Hybrid 

This is a discussion group usually held on the first and third Fridays of each month, covering local, national, and world news. The discussion provides an opportunity to share your observations and opinions on the news and to learn from other participants.

Articles of interest are distributed among the group by email in the week before each meeting, and topics to discuss are selected by the group at the beginning of each meeting.

March 6, 20, 2026

April 3, 17, 2026

May 1, 15, 2026

June 5, 2026

10 am - 11:30 am

Paul Mullin is the facilitator for this discussion group.

In-person

Participants will meet once a month for lunch at various restaurants in the Farmington area. Reservations must be firm one week before the date. Participants will order from the standard menu and receive separate checks.

First Thursday of the month

February 5, 2026

March 5, 2026

April 2, 2026

May 7, 2026

June 4, 2026

11:30 am.

Location: TBD

Patricia Overall has been a long-time member of GLI.  She is a retired high school mathematics teacher who later worked in hotel management and other occupations, including NACA, now NASA, and as a bartender. She has lived in 18 states and obviously enjoys eating out.

In-Person

Shake off the winter blues! Each session, led by GLI members who are veterans of many outdoor adventures, will be a walk or snowshoe on trails, roads, or woodlands in the greater Farmington area. The travel time to the trailhead will generally be between 30 and 45 minutes.

Participants should plan to explore for 1 to 2 hours. Efforts will be made to avoid difficult terrain. Make-up dates are hopeful, but as Spring is such a tricky time for planning outdoor activities, some cancellations may occur.

February 27, 2026

March 25, 2026

April 21, 2026   

May 22, 2026

10 am

Location & Time: TBD

Barbara Toner, Sam Horine, Sarah Carlson, Billy Proctor, and Margaret Cox have been involved in Gold LEAF over the years. Each one respects nature and enjoys sharing what Maine has to offer with others.

In-Person

Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia are reaching epidemic proportions, and the myth that memory loss is a "normal" part of aging has been disproven. Every bite either helps or hurts when it comes to our health, including brain health.

Join us for this single class to learn what to include and what to eliminate from your diet, to hold onto your memories, and to lose the fear of losing loved ones to dreaded memory loss.

There will be short video segments, lively discussion, and a delicious plant-based recipe demonstration with sampling.

April 28, 2026

10 am - 12 pm

Location: Ed Ctr, room 012 Lower Level

Beth Perera has studied plant-based nutrition for 15 years under the guidance of multiple successful physicians and researchers, including Dr. Barnard, Dr. Esselstyn, Dr. Sherzai, Dr. Popper, Dr. Stancic, Dr. McDougall, Dr. Ardis, and Dr. Greger, to name a few.

She dove into this topic after reading how to reverse her own painful joint issues with simple diet changes. No pills or procedures necessary!

There will be $4 per attendee for recipe ingredients, due in cash at class.

Beth was a Food for Life instructor with Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine for 8 years and helped train new instructors. She now enjoys sharing this information in a mostly retired off-grid life in the woods.

Hybrid

Agatha Christie served as a nurse in World War I. When she turned to mystery writing, she may have used her pharmaceutical knowledge to provide the means of murder in her novels.

The presentation will attempt to communicate Parker's enthusiasm for chemistry generally and for poisons specifically to members of Goldleaf.

A brief analysis of the symptoms of each poison and the presentation of the poison by Christie will be mentioned.

Parker will not provide drinks or snacks :)

Date: 1:00 - 2:30 P.M., April 28, 2026

Location: Education Center, room 107

Chuck Parker taught chemistry in public high schools and as an adjunct for Crowder College, Webb City, and Missouri Southern State University in Joplin until 2017.

He is especially enamored with alkaloids (caffeine is an alkaloid). The more he explored alkaloids and their deleterious effects on people, the more he investigated the use of poisons in mystery novels. Agatha Christie is remarkably accurate with her depictions.

Chuck has typically presented subjects concerning Muslim histories, such as the Crusades, the Ottomans, and the roots of Islamic extremism. However, his chemistry background kept crying for equal time.

In-Person

Northeast Archaeology Associates is located in Farmington at 382 Fairbanks Road.

It is a privately-owned company that provides a wide range of archaeological services from small-scale survey evaluations and data recovery to its various clients. Come learn about the organization.

We will meet at their location, as they have a number of exhibits they would like to show us.

April 29, 2026

10 am-11:30 am

382 Fairbanks Rd, Farmington

Dr. Gemma Hudgell Ph.D is the director of the research center.

In-Person

In this course, we will read and discuss three books for and about young people during World War II. These books include: Snow Treasure (Norway) by Marie McSwigan, Number the Stars (Denmark) by Lois Lowry, and Twenty and Ten (France) by Claire Huchet Bishop. We will focus on one book and its historical foundation during each session of this class.

Dates: May 5, 19, and June 2, 2026

Time: 10:00 am - 11:30 am

Location: Education Center, room 107

Eileen Kreutz and Cathy Wimett are co-presenting this class.

Eileen Kreutz has been interested in and a participant in resistance movements for her entire adult life.

Cathy Wimett taught classes in children's literature for many years.

In-Person

Back by popular demand, this is a talk and tour at the Farmington Solar Farm.  We will meet at the York entrance on Route 2, across from Mosher's Seafood.

Date: May 6, 2026

10 am - 11:30 am

Bradley Greenleaf is a senior solar technician with Nextera Energy.