TSO Events
January – March, 2018
Reservations are required. See our Calendar of Events and Contact Us pages for information on event time, room number, registration status, and how to register.
Three Existential Problems Affecting Humanity’s Future
Friday, February 2, 2018
Darwinian theory assumes that all plant and animal life follows an evolutionary process based on random mutations, with selection for survivability. Lovelock’s Gaia Hypothesis asserts that these processes react in a highly complex interwoven scheme of self-regulating ecological niches. Yet humans have come to regard themselves as outside of and able to exert control over these processes. Nowhere has this become more evident than in the last 100 years of our existence. The concept that we are exerting influence capable of destroying earth as we know it, that we are creating artificial entities capable of exerting direct control over us, or that we are now moving to alter our own genetic makeup seems absurd. Yet, this is what is happening. This presentation describes 3 of these existential problems that affect our future on earth.
About the Speaker:
Dr. James Maynard, M.D., Ph.D., had a 28 year career with the Centers for Disease Control, traveled extensively abroad in the Middle East and Asia as an advisor and instructor for UN agencies, and had a second 18-year career as Senior Vice President at PATH, an agency providing technology assistance to the developing world. During these careers, he developed a keen interest in international affairs, politics and economics, advising the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). He is an author on over 200 publications in refereed journals. For about nine years, he has taught many interesting and engaging TELOS classes. Our instructors page has more information about Dr. Maynard here.
Organizing Photos
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
How do you organize your Print Photos, Slides, and Memorabilia?
Are you blessed/burdened by the visual history of your families and friends? Want to preserve and share it? Molly Bullard, owner of Seattle Photo Organizing, will help learn her process to sort through prints, slides, negatives, albums, and memorabilia to find “the best” to scan and add to your digital collection. She will review storing of originals, scan settings for DIYrs and answer questions about creating books.
See Molly Bullard’s website https://www.seattlephotoorganizing.com/ for more information.
The Nature Conservancy in Washington
Friday, March 2, 2018
Hannah Kett and Camilo McConnell will present on how The Nature Conservancy in Washington is collaborating with partners to make our cities and towns more resilient and livable in the face of rapid growth, ensuring results that provide clean water and healthy communities. During their presentation, they will speak to the effects of stormwater runoff and urban growth on the Puget Sound ecosystem, the value of using nature-based solutions to address this pollution and other challenges facing cities, and success stories of this effort from throughout the region. Attendees will walk with a better understanding of stormwater, the health benefits of nearby nature, and examples of how to look at our city habitat differently. See The Nature Conservancy In Washington website for more information.
About the Speakers:
Hannah Kett is the Puget Sound Cities Program Manager at The Nature Conservancy. In this role, Hannah works collaboratively with those on the ground to increase access to nature for the health and well-being of people and communities as well as figure out ways to integrate the priorities of these partners into larger work. Before she came to TNC, Hannah worked with Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition / TAG and Sustainable Seattle, building collaborative and equitable partnerships, implementing community-based and designed projects, and trying to effectively engage urban communities in projects from idea to action. Though she might be a transplant to the Pacific Northwest, it now has her heart – the beautiful city parks, the neighborhoods full of life and good food, and diversity of landscapes to escape to.
Camilo McConnell is a proud Midwesterner who was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. His interest in social justice, urban planning and sustainability were largely shaped by his experiences in Chicago. In his role at as a RAY Conservation Fellow at The Nature Conservancy, Camilo works on freshwater accessibility and green stormwater infrastructure. Camilo graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) with a degree in Urban Planning and Public Policy. He previously worked as a community organizer for a Chicago mayoral campaign. He coordinated community engagement events and registered hundreds of residents to vote. Camilo enjoys playing soccer and waking up early to watch matches being played in Europe. He enjoys hiking and finding any opportunity to be in nature.
AARP Driver Safety™
Wednesday & Thursday, March 7 & 8, 2018
AARP’s goal is to promote the independence of older Americans and enhance their quality of life. TSO/TLC has arranged for Ric Silva to teach the AARP Smart Driver™ Course on March 7 & 8. In order to receive a certificate of completion, students will be required to be in the classroom from 10-12 and 1-3 each day. There will be a one hour break for lunch at approximately noon. Although the course is geared to drivers age 50 and older, the course is open to people of all ages. AARP membership is not required to take the course and there are no tests to pass.
Each student will be provided with a Driver Safety booklet which is integral to the instruction process. The classroom course is $15 for AARP members and $20 for non-members. Please bring your AARP membership card to the first class so we can charge you appropriately. If you do not bring the card, you will be charged the non-member price.
You will be eligible for an insurance discount after receiving a certification of completion. You may also be eligible for a discount on roadside assistance plans. Please consult your agent for details.
Compass Housing Alliance & Puget Sound
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
Compass Housing Alliance has been engaging and assisting homeless people in need throughout the Puget Sound region for nearly 100 years. As the needs of our community continue to evolve, Compass is staying the course, serving over 10,000 people each year at our 23 sites and innovating new services to meet the need. Today we’ll discuss the current state of homelessness in our region and how Compass is providing a safety net for many who need one. See http://www.compasshousingalliance.org/ for more information.
About the Speaker:
Andrew Lyon has spent a decade of service supporting organizations in community development, education, and human services at both the local and international level. Currently he works with Compass Housing Alliance, building partnerships and sharing about the specific impacts Compass makes through emergency services, transitional housing, and permanent affordable housing throughout the Puget Sound Region.
Medication Cautions As You Get Older
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
As your body ages, it becomes more vulnerable to medication-related problems leading to adverse reactions. An Overlake pharmacist, Trang Le will review common issues related to medications as they relate to aging as well as provide recommendations of medications to avoid.
About the Speaker:
Trang Le is a clinical pharmacist at Overlake Medical Center Senior Health Clinic and is board certified in geriatric pharmacy. She is currently in the process of receiving her Pharm D degree, and for the past 12 years, she served as a preceptor for the UW Geriatric Pharmacy Program.
Cybersecurity
Thursday, March 15, 2018
Have you been hearing the constant stream of news about malware, ransomware, hackers, viruses, worms, “Surprise inheritance” and “Urgent – update your personal information” email scams, along with other badness happening on the Internet? You should be concerned, and you need to educate yourself on how to stay safe.
People, businesses, and governments fall victim to cyber-attacks of many kinds every day. But there is good news! There are many techniques we can and should follow to make ourselves much more secure. This event will explain this new, dynamic landscape and demonstrate the simple steps everyone can take to do the following:
- Make sure your computer has the latest, best security features and updates.
- Recognize and avoid scam emails, bad links, and malicious email attachments.
- Create and manage strong (nearly impossible to crack) passwords, with a simple way to make your various user accounts even harder to hack.
Expect fascinating information and lively conversation!
About the Speaker:
Andrew Baze is co-founder and CEO of Cascade InfoSec, a cybersecurity consulting company. He has over 20 years of experience that spans Electronic Warfare and Military Intelligence, Fraud Investigation, Software Engineering, Risk Management and Cybersecurity. He is also a TELOS instructor, profiled on our Instructor Biographies page here.
Metro Transit Instruction Program
Central Link Light Rail Training
First Transit is under contract to King County Department of Transportation, Metro Accessible Services, for the Metro Transit Instruction program. First Transit works with senior citizens, and individuals with a disability, to learn to ride public transportation in King County. This program at Bellevue College will consist of two parts.
Part one – Group Instruction
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Learn to safely and confidently travel on public transportation. During the in-house presentation, the emphasis for this training is the Central Link Light Rail. Subjects such as paying the fare, how to use the ORCA card or paying with cash, what information is at the Link Stations, boarding and leaving etiquette, identifying your departing Station, problem solving, and much more. During the presentation, a discussion on the destination for the escorted community instructional outing will occur; scheduled for the next two days. Attendance to this workshop is a prerequisite for going on the community instructional outing described below. Your presenter is Marie Marquart, with fourteen years of experience in transit instruction.
Part two – Community Based Instructional Outing
Wednesday & Thursday, March 21 & 22, 2018
This is your chance to practice what you learned during the presentation on Tuesday. The escorted community instructional outing will help you build confidence by using your new skills to travel on the Metro buses to get to and use the Central Link Light Rail. The in-house presentation on Tuesday is a prerequisite to going on this community instructional outing. There is a group size minimum of five and a maximum of thirteen individuals for each instructional outing: more outing dates will be added if needed. During the instructional outing, the Metro Transit Instruction Program pays all transportation cost.
Strange Bedfellows
America’s friendly alliance with Saudi Arabia
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Saudi Arabia stands out as being amongst the top ten of the world’s worst abusers of human rights according to Amnesty International. Yet, we, as a democratic nation, which lauds our devotion to human rights, have established a close and cordial relationship with this kingdom that has endured since the early part of the 20th Century. We seem quick to overlook the systematic internal human abuses in a nation that beheads persons for crimes that would never even involve arrests in the U.S., while at the same time we are a partner in supplying the lethal weapons that have allowed Saudi Arabia to inflict a level of carnage in Yemen that has invoked outrage in the international community. This event will explore the relevant history of Saudi Arabia, itself, as well as the historical economic and political context of our alignment with a country that appears to reflect in its structure and deed, much of what we abhor. We will also try to evaluate the capacity for a new generation within the Saudi Royal Family to moderate internal governance as it deals with the inevitable decline of its major economic resource, oil.
About the Speaker:
Dr. James Maynard, M.D., Ph.D., had a 28 year career with the Centers for Disease Control, traveled extensively abroad in the Middle East and Asia as an advisor and instructor for UN agencies, and had a second 18-year career as Senior Vice President at PATH, an agency providing technology assistance to the developing world. During these careers, he developed a keen interest in international affairs, politics and economics, advising the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). He is an author on over 200 publications in refereed journals. For about nine years, he has taught many interesting and engaging TELOS classes. Our instructors page has more information about Dr. Maynard here.
Puget Sound Energy
Friday, March 23, 2018
PSE is Washington’s oldest local energy company, providing electric and natural gas services to homes and businesses primarily in the vibrant Puget Sound area. During PSE’s more than 135-year history one thing has remained constant: PSE’s focus on safe, reliable, affordable energy service for our more than 1 million electric and 790,000 natural gas customers. Representatives from PSE will present about how power gets to you – from generation to your light switch. Learn about energy supply, transmission, distribution as well as investments in renewable energy. In addition, they will give an overview about the Energize Eastside transmission upgrade project that runs from Redmond to Renton.
About the Speakers:
Andy Swayne, Senior Municipal Liaison Manager:
Andy has been with Puget Sound Energy (and previously Puget Sound Power & Light) since 1991 in various roles involving community outreach and engagement, major project permitting and review, local government coordination and comprehensive planning. Currently, Andy serves as PSE’s liaison with local communities including Newcastle, Bellevue, Redmond, Issaquah and Mercer Island. Prior to joining PSE, Andy served in the US Navy and earned degrees in architecture and urban planning.
Keri Pravitz, Community Projects Manager:
Keri started with Puget Sound Energy in March of 2014 to work on neighborhood and stakeholder outreach for the Energize Eastside project and other major projects within East King County. Prior to joining PSE, Keri had 16-year career in non-profit executive leadership through the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, Bellevue Family YMCA, Justice & Soul Foundation and Friends of the Cedar River Watershed. Keri has served on the boards of Leadership Eastside, Friends of the Cedar River Watershed, Bellevue College Occupational Advisory Board, Bellevue YouthLink, Cedar River Council, Realize Redmond Foundation and Chaired the Advance Bellevue Best of Bellevue Blue Ribbon Panel. Keri is a graduate of the University of Washington with a degree in Political Science, has an Organizational Management Certification from the US Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organizational Management and is a graduate of Advanced Bellevue and Leadership Eastside’s Executive Insight Program.
Aging Issues:
Navigating Care Options & Family Conflict
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
What kind of help is available to stay at home as long as possible? What kind of senior communities exist and how are they different? My family disagrees about the next step, what do we do now? The EvergreenHealth Geriatric Care clinic social workers will help answer these questions and more. They will review the role of social workers in the aging field, resources to support independent living, types of care communities, and common sources of family disagreement related to care issues. They will also teach you how to conduct a family meeting as a tool to resolve differences.
About the Speakers:
Kelly Green, LICSW and Martha Bacon, LICSW both have their Master of Social Work degree. They have worked at EvergreenHealth Geriatric Care clinic for 5 and 4 years respectively. Kelly worked in a skilled nursing facility for several years, including as manager of the memory care unit. She has a special interest in working with patients and families coping with dementia, and served on a state task force that developed guidelines for best practices in dementia care. Martha’s social work background is mainly in medical settings. She worked for several years at EvergreenHealth Hospital in discharge planning and also has experience in skilled nursing facilities and adult day health. Both Martha and Kelly enjoy being part of a multi-disciplinary team at Geriatric Care, helping to maximize patients’ health and quality of life.
History and Architecture of Saint Petersburg
Thursday, March 29, 2018
Saint Petersburg is a city that changed its name three times, served as a capital of three different states, and lived through three revolutions. Follow the history of the cultural capital of Russia through years of Enlightenment and establishment of diplomacy by Catherine the Great, where the Romanov dynasty thrived and perished, to the sprouting of the Great October Revolution, the Siege of Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War, and to it being a cradle of current political leadership. (This is a fundraising event. A $15 donation will be collected at the door.)
About the Speaker:
Darina Regio was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia. While being a middle and high-school student, Darina studied history of art at the State Hermitage Museum Science Center. She then moved onto receiving her Bachelor of Asian and African Studies degree from Saint Petersburg State University. Subsequently, she moved to Monterey, CA to pursue a Master’s degree in International Policy Studies, as well as a Certificate in Terrorism Studies. She has since worked on various projects in the US, Russia, Indonesia, and Rwanda.
Russia in a Post-Soviet World
Friday, March 30, 2018
If you are interested in learning what happened politically and socially in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union: the political turmoil, the economic crisis, and more importantly the shaping of the new Russian Youth psyche, this is the event for you. We will cover both Russia’s government and Russians’ perspective on current world events and why they are so different from the so-called Western views. (This is a fundraising event. A $15 donation will be collected at the door.)
About the Speaker:
Darina Regio is the speaker for this event as well as the previous one described above. See the speaker information above for the previous event.
Reservations are required. See our Calendar of Events and Contact Us pages for information on event time, room number, registration status, and how to register.