As many of you know, Dot Spencer has been hosting our wonderful Authors, Artists, Artisans, Athletes, and Adventurers (5A) activity, in which members of our community share their special talents, experiences, and expertise. Dot has decided to step down from this role after 2 ½ years of great leadership and always interesting and informative speakers.  She has passed the baton to me, Lisa Shannon, for the coming season in 2026 and beyond.

I would like to take this opportunity to rebrand the series in order to embrace a wider range of personal contributions that make our community such a fascinating collection of lived experiences. My personal vision is to expand the activity “horizontally” to include, for example, military and/or career stories–past or present, or to share community service projects. I would also like to expand “vertically” to include our younger members who would like to present science fair projects or academic research, or talk about their extra-curricular activities in art, music, or sports.

In order to encompass all of these possible presentations under a common theme, I propose renaming the activity “Community Tapestry Speaker Series.” I felt that a tapestry was a powerful metaphor for the depth and diversity of our neighbors’ experiences, skills, talents, and passions. This is what makes a community special—what makes our community special.

Our new season begins in January, and I wish to invite anyone who would like to share a chapter of their life (or even one extraordinary event) to consider presenting it on a Sunday afternoon. Everyone has a story to tell, and your friends and neighbors would love to hear them! If you think you’d be interested in participating, please contact Lisa Shannon at 303-523-6987 or email lisa1956shannon@gmail.com. She can help you organize your presentation and coordinate the venue and refreshments

posted 11.15.25