Behind the Scenes is back with another look at a local Bethel area business. Martha Grover, local artisan and owner of The Pottery Studio will take you on a tour of her studio, explaining the equipment. She will show you how a "slab" of clay can be made into a simple piece or one of her more complex pieces. 

Once you have seen the studio and the process for making pottery with her guidance, you may want to join WMSC for their new class with Martha to make your own butter dish. 

This class is for WMSC members only. To become a member, please click this link; https://sad44.coursestorm.com/category/membership or add it when you check out. 

When: Wednesday, Jan. 22nd. 

Time: 2:00-3:00 p.m.

Where: The Pottery Studio

Tuition: FREE

**NEW CLASS**

If you've never tasted fresh paneer, then youre in for a treat. We'll gather together to learn cheesmeaking basics by demonstration and discussion. You'll leanr how to make a simple non-melting cheese knows as paneer in Indian cuisine. 

Each participant will have cheese to take home. There will be opportunity to meet the milk-makers, the Nigerian Dwarf goats who produce the udderly wonderful milk! 

**This class is for WMSC members only. For more information and to register as a member, please click here and add the membership to your cart: https://sad44.coursestorm.com/category/membership

When: Friday, Jan. 24 (snow date Jan. 31st)

Time: 2:00-4:00 p.m. 

Where: Susan's Home on Chapman St. Bethel. 

Join Reese Remington for this creative art course. 

Pour painting, also known as fluid art, is an abstract art technique that involves pouring liquid paint onto a canvas to create a painting. The paint's fluid consistency allows it to spread and move freely, creating organic shapes. 

Bring your paint clothes, an apron, and prepare to get messy. You will leave with your own unique piece of modern art on canvas that can be displayed in your home. 

All materials will be provided by the instructor. 

This class is for WMSC members only. To  become a member, please click this link and add it to your cart; https://sad44.coursestorm.com/course/western-mountain-senior-college-annual-membership

**NEW CLASS

If you went to The Pottery Studio for the Behind the Scenes class, then you must be excited for this new class with WMSC. 

** This class is for WMSC members only. To become a member, please click this link and add it to your cart; https://sad44.coursestorm.com/course/western-mountain-senior-college-annual-membership

Martha Grover will guide you through the steps for this hand build pottery class. Participants will learn to take thier slab of clay, roll it out, design it, cut it, and attach the pieces to create your own one-of-a-kind butter dish. 

February is American Heart Month. To Your Health is pleased to host its popular annual heart-health educational program presented by Dr. Daniel van Buren, FACC, Director of Cardiovascular Medicine at the New England Heart Institute at Androscoggin Valley Hospital of Berlin, NH.

A resident of Bethel and a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, Dr. van Buren will discuss recent advances in cardiovascular medicine.

Popular and well-respected on this subject, Dr. van Buren returns for the 11 th year, having presented a broad range of topics to the community over the past decade including Women and Heart Disease, Facts about Cholesterol, Atrial Fibrillation, Congestive Heart Failure, Valvular Heart Disease and more.

This year’s topic, entitled “Recent Advances in Cardiovascular Medicine,” will provide up-to-date information about new developments in the field. Following the program, Dr. van Buren will address questions from the audience and the program will conclude with an expression of gratitude and honorary recognition for Dr. van Buren’s decade of service to the community.

Dr. van Buren has been a member of the Androscoggin Valley Hospital Board of Directors since 2014, having joined the medical staff there in 2010. He received his Doctor of Medicine from Ross University School of Medicine, and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Nuclear Cardiology, Cardiovascular Medicine, and Adult Echocardiography.

Now in its 19 th year, To Your Health, in collaboration with Western Mountains Senior College, the Bethel Family Health Center, and MSAD#44 Continuing Education, has been providing free health education programs to the Bethel area communities.

For more information, please contact MSAD#44 at 207-824-2136 X1340 or email wmsc@sad44.org

When: Thursday, Feb. 6th 2025 (Snow date; Feb. 13th)

Time: 4:30-6:00 p.m.

Where: West Parish Congregational Church, 32 Church St. Bethel, Maine

Disasters, like the storm and flooding that struck Western Maine in December of 2023, can strike with little warning and cause enormous damage. The impact, especially to our emotional and mental wellbeing, can be long-lasting. This class will cover common emotional and behavioral responses to disasters and provide guidance on how to build resilience for yourself and your loved ones. It will also give information about how to be prepared for the next disaster by knowing where to turn for help, what to have on hand for emergencies, and how to respond when a disaster strikes.

 Join Brendan Schauffler, MPPM of Healthy Oxford Hills as he presents this class. 

This class is free and open to the public. 

Where: Telstar Adult Education 

Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes: Getting Comfortable with your Diabetes A Free Wellness program sponsored by To Your Health

To Your Health is pleased to present Karen Swan, RN and Diabetes Education Coordinator, on the topic of prediabetes and diabetes – “Getting Comfortable with Your Diabetes.”

Ms. Swan will lead a conversation on diabetes myths and facts, recommend practical steps toward lifestyle management, and share self-advocacy tips. All ages are welcome. "As a new nurse I recognized that diabetes is a very confusing, complex condition which is often overwhelming for patients and caregivers.

Many households are affected by the disease. Thus, I earned a specialty in this field and have the goal of making the management of diabetes both understandable and doable by my patients,” says Swan.

For nearly 20 years, Swan has been a Registered Nurse and for ten of those years, a Diabetes Care Education Specialist. She currently is employed at MaineHealth Stephens Hospital and was previously at Central Maine Medical Center.  

There will be time for questions during and after the presentation and handouts will be provided.

DATE: Thursday, March 6 th , 2025 (Snow date March 13 th )

TIME: 4:30 PM TO 6 PM

LOCATION: West Parish Congregational Church, 32 Church St, Bethel

COST: FREE. Registration recommended.

Now in its 19 th year, To Your Health, in collaboration with Western Mountains Senior College, the Bethel Family Health Center, and MSAD#44 Continuing Education, has been providing free health education programs to the Bethel area communities.

For more information, please contact MSAD#44 at 207-824-2136 X1340 or email WMSC@sad44.org.

Registration for this event is encouraged but not required.

To register online please visit https://sad44.coursestorm.com/ and click on the Western Mountains Senior College tab on the lower right corner.

Experience the joy of movement and music for healthy aging with Lisa Davidson, yoga teacher, and Jim Gallant, guitarist/singer/songwriter, each of whom will present at the “To Your Health” spring program. This event is free and open to the public. All ages are welcome.

Yoga Demonstration and Participation -- Lisa Davidson will begin the program with “How Yoga Helps Us Age Well.” Davidson, who has been teaching and practicing yoga for over 40 years, will demonstrate and encourage audience participation in gentle yoga postures, from either a seated or standing position. The postures will focus on improving strength, mobility and balance in order to create a sense of positivity and peacefulness, all while having fun.

“Through practice, we learn how the three A’s – Awareness, Acceptance and Adjustment—which all help us move joyfully through life. We are told to keep on moving so we may age well. Through yoga, we will discover how to enjoy keeping yourself healthy, rather than making it a chore on the to-do list,” says Davidson.

Ms. Davidson trained at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Healing and has expanded her studies and certifications to teaching yoga to seniors. She offers weekly live stream Kripalu and gentle senior yoga sessions via Zoom. Lisa is also a Reiki Master and loves hiking and skiing. Participants are encouraged to please wear rubber-soled shoes.

Show and Singalong --The second half of the program brings guitarist and singer/songwriter Jim Gallant to the stage. Whether performing at a coffeehouse, college concert, or an outdoor festival, Gallant captures the hearts and feet of his audience. His up-tempo guitar style and mix of catchy originals and masterful interpretations leave the audience feeling fully satisfied. From Dylan and the Beatles to Bach and blues, his shows are fun-filled and exciting. Jim will perform some of his original songs, familiar old-time classics, and will lead some singalong selections for all to enjoy.

Jim performs throughout Maine and New England as a soloist or with his band. He has shared the stage with Doc Watson, New Grass Revival, Taj Mahal, Livingston Taylor, Jessie Colin Young, Dave Von Ronk and others. He has been a guitar instructor at the Fiddlehead Center for the Arts in Gray since its beginning.

Now in its 19 th year, To Your Health, in collaboration with Western Mountains Senior College, the Bethel Family Health Center, and MSAD#44 Continuing Education, has been providing free health education programs to the Bethel area communities. For more information, please contact MSAD#44 at 207-824-2136 X1340 or email WMSC@sad44.org. 

DATE: Thursday, April 3, 2025, snow date of April 10th. 

TIME: 4:30 PM TO 6 PM

LOCATION: West Parish Congregational Church, 32 Church St, Bethel

COST: FREE. Registration recommended.