voting rights. Slides of historic photos accompany this lively talk. Presenter: Ann Gass Date: Wednesday, Feb 24 Time: 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM Limits: Minimum 5 / Maximum 30 Fee: $6.00 Biography: Anne B. Gass is an author, independent historian, community activist, and owner of ABG Consulting LLC. She speaks frequently about her book and on other topics related to women’s rights history. 3. The Maine National Guard in the World Wars Through these two lectures, learn about the Maine National Guard’s involvement in both World Wars. Far from being outside participants, the various units of the Maine National Guard were absolutely critical to U.S. victory in both conflicts. Maine soldiers saw vicious combat on the Western Front of World War I and were part of MacArthur’s island-hopping campaigns in the Pacific during World War II. These stories of Mainers in action will show how common people did uncommon things in service of their state and nation. Presenter: Captain Jonathan Bratten Dates: Thursday, Feb 25 and Wednesday, March 3 Time: 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM Limits: None Fee: Free Biography: Captain Jonathan Bratten is the Command Historian for the Maine National Guard. In this capacity, he has authored a book and multiple articles on the history of Maine’s soldiers, has served as an on-screen advisor for the Smithsonian Channel, and as a historian in France for the centennial of WWI. He holds a BA and an MA in history and is a veteran of Afghanistan. 4. Solar Energy in Maine. Where we have been and where we are going. After backward rules and years of inaction on solar the Maine Legislature and Governor Janet Mills acted in 2019 to increase solar related jobs and the amount of solar energy for Maine residents, businesses, and towns. At the start of 2019, Maine had 55 megawatts (MW) of installed solar. In the next five years that is expected to increase to more than 500 MW. We are already seeing this exciting development and job creation across the state, and many Maine towns are already taking advantage. Join this class to learn about the growth of solar energy in Maine. Presenter: Todd Martin Date: Monday, March 8 Time: 1:00 to 2:00 PM Limits: Minimum 10 Fee: $6.00 Biography: Todd Martin has served at NRCM’s Grassroots Outreach Coordinator for nearly a decade. Todd works with Mainers statewide to advocate for climate and clean energy action, healthy waterways, and sustainable communities. He lives in Winslow. 5. Gold LEAF Book Discussion Group The Book Discussion Group continues a long Gold LEAF tradition and will meet four times during the Spring Term to discuss works of fiction and non-fiction. Our sessions are open and casual, but also stimulating and informative - we learn from each other. MARCH 9: Citizens of London, by Lynne Olson APRIL 13: Anxious People, by Fredrick Backman MAY 11: White Trash, by Nancy Isenberg JUNE 8: My Name is Lucy Barton, by Elizabeth Strout Facilitator: Mary Viruleg. Although Mary Viruleg is listed as facilitator, the group is lively and involved and usually facilitates itself. Dates: Tuesdays, March 9, April 13, May 11 and June 8 Time: 10:00 to 11:30 AM Limits: Maximum 14 Fee: $12.00 6. Enjoying the Natural World This course will present a short overview of the Maine Master Naturalist Program along with informational presentations on Maine birds, bats, trees, vernal pools, geology and ferns. There will also be a virtual tour of the state’s Viles Arboretum in Augusta, and a self-guided tour of Merrymeeting Bay where water from the Sandy River meets the ocean. Presenters: Cheryl Ring, Susan Cottle, Jan Collins, Serena Sanborn, Terry Porter, Bonnie Sammons, Leigh Ann Fish, Deb Stahler Dates: Thursdays, March 18, April 15, May 20, June 17 Time: 10:00 to 11:30 AM Limits: Minimum 8 Fee: $12.00 Biography: All presenters are Maine Master Naturalists, six graduated in 2020 and two graduated in 2015. https://mainemasternaturalist.org/ 7. SeniorsPlus & the Healthy Living for ME Network Join us to learn more about SeniorsPlus, Western Maine’s Area Agency on Aging, and the Healthy Living for ME Network. We’ll dive into who we are and what we do – focusing on both services and resources each provides to Mainers like yourself. Join us for this informational session which will open up more possibilities in your future. There will be time for Q&As. Presenter: Maija Dyke Date: Thursday, April 1 Time: 10:00 to 11:00 AM Limits: Minimum 5 Fee: Free Biography: Maija is the Community Education Supervisor at SeniorsPlus. Maija began employment with SeniorsPlus over five years ago and enjoys connecting with new people every day. Her goals align with the organization’s and centers around educating and empowering older adults to live fuller, healthier lives while aging well at home or their housing of choice. 8. Amazing Planets This class will look at the information and images gathered by various space probes flown to the planets in our solar system since the 1960’s. Time will be spent looking at key features on each planet and whether or not life could exist on these planets. During the last class we will look at the possibility of life on one of the thousand non-solar system planets known to exist. Presenter: Jim Stepp Dates: Tuesdays, April 6, 13, 20 and 27 Time: 6:30 to 8:00 PM Limits: None Fee: $12.00 Biography: Jim has been interested in astronomy for over 40 years and has taught several community classes and SAGE classes at UMPI including: UFOs, The Amazing Planets, Astronomy 101, and The History of Astronomy. 9. Conversations with Poems We’re living in fractured times - COVID-19 isolation and the loss of loved ones. We’re worn out from political angst and cultural unrest that rage through our streets. We yearn for deeper connections to fill ourselves with hopefulness, joy, inspiration, and new insights. Reading poetry, if we let it, is one way to keep our souls from being wrung dry. Bruce Spang will do a reading from his own work and from that of others, as we come together in conversations that are enjoyable, powerful and thought provoking. Presenter: Bruce Spang Date: Thursday, April 8 Time: 10 to 11:30 AM Limits: Minimum 5 Fee: $6.00 Biography: Bruce Spang, former Poet Laureate of Portland, is the author of two novels, The Deception of the Thrush and Those Close Beside Me. His most recent collection of poems, All You’ll Derive: A Caregiver’s Journey, was just published. He’s also published four other books of poems. 10. Better Gardens with Better Soil Become a better gardener by being a steward of your soil. Learn how to improve your soil by knowing what and what not to do. We’ll cover soil testing, soil structure, what plants need in the soil and how to improve the soil you have. Presenter: Dave Fuller Date: Wednesday, April 14 Time: 10:00 to 11:00 AM Limits: None Fee: $6.00 Biography: Dave Fuller is an Agriculture and Non-Timber Forest Products Professional with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. He has gardened since he was 5 and loves nothing better than to be in the garden and teaching about the subject. 11. Evita: Saint or Sinner? Evita Peron, First Lady of Argentina, is still a figure of controversy and admiration. There was even a movie based on her life. After the lecture you can decide which category, saint or sinner, she should be remembered in. Presenter: Diane Parker Date: Tuesday, April 20 Time: 10:00 to 11:30 AM Limits: Minimum 10 Fee: $6.00 Biography: In Diane’s first journey through college she majored in History and English, in her second journey she received a BSE in education, and in her third she received a BA in Spanish. She has taught Spanish for 17 years, among other things, before retiring to Maine with her husband. 12. Book Discussion: The Disappearance of Appalachian Trail Hiker Geraldine Largay For over two years, 2015-2017, the disappearance in Franklin County of 66-year-old Geraldine Largay while on a hike of the Appalachian Trail, gripped the attention of people in Maine and the nation. How could someone become lost on such an historic and well-traveled trail? What might be learned from this tragic experience? This session will be a discussion of the 2019 book When You Find My Body: The Disappearance of Geraldine Largay on the Appalachian Trail by D. Dauphinee, an experienced Maine outdoors person who had access to her trail journal, interviewed her family, and spoke with hikers and authorities in law enforcement, search and rescue, and trail monitoring. Participants should read the book, When You Find My Body: The Disappearance of Geraldine Largay on the Appalachian Trail by D. Dauphinee, before this class. Presenter: Doug Dunlap Date: Wednesday, April 28 Time: 10:00 to 11:45 AM Limits: Minimum 5 / Maximum 12 Fee: $6.00 Biography: Doug Dunlap is a Registered Maine Guide. He has hiked all of the Appalachian Trail and has authored books about the Maine outdoors. 13. Tents, Trailers and Tribulations: The Building of a Straw Bale House From a Rhode Island start, we got married, bought a dump truck and headed for New Mexico. Stopped in Oklahoma to buy a backhoe, made it to a town with no name in the hills between Santa Fe and Albuquerque in March, and lived in a tent. Wow, was it cold at 7,000 feet altitude in March with no indoor facilities! We planned to make a rammed earth house, but geography and circumstances led us to a straw bale house. Today, the house is worth over $600,000, but then, it led to months in an 8 by 32-foot trailer, and a divorce (tribulation). In this session, we will view photos of the straw bale construction, our tent, and our trailer, and a market look at the beautiful house we built. Presenter: Sarah L. Martin Date: Thursday, May 6 Time: 10:00 to 11:30 AM Limits: None Fee: $6.00 Biography: Sarah L. Martin, PhD., graduated from Brown University, moved to New Mexico to make this house, went on to graduate school in New Mexico and then in South Carolina, where she met her husband Bud, who is a Mainer. Here in Maine they live on an 88-acre diversified farm called Martin Woods Farm with their son Cole. 14. Bonney Woods Corporation History and Stories This class offers the history and stories about the Bonney Woods Corporation and Flint Woods. These woods have a family history, neighborhood and community history that will be told through photos and stories by Jane Woodman. The photos are part of the Farmington Historical Society’s collection. Learn of the importance of the woods, the natural history of Powder House Hill and the trail system found in Flint Woods. Presenter: Jane Woodman Date: Wednesday, May 12 Time: 1:00 to 2:30 PM Limits: None Fee: $6.00 Biography: Jane Woodman is a native of Farmington who enjoys sharing the history of Farmington and the stories that can be found in photos and the written word. 15. Calligraphy: Symbolism of Society We will take a quick peek at the art of writing and penmanship as practiced in the Western world (especially the Latin alphabet) and survey how calligraphy represents the culture and history of an era. We will also explore some of the simple mechanics of calligraphy. Please have two pencils, a rubber band, and lots of blank paper at the ready for the hands-on portion. We will barely touch the surface of either topic: how to create calligraphy and how calligraphy can be symbolic of a given era in a given society; hopefully, you’ll be enticed to explore both even more on your own. Presenter: Theresa Overall Date: Friday, May 14 Time: 10:00 to 11:30 AM Limits: Minimum 3 / Maximum 20 Fee: $6.00 Biography: Dr. Theresa Overall is an associate professor in the Secondary Education Program at UMF. On the side, she has enjoyed studying and practicing calligraphy for 40 years. Though not an expert, she enjoys sharing her passion for the artform. 16. Kayaking After a long and cold COVID-19 winter, bringing your kayak for some outdoor activity with Gold LEAF friends sounds like just the ticket. Sessions will be held on Thursdays starting at 9:30 AM, leaving from the UMF Facilities Lot, or you can meet us at the launch site by 10 AM. Three sessions are scheduled for Thursday May 20 (Varnum Pond), June 3 (Clearwater Lake), and June 17 (Parker Pond). Please be reminded that you must wear a life jacket. We will be following all State and UMF COVID-19 protocols in place at that time. Facilitators: Joe Terranova, Eileen Kreutz Dates: Thursdays, May 20, June 3 and June 17 Time: 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM Limits: Minimum 4 / Maximum 12 Fee: $10.00 17. COVID-19 Planning Mitigation and Response The presentation will introduce coronavirus Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery (the four phases of Emergency Management) as they relate to Higher Education, the University of Maine at Farmington, and the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency. Course participants will gain a practical insight and understanding of pre-COVID-19 Mitigation and Preparedness phases, activities involved in the current Response phase, and a glimpse into the Recovery phase. A primary focus of this presentation will be centered upon the current Response phase which includes, but is not limited to, symptomatic and asymptomatic testing, quarantine and isolation, contact tracing, and the interconnected role of the UMF Emergency Operations Center (EOC) with community partners and governmental agencies. Presenter: Tiffany Maiuri Date: Monday, May 24 Time: 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM Limits: None Fee: $6.00 Biography: As a member of UMF’s Emergency Operations Center, State of Maine Disaster Behavioral Health team, and Maine’s District 3 Medical Reserve Corp Team Leader, Tiffany Maiuri brings a unique perspective and deep understanding of the presentation material 18. Views on the News This is a discussion group held on the first and third Fridays of each month covering local, national, and world news. The discussion provides an opportunity to share your observations and opinions on the news and to learn from the other participants. Articles of interest are distributed among the group by email in the week prior to each meeting, and topics to discuss are selected by the group at the beginning of each meeting. Facilitator: Paul Mullin Dates: Fridays, Feb 19, March 5 and 19, April 2 and 16, May 7 and 21, June 4 Time: 10:00 to 11:30 AM Limits: Maximum 15 Fee: Free |