A Moment With Noëmi
Exchange Student Noëmi Schönenberger had an exciting winter break. So it was only fitting that she should take advantage of the prize she won at the Taste of the Holidays - a massage provided by Sunriser Barbara Browning! President Scott asked, "Did you get everything you wanted for Christmas?" "Yes, and more!" she replied.
Rotarian of the Month for December
If you read the Sunrise Spirit last month, it will come as no surprise that President Scott selected Craig Newman as December's Rotarian of the Month. Craig was seen in more places than Elvis himself! He was at the dinner we served to local foster youth from beginning to end, and seemed to teleport himself to the gym at Arcata High for the Arcata Invitational Basketball Tournament. Congratulations and thanks from all of us! Send in the clones!!!
Coming Soon to a Sunrise Rotary Near You ...
- On January 28th, the Country Pretenders will be performing at the "Rotary Party at the Arcata Playhouse. For more information, visit the Arcata Playhouse Events page.
- Save The Date! Sunriser History will be made and celebrated on February 17th as the Rotary Club of Arcata Sunrise reaches a milestone - 20 years of Service Above Self! Stay tuned for more information about this exciting Charter Night event! President Scott has challenged us all to come up with a logo that we can use throughout our 20th year that honors our past and our future.
- Saturday, March 10th is another very important date - it's our annual Spring Fundraiser. We expect to hear this year's theme and more kickoff information at our Friday meeting.
Bob Johnson's Recognitions
Last Friday we learned that Romi Hitchcock-Tinseth was in Seattle on Christmas Day. Through the ether, we also heard bits and snippets - it seems that a camp stove was involved, and apparently everyone looked fabulous in their jammies at 9 am!
Charlie Jordan said that she witnessed Susan's daughter and C.J.'s son enter into wedded bliss on New Year's Eve. The entertainment was a Beatles cover band, but the truly romantic moment was when the groom turned to the bride and said, "Thank you for marrying me!"
It was a working birthday for Brenda Bishop this year. She was excited because this year, all the digits were ones and twos (12-21-12). Brenda gave a birthday gift - a pair of tickets to the Rose Bowl to a lucky Duck ... fan!
There were no Ducks harmed in the celebration of George Cavinta's birthday - but there was a pleasant dinner at the Plaza Grill.
Ron Sharp was not able to attend last week's meeting, but one of the advantages (?) of being a two-Sunriser couple is that we can get updates from the other half. Barbara Browning told us that Ron had "kind of a crappy birthday", but it wasn't all bad - he learned to line dance.
Cam Appleton's birthday is December 31st, and he celebrated at the Plaza Grill, then spent the next day crabbing. Bob asked about his daughter Thea, and Cam said that she is teaching English in Spain.
The day that Cam was a-crabbin', John Wesa was a-celebratin'! His birthday is the January 1st, and he went to a bar in Carlotta. "It's a very male place," John told us. "Where the men are men and the sheep are afraid."
Bob asked if there had been a "city-wide celebration" for Randy Mendosa's birthday. Alas, someone must have mislaid the banners and floats. But Arcata's City Manager did receive cookies at work, and "a five-star meatloaf at home". Who needs a parade, anyway?
January 2nd was Anniversary Number Nine for Rebecca and Abe Crow. Bob showed us scenes from their wedding/elopement/honeymoon trip to Mt. Shasta. One of the photos pictured their rig being towed away, but it was for a repair, not illegal parking. And Rebecca noted that Mt. Shasta is a walkable town. For their anniversary this year, the couple rented a movie and celebrated after the kids went to bed.
On the Future of the North Coast Resource Center
Our Guest Speaker last Friday was Derk Schultz, the President of the North Coast Resource Center (formerly known as the Arcata Endeavor). Derk has been on the NCRC Board of Directors for the past six years, and has served as its president for the past two.
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| Derk Schultz |
The organization started life as a food pantry at the Arcata Presbyterian Church, and Derk reminded us that "hunger is a reality in our world". The NCRC is very much in transition at this time, as it faces difficult decisions. One of those decisions was not to operate a winter shelter program this year. The group felt that they could not operate the shelter properly without adequate staff.
Derk hopes that the current NCRC shutdown is temporary. He knows that the need for assistance is there, and he and his fellow board members are seeking input by holding community forums.
One of the hurdles that the NCRC has always faced is one of perception. "A lot of people assume that they know what we do," he said, "and who we work with." Many of those people are surprised to find that the organization's clientele includes many families and older people.
Derk said that their "Back to Basics" program has had a lot of success. It is a work enablement program that helps disenfranchised individuals develop basic skills and trains them how to meet on-the-job expectations. One key element is helping the participants develop good hygiene habits. Peer mentoring is another successful aspect of the program. Derk makes a point of saying that the NCRC doesn't "give a handout - we give a hand up".
