TLC honors Professor Leich

SALISBURY — The Taconic Learning Center (TLC) held its annual meeting in the Wardell Community Room of the Scoville Memorial Library in Salisbury Thursday, June 9. The meeting, chaired by President Robert Woodward, covered various business topics including the upcoming list of fall class offerings, as well as the election of new members to the Board of Directors.The highlight of the afternoon, however, was the presentation of a Certificate of Appreciation to Professor John Leich in recognition of the record-breaking number of courses — 65 — he has taught to a record number of TLC members (well over 1,000), spanning a period of 20 years.Leich, noted political scientist and linguist, served a diverse career in both the Foreign Service and the world of academia. He is the author of “Communist Parties in the European Parliament” (1976) and numerous articles covering political parties and elections, anti-communist organizations and minority languages. A master linguist, Leich is proficient in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Polish and Russian. His hobbies include amateur theater, music and languages. Leich shared all of these talents with his appreciative students at TLC.Leich and his wife, Jean, currently reside at Geer Village in North Canaan and they continue their participation in TLC activities.TLC is operated as a nonprofit lifelong learning institution. It offers non credit, tuition-free, college-level courses in a wide variety of disciplines — art, literature, music, opera, the sciences, history, mathematics, current events, foreign affairs, economics, the law, government, religion, foreign languages, health and welfare.