NO CURRENT EVENTS GROUP THIS WEEK.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN LEARNING TO SPEAK FRENCH? We are trying to find out if there are enough members interested in taking a French class at OLLI. If you’re interested, please click here to let us know. 

CANCELED: Playing with Classics: Uncle Vanya (Canceled due to instructor schedule conflict)

We’ve added some new classes to our spring catalog!

> The Hazard Family Legacy to Peacedale Village 

1 session on Wednesday, April 24, 10:30AM-12:30PM  $10  

Click here to register!  

Course Description:  This class begins with a tour of the Peace Dale Museum of Art and Culture. After the museum tour, we will walk through the historic mill village of Peace Dale established by the Hazard family.

Mary Cocroft Brown is the children’s educator and a board member of the Peace Dale Museum of Art and Culture. She enjoys sharing her knowledge of the museum’s collection. She has an art background and appreciates the museum’s diversity of artifacts. 

Julie Wardwell is a South Kingstown resident who is retired and currently the office administrator at the Peace Dale Museum of Art and Culture. She enjoys learning about the local history and giving the outdoor walking tours of the Peace Dale Village to children of all ages.

>Be Ready for Ticks!

3 sessions on Thursdays starting on May 2, 9:30AM-12:30PM  $40  

Click here to register!  

Course Description: As we all know,  it’s more important than ever to be TickSmart.In this class, we will dispel common tick myths, and you will learn important aspects of tick biology, tick identification, tick hosts and disease reservoirs, along with safe and effective personal and residential tick protection strategies. We encourage you to save your ticks in a small Ziplock bag and bring them to the second class. The third class is a field trip to Potter Woods in Kingston where you will observe how tick biologists do their work.

Thomas Mather, often referred to as the TickGuy, is a professor of public health entomology and zoonotic diseases at URI. He is director of URI’s Center for Vector-Borne Disease and its TickEncounter Resource Center. His research interests include the ecological dynamics of tick-transmitted diseases and optimizing tick control and awareness. He has raised more than $20 million to support tickborne disease research and outreach, published over 140 papers on the subject, edited one book and holds 4 U.S. patents and 2 U.S. trademarks. More recently, in addition to tick control and tick bite protection research, his team is focused on reimagining tick bite protection education and developing just-in-time learning tools and platforms to help people and pets be ready for ticks.

>Revolutionary War Patriots buried in Washington County’s Historic Cemeteries 1 session on Monday May 6, 4:00PM-5:30PM  No cost, but you do need to register. Click here to register!  

Course Description: Celebrate 2024 RI Historical Cemeteries Awareness and Preservation Weeks with a lively discussion about some of the Revolutionary War Patriots buried in Washington County’s Historic Cemeteries. Washington County Commissioner (and OLLI instructor), Debbie Suggs will introduce you to the locales who helped secure American independence.

This program is sponsored by Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at URI and the Narragansett-Cooke-Gaspee Chapter of the Rhode Island Daughters of the American Revolution. The topic is suitable for all age levels. 

Debbie Suggs has taught several courses on genealogy, RI history and folklore for Olli. She has a bachelor’s degree in history with a concentration in American Colonial  and Revolutionary history and a master’s degree from URI in Public Administration. Debbie is the Director of Special Populations in the Office of Admission and adjuncts for the adult learning program College Unbound in Providence. She serves on the State of Rhode Island Commission for Historical Cemeteries and is the Historical Preservation Chair for the Narragansett-Cooke-Gaspee Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She recently published a book identifying the graves of Revolutionary War soldiers in South Kingstown and Narragansett and is currently presenting workshops throughout the State on historical cemeteries. 

OLLI TECH TALKS The Tech Committee invites you to join two Let’s Talk Technology conversations this month. Both are FREE for members, but please register. Zoom at home or join us in the classroom and Zoom with other OLLI members.

Exploring your Android Phone 
Wednesday, April 10, 2:00pm – 3:00pm Free!  ZOOM
The Tech Committee invites you to join this month’s OLLI Extra, Let’s Talk Technology conversation on Exploring your Android device.  Join this discussion with members of our Technology Committee as they share their favorite Tips & Tricks of utilizing an Android phone. Zoom from home. Click here to register 

Cutting the Cord
Thursday, April 25, 11:30AM- Free ZOOM 
Cutting the Cable Cord, or not, continues to be a hot topic as the competition between traditional cable networks, streaming services and Internet providers compete for your business. While there is no step-by-step solution for successfully navigating this entertainment environment, it is one that we consumers can tackle together. Bring your questions and experiences to share as we explore this topic. Bill Meisner and Etta Zasloff will facilitate the discussion, drawing on their own experiences.  Click here to register

THIS WEEK AT OLLI

Monday

• 9:30AM-11:30AM Cyber Seniors-Paul
• 9:30AM Beginning Italian
• 10:00AM Galileo Galilei
• 11:30AM “I Found My Talk”
• 12:00PM On the Docket
• 1:30PM Purpose Driven Retirement
• 1:45PM Cold War Relations with Central America (earlier start time)

Tuesday

• 9:30AM-11:30AM Cyber Seniors-Paul
• 10:00AM Fun Facts About Rhode Island
• 1:00PM Building a Second Brain Through Digital Note Taking
• 1:00PM The JFK Assassination: 60 Years Later
• 4:00PM Dr. Broad, A Mafia Love Story

Wednesday

• 9:30AM Gloria Exercitus
• 10:00AM Golf Meeting
• 11:00AM Fabulous Fingers, Part II
• 11:30AM The Concerto
• 12:00PM Beginner Drawing
• 12:30PM Bowling
• 1:00PM How and Why is the Human Brain Unique?
• 1:00PM Hiking Group
• 2:00PM Tech Talk: Android (Zoom)
• 2:30PM Beginner Watercolor

Thursday

• 9:00AM Let’s Skate @ Boss Arena
• 10:00AM Compassionate Conversations
• 10:00AM Gmail Tips and Tricks
• 12:00PM Watercolor Practices
• 12:30PM New Member Welcome
• 1:00PM Mahjong
• 2:00PM Creativity and Play (Offsite)
• 2:00PM-4:00PM Cyber Seniors-Flora
• 2:30PM Movement Medicine
• 3:00PM Movie Group (click for this month’s movie)

Friday

• 9:30AM-11:30AM Cyber Seniors-Flora
• 10:00AM Changing Your Own Behavior
• 1:00PM The Chakra Energy System

PARKING REMINDER: If you drive a different vehicle than the one you have registered, please let us know as we can do a temporary change on your parking pass. Also, if you get a new car or license plate, please call the office and let us know. You will get a $50 ticket if your license plate is not in the parking system. Any questions, please call us at 401-874-4197.

COFFEE DONATIONS NEEDED: We love having fresh coffee for our members! We are in need of coffee pods (regular and decaf) along with ground coffee. Donations can be dropped off in the OLLI office. Thank you in advance for your help!

NO TIME TO FAIL: A SCREENING AND DISCUSSION ABOUT THE AMERICAN ELECTORAL PROCESS, Wednesday, April 10, 5:00PM, Robert L. Carothers Library, Galanti Lounge. Seating is limited.

Register for the latest installment of the James R. Langevin Symposium Series at the University of Rhode Island. The event will include a screening of the No Time to Fail documentary about Rhode Island election administrators during the 2020 presidential election and a panel discussion on the current state of the American and Rhode Island electoral process. Panelists include the filmmaker, Rhode Island election administrators who appeared in the film, the League of Women Voters, faculty, and students. Learn more and register. 

MAKE – SHIFT – MOVE: URI SENIOR ART STUDENTS TO EXHIBIT WORK AT HERA GALLERY THIS SPRING

Fifteen University of Rhode Island art students will present their work — and celebrate their pending graduations — in the senior capstone art exhibition, Make – Shift – Move, April 6 through May 4, at the Hera Gallery in Wakefield. Hera will launch the exhibit with an opening reception on Saturday, April 6, 6 to 8 p.m. A closing reception and artist talk will take place Saturday, May 4, 2 to 4 p.m., when the exhibiting artists will discuss their individual pieces followed by a Q&A session. The Hera Gallery is located at 10 High Street in Wakefield, open Wednesday through Friday, 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The gallery is free and open to the public and accessible to persons with disabilities; parking is available. Visit heragallery.org for up-to-date event information. Click to read more.

WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP SPEAKER SERIES FEATURING YAHAIRA (JAY) PLACENCIA ’01, Senior Vice President and Private Client Advisor, Bank of America Private Bank, Wednesday, April 10, 2024  |  12:00 p.m. ET via Zoom-  Registration Deadline: Wednesday, April 10

Yahaira (Jay) Placencia ’01 has spent the last two decades supporting small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit organizations through her work building strong relationships at Bank of America Private Bank. She puts great emphasis on her commitment to community in her work and personal life, serving in various volunteer positions including on the University of Rhode Island Board of Trustees.

The Women in Leadership Speaker Series showcases the inspiring careers of highly successful and influential women and provides the opportunity to share their knowledge and experiences with students and alumni. The series is made possible by URIFAE and the Women’s Leadership Council. Have questions? Email Kira Mudd at kira.mudd@uri.edu or call 401.874.4434.

RHODY OUTPOST–  Rhody Outpost is URI’s principal basic needs pantry for students experiencing food insecurity.  The Outpost provides fresh and non-perishable food and personal care items at no charge to students. Click here to see the updated Spring wish list. High demand items include raisins and other dried fruit, nuts and seeds, crackers, and cookies. Donations can be dropped off in the OLLI office.

TRANSFORMING THE LANDSCAPE: AUDUBON NATIVE PLANTS AND POLLINATORS SYMPOSIUM
Saturday, April 20,9AM-4PM, Rhode Island College. Click here for more information and to register. 

Join Audubon for a spring symposium on Transforming the Landscape and learn how to become part of a sustainable community and support our native species by creating beautiful pollinator habitat at home. Speak with local garden designers, community organizers, and Rhode Island’s scientific community to discover how your space can grow into a pollinator paradise. Learn about the latest bee research out of the University of Rhode Island, the detrimental effects of neonicotinoid pesticides on wildlife and our waterways, and local efforts to establish a living seed bank for native plants. Leave with knowledge on where to find native plants, ways to communicate with your community about this vital issue, and how to get your garden on the map by joining Audubon’s Pollinator Alliance.

Keynote Speaker Dr. Doug Tallamy, Professor and Chair of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware is well known for his lauded books on landscaping for wildlife. Tallamy will present an overview of his research and discuss the many ways that participants can restore biodiversity and support pollinators on their property. His books will be available for purchase at the event, and a book signing is scheduled.

Have a great week!