Brown Bag Lunch Series Begins Second Season

By Nancy Davis

On Wednesday, October 1, WMSC begins their second season of the Brown Bag Lunch Series, following the series’ successful debut last April. Again, the program will be held from 12:15-1:30 at the Bethel Inn, and participants are invited to bring a lunch to enjoy over good discussion. Coffee and tea will be provided.

This session will be facilitated by Bonnie Pooley, whose topic is "The Resilient Community in the 21st Century: How can elders shape the legacy we leave our children and grandchildren?”  She will pose many questions for us to consider; here are a few: What are the values we cherish as we grow older? Why have we chosen to live in a small rural town? Why do so many young people leave Bethel, and what can we learn from this?   What can a small community like Bethel do to take care of all who live here? What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a small town far from population centers? How can we continue to provide fresh water for our residents? What can we do about the fact that our population is aging, and our schools are shrinking? What roles can elders play in a community? What can we do to make a positive difference in our community?

 

The discussion promises to be stimulating, and you are invited to take part, whether you’re a WMSC member or not. The session is free, but we’d like to know how many people to expect. For more information or to indicate your intention to attend: Nancy Davis (nancydavis@megalink.net or 207-381-1110). Please RSVP to Nancy by Friday, September 26. The session is Wednesday, October 1, 12:15-1:30 at the Bethel Inn; hope to see you there!

For more information about Western Mountains Senior College visit our website at http://sad44.maineadulted.org/western_mountains_senior_college

Introducing WMSC's New Board Members

At the recent WMSC Annual Meeting we recognized retiring Board member Marcia Foster-Austin. Marcia served on the WMSC Board for the past six years, as co-chair of the Board, and more recently as co-chair of the Program Committee.

We then voted in our new Board members Jim Bebko, Irene Kuchta and Diane McMahon.

Jim came to Bethel in 2011 to set up a base camp from which to climb toward new challenges in his senior years. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering, a New York State Professional Engineering license, a pilot’s license, an EMT license, and certification as a Challenge Course facilitator. He enjoys hiking in the summer and downhill skiing in the winter. He and his wife, Ruth, enjoy partaking in the area’s classical music performances, art museums, and occasional travel outside the area. Jim hopes that WMSC will afford him opportunities to share some of his energies and experience for the betterment of the community he now calls home.

Irene says that she and her husband, Jack started skiing at Sunday River in 1989. They liked it so much that they bought a timeshare at the Summit in 1992. They found they liked that so much they bought an old dump in Hanover in 2001. They spent the next twelve years skiing, kayaking and trying to make the house livable. Last year Irene retired from her job as an academic librarian (and local union president) and moved to Hanover full time. Now she and Jack ski, kayak and do yardwork!

Diane lived in Peabody and Danvers, Massachusetts before moving to Maine. She taught math in Peabody for thirty-four years, mostly at the middle school level. She and her husband, Tim, became weekend residents of Bethel in 1985, and it became their permanent home three years ago when they both retired. Diane enjoys cooking, kayaking, snowshoeing, spending time with her children and four granddaughters, and taking advantage of the many courses and programs that WMSC has to offer.

For more information about Western Mountains Senior College visit our website at http://sad44.maineadulted.org/western_mountains_senior_college