Read on for another page from Bob Williamson's 20th ML Anniversary address:

Fred Apsler rightly deserves credit for the birth of the program we commemorate today, but from the beginning he understood the importance and value of a citizen’s advisory council. The original committee he brought together shared his commitment to education as a lifelong quest. Yet the work wasn’t all serious – Fred leavened everything he did with a sense of flair and fun. It showed up even in his notes to council members, including this one to Lynn Degerstedt:
“Your Lordship… I am extremely disconsolate about not having found your exalted person present in the flesh. Our mini-course for over-aged students was successfully concluded yesterday. Reaction was enthusiastic, and there were piteous cries for more. I crave an audience with your Lordship to get something going. The hot lunch people are very eager to furnish more educational food to the aging masses. Would you deign to call this humble subject on Monday morning to indicate when I can present myself to your illustrious Lordship for an audience? Most humbly and respectfully and always, day or night, at your service, Fred A.”
Fred, his illustrious Lordship and the other members of the advisory council successfully led the transition from the early seminars of “Perspectives on Aging” to the academic curriculum of “focus On Mature Learning.” Full-time college instructors were mixed with professionals in the community to offer and teach courses on local history, interpersonal relationships, current events, psychology, and conversational languages. These early classes flourished, and effectively strengthened the program’s support with the college faculty, the administration, and the advisory council itself.
By 1977, "Focus" was growing, as was Fred’s pride in his creation. He was also finding at this time that his itch for travel and study was stretching an already crowded schedule. As a result, Fred stepped down as the day-to-day coordinator of Focus on Mature Learning but accepted the position of chairman of the advisory council. He would never be far away from the program he loved.

Photo note: This isn't Fred Apsler - it's another Clark County legend - Dan Ogden at the FDR Memorial.  I took this on one of our spectacular DC travel trips!

So many of us feel we have a story inside of us, but don’t know how to bring it out!
Whether it is fiction, non-fiction, biographical or even a screenplay, we need the knowhow, encouragement, and advice from already published writers and authors in all genre of writing. Here are some tips from a few of our popular writing instructors. Be sure to check out our website or printed schedule to see our rotating list of writing classes to inspire, motivate and direct you.
 
“Don’t let your pride or hurt feelings get in the way of revision that could make your story stronger. Listen carefully to criticism, but only when it is objective and more than the like it/don’t like it variety. Revisit it after a week with an open mind. Revisit it again after a month. The more protective you are of your work, the less you’re liable to learn.” Carolyn Rose
 
“My advice for any and every beginning writer is probably the hardest concept to follow. Writers must write something! I implore, encourage, and if you asked me directly, I might even cajole you: write every day. Write something; for you cannot leave the page blank. Writers, after all, must write...something.” Randal Houle
 
“Never edit while in the creative process. If you find yourself critiquing while you are creating, take a break, loosen up, and find ways to change your mindset so that you can write your first draft in total freedom.” Christi Krug
 
In brief, “Be brutal in your editing. If a scene does not reveal character or move the plot forward -- cut it.” Ruth Witteried

On September 7th Mature Learning held an outstanding free lecture and musical event to a crowd of 75 to celebrate the first ever Volunteer of the Year – really the decade – master of all trades: Don Mattison.  Favorite instructors Elliott Trommald, Ara Serjoie, Cecilia Ranger, Thomas Fudge and Pat Jollota led a program of stories of characters both inspirational and wacky. Master of Ceremonies Don Miller offered his sparkling wit and humor.  The crowd was rolling in the aisles from raconteur Miller's tidbits from a lifetime in the clergy, Trommald's Abe Lincoln storytelling prowess and Jollota's early Clark County historical high jinks. Yet no one was prepared for Fudge's piece de resistance - the extraordinary tale of a French Middle Ages town's lawsuit aginst the "pestilence" of the town rats!  It was a typical Mature Learning kind of afternoon - wonderful, winsome and full of surprises! And with the poignant edge of Iranian music and heartfelt testimony. It was a fitting kickoff to an exciting year of high quality programming and a tribute to a life of integrity and moral principle – the Volunteer of the Year Award will be named in Don's honor as the “Don Mattison” Award.

To celebrate lifelong learning our vision is to offer this award on a yearly basis.  Our first honoree Don Mattison has been the “go to guy” for Mature Learning for more than a decade. Visionary advocate, Instructor, Advisory Committee Chair, classroom media assistant, office volunteer, and strategic planner; Don’s presence has been everywhere. Students and Instructors alike know that Don’s technical mastery of sound, power point and classroom needs creates the quality environment Mature Learning is known for. Clark College has a saying, “It’s all about the student” and Don is shining example of making that goal a reality through his dedication, attention to detail, and hard work.

Don is retiring from his diverse volunteer duties to health concerns. He will be sorely missed and we will need four people to even begin to replace him! If you can volunteer please contact Tracy Reilly Kelly or call 360.992.2163.

Next year will be Mature Learning's 40th anniversary! Learn more about Mature Learning at Clark College, an educational and cultural program for those age 55 and above.

Now that September is upon us, summer’s most luscious produce is available. How can you maximize your shopping and storage options to take advantage of the powerhouse potential that fresh produce offers this sunny season?

TIP # 1 - Fresh fruits and vegetables have the best taste of the whole year’s seasons, and buying them at their peak means that they are at their nutritional peak as the most vital nutrients enter only the last 24-48 hours before they have ripened.

TIP #2 - Give fruit the sniff test--ripe fruit is fragrant. Press a cantaloupe or watermelon at their end tip and inhale. Thanks to instructor Lucy Vaserfirer for this key tip.

TIP #3 – When at the Farmer’s Market – Shop around. You arrive at the market and are awestruck by the first stand and want to buy now. But wait – walk around to every stall and consider what they have, and what the price is. The best deals may very well await you at the back of the market.

TIP # 4 - Look for Heirloom Tomatoes. These old fashioned varieties are bred for flavor. Fresh, homegrown tomatoes are the reason many gardeners get into vegetable gardening in the first place. They're also a great source of the antioxidant lycopene. Lycopene is especially good for men’s health. It is only absorbed through cooking, so go Spaghetti sauce!

TIP # 5 – Learn to love the Cabbage Family. Cancer fighting veggies include the cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts family. They can get a bad rap mostly due to overcooking. Prepare them right by roasting them in the oven to bring out their natural sweetness. One cup of raw broccoli florets provides 130% of your daily Vitamin C requirement.

TIP # 6 – Eat more Berries! The pigments that give berries their beautiful blue and red hues contain “phytochemicals” – natural formulas that help to prevent some forms of cancer. Cranberries and blueberries contain a substance that lessens bladder infections. Ripe berries may be frozen in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking tray and transferred to a zip-top bag when frozen solid so you can pop them individually like candy!

TIP #7 – Check out the book and website "Animal, Vegetable, Mineral" by Barbara Kingsolver. This great summer read about choosing a “locavore” lifestyle gives oodles of reasons to buy or grow fresh plus amazing information about food in general – visit Kingsolver’s website to learn more.

TIP # 8 – Avoid refrigerating fruit, especially tomatoes. Contrary to what may seem to make perfect sense you can not only destroy the full flavor by refrigerating you can also cause a faster breakdown of the flesh, especially in stone fruits. When you do refrigerate, always keep fruits and vegetables separate, in different drawers, because ethylene – a natural gas - can be emitted by the fruits in the fridge, causing spoilage to veggies, especially greens.

TIP# 9 – Don’t just buy ‘em – cook ‘em! Looking to learn more about the pleasures of healthy eating? Visit the homepage of the Slow Food Movement.

TIP #10 – Try taking a cooking class to broaden your cooking horizons. These tips above (and more!) are from our cooking instructors. Great cooks know that the process of cooking itself is joyous pastime. Try one of our terrific cooking classes today to find out for yourself that cooking CAN be fun!