PORT ARTHUR — If you have a little bit of time and a whole lot of eagerness to learn, Lamar State College-Port Arthur’s Continuing Education is the place to be this fall.

Registration is ongoing for more than a dozen non-credit courses being offered this semester with several new classes, including two for wine lovers.

Registration for on-site classes can be done in person at the LSC-PA Cashier’s Office in the Business Building, located at 1501 Procter Street, in Port Arthur. Payments there can be made by cash, check or credit card. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Students may also register by phone with a major credit card. Call 409-984-6126 or 1-800-477-5872, ext. 6126. Registration is also available by mailing a check or money order to Lamar State College-

Computer classes (all held in Madison Monroe 203 and taught by John Burgin):

• Introduction to Personal Computers, Windows 7: Learn to control basic computer functions such as running programs, saving data, opening, moving and resizing windows, and displaying information on the screen. Students will also learn to customize their computer by working with toolbars, icons, menus, the taskbar and the Start menu.  DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 13 and Thursday, Nov. 15. TIME: 6 to 8 p.m. COST: $69. PREREQUISITE: Keyboarding and mousing skills.

• Intermediate Personal Computers, Windows 7: Emphasizes the ability to understand effective management of computer files, including copying, moving, deleting, renaming and printing. DATE: Monday, Oct. 15 and Wednesday, Oct. 17. TIME: 6 to 8 p.m. COST: $69. PREREQUISITE: Introduction to Computers or one year computer experience.

• Introduction to Microsoft Word 2007/2010: Overview of production of documents, tables and graphics using Word. Students will be able to create, format and edit documents, use simple tools and utilities, and print documents. DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 23 and Thursday, Oct. 25. TIME: 6 to 8 p.m. COST: $69. PREREQUISITE: Keyboarding and mousing skills.

• Intermediate Microsoft Word 2007/2010: Learn to utilize search and replace functions, format characters using fonts, point sizes, type styles and color, format paragraphs using numbers, bullets, indents, tabs, borders, line spacing and paragraph spacing. DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 30, and Thursday, Nov. 1. TIME: 6 to 8 p.m. COST: $69. PREREQUISITE: Introduction to Microsoft Word or at least one year computer experience.

• Introduction to Microsoft Excel 2007/2010: Intro to spreadsheet design. Students will learn to create, edit, format and print basic worksheets, insert basic formulas, move and copy cell content, and adjust cells, columns and rows to effectively present numerical date. DATE: Monday, Nov. 5 and Wednesday, Nov. 7 – or – Tuesday, Nov. 27 and Thursday, Nov. 29. TIME: 6 to 8 p.m. COST: $69. PREREQUISITE: Keyboarding and mousing skills.

• Intermediate Microsoft Excel 2007/2010: Continued study of spreadsheets. Students will learn to use built-in spreadsheet financial design and create charts in worksheet, merge and link spreadsheets to other applications. DATE: Monday, Nov. 12 and Wednesday, Nov. 14 – or – Tuesday, Dec. 4 and Thursday, Dec. 6. TIME: 6 to 8 p.m. COST: $69. PREREQUISITE: Keyboarding and mousing skills.



Personal Improvement

• Fall Bus Trip to Moody Gardens in Galveston: The Fall Bus Trip will take participants to the Moody Gardens in Galveston. After a ride on the Bolivar Ferry, the group will enjoy a choice of two attractions before the Festival of Lights buffet and the Festival of Lights show. The Fall Bus Trip is a collaboration of LSC-PA and the Port Arthur Council of Garden Clubs. DATE: Friday, Nov. 30. TIME: Leave at 11:30 a.m., arrive at Moody Gardens at 2:30, Attraction I at 3, Attraction II at 4, Buffet at 5, Festival of Lights at 6, leave Moody Gardens 7:30, arrive in Port Arthur at 10:30 p.m. LOCATION: Leave from the Parker Center parking lot. COST: $89, includes transportation, entry fees and buffet dinner. NOTE: Registration deadline is Nov. 15. Call 409-984-6230.

• Wine Appreciation I: The basics of wine tasting and basic terminology, clues to quality, the importance of color, texture, body, aroma, and temperatures, and tips on serving and storing wine. Discussion and sampling of wines from various regions and the importance of location. Students will also explore the difference between European and American wines. Instructor is Mark Asteris. DATE: Friday, Nov. 2. TIME: 6-8 p.m. LOCATION: Carl Parker Multipurpose Center, Room 210. COST: $25. NOTE: Each student must bring two wine glasses to class.

• Wine Appreciation II: How to approach a glass of wine and the difference between drinking it and really tasting it. Sampling of wins such as Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Malbec, Viognier and Steem, wines outside the typical varietals. Will be followed by discussion of participants’ ratings, individual tastes, relationship between ratings and wine prices. Also discussed: Pairing wine with food, how wine with food enhances and diversifies flavor. DATE: Friday, Dec. 7. TIME: 6-8 p.m. LOCATION: Carl Parker Multipurpose Center Room 201. COST: $25. NOTE: Each student must bring two wine glasses to class.

• Basic Automotive Maintenance: Become aware of the upkeep of your vehicle and how that ability saves money. In this lecture and hands-on lab, students will also learn what to do in the event of a roadside emergency. Learn how to check vehicle fluid levels, determine how to add fluids, check and maintain tire pressure, change a flat tire, and the correct way to use jumper cables. Daniel Harriman is the course instructor. DATE: Saturday, Nov. 3. TIME: 9 a.m. to noon. LOCATION: Automotive Center Room 101. COST: $15.

• Retirement Essentials: This course is for anyone who has not yet retired and needs a pre-retirement plan or for those who have already retired and need post-retirement planning. Will provide a plan to tell both groups how to control their financial matters so their investments will support them the rest of their lives. Course will explore topics such as Life Planning for Retirement, Retirement Needs and Expenses, Retirement Roadblocks and Mistakes, Retirement Income Sources, Retirement Plan Distributions, and Investments. Course is led by Certified Financial Practitioner Andrew N. Danquah. DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 23, and Tuesday, Oct. 30. TIME: 6-8 p.m. LOCATION: Ruby Fuller Building, Room 124. COST: Free, but reservations are required by Oct. 19 by calling 409-984-6230.

• Zumba: This four-day class combines fast and slow rhythms designed to achieve a unique blended balance of cardio and muscle-toning benefits designed to tone and sculpt the body. Students can expect to burn 500 to 1,000 calories in a one-hour class. The class is led by Brooke Ancelet. DATES: Tuesday, Oct. 16, Thursday, Oct. 18 and Tuesday, Oct. 23, Thursday, Oct. 25. TIME: 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. each day. LOCATION: Carl Parker Center Room 109. COST: $5 per class session.

Students also can take Continuing Education courses on the Internet. The “Education to Go” program offers more than 150 courses, more than 100 Internet workshops and 24 instructor-led on-line courses in such fields as business administration/management, certification preparation, culinary arts education, entrepreneur/business, computer software programs, graphic design, writing, law/legal, internet, marketing/sales, personal enrichment, test prep, workplace communications skills, accounting/finance and health care/medical. On-line courses have open enrollment and begin monthly throughout the year.

For more information about Education to Go program, visit www.lamarpa.edu and click on Continuing Education, then Non-Credit Online Courses.