Educational Travelogue:

“Journey through Colombia”

October 7^th at 1:30 pm

For decades, the country of Colombia has been synonymous with fine imported coffee.  And yet, this thriving country in northern South America has so much more for tourists to discover and explore.  Join local tourist Ruth Ann McCullough on Friday, October 7^th at 1:30 pm as she takes us on a journey through Colombia.  With pictures taken during her trip, she will lead an expedition into the people, spirit, and culture of this fascinating country.

Together, we will explore the state of Santender, located in the northeast of Colombia near the Venezuelan border.  Fields of cassava, palm, cocoa, beans, and pineapple cover the land, while smells of char grilled beef, goat, and other meat dishes tantalize the senses.  Wet and dry tropical rain forests, bird sanctuaries, and even its wasteland provide great opportunities to explore the rich flora and fauna of Colombia.

Leaving Santender behind, let’s travel on to Bogata, the country’s capital. Often called the Athens of South America, Bogata is a city bristling with culture.  Botanical gardens, the national observatory and planetarium, and La Candelaria, the historical district, delight and entertain tourists from around the world.  There are also 75 sports and attraction parks, 150 monuments, and dozens of libraries, museums, and art galleries.

We will finish our journey in Santa Marte, a thriving city on the Caribbean founded in 1525.  As the oldest city in Colombia, Santa Marte’s historic downtown is a popular destination for tourists and Colombians alike.  The warm sun, cool evening breezes, and long stretches of Caribbean beaches make it the perfect destination to finish our journey through Colombia with Ruth Ann.

A second grade teacher at Harvey Clarke Elementary School in Forest Grove, Ruth Ann McCullough’s dream has been to travel to all seven continents.  When she visits, she loves to stay with friends for one to three months, allowing her to truly experience the people and culture of her destination.  With travel and adventure as her middle names, Ruth Ann is excitedly planning her future trips to other continents.

This program is free and open to the public.  Cornell Estates is located at 1007 NE 17^th Avenue in Hillsboro.  For more information please call (503) 640-2882

Educational Travelogue:

Cranes, Cloth, and Social Entrepreneurs in India

Friday, September 30^th at 1:30 pm

Most Americans’ knowledge of India is limited to the Taj Mahall, call centers,  and bright saris.  But there’s so much more to this growing and thriving nation!  Join world traveler Janet Visick on Friday, September 30^th, at 1:30 pm at Cornell Estates Retirement & Assisted Living for a special presentation on “Cranes, Cloths, and Social Entrepreneurs.”

Our first stop is the state of Gujurat, where cranes still migrate from Siberia every year in winter in the Little Rann salt marshlands.  Next let’s travel north to join Janet in the Great Rann.  We will watch as the young weavers practice their millennia-old trade.  We’ll also meet Judy Frater, an Ashoka fellow who has created an innovative local crafts museum and brought urban designers to collaborate with local artists.

Our final stop is Bangalore, where Janet conducted nine interviews with Ashoka fellows.  During her presentation, she will focus on one of these interviewees, a fellow who is committed to creating ways in which poor village women can leverage micro-credit opportunities to create businesses that can compete in the market.

A teacher and editor, Janet Visick is the daughter of resident Lois Minson. Since the late 1990’s, she has been part of Ashoka’s Innovators for the Public interviewing process for its candidates, writing “Stories of Five Social Entrepreneurs” profiling five Ashoka Fellows who work with women in Asia and Africa.

This program is free and open to the public.   For more information, please call us at (503) 640-2884.

Encore Partners Recognition Event

Monday, September 26^th at 1:30 pm

Join us on Monday, September 26^th, at 1:30 pm as Cornell Estates Retirement & Assisted Living hosts their first annual Encore Partners Recognition Ceremony.  This ceremony celebrates the many Cornell residents and outside community members who come together as Encore Partners in over 30 different Encore Opportunities at Cornell.  Cornell residents are known for their active participation in community service projects and this past year,  many outside community members have joined the Encore initiative and become Encore Partners alongside the residents.

We are pleased to announce that Hillsboro Mayor Jerry Willey for provide Opening Remarks at the Recognition Ceremony and Mike Majowicz will serve as our Master of Ceremonies.  Mr. Majowicz was the 2010 recipient of the Oregon Governor’s Outstanding Senior Volunteer Award for his service with the SHIBA Medicare program.

Cornell Estates launched the Encore Opportunities @ Cornell initiative over 3 years ago to provide ongoing, formalized community service options for interested residents.  The initiative is based on the simple maxim that staying engaged with each other is good for our health at every age!  The Encore Opportunities and numbers of participants have grown exponentially since its start.  Last year, over 35% of Cornell Estates residents participated in the many projects.

The innovative projects build community and friendships between individuals at all stages of life.  Encore Opportunities take place both within Cornell Estates and out in the community with a wide variety of Community Partners, including Mooberry Elementary, Adelante Mujeres, and Pacific University College of Health Professions.  Cornell  Estates has a deep understanding  that health, well-being, and “having a great day” lie at the intersection of leisure and purpose, quiet personal time and meaningful engagement with others, and being served and serving others.

We are always interested in expanding our program with additional volunteers and community partners!  If you’d like to become part of our Encore family, please contact Debra Kidd at Cornell Estates.  We look forward to seeing you on September 26th!

This program is free and open to the public.  For more information, please call us at (503) 640-2884.

Educational Travelogue:

Cultural Exchanges in China

Tuesday, September 20^th at 1:30 pm

China is in the news nearly every day: its politics, its religion, its growing importance in the world economy. But what is China really like behind the scenes?  Join Cornell Estates staff member Clarise Brannon on Tuesday, September 20^th, at 1:30 pm at Cornell Estates Retirement & Assisted Living as she shares her recent experiences on a cultural immersion trip to China.

The China Peking Universities Total Immersion Program brings 400 to 1000 Chinese elementary and middle school teachers from all over China to learn English.  They also partner with organizations such as the Beaverton Four Square church to bring English speakers to the Beijing campus. In this travelogue, walk alongside Clarise during her 15 day trip to China as she met both formally and informally with these teachers.

Along with her observations about Chinese life and faith, Clarise will also share pictures of the Forbidden City and two summer gardens that were both built and destroyed multiple times. She will also talk about cultural differences and the most shocking to her as an American in a city as large as Beijing.

A mother of three and an aspiring photographer, Clarise Brannon is no stranger to adversity and world travel. Peering through the lens of a camera, Clarise has an uncanny eye for the innate beauty of everyday life coupled with the ability to gracefully introduce her viewers to a sometimes-painful reality.

This program is free and open to the public.  For more information, please call us at (503) 640-2884.

New! A Healthier You Series:

Preventing the Flu

Friday, September 16^th at 1:30 pm

A Healthier You is a new education series focusing on improving your health.   We will be featuring a new topic each quarter to help you find new and unique ways to deal with those “health-related” curveballs.

On Friday, September 16^th, at 1:30 pm at Cornell Estates Retirement & Assisted Living, Debbie Van Dyne, RN, will discuss the flu season and what you need to know.  The objective is to educate everyone on how they can give themselves a fighting chance in beating the flu this season.  Learn how to wash your hands, supply yourself with a “flu survival kit” and how important it is to receive the flu vaccination.

This program is free and open to the public.   For more information, please call (503) 640-2884.

New! Music Matters Series:

The Art of Cello-Making

Thursday, September 15^th at 6:30 pm

One of the most distinctive features of a symphony or orchestra concert is the strings section. But when was the last time you stopped to think about how a cello is made?  Join Chester Bishop on Thursday, September 15^th, at 6:30  pm at Cornell Estates Retirement & Assisted Living for an up close and personal look at the art of cello-making.

As an amateur luthier (the technical term for a maker of stringed instruments), Chet has built several violins and violas over the last ten years.  Walk alongside Chet as he takes us through the crafting of his very first cello.   He will demonstrate the various tools he uses to create these beautiful instruments and the raw materials from which they are made.  He will then guide us through the process of sawing, molding, and finishing that is necessary to produce such a beautiful instrument.

This fascinating look at the art of cello-making will conclude with a presentation by Dr. Marshall Tuttle, Nancy Vink, Sharron Ogden, and Dr. Todd Anderson of the Hillsboro Symphony Orchestra. There’s nothing like seeing an instrument take shape under a crafter’s hands and then hearing a string quartet that includes that same instrument!

This program is free and open to the public.  Cornell Estates is located at 1005 NE 17^th Avenue, Hillsboro.  For more information please call (503) 640-2884.

You’re Invited!

Red, White and Blue Vintage Car Show Fundraiser

Saturday, August 27th

10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Cornell Estates Parking Lot

Free Admission!

In Washington County, over 300 of our veterans find themselves without a roof over their head each night.  To raise awareness for this national and community issue, Cornell  Estates is hosting a Red White & Blue Vintage Car Show Fundraiser on Saturday, August 27^th, from 10:00 am -  2:00 pm in the Cornell Estates parking lot.  All proceeds will go to Lacey’s House here in Hillsboro for homeless veterans.

The Car Show Fundraiser will feature a line-up of gorgeous cars from the 40’s and 50’s.  Cast your vote for the People’s Choice Awards trophies for your  favorite cars.  We will have music and fun for car buffs and for the whole family, including face-painting and food booths serving summer holiday fare of hot dogs, popcorn, and popsicles.

Photography and home-made quilts by Cornell Estates residents will be on display for sale.  Veterans of Foreign Affairs and representatives from each branch of our military services will also be joining us in support for our homeless veterans.

Admission to the Car Show is free, but don’t forget to grab your raffle tickets for our two drawings: Lacey’s House 2011 Raffle Drawing for a car, motorcycle, or flat-screen television, with the drawing on September 11^th, and Cornell  Estates’ Red White & Blue Raffle with drawings during the Car Show.

To download the Vintage Car Show flier, click here.

Artist at Cornell presents:

“Subject, Light, and Composition”

By photographer Jack Maloney

Wednesday, August 24^th at 1:30 pm

In an era of cell phone cameras, YouTube videos, and Facebook, pictures are everywhere in our world. But what separates a great picture, one that draws your eye again and again, from a mediocre one?  Photographer Jack Maloney has a few ideas about that!  Join him on Wednesday, August 24^th at 1:30 pm at Cornell Estates for his “Subject, Light, and Composition” presentation.

A serious photographer since the 1980s, Jack knows a thing or two about taking great pictures!  The most important elements are choosing your subject and light, and experimenting with different angles and combinations to get a great picture.  His goal is to bring out the hidden places, mostly in grand landscapes or nature pictures.  Luckily for us, he is eager to share his knowledge and experience!

Jack’s presentation is the first segment of a special project entitled “Through the Eyes of Cornell Residents.”  For the two days following his presentation, cameras will be distributed to Cornell residents with instructions to photograph their special moments.  The exposition will be unveiled at Cornell Estates’ Vintage Car Show fundraiser on Saturday, August 27^th.  We would love to see you there!

This program is free and open to the public.  Cornell Estates is located at 1005 NE 17^th Avenue, Hillsboro.  For more information please call (503) 640-2884.

Educational Travelogue:

The Peoples and Cultures of Israel

Friday, August 12^th at 1:30 pm

Hillsboro residents Jim and Landa Carlson have recently returned from a tour of Israel and will share their photos and insights in the travelogue: The People and Cultures of Israel, on Friday, August 12^th at 1:30 pm, at Cornell Estates Retirement and Assisted Living. The timing of their visit found the Middle East in a period of turmoil and transition. They had personal encounters with the people and the wondrous sites of Israel and its heritage which helped them gain new insights into Israel and its role in the sensitive region and changing world.

Their presentation will include Israel’s struggle for the land, with a special visit to the Golani Brigade training Base where they met with the soldiers who are actively involved in Israel’s defense as well as with the Druze Israeli Arab community, minorities in Israel’s society.

The audience will see Nazareth, home of Jesus’ parents, Joseph and Mary. The Basilica of the Annunciation commemorating that sight. Jesus’ Ministry in Galilee will be covered with a visit to Caesaria Phillipi, site of Peter’s “Great Confession” of Jesus as Messiah and where many remember the transfiguration; Mt. of Beatitudes the traditional site of Jesus’ delivery of the Sermon on the Mount, and Capernaum which is frequently mentioned in the Gospel as Jesus’ main base.

You will see the head waters of the Jordon River in the beautiful Banias Nature Reserve and the Yardenit Baptismal Site at the lower end of the Jordon River.  In Jerusalem the presentation will travel to Mt of Olives, the chapel of Dominus Flevit (“the Lord Wept”), Garden of Gethsemane, The Garden Tomb and the church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Wailing Wall.

Learn more about the industrial and economics of Israel.  As a start up nation in the Upper Galilee, Tefen Industrial park has two new companies as well visit Eshkol National Water Carrier Site with seventy years of innovation in the face of Israel’s environmental and security challenges.

Heading south to Tel Azeka, to an archeological adventure, the Carlsons had a chance to dig up the past with their own hands at Tel Maresha/Beit Guvrin, dated back to the Hellenistic Period. Their presentation will take you to the Judean Desert for a camel trek and Bedouin dinner, and to Masada where the last Jewish freedom fighters faced the mighty Roman Empire 2,000 years ago.

This travelogue is free and open to the public.  Cornell Estates is located at 1005 NE 17^th Avenue in Hillsboro.  Call 503-640-2884 for more information.

OASIS and Cornell Estates present:

Update on the Middle East

Friday, August 5^th at 1:30 pm

Iraq. Lebanon. Egypt.  Whenever you tune into the news these days, something is always happening in the Middle East.  The big question is: why?  Join Dr. Jon Mandaville on Friday, August 5^th at Cornell Estates as he explores the past and current turbulent history between the US and the Middle East.

In terms of US/Middle East relations, some things never go away.  Together with Dr. Mandaville, we will explore the causes behind this relationship.  The presentation will focus on our own culture and needs as well as patterns of development and change in the Middle East.  After comparing our cultural needs against those of the Middle East, we will ask ourselves the ultimate question: can these relations ever be friendly?

Dr. Jon Mandaville is Professor of History, Emeritus, at Portland State University and former director of the Middle East Studies Center.  Dr. Mandaville served as resident director of the American Institute for Yemeni Studies in Sana’a and currently is on its board of directors.  He earned his degrees in history and Middle East and Islamic Studies from Dartmouth, Princeton, and in Scotland.

Cornell Estates is proud to partner with OASIS Portland which offers challenging programs in the arts, humanities, wellness, and technology and volunteer services. Cornell Estates is located at 1005 NE 17th Ave. Hillsboro.  To attend the presentation, please call Oasis to reserve your space at (503) 241-3059 or visit www.oasisnet.org/portland to register.