Current Non-Political News, February 12th and 26th, March 12th and 26th, 10am-noon, Ted Heath, Facilitator
Course Description: Back by popular demand from Fall semester. This class will meet at the library every two weeks. The class will discuss current topics of interest in the fields of science, technology, astronomy, archaeology, psychology, art, theater, climate, and any other non-political topics.
Each class member will be expected to share one or more news articles during the semester.
Facilitator: Ted Heath is a retired corporate executive. He is a native of New Mexico and a New Mexico Tech graduate. He and his wife have traveled extensively and have taught PACE classes in Archaeoastronomy and Theory of Cycles. They have been residents of Placitas for 20 years.
Heaven and Earth: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, February 13th, 20th, and 27th, March 6th, 1-3pm, Seth Betterly and Carl Allen, Facilitators
Course Description: A geologist and a planetary scientist team up to present themes that are important on Earth and across the solar system. We’ll explore ancient rocks, windswept deserts, erupting volcanoes, and grinding ice from New Mexico to the farthest planets.
Facilitators: Seth Betterly is a geoscientist, retired from the oil patch and currently enjoying the southwestern United States. During his career he helped discover several oil fields in the Permian Basin of West Texas, worked numerous large environmental cleanup projects along the East Coast and did his master’s thesis on the ice sheets of Antarctica. Carl Allen is a planetary geologist, retired from NASA but still researching the early history of the Moon. During the span of his career humans and their robots explored every planet in our solar system for the first time.
Heroes of the Pueblo Culture: Catalysts of Change, February 18th and 25th, March 4th, 10am-noon, George Arthur, Facilitator
Course Description: George’s series of 3 presentations encompasses the history and traditions of the oldest culture in North America. It highlights important events since the 16th century as well as some of the individuals who influenced them. The presentation also covers some of the heroes of the 20th century who profoundly influenced the lives of Pueblo and non-Pueblo people.
Facilitator: George Arthur served for 33 years as the Executive Design Director at Consumer Reports. Before that, he art directed the design of Sport Magazine and designed the content and covers for Life Magazine. George is a prize-winning photographer and a designer of many books, posters, and websites. He has been a volunteer docent and graphic designer at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque for 11 years, with a special interest in the murals of the native Pueblo artists. He was selected as the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center’s “Volunteer of the Year” in 2017 and 2022.
High Desert Gardening, February 20th and 27th, March 6th, 13th and 20th, 10am-noon, Sandy Liakus and other certified Sandoval Extension Master Gardeners (SEMGs), Facilitators
Course Description: Do you want to get a jump start on your garden and landscape plans for 2025? Have you recently moved to the Placitas/ Bernallilo area and do not have a clue about what to plant and/or how to maintain it? Are you interested in conserving natural resources and having a sustainable garden landscape? Then this course will address your questions on gardening in the high desert southwest. Climate, soils, plant selection, watering, growing zone considerations, pest ID and management will be addressed in the presentations by certified Sandoval Extension Master Gardeners (SEMGs). There will be plenty of time to ask questions, focus on areas of your interest, and share your experiences with other gardeners.
Lead Facilitator: Sandy Liakus, SEMG 2008, will moderate the course and present on trees, shrubs and climate considerations on 2.20.25. Sandy’s specialty is advising clients via Helpline and Home Visits. Sandy is the Chair of the annual Placitas Garden Tour, and the SEMG co-project chair of the New Beginning Community garden in Bernalillo at the OLOS parish, working with the Teambuilders adult clients.
Memoir Writing, March 18th and 25th, April 1st, 10am-noon, Norma Libman, Facilitator
Course Description: Another course that is back by popular demand from the Fall semester. Whether you are thinking of writing the story of your life, already launched into the project but stalled, or humming along and wanting to meet with others who are also wanting to tell their story, this is the class for you. Special exercises will help you remember events you haven’t thought about in years. Feedback will be provided for those who want it, but nobody has to read in class, allowing you the freedom to write anything you want. If you took the class in Fall and would like more practice, come on and join the group. All the prompts will be different.
Facilitator: Norma Libman is an educator and journalist who has had more than 500 articles published in newspapers and other publications nationwide. She is the author of three award-winning books (one is a memoir!) and she regularly teaches writing, and lectures on literature and history subjects