OLLI Fall 2025 - Flipbook - Page 17
Wine is a Journey
Tuesdays and Thursdays,
September 11 3 October 16
See speci昀c times and locations below
Whether you are a novice or an accomplished
wine enthusiast, join us for a chance to grow
your knowledge and share your experience
while having fun along the way. We9ll learn about
varieties and blends through videos, discussion,
tasting, shopping at area stores, and a visit to
a grower and winemaker. We also have the
opportunity for an optional food and wine dinner
on October 24 for those in the study group who
are interested.
Thursdays, September 11 & 18, 2:30 3 4:30 p.m.
Peoria NEXT Innovation Center, 801 W. Main;
overview and tasting.
Tuesdays, September 23 & 30, 6:00 3 7:30 p.m.
Binny9s Beverage Depot, 2601 W. Lake Ave, Peoria;
Shopping for wine and tasting.
Thursday, October 9, 2:30 3 4:30 p.m.
Tres Rojas Winery at Barry Vineyards, 1774 E
Cruger Rd, Washington; growing, harvesting, and
winemaking.
Thursday, October 16, 3:00 3 4:30 p.m.
Hearth, 4604 Prospect Rd, Peoria Heights; food
and wine pairing followed by optional dinner.
$75 3 Includes all wine tastings. Optional dinner is
not included in price. Facilitated by Sal Allan and
Deb Clay both frequent OLLI facilitators and wine
enthusiasts. (RG/RF)
Seats available: 18
Great Novels from the Southern Literary Tradition
Thursdays, September 11 3 November 6
(every other week)
1:00 3 3:15 p.m.
Peoria Next Innovation Center
Pardon the pun, but September through
November is a great time to Fall into some
fabulous books from the American Southern
Literary Tradition. We’ll explore 昀ve remarkable
novels with characters, themes, and settings rich
in culture and history. For our 昀rst session, Dr. Bill
Hardwig, professor of Southern, African American
and Appalachian literature at the University of
Tennessee will Zoom in with an overview of the
elements and milestones of Southern literature.
Books we9ll be covering include: A Death in the
Family by James Agee; The Heart is a Lonely
Hunter by Carson McCullers; Wise Blood by
Flannery O9Connor; The Moviegoer by Walker
Percy; The Optimist9s Daughter by Eudora Welty.
Plan to obtain and read the titles listed, available
at booksellers and local libraries.
$45 3 Facilitated by Dr. Bill Hardwig, University of
Tennessee along with frequent OLLI facilitators
and literary buffs Jane Hense, Roberta Koscielski,
Randall Yelverton, Roger French, and John Brady
as noted above. (NG/RFs)
Seats available: 18
The Sixth Extinction . . . and Beyond
Tuesdays, September 16 3 October 21
9:30 3 11:45 a.m.
Peoria Next Innovation Center
Over the past 500 million years, Earth has
experienced 昀ve mass extinctions. Today, scientists
warn of a potential sixth4this time driven by
human impact. The Sixth Extinction, by Pulitzer
Prize-winning author Elizabeth Kolbert, draws on
research of scientists documenting species loss
across the globe. We9ll journey through habitats to
discover the most recent extinctions of mammals,
reptiles, insects, birds, and other species. We9ll
discuss if we humans make the changes,
decisions, and cultural practices required to slow
these environmental changes we see happening
before our eyes. We9ll also examine recent news
since the book9s publication. Please plan to obtain
and read the book available online and through
local booksellers and libraries.
$45 3 Facilitated by Patricia Melaik, University of
Illinois Extension Master Gardener and Master
Naturalist, and Rich Henz, former Biology teacher
and former employee at the Peoria Agricultural
Lab. (NG/RF-NF)
Seats available: 18
Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism
Mondays, September 22 3 October 20
1:00 3 3:30 p.m.
Peoria Next Innovation Center
Revisit a pivotal period in American history just
before World War II, when a
