This Week at OLLI – March 10, 2025

March 10, 2025

Week of March 10, 2025

CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR MARY KEANE- We are deeply saddened by the loss of our friend, longtime OLLI Member and editor of our course catalog, Mary Keane. OLLI members are invited to a celebration of life at the Hope Room at the Robert Higgins Welcome Center on the URI campus on Thursday, March 13, at 1:30PM. Park in Lot 1 directly behind the building (use 75 Briar Lane for your GPS). A reception will follow.

SPRING CATALOGS – were mailed to all current OLLI members. You can also access the catalog online  Click here to view the Catalog. Registration begins online on Tuesday, March 18, at 7:00AM. The office will be open at 9:00AM for walk-in and phone registration. 

CLASS SPOTLIGHT – Register online or call 401-874-4197.

THE CHEMICAL ELEMENTS WE NEED FOR MODERN TECHNOLOGY – 1 Session with Frank Puglia Wed, Mar 12, 5:30-7:00 PM What are these elements? How were they created and concentrated? Find out how cell phones, electric vehicles, and spacecraft depend on them. This presentation starts with the Big Bang and progresses to modern mining with a lot of supernovas and neutron stars along the way. There is special emphasis on lithium-ion battery materials. Ore samples and meteorites will be available for review. Click Here to Register

RECOVERING RHODE ISLAND’S SPADEFOOT TOAD POPULATION – 1 Session with Nick Ernst Thurs, Mar 13, 3-4:30PM The Eastern Spadefoot is one of the most secretive amphibians in Rhode Island.  We will discuss the natural history of this state-endangered toad, the creation of artificial breeding pools to expand habitat, and rescuing and headstarting tadpoles with the Roger Williams Park Zoo and RI DEM biologists.Click Here To Register     

TAKE A BREAK TO CREATE! OLLI members are invited to drop in for Fun with Fabric Scraps. Friday Mar 14, from 1:00PM – 3:00PM in the OLLI lobby. Members can work on their own creative projects with fabric and/or join a collaborative project. For the collaborative project we are in the early stage of brainstorming around the theme of HOPE and are excited about the possibilities. Fabric samples and some cutting tools you may need will be available, but please bring your own if you have them. Sessions will be facilitated by Sandra Enos and Sandra Krupp. Hope to see you there!

CYBER SENIORS HOURS: Our student tech xxperts will be on Spring Break this week and will NOT be available for questions. 

RHODY OUTPOST– Thank you for your response to the OLLI Peanut Butter Drive!! We collected over 40 Jars of peanut butter (see pic) as well as various snacks. Everyone who donated was entered into a raffle for an OLLI voucher. The winners were Brenda Bibb and Sally McPhillips! Click here to view the updated list of all needed items. You can also purchase items directly from Amazon on the Rhody Outpost Wish List. 

And the Winners Are…..Congratulations to OLLI members Lori Shore, and Michael Shore for guessing the most number of winners for the 2025 Oscars! Both members received $20 OLLI vouchers just in time for spring registration on March 18!  

LOST AND FOUND: Are you missing any of these items?

Black Hydro Flask Water Bottle, Black “It Pays to Be you” Water Bottle, Gold Watch with fabric band, Black Sunglasses, Book – Wild Swans, Jitterbug Owners Manual, Black Gloves, Black Tommy Bahama Quarter Zip, Denim Liz Claiborne Shirt, Red & Grey Gerry Jacket See Picture. Items need to be picked up in the office by April 1, or they will be donated. Please call if you need us to hold the items for pick up.

THIS WEEK AT OLLI

Monday

  • 9:30AM The 100 Greatest Movie Songs of All Time (ZOOM)
  • 10:00AM The Perry Grist Mill: History in Action (Offsite Tour)
  • 1:30PM Purpose Driven Retirement 

Tuesday

  • 9:30AM The Iditarod: Alaska’s Last Great Race
  • 9:30AM Newport & Wickford Railroad
  • 10:45AM Modern War: What Is It Good For? (Osher Online)
  • 11:00AM Biking Group
  • 11:30AM Navigating the Financial Maze of Divorce
  • 11:30AM The Two Most Significant Composers of the 19th Century: Foster & Gottschalk
  • 2:00PM Beginning French for Travel
  • 3:00PM Improvisational Comedy

Wednesday

  • 10:00AM The Tempest
  • 11:00AM New Member Welcome
  • 12:30PM Bowling
  • 1:00PM Alfred Hitchcock Cinematic Genius II
  • 1:00PM Hiking Group
  • 1:30PM Award Winning Novels
  • 5:30PM The Chemical Elements We Need for Modern Technology

Thursday

  • 9:00AM Let’s Skate!
  • 10:00 AM Creativity and Play
  • 10:00AM Street Photography at the Providence Community Kitchen
  • 10:30 AM Rhody Ramblers
  • 11:00AM Biking Group
  • 11:00AM Current Events
  • 1:00PM A Gilded Age Tale of Murder, Money and Madness
  • 3:00PM Movie Group
  • 3:00PM Recovery of RI Spadefoot Toad Population
  • 3:00PM The Doctor Broad: A Mafia Love Story

Friday

  • 10:00AM Square Foot Gardening
  • 10:00AM A Gilded Age Tale of Murder, Money and Madness
  • 1:00PM Take A Break to Create
  • 2:00PM Learning A Rock’s Story

RHODY WORKATHONS ARE BACK! What exactly are workathons? URI rowers can stop by to help provide general yard work, moving furniture, cleaning, painting, etc. for a maximum of four to five hours at a time. You tell them the task, and the number of rowers you need, and they schedule to help you out. The hourly rate for each rower is $25, with the entire sum going to the team to help fund race costs, equipment, buses, etc. to help keep the team prospering. Visit their website  or contact Cody or Ali at rhodyworkathon@gmail.com for more information.

EXPLORE THE WORLD BY RAIL- with Railbookers and Amtrak vacations. Join us on Thursday, March 20, at OLLI, 10AM-12PM for a preview of two trips – Glacier National Park and Scenic Switzerland from Zurich. Representatives from Railbookers and AAA will be here to showcase these exciting rail vacations. Click to register.

URI CAMPUS RECREATION is excited to offer OLLI members a special discount to access the Mackal Field House facilities! A special day pass rate of $5 (regularly $10.00) is now available to OLLI members. This access includes use of the track, cardio room, weight room, and even the basketball courts. To utilize this benefit, OLLI Members must request an OLLI membership card from the OLLI office to receive the discount. This card can then be presented each time you visit the Mackal Field House. Limited parking with your OLLI parking pass is available near the field house. Stay warm & stay fit by taking advantage of this new OLLI benefit! Check their website for available hours. Please note: The Mackal Field House will be closed this week for spring break, March 8-15.

SAVE THE DATE-THEWLIS LECTURE –Thewlis Lecture on Gerontology and Geriatrics Presents: Optics of Aging: A Documentary Screening, Wed, March 26 4PM Reception 4:30-5:45 Screening followed by Q & A Edwards Hall Kingston Campus Join us for the 2025 Malford Thewlis Lecture on Gerontology and Geriatrics, featuring a screening of Michelle Le Brun’s documentary, Optics of Aging. Le Brun, a URI Harrington School of Communication and Media faculty member and the film’s producer, director, and cinematographer, will be on hand, along with cast members, for a discussion following the screening. In Optics of Aging, stereotypes of ageism are dissolved, and the beauty of aging is revealed through five elders who have shaped the landscape of Rhode Island and beyond. Their voices take flight against the backdrop of archival imagery that captures the vision of an earlier time. Click Here to Register

NEWPORT CONTEMPORARY BALLET – if you love ballet you won’t want to miss the upcoming shows at The Keats Theater, St. Andrews School, 63 Federal Street, Barrington RI. There are several performances, including the Junior Company Showcase Performance, Mystical Ways and returning by popular demand, Are The Crayons Quitting? – based on bestselling author Drew Daywalt’s book, The Day The Crayons Quit! Click Here For More Info and to Purchase Tickets.