Fri, 08/28/2015 - 11:15 am

Shelly Swazey

Suddenly, it’s autumn! Where did summer go? Need a transition to cooler weather activities? There’s still time to register for a course at Coastal Senior College! Consider these for stimulating the autumnal brain:

The Rev. Ed Wynne is planning something special with “What’s Your Favorite Hymn?” Learn about the history and background of your favorite hymns. Students will have the opportunity to suggest their favorites. Then the class will sing them! Eight Tuesdays, 9:30-11:30 a.m., Assembly of God Church, Belvedere Road, Damariscotta; starts Sept. 15.

For film buffs, William Solomon’s course on “How the Modern Documentary Can Shape the Public Mind” will explore how these modern films help us to better understand the complex and fast-moving events of our time. Six Fridays, 1-3 p.m., Camden Library; starts Oct. 9.

“Celebrate The Life and Legacy of Frances Perkins,” our local labor heroine, with Leah Sprague and Mark Chaney, officers of the Frances Perkins Center. Perkins gave us Social Security, the minimum wage and unemployment insurance, among many other enhancements to working life. Includes a visit to her Newcastle homestead. Five Wednesdays, noon-2 p.m., Camden Library; starts Oct. 21.

Learn the facts behind Lands For Maine’s Future and other conservation programs from Bruce Rockwood in “Environmental Law and Policy Choices Facing Maine.” Then, taking all factors into account, discuss the important environmental choices we face. Seven Mondays, 10 a.m.-noon, Midcoast Friends Meeting House; starts Sept. 21.

In view of recent state concerns about heroin, oxytocin etc., investigate “Drugs: Miraculous, Misuse, Abuse, Addiction and America’s Longest War” with Bob Smith. Four to six Wednesdays, 1-3 p.m., Schooner Cove, Miles Health Campus; starts Sept. 23.

Should we remodel our Constitution to fit the demands of the 21st Century? In “Changing the Paradigm: Problem Solving and Systemic Change Modeled on Nature,” sit down with Paul Kando to discuss our current dilemmas — economic, political, you name it — and work on pragmatic solutions to them. Eight Fridays, 10 a.m.-noon, Nobleboro Town Office; starts Sept. 18.

Or, from your own wealth of experiences, start a memoir with Debby Atwell, in “Psyche Remember It Well.” Eight Thursdays, 10 a.m.-noon, Rocky Coast House, Thomaston; starts Sept. 17.