Alyssa Adams of ASU Beyond Center
Premier and Monday Morning Lectures begin in October
Emily Grotta
The FBI-artificial intelligence-Bluegrass music-medical marijuana and the Duncan Family Farm.
The first five Monday Morning Lectures and the October and November Premier Lectures span a broad diversity of interests that should have something for everyone in PebbleCreek.
Monday Morning Lectures begin at 10:00 a.m. $4 at the door. Premier Lectures begin at 7:00 p.m. on Friday and are $15 in advance or at the door.
Surviving the Earthquake, Friday, October 16
Haley Ercanbrack survived the April 25 earthquake and avalanche on Mount Everest which killed 19 on the mountain and 8,200 in the villages below. Her experience, told on NBC’s Dateline this past summer, changed her. Now she is determined to help the Sherpas and the people left behind.
FBI Working Undercover, Monday, October 19
When FBI undercover operations result in arrests in white collar crime, public corruption or terrorism little is revealed about how the FBI agents worked. Special Agent Adam L. Angst will discuss the realities of undercover work in the FBI and how real undercover work differs from the perception.
Will Robots be the End of the Human Race? Monday, October 26
As scientists build better and smarter robots, hoping to achieve true artificial intelligence, many wonder if technology will rise up and extinguish human life. Alyssa Adams, a doctoral candidate of philosophy and physics at ASU’s Beyond Center is studying the properties that allow life to differentiate itself from non-life.
Strolling Through the Bluegrass, November 2
You’ll stomp your feet and clap your hands to hard-driving, old-time, bluegrass music when veteran entertainers Vernon and Kitty McIntyre take to the stage. They’ll play some of the most famous bluegrass music, explain its history and pass around instruments for us to see up close and try to play.
The Weed Warrior, Monday, November 9
In June 2014 the University of Arizona fired a researcher who was leading a controversial first-of-its-kind study on medical marijuana use for veterans with PTSD. Sue Sisley, M.D., the principal investigator, is now continuing her study with the support of other universities. Many are already purchasing medical marijuana on sites such as www.leaf2go.ca to help treat anxiety and depression, as well as physical ailments such as chronic pain. She will explain what she hopes to find.
Bob Petrella, the Memory Man, Friday, November 13
Are you having trouble remembering dates, where you were at important times in history, or the weather on your thirtieth birthday? Bob Petrella remembers everything – every date, event, even the weather on most any date. Would you like to stump Petrella? You’ll have a chance during the Q&A part of his lecture. Petrella was featured on 60 Minutes and produces Ice RoadTruckers and other TV shows.
The Duncan Family Farm, Monday, November 16
Duncan Family Farms has grown from one farm off Cotton Lane to one of the largest organic suppliers with farms in Arizona and California. Arnott and Kathleen Duncan are the fourth generation to be farming and will talk about why they are committed to growing healthy food and improving the environment at the same time.
Buy online or at the kiosk
Emily Grotta
If you had a chance to see all that LifeLong Learning at PebbleCreek is offering this year, you know that there are more trips and classes than ever to meet the interests of PebbleCreek’s growing population.
That said, some trips and classes will be extremely popular and will accommodate a limited number of people so it is very important to register early.
We strongly encourage you to make your purchases online; your registration and purchase will happen immediately and your space will be reserved. You will need a PayPal account and/or a credit card. To set up an account go to www.PayPal.com. To make your purchases follow the links for online purchasing from the event you’re interested in, fill out the form, add the item to your shopping cart and continue shopping. When you’re ready to pay, you’ll be directed to PayPal to complete the transaction.
If you don’t like to make online purchases you can make your purchases at the Eagle’s Nest Kiosk or by mail. Volunteers will be at the Kiosk every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday during October from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. You can learn more about these self-service kiosks here: https://kiosk.com/market-solutions/payment-kiosks/. For trips and classes you will need to complete a registration form and pay by check. You can also call Diane Jakobs at 734-771-5587 for telephone assistance and will-call ticket sales.
Registration forms will be available online and at the carousels at both clubhouses. You may complete the form to indicate which classes and trips you wish to register for, but be aware that all the spots on the trips or in the classes may be filled by the time your check is received. Online registration is instant.
Last year many of the trips and Premier Lectures were sold out early and it is anticipated that with the ever-growing population in the community we will have a similar situation this year. To be sure residents have priority, we will be asking for your Unit and Lot number and limiting the number of tickets and registrations. Each resident may purchase up to four tickets to Premier Lectures and register themselves and one other person for a class or trip.
Join friends, old and new, on LLL trips in the greater Phoenix area
Emily Grotta
Interested in exploring the Phoenix area but don’t want to do it alone? LifeLong Learning at PebbleCreek makes it easy with trips to many of the best sights and sounds in the area.
Thirteen trips are planned for the 2015-2016 season, including several repeats to locations previously visited. Registration opens October 1 online or at the Eagle’s Nest Kiosk Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. during October.
Wednesday, November 4: Tour the Arizona State Capitol Building, Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza and the St. Vincent de Paul Service Center. Lunch at China Chili. $50
Wednesday, November 18: Visit Waste Management Recycling Center in Surprise and the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale for tours of both facilities. Lunch at the stadium before returning to PebbleCreek. $55
Thursday, December 3: Visit the Palo Verde Nuclear Energy Education Center and ABRAZO (West Valley Hospital). Lunch at Tempo Bistro on Main Street, Verrado. $55
Wednesday, December 16: This evening trip includes a self-paid dinner and show at Organ Stop Pizza, Christmas Light Show and seasonal concert at the Mormon Temple in Mesa. $25
Friday, January 22: The Phoenix Symphony. Tito Muñoz conducts Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and Poulenc’s Gloria, with soloist Ah Young Hong and the Phoenix Symphony Chorus. Lunch at Giuseppe’s, owned by former Phoenix Symphony’s first cellist Richard Bock. $90
Wednesday, January 27: Visit the renowned Heard Museum for a tour of the major permanent exhibits and the current special exhibit. Lunch at the museum. $60
Sunday, February 7: Enjoy the popular opera Carmen, performed by the Arizona Opera Company at Phoenix Symphony Hall. Backstage tour and pre-opera lecture. Continue the special day at Tapas Papa Frita for a typical Spanish dinner and Cuban entertainment. $145
Wednesday, February 17: Behind the scenes look at the annual Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show. Lunch at Brio Tuscan Grill. $65
Wednesday, March 2: Travel to Yuma and tour the Territorial Prison, enjoy lunch at Julianna’s Patio Café and visit the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Grounds. $80
Wednesday, March 16: Visit the controversial David Wright House in Arcadia, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for his son in 1952. Lunch and cooking demo at North, Arcadia. $55
Thursday, March 24: Join us for a tour of the newest Phoenix area museum, Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. Lunch at Cafe Forte. $60
Thursday, April 7: Behind the scenes of Amazon’s Distribution Center and Goodyear’s state-of-the-art 911 Dispatch and Emergency Call Center. Lunch at Saddle Mountain Brewery. $50
Tuesday, April 19: We return to Wickenburg to see the current Cowgirl Up exhibit at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum. Enjoy lunch at Rancho de los Caballeros. $60
Visit www.lifelonglearningatpc.org.trips for additional information and to register. Chair Judy Cowan, Lisa Greenhoot, Judy Hanford, Barbara Macfarlane, Phyllis Minsuk, Priscilla Naworski, Rosalie Pyle and Hermine Sulzberg are the creative team that plan and escort all LLL trips.
LifeLong Learning depends on volunteers to keep its fees and expenses low
Since its inception almost 12 years ago, LifeLong Learning at PebbleCreek has been an all-volunteer organization, keeping its expenses low by the sweat labor of the 60 plus residents who are part of the LLL team.
Nevertheless, expenses for better speakers and teachers, printing and new technology have been increasing and so, for the first time in nearly 10 years, the price of a ticket to a Monday Morning lecture will increase to $4.
What does that $4 fee cover? The lecturer’s fee, rental of the theater from the HOA and printing costs for the Schedule, flyers about the programs and upcoming events. Similarly, the $15 cost of Premier Lecture tickets covers the costs of the program which includes higher fees for the speakers and sometimes their travel costs.
LifeLong Learning applied for and received from the IRS designation as nonprofit tax exempt unincorporated association. This designation will save us federal income taxes and will also enable us to accept donations to keep our ticket fees and class and trip registrations as low as possible.
If you are interested in joining the LifeLong Learning team and volunteering your sweat labor, please contact Co-Chair Phyllis Minsuk at [email protected] or 623 537-7166.