Special to the
Opelika Observer

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn University (OLLI at Auburn) will host its lecture series Wisdom Wednesdays April 10 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art located at 901 S. College St. in Auburn.
OLLI members, guests and friends are all invited to learn more about OLLI at Auburn course offerings, social engagements and initiatives. Guest speakers will be Martha Shepherd and Mical Traynor.
Shepherd and Traynor serve on the Board of Directors of Village Friends, a non-profit organization that uses the skills and services of its volunteers to assist Seniors in need of a support system to maintain their independent lifestyle in the Auburn/Opelika community.
Shepherd and her husband Gregg have lived in the Auburn-Opelika area for 42 years. She earned a bachelor of science degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (1972), master of arts degree from UAB (1974) and did post-graduate work at Auburn University, earning an AA Teaching Certificate in 1976. She worked as a teacher/counselor in Opelika City Schools (13 years), then Auburn City Schools as Guidance Counselor at Auburn Junior High School (nine years). Shepherd became a realtor 13 years ago after retiring from her long career in public education.
Shepherd is aware of the difficulties seniors have when making the hard decisions that come with retirement, downsizing or up-sizing and relocating, which led to her involvement and leadership in Village Friends and expertise in Aging in Place.
Traynor and her husband Dan, both Auburn graduates, retired to Auburn in 2017.
Traynor’s career includes interior design with special training in Aging in Place, and leadership in the non-profit arena. Village Friends provides the perfect combination of both these areas of expertise.
Shepherd and Traynor will share information regarding our country’s growing retirement community, how it impacts us on a community and personal level. They will share ways that support allowing our senior population to remain in their own homes as they move through retirement years. This includes services offered by Village Friends as well as specific strategies to make homes accessible and safe.
On April 17, Dr. C. Robert Taylor, Professor Emeritus of Agricultural & Public Policy at Auburn University will present Serfdom and Slavery in Contemporary Food and Agricultural Systems.
Many roads to serfdom in food production have been well travelled for centuries. Modern serfdom, sometimes subtle, is a growing issue in food production in many parts of the world, including the United States. A contemporary road to serfdom is paved by a form of capitalism characterized by control of markets by a few giant transnational corporations and, through their political power, by tilting rules of the marketplace in their favor. Socioeconomic implications of central planning and control by a few corporations, many bigger than most governments, can be just as insidious as central planning by a socialist government or domination by a liege lord. Implications of bigness–horizontal concentration and vertical integration of business–for American farmers and for food consumers will be discussed.
OLLI at Auburn is a program of the Office of the Vice President for University Outreach at Auburn University. OLLI administrative offices and select classes are located at the historic Sunny Slope property located at 1031 S. College St. in Auburn.
For more information regarding this event or if you would like to assist the organization as a volunteer faculty member, volunteer service assistant, or sponsor, contact the OLLI Director at 334-844-3105, sending email to olli@auburn.edu, or visiting www.olliatauburn.org.