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 Message from the President
Dear <<First Name>>,
A Good Year
LLI had its Annual Meeting on May 16th. It was good to see so many members turn out on a nice Thursday morning for tasty food, music, a review of the last school year, and a few words about the future of our organization. Our Hospitality Team’s outgoing Chair, Irene Esposito and incoming Chair, Betti Steel, teamed up and did an outstanding job arranging an appealing brunch. We are also grateful to LLI’s special friend, Joan Tower, Asher B. Edelman Professor of Music at Bard College, who put me in touch with Bard student, Juan Diego Mora Rubio, who together with two other students played Latin rhythm tunes before our business meeting. Thanks, Irene, Betti, Joan, Juan, Elizabeth, and Joel.
LLI’s 2023-4 program year draws to a close this month with SummerFest. This year we again welcome nonmembers to experience our SummerFest courses. Our school year was successful, with a blend of new and seasoned presenters and a wide variety of courses and special events.
If you are curious about what goes on behind the scenes at LLI, I recommend joining one of our committee or team meetings. It is a great way to meet new people and by sampling committees or teams you might find an area that you would like to become involved in. No one will ask to interview you to join a meeting. There is no commitment necessary either. Many members, me included, started volunteering after attending one or two meetings. The list of meetings and contact information is at the end of our monthly newsletters, in the section titled Upcoming Meetings and Important Dates for Members.
Like any other organization, from time to time, we receive a complaint that is unrelated to a course, and I am pleased with our record of dealing with problems, small and large, quickly and respectfully. Just a reminder: Please direct a complaint to me or another member of Council to ensure it is seen and addressed on a timely basis.
Have you renewed your LLI membership for 2024-25? Do so by June 21! Members who let their membership lapse will not receive priority should they re-apply in the future.
Best,
Robert Beaury
president@lli.bard.edu
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An Annual Meeting with a Latin Flair
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by Deborah Lanser
On May 16, President Robert Beaury proved once again that he knows how to throw an annual meeting. The 50 or so attendees began by enjoying a delicious breakfast organized by departing Hospitality Chair Irene Esposito and incoming Hospitality Chair Betti Steel. Then Bard Professor Joan Tower introduced three Bard music students, all products of Venezuela’s’s El Sistema intensive music training program, who performed several lively pieces of Latin American music as a prelude to the business meeting.
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Comments and Concerns about Spring Courses
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by Deborah Lanser
The evaluation forms for this spring’s classes elicited many carefully considered and colorfully worded responses. Most courses were generally a hit, with ratings of 4 or 5 for both the content and presenter. Reactions to a few others were more mixed; ratings may have ranged between 1 and 5, but most were 2 or 3.
As usual, there were far more responses than can be included in this article. Here are some of the more representative and insightful.
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Peace, Love, Rock ‘n Roll!
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by Robert Inglish
Mark your calendars for a summer picnic at Robert Post Park in Kingston on Wednesday, July 24, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Susan Simon will work her music magic with a 60’s theme. Get out your tie-dye shirts, hippie beads, and sandals, and plan for a great time. LLI members will be more than welcome to bring their “plus ones.”
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Visiting Blithewood Gardens
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by Gretchen Lytle
Blithewood Garden is a handsome, classical Italianate formal garden that overlooks the Hudson River with the Catskill Mountains as a backdrop. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Francis L. V. Hoppin designed both the current mansion and its formal garden set on the hillside, over 100 feet above the river. The symmetrical, geometric garden beds, protected by brick walls, are laid out around the central rectangular pool. The gazebo and pergolas draw one’s eye toward the river and the mountains beyond to the west. While it is an intimate, protected space, one does not feel confined. Steps up the hillside to the east, terraces with views west, and arches to the north and south invite visitors to explore beyond.
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by Deborah Lanser
On the northern edge of Bard’s campus lies a 1.24-acre farm that harvests more than 20,000 pounds of organic produce for the Bard community every year. Some of that produce is sold to local consumers at their farm stand at reasonable prices. The stand is well worth a visit for anyone who relishes fresh local foods.
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by L. Walker, Carmela Gersbeck, and Vicki Hoener
Come Play Pickleball!
Open play, all levels at the Red Hook courts at 99 Linden Avenue -- just show up! Only one month left—what are you waiting for?
Tuesdays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on June 4, 11, 18, 25.
Contact L. Walker for more information at lwalker@lli.bard.edu
Play Bocce
The bocce group will meet at Robert Post Park, 515 Park Road, Kingston, NY, on Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. through October 31st.
No experience or equipment is necessary. Bring a picnic lunch, enjoy socializing after the game, and relish the views of the Hudson River! For more information, contact Carmela Gersbeck at cgersbeck@lli.bard.edu.
Walk with Other LLI Members
Walks are held on Thursdays, starting at 10:30 a.m. Meet at the trailhead for each of the following sites:
June 13. Vlei marsh, 186 Vlei Road, Rhinebeck, NY, which can be accessed off 9G or via Burger Hill Road.
June 20. Greig Farm Trail, 227 Pitcher Lane, Red Hook, NY.
June 27. Walkway Over the Hudson, 61 Parker Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY.
For more information, contact Vicki Hoener at vhoener@lli.bard.edu.
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Highlights of the Bard Calendar
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by Felice Gelman
Bard is on summer vacation. Check back here for activities in the fall.
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Upcoming Meetings and Important Dates
for Members
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by Carmela Gersbeck
Saturday, June 1 through Friday, June 21: Membership renewal.
Saturday, June 1 through Friday, June 21: Applications for membership are accepted.
Fridays, June 7, 14, 21, 28: SummerFest takes place every Friday in June.
Tuesday, June 11: Curriculum Committee meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Zoom. Anyone interested in joining a meeting should email Anne Brueckner at abrueckner@lli.bard.edu.
Wednesday, June 12: Membership Development Committee meeting at 9:00 a.m. on Zoom. Any member interested in joining a Membership Development meeting should email Robert Inglish at ringlish@lli.bard.edu.
Monday, June 17: Council meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom. Any member interested in observing a Council meeting should email Mary McClellan at mmcclellan@lli.bard.edu.
Monday, June 24: The Communications team meets at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom. Any member interested in observing a Communications meeting should email Deborah Lanser at dlanser@lli.bard.edu.
Tuesday, July 9: Curriculum Committee meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Zoom. Anyone interested in joining a meeting should email Anne Brueckner at abrueckner@lli.bard.edu.
Wednesday, July 10: Membership Development Committee meeting at 9:00 a.m. on Zoom. Any member interested in joining a Membership Development meeting should email Robert Inglish at ringlish@lli.bard.edu.
Thursday, July 11: DEI/Social Justice team meeting at 4:00 p.m. on Zoom. Any member interested in joining a DEI/Social Justice meeting should email Laura Brown at lbrown@lli.bard.edu.
Monday, July 15: Council meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom. Any member interested in observing a Council meeting should email Mary McClellan at mmcclellan@lli.bard.edu
Wednesday, July 24: Join us for the LLI summer picnic at Robert Post Park in Kingston from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Members and "plus ones" are invited!
Monday, July 29: The Communications team meets at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom. Any member interested in observing a Communications meeting should email Deborah Lanser at dlanser@lli.bard.edu.
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This newsletter is a publication of Bard LLI Council. Communications Team Chair: Cathy Reinis. Writers and editors: Susan Christoffersen, Kathryn Clark, Felice Gelman, Carmela Gersbeck, Ann Green, Emilie Hauser, Alan Katz, Deborah Lanser, Jill Lundquist, Gretchen Lytle, Cristina Ochagavia, Susan Phillips, Margaret Shuhala. Photographers: Gary Miller, Chair, Carol DeBartolis, Carmela Gersbeck, Gretchen Lytle.
The opinions and views expressed in the LLI Newsletter are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of LLI or its members. In addition, any link to a website or content belonging to or originating from third parties are not investigated, monitored or checked for accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability or completeness by LLI, nor does LLI accept any responsibility for such content.
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