Next LLI Forum
Tuesday, September 1, 2009 at 10:00 a.m.
(refreshments, 9:30 a.m.)
Ernst Cultural Center, Annandale
Join us at the next LLI Forum to hear about “The Shakespeare Authorship Controversy”. LLI member Joseph Pincus will present “The Man Who Wrote Shakespeare.”
The Forum room is located on the second level of the Ernst Cultural Center, NVCC-Annandale Campus. Coffee, tea and light refreshments will be served at 9:30 a.m. and the meeting will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m.
Parking is available in the garage at an hourly rate of $1.00. Please enter at the lower level on Center Drive.
Mark Your Calendar for Future Forum Topics
October 6 - Our speaker will be Channel 4 Weatherman Bob Ryan.
November 3 - Ben Boxer, Fairfax County Waste Management Department, will discuss recycling and other environmental issues.
My Family Health Potrait" is the free tool that helps you to gather and
organize your own family health history. It's from the June 2009 Forum.
Links to Fairfax County Library web pages from February 2009 Forum.
Community Outreach Food Program
Following our June 2 Forum, food collections will be donated to ACCA, the Annandale Christian Community for Action. Founded in 1967 by a small group of church activists, the first ACCA ministry provided day care for children from low-income families. Now, through the collaboration of 26 churches in the Annandale, Lincolnia, Baileys Crossroads, and Culmore areas of Fairfax County, ACCA provides a range of services including developmental childcare, furniture, transportation, and a food pantry. ACCA also supports scholarships for students with disabilities, Rebuilding Together (housing rehab), the CROP Walk, and Meals-on-Wheels. With the exception of the Child Development Center, all ACCA services are provided by volunteers.
ACCA requests for food have increased dramatically this year, as they have for other community groups. Although the donation of any non-perishable food is appreciated, the greatest needs are: cooking oil, paper products, rice (1-2 lb. bags), dried beans, maseca (corn flour), tuna fish, canned or bottled juices, peanut butter, canned fruit, crackers, and small bags of sugar and flour.
Betty Lee Thatcher and Carol Weber will deliver the LLI donations in June. This will be our last food collection until the September Forum. Thanks to all who have donated this year. LLI members have been very generous!
Cancellations Due to Inclement Weather
If the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) cancel school for the day due to inclement weather or other emergency, all LLI classes, Forums, and other activities, except trips, are cancelled regardless of class location. LLI morning classes are cancelled if the FCPS announces a 2-hour delay in class openings; LLI afternoon classes are cancelled if the FCPS announces early dismissal. Trips are cancelled at the discretion of the trip leader.
D-Day RemembranceLLI Member to be Honored
Don Reynolds, long-time active member of LLI and veteran of World War II, will be in Normandy, France, for the 65th anniversary of the D-Day Invasion in the first week of June. While attending reenactments, he will receive an award from the French government for his unit’s part in the Normandy Campaign. Congratulations to Don for receiving an award that is so well deserved.
LLI Awards Scholarships to NVCC Students
At the May 5 Forum, the LLI Scholarship Committee awarded six scholarships to deserving NVCC students. The Committee worked long and hard in making these selections after receiving applications from nearly 40 extremely talented students. We were honored this year to have in attendance at our Forum to witness these awards Dr. Bruce Mann, Academic Dean, Dean Abe Eftekhari, Dean of Mathematics, Science and Engineering, Dr. Bruce Colletti, Adjunct Professor, Science and Applied Technologies, and Dr. Rassa Rassai, Professor, Engineering and Drafting Department. The following students were the recipients of LLI scholarship awards:
 LLI Scholarship Committee, LLI President, representatives of the NVCC Annandale campus, and Margery Singleton, wife of the late LLI founder Knox Singleton, are seen here with the six recipients of this year's LLI scholarship awards.
Esther Clark, winner of the $2,000 Knox Singleton Leadership Scholarship, is a 16-year-old student who is President of the Student Government Association, Vice President of the Society of Physics Students, and a candidate for President of Phi Theta Kappa for next year. She has participated in international science competitions abroad, and would like to be a U.S. Ambassador in the future.
Monica Gibson, winner of the $1,000 Leadership Scholarship, has, together with fellow student Nancy Tappan and Professor Nancy Chamberlain, Assistant Dean of the Department of Recreation, Parks and Leisure Studies, developed a remarkable after-school nature play program, which was adopted by the Fairfax County Public School system in March 2009, thereby filling an important need in the community.
Liduina Ngundam, winner of the $2,000 Academic Scholarship, wants to pursue a career as a nurse. Despite encouragement from family and friends to study medicine, which her 4.0 GPA would permit, she considers that the relationship of a nurse to his/her patients is more important. She ultimately wants to obtain a Doctorate in Nursing.
Youssef Zaki, winner of the second $2,000 Academic Scholarship, is an electrical engineering student. Youssef worked in restaurants, gradually working his way up to more responsible positions, but realized he wanted to become an electrical engineer as a more fulfilling career. His goal is to study nano-engineering, a cutting-edge technology, at the University of Wisconsin.
Jason Upchurch, winner of the $1,000 Academic Scholarship, is another fine product of the Electrical Engineering Department. He, too, had a previous career, as Director of Business Development for a telecommunications firm. When he was transferred to Northern Virginia, he discovered NVCC and decided to enroll as an electrical engineering student. He plans to continue with a BS in this field, and go on to graduate school and a career in research.
Jonas Shellenberger, winner of the second $1,000 Academic Scholarship, is majoring in respiratory therapy at the Medical Education Campus. He ultimately plans to become a doctor after working as a respiratory therapist for several years first, while pursuing his Bachelors Degree in Biology.
Handymen/Tradesmen Recommendations
Anne Austin has volunteered to become the LLI Coordinator/Editor of the
Handymen and Tradesmen list. In this new assignment, she will be adding and updating this list on a regular basis, both on the website and also periodically in the LLI newsletter.
The purpose of this list is to provide LLI members with the names of handymen/tradesmen (and women, too!) that other LLI members have not only employed but whose work they were so satisfied with that they believe the individual warrants being recommended to fellow LLI members.
Only LLI members may make these recommendations; none can be accepted from the handymen/tradesmen themselves. LLI’s policy prohibits commercial advertising in LLI publications or at LLI functions.
In making these recommendations, LLI does not warrant, guarantee, and /or in any way promise satisfactory results to LLI members if and when they select a person from the list. The list is understood to be solely informational in nature. Because of this, it is suggested that contact be made with the referring LLI member to find out specifically what services were provided and when.
LLI members may send handymen/tradesmen information (Name, Phone No., and Services Provided) to
Anne Austin ().
"Ask Liz" List: Helpful Consumer Information
At the March 4, 2008 Forum, LLI members had the opportunity to listen to and ask questions of Liz Crenshaw, Consumer Reporter for NBC Channel 4 in Washington. Ms. Crenshaw was a truly dynamic speaker, and all in attendance felt very fortunate that she was able to spend some time with our organization. Below is some information provided to LLI by Ms. Crenshaw that you may find useful.
To Contact Liz Crenshaw, Consumer Reporter, NBC 4,Washington
Online: www.nbc4.com/consumer
Call: (202) 885-4883
To Reduce Telemarketing Calls:
National Do Not Call Registry
Call: 1-888-382-1222
Online: www.donotcall.gov
To Get Information From the Federal Government
Call: 1-800-FED-INFO
Online: : FirstGov.gov
To Get a FREE Copy of The Consumer Action Handbook
Federal Citizen Information Center
Call: 1-888-8-PUEBLO
Mail: Send your name and address to:
Handbook
Pueblo, CO 81009
Online: www.consumeraction.gov
To Be Removed From Mailing Lists
Direct Marketing Association
Send your name and address to:
Mail Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association
P.O. Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512
Online: www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglist
To Reduce Pre-Approved Credit Card Offers
Call: 1-888-5-OPT OUT
(This goes to the credit bureaus and you will have to provide your Social
Security Number)
To Get Help With Identity Theft:
Federal Trade Commission
Online: www.consumer.gov/idtheft/
To Get Your Annual Free Credit Report
Mail: Download form from
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/requestformfinal.pdf
Fill out form and send to:
Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
Online: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp
Web Sites
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Summer 2009 Program
Date Changes for Great Decisions Course
Please note that due to the availability of classroom space, there is a change to the Summer course catalog for the dates of the Great Decisions course, 9S16A. The August 27 date has been deleted. Instead, the course will meet on August 6, 13, 20, and September 3.
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President’s Corner
 LLI President Dick DiBuono presents a token of our appreciation to our May 8 Forum speaker who fascinated members with information on and insight into the Newseum in Washington, DC.
This is my final message to you as your President. I hope the past two years have been for you, as they have been for me, a time of very enjoyable involvement in the many programs and activities of our fine Institute. Following our guest speaker’s presentation at the June 2 Forum meeting, we will be conducting our Annual Meeting at which we will elect 5 members to the Board of Directors to fill the vacancies of those completing their 3-year term of office in June, and elect our officers for the next operating year (1 July 2009 thru 30 June 2010). At that meeting, you also will learn about the Board-approved fiscal year 2010 budget. I encourage all of you to attend and participate in this important meeting. Although a summary of LLI’s activities and accomplishments during FY 2009, which ends 30 June, will be presented in the August/September newsletter (no newsletter in July) I want to provide you with a few facts as we near the end of LLI’s 13th operating year; we currently have 360 members; we’ve managed to hold our annual dues at the $110 level for a third consecutive year; we conducted a successful year-long education program extending over three terms with 19 courses of instruction in the summer curriculum, 38 courses in the fall and 36 courses in the current winter-spring term; we have held 7 very interesting Forum meetings (March was cancelled by weather and the 8th will be on June 2nd); we conducted 7 day-trips, 2 overnight trips and 1 cruise; we gave $9,000 in scholarships to NVCC students; we enjoyed a fall picnic and a holiday luncheon; we’ve sponsored 8 very active special interest groups; we donated hundreds of pounds of food to charitable food banks and food kitchens; and we have secured use of the Ernst Cultural Center Forum and Seminar rooms at least through the end of 2010. These and more we’ve achieved through the vast volunteer efforts of our members with the administrative support of just one paid part-time person. I especially want to recognize and thank the members of the Board of Directors for their dedication to LLI and the support they provided me, my fellow officers for their diligence, support and leadership, our Administrator for the proficiency exercised in carrying out her duties, and most of all, everyone who gave me their friendship. As I conclude my year as your president, I am proud of our Institute and its accomplishments. Continuation of this success depends on all of you members volunteering for at least one activity or committee in the coming year.
Dick DiBuono
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Arts and Smarts
On June 19, the Arts & Smarts group will visit the National Gallery of Art for a docent-led tour of “Heaven on Earth: Manuscript Illuminations from the National Gallery of Art.” The Gallery’s collection of medieval and Renaissance manuscript illuminations, dating from the 12th to the 16th centuries, is one of its most spectacular yet least known treasures. This exhibition offers the first presentation of these exquisite works in more than three decades.
For more information, please contact Donna Trogler at () or
email .
There will be no Arts &Smarts museum visit in July since Tom Hardy will be leading a tour on July 17.
Bridge Group
The Bridge Group plays twice a month, usually on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, at the Mason District Governmental Center in Annandale. Play time is 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with a break for a bag lunch.
For short- and long-term planning purposes, here is our schedule for the upcoming months:
| June | | Wednesday, the 17th
| | July | | Wednesday, the 1st, and Wednesday, the 29th (to accommodate vacations)
| | Aug. | | Wednesday, the 12th, and Wednesday, the 26
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The Bridge Group is always looking for new players or for those who would like to brush up on their bridge skills. Call or e-Mail Bob or Merry Huley () for more information or if you would like to attend. It’s a friendly game, so come and join Bob and the regulars.
Community Theater Group
Message from Norma Hughes
Let’s get together to attend some of the many and varied stage productions that are presented by community theater groups in Northern Virginia. I’ve attended three within our area alone, and I know there are several more from which to choose. While these amateur productions are not Broadway, neither is their cost of admission (senior tickets are generally in the $15 range). The musicals and dramas are usually far beyond just “good.” If you enjoy the stage, you will really appreciate the amazing talents that these theater groups present.
Members who are interested in organizing a series of community theater events are invited to meet immediately following the June Forum to discuss how we can proceed. Please contact me if you wish to be included on an email list of those who are interested in future events.
The Current Events Group
Our group will continue to meet on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month, and will meet during the months of July and August. Topics for discussion will reflect the current political and worldly events surrounding the time of the meeting. Please join us to share your ideas and/or learn more about current events. Discuss, listen, present – whatever is your pleasure! Our schedule is as follows:
Friday, June 5, 10:00 a.m.—11:30 a.m., Mason District Governmental Center, Small Conference Room, 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale.
Friday, June 19, 10:00 a.m.—11:30 a.m., George Mason Regional Library, Conference Room, 7001 Little River Turnpike, Annandale.
Friday, July 3, 10:00 a.m.—11:30 a.m., Mason District Governmental Center.
Friday, July 17, 10:00 a.m.—11:30 a.m., George Mason Regional Library.
Friday, August 7, 10:00 a.m.—11:30 a.m., Mason District Governmental Center.
Friday, August 21, 10:00 a.m.—11:30 a.m., George Mason Regional Library.
We are looking forward to seeing you there and continuing our very interesting meetings. If you have any questions, please contact
Marion Jacknow at or email.
Favorite Books Club
June's book selection, written by Patricia O'Brien, is about a family that has been described as the Kennedys of yesteryear. The novel, Harriet and Isabella, has three main characters from the famous Beecher family – Harriet Beecher Stowe of Uncle Tom's Cabin fame, her sister Isabella Beecher Hooker, who was active in the emerging womens' movement, and their preacher brother, who was caught up in a scandal and trial that caused much suffering and turmoil within the family. Some of the story's dynamics cover family loyalty, truth, wealth, notoriety, power, and arrogance.
Join us on Thursday, June 18, at the Mason District Governmental Center, Small Conference Room, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
If you have any questions, please contact me at .
Arlene Gribben
The Gourmands Group
Martha Siemering ( or email)
will be hosting another Gourmands event at her home on Friday, June 19. Appetizers, soup, salad, and sandwiches will be served. Please contact Martha if you would like to attend this event.
Martie Klee has arranged a Sunday brunch at noon on July 12 at Girasole Restaurant in The Plains, VA. Please contact
Martie at or email
by July 5 if you would like to join the Gourmands for this event.
On Monday, August 24, Barbara Woods has made luncheon reservations at noon for a maximum of 15 people at the Springfield Country Club. We will each order from the menu of quite reasonable prices. Each attendee can pay for his or her meal via cash or check only. The Club is in West Springfield at 8301 Old Keene Mill Road near the intersection of Rolling Road and Keene Mill Road, across from the Cardinal Forest Shopping Center. We will meet in the lobby at noon. Call or email Barbara at
or email
by August 16 if you plan to attend or wish further details about this event. Please understand that if you do not show up, you will prevent someone else from attending; as a Club member, Barbara is obligated not to exceed the maximum number of attendees for this event.
Bacchus Wine Tasting Subgroup
Anne Austin (), is leading a new Wine Tasting Subgroup of the Gourmands. Contact Anne if you wish to be included on the mailing list for this group.
Nimble Fingers
Join us on Friday, June 12, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Small Conference Room, Mason District Governmental Center, as we continue to work on our various needlecraft projects and share tips and ideas. Bring a small needlecraft project of any type to work on.
In July, Nimble Fingers will meet on Friday, July 10, and in August, we’ll meet on Friday, August. 14.
For more information, contact me at Bev Portman or .
Bev
The Walkabouts GroupNo walks are scheduled for the summer. The August/September newsletter will contain the schedule for September.
Please contact Liddell McLeod at if you plan to walk or if you would like to be added to the Walkabouts email list.
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