Free & open to all!

The Â鶹APP Senior College starts off the New Year with a series of 10 fantastic lectures on Zoom:

• Tuesday, Jan. 10 — The Aleutian Islands presented by Dave Hobbins
• Tuesday, Jan. 17 — Meeting Maine’s Marsh Birds presented by Danielle D’Auria
• Tuesday, Jan. 24 — Maine’s Angel of Bataan presented by Walter MacDougall
• Tuesday, Jan. 31 — Silas Soule: Man of Honor & Courage presented by Mike Bell
• Tuesday, Feb. 7 — A Retrospective of Rahsaan Roland Kirk presented by Frank Johnson
• Tuesday, Feb. 14 — The Century of the Surgeon presented by Peter Rosenberg
• Tuesday, Feb. 21 — Wandering Around Maine presented by Elizabeth Reinsborough
• Tuesday, Feb. 28 — Part 1: Journey to Newfoundland presented by Cheryl & Louis Fontaine
• Thursday, Mar. 2 — Part 2: Journey to Newfoundland presented by Cheryl & Louis Fontaine
• Tuesday, Mar. 7 — Maritime Mascots & Workers Throughout History presented by Patricia Sullivan

All lectures start at 1:00 pm.

Please join us and invite your friends! Our winter lecture series is a wonderful way to introduce others to lifelong learning at UMASC.

Visit for complete information on each lecture and to register.

Senator King’s interest in education was demonstrated when, as Maine’s governor, he persuaded the Maine legislature to pass the Learning Technology Initiative in 2002. The initiative provided laptops to 7^th grade students and their teachers. As a business developer of alternative energy – wind, biomass – he had gained appreciation of the technological knowledge and skills required in Maine’s new industries. King is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the University of Virginia Law School and has been an adjunct professor in government at Bowdoin College.

Marilyn Canavan will be the moderator of the program. Canavan was a member of the Maine House of Representatives, representing the Waterville area from 2000 to 2008. As a legislator she helped to write Maine’s Clean Elections Act. She served for several years as Executive Director of the Maine Commission on Government Ethics and Election Practices.

Attendees can send in their questions and comments via email to: pamela.stpeter@maine.edu; these will be sorted and sent to the speakers for their responses.

The Zoom Webinar is free and open to the Public. The Idea Exchange is designed to bring information on significant social issues, particularly in these days of pandemic isolation.

For more information and a link to join the meeting, visit our website: . For additional information, email UMA Senior College at office@umasc.org  or call 207.621.3551.

Planned by the Forum on the Future Committee, this program is sponsored by the Â鶹APP Senior College. Further information can be found on the UMA Senior College website.

Contact: Pamela St. Peter, Â鶹APP Senior College, 5 Farmhouse Dr., Augusta ME 04330-9410; Tel. 207-621-3479; Email pamela.stpeter@maine.edu

Image provided courtesy of UMA Senior College.

To foster connectedness even while social distancing, UMA Senior College () will offer a special series of 60 to 90-minute lectures this summer on topics as varied as Charlie Parker, photography composition, Newfoundland, and healthy living. These classes will begin on July 21 and are open to the public.

This is an opportunity to meet new people, all the while learning about Central Maine’s modern architecture; historical figures such as Earl Mountbatten, Lenny Thom (PT-109’s executive officer), Hubert Humphrey, and Walter Mondale; and Greek gods and goddesses.

UMASC seeks to fulfill a community need by providing participants with enriching programs during this time of limited travel and an opportunity to connect with others while social distancing. Course offerings include many classes of public interest, such as lectures on public education in Maine, insect collapse, and an introduction to bias.

UMASC is also planning a full complement of fall Zoom classes, typically one to two-hour sessions, once a week for eight weeks. The fall session is currently in the planning stage, but already scheduled are a writer’s workshop, Spanish, Tai Chi, photography, and classes on Lincoln, understanding and confronting bias, and the Acadian expulsion.

The summer series is free and open to the public. (beginning at $10 for the academic year) is encouraged but not required. Fall classes are also free, but membership will be required.

Â鶹APP Senior College serves individuals in Central Maine, and its goal is to create an atmosphere where friendships begin and learning never ends.

Participants must to access a Zoom class. Registrants will receive an email with a Zoom link to the class.

A Brown Bag Program on Maine General Home Care and Hospice

Tuesday, February 11, 2020 • 12 – 1pm

Klahr Center, Â鶹APP Campus

Have you ever wondered what hospice is all about or what services may be available to a patient, family, and a primary caregiver when an end of life situation arises? As part of its , Â鶹APP Senior College (Senior College) presents a program entitled “Maine General Home Care and Hospice” on Tuesday, February 11, from noon to 1:00 pm at the Klahr Center on the Â鶹APP (UMA) Campus. Heather Desjardins, Community and Facility Liaison will help attendees learn more about the topic including eligibility, available services, and referral process.

This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the numerous services provided by Maine General Medical Center. For more information about this presentation, future Brown Bag topics, or the program contact the Senior College office at 207-621-3551 or email admin@umasc.org.

Senior College, located on Â鶹APP Augusta campus, offers numerous activities and learning opportunities for seniors over age 50. The Brown Bag Program is an informal lecture series on a variety of subjects weekly January and February on Tuesday from noon to 1:00 pm. Attendance is free to the public.

Sunday, February 9, 2020 – 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Snow date of March 1, 2020, if needed)

Randall Student Center, Fireplace Lounge, UMA Augusta Campus

The Â鶹APP (UMA) Senior College and UMA College of Arts and Sciences will present, as part of its Forum on the Future series, Our Divided Country—Seeking Common Ground, at the Fireplace Lounge, Randall Student Center on Â鶹APP Augusta campus on Sunday, February 9, 2020 from 2-4 pm. The forum is free and open to the public. Attendees should note the change of location for this Forum.

Recognizing that sharp divisions in the American populace have caused many to fear for the future of democracy in our nation, this Forum on the Future will feature two knowledgeable speakers, one a political scientist and one an opinion page editor, to provide their insight on the topic. They will address the background of our divide and what can be done to bring about a more civil national conversation and find common causes on which the two sides can work together. UMASC Forums on the Future are intended to be presentations of information and ideas and not a debate.

Shea Daniel

Daniel M. Shea is a professor of Government at Colby College and former Director of the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs and Civil Engagement. Included in his specialization are civility in politics and youth engagement.  He has written or edited over 20 books on elections, the latest of which is titled “Why Vote? Essential Questions about the Future of Elections in the United States.” He lives in Mt Vernon with his wife Christine and three children.

Kesich Greg

Greg Kesich is the Editorial Page Editor of the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. His work has appeared in the state’s newspapers for the last 30 years, starting as a reporter whose assignments included coverage of the State House and the State court system before moving into opinion writing in 2007.  He has served as Editorial Page Editor for the Press Herald for the past eight years.  He lives in Portland with his wife Gail Donovan, a children’s book author.

Marilyn Canavan, a Senior College board member and former State Representative will serve as moderator of the event.

Please note that the location for this event is in a different venue than previous forums because of construction. Parking will be more convenient in the North Lot. There will be ample time for questions and interaction with the audience. The Forum is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

The mission of is to provide joyful life-long learning and socializing opportunities to persons 50 and older and their spouses. Besides the forum series, UMASC offers a wide variety of courses and the ‘Concerts at Jewett’ series. For more information about UMASC and its other activities, please call 621-3551, email at umasc@maine.edu.

Two experienced women politicians will address questions such as “Why did you run for office?”  “Why is it important to have women in politics?”  “Why are so many young women getting into politics?” and “What effects will the increasing involvement of women in politics have on the issues which are dealt with by lawmakers?”

Shenna Bellows

Shenna Bellows is the Executive Director of the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine. She is also State Senator for District 14 in Kennebec County, representing her home town of Winthrop and several Augusta communities.  Senator Bellows currently serves as Chair of the Labor and Housing Committee of the Maine Legislature and is also a member of the Judiciary Committee.   She led the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine as Executive Director for eight years.

Karen Heck

Karen Heck received a B.A. in Government from Colby College and an M.S. in Human Development from the University of Maine.  She worked for the Kennebec Valley Community Action Program and co-founded Hardy Girls Healthy Women. In 2002, Ms. Heck was named co-winner of the Woman of the Year award by the Maine Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs.  In 2008, she was inducted into the Maine Women’s Hall of Fame.   In 2011, she ran as an Independent and was elected Mayor of Waterville.

The Moderator of the program will be Marilyn Canavan, former State Representative from Waterville.  She is former Director of the State

Government Ethics Committee.

There will be ample time for questions and comments from the audience.  Refreshments will be served during a short break in the program.

For more information about UMASC and its other activities, please call 621-3551 or email at umasc@maine.edu.

The Â鶹APP College of Arts and Sciences and announce the 2019-2020 concert schedule for the 17^th season of “Concerts at Jewett” held at Jewett Hall Auditorium.

The series, sponsored by local businesses and private contributions, features talented Maine performers representing a variety of musical forms. Profits are used to subsidize present and future lectures and concerts to benefit the community.

The following artists will perform during the 2019-2020 season:

October 20, 2019, 2PM – State Street Traditional Jazz Band

Led by its founder, John Page, every member of this band has a passion to play and preserve Traditional New Orleans Jazz by capturing the original “Preservation Hall Jazz Band” era of music – a lively afternoon!

November 17, 2019, 2PM – Paul Sullivan

A composer/pianist, Paul has performed on three continents, received a Grammy Award, and teamed with the schoolchildren of Brooklin, Maine to perform with Noel Paul Stookey, Sarah Lee Guthrie, and David Grisman.

» Note: No concert in December due to Jewett Hall Renovations

January 12, 2020, 2PM (snow date Jan. 26) – Katahdin Valley Boys

THIS CONCERT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO JANUARY 26TH DUE TO EXPECTED WEATHER

They take pride in presenting their audiences with top quality, traditional, and contemporary Bluegrass and Bluegrass Gospel music featuring tight harmonies and smooth solos. This concert will be held in the Randall Student Center, Fireplace Lounge, 2^nd floor, 125 capacity. A sellout is anticipated.

February 9, 2020, 2PM (snow date Feb. 23) – Christine Letcher

Enjoy a classical piano performance before intermission. Then Christine will be the vocalist with Bill Moseley’s PUMA Jazz Quartet, jazz inspired by swing, bebop, Latin America, 1960’s modern jazz, and 1960’s pops.

March 8, 2020, 2PM (snow date Mar. 15) – Maine-ly Harmony and Back Bay Four

These two a capella groups were a hit in 2018 and are returning with more awards to their credit – a feel-good afternoon of skilled harmony and familiar songs by over thirty talented vocalists.

April 5, 2020, 2:00 PM – The Gawler Family Band

With vocals, fiddles, banjo, guitar, cello, harmonica, washboard, and other acoustic instruments including their feet, the Gawler Family Band, a longtime mid-coast and central Maine institution, is known for rich, melodic, and happy traditional tunes of Maine.

May 17, 2020, 2:00 PM – Sarah Geller

A classical violinist and a Farmington native who now lives in New York City. Beloved by audiences from coast to coast, Sarah draws audiences with her rich sound and palette of tone colors.

Tickets are $10, students $5, 12 and under free. Tickets are available at Dave’s Appliance in Winthrop and at the door. Subscriptions (seven or more concerts) at reduced rates are available by mail. For further information call 621-3551, email: office@umasc.org, or check the .

Kathleen D. Jameson • 570-412-1558 • kathleen.sheetz.jameson@gmail.com

Sunday, March 17th, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Jewett Auditorium, UMA Augusta Campus

The Â鶹APP (UMA) College of Arts and Science and the UMA Senior College will present, as part of its Forum on the Future series, a panel discussion entitled “Poverty in Maine: How Can We Help?” at Jewett Hall on Â鶹APP Augusta campus on Sunday, March 17, 2019 (snow date March 31). The forum is free and open to the public.

The panel discussion will begin at 2:00 pm with a refreshment break, followed by a question and answer period until 4:00 p.m. UMASC Forums on the Future are intended to be presentations of information and ideas, and not a debate. This presentation seeks to provide attendees with insight into problems faced by those living in poverty, as well as a better understanding of the programs that support individuals to attain independence, and how the public can support these programs. Speakers will include:

Karen Wyman is the Education and Legal Advocacy Coordinator for the Maine Equal Justice Program (MEJP). A nonprofit, this organization focuses upon many issues that affect people’s daily lives, and they are the leading experts in the state on federal and state policies for Maine’s anti-poverty programs. Ms. Wyman will speak about the functions of her program as well as how the public can offer support.

Cheryl Golek is one of the founders of the Vicarage by the Sea, a long-term alternative care home for those who have dementia. She is a dementia care specialist and has a certificate in social gerontology, and is a bold political advocate. Cheryl’s early life was marked by poverty, and this informs her understanding of the economic realities that Mainers face and a desire to find real solutions to poverty. She is a member of MEJP’s Circle, a project of Maine Equal Justice that supports Mainers who have experienced poverty to develop leadership and advocacy skills.

Susan Emmerling is a Family Services Coordinator with Head Start in Maine, where she has been employed for forty years and brings a wealth of experience from that program. She works with families of all ages (including grandparents raising grandchildren) helping them find appropriate resources according to the family’s own goals, linking them to health care options and even providing transportation at times to appointments, such as doctors and dentists.

Penny Higgins, Ed.D, R.N. will moderate the Forum. Her past experience in nursing education includes working with both patients and students from communities with diverse characteristics.

For more information about UMASC and its other activities, visit or contact UMASC at 621-3551 or by email at umasc@maine.edu.

The February forum will begin with details of the history of the Second Amendment to our Constitution, followed by the perspective of the hunter/sportsman, and will also propose ways to decrease gun violence. The forum is prompted by the many discussions taking place regarding this amendment.

The panel for this discussion will consist of the following individuals:

Dave Cheever, State of Maine Archivist since 2007, will present historical aspects. Mr. Cheever has had a varied career, including as a former teacher, sports director at Bangor television station, news director of Stephen King’s Bangor radio station, he later became Press Secretary for Governor Joseph Brennan. He has also been Editorial Page Editor for Central Maine Newspapers.

David Trahan, a former self employed logger and legislator from Lincoln County, has been Executive Director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine since 2011. His interests include defending Second Amendment rights, rebuilding the deer herd and expanding the use of our Maine outdoor attractions to a broader population.

Geoff Bickford, Executive Director of the Maine Gun Safety Coalition, will speak to issues of protecting Maine families from gun violence by expansion of education, advocacy and the distribution of free trigger locks. A lawyer, his previous experience includes acting as a public defender in Manhattan and clerking for Judge John Rich III of the United States District Court for the District of Maine in Portland.

All Forums on the Future are free and open to the public. For more information about UMASC and our other activities please call us at 621-3551 or email us at umasc@maine.edu.

For more information about UMASC please visit: .

The program will cover three aspects of universal health care:

1. A general description of our current health care system and what it means to people in their daily lives;
2. Economic information on the related aspects of the adoption of a single-payer or universal health care system; and
3. Information on the various avenues that could lead to adoption of a plan to provide health care for all.

The program speakers will include the following individuals:

Phil Caper, MD, a founding member of Maine All Care, an organization devoted to the establishment of publicly funded healthcare coverage for all Maine residents. Dr. Caper received his bachelors, masters and medical degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles. He trained in Internal Medicine on the Harvard Medical Unit at Boston City Hospital, and taught at numerous universities. He was a charter member of the nation’s top health care advisory panel, the National Council on Health Planning and Development and founder and chairman of the Codman Group, a health care software and consulting company with an international reputation, among his many diverse healthcare experiences. He has written extensively for professional journals, and wrote a monthly health policy column for the Bangor Daily News for several years.

Jeff Dunn, MD also has extensive experiences in healthcare, graduating from Rensselear Polytechnic Institute and Albany Medical College and receiving an MBA from Temple University. He trained in General and Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Michigan. Dr. Dunn practiced Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Temple and St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia. However, his experiences at the Great Ormand Street Hospital for Sick Children and the Harley Street Clinic in London, England gave him a unique experience with England’s universal and single-payer health care system. He has researched and/or written about pediatric heart transplantation, mechanical cardiac assist, and fetal cardiac surgery.

Betsy Sweet earned her BA at Colgate University, and MA in Spiritual Psychology at the University of Santa Monica. She had a successful consulting business, Moose Ridge Associates, and now a thriving counseling/coaching business “Sweet Spirit”. She has long been involved in promoting many positive issues related to health care policy, women, victims of abuse, the disabled, the elderly and others. For example, Betsy helped found the Dirigo Alliance, the Maine Center for Economic Policy and she did the research that led to and then helped write Maine’s first Clean Election Law and the first Family Medical Leave act in the country. She was a pioneer in women’s advocacy in Maine as director of the Maine Women’s Lobby and the Maine Commission for Women under two governors. She recently was a candidate in the Democratic Primary for Governor.

UMASC is open to all persons 50 years of age or older, their spouses or partners. For more information, please call 621-3551, email umasc@maine.edu or check our web site at .