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July 1, 2001; Vol. 2;
Issue #6; Mail Address: PMB 44,
12819 SE 38th St., Bellevue, WA 98006-1326
Voice Mail: 206-232-5892;
Classroom: Phantom Lake Elementary School, Bellevue
For Detailed
Information, Class Schedules: www.seniornetps.org
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BECAUSE OF A LAST-MINUTE SPACE PROBLEM at the past home of SeniorNet
class registration at the Crossroads Shopping Center, the Thursday, July 12,
sign-ups has been moved to the FACTORIA
MALL at the intersection of the two main super highways, Route 1-90 and Route
405, from 10 a.m.-12 Noon.
Registration for the expanded list of computer classes will take place
in the Community Room, located between
Target and Radio Shack.
Advisors will be present for those seeking more information on courses
and scheduling. Arriving
registrants will receive tickets with numbers in the order in which they
arrive, to assure first come, first served. The registration staff is expected
there by 8:30 a.m., to prepare for the 10 a.m. start. Louise Flora is
registrar, with Roger Dalton in
charge of setting up the registration site. Those wishing to volunteer for the
July 12 registration session at Factoria Mall may contact Dalton at rdaltonesq@aol.com.
Most members have already
received the printed catalogue mailed out last month of upcoming Fall
2001classes with start dates. In
addition the catalogue is also available on our website at www.seniornetps.org. Those that register
by mail will be registered following completion of the in-person session.
THE MANY SENIORNET LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES: The attractive array of
computer courses and workshops being offered at the July 12 registration covers
an amazing variety of interests. These include Computer Basics for those just
wanting to know how to start, Introduction to Windows 95/98, Word Processing,
Desktop Publishing, Basic Quicken and Quicken Plus, Spreadsheets, Greeting Card
Workshop, Database Management, Basic Internet and exploring and using the
Internet, Genealogy, Photo Editing and Scanning, Web Page Design, File
Management, E-Mail Workshops and Keyboarding. Note: SeniorNet does not offer
Apple Macintosh training. All courses are for IBM-compatible programs.
MONTHLY KAFFEE KLATCH: Sure, we know. It’s the big Fourth of July
holiday, and the monthly Kaffee Klatch falls on the first Tuesday of the month,
July 3, at the Crossroads Mall famous food pavilion from 11 a.m., to 1 p.m.
Since this is a no-host social, where members, future members and the plain
interested gather to socialize, to talk computers or anything else they wish,
the plans remain firm. Them as will be away for the holiday, will be away. Them
as will be around and want to just meet over a cuppa cawfee etc., and visit,
will be at the mall Tuesday, July 3,
according to Harry Sully, founder of
the monthly sessions. .
DON’T MISS OUR ANNUAL GALA BROWN BAG LUNCHEON set for Thursday, Aug. 23, from 11 a.m., to 3:30 p.m., in the outdoor area
at Phantom Lake Elementary School, with Volunteer
Coordinator Delores Davis in charge of arrangements. This is our annual laid-back
party where you bring your own Brown Bag lunch and dessert to share, with
beverages provided. A great chance to meet each other, including all former and
incoming students, volunteers, with all urged to invite guests. There will also
be computer demonstrations and a chance to win a door prize.
WE’RE A PIONEER COMPUTER LEARNING CENTER: Our growing SeniorNet Computer Learning Center of Puget
Sound, with almost 500 paid-up (national) members, is among the first five
to 10 such computer learning centers organized in the United States, according
to the national liaison with learning centers in a talk here June 19. Joe
Walton of the San Francisco office of SeniorNet, told the heavily attended
membership meeting at the Embassy Suites in Bellevue, he was impressed with the
large number of active members. “You are among the first SeniorNet programs in
the country,” adding, “you are the heart and soul of SeniorNet, which now has
some 211 centers nationwide.” SeniorNet of Puget Sound, he said, is the 10th
largest center nationwide. “Because of your constant growth in students and
courses, you are in the elite group.” Walton also pledged the help of the
national headquarters to chapters in expanding programs and upgrading equipment
AND THE LARGEST LEARNING CENTER IS? Down in Boynton Beach, Fla.,
a large retirement center, SeniorNet has the largest such chapter with 832
members, Walton said. More and more seniors whether in large retirement
centers, or elsewhere, he said, are eager to learn how to operate computers, to
enjoy reaching out to family and friends nationwide and around the world via
e-mail, and to pursue other interests via the Internet. Pres. Helen Hesketh,
who presided at the meeting, introduced Walton. Following the meeting, which heard reports from various officers
and coordinators, members were hosted by the national SeniorNet representative
at a buffet in the large atrium of the hotel. Among new volunteer assignments
were those of Jo Ann Tuttle in
welcoming and tracking those attending meetings. She succeeds Carmen Affek, who
served in that post for many years, and is now moving to Texas to be with
family. SeniorNet chapters have
also opened in other countries, Walton said, although not all are affiliated
with the national office.
SHE CELEBRATES HER 50TH COLLEGE REUNION: SeniorNet’s veteran and very active Volunteer Coordinator Delores Davis recently attended her 50th
college reunion. She graduated
from Seattle University-receiving her Bachelor's Degree in Sociology in 1951.
The reunion graduates were honored with a banquet dinner on Friday evening
and were the honorees at the graduating class of 2001 Saturday family brunch.
Both affairs, she said, were memorable.
“Several of the men in our group were ex-service men who had attended the
private Jesuit University through the GI bill,” she recalled. When Delores started her
college training the costs were $57.00 per quarter. Now it is about $5,789 per
quarter. The student population, she added, then was at 1,900, now it is around
6,000. (still small by comparison with the other universities in the area-but
one of the larger private universities in Washington State.
WHY
SPOUSES SIT APART IN CLASS: No, it’s not because they had an argument, or they
don’t want to talk to each other.
Oh no! Spouses taking the
same class are asked by the instructor to sit apart to make sure they DON’T
talk to each other. It’s called the “I’ll explain this to you syndrome,” and is
usually confined to spouses in the same class—when allowed to sit alongside each
other. So the next time you see
spouses sitting apart, it is based on solid, scientific, time-tested research
to make sure ‘helpful’ explaining spouses do not disrupt classes.
CELEBRATING THEIR 47TH ANNIVERSARY: Wearing a large rose in her lapel, SeniorNet Pres. Helen Hesketh and spouse
Joe, stopped by briefly at the monthly June 5 Kaffee Klatch at the
Crossroads Mall, where SeniorNet members meet informally over cawfee and -- on
the first Tuesday of the month, for a quick visit. She couldn’t stay longer, she said, because she and Joe were
on their way to Snoqualmie Falls for a special luncheon to mark their 47th
wedding anniversary. Happy
anniversary to a great couple.
HOW TO HELP OTHERS BREAK INTO COMPUTING: New SeniorNet member and instructor Harry Shedd at the June 19 membership lunch at the Embassy Suites
in Bellevue, was describing the challenge—and satisfaction—in helping a former
employee in his office get started with computers, despite her initial
reluctance. Harry’s family joined
in the project of acquiring a computer for her. Then they will work with her so she could start doing
e-mail, which opens up new windows to the world for her in staying in touch
with other family members and friends around the country, and then expanding
into the wonders of the Internet itself.
KEEPING IT CONFIDENTIAL: Have you ever been puzzled at a lengthy list of
e-mail addressees on a message sent to you, and a lot of other folks? Easy to
figure that this message was sent out to many recipients. This is most common in sending out club
and organizational messages to many members. But how happy are you to share your e-mail address with
strangers? Not hysterically happy
about allowing strangers to learn your e-mail address. We didn’t think so either, which is why
when this Online Newsletter is sent out via e-mail, we keep the list private.
The simple way, as most know, is to address this group e-mail message,
to you. In the Send To- address
space.
Then, insert all the other
e-mail addresses in the blind copy, or BCC space. This prevents anyone else from knowing who else got the
message, outside of your own name, of course. And everyone is happy, with their privacy protected. In charge of doing the online mailing
of the monthly Newsletter is Immediate
Past Pres. Clif Wuesthoff.
AND THERE’S MORE: HOW TO READ TRAVEL ADS: When you become completely beguiled by the many travel ads at this time
of year, Hal Mozer wants to help
with the following terms, and what they actually, really mean: Hal cautions, don't be confused
by some of the language you see in travel ads and brochures:
Term Translation
Old world
charm
No baths
Tropical
Rainy
Majestic setting A
long way from town
Options
galore Nothing
is included in the itinerary
Secluded
hideaway
Impossible to find or get to
Pre-registered
rooms Already
occupied
Explore on your
own Pay
for it yourself
A HAPPY GRANPAL TO SCHOOL KIDS: One of our veteran SeniorNet members and long-time
Granpal volunteer working with the kids at our host Phantom Lake Elementary School is Irene Fernandes who recalls many of the young children she has
helped with their reading: “Ever since Senior Net left
our former learning center site at Dr. McIntyre’s office on 116th
Ave. NE, Bellevue, and moved to the Phantom Lake Elementary School, I’ve been a
happy Granpal. Don’t ask me how
many children I’ve known! I don’t
know, but every one of them was a great kid.
“One of my earliest student
was a second-grade ‘non-reader’. A
loving, round-faced little girl. All through second grade we struggled through
“The apple is red. The flower is
red. The dress is red.” By the third grade, she had advanced
to, this is “Mama and Poppa Bear.
Where is Baby Bear? Baby Bear
is not here.” Some time during the
third grade, I realized that she had brought more difficult books for us to
read. And it was a triumphant
moment when I realized she had caught on!
I can’t describe the joy I felt as I watched her progress – she enjoyed
reading. Through the fourth grade, her progress continued to thrill me – and,
what’s more important, she was proud of herself and she now enjoyed reading”
Irene also fondly recalls other students, including one who wanted to read a
book about death. After some gentle discussion, Irene learned her young student
had lost a beloved aunt the previous week, and he was trying to understand what
had happened. To Irene, this was another moment of discovery for herself. “I
learned that our kids need much more than help with reading and writing --
a simple thing such as
listening, for instance. Isn’t
it great that, at my age, I still have something to give, which is important to
the youngest generation? You can
imagine how much this adds to my life.”
The Granpals are Seniors who
volunteer to work with the young students once a week for some 90 minutes per
session, helping them with reading, and arithmetic. This is done also in
appreciation by SeniorNet to the school for providing a permanent classroom
site for our computer learning center. Volunteers are always needed for this
once-weekly happy experience working with kids, although many handle other
assignments. In charge of the Grandpals program is Pat Herzog who would like to hear from you. Send her an e-mail
message at pattyherzog@msn.com. Pat in
her report at the membership meeting said there are currently 21 volunteers, up
from 13 at the start of the semester. She said the Granpal volunteers chalked
up a total of 559 hours.
COMPUTING TIPS IN BRIEF: (Courtesy Smart Computing’s PC Novice Computing
Book of Tips)
DEFRAGMENT
DRIVES-To increase drive efficiency, you should defragment your
hard drive every month or so to realign scattered files into proper, efficient
form for faster access. From Start
menu, click on Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and then Disk
Defragmenter. This program puts
files’ data into sequential contiguous order. Select the drive you want to defragment, and then click
Start. Use the Thorough option and
let the computer run while you are not using it.
CAUTION NOTE: While all computer-operating tips come from usually reliable sources,
readers are reminded they use them at their own risk.
AGAIN, IN CASE you have friends who are online, and may be interested in taking more
classes to expand their skills, you can forward this newsletter to them by
clicking Forward when this message is displayed. Then enter their address in the To box, and click Send. We welcome your news items sent to the
editor at b26flyer@home.com. And if
you wish to unsubscribe, just send a message to the above e-mail address.
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Pres.> Helen Hesketh; Past
Pres.> Clif Wuesthoff; Vice Pres.>Bill Bumpas; Secy>Dave Lewis;
Treas.>Bob Swenson;
Registrar<Louise Flora; Curriculum. Coordinator> John Wise; Facilities
Coordinator> Ken Crandall;
Member-at-Large>Delores Davis; Volunteers Coordinator> Delores Davis;
Online Newsletter Editor> Phil Scheier; Publicity>Jo Hugh
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