NEW DATE: Thursday, May 1st  from 4:30-6:00 p.m. 

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, May 1st. 

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

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

How you breathe influences how you feel. 

Lay essential foundations for developing a safe, effective home practice. 

Learn different breathing exercises and how to apply them in real life.

Guided breathwork practice.  

This course can help you: 

- Reset and calm your nervous system

- Relieve stress & anxiety

- Restore quality sleep

- Improve attention & focus

- Increase energy levels

Please bring a yoga mat, comfortable clothing, and a light stomach. 

T.J. Farnum is a Breathwork Coach and a Registered Respiratory Therapist.

**Participants can attend all four sessions, or drop-in attendance is available at $15/session, payable at the time of the class. 

When: Mondays, starting May 5th-June 2, for four weeks. (No class May 26th)

Where: Telstar High School

Time: 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Tuition: $60 

**POPULAR CLASS**

Erin is a former teacher of Deaf students in Vermont and loves to share this beautiful language with others. This class is geared towards new and beginner signers.  We will go over some basics of the language,  learn the alphabet and progress to short conversations.

4 Weeks

Wednesdays: May 7-28

Time: 4:15-5:30

Tuition: $50

Two of the great benefits to your Google account are Google Drive and Google Docs. Google Drive is free cloud storage and Google Docs is Google's free alternative to MS Word. In this class you willlearn how to store and manage your files online as well as use the Google Docs platform where youcan create stunning documents.

Requirments: A device that can connect to the interent and an active Gmail account. 

When: May 13th, 20th, 27th

Time: 4:30-5:30 pm

Where: Telstar Adult Education

*NEW COURSE*

**This course is through Zoom. 

Join students across the state and learn to play this beloved instrument! 

The beginner's course is comprised of four lessons, one each week for four consecutive weeks. Each lesson lasts 1.5 hours. Because the beginner’s course is popular, in 2025, I will be teaching it once a month from February through May. 

Those enrolling do need to have a playable ukulele. For people who need to buy one, I have prepared a buying guide (contact Telstar Adult Education for more details) describing ukulele construction, sizes, and 2 options as well as how to care for the instrument. In addition, I am always glad to advise folks about what to buy and where they can find a decent reasonably priced instrument. I provide all the needed materials for my programs by email. For the Ukulele for Beginner’s course, this means 66 songs and over 60 pages of instructional items, including detailed notes summarizing what was covered in each lesson. I do not charge for these materials. 

I have found that students like being able to take the classes from the comfort of their homes without the need to travel, a particular advantage in winter. They can kick back, dress comfortably and even grab a bite to eat before class, instead of driving to and finding a place to park at a community site. The online Zoom format also facilitates my ability to help students, no matter where they are. When a current or former student needs a little extra help or advice, I'm just a phone call or email away and, if useful, we’ll have a one-on-one Zoom meeting to address the issue. I am also happy to do individual makeup lessons for those who can't attend a scheduled class owing to work or family complications. I am especially sensitive to the needs of seniors and work with individuals needing special attention. Please note that I never cancel classes for low enrollment and have been known to create new sections if class enrollments get too large.

Finally, I make it a point to be a forever-resource for past, current and future students. As to my background, I am a retired journalist and academic who has been playing the ukulele since 2007. While performing with a ukulele ensemble in 2014, an adult ed director came along looking for someone to offer ukulele classes in his program. Having taught the ukulele previously, I raised my hand and that’s how my connection to adult ed programs began.

Owing to the Pandemic, I shifted teaching from a few in-person, location-specific programs, to using the Zoom platform. This has enabled me to reach a much larger audience of ukulele enthusiasts in different and far-flung parts of Maine and other states. To date, I have taught over 1,000 adults the art of playing the ukulele. 

Don't be shy! Register now and learn to play from the comfort of your own home. 

**There may be an opportunity for a group zoom class to get together here at Telstar Adult Education if there is interest from local students. 

**There are full Ukulele kits available at True North Adventure in Bethel. 

Four Sessions this winter/spring

Session I;Wednesdays,  February 5, 12, 19, 26

Session II; Tuesdays,  March 4, 11, 18, 25

Session III; Wednesdays,  April 16, 23, 30, May 7

Session IV; Tuesdays,  May 13, 20, 27, June 3

Time: 6:00 pm-7:30 pm

Tuition: $79

Where: YOUR HOUSE!

Please join Jessica Schermer from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention for this FREE in -person training.

As the addiction adn overdose crisis reaches troubling milestones-100,000 overdose fatalities last year alone-all leaders adn key stakeholders in the communityare needed to address the problem. 

The Responding to Addiction training is designed to increas knowledge about additiction and develop skills and strategies to help your community. 

What participants learn:

*the Science of Addiction

*The Signs and Symptomms of Addiction

*Evidence-Based Treatment Options

*Mediations to Treat Addiction

*Engagement Strategies

**NEW CLASS!!**

 Dress up your kitchen with this functional and unique countertop paper towel dispenser.  Pattern and decorate it to fit in with your style or make it stand out as a statement piece.  Your dispenser will be glazed in your choice of color and ready for pick up approximately two weeks after class.  No previous clay experience is required for this class.  All tools and supplies will be provided by the clay studio. 

Instructor: Martha Grover

When:  Saturday, May 31

Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Where: The Pottery Studio

Tuition: $50.00 per person for 1 week