Volume XI, Issue 19: November 11, 2011

Come to A Taste of the Holidays!

 ANNOUNCEMENTS
The HROP Restaurant Program is selling holiday pies this fall. The proceeds will help the students attend the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago next May. The group has several items on their menu, so contact Amy Bohner for more information.

The Jerry Paul Arcata Invitational Basketball Tournament (affectionately known as the "A-I-B-T") will take place Thursday, December 8th through Saturday the 10th. Sunrisers will be called upon to sell programs and t-shirts and to watch the doors for intruders. More details soon.

Other important dates to keep in mind ...
November 18th   No Friday Meeting
November 25th   No Friday Meeting
December  8th    Holiday Dinner for Local Foster Youth
December 16th   Madrigal
December 23rd   No Friday Meeting
December 30th    No Friday Meeting

RECOGNITIONS featuring Bob Johnson!!
Saturday, November 5th was Susan Jansson's birthday. It was a quiet time at the cabin, but it was only 32 degrees in the morning - too cold to fish at first. However, she did manage to hook an adult steelhead, and she has the picture to prove it.

Rob McBeth's birthday hadn't actually taken place as of Friday, but Bob knew that we wouldn't have the chance to talk with him until December. So ... Rob had "no big plans" for the weekend (his birthday was Monday). These included watching football and going to work on the big day. 

Bob pointed out that, if we were meeting this Friday, we would be celebrating Mark Bruce's birthday with him. But Mark has a full day of court that day. As he said, "I'll practice my profession all day long."

Bob then checked in with several Sunrisers, asking about their plans for Thanksgiving:
  • Julie Vaissade-Elcock has nothing special planned. The family will come for dinner, and there will be football games to follow ...
  • Jason White will be at his mother-in-law's house in Arcata. Since Saint Bernard's football team are likely candidates for the playoffs, he will spend some of the time working with the team and mapping our strategies ...
  • As a new member, Dewey Kiefer is looking forward to getting to know his fellow Sunrisers better. As for the holidays, he plans to spend time with family and friends. He and his family will be traveling at Christmastime.
  • Brody Johnson said that he and his Mom and Dad (Sunriser Dick) will be traveling to Sacramento over the holiday week to visit Brody's brother James and his Aunt Geri Anne.
  • Jessica "Whoo-hoo" McKnight said that now that her sister has moved to the area, it would seem to make sense that a big family holiday would be in order. However ... she is traveling to Mexico for the holidays instead. Christmas, maybe?
  • It's off to Red Bluff for Ceva and Doug Courtemanche for Thanksgiving. They'll be with Doug's family, and the feast will have Hawaiian touches. Ceva said that her Mom gets the couple for Christmas.
  • Things are a bit up in the air for Rina Brodhag. If I heard correctly, I think that she plans to head for Springville, Oregon to be with family. If I got it wrong, I'll let you know ...
A TASTE OF THE HOLIDAYS
You all know when and where, and you're providing the how, but here's the "who". Our hats are off to the TOTH Committee:

Brenda Bishop, Event Chair
Jim Maher, Tickets
Amy Bohner, Vendors
Ceva Courtemanche, Decor
Barbara Browning, Raffle 
Dan Johnson, Cleanup
Craig Newman, Interact Coordinator
Thanks to all of you for your hard work, and we'll see you Thursday!!
at

Volume XI, Issue 18: November 4, 2011

NOËMI NËWS
Noëmi Schönenberger, our Rotary Exchange Student from Switzerland, said that she had spent 8½ hours on the tennis court the previous weekend. The occasion was the Humboldt-Del Norte Prep Girls' Tennis Singles Championships. 

After her labors on the court, Noëmi said that she went to HSU to watch the 'Jacks defeat the Simon Fraser University Clan. She extended her weekend on Halloween Monday, going trick-or-treating with a friend. No word on how many treats she received or whether she had to play any tricks ...

ROTARIAN OF THE MONTH: REBECCA CROW!
Rebecca Crow
President Scott announced that the Sunrise Rotarian of the Month for October is Rebecca Crow. Rebecca chairs our Community Service Committee. Even by that busy Committee's standards, there was a lot going on in October. Most notably, the Committee led our efforts to host the Second Annual Arcata Sunrise Rotary Cross-Country Championships and the repair and upgrade to Cheveret-Vaissade Park. AND ... she contributes cookies galore for our Final Friday Foundation Auctions!

FOUNDATION NEWS (Also Featuring Rebecca!)
Foundation Chair Terri Clark announced that Your Editor has reached his second Paul Harris Fellowship. (It came as a surprise to me!) She also moved some of her own PHF credits to help complete the honor for Rebecca Crow. Congratulations, Rebecca!


ANNOUNCEMENTS
President Scott reminded us that we are closing in on A Taste of the Holidays. The event will take place Thursday, November 17th, from 5 to 8 pm at the Arcata Community Center. Remember, it's an "all hands on deck" affair. If you need additional tickets, contact Jim Maher.


Kyle Visser had some bittersweet news for us. He has been called by his church to serve as a teacher. Unfortunately, his class will be meeting Monday through Friday before school, which means that he will be unable to attend most of our Club Meetings. He plans to join us whenever school is not in session.


Travis Schneider reminded us that the Jerry Paul Arcata Invitational Basketball Tournament will take place December 8th, 9th, and 10th (Thursday through Saturday). He is corralling ads for the event program. Please contact him soon - the ads need to be finalized by November 30th. 


George Cavinta noted that there is a bit of a conflict for Sunrisers. The first night of the AIBT coincides with our annual commitment to prepare and serve a holiday dinner for local foster youth. He said that he is working with the folks at Arcata High to cover our slots that Thursday night. Be sure to watch for updates!


Romi Hitchcock-Tinseth reminded us that there's more going on that busy weekend. The annual breakfast benefiting the AHS College and Career Center will take place (as always) the Saturday morning of the AIBT. Romi told us that we have another sponsorship opportunity here. Please contact her if you would like to help out and have your name and/or the name of your business appear prominently at the event.


With A Taste of the Holidays and Thanksgiving approaching, President Scott reminded us that we will not meet on November 18th and 25th. Hey - we're also dark on December 23rd and 30th. Four sleep-in Fridays!


RECOGNITIONS
Chief Recognizer Bob Johnson asked Rotary Kids Mary and Max Crow whether they had a good Halloween. Yes they did! Mary dressed as a butterfly, while Max was the Amazing Spiderman. 


The week's Vocational Minute featured the Amazing Chuck Giannini and his business Schir Auto Parts. The company is better known as NAPA, for the brand of parts they carry. Sir Charles attended Humboldt State University, where he earned his teaching credential. He taught in the Salinas Valley for a while, but returned to HSU to serve as the football team's line coach. He said that he then worked in the woods for a while, but he eventually purchased his current business. Chuck told us that a little over half of their business is wholesale, with about 45% of his revenue coming from retail sales. NAPA is a buying group, not a franchise, and it boasts the third most recognizable name in the auto parts industry. 


Rebecca Crow celebrated her birthday on October 23rd. She received flowers and the family went out to dinner. 


There was some confusion surrounding Julie Schaefer's birthday. We all thought it was November 2nd, but that is actually her husband's birthday. She said that they celebrated anyway. It was a football weekend that led to a great Mexican dinner.


Patrick McCarthy's birthday was scheduled for the day after our meeting, however Patrick got an early start. On Thursday, he was the guest of honor at a surprise dinner. His weekend plans included a big breakfast (his favorite meal), having portraits done, and attending the KidCo presentation of Alice In Wonderland, Jr.


Bob then played "What's Up With...", where he asks Sunrisers simple questions that often elicit complex answers. Last Friday must have been the Lightning Round, 'cause I had a difficult time keeping up in my notebook. But I think I got most of them:

  • Orrin Plocher - Creamy or Chunky? Chunky
  • Bryan Reeser - Creamy or Chunky: Creamy [He didn't want to copy Orrin's answer.]
  • Cindy Sutcliffe - Leno or Letterman? Leno   Leno or Fallon? Fallon
  • Brandi Easter - [I don't know what the question was. All I have is the answer.] Vanguard [And that may be wildly inaccurate.]

Bryan Reeser won $65 in the Ping-Pong Ball Raffle, which he donated to the Rotary Foundation, to be credited to his Paul Harris Fellowship account.


GUEST SPEAKER: JOHN GULLAM OF THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY BLOOD BANK
John Gullam has been the Director of Donor Services for the Northern California Community Blood Bank since 2005. John has also been a stay at home dad, and he worked for many years (with Your Editor) at Redwoods United.


John Gullam
The Blood Bank is a local nonprofit that is not affiliated with the Red Cross nor with the local hospitals. The organization employs 52 people, and its mission is "to provide a safe and adequate supply of blood to the patients we serve."


For most nonprofits, salaries are by far the largest expense in the budget. However, the Blood Bank's expenses are almost evenly split between salaries and operating expenses. This is primarily due to the cost of fuel for the Bloodmobiles and the costs associated with transporting and testing the blood collected.


John said that the blood collected is sent to Sacramento where it is tested for 13 disease markers. It is difficult and expensive to ship the tubes for testing, and while the samples are transported and tested, the clock is ticking. 


The three primary blood products extracted from whole blood have different "shelf lives". Red cells, if frozen, can last up to 12 months; plasma is good for about one month; platelets must be placed into service within about 7 days. This makes fast transportation to the testing facility critical.


Only about 3% of the population has O-negative blood, but it is the most used, as it can be given to nearly anyone in need. This is why those with O-negative blood are called "universal donors". John said that the O-negative donors on their list get called quite frequently.


There is more than one way to donate. Most donors contribute whole blood, but the process known as aphoresis allows the Blood Bank to extract the blood product needed, as it returns the unused products to the donor. The process takes about 2 hours. Those who donate platelets can donate up to once each week, but they are limited to 24 donations per year.


John said that the Blood Bank needs everyone who is eligible to help by making regular donations. For more information about whether any restrictions apply to you, please call 443-8004, or visit online at nccbb.org.
at

Volume XI, Issue 17: October 28, 2011

At last Friday's meeting, President Scott changed things up a bit. (Don't forget ... at his first meeting, he said he was all about change.) Instead of showing a video of someone singing The Star-Spangled Banner, he showed a segment from the 1980 movie, The Jazz Singer. The clip, which Scott played in honor of his parents' visit the previous week, showed Neil Diamond singing "Coming to America".

THE LATEST FROM NOËMI 
"Homecoming was so much fun!" Exchange Student Noëmi Schönenberger told us last week. The icing on the cake was that the Arcata varsity won. Noëmi also said that Amy and Steve Bohner took her to the Pumpkin Patch, where she was stuck in the Corn Maze for two hours. "It was really fun!" she said. And she participated in the Pumpkin Carving Party at the home of Barbara Browning and Ron Sharp. Noëmi didn't exactly carve her pumpkin, however. Karen Burgesser said, "I've never seen anyone carve a pumpkin with a hammer and nail." And a last note ... Noëmi made the playoffs in tennis! Watch for more sports news in later issues.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
President Scott showed us some photos of the restored Cheveret-Vaissade Park, and the Sunrise Rotarians who participated in the project. Seated from right to left are Randy Mendosa, Julie Vaissade-Elcock, Amy Bohner, and Janice Newman.
The RCAS logo is pressed into the uprights of the picnic tables. (Really - go over and take a look!)


There were also a lot of Sunrisers on hand for the Second Annual Arcata Sunrise Cross-Country Championship which took place Wednesday, October 26th. Local students from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade participated in the event, which pitted runners against others their own age. Sunrisers Rebecca Crow, Donnie Rosebrook, Scott Heller, Craig Newman, Bryan Reeser, Amy Bohner, Mark Bruce, Patrick McCarthy and Cindy Sutcliffe were on hand to keep the kids "on track", with the assistance of Exchange Student Noëmi and Rebecca's daughter (and Rotary Kid) Mary Crow. Thanks for making it another great success!


MEET THE NEWEST SUNRISER
Last Friday, we welcomed Ron Sharp into our Club. Ron is the Merchandising Manager for the North Coast Co-op, and he joins us with the classification of Grocery Management. He also happens to be married to über-Sunriser Barbara Browning, so he is no stranger to Rotary and the concept of "Service Above Self". Ron's sponsor is President Scott.


Terri, Ron, and President Scott
Terri Clark handled the induction, saying that she has known Ron for a long time; since they worked together at the Co-op. "He's a musician," Terri said, "and one of the most drama-free grownups I know." We're pretty confident that he'll make a great Sunriser in spite of that. Welcome, Ron!!


FINAL FRIDAY: AUCTION AND PUMPKINS!!
Our Club designates the last Friday of each month as Foundation Final Friday - a time to revisit the many impactful programs of the Rotary Foundation. Last week, we conducted our semi-generally-regular Foundation Auction. Sunrisers donate prizes for the auction, and all of the money collected is donated to the Foundation. Here's a quick rundown of what was donated, and who won:
  • Charlie Jordan donated a gift basket containing chocolate, wine, coffee, and other goodies. This was purchased by Julie Vaissade-Elcock.
  • Mark Burtchett provided courtside seats for that night's HSU Lumberjacks Basketball Game. George Cavinta snapped those up.
  • A pair of martini-shaped cufflinks were available, courtesy of Terri Clark, and President Scott bought them. (A shirt with French cuffs was not included.)
  • Rebecca Crow will be delivering cookies on demand throughout the Holiday Season to three lucky (and generous) bidders: Barbara Browning, Ron Sharp, and Terri Clark.
  • A gift bag full of local handcrafted items was donated by Brenda Bishop. Rebecca Crow had the winning bid.
  • A gift of wine, wineglasses, and shortbread was donated by Lynda Moore. The package soon became the exclusive property of Mark Bruce.
  • Brenda Bishop gave us a second auction prize - a waterproof purse/tote bag, which was purchased by Karen Burgesser.
  • A set of metal horseshoes was Brenda's third donation, and these went to Bob Goodman.
  • Joyce Hinrichs donated the last prize offered, which was a package including wine, candles, and a fountain. Terri Clark provided the winning bid.

Thanks to all who donated prizes and to the winning bidders. In all, Friday's auction raised $715 for the Rotary Foundation!
Another goal of Final Friday is to have fun. Last week, Brandi Easter organized a Pumpkin Carvin' Contest, which drew quite a few entries. Our Guest Judge was Janet Czarnecki of Redwood Roots Farm. She sorted through the patch, and named the following winners:
  • Honorable Mentions:  Mary Crow and Max Crow
  • Third Place:  Kyle Visser
  • Second Place:  Cam Appleton
  • First Place: Noëmi Schönenberger (she nailed it!)
From right to left: Noëmi, Kyle, Max, Judge Janet, Mary, and Cam

A Close-up of Noëmi's winning entry
 
at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)