Do you ever wonder why issues you care about never get any action in legislatures? Gerrymandering is a major contributing factor to dysfunction in both our state legislature and Congress. Procedural rules that govern the two houses of our PA General Assembly are also a major factor in determining if legislation with broad bi-partisan and public support is either enacted or dies without any action. Join Jean Handley for a look at the history, evolution, effects of gerrymandering and possible solutions in Pennsylvania. In addition, discover how procedural rules in our General Assembly negatively impact collaborative policy making and enactment of legislation beneficial to Pennsylvania citizens.

The course will present the stories and the backgrounds of 6 persons who assassinated U.S. presidents and two other political figures (Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley, John Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Robert Kennedy).

What better way is there to be blessed by the abundant gems of nature around you than to wake up on a fresh first of June morning to join with others on an hour-long walk in the Wetlands sponsored by Pathways Institute.  The early morning sunlight will plant sparkles of dew on every emerging green leaf. It’s a good time to notice delicate cobwebs constructed by tiny spiders practicing their newly learned engineering skills with the plan to catch lunch nuggets before noon when the dew will have evaporated and disappeared. You will see some of the early birds who may be actively adding their last piece of straw to fashion their new nest just right, looking like ones made by their ancestors, generations earlier. There is beauty all around: flowers, grasses, reflections, critters and insects. Join us, appreciate the beauty, new life and the warm breezes that coax our world to wake up and join in on all the things that make our Wetlands on campus a wonderful environment where wildlife can flourish.  The group will meet at the main entrance to the Crossings building at Landis Homes and will leave for a walk promptly at 9:00 am. Please wear comfortable shoes. We will be walking on smooth paths, sidewalks and roadways. Feet will stay relatively dry.   

The course will present the stories and the backgrounds of 6 persons who assassinated U.S. presidents and two other political figures (Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley, John Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Robert Kennedy).

In Mary Lou’s Part I Pathways presentation, “A Story of a Garden,” she provides background for her passion, as an artist and spiritual director, of gardening to nurture community/biodiversity - within the city or in our natural world. Part II will be an in-person tour of the Botanical Native Plant Garden that she oversees at the Wolf Museum. In addition to the registration fee: a suggested $10 donation towards the garden is appreciated. Please bring cash on the day of the tour, the donations will be collected at the garden.