Midcoast Senior College
SUMMER WISDOM 2025

Sponsored by Thornton Oaks Retirement Community

Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m.
Curtis Memorial Library & UUCB, Brunswick

Space is limited; Please arrive 15″ early to be assured of a seat. We will close the room when we reach capacity.

May 6: Everything is Better with Chocolate–Tom Wilbur

“Everything is better with chocolate” is the slogan that has motivated local entrepreneur Tom Wilbur for more than forty-two years. From the selection of the cocoa bean to presentation for sale in a gleaming display case what Wilbur’s of Maine Chocolate Confectioners does is both an art and a science. Join Master Candy Maker (1995) Tom Wilbur as he shares of bit of the history, the passion and the art of founding and operating a popular local business. Tom has even promised to share one of his favorite recipes. Tom Wilbur and Catherine Wilbur founded Wilbur’s of Maine Chocolate Confectioners in a storefront in Freeport in 1983. By 1987 Tom left teaching school and became a full-time confectioner. The Brunswick location was added in 1987. Tom was honored by Retail Confectioners International when he was awarded the prestigious Master Candy Maker designation in 1995. Tom retired in 2017 and passed operation of Wilbur’s on to his son Andy and Andy’s wife Kristin.

May 13: Caregiving is Coming for All of Us–Rani Snyder

“Family caregiving” refers to unpaid care and support provided by family members, friends, or loved ones to individuals who are aging, chronically ill, disabled, or otherwise in need of assistance. This might include help with medical tasks, personal hygiene, meal preparation, transportation, managing finances, or emotional support. Supporting family caregivers is crucial because they play a vital role in our healthcare system, bridging gaps in services and healthcare and allowing individuals to remain in their homes and communities rather than institutional settings. Caregiving is hard work. It can be physically, emotionally, and financially demanding, leading to stress, burnout, and economic hardship. Providing caregivers with resources, respite care, financial support, and workplace accommodation helps improve their well-being and ensures they can continue to provide quality care without sacrificing their own health and stability. Rani E. Snyder, MPA, is a national leader and collaborator, serving as Vice President, Program at The John A. Hartford Foundation. Ms. Snyder has over 25 years of experience working with preeminent health care institutions across the nation improving the care of older adults, identifying and guiding health care programs that have set the standard for medical best practices, increased medical education opportunities, and maximizing resources to improve health care broadly. She brings that experience to The John A. Hartford Foundation where she coordinates initiatives that foster collaboration among academic institutions, health systems and community-based organizations to build Age-Friendly Health Systems, support family caregivers, and improve serious illness and end-of-life care. She also serves as a board member for the American Society on Aging, a nonprofit leading the largest, most diverse community of professionals working in aging in America; the Elder and Home Care Committee of Mid Coast Hospital in rural Maine, and is the past Board Chair of the Board of Grantmakers in Aging, a membership organization comprised of all types of philanthropies with a common dedication to improving the experience of aging; as a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine; and she previously served as a Volunteer Long-Term Care Ombudsman for the State of Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division.

May 20: 250th Anniversary of Benedict Arnold Expedition–Robert Stevens

Two hundred and fifty years years ago in the fall of 1775 Benedict Arnold (yes, that Benedict Arnold) led 1,100 soldiers up the Kennebec River and down the Chaudiere River to take Quebec City. Controlling Quebec City would prevent the British Army from cutting off New England from the rest of the colonies. The Americans arrived at Quebec starving, many shoeless, most poorly dressed. They attacked in a blinding snowstorm on December 31st, which was a colossal failure. But this was not the end. This campaign ended with the capture of an entire British Army at Saratoga 1777 and the French joining the Americans. I will focus on the incredible feat of the Americans with very little time to prepare marching through the wilderness of Maine and their attack on Quebec. Plus, I will say a little about 5 of us retracing this route in the Fall of 2017. Robert Stevens has had the great fortune ever since coming to Bath in 1981 to learn traditional wooden boat building at the Apprenticeshop to make a living boatbuilding. Besides building many small boats, other projects include building a Viking Knarr and sailing her from Greenland to Newfoundland, a Great Lakes 3 masted schooner, and the 1607 Maine’s First Ship, Virginia, with much volunteer help. Rob’s current project is working with the Arnold Expedition Society building battoes with schools, museums, and historical societies to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Arnold Expedition.

May 27: Ecological Disturbance and Succession in Forests of Midcoast Maine–Cheryl Swift

Dr. Cheryl Swift will discuss both the negative and the positive impact of ecological disturbance in forests of Mid-Coast Maine. A focus will be how disturbance influences species diversity composition and distribution. Cheryl Swift received a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles) and went on to teach Biology and Environmental Science at Whittier College (Whittier, California) for thirty years. Her research focused on how physiological responses to environmental stress contributed to plant community composition. Cheryl and her husband, John, also a Professor at Whittier retired to Georgetown, Maine in 2020. They recently co-taught a Midcoast Senior College class on Willa Cather’s classic novel, O Pioneers! focusing with an emphasis on the novel’s description of plant succession and disturbance in turn-of-the-century Great Plains of America.

June 3: 25 Years of Maine Politics–Don Carrigan*

To help celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Midcoast Senior College, long-time broadcast journalist Don Carrigan of NewsCenter Maine (Portland’s Channel 6, WCSH) will reflect on his more than fifty years in radio and television, especially on the past twenty-five years’ personalities and facets of the state’s political scene in Bangor, Portland, Augusta and elsewhere. Over the years he has covered the past eight gubernatorial administrations, and has worked for Maine Public Broadcasting, for WLBZ Radio and Television (Bangor), and for U.S. Senator Bill Cohen before joining WCSH in 2003. In addition to his news stories, Don currently is best known for his features on “207,” the station’s week night newsmagazine show. He has won two Emmy Awards from the Boston/New England Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. A graduate of the University of Maine Orono, Don earned a Bachelor of Arts in speech with a concentration in broadcasting. He and his wife Donna reside in Walpole, where he enjoys gardening, landscaping and, on occasion, participation in community theater.

*At Unitarian Universalist Church

All events are in-person. Seating is limited; reservations are not accepted. You may arrive up to 15 minutes before the program begins to get your seat. If all seats are taken, we will close the room. Please call 725-4900 or email: mscoffice@midcoastseniorcollege.org with any questions.