Former Vermont governor Jim Douglas will kick off the Lamoille Valley Osher Lifelong Learning Institute's fall lecture series. The Osher Institute's mission is to provide intellectually stimulating, affordable, non-credit learning opportunities to people 50 and over in communities throughout Vermont. This year, all lectures sponsored by the the Lamoille Valley OLLI group will be held at the Commodores Inn, 823 S. Main St., Stowe. Please note the change of the location.

Douglas will speak Wednesday, Sept. 5, at 1:30 p.m. His lecture is co-sponsored by Lanpher Memorial Library in Hyde Park. Refreshments will be provided after the talk.

Douglas will speak on "The Mid-Term Elections: Will They Make Any Difference?" He will offer his observations on the first half of President Trump's four-year term, what the outlook is for the next two years, and on how Vermont is faring these days.

Jim Douglas served the people of Vermont for more than 35 years, capped by four two- year terms as Vermont's 80th governor, stretching from 2003 through 2010.

As governor, Douglas, a Republican, focused on strengthening the state's economy, reducing the cost of living in Vermont and protecting the state's environment. He advanced groundbreaking reforms that made Vermont a model for state health care. He also sought to strengthen the relationship between Vermont and Quebec and the other Canadian provinces.