ALPENA — The Association of Lifelong Learners is hosting a variety of programs in the next two weeks, and the majority of them are online.

The only exceptions are pickleball at the APlex and the ALL Happening on Dec. 10, which is an outdoor event for ALL members.

ALL online programs are open to the public.

Due to current restrictions the group is not allowing in-person programs at the Briggs Center on the Alpena Community College Campus. If you have questions, call the ALL office at 989-358-7207 or email all@alpenacc.edu.

These programs are open to the public. Just send an email to all@alpenacc.edu to receive connection information, if not listed below.

Tuesday

All day, for 24 hours, it is Giving Tuesday with the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan (CFNEM).

Please go to https://www.cfnem.org/givingtuesday/ on Tuesday and donate to the Association of Lifelong Learners.

“We hope you will help replace the $3,000 in funding that usually comes from our Spaghetti Dinner and Auction on Election Day,” a press release stated.

The annual spaghetti dinner and auction is ALL’s largest fundraiser of the year, and it had to be canceled this year because of the pandemic.

“This has been a tough year for all nonprofits with a pandemic that does not seem to slow down and the impact that it has had on our community,” ALL representative Susan Stacey said in a press release. “ALL is no different. We only have one major fundraising event a year, our Annual Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction, and we rely on memberships and donations to fund our operations.”

How do you donate?

1. Online at www.cfnem.org/givingtuesday.

2. Call CFNEM office at 989-354-6881 on Tuesday to make your credit card gift over the phone.

3. Hand-deliver a check to the Community Foundation office at 100 N. Ripley, Suite F, Alpena 49707, on Tuesday, and put it in the dropbox outside the office door. (Offices are currently closed to the public). Or call them at 989-354-6881 to arrange a donation.

The ALL office in the Briggs Center is closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, however, you can mail a check to: Association of Lifelong Learners, 665 Johnson St., Alpena, MI 49707.

Wednesday

Join ALL at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday for the Zoom livestream program, “A Beloved Community.”

Join the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee of Alpena with its monthly Book & Film Discussion Series via Zoom. This month the topic is Raising Community Awareness About Racial Issues. Dottie Haase will be the discussion leader. Hear a feel-good story about digging dirt beneath the site of a lynching. Explore reparations suggested by Bryan Stevenson in the video where he answers questions at the American Film Institute, on June 22, 2019. Please watch the YouTube video before the presentation if possible (about 25 minutes) at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUKHxoHaC84.

To request the Zoom link, email to: ABelovedCommunity.Alpena@gmail.com.

Thursday

Jackie Krawczak, corporate representative for I2P, will discuss the new manufacturing hub at 11 a.m. Thursday.

The event happens via Zoom. Email ALL@Alpenacc.edu to receive Zoom connection information. Tune in live because this program will not be recorded, per the presentor’s request.

I2P is headquartered in the former Kmart building on U.S.-23 and recently got the OK from Alpena Township to purchase the Alpena Mall to expand there.

Krawczak, whose responsibilities include talent attraction, culture and competency development, and public relations/communications, will talk about the company and its upcoming efforts and answer questions, ALL said in a news release.

You can join this Zoom livestream two ways.

The First is by clicking on this hyperlink: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89458548347?pwd=QkNZVlZYRks0OFMzbHA1Nm5XV013dz09. Or open your Zoom application, Select “Join a Meeting” and then type in the Meeting ID plus Passcode. Meeting ID: 894 5854 8347. Passcode: 187302.

Tuesday, Dec. 8

“Military Education” will be at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 8, presented by Rocky Roland.

There has been a broad consensus over the years that the U.S. armed forces be maintained as a reflection of the U.S. society in general and that the armed forces have a responsibility to train and educate individual services members in this model. Political changes and technological advances have dramatically impacted the nature and structure of the military, and consequently, military education. From infantry rifleman, ship captains, fighter pilots, space system operators, commanders and general officers … the military has a training or education program designed to advance the capabilities of each individual.

This presentation will explore the difference between training and education; the impact of education and training in personal development (and promotion); and the role of “professional military education” for officers in developing leaders, commanders, and general officers. Along the way, we will compare the similarities and differences between civilian education/training and military education/training.

Rocky Roland is a retired USAF colonel and spent 27 years in the Air Force as a fighter pilot. When not in a flying position, Roland specialized in the development and employment of intelligence systems — particularly satellite and space systems. He was on the faculty at the Naval War College, where he was the first Alan B. Shepard chair of Space Studies. Following his assignment at the Naval War College, Roland spent an intensive year in Washington, D.C. studying Mandarin Chinese language, Chinese history and culture, and Chinese military capabilities in preparation for his three-year assignment as the Air Force Attache in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China. Rocky and his wife Ginny moved to Alpena in 2015 and Rocky has been a frequent presenter for ALL.

Join this livestream by clicking on the following hyperlink: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83485242752?pwd=cG5yYTlrYUI3OVZTZWpuRmRrMXRlUT09.

Or open your Zoom application, Select “Join a Meeting” and then type in the Meeting ID plus Passcode. Meeting ID: 834 8524 2752. Passcode: 354031.

Wednesday, Dec. 9

“Book Lover’s Gathering” is at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 9.

In spite of these difficult times, we hope you have taken the opportunity to read some good books. It is an excellent way to escape, entertain and educate ourselves on serious matters. We will discuss recent books we have read and as in the past we have used our December Gathering to offer suggestions for Christmas gifts. Please bring your experiences and ideas to this Zoom livestream program.

Ron Young has agreed to substitute for Carey Rapin this quarter as this will be a Zoom livestream only program.

Join the Zoom livestream at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83665232540?pwd=d2pBeTF0cVJES256cTFzZGdWbmdGUT09.

Or open your Zoom application, Select “Join a Meeting” and then type in the Meeting ID plus Passcode. Meeting ID: 836 6523 2540. Passcode: 251171.

Thursday, Dec. 10

At 1 p.m. on Dec. 10, ALL members are invited to The Happening for a bonfire and roasting hotdogs. Bring your own hotdogs, etc. Roasting sticks will be available. Call or email the ALL office if you are planning on attending. There will be an “Alpena Buck Drawing!” and passing the hat for Friendship Room donations.

ALL in-person programs

ALL pickleball is playing at the APlex (masks are required) from 9 to 11 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Call 989-358-7207 for details.

Catch up

on what you missed

Many ALL programs are recorded so you can view them at a later date. To see the entire collection, follow this link to the ALL YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYc9USUpJ2nsQDsJSLO01Nw.

In case you missed one of these recent online programs, here are the links to individual programs.

¯ “What is Your Philosophy of Life?” with Olin Joynton: https://youtu.be/Wgy-HV_MH1M

¯ “Reading in Interesting Times” with Karen Magness-Eubank: https://youtu.be/gAoOi70jYzI

¯ “Alpena’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA)” with Anne Gentry: https://youtu.be/D4KrFMpPKfc

¯ “From an Alpena County One Room School House to the Press Box at the Rose Bowl” with Mark Hansen: https://youtu.be/vbBZ8fJVMTo

¯ “Come Fly With Us — Alpena County Airport Update” with Steve Smigelski: https://youtu.be/oDUzoiLoF7o

¯ “Thunder Bay Lighthouse Preservation Society” With Sue Skibbe and Susan Kitzman: https://youtu.be/nDG0VnXrnyA

¯ “Senior Safety Tips for the Winter” with Andy Marceau: https://youtu.be/83zfXyHpaj4

¯ “All About Medicare” with Pete Wilson and Dave Zeller: https://youtu.be/UbWRZ-GEa_Q

¯ “Managing Your Healthcare Options as You Age” with Wendy Servia: https://youtu.be/gxT6FoKjby4

¯ “Generations” with Carol Shafto: https://youtu.be/Q06fqQ0uyGQ

¯ “Satellites in Daily Life” with Rocky Roland: https://youtu.be/NF9LNByUsxM

¯ “Writing a Newspaper Column” with Douglas Pugh: https://youtu.be/lJCascQgyjo

¯ “Theater Renovations” with Jeff Konczak: https://youtu.be?KqFZTHE

¯ “21 Day Equity Challenge” with Joe Gentry: https://youtu.be/NLQ1NPcPa-c

¯ “How to Accommodate BLM Demands” with Olin Joynton: https://youtu.be/sFdMHp2B8S4

¯ “How Government and Health is Intersecting During the Covid-19 Panemic” with Dennis Schultz: https://youtu.be/-vVQm8uyrwo