March 2021 Newsletter
Stimulation - Knowledge - Interaction - Fun
Dear members and friends,

We have a lot going on this month to keep us busy and out of trouble while we wait for warmer weather.

I hope you can join us for Debra Bare-Rogers presentation on resources for those with hearing loss. She will also talk about the free Maine Relay service, which allows those with hearing and/or speech disabilities to access telecommunications. This talk should be of interest to those with hearing loss as well as friends and family.

This month's Coffee Clash features Jeff Dunn, who will moderate an interesting discussion on the dilemma of prioritizing Covid-19 vaccines. Our Food for Thought speaker is Carey Kish who will present an entertaining, educational, and sometimes humorous, talk on his six-month end-to-end trek of the Appalachian trail.

Please remember to fill out your winter course evaluations. You will receive an email reminder, but you can submit your course evaluation online anytime once your class has finished.

Oh, and don't forget to check out Duane and Ruth Braun's second Geology Corner article.

Janice Kenyon, ASC Administrator
Special Presentation

Debra Bare-Rogers
Advocate, Telecommunications Relay Services
Digital Rights Maine

Tuesday, March 9th, 4:00 p.m.

Virtual presentation via Zoom

Do you find yourself saying “What did you say?" or "Can you repeat that?” when you are talking with someone? In this presentation, Debra Bare-Rogers will share her hearing loss experience and the resources that she uses daily, including technology, self-advocacy and captioning, and will describe the free Maine Relay service.

This event is free and open to the public.

March Coffee Clash

Jeff Dunn

Friday, March 19th, 9:00 a.m.

Virtual discussion via Zoom

Jeff Dunn will facilitate a discussion on the dilemma of Covid-19 vaccination priorities and rationing. He will discuss the reasoning and decisions made in prioritizing vaccinations, whether the rules are being followed or abused, and touch on some of the controversies. Finally, he will ask the question "how would you do it differently?" Join the conversation.

This event is free and open to the public.

March Food For Thought

Carey Kish

Friday, March 26th, 12:00 noon

Virtual presentation via Zoom

The Appalachian Trail has captured the imagination of hikers for more than 80 years, and for those intrepid souls who make the grueling 2,189-mile trek from end-to-end, it is unquestionably the adventure of a lifetime. One AT thru-hike is enough for most, but not for Carey Kish, who decided twice was better (his first AT hike was in 1977).

Join Carey Kish on a virtual adventure and learn about the history of the trail, the amazing mountain scenery, the camaraderie of fellow hikers, the friendly trail towns and precious trail angels, scary wildlife encounters, and the highs and lows of putting one foot in front of the other for six long months. 

This event is free and open to the public.

Spring Courses Begin
Spring term begins March 15th. Some classes are starting in March and others not until April.

If you are registered for a class and have not received your course confirmation or class list, please contact us. Also, if you need any help with Zoom we're happy to help.
A Big Thank You to Our Winter Instructors!
We couldn't have done it without you!
Nick Turner
Earl Brechlin
Greg Bush
Bill Dohmen
Rick Cohen
Mike Hastings
Phil Grimley
Looking for Tech Host Volunteers
We're looking for a few volunteers to possibly assist with spring classes. If you are comfortable with Zoom and are willing to help students join Zoom sessions, get audio or video working, or answer general Zoom questions, please contact us.

The pay is terrible, but you might have the opportunity to sit in on some classes! Call 207-288-9500 or email learn@acadiaseniorcollege.org for information.
The Geology Corner
Note: this is the 2nd in a series of articles on the Geology of Mount Desert Island. Thank you Duane and Ruth!
By Duane and Ruth Braun

The Ellsworth Schist is the oldest rock unit exposed on the island. It underlies the entire island, but tectonic activity tilted the volcanic structure toward the northeast and exposed this underlying rock on the west side of the island.

A schist is a rock that has been subjected to higher temperature and/or pressure than that of its original environment. The minerals in the rock will rearrange their ions to conform to their new conditions. This is done in the solid state – i.e. the rock does not melt. The new minerals give geologists an idea of the temperature and pressure conditions the rock has been subjected to.

The Ellsworth Schist started out as layers of sediments and volcanic ash that were shed from the Gander terrane as it broke away from South America over 500 million years ago. As Gander was driven by plate tectonics across an ancient ocean, these sediments and ash were subjected to higher temperatures and pressures, changing them into metamorphic rocks. Geologists can date metamorphic rocks, though they cannot directly date sedimentary rocks. The Ellsworth Schist was metamorphosed around 500 million years ago; the original sediments have to be older – around 510 or more million years ago. The Ellsworth Schist varies quite widely in appearance due to original composition and temperature and pressure differences. 
Above - Crenulations in the Ellsworth Schist resulting from heat and pressure on old sedimentary layers.
Above - Ellsworth Schist fragments in shatter zone of the Southwest Harbor granite
The Ellsworth Schist can best be seen at Seal Cove Landing at low tide. Starting at the Boat Ramp, the point of rocks to the south have been scoured and polished by glaciers and are examples of “whales backs”. Looking closely at the rocks, you see they are composed of a granite matrix with pieces of Ellsworth Schist. This is actually the shatter zone of a catastrophic eruption of the Southwest Harbor Granite injection (the first granite injection due to the collision with Avalon.)

Continue to the west along the shore, crossing a bay with no outcrop, you come to a point with a pull over. Now you are beyond the caldera and the Ellsworth Schist is intact. Here alternating mica bands have been intensely folded. The cove between the two outcrops (shatter zone and intact) is a boundary (contact) between the intact Ellsworth and the fragments in the shatter zone.
Next, continue west along the road to the curve where the road turns uphill and inland. There is a path through the vegetation that takes you down to the shore. Turn to your left. Here the Ellsworth Schist looks much different. Some layers are rhyolitic ash and look much like a granite. If you go right when facing the ocean towards an inlet for a stream, you pick up “normal” looking Ellsworth.
The Ellsworth Schist also outcrops on the mainland in many areas. The municipal pier in Ellsworth is another place you can see the Ellsworth Schist. All along route 3A towards Bangor you find outcrops as you approach the Lucerne Hills.
Above - Layering and flow banding in rhyolitic unit of the Ellsworth Schist
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