Ghost Stories--Butler and Beyond

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 Bill will take us on a supernatural journey into the night. The audience will be enraptured by May’s true tales of Butler’s haunted past including “The Girl on the Top of the Stairs,” “The Man in the Closet,” “The Ghost under the Floor of Zelienople’s Kaufman Tavern,” “Groaning in the Old Courthouse Vault,” “Voices in the Wall,” “The Ghost of Uncle Wilbert,” “The Bride in the Window,” and many more, including some of Bill’s favorite stories from his amazing “Butler Ghost Walk.” Special added bonuses will be Bill May’s favorite ghost story from the Battle of Gettysburg and the story and photo of Butler's Penn Theater’s own ghost!   

 One of the greatest performers in Hollywood history, Grace Kelly left her fabulous career at age 26 to become a real-life princess. She and her real-life prince raised three children and worked on many charity projects, until her untimely death in a car accident. In this class we will explore the life and legacy of this remarkable woman.   

 My buddy Ed said, "Keep the name the same." Fall into four sessions of reading, writing, and editing that will jumpstart your creative side. Find the support of fellow writers as we create Personal Indexes (not scary at all), stock an ILR Vendorama (fun), and polish our own works (always fulfilling). Your stories are worth telling. Meg Salizzoni, a graduate of SRU will co-teach with me. Please join us.  

 There is a powerful connection between our hearing and our brain health. Since Johns Hopkins initially published research in 1999, we've been better able to understand how untreated hearing loss impacts the brain. This presentation will talk about the hidden risks of hearing loss and the effect on brain function. 

 Exploring the science of how and why we make personal economic decisions, which leads to a discussion of how and why government and business use this knowledge to influence our decisions.  

The internet provides everyone with easy access to health information and misinformation. How do you decide what is true and unbiased and whether it is applicable to you? We will review some guidelines for evaluating what you read on the internet.  

The Masters will be William Shakespeare and Mark Twain; the Masterpieces will be two of their best works: Hamlet and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The purpose is to view two incredibly outstanding authors and how they developed through their biographies, nations, experiences, literary talents works that have stood the tests of time through all audiences and thoughtful readers. Reading, lecturing, discussion will be featured. 

 The first of this class series will be about “How to ground and protect yourself for a deep meditation” coupled with a guided meditation. The second class offers “How to manifest” and will begin as you manifest 3 "things" you want. The third class will be "Woo-Woo"as you say, as you learn how to open a healing cone with your spirt guides and work with them on any health issues you may have. The fourth session will focus on an easy but powerful energy enhanced movement, Chi Gong/Tai Chi, guided by an example on YouTube. This fourth session is a bonus. Bring a friend!   

 Using a mixture of film clips, discussion and lecture, this class will explore the music of World War II. Particular attention will be given to different genres of songs that were popular during the era, such as work songs, propaganda songs, separation songs, etc. The class will feature lots of music, film clips and still images.  

Join us to learn how Pittsburghers celebrated the December holidays during the 1800s and early 1900s and discover how many of our holiday traditions originated during America’s Gilded Age. 

 A visit to Butler County's hidden gem, Preston Park, in two parts. Part 1: See Preston Laboratory through the camera's eye as you "walk" through the home of Dr. Frank and Jane Preston. A combination of slides and videographer Chris Leise’s videos will take you inside and allow you to experience the Preston lifestyle. Part 2: "Let nature surround you " on a walking tour of Preston Park. See the Preston Park – walking tour in the Trips section. 

 For several hundred years, explorers sought a passage through northern Canada which would shorten the route and open a new commercial pathway between Europe and the Far East. By the late 1800s a 'northwest passage' was still being sought, but a new goal had emerged, a goal not for commerce, but for status- to reach the North Pole. An imaginary spot on the polar ice became the dream of men and of nations. The class will take listeners through the years of struggle and the final chapter of that quest. Whether Robert Peary actually made it or not is only part of the story.  

 This discussion, led by an experienced real estate agent, covers the fundamentals of real estate, including property types, market trends, financing options, and the ins and outs of transactions. Attendees will gain practical knowledge on the buying, selling, and leasing processes, as well as the roles agents and brokers play in the market. The session encourages questions and real-world examples, offering a hands-on understanding of how real estate works and how to navigate the industry effectively. I will also answer any questions about Skydiving. 

Join   a two-part adventure into the Black Hills, which is more than just Mount   Rushmore. We will head into the   Badlands’ impressive rock formations, ride an 1880 train, view the Crazy   Horse Memorial, hike Devil’s Tower, and take a safari jeep tour. You will   visit colorful towns and see nature up close – bison, prairie dogs,   rattlesnakes, and antelopes. 

 The seminar will help to educate the ILR community on how to protect your family and finances from the risks of long-term care costs and the government. There will be a discussion of estate planning tools, how to maintain control of your savings, review Medicaid eligibility for the nursing home, and advanced IRA transfer strategies. The session is designed to provide you with the right information to protect your legacy.  

The young adult novel is not what it used to be. But young adult novels can help seniors understand the generation gap in more thorough and subtle ways than we otherwise might. This class will consider three contemporary young adult novels. Among other things, we will consider the differences between “young adult” novels and “adult” novels, how the young adult novel has evolved over the decades and how we, as seniors, might benefit by occasionally viewing the world through the lens of a “young adult” novel. This class is not a book club, but it will have a book club flavor. Each class session will focus primarily on a specific novel, each written to a different level of “young adult.” It will be helpful to read the novel before class. The class will be largely discussion, but the instructor will provide some historical and literary background and context.

Novels To Be Discussed: The War I Finally Won, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (2017) - Sept 30. Coyote Lost and Found, by Dan Gemeinhart (2024) - October 14. I’ll Give You the Sun, by Jandy Nelson (2014) - October 28.  

 With our Advance Open Water Diver qualifications my wife and I traveled to Australia. Among multiple places we were able to visit on this trip, two goals were snorkeling and scuba diving. We experienced world class snorkeling and diving on the Great Barrier Reef spending five days on Australia’s most awarded Live-Aboard vessel, Spoilsport. Among several different expeditions offered we chose a combination of Mineke whale and reef diving. We also spent several days “Glamping” on the Ningaloo reef where we had the opportunity to swim with whale sharks. Join us as we share this incredible experience. 

  There will be an examination of various topics such as marriage, faith, foster care, and the status of women presently as compared to a generation or two ago. We will speculate on what is changing for the positive and what seems negative. We may need to look at some of the principles that Fred Rogers used in his neighborhood as we interact with other adults today.