LifeLong Learning at PebbleCreek

Experts Present January Morning Lectures

Patricia Ingalls

January’s four Monday Morning Lectures (MMLs) explore a variety of topics, from wildlife photography to the Beatles’ solo careers to valley fever to police accountability.

Tickets to MMLs cost $5 each and will be available in the lobby of Renaissance Theater beginning at 9 a.m. the day of the lecture, which begins at 10 a.m. No advance registration is needed. Go to www.lifelonglearningatpc.org for details.

Capturing the Magic of Africa—Jan. 10

Fred Krakowiak, a leading wildlife artist, photographer, and safari expert, has been inspired to capture wildlife by his awareness that, one day, his photography, artwork, and stories may be all that remain of the world’s majestic creatures. Krakowiak will share his travel experiences and ideas on how to improve your own photos. His artwork is commissioned internationally by both private and corporate collectors. His book, Africa: An Artist’s Safari, received the prestigious 2008 Ben Franklin Award for large-format cover design.

The Beatles’ Solo Years, 1970 and Beyond—Jan. 17

Vinnie Bruno, Beatles scholar and 1960s rock historian, will continue the post-breakup story of the individual members of the world’s most famous rock ‘n’ roll band and highlight the solo careers of John, Paul, George, and Ringo. The program will cover the Beatles’ legacy, how they established themselves as solo artists, their collaborations with each other on many solo projects, and a discussion about their last collaborative project, the multimedia production known as The Beatles Anthology, released in the 1990s. Bruno, who recently retired as director of First-Year Programs at LaGuardia Community College (City University of New York), has a master’s degree in public administration.

Valley Fever—Jan. 24

Jennifer Collins, a valley fever expert from the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, will explain: What does valley fever mean for Arizona residents? Who is most at risk? What are the signs and symptoms? What is the role of public health?

Collins began studying valley fever while a student at the University of Arizona, earning degrees in biochemistry and molecular biophysics. She then gained an internship evaluating valley fever risk factors in Pinal County and completed a master’s degree in public health.

Upon joining county staff in 2016, she worked on a two-year valley fever study to determine occupational and recreational risk factors in the county and has since regularly presented at an annual valley fever symposium.

Police Culture and Accountability—Jan. 31

William Terrill, an expert in police use of force and police culture, will explore the occupational and organizational environments that police navigate daily. The former involves interactions with citizens and the unique, coercive authority that officers wield. The latter involves interactions with superiors and the ambiguity of the police role. Terrill will discuss various issues surrounding police culture and the challenges of police accountability and fairness.

Terrill, who has a doctorate in criminal justice from Rutgers University, is associate dean in the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions and a professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University.

Classes Build Skills in Variety of Topics

Patricia Ingalls

LifeLong Learning’s upcoming classes cover photography, gemstones, homemade pasta, and electric vehicles.

Each class costs $20 and requires registration online at www.lifelonglearningatpc.org. Here’s a summary:

Beginning Photography; Jan. 11, 18, and 25; 1 to 3 p.m.

This three-session class, which costs $60, will cover the many concepts that a beginning photographer needs to know. Each session builds on the previous one, so no one may take the second or third session without having attended the first.

Session 1: Basic understanding of Aperture, Shutter, ISO and Exposure, Manual Exposure, and Histograms

Session 2: Aperture/Shutter/Manual Priority, Focusing Modes, Lenses, Depth of Field, and RAW

Session 3: Composition; Filters—when, how, and why to use them

Instructor Adriana Greisman is a PebbleCreek resident and president of PebbleCreek Camera Club. She is an award-winning nature photographer, honored in local and national competitions.

Gemology, Jan. 12, 1 to 3 p.m.

Take a virtual tour around the world of gemstones, including diamonds and birthstones, exploring their formation, mining history, major cutting centers, and how to care for them. In addition to receiving informative handouts, attendees will be able to see, touch, and feel actual specimens.

Gemologist Linda Kesselman’s passion is gemstones. A graduate of Gemology Institute of America, she taught in Los Angeles for more than 20 years, and has taught gemology in schools, where she integrated geology into the curriculum.

Homemade Pasta, Jan. 18, 1 to 3 p.m.

From his PebbleCreek kitchen, Gene Fioretti will share his secrets for making homemade pasta. During the class, he will discuss specifics of ingredient selection and demonstrate the mixing, rolling, cutting, drying, and cooking methods he has used for more than 30 years. Participants will receive recipes and equipment lists and have ample time to discuss the many aspects of pasta making. Then they’ll be ready to make delicious pasta at home.

This class will be presented via Zoom and is limited to 50 participants. Registered attendees will receive a Zoom invitation a few days prior to the event.

Electric Vehicles, Feb. 3, 1 to 3 p.m.

With continuing improvements in battery capabilities, electric cars have come of age. About 30,000 electric cars are registered in Arizona. Half the owners of those cars power their vehicles with sunshine from their rooftop solar. Electric carmakers are making rapid advances on full self-driving cars. Big changes in transportation are underway.

PebbleCreek resident Dru Bacon discusses how electric vehicles will impact our world. Bacon’s career as a chemical engineer and his expertise in solar-power issues enable him to speak to the advantages and dangers of electric and self-driving cars, electric grid scale storage, and a comparison of fossil fuel production to solar and wind energy with battery storage.

Volunteer Spotlight Shines on Two

Pamela O’Shea

Caela Casarino and Ronnie Levine are LifeLong Learning’s newest Volunteer Spotlight recipients. As members of LLL’s marketing team, the two volunteers are responsible for much of LLL’s communication.

“We appreciate the effort and time that they contribute to LifeLong Learning,” said Pamela O’Shea, LLL’s director of volunteers, “and their enthusiasm and professionalism are valued by everyone who works with them.”

Caela Casarino, a native Californian, retired to PebbleCreek in 2018. She graduated from UCLA with a degree in sociology. Years later, she became a certified paralegal and notary and almost completed her MBA. Parlaying her love of learning and her ability to turn a phrase, Casarino found lucrative careers in retail and technology. She ended her retail career, after owning her own retail store in Santa Cruz for five years, due to the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. To save for the future, she concentrated on technology and spent the last 20 years in Silicon Valley as a senior manager in operations and logistics for Alien Technology.

Along the way, she was voted Miss Congeniality in the Miss Tall L.A. pageant, was featured in the National Enquirer for her vanity plate of 2TALL4U and was married for 20 years to a Grateful Deadhead. Casarino, now single, realized in order to make her savings go further, she’d need to leave California.

When she visited PebbleCreek for her Preferred Guest Stay, she said she “felt at home.” In addition to her volunteer work with LLL, she is captain of the Just Kiss It bocce team and a killer mah jongg player, who teaches beginning mah jongg players. Casarino coined the title of LifeLine for LLL’s weekly online newsletter. Her articles are inspiring and relevant, and usually reflect her sense of humor.

Ronnie Levine moved to PebbleCreek with her husband, Mike, after they retired in 2018, having lived in the Bay Area and southern California. They knew they wanted a large 55+ community with activities, a creative center, and a lifelong-learning program. They found it all in PebbleCreek.

Levine graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and has had several careers, including advertising copywriting and textbook production. After being laid off in 2008, Levine moved on to her “best job,” working for the Jewish Community Center in Long Beach, Calif. As the adult program coordinator, she handled an art gallery, film festival, vendor fairs, and more.

After purchasing a house she loves in Eagles Nest, Levine immediately became a volunteer for LLL, initially working in the lobby for Monday Morning Lectures. She is now on LLL’s marketing team, writing content for its website and for LifeLine.

Levine is a member of Shalom Club and a book club, and writes e-group obituaries for Kare Bears. As a member of TTT Chapter Q, she writes on its behalf for PebbleCreek Post. Wanting to be involved in the larger community, she also volunteers for Friends of the Library in Litchfield Park. The Levines especially enjoy time with their son, daughter-in-law, and two young grandsons.

Two January Trips Confirmed

Patricia Ingalls

Dates are set for the first two trips of 2022, with more to follow soon. LifeLong Learning will venture to Duncan Family Farms on Tuesday, Jan. 11, and to Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West and the Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting in Phoenix, on Wednesday, Jan. 19.

With venues continuing to resume their post-pandemic operations in preparation to receive guests again, LLL will post details of upcoming trips, as they are confirmed, on www.lifelonglearningatpc.org.

A new revision to LifeLong Learning’s trip policy, approved by the PebbleCreek Homeowners Association, now requires everyone on a LLL trip to show proof of vaccination and a photo ID. Check LLL’s website for details.

February Premiere Lectures Available

Patricia Ingalls

The first Premiere Lecture of 2022 has sold out! Peter MacDonald, one of the last surviving Navajo Code Talkers of World War II, will speak Friday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. in Renaissance Theater.

Seats remain open, however, for LLL’s two February Premiere Lectures: A Visit With Marie Curie on Friday, Feb. 4, and Artificial Intelligence Update on Friday, Feb. 18.

Susan Marie Frontczak returns to PebbleCreek as Madam Curie circa 1915. Frontczak previously portrayed Eleanor Roosevelt and Erma Bombeck to sold-out audiences.

Through her in-character monologue and Q and A session as both Marie Curie and Frontczak, she will honor the scientist, wife, and mother who discovered radium, radioactivity, and the first successful radiation treatments for cancer.

Curie opened the doors of science to women worldwide. She was the first European woman to earn a doctorate in physics; the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize (for the discovery of radioactivity); the first woman to teach at the Sorbonne; and the first person to receive a second Nobel Prize.

Gary Marchant, Ph.D., J.D., will explain on Feb. 18 what artificial intelligence is and how it affects every aspect of our lives and society. From digital personal assistants to autonomous cars, from robotic doctors to autonomous weapons, AI is already creating tremendous benefits and serious concerns, which Marchant will explore.

Tickets to all Premier Lectures cost $15 per person and can be purchased online at www.lifelonglearningatpc.org. Tickets also may be purchased in the theater lobby, using cash only, beginning an hour before the lecture, subject to availability.

What Makes You Special?

Bill Nee

All of us, as human beings, have differences that can make us special. “What are your differences?” journalist Mariana Atencio is asking in her 18-minute TED Talk. She wants us to write them down in a list.

Because of those differences, sometimes belonging takes work, she points out. She wants us to seize on those differences as an advantage and not let them define who we are.

We need to stand up and embrace what makes us different, quirky, and unique. Atencio wants us to be curious of others who have their own lists of differences that make them special. We need to celebrate that we are all part of the same human race.

To view this TED Talk, go to TED.com. Click “watch” in the header, then “TED Talks,” then in “Search talks” input: “What makes you special?” Scroll a little lower, and click on the talk you selected.