Central Vermont
Spring 2023
Welcome to our OLLI Central Vermont program. This semester, we are offering 11 programs (8 presentations and 3 film showings). All programs will be held at the Montpelier Senior Activity Center (MSAC) 58 Barre Street, Montpelier. The Rick Winston films will be shown at the Savoy Theater, 26 Main Street in Montpelier.
Programs will not take place when the Montpelier schools are cancelled for weather. You may call 802-223-5886 to confirm.
Programs take place on Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. (including films).
Health & Safety: UVM sponsored non-credit functions/activities/offerings, whether held at UVM or at a non-UVM facility or location, are governed by the same health and safety policies. As such, UVM expects event participants, visitors and guests will be vaccinated. Masks are optional and welcomed. If the event is taking place at a non-UVM venue, consideration must be given to the requirements of the host site and the more stringent requirements will apply.
NEW REGISTRATION PROCESS! We can no longer take any payments at the door/onsite. All attendees/members must pre-register prior to the start of the program.
Semester Membership: Sign up as a member and attend all 11 programs at the discounted price of $40 indivdiual/$70 couple (any two people)! Single lecture fee is $8 each.
To register, click on the “REGISTER NOW” button below and you will be brought to our online system where you can register using your credit card for the semester membership ($40 individual/$70 couple) or for single lecture(s) ($8 each).
February 1 (held at MSAC)
Between the Jigs and the Reels: Ireland’s History Through Its Music
Hilari Farrington and Benedict Koehler, Musicians
Music has helped to cheer and sustain the Irish spirit through times of oppression, poverty, and emigration. These internationally known musicians and teachers will weave a unique and captivating history of Ireland and perform music on some of its iconic instruments.
February 8 (held at MSAC)
The Life and Death of the Russian Avant Garde
M.T. Anderson, Author
A century ago, after the Russian Revolution, Soviet writers, artists, and composers aspired to create a new art for the shining future of mankind. The experiment flourished for ten years until it was crushed by the USSR. We will discuss a few of these silenced creators and look at some great music, art, poetry and prose you may never have heard of before.
February 15 (held at MSAC)
Robert Frost Today
Tom Slayton, Writer
Once belittled in academic circles, Robert Frost is now recognized as a truly great poet, with works that touch on universal themes familiar to many Vermonters. Slayton will explore several of Frost’s poems and will encourage the audience to participate in the discussion.
February 22 (held at MSAC)
Milk with Dignity in Vermont & Beyond
Migrant Justice Staff
Vermont’s dairy industry depends heavily on migrant workers. Learn the latest on the Milk with Dignity Program which brings together farmworkers, consumers, farmer owners and corporate buyers to foster a sustainable Northeast dairy industry and advances the human rights of farm workers.
March 1 (held at MSAC)
Protecting Our Wildlife
John Alberth, Animal Rehabilitator
Alberth will reconstruct the two-year process leading to the release of a pair of orphaned beavers into the wild in May 2022. Using videos and still photos, he will explain why beavers are considered a “keystone” species for wildlife ecosystems.
March 8 (held at MSAC)
Intimate Grandeur: Vermont’s Community State House
David Schutz, VT State Curator
For over 40 years, Schutz has worked to transform Vermont’s State House into a fully-restored museum. His slide presentation celebrates the evolution of this pre-Civil War building which retains its 19th century grandeur as it continues to serve as a vibrant cultural and political center for Vermont.
March 15 (held at MSAC) — Cancelled. Rescheduled Date to be Determined.
The Many Variations of Medicare
Christine Melicharek, Council on Aging Information Specialist
The federal Medicare insurance program has grown in size and complexity since it was created 50 years ago. There are now many drug plans, supplementary plans, and more recently Medicare Advantage plans advertised broadly. Melicharek will help us understand these various plans and the pluses and minuses of each.
March 22 (held at MSAC)
So Many Reasons to Love Trees
John Snell, Montpelier Tree Board Chair
In all seasons, trees are our intriguing partners in life. This program will provide a good excuse to enjoy photographs of trees while looking closely at many of the things we don’t always pay attention to—from bark and leaves to shade and shapes, from seeds and fruits to wood and CO2. Snell will share his marvel at these living things and their long lives.
The OLLI Rick Winston Film Series
The films described below will be shown at the Savoy Theater in Montpelier 1:30-3:30pm.
Author & Film Historian Rick Winston Presents: Amnesia Movies to Remember! We’ll enjoy three classic movies in which memory loss drives the plot.
March 29
Random Harvest (1942)
This romantic drama starring Greer Garson and Ronald Colman takes place in England in the years following WWI. Adapted from the novel by James Hilton, it is a tale of memories lost and recovered over time and the lives affected.
April 5
Spellbound (1945)
This Alfred Hitchcock psychological thriller, set largely in Vermont, stars Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck. The lost identity of the main character, who becomes an imposter, is the basis of both romance and mystery.
April 12
Man Without a Past (2002)
This second of Aki Kaurismäki’s Finland trilogy follows a man who has lost his memory immediately after arriving in a new city and his attempts to start a new life from scratch.
Prefer to pay by check? Complete the form on the site brochure mailed to you or this OLLI registration form (PDF, opens in a new window) and send with your check payment (made out to The University of Vermont) to:
UVM OLLI Registration Office
23 Mansfield Ave
Burlington, VT 05401
PLEASE NOTE: Allow 10-14 days from date of mailing check to receipt & processing.
For registration assistance or to pay by phone using your credit card, please call our UVM OLLI office at 802-656-5817 during regular business hours.
Become a member today!
Membership in the Central Vermont OLLI entitles you to attend programs in our other OLLI sites throughout Vermont. And, if you are currently a paid member of a statewide site (Fall or Spring only), you can take OLLI UVM campus programs at the member rate; just call 802-656-5817 to get the special discount code to use when registering for a UVM campus class.
Central Vermont Program Committee: Ginny Callan, Michelle Champoux, Edie Miller, Bob Rosenfeld, Mary Just Skinner, Alison Underhill, Grace Worcester
Publicity: Grace Worcester
Hospitality Committee: Priscilla Daggett, Amalia DiStefano
See the above listing in PDF format (Opens in a new window)