St. Johnsbury
Spring 2023
Welcome to our OLLI St. Johnsbury program! This semester we will be offering 8 programs, held at 1:30pm Thursday afternoons on the dates listed below at Catamount Arts, 115 Eastern Avenue, St. Johnsbury, VT.
Health/Safety Guidelines: 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 should pre-register prior to the start of the program.
Semester Membership: Sign up as a member and attend all 8 programs at the discounted price of $30! 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 full membership series special ($30) or for individual lecture(s) ($8 each).
March 9
The Changing World of American Historical Fiction
Beth Kanell
How do historical novels influence our views of American History? Readers have absorbed both information and attitudes from “The Scarlett Letter”, “Catch 22”, and “Gone with the Wind”. Beth Kanell, who writes Northeast Kingdom historical fiction in order to share her research and enthusiasm, introduces a dozen recently published and notable historical mysteries, adventures, and romances and leads discussion of their strengths and effects.
March 16
History of Town Bands in Vermont
Gary Aubin
For over 60 years Gary Aubin has been a member of town bandsand will present the history of the development and then decline of town bands in Vermont. He has done research on town bands in VT for his masters degree from Norwich University and recently published a book on the subject.
March 23
The Making of West Danville Vermont, Then and Now, 1780 – 2021
Patty Houghton Conly, Executive Director, Danville Vermont Historical Society
Jane Bolton Dimick Brown, Co-authors of West Danville Vermont, Then and Now, 1781-2021
This program will take you through the inspiration, preparation and organization used to collect, write and eventually publish a book designed to preserve valuable information for future generations. We will share how we got started with the project, what we learned, what we would do differently, and suggestions that may help others with similar projects. We will also demonstrate the importance of collecting and preserving precious memories and facts, for either the general public or for your family, with suggestions on how to begin the process. family and friends, but the scientific community as well.
March 30
The Beauty and Poetry of the Heavens: the Ancient Teachings of Aratus
Mark S. Breen, Senior Meteorologist and Planetarium Director at Fairbanks Museum
Astronomy has inspired and informed almost every type of expression you can imagine, from visual arts, to music, and the written word, to say nothing of the range of sciences and mathematics. Each of them have created an avenue to explore, understand, and appreciate the universe an infinite number of viewpoints, often complimenting and enhancing each other. An early, wonderfully rich example of this is found in “Phaenomena”, by the Greek poet Aratus, written about 280 BCE. Mark provided the commentary and context for a newly minted edition of the ancient text, designed , illustrated, and printed by Claire Van Vliet and Andrew Brown. Breen will use illustrations and excerpts from this new book to guide you through the heavens in the very same way Aratus did over 2 millennia ago.
April 6
EPIC Music: El Sistema in Vermont
Jason Bergman, Director
Inclusivity and availably of music education as a way of building positive, healthy societies is the premise of Sistema. Jason will discuss the inspiration for Epic in St Johnsbury, the program and the young people who are becoming musicians through it. The Epic program is now part of Catamount Arts
April 13
Vermont is a State I Love
Tracy W. Messer, Coolidge Foundation
A 45-minute film produced by living history performer Tracy Messer presents the back story of the devastating floods of 1927 that led up to President Calvin Coolidge’s heartfelt speech, “Vermont is a State I Love”. Followed by discussion, questions and answers with Tracy as Calvin Coolidge.
April 20
Beauty From a Canoe
Belinda Emmons, Rabbit Run Photography
Belinda says, “It is my hope that the beauty that I see and capture through my camera lens may be shared with all of you and that the beauty around us not be taken for granted The 3 P’s are what I live by with my photography: Patience, Persistence and Passion.” That beauty will be demonstrated with slides of the wildlife that she sees while canoeing on the Connecticut River and surrounding areas.
April 27
One Step at a Time: A Vermonter’s Tale of Hiking the Appalachian Trail
Brett Elliott
Learn about the celebrated 2,200 mile Appalachian National Scenic Trailfrom thru-hiker Brett Elliott. Listen to tales from his 2021 thru- as he tells of the hardships and triumphs of hiking every day for 5 months. Hear about the fascinating and kind people he met along the way as well as the trail’s history and dazzling natural beauty
Prefer to pay by check? Complete the form on the site brochure mailed to you or this 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.
Download St. Johnsbury’s Spring 2023 OLLI program brochure (PDF, opens in a new window)
Become a member today!
Membership in the St. Johnsbury OLLI entitles members to attend programs in our other OLLIs 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.