Reflecting, Sharing, Learning

Aikido Workshop: The Way of Harmony
The World’s Only Non-Violent Self-Defense Art
John Smartt

Athens-Clarke County Library
2025 Baxter Street
Athens, Georgia
706 613 3650 x343

Monday, July 15 • 2:00 pm Multipurpose Room C
Monday, July 29 • 6:00 pm Multipurpose Room B

John Smartt of Aikido Center of Athens will teach a workshop on the art of Aikido in the library’s Multipurpose Room C on Monday, July 15, at 2:00 pm and again in Multipurpose Room B at 6:00 pm on Monday, July 29. He will go over the three pillars of basic aikido training: mind-set, vitality, physical technique; he will also go through some basic vitality exercises and demonstrate some light physical techniques that illustrate the mind-set of aikido: non-resistance, right relationship, engagement, balance, letting go, and win/win follow through. These programs are for all ages!

Aikido is a modern Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend themselves while also protecting their attacker from injury. Aikido is often translated as "the way of unifying (with) life energy" or as "the way of harmonious spirit".

John Smartt spent time in Tokyo while he was in the Army, and he began studying Aikido in late 1968. After leaving the Army, John continued studying Aikido along with Zen and Katsugen Undo. In 1975, John was awarded a teacherʼs certification by Sensei Michio Hikitsuchi, Aikido Master and close personal disciple of Aikidoʼs Founder, Osensei Morihei Ueshiba. Back in the USA, John founded and operated New School Aikido in California for almost three decades, maintaining the spirit of Aikido while devising a curriculum suited for the USA's more violent society. Mr. Smartt also taught Women's Self-defense at The University of the Pacific in Stockton, Ca. for 10 years. He holds black belts in three different Aikido systems. Here in Athens, John has been teaching at OLLI and the Winterville Community Center as well as doing private lessons.

Micropoetry:

A Reading and Signing for the Publication The Deer’s Bandanna, a New Poetry Book by
David Oates, Host of “Wordland” on WUOG FM

Athens-Clarke County Library
Appleton Auditorium
2025 Baxter Street
Athens, Georgia
706 613 3650 x343

Saturday, June 29 • 2:30 pm

Please join us in the Appleton Auditorium on Saturday afternoon, June 29 at 2:30 for a reading by Athens poet and author David Oates from his new book The Deer’s Bandanna. A signing will take place immediately afterwards.

Oates works mainly in the Haiku mode, but he will also read some of his non-Haiku verse, and talk about the traditions of Japanese poetry.

Mr Oates has 30 years experience teaching writing. He hosts the “Wordland” radio show on WUGA in Athens GA. He is the author of two other collections, Drunken Robins and Shifting with My Sandwich Hand, and over 100 of his poems have been published in magazines. He is the emcee of Athens Word of Mouth Poetry. Oates received his master’s in creative writing from the University of Illinois—Chicago.

Quilts and Watercolors by Elizabeth Barton

Athens-Clarke County Library
Appleton Auditorium/Quiet Gallery
2025 Baxter Street
Athens, Georgia
706 613 3650

Artist Talk/Reception Saturday, June 1 • 2:00 pm
Exhibition June 1 - July 28, 2019

Athens-Clarke County Library is proud to exhibit the work of artist Elizabeth Barton in the Quiet Galley. Elizabeth has had three quilts displayed in the stairwells at ACCL for several years, on permanent loan to the library. The exhibition will run from June 1 through July 28, 2019, and Elizabeth will give a slide talk in the auditorium on Saturday, June 1 at 2 pm. A reception will follow.

Elizabeth Barton was born in York, England, and was educated in England and the U.S.A. She obtained her Ph.D  in clinical psychology and moved to Athens, GA in 1984. Whilst working in the health service at the University of Georgia, she began to make quilts, focusing on Art Quilts with the encouragement of an NEA grant in 1995. Her quilts have been included in many national quilt shows and “all media” art shows. They are in various private and public collections including Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta.

Since taking early retirement from the university she has focused on art: making quilt wall hangings and watercolor and acrylic paintings.  She has  taught all over the USA,  and in Canada, France and England. She has published two books on designing quilts and on working in a series.

The artist talk/reception and exhibition are free and open to the public.

Family Caregiving: Four Keys to Making a Difference
Randall Christian, Retirement Income Certified Professional
Elder Care Planning Council of Northeast Georgia

Athens-Clarke County Library
Appleton Auditorium
2025 Baxter Street
Athens, Georgia
706 613 3650 x343

Tuesday, May 21 • 6:00 pm

A caregiving plan ultimately impacts all generations of your family. It’s never too late to start:

• What happens when an elderly parent needs caregiving?
• Do we know who will oversee our parents’ care?
• Has anyone discussed how caregiving expenses will be covered?

ACCL is proud to bring you Family Caregiving: Four Keys to Making a Difference on Tuesday, May 21 at 6 pm - A special workshop to help you prepare personally financially, medically, residentially and legally to be a caregiver, where you will learn:

• What every family’s number one priority is when creating a caregiving plan
• The most overlooked aspect of family caregiving planning
• What caregivers need to ensure so they can help their family as much as possible
• The key topics covered in a good caregiving plan

Mr Christian is a 34-year veteran of the financial services business and a member of the third generation of a family owned company. He specializes in helping middle class Boomers, Seniors & the Elders of our community, especially war Veterans and their spouses, coordinate such financial issues as retirement income planning, Social Security, accumulation, financial protection, lifetime income and long term care funding. As the Director of the Elder Care Planning Council his big picture planning helps to coordinate the needed services of aging, by connecting the family with vetted resources.
 
The Elder Care Planning Council of Northeast Georgia is a not-for-profit alliance that provides a forum for a panel of experts in the field of senior aging services to educate and advise the public. Each specialist maintains his or her own practice or business and only uses the resources of the ECPC to support senior aging education in the community.

Paintings by Debbie Stewart

Athens-Clarke County Library
2025 Baxter Street
Athens, Georgia
706 613 3650 x343

Reception: Multipurpose Room C, Saturday, May 4 • 2:30 pm
Exhibition: Quiet Gallery, May 4 - 25, 2019

The Athens-Clarke County Library Quiet Gallery is pleased to present the work of Winder artist Debbie Stewart.

Stewart was born in Atlanta. She showed promising talent as an artist early on, but she took another path. After more than 30 years as a nurse, she has resumed painting.

Her work reflects her love of the world we live in from landscapes, waterfronts, florals, street scenes and portraits. She strongly respects and admires our Native American brothers and sisters and also incorporates her love of horses in her work. She says “I want my art to reflect my love for the world we live in, from the vastness of the oceans and deserts to the lines on a warrior’s face, or the petals on a flower.”

Please join us in Multipurpose Room C on Saturday, May 4 at 2:30 for a reception with light refreshments, and the Quiet Gallery on the library’s second floor will open the exhibition, which will run through May 25.

The reception and exhibition are free and open to the public.