Spring 2013

All lectures will be on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and will be held at the St. Albans Historical Museum, third floor, corner of Church and Bishop Streets in St. Albans. The site is handicap accessible with parking behind the museum.

Spring 2013
February 06, 2013
Presenter: Gilbert ‘Gil’ Newbury
Pedal to the Sea: a Cross Country Trip on a Bicycle Built for Two Plus Two
Pedal to the Sea is the true story of the Newbury family (with young children) on a remarkable 4 month, 4685 mile, coast-to-coast bicycle trip pedaling a custom made Quad, a tandem bicycle for two – and two more. Pedal to the Sea vividly portrays the risks, joys, struggles, triumphs, moments of humor, and accidents of fate and faith that inevitably rise to the surface of such a journey. All across America people called out, ‘Can I come too?’ as the family pedaled by. Pedal to the Sea answers ‘Yes!’ by inviting readers along for the ride of a lifetime.

February 13, 2013
Presenter: Michael Sherman
‘An Unmilitary Innovation’: Civil War Hospitals in Vermont
From 1862 to 1865 – years that encompassed much of the Civil War and its immediate aftermath – the U. S. Army operated three hospitals in Vermont to care for and rehabilitate sick and wounded Union soldiers. Initially greeted with skepticism by President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, as ‘inexpedient and impractical of execution’ and as a ‘unmilitary innovation,’ these hospitals far from the battlefields developed a unique architectural plan and administrative structure that contributed to the effective recovery of patients. This illustrated talk examines the origins, design, operations and fate of the Civil War hospitals in Brattleboro, Burlington and Montpelier.

February 20, 2013
Presenter: Willard Sterne Randall
President George Washington
The traditions of the Presidency and the Chief Executive’s role evolved under Washington, who was described aptly in the eulogizing words of ‘Lighthorse Harry’ Lee, Robert E’s father, as ‘first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen.’ Why did the General, as his wife called him, come out of pleasant retirement at Mount Vernon to accept such a daunting, uncharted challenge that could, he feared, obliterate the honors he had so hard won in the Revolution? Why did he accept a second term and then retire when he did? And what was it like for Martha? Presidential scholar and author Randall answers these and other questions. He will be available to sign his books.

February 27, 2013
Presenter: Robert Rodgers
Development of the Alphabet and Various European Writing Systems
The invention of writing was only the beginning: the development of an alphabet was a remarkable technological advance which opened up a fountainhead of literacy at the eastern end of the Mediterranean in the second millenium BCE. Late Bronze Age Greeks borrowed the new technology as a result of commercial contact with Semitic peoples; Greek colonists then passed it on to western folk; Roman expansionists took their alphabet to the ends of their domain. Our 26 letters have grown old gracefully, adapting with elegant ease to ever-changing improvements from the printing-press to
the age of digital information.

March 06, 2013 – presented at St. Mary’s Parish at 45 Fairfield Street
Presenter: William Tortolano with Father Brian O’Donnell
In Historic St. Albans: St. Mary’s Church, 1839
Vermont’s oldest standing Catholic Church has a long and interesting history. One of four beautiful Churches of various denominations on the Village Green, it also has a Casavant pipe organ with over 1100 pipes. Father Brian O’Donnell and Dr. William Tortolano will present interesting information about the Church, its art and its history, as well as music to display the many sounds and colors of the organ.

March 13, 2013
Presenter: Steve Worona
Balancing Privacy and Security in the 21st Century
Nearly 240 years ago, Patrick Henry said, ‘Give me liberty or give me death!’ More recently, Kansas Senator Past Roberts said, ‘You have no civil liberties if you’re dead!’ With today’s technology, we can create a society of total surveillance that George Orwell would have envied. Will we? Should we? Who will decide and how? We’ll discuss some of these ideas and options.

March 20, 2013
Presenter: Nancy Nahra
Robert Frost: Poetry as Business
Learn new things about an old friend. While Robert Frost’s renown as a poet began during his lifetime and has continued since his death in 1963, his ability as a self-aware entrepreneur has drawn less notice. From Dr. Nahra you will gain knowledge of new findings from research about an unexplored side of this much studied man of letters. We will also learn about the expanding international audience for Frost’s poetry. He has more readers than ever now that English can claim the most recent title as global language.

March 27, 2013
Presenter: Kurt Valenta
Owls – Silent Predators of the Night
Is an Owl wise? Does his head spin right around? Is he blinded by daylight? These are some of the questions to be answered in this intimate look at one of our most elusive, not always large, predatory birds. Endowed with numerous adaptions which make it one of the most versatile and successful hunters in nature, the owl is an important link in the web of life. From the legends in movies and books to the real-life, we will sort fantasy from fact and see why the reputation of the owl has been so enduring.

April 03, 2013
Presenter: Kenley ‘Ken’ Squier
Music to go to the Dump By: WDEV and Community Radio in Vermont
Born in Waterbury, Vermont, Ken is President and Owner of the Radio Vermont Group. Ken started his sports broadcasting career at the family radio station, he soon tried dirt track auto racing (he would become the founder of our own ‘Thunder Road’). Today his Midday and Evening Sports programming provide irreverent commentary on the world of sports (and politics and you name it!) He is probably best know for the timeless “Music to go to the Dump By” program every Saturday morning at 9:00am. Welcome to community radio at its best.

April 10, 2013
Presenter: Tatiano Trono
My Journey from Essex Junction to Tanglewood
I can’t remember the exact reason why I wanted to start playing the violin; I just knew I really wanted to try it. Even though I had been listening to Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” since I was in the womb, it still came as a huge surprise to my mother when her 5-year-old daughter turned to her in the car and proclaimed that she wanted to learn how to play the violin. To me it was just common sense while to her it was random. After 10 years,
‘random’ had become a habit and a huge part of my life.

April 17, 2013
Presenter: Art Cohn
The 2012 Summer Tour of the Lois McClure: Commemorating the War, Celebrating the Peace
The Bicentennial of the War of 1812 provided an opportunity to return to Canada and explore this important chapter in world and regional history. Many ports on our tour were significant fortifications during the War of 1812, including Kingston, Ontario, Sackets Harbor, NY, and Oswego, NY. Our 2012 itinerary took us to forty communities along the interconnected waterways of Lake Champlain, the Richelieu, St. Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers and the Rideau Canal.

April 24, 2013
Presenter: Steve Taubman
Get Off Your “Buts”… 7 Magical Secrets for Overcoming Excuses
Have you every felt that the path to your goals was strewn with landmines in the form of excuses, considerations and emotional ‘anchors’?. Most of us start out with the best of intentions, only to be waylaid by unforeseen thoughts and feelings. In this informative and uplifting presentation, bestselling author and direct selling coach, Dr. Steve Taubman will help you to respond appropriately to your own mental traps, move through them, and have a more successful life experience.

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Membership Information

Payment of membership dues entitles subscribers to attend all sessions of the current semester. Lectures are also open to non-members for a fee of $5 per lecture. Semester membership fees are $40 per individual, or $70 per couple.

Send membership dues to:

• Osher Lifelong Learning Institute – St. Albans
• John A. Newton, Treasurer
• 29 Country Club Estates
• Swanton, VT 05488-3008

Make checks payable to The University of Vermont (UVM).

Become a member today!

Membership in your local OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) entitles you to attend programs at any of the other 7 OLLI sites throughout Vermont, as well as EEE-Burlington (Elder Education Enrichment). Your active OLLI membership also entitles you to the discounted member rate for the OLLI programs on the UVM campus. Simply present your membership card during the corresponding semester.

For a complete listing of all programs, see our listing in a pdf format.