OLLI Connects: A Year in Review
This has been a year of incredible—often scary—evolution and growth for OLLI Connects. In December of 2024 we ended the publication of a simple, one story, weekly blog and launched a monthly Web magazine with multiple stories and features in every issue. If the learning curve were a ski slope, it would have black diamond markers. There have been theme issues featuring AI, the press, fashion, our veterans, women and mountain climbing, just to name a few. Each edition raised problems requiring technical solutions, or as in the case of the September Scaling the Heights issue—a new collaborative model for working with our writers. At the end of the day, the fun is in the learning; the goal is to make each issue more polished and professional than its predecessor. We hope you’ve enjoyed watching OLLI Connects go from caterpillar to butterfly in 2025 and invite you to share the journey in the coming year. Happy Holidays from the entire OLLI Connects team.
Defining Moments that Mattered
We asked you to send us some of your special memories of 2025 and you came through! Here are a selection of the images and descriptions of your personal defining moments that you shared with OLLI Connects.
Personal Milestones
Here we are, Jane and Shelly, at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center in June for a taping of NPR’s “The Splendid Table.” This event is special because it was the first time in over two and a half years that we were out doing something together in a large group. You see, we have been living with cancer, Shelly as the patient and me as the caregiver. Through the diagnosis, surgery, hospitalization, rehab, immunotherapy, radiation, and chemotherapy Shelly has now been freed from treatment with a clean CT scan. Our table is splendid indeed, filled with the love and support of so many and the expertise from Moffitt Cancer Center. A special memory from 2025 and we are still here.❤️ — Jane Applegate
Made it to 82 … a wonder!
— Rusty Carpenter
Kun Shi is grateful for his ongoing friendship with Bob Moore, WWII “Hump” Pilot, whose brave service impacted the lives of millions of Chinese, including Kun’s own family in Kunming, China (Features, July 2025).
OLLI-USF’s collaboration with St. Leo University inspired Beryl Byles to embark on a personal exploration of theology studies with regular attendance there as a student auditor. She beams at the memory of her granddaughter’s words of admiration for her accomplishments, saying, “whenever she wants to approach something, she wonders,’what would Mimi do?’”
Outings and Discussions
Intrepid members of the OLLI Outdoors SIG regularly participate in outings throughout our area, sharing the awe and the awe of nature. Their moderator, Diane White, authored two articles (George Harrison at Selby Gardens and On View at the Manatee Viewing Center) about their excursions over the past year, including stunning images of the group and its “awesome” discoveries.
This fall Steve Tobin introduced us to the Talking Politics Class at Compton Park. Steve continues a tradition started by Rodney Coleman with Doug Dallio and Rich Kennedy as other moderators. Active participants include Ron Weaver, himself a valued instructor of history and current events. The class will reconvene in February; it is an open forum intended for members to keep abreast of fast-moving events and share their thoughts and opinions. Likewise, the OLLI Connects Observer is designed as a safe space for our readers to digest, discuss and share commentary about the world we live in. We invite and encourage you to write about your concerns for inclusion on this page. You can send your article to connectsolli25@gmail.com
2025 marked a milestone for the Saturday Social Politics discussion group. Formed in the early days of the pandemic by Rich Kennedy, regular meetings have continued every Saturday morning for over five years. While not an actual OLLI SIG, the group is an outgrowth of politics classes and the politics SIG. Saturday morning attendance often exceeds sixty callers on the Zoom platform. Rich authored an article about the free press for our June Feature and regularly teaches current events and history classes for OLLI.
Contact: rkennedy@kgsi.com
Collaborations
Don’s Moments
Don Menzel, PhD
In September, longtime OLLI Connects contributor and Florida snowbird, Don Menzel, moved year-round to his home north of Ft. Collins, Colorado. Don is an Opinion Columnist with the Loveland Reporter-Herald and often contributes commentary to OLLI Connects. Recently he added a regular column, Don’s Moments, where he shares personal histories and his views on life in general. Thank you, Don!
Nothing to Hyde
George Hyde
Mid-year George Hyde agreed to write his observations about life and all things OLLI in an occasional column. We look forward to hearing more from George in 2026. Thank you, George!
Peter Neame
After Peter submitted a mountaineering memoir for the September edition, drone footage of a family member on a recent climbing expedition inspired a couple of videos. Peter gamely assisted the OC team with planning the feature story around them and even contributed a second article. OLLI Connects now has a collaborative model for future stories and themes. Thank you, Peter!
Community of Readers and Writers
Liesse Chable
Liesse’s SIG meets via Zoom for discussion and to share reading of current novels, non-fiction, short stories, memoirs and essays. Writers receive feedback through group conversation. Thanks to this group, OLLI Connects has welcomed several new and continuing writers over the past year — among them: Andy Mohr, Peter Neame, Judy Harwood and Jackie Walker. Thank you Liesse!
readersandwriters.too@gmail.com.
A Cartoon by Art Henrikson
No year-end wrap-up would be complete without a huge shout-out to Diane Henrikson Russell for her unflagging assistance and contributions to this web magazine. Diane agreed to lend us her considerable proofreading skills in mid-summer, and boy, oh boy, what a difference that made! And of course, she curates our monthly cartoon, always searching for the perfect item in Art’s archive to match the political and social moment. Thank you, Diane!
— Diane Henrikson Russell
Conservative policy decisions which cut funding to federal programs led to a marked increase in the number of homeless children in the 1980s. My dad’s cartoon reflected this reality in the Chicago area.
Sadly, homelessness and food insecurity continue in 2025 and became glaringly apparent during the recent government shutdown.
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