Volume XI, Issue 12: September 23, 2011

A Moment With Noëmi 
Last Friday, Exchange Student Noëmi told the club about her exploits of the previous weekend. That Saturday, she and the Arcata High School Tennis Team played against their counterparts from St. Bernard's. The team won 7-2, and Noëmi won her individual match. 

The following day, she took a walk through Redwood Park, and then on Thursday, the Club had a welcoming barbecue in Noëmi's honor. She had a great time at the event, which was held at Moonstone Beach.

Announcements
President Scott showed us the Lip Dub that several Sunrisers participated in recently. The video was created both to promote the City of Fortuna and its River Lodge, as well as the Rotary District Conference to be held next June.  

Patrick McCarthy, Cam Appleton, and President Scott joined new Adopt-a Highway Jefe Kyle Visser cleaned up our stretch of Samoa Boulevard recently. The crew escaped without a reportable tick encounter, and came up five bucks richer!
Dates to remember:  Saturday, October 1st, the Arcata Plaza will be festooned with pastel images on the sidewalk, all to help Northcoast Children's Services. The annual Pastels on the Plaza begins in the morning, and students from the Arcata Arts Institute will work together to create a work of art on our Club's behalf ... And following our morning meeting on October 7th, we will begin another year of Backpacks for Kids. We will be filling backpacks with food for needy students from Arcata Elementary School. We also need volunteers to pick up and deliver the backpacks throughout the year. 


Also last week, Bryan Reeser and Jim Maher presented a check to Barbara Rabia O'Brian in support of the Roshni Centre for Women. The Centre, in Pakistan's Swat Valley, to help the women of the Swat Valley become self-sufficient. (For more information, check the July 15th edition of the Sunrise Spirit.)


Recognitions
"No Way Me" was the title of the slide that Bob Johnson, our Club's Chief Recognizer, started with last Friday. Apparently, there have been some football-based brainwashing attempts recently, directed at Exchange Student Noëmi. Apparently, she was clad in a Steelers jersey when she left Donnie Rosebrook's home to spend a short time with Lori Breyer's family. However, upon her return to Chez Rosebrook, she was wearing a Raiders shirt. Apparently, Donnie said that she would have to sleep outside, but Noëmi told us, "I snuck back in." Noëmi is learning about American football and the loyalty it inspires. She plans to attend a Raiders game in person soon. Fortunately, their opponent is not the Steelers.

On Friday, Kevin Collier was "in the house", so Bob recognized him for his anniversary. Kevin and Kimberlee have been married 10 years now. However, with a 3-year old and a 5-year old to take care of, the celebration was muted, with plans for something bigger deferred for the time being.


Charlie Jordan was out of town and husband Mark Ritz was in town on the day of their 9th anniversary. What's a girl to do? Charlie's solution was to fly Mark up to Portland to be at the side of his bride. They celebrated with lots of friends and by hiking. 


A quiet, romantic stroll along the San Francisco Waterfront was a highlight of the anniversary of Joyce Hinrichs and Steven Watson. The couple has been married for 26 years.


Bob recognized himself as well, since he and wife Susan recently celebrated their anniversary. Bob said that they have enjoyed 29 years of wedded bliss. The catch is that this was their 31st anniversary. Still, that's 93.54838709677419% of their time together (thus far). If you grade on a curve, they're at the top of the class (and the class at the top)!

Kevin Collier was asked to stand up again. This time, Bob recognized him for his birthday. Even though Kevin worked late, he did manage to squeeze in a bit of celebration.


Bob called upon Your Editor to discuss the  recent CD Release Party held at Mosgo's by his band Two-Car Garage. I told him that the event saw several fine musicians helping us out - local legend Donna Landry (who also performs on the album), opening act Josephine Johnson (recently named the top solo musician by the North Coast Journal), drummer Will Startare, and guitarist/keyboard player Andrew Goff. However, the best part for me was when our usual bass player, TCG co-founder Roger Woods, played the bassimer. We still needed a bassist, so we had Honorary Sunriser (and my son) Brody Johnson sit in. And he was great! We sold quite a few CDs, but there are more left. If you're interested, contact me.


There are, of course, other fine musicians in and close to our Club - Bob Johnson and his band The Living Rooms were scheduled to play in Blue Lake that evening at the Mad River Brewery Outdoor Concert. [I attended, and they were excellent!]


Guest Speaker: Cindy Savage on the State of Adoption
Cindy Savage is the Executive Director of Adoption Horizons, Humboldt County's only licensed private adoption agency. Cindy is also an adoptive parent, and she has been a foster parent as well.


The last seven years have been difficult times for adoption, Cindy said. Although few of us think of parenthood as a luxury, adoptions have decreased during the recent economic downturn. Growing uncertainty has caused many to forgo adoption. 


In addition, about five years ago, the United States signed the Hague Adoption Convention, which seeks to ensure that international adoptions have the best interests of the child at their heart, and to establish a system to ensure that such adoptions are not abused.


Cindy Savage
In 2008, Adoption Horizons achieved accreditation under the new Hague Convention guidelines. The agency was one of only 108 in the country (out of 325 that applied) to receive the certification. 


Cindy said that there are some negative points under the new system. International adoptions have decreased since fewer children are available due to the higher standards. In addition, the costs have increased, the waiting times are longer, and the criteria are more stringent. 


The services provided by Adoption Horizons are:
  • Pre-placement home studies
  • Facilitation of adoptions
  • Post-placement counseling
  • Birth mother counseling
The agency continues to "hang in there" despite difficult budget cuts and other difficulties. It will be celebrating 29 years of service on November 29th, at Blue Lake Casino. The event will honor Adoption Horizon's birthday, and it will acknowledge that November is National Adoption Month. More information is available at the Adoption Horizons website.

Volume XI, Issue 11: September 16, 2011

THE NOËMI REPORT
Last Friday, we received a sports update from Rotary Exchange Student Noëmi Schönenberger. She had attended the football game on September 9th between Trinity High and Arcata High. Although Arcata lost the game, Noëmi had a good time.

Noëmi is an athlete herself. She holds the Number Three slot on the AHS Girls Tennis Team. Their first match was held on Tuesday, September 13th. The team lost to Del Norte High, but Noëmi won her match, 6-2, 7-5.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Speaking of No
ëmi, the Club will be having a welcoming Beach Party Thursday evening at Moonstone Beach. The festivities begin at 5:30 pm, with chicken and hot dogs on the menu. If your last name begins with an A or an E (or anything in between), you are asked to bring along a salad; F through L folks should take a side dish; while those with names between M and Z are the beloved "Dessert People".

President Scott said that he visited North Carolina, where (among other things) he did a make-up at the Rotary Club of First Flight (Kill Devil Hills). He found the club using the Rotary Club Locator app. They serve a buffet luncheon on Wednesdays, so if you're in the area, tell 'em Scott sent you.
RECOGNITIONS
Recognizer Bob Johnson was back on the job after having the previous week off, and he called upon Coach Jason White. Jason is the Athletic Director and head football coach for St. Bernards' High School
, and Bob asked about his team's season so far. The Crusaders won their opener against St. Vincent the previous weekend, and had a bye that weekend. So Coach Jason was on his way to Hoopa to scout and film for their match-up later in the season. The team plays St. Elizabeth's this week, and Bob asked how it works - these contests between the representatives of the beatified. Jason would only say that "I need to work on my forgiveness." Another Athletic Director - Dan Collen - was singled out as well, although Bob only asked about sports in a peripheral way. Since Dan's and his wife Sarah's were married on August 24th, 26 years ago, Bob wanted to know if the the couple had timed it to avoid conflict with the football schedule. Dan said that it just worked out that way, and this year they were able to get away in style. They traveled to Hawaii, where each of them has a sister (different islands), and kicked back. Dan did get a call while he was there, asking whether he would be able to help install carpet at the Arcata Playhouse that day. He was unable to help that time. Dan also told us that his first grandson, Brandon Robert Collen, was born recently. Karen and Steve Burgesser also celebrated their 39th anniversary on September 9th. Neither had big plans. ("What do you want to do?" "I don't know, what do you want to do?") Eventually, they went to Cher-Ae Heights for dinner. September 9th was also Amy and Steve Bohner's anniversary (#7 for them). They celebrated by trailer camping on the Smith River, with some of the comforts of home - music and dominoes (the game, not the pizza), but no internet. Amy said that their marriage was an elopement; a secret known only to the dogsitter and Bob and Susan Johnson. Kathy Fraser celebrated her recent birthday at the Wawona Hotel in Yosemite National Park, where she "talked to people on the veranda over cocktails". The stay at the famous resort was part of an 8-day vacation that was another leg on Kathy's quest to visit all of the country's National Parks. In addition to Yosemite, Kathy and Bill also went to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park.

MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Dick Johnson (aka Your Editor) reported that our Club was represented at the recent Lip Dub that took place in Fortuna on Sunday, September 11th. Brandi Easter, Julie Vaissade-Elcock, Bob and Susan Johnson, Jessica McKnight, and Romi Hitchcock-Tinseth all smiled and tipped their champagne flutes to the camera as it passed by, without missing a word of "Celebrate" by Kool and the Gang. The event was described as a typical video shoot - a lot of standing around followed by intense activity followed by more standing around. However, the final videos (one to promote the 2012 Rotary District 5130 Conference and the nearly identical second one to promote the City of Fortuna and its River Lodge) turned out pretty well. You can check out the District Conference video here:
CELEBRATE District Conference 2012!

GUEST SPEAKER HUMBOLDT COUNTY FILM COMMISSIONER CASSANDRA HESSELTINE
Cassandra Hesseltine has spent 24 years in the performing arts, with the last 10 spent working in films and television. She has worked as a casting director and as a producer. She was hired to be the Humboldt County Film Commissioner about a year ago, and since that time, a lot has happened.

The Film Commission became an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation in July of last year - R.R.E.E.L., Inc., and it has set up a new office in Arcata. In addition, the agency has a new website (www.filmhumboldt.org).

About seven months ago, the organization instituted Local Filmmakers Night, which is held every other month. The next event will take place on Thursday, September 29th, featuring "Letters Home". The documentary was produced by the Ferndale Museum, and it
"brings [us] the voices of WWII soldiers who were stationed over seas and wrote to the Ferndale Enterprise" according to the announcement.

The commission markets our area to producers of movies, television shows, and commercials, touting the natural beauty of the area, in addition to the versatility of the surroundings. This marketing generally has three stages. The first takes the form of inquiries, when producers and location managers discuss their project with the commission and ask what the area may have to offer. Next come scouting trips. This is when money begins to enter the local area. Production company representatives come to town to scope out potential locations that might work for them. Of course, if that stage is successful, then filming begins. This is where the most money enters the area. Last year, 15 films were produced on the North Coast. This brought in an estimated $933,900 in direct costs.

The commission recently branched out, offering its services to Del Norte County. Cassandra said that the expansion will be mutually beneficial, since that county has many visual resources that complement rather than compete with those in Humboldt County.

Volume XI, Issue 10: September 9, 2011

THE NOËMI REPORT
Our Rotary Exchange Student from Switzerland, No
ëmi Schönenberger, is learning about the glamour of California life - last week she made her first foray into the exciting field of yard work! Fortunately, she has also been able to break away from raking and weeding to work on her photography for school.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Kyle Visser has succeeded President Scott as our Club's Adopt-a-Highway leader. He announced that the first sortie under his command will take place on Saturday, September 17th, aka California Coastal Cleanup Day.

We will officially welcome Exchange Student Noëmi to America on Thursday, September 22nd. The Club will host a beach party at Moonstone Beach that evening from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. It's a pot luck, and the dish you bring is totally dependent upon your name: if your last name starts with a letter between A and E, please bring a salad; F - L folks should bring a side dish; and M - Z are tasked with providing dessert. The Club will provide grillables such as hot dogs and chicken, along with plates, cups, and utensils. Come and have a chat with our Club's newest member!

Pastels on the Plaza is coming soon, and we're hiring a team from the Arcata Arts Institute to design and draw our square. The event, a fundraiser for Northcoast Children's Services, will take place on the first Saturday in October (the 1st). Watch for more details.

Several Sunrisers will be staying after our meeting on October 7th to begin a new "tradition" at least for this year. We're rekindling our commitment to Backpacks for Kids - the program implemented by Food For People that helps families in need. Each Friday, we will be filling backpacks with nutritious kid-friendly food that students who qualify for the Free Lunc
h Program can take home for the weekend. Hope you'll hang around!

The Eureka Rotary is also participating in the Backpacks for Kids program, and they are having a fundraiser devoted to it - Backpack Buddy Night. The event will take place Thursday, September 27th from 5:30 to 9:30 pm at Cher-Ae Heights Casino in Trinidad. Tickets are $30 per person, and can be purchased from members of the Eureka Rotary.

Another BIG DEAL is the Foundation Dinner North, on October 15th. The theme for the event is "Hearts On Fire", and the dress is "Creative Black Tie". Sunriser Barbara Browning is organizing the event, so if you have questions of a sartorial nature, you can address them to her. The fun begins at 6 pm with a no-host cocktail hour, followed by dinner at 7 pm. The keynote speaker will be former Rotary International President Rick King.

Coming up on Wednesday, October 26th is the 2nd Annual Cross Country Championships. We will once again sponsor the event, which will feature local student athletes in grades K through 8. We will be staffing the event, so be sure to save the date.

Speaking of saving the date, don't forget that A Taste of the Holidays (aka TOTH) is
not far off. November 17th is the Thursday before Thanksgiving, and we will need "all hands on deck". As always, it will entail a lot of work and a lot of fun.

Due to time constraints, we did not have a Recognitions Session with Chief Recognizer Bob Johnson. President Scott had a slide to that effect in his presentation, and he thanked Bob for making the segment so entertaining. But Bob heaved a sigh of relief when Scott said that he'd be up again next meeting - "I actually thought that you fired me!" No chance - we'll be ready next Friday.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU

We often receive cards, notes, and letters thanking our Club for the work we do a
nd the funds we contribute. However, the folks from the Arcata Playhouse had a unique way of expressing their gratitude for their recent "Extreme Makeover". Arcata Sunrise selected the nonprofit as the target for our 2nd SWOT Operation. SWOT stands for "Serving With Our Talents". And so we did.

David Furney and Jackie Dardeneau provided an update last Friday. They initially met with Barbara Browning and President Scott, who said, "Tell us what you need - the Big List." So we, along with many businesses and other volunteers tackled it.

The Makeover progressed in two phases over the summer. Phase One involved a major upgrade of the electrical system and a lot of other smaller construction projects. This took place during a 10-day shutdown in June. The Playhouse was closed again las
t month, this time for two weeks, as the kitchen was totally renovated. A new water fountain was also added. Many of the upgrades are not evident to the public, but they will make the Playhouse safer for all.
The thank you (and I wish I had brought my video camera for this) came in the form of a song. David played guitar as Jackie sang, "SWOT Is Everywhere". The lyrics envision the SWOT concept sweeping the country and even the world.

The pair closed by presenting President Scott with the (symbolic) key to the Playhouse, and inviting all of us to an Open House, which will take place Saturday, September 24th from 11 am to 2 pm
.

"The Arcata Sunrise Rotary saw the value of what we're doing at the Playhouse," said David. He also noted that the work has brought a lot of attention to the group.

DR. ELLEN MAHONEY ON RURAL CANCER CARE
Our Guest Speaker last week was Dr. Ellen Mahoney, of St. Joseph Health System. Dr. Mahoney is the medical director for St. Joseph Hospital's new multidisciplinary cancer program, in addition to directing both the Perioperative Services and Oncology Departments. She also maintains a private practice and works with the Humboldt Community Breast Health Project.

Dr. Mahoney said that she has worked with cancer patients for over 20 years. Over that time, she has seen the devastation that a cancer diagnosis brings, but she has also found inspiration in the courage so many of her patients have shown.

She noted that there are national standards and best practices for caring for patients with cancer and other diseases, and these standards and practices are reviewed and revised continuously. Unfortunately, if you see a doctor who hasn't studied the problem you have since he or she was a resident 25 years ago, your care will be out of date by that 25 years. Ensuring that doctors are kept up to date is critical.

Dr. Mahoney also said that many cancer patients in our area believe that they will receive better coordinated care at a university hospital, such as UCSF or Stanford. She believes that the best option is to provide that coordinated care locally. We have access to the latest information, and local practitioners can create guidelines for care that are tailored to each individual patient.

She praised St. Joseph's CEO Joe Mark, saying that he asked how his organization could bring the best system for cancer care to this rural area. The answer is coming in three stages:

Stage One is to provide better coordination of care for each patient. Getting information from the Tumor Board and other segments of the system back to the patient's doctor quickly and with a clear plan of action is critical.

Stage Two is providing a way to have a patient see her or his surgeon, oncologist, and chemotherapist on the same day, and to receive and review the treatment plan at that time.

Stage Three involves creating a facility that houses the activities involved in the first two stages.

Dr. Mahoney said that professionals are buying into the program because they realize that this program will serve as a national model for rural cancer care. And although they are running on a shoestring" right now, they are seeking grant funding for the program.

Volume XI, Issue 9: September 2, 2011

ROTARIAN(S) OF THE MONTH(S) President Scott introduced a new feature for his year - each month he will be selecting a "Rotarian of the Month". He said that these are and will be Sunrisers who have influenced and inspired him. At our last meeting, he doubled down by naming the Rotarian of the Month for July and for August.

July's honors went to Janice Newman for her current work as our Sergeant-at-Arm
s, and for all of the time and energy she has put into Rotary over the years. Janice has served her Club in almost every conceivable capacity, and she continues to support Rotary at the District level. The August award was presented to Barbara Browning, who has spearheaded the "Extreme Makeovers" of two local nonprofits - last year's efforts to help the McKinleyville Family Resource Center, and the help we are continuing to give the Arcata Playhouse. Congratulations to both deserving honorees.
THE NOËMI REPORT
No
ëmi Schönenberger, our Rotary Exchange Student from Switzerland, is settling in. Last week she had nearly completed her first week at Arcata High School, and she said, "I really like it." She has met a lot of new people there. Since she is taking up photography, the Club presented her with a new camera bag.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
This weekend, Rotarians from throughout District 5130 will gather at Fortuna's River Lodge to record a Lip Dub to help promote the 2012 District Conference and the City of Fortuna. A lip dub is a music video that combines lip synching and audio dubbing. The video will feature the song, "Celebrate" by Kool and the Gang. If you would like to be part of the action, be at the River Lodge at 4:30 pm Saturday for the rehearsal, and return at 8:00 am Sunday for the taping. Be sure to wear your Sunriser/Rotary attire for the occasion. "Woo-hoo!!"
Romi Hitchcock-Tinseth asked us not to forget HSU's nationally-televised football game on Thursday, September 8th. It's the home opener for the Jacks, who will play the Central Washington Wildcats, with the action starting at 5 pm. Coach Rob Smith's crew comes into the game fresh from a 29-3 win over Mesa State last week.
Other events on the horizon include ...
  • 9/17 California Coastal Cleanup Day - possible Adopt-a-Highway date
  • 10/1 Pastels on the Plaza
  • 10/7 Backpacks for Kids Kickoff - we'll be packing after the morning meeting
  • 10/15 "Hearts on Fire" - Foundation Dinner North at Blue Lake Casino
  • 10/26 2nd Annual Cross Country Championships
RECOGNITIONS
Bob Johnson, our official Club Recognizer, has been watching for Rob McBeth for a while now. Rob surfaced last Friday, and Bob seized the opportunity to speak with him about the local Boys and Girls Club.
Rob and his company O & M Industries has been helping the club for years, and they were recently honored for yet another contribution. This time, it was a donation to the "It Just Takes One" campaign.

Patrick McCarthy was not in attendance last week, but one of his ideas was. It was a new Recognitions feature called, "How Did I Miss That?" In this instance, pictures of Orrin Plocher and George Jetson were compared. Separated at birth?

Bob J asked about plans for the big Labor Day weekend, and Bob Moore "volunteered" that, "We really don't have any." They'll be staying close to home.

Rina Brodhag had plans, however, and shoes. She was headed that evening to Cave Junction to watch her son (along with other Arcata Tigers) play football. She dressed for the occasion in Tiger-ish attire, including striped shoes. Admittedly, they are white and black, not orange and black, but they will have to do ... for now. On Saturday, she was going to head to the big bash at the estate of Sir Charles Giannini.

Bryan Plumley was planning a stay-at-home weekend. He hoped to devote a large portion of his weekend to magically turning a closet into a computer room.

Amy and Steve Bohner were headed south Friday to take in a Giants game. The games was televised and one of the camera operators was the son of a friend. Were they on the tube? Maybe we'll find out from Bob at the next meeting.


It wasn't related to Labor Day, but Howard Stauffer provided us with details of his summer excursion to the Yukon. His party went on a canoeing trip down the Big Salmon River. The cold and rain prompted Howard to remark, "We discovered why there aren't many people in the Yukon." On the second day, one of the canoes capsized and "the water was pretty cold". The craft was damaged and they were 12 days journey from civilization, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were preparing a rescue. BUT ... along came a Canadian backwoodsman and his hardy family. He helped to repair the boat with wire and duct tape. Although the group had one more mishap, it was not Howard's canoe that went awry. Howard said, "The fear of falling in that water gave me superhuman canoeing ability." His vigilance earned him the title of "Safety Officer".


SUSAN SEEMAN ON THE CHILDREN'S AUTHOR FESTIVAL

Susan Seeman is the Program Director for the Arcata Economic Development Corporation. That's what she does for a living, but in her free time, she volunteers to help organize the Humboldt County Children's Author Festival. The festival began in 1975, and was expected to be a one-time occurrence. However, its popularity was such that it became a biennial event, and it continues to be a big hit with both the children and the authors.

This year's edition will take place October 20-22, at schools throughout the county. There will also be an Author Banquet at Cher-Ae Heights on Friday, October 21st, and an Author Signing and Book Sale at the Humboldt County Library the following day.
Susan said that 25 authors will be participating this year, with each visiting at least three schools.

She noted that the authors like the festival for three reasons. "We treat them well, they like the camaraderie, and the schools are well-prepared.
She encouraged us to volunteer for the committee. She said that the group is well-organized and focused, which makes it easy to accomplish "a huge undertaking".