GREAT DECISIONS

Thursday, May 2
10:00 a.m. at GCC
Program #18247

Please refer to April 18th for program details

PLAN YOUR GRAND FINALE: A LIGHTER LOOK AT ONE OF LIFE’S CERTAINTIES

Tuesday, May 7
10:00 a.m. at GCC
Program #18250

Fee: $3

Presenter: Susan Daniels, MSN RN CHPN

Susan Daniels has been a registered nurse for more than 30 years working in Oncology, Telemetry, Dementia Special Care, and Hospice and Palliative Care. She was the recipient of the Florence Wald Award of Excellence in End-of-Life Care from the Connecticut Association for Healthcare at Home in 2021 and Middlesex Health’s Family Medicine Residency Program’s Nurse of the Year in 2023. She says the favorite part of her job is helping people to clarify their wishes at whatever stage of life they are in and assisting them in the fulfillment of those wishes.

This presentation offers practical advice on how to leave a personal legacy, how to develop a plan for getting personal affairs in order, and how to talk to loved ones about what really matters to them at the end of life. 

Great Decisions

Thursday, May 9
10:00 a.m. at GCC
Program #18247

Please refer to April 18 for Program details.

TRIP: KIWI ROOTS FARM, WESTBROOK – Drive Yourself

Monday, May 13
10:00 a.m.
Program #18251

Fee: $3

Presenter: Dan Frame, Organic Farmer

Kiwi Roots is inspired by Dan Frame’s farming background in New Zealand. Through work in a number of farming ventures over the years in both New Zealand and throughout the U.S., he has learned to appreciate all approaches to growing but has come to value more ecological and sustainable practices.  At the farm the goal is to have a positive impact on the environment, maximize the health of the soil, and maintain the full nutritive value in the food that is produced. 

Dan will lead a walk and tour around Kiwi Roots Farm, a micro farm organically growing and selling seasonal vegetables. 

WHAT IS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY? 

Tuesday, May 14
10:00 a.m. GCC
Program #18252

Fee: $3

Presenter: Ethan Horwitz, Attorney

Attorney Horwitz has practiced Intellectual Property for over 30 years and has represented a wide variety of clients, from Fortune 100 Companies to start-ups. He is the author of four treatises published by LexisNexis, including Horwitz on Patent Litigation (3 Vols.) and Horwitz on World Trademark Law (5 Vols.).  He has lectured in various countries around the world and was  named by Law360 as one of the top 50 trial attorneys in the country.

Hear about the laws that apply to patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. Learn what can be protected by law, the way protection is obtained, and how it is enforced.

TRIP: MYSTIC SEAPORT MUSEUM HAND-BLOWN GLASS EXHIBIT

Wednesday, May 15
9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at SGC
Program #18253

Fee: $34

With an introduction by a Mystic Museum Curator, we will see a major exhibition of stunning hand-blown glass models of marine invertebrates.  Created in Germany nearly 150 years ago by the father-son glass artists Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka, these magnificent glass pieces were sold to universities and museums before the invention of underwater photography. This exhibition was featured in the NY Times on November 18, 2023, “Sea Creatures from the Deep, Captured in Glass, Rise at Mystic Seaport”. The show helps tell a story about the Connecticut coast today.

Bring your own lunch.

Limit: 20

VIEW FROM THE TOP: CONNECTICUT’S FISCAL WATCHDOG

Tuesday, May 21
10:00 a.m. at GCC
Program #18254

Fee: $3

Presenter: Sean Scanlon, CT State Comptroller

Sean Scanlon, Connecticut’s 67th State Comptroller, began his term in January 2023. He earlier served four terms as our State Representative in the General Assembly where he championed major healthcare reforms and chaired the Legislature’s Insurance Committee and the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee. Outside of the Legislature, Sean previously served as Executive Director of Tweed-New Haven Airport.

Comptroller Scanlon will give an overview of the Office of the State Comptroller and discuss his responsibilities as fiscal watchdog, current legislative priorities, Connecticut’s economic outlook, and the State’s drug discount program, ArrayRx.

WALKING THE THORNVELD IN SOUTH AFRICA

Wednesday, May 22 (Postponed from April 15)
10:00 a.m. Zoom
Program #18244

Fee: Free

Presenter: Mark Hopkins

Mark Hopkins is an award-winning photographer and writer. Mark explains: “My work in photography focuses mainly on capturing unexpected, compelling images of the natural world”. Mark is a volunteer photographer with Earthwatch. He is a frequent and popular speaker at SSILL.

Join Mark for a photographic visit to the savannahs of South Africa where the continent’s best known large mammals depend on careful management to ensure their future. Learn how Earthwatch works with local scientists to perform a biennial herbivore census in one of Africa’s most beautiful federal game reserves. Follow along as Mark hikes sixty miles over two weeks through scenic thornveld landscapes, accompanied by an armed Zulu ranger, counting wild rhinos, giraffes, buffaloes, and a dozen other large mammal species, then returning to the campsite for close-up photographic visits with lions, leopards, hippos, and crocodiles. Hear how a face-to-face encounter with one of Africa’s most dangerous creatures enlivened the adventure.

EN-LIGHT-ENMENT: TRACING LIGHT FROM COMPUTERS TO THE COSMOS

Tuesday, May 28
10:00 a.m. at GCC
Program #18255

Fee: $3

Presenter: Yale Science in the News

Speakers: Jordan Schmerge, Kaustav Mitra, Sumit Chaturvedi, Brahmmi Patel

Light is everywhere around us, but did you know that we can use light too? In this talk Yale Scientists will discuss how we can use light in focusing lenses, mapping the Universe, and computer-generated imagery.

IMMIGRATION: MYTHS AND REALITIES

Wednesday, May 29
10:00 a.m. at.GCC
Program #18256

Fee: $3

Presenter: Ray Lombra, Professor Emeritus of Economics, Penn State University

Ray Lombra is Professor Emeritus of Economics, Penn State University. He served as a senior staff economist at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. He is a specialist in monetary economics and macroeconomics with a focus on central bank policy, financial markets, and international finance. Ray is an award-winning teacher, author, and a consultant to the government and numerous financial firms.

Immigration has been a topic of national debate for more than 100 years. The surge of migrants at the Southern border in recent years has placed this topic squarely in the center of current political debates. What has changed? How many immigrants are in the U.S.? How many are here legally? Do immigrants take jobs from U.S. citizens? Do they pay taxes? What are the core issues in the debate over immigration? Will a wall solve the problem?  Join us for this important discussion.