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Anacortes Senior College

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- Thursday afternoon classes

Embodied Self-Regulation Meditation: Integrating Body, Mind, and Spirit

$30

with Steve Templin

Calendar Apr 18, 2024 at 4 pm, runs for 6 weeks

Note: No Thursday Class on April 25; Last Class May 30.

What underlies many physical, mental, and emotional complaints is our nervous system’s protective response to stress and trauma. This stress response is helpful for a time, but when it lingers, potentially for a lifetime, it damages not only our health and well-being but our potential for joy, creativity, and open-hearted engagement with others.

The key to resolving this old programming and it’s symptoms at their roots is found in the unconscious terrain of the brain and body, not in the thinking mind. Our innate, inner capacity for healing is activated by a conscious shift in awareness from ‘thinking’ to ‘direct bodily experiencing’. This direct experience, or ‘interoception’ , has the capacity for reprogramming the brain ... along with our health and well-being.

Embodied Self-Regulation Meditation is a collection of felt awareness and breathing tools for successfully navigating our inner healing journey towards wholeness. This course will focus primarily on the practice of Embodied Self-Regulation Meditation and the supportive science, such as interoception, neurocardiology, polyvagal theory, epigenetics, and trauma research.

Instructor: Steve Templin

Steve Templin is a retired Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture Physician, HeartMathTrauma-Sensitive Certified Practitioner, and certified teacher of a number of energy psychology systems with 40 years of experience.

Preventing Senior Financial Fraud & Exploitation

$30

with Racheal Meloche

Calendar Apr 18, 2024 at 4 pm, runs for 6 weeks

Note: No Thursday Class on April 25; Last Class May 30.

The U.S. Office of Justice reports that financial fraud is the number one crime committed against seniors in the U.S. Additionally, in 2022 the National Council on Aging reported more than 88,000 complaints of fraud, resulting in more than $3 billion in losses from people 60+. These statistics do not report the instances of fraud that go unreported. Locally, the City of Anacortes reported more than 300 cases of fraud in 2020, according to City Data. This shows that our town is not immune to the problem and points to a real need for fraud education and prevention among our senior population.

In this course you will learn:

  • The most common scams targeting seniors and the steps you can take to protect from becoming victims of financial fraud.
  • New fraud trends and how criminals are using technology to access private data.
  • Psychological manipulation techniques criminals employ to gain their victim’s trust.
  • Actions you can take to protect from elder financial abuse.

You will also hear true stories of Anacortes seniors who have been victims of financial fraud, the personal impact they experienced, and the protections they put in place afterward to rebuild.

Instructor: Racheal Meloche, MS

Racheal is Vice President and Community Bank Manager at Banner Bank in Anacortes. She has been in the financial industry for 28 years and holds a MS in Finance from Davenport University and is a Doctor of Business Administrational candidate at Capella University. She will be joined in instruction by additional Banner Bank staff.

The Exciting World of Art Metalsmithing

$30

with Paul Thorne

Calendar Apr 18, 2024 at 4 pm, runs for 6 weeks

Note: No Thursday Class on April 25; Last Class May 30.

Artistic metalsmithing has existed for thousands of years. This class will address the materials, techniques and tooling involved in hot metal art forging also known as metalsmithing. Metalsmithing encompasses numerous styles including Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Art Nouveau, Craftsman, Art Deco and Modern. Italian, Nordic, Germanic, French, Greek, Slavic, African, Arabic and countless other cultural and ethnic groups have made unique contributions to fine metalwork. We will explore grand architectural gates and other structures, elegant furnishings, personal ornamentation, tooling and historic weapons. For those adventurous world travelers, these introductions will peak awareness of peoples and history through recognition of beautiful metal sculpture, ornamentation, artists, tools and timeless techniques. During this class you will be invited to bring, show and explain your own personal metal treasures and the amazing stories behind them.

Instructor: Paul Thorne

Paul Thorne's ancestors come from a long line of skilled workmen including a blacksmith, carriage maker, tool and die maker, pattern maker, machinists, locomotive engineers, mechanical engineers and teachers. Paul has been a working blacksmith since 1983 and has worked in the metal working industries his entire adult life. His architectural and sculptural work is found in fine homes throughout the Pacific Northwest. He has demonstrated in numerous conferences and taught students, apprentices and fellow smiths out of his own shop for many years. You will find his teaching thorough, understandable, patient and enthusiastic. Paul’s passionate life calling is to create beautiful ironwork and pass on this craft to the next generation of blacksmiths.

Washed Up Creations: Making Art from Driftwood

$30

with Joe Treat

Calendar Apr 18, 2024 at 4 pm, runs for 6 weeks

Note: No Thursday Class on April 25; Last Class May 30.

Embark on an artistic journey as I delve into the world of driftwood art, telling the story of how this passion opened the floodgates of my hidden creativity. In this immersive 6-week course, I aim to ignite the artistic flame within each student, encouraging them to explore and pursue their own creative interests.

Throughout the course, I will not only share the narrative behind my personal discovery of driftwood art but also provide hands-on experiences. Witness the evolution of driftwood sculptures as I showcase my own artworks. I will reveal the secrets of identifying the perfect driftwood specimens on the beaches of the great Pacific Northwest, offering practical insights on where and what to look for and providing invaluable tips on structural techniques that bring these sculptures to life. Delve into the artistry of knotholes, as I discuss how they play a pivotal role in infusing character, especially around the eyes and nostrils of my creations. Uncover the significance of incorporating driftwood bark into driftwood artworks, adding texture and depth to the sculptures. As an important part of this 6 week course we will be working together through the step-by-step process of actually creating a driftwood sculpture. Join me in this experience, where driftwood art becomes a medium for self-discovery, expression, and the unleashing of hidden artistic potential.

The highlight of this course will be the final class, which will be held at the enchanting "Bowrassic Park", my home sculpture garden and workshop. Immerse yourself in my driftwood sculptures. It is my goal that you will leave this course not only with newfound skills but also with a renewed desire to embark on your artistic journey.

Instructor: Joe Treat

My discovery came during a trip to my wife’s native Thailand, where artisans make horses out of teak. When I got home, I decided I was going to try and make something. I made a little triceratops. Within hours, people were pulling over, knocking on my door, asking me questions, wanting to buy it. And then someone called me an artist, and I haven’t been able to stop since.

I am a driftwood sculpture artist with no formal art education or woodworking experience, who has become known locally and regionally for my collectible art and my driftwood “zoo” at my home in Bow. Although I have sold many collectible pieces, I prefer to just pursue the evolution of my artistic driftwood sculpting skill.

The Wonderful World of Wine: Topography, Type, and Taste

$20

with Connie Pangrazi

Calendar May 9, 2024 at 4 pm, runs for 3 weeks

This course is designed for anyone interested in learning a little more about wine; the viticulture, the most common grapes, and how to taste and pair with food. It will begin with a brief overview of how and where grapes thrive and the eight most common grape varieties. We will cover ‘still’ wine production and classification. Finally, a discussion of what characteristics one should observe when tasting wine and how best to pair wine with food will conclude the three-week course.

Instructor: Connie Pangrazi

Connie Pangrazi retired in 2017 after serving as the Assistant Dean of Academics in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College as well as teaching courses in Exercise Science and Physical Education pedagogy. Prior to entering higher education, Connie taught in public education for more than 10 years. Connie left the public schools to become the Director of Physical Education and Health K-12 for Edison Schools, Inc. In this role, she was responsible for program development, implementation and grant procurement for 126 schools in 22 states across the nation. She joined the Kinesiology faculty at Arizona State University in 2002 as a lecturer. In addition to her administration and teaching responsibilities she has consulted in school districts nation-wide in program development and class management techniques, has conducted numerous presentations at the state and national levels, and is active in numerous state and national professional organizations.

Education: Bachelor of Arts in Education, Master of Education in Educational Administration – Arizona State University

Connie purchased a home in Northern Italy in 2021. As the property has a small vineyard and Cantina, Connie became interested in the production of wine. Within the past two years Connie has completed Levels One and Two of the WSET and is currently completing her Wine Specialist Certification. She hopes to one day make her own wine and be involved in the wine industry.

Education: Bachelor of Arts in Education – Arizona State University, Master of Education in Educational Administration – Arizona State University





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