SENIOR PLAYERS PERFORMANCES THIS WEEKEND

          Senior Players will present five short comedy plays on Friday, November 17 at 7 pm and Saturday, November 18, at a 2 pm Matinee at Gould Academy’s McLaughlin auditorium.

You’ll find lots of action and practical jokes in the five comedies that will have you rolling in the aisles by the end of the show.  Three of the comedies are listed below.

“The DMV Tyrant” will drive you crazy as Marianne Goff, the DMV tyrant, traps Lainey Cross, the customer, in a bureaucratic catch-22.

"The DMV Tyrant" from left: Lainey Cross and Mariann Goff.

“The Sneeze,” starring Rosabelle Tifft as Abby and Gail Parent as Martha will blow your mind with their antics!

"The Sneeze" from left:  Rosabelle Tifft and Gail Parent.

In “Revenge of the Red Hat Ladies,” investment and love both have their ups and downs. And just when you think you’ve got it figured out, all pandemonium breaks loose! The play features Mariann Goff as Betty, Lia Paliocha as Louise, Bridget Remington as Charlene, Mary Hickey as Barbara, John Reilly as Jane, Lainey Cross as Roseann and Tom Hoy as Walter.

"Revenge of the Red Hat Ladies" from left:  Mary Hickey, John Reilly, Lia Paliocha, Mariann Goff, Tom Hoy (standing), Bridget Remington and Lainey Cross.

      Plan to attend as the “amateur thespians” challenge themselves in the art of theater, anxious to highlight their talents for their friends and neighbors. Admission is free but donations to offset production costs are welcome. For more information, contact John Reilly at jreilly@mit.edu. 

SENIOR PLAYERS GEARING UP FOR FUN PERFORMANCE

Five comedy plays that promise to have you rolling in the aisles will be presented by the Senior Players of Western Mountains Senior College on Friday, November 17 at 7 pm and Saturday, November 18, at a 2 pm matinee at Gould Academy’s McLaughlin Auditorium.

One of the plays, “Mythological Icon Lament,” an original play written by John Reilly, makes its “World Premier” in this year’s performance.  The play features Reilly as Leon, the Tooth Fairy wannabe from last year’s play, “The Tooth Hurts.” Despite himself, he is the new Tooth Fairy and realizes the job is not all fancy costumes and magic fairy dust. (Bill Corrigan as Mike plays Santa, Tom Hoy as Dan is the Easter Bunny, Tim LeConey is the Boogie Man, and Rosabelle Tifft as Mavis from “The Tooth Hurts” keeps the meeting of Mythological Icons Anonymous in order.)

Mythological Icon Lament features from left seated: Tom Hoy, Rosabelle Tifft, Bill Corrigan and John Reilly.  Standing, Tom LeConey.  Photo by Lainey Cross.

Some couples were just meant to be, they just cannot live without each other.  In the play, “The Man and his Plant,” by D. M. Bocaz-Larson,  Tim LeConey plays Hooper with his half-dead plant.  Bill Schuellein plays the Mail Carrier, Lia Paliocha as Mrs. Kreb, Mary Hickey as Ms. Arnold and Bill Corrigan as Ben Arnold.  

The Man and His Plant features seated:  Tim LeConey; Standing Bill Corrigan, Lia Paliocha and Mary Hickey.  (Absent: Bill Schuellein) Photo by Lainey Cross.

Plan to attend and be prepared for lots of action and practical jokes.  Admission is free but donations to offset production costs are welcome.  For more information, contact Reilly at jreilly@mit.edu.

BETHEL’S SENIOR PLAYERS TO PRESENT FIVE COMEDY PLAYS

“The Senior Players Get Sweet and Salty” finds five short comedy plays living up to the theme as the Senior Players of Western Mountains Senior College present their performance on Friday, November 17, at 7 pm and Saturday, November 18, at a 2 pm Matinee at Gould Academy’s McLaughlin Auditorium.

Facilitator John Reilly said, “The Players, although “amateur thespians,” challenge themselves in the art of theater and are anxious to highlight their talents for their friends and neighbors.”  Members follow the “senior theater” tradition of carrying their scripts on stage.

Plan to attend and be prepared for lots of action and practical jokes in the five comedies that will have you rolling in the aisles by the end of the show.  Admission is free.  Donations are welcome to offset production costs.  FMI contact John Reilly at jreilly@mit.edu.

Senior Players performing in this year's production include, seated, John Reilly, Rosabelle Tifft and Gail Parent.  Standing: Tim LeConey, Bridget Remington, Mariann Goff, Tom Hoy, Lia Paliocha, Mary Hickey, Lainey Cross and Bill Corrigan.  (Absent: Bill Schuellein)

End of the WMSC Blog

Greetings all:

The WMSC Blog will end on December 31.  Many thanks to Kathleen DeVore, who has maintained it as our primary means of communication for many years. 

All WMSC course information will now be handled by the Adult Ed office at Telstar and distributed via their website.  If you registered for a class this fall you should already be receiving e-mails about upcoming courses. We have three classes coming right up for which you can register (and all three are free!):

Armchair travel to Ecuador Monday, October 9 WMSC--Armchair Travel: Life at Latitude Zero; A Journey Through Ecuador | MSAD#44 Adult & Continuing Ed (coursestorm.com)

Armchair travel to Antarctica Thursday, October 19  WMSC--Armchair Travel; Come Explore Antarctica | MSAD#44 Adult & Continuing Ed (coursestorm.com)

Behind the Scenes at Gould Academy Monday, October 23  WMSC--Behind the Scenes, Gould Academy | MSAD#44 Adult & Continuing Ed (coursestorm.com)

Registering for any of these will assure you will be added to Adult Ed’s email list.

If you do not already receive e-mail notices from Adult Ed about WMSC, please contact them to include you in the distribution list. You can reach Adult Ed by e-mail, by mail, by phone or by dropping by the office.  The contact information is:

E-mail:  AdultEd@MSAD44.org. 

Mail:  WMSC c/o Adult Ed

284 Walkers Mill Road

Bethel Maine, 04217

Telephone:  207-824-2136 (Terry Childs)

Adult Ed will continue to send paper course notifications to everyone in the MSAD44 school district once or twice a year, but the most up-to-date offerings are on the website.  The WMSC offerings are under the link at the bottom right-hand corner, but you can also peruse all the other Adult Ed classes.

Remember that membership in WMSC entitles you to take courses at all the other Senior Colleges in Maine.  And all WMSC courses are open to anyone over 18.

Maine Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum

Maria Holloway will be leading a tour to the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum on behalf of Western Mountains Senior College on Thursday, September 28 departing Bethel at 1pm. We will meet at 12:45 pm in the GEM Theater parking lot and depart at 1pm sharp. You may drive yourself or carpool with us. Please allow one hour to get there. The Museum is located in the lower level of The Silver Spur Dance Hall at 272 Lewiston St, Mechanic Falls, ME. The tour begins at 2pm.

For more details about the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame and to register for the tour click details and register here. The tour will begin at 2pm and will be followed by a live 30-minute musical presentation. We will plan to depart from the Museum at about 3:30 PM. The cost is $10 payable at the Museum. We ask that you register with Western Mountains Senior College and then pay the $10 admission directly at the Museum. For those interested, we may stop at Oxbow Brewing (Rt 26) on the way home for a pizza. Please pass along this info to any friends who may be interested.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Maria Holloway. I hope you can join us. It will be a fun adventure!

Maria Holloway
Maine Country Music Hall of Fame Museum Outreach Coordinator
603-553-1973

To Your Health to Present "Healthy Living for Brain and Body"

Tips from the latest research from the Alzheimer’s Association will be presented by Valerie Cole, SeniorsPlus Licensed Social Worker, on Thursday, October 5 from 4:30 to 6:00 pm at the West Parish Congregational Church, 32 Church Street, Bethel. This program is sponsored by “To Your Health” of the Western Mountains Senior College and is free and open to the public. All ages are welcome.

For centuries, we have known that the health of the brain and body are connected. But now science can provide insights into how lifestyle choices may help keep the brain and body healthy as one ages. Cole, a resident of Greenwood and the Community Outreach Specialist for SeniorsPlus Oxford County, has been with the organization since 1999. She will discuss research in the areas of diet and nutrition, exercise, cognitive activity, and social engagement and will use hands-on tools to help incorporate these recommendations into a plan for healthy aging.

“To Your Health” is offered as a community service by Western Mountains Senior College serving the greater Bethel area with the collaboration of Bethel Family Health Center and School Administrative District 44/Continuing Education. The program is free and open to the public. Light refreshments available. For more information, call 207-522-4625.

Bethel area seniors in need of a ride may call Age Friendly Neighbor-to-Neighbor at 207-824-4444.

Pairs and Spares

Want to join us at Nonna's Kitchen in Gorham, NH, for dinner on Thursday, October 12?  We have reserved the back room from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.  If you want to be among the seating limit of 12 people, don't wait to reserve a spot with Kay Rector by phone or text, 207-824-3333, or e-mail, kaymail3333@gmail.com

Nonna's Kitchen Website:  https://www.nonnasgorham.com/

Want to Learn More about Green Burials?

Chuck Lakin, an experienced speaker on natural end-of-life alternative, will describe options for a "green burial", rethinking some of the assumptions about funerals. You and your family can save a considerable amount of damage to the environment and save money by opting for a green burial. Maine has very flexible laws with regard to burials. Unlike in some states, you do not need to be embalmed or cremated and embalming is not necessary to protect the public health. Come and hear Chuck and learn about how green burials can help our environment. Wednesday, October 4, 3:00 pm, West Parish Congregational Church.  Free and open to the public.

Annual Meeting and Potluck

Welcome to summer?  Oh well, it’s bound to get better.  And because that’s true, and because the outdoor Annual Meeting and Potluck was so well attended last year, we are going to do it again.

Annual Meeting and Potluck

August 12, 2023

1:00 PM to 5:00 PM

On Irene and Jack Kuchta’s lawn

2203 Main St., Hanover, ME

Bring an appetizer, entrée or dessert to share.  There will be water and lemonade but bring what you want to drink.  Hear about the courses available for the Fall and sign up to be sure you have a place.

More Thespians Needed for Senior College Players

Are you interested in theater?  Do you like to act?  We invite you to join the Senior College Players, a theater group of Western Mountains Senior College.  No experience is needed.  You carry your scripts on stage and memorizing is not needed.

We’re busy recruiting new members.  Join us and enjoy the fun of performing before friends and neighbors.  If you are interested in theater even if you don’t like to act, you can still join us as we will need helpers like stage-hands and props.

Players rehearse on Thursdays from 2pm to 4pm starting in mid-September (location to be announced) and performances are held the weekend before Thanksgiving.  

Plan to attend the WMSC Annual Meeting/Pot Luck on Saturday, August 12, from 1 pm to 5 pm at Jack Kuchta’s, under a tent. Players will be available to answer your questions.

Information is also available by contacting John Reilly, Facilitator, at:  jreilly@mit.edu

To Your Health Program on “A-Fib: Old Questions – New Answers”

Daniel van Buren, MD

Daniel van Buren, MD, Cardiologist, a popular speaker for To Your Health, returns during American Health Month to help educate the community about heart disease.  Since A-Fib has an increased incidence with aging and is a frequent diagnosis in every cardiology practice, he said he will focus on this topic.  The program, “A-Fib: Old Questions – New Answers,” will be held on Thursday, February 2, from 4:30 to 6:00 pm at the Congregational Church Hall, Bethel.  Snow date is February 9.  Admission is free and light refreshments available.

Dr. van Buren said, “A-Fib is the most commonly treated cardiac arrhythmia.  The frequency of A-Fib is estimated to affect over 4% of the population over the age of 60 and is associated with an increased annual risk of stroke to as much as 12%.”  He added that the risk of stroke can be greatly reduced if diagnosed early and treated appropriately.  He will discuss recent advances in the treatment of A-Fib and options for treatment as well as the new frontier of contemporary therapeutic options.   

Dr. van Buren is board certified in cardiology, internal medicine, adult echocardiography, nuclear cardiology and cardiovascular disease.  He is a Fellow in the American College of Cardiology (FACC).  He completed his internal medicine and cardiology training in Brooklyn, NY.  He is the Director of Cardiovascular Medicine at the New England Heart Institute at Androscoggin Valley Hospital in Berlin, NH and resides in Bethel.

The program is sponsored as a community service by To Your Health of Western Mountains Senior College with the collaboration of Bethel Family Health Center and MSAD#44/Continuing Education.