Volume XI, Issue 37: April 20, 2012

Noëmi's News

Swiss Exchange Student Noëmi Schönenberger enjoyed Arcata High School's recent Spring Break. She traveled to Sacramento and San Francisco with a friend from the tennis team. In Sacramento, they visited the State Capitol Building, and saw the Senate and the Assembly in session. Noëmi even had her picture taken with Assemblyman Wes Chesbro.

Welcome to New Member Angelo!

Janice, Angelo, and Joyce Hinrichs

The newest Sunriser is Angelo Bacigaluppi, who is a Network Engineer with Nylex.net, a local computer networking firm. Janice Newman is Angelo's Sponsor. 

Angelo has been married to Michelle for 12 years, and they have two children: 8-year old Diego and 5 year old Emma. Angelo was born in the Dominican Republic, and his interests include home brewing and computers. It's great to have you with us, Angelo!

Announcements

Visiting Rotarian (and Sunrise Spouse) Stan Elcock told us that we are all invited to the Arcata Noon Club's last social event of the Rotary Year - their annual Play Day at Moonstone Beach. The event will take place on Wednesday, June 20th. Details will follow ...

It's almost time for President-Elect George Cavinta to lose his hyphenation and take the reins of this unruly mob of Sunrisers. To that end, he will be seeking our input at the annual Fireside Meetings, to be held the first week of May. Please be sure to attend one of the get-togethers, and add your suggestions to the mix.

President Scott will host the first-ever "Rotary Club of Arcata Sunrise Freshman Mixer". This event will take place at the Plaza Grill on Wednesday, May 23rd at the Plaza Grill. All new (and relatively new) Sunrisers are strongly encouraged to attend. 

The Group Study Exchange Team from Turkey will be making its only appearance at a club meeting when they visit the Eureka Noon Club on June 11th. 

And don't forget that the District Conference will be held in Fortuna on June 15 - 17. It's really close this year, which eliminates most excuses ...

Recognitions with George Jetson Orrin Plocher

(President Scott always gets those two mixed up. But tell the truth - have you ever seen them in the same room together?)

Kathy Fraser was Plocherated first. She is making great headway on her goal of visiting all of the National Parks. On a recent vacation, she and her husband Bill scratched six more off the list. They spent two weeks in Northern Arizona and Southern Utah, and the temperatures fluctuated wildly. One day it was snowing, and not long after, they were facing 90-degree heat. The highlight for Kathy was taking a horseback ride through "some of the most beautiful country I've ever seen". So far, she has 16 of the 58 National Parks under her belt. Kathy said that her next excursion will be to the north. Details to follow.

Joyce H. has the right kind of brother-in-law. By that, I mean, one who owns a condo in Maui. Joyce said that she traveled there recently, and had a "nice relaxing trip". Ahhhh.

Rob McBeth and his company O & M Industries recently won an award for excellence. They were noted for having one of the best "Merit Shops" in the industry. Congratulations!

Lori Breyer reported that she and her husband Dave had a serene time with their slightly-delayed anniversary celebration. The couple enjoyed a quiet house for the evening.

Robert and Brenna Goodman celebrated their anniversary with dinner. Bob said that this was not an anniversary associated with "a big round number", so they had a relatively quiet time as well.

Cam and Lisa Appleton recently returned from a trip to France and Spain that coincided with their 31st anniversary. Cam reported that they had a great time - they took their son Chris and met up with daughter Thea, who is teaching in Spain. It was Cam's first trip to Europe, and he was very impressed by the different cultures and the sense of history. It was "mind-blowing".

Orrin was asked to talk with Randy Mendosa about an unspecified topic. Orrin assumed that the topic was 4/20, since Randy had dealt with the unofficial celebration for many years when he was the Chief of the Arcata Police Department. However, the important thing we learned was that his daughter would be performing that weekend as part of the All-County Junior Honor Choir. (We had learned earlier in the meeting that Rotary Kid Brody Johnson would be part of the concert as a member of the Senior Honor Band.) 

Program: The Klamath Agreement

Last Friday's guest speakers were S. Craig Tucker, Ph.D. and former Humboldt County Supervisor Jill Duffy. The two were on hand to discuss the impact of the agreements that will soon lead to the restoration of the Klamath River and its watershed.

Craig Tucker

Jill began by noting that the agreements were sought as a way to counteract the problems that have arisen from the competition for the rights to use of this important waterway. These problems came to a very dramatic head in 2002, when 64,000 adult salmon were killed. That year, Jill was elected to the Board of Supervisors, and she began studying the issues and interests at play. In the process, she met Craig, and the two have been working to bring the stakeholders together ever since. Jill acknowledged current Supervisor Mark Lovelace, who was also in attendance on Friday. She said that Mark is continuing to work on the remaining issues.

Craig said that the goal in bringing the parties together was to create a community approach to restoring the Klamath Basin. The river was in poor health, with toxic algae bloom present. The crisis seemed to rotate from one stakeholder to the next - one year, the farmers would be in trouble, the next year, it would be someone else. 

The plan that emerged focused on the dams along the Klamath. It became clear that removing the dams was a necessary part of the restoration process. It was also clear that it was only a part of the process.

The proposed dam removal did not meet much opposition - least of all from the dams' owner, PacifiCorp. The company realized that the dams did not generate much in the way of either power or revenue, and it faced a re-licensing requirement that would be prohibitively expensive. A major question remained - who would pay for the removal?

The settlement called for PacifiCorp to pay $200 million for removal, and the State of California could pay up to $250 million, but is likely to pay less. No federal funds are to be spent under the settlement plan.

Craig said that where things stand today is that PacifiCorp has begun amassing its share of the restoration costs by assessing a surcharge on its customers in California and Oregon. The Federal Agencies involved are performing an Environmental Review of the Agreements, and US Representative Mike Thompson and US Senator Jeff Merkley have introduced legislation to implement the agreements.

Volume XI, Issue 36: April 13, 2012

Craft Talk Times Two

It's always a treat when one of our newer Sunrisers tells us about themselves in their introductory Craft Talk. So it was a double treat last Friday when Laura Montagna and Dawn Elsbree teamed up for the first-ever "Tag-Team Craft Talk"! For clarity, the information about Laura below is highlighted in blue, while Dawn's information is highlighted in yellow.

Dawn went first, saying that she was born in Davis back when it was a "cow town". Her father was a Professor of Veterinary Medicine  at UC Davis, and her mother was a housewife and a frequent volunteer. Both parents were British, and the family experienced some cultural clashes - both outside and inside the family. 

Following her graduation from high school, Dawn attended UC Berkeley. She earned a degree in Philosophy, while working steadily. Dawn worked as the Event Manager for the Greek Theatre for a while, before deciding to move to New York City to pursue an MBA from Columbia University. After two years in New York, she realized that she was craving more open space, so she moved to Boston.

Then it was time to hear from Laura ... who was born in Los Angeles, where she dealt with smog alerts, among other things. Her father was a Civil Engineer, and her mother was a housewife. Laura was the oldest of three children. 

Laura graduated from high school in 1978 and went to work as a Graphic Designer. She made her way north to Humboldt County, where she worked for the Tri-City Weekly and for Thomas Home Center. She was involved in the Redwood Alliance, where she worked to force the closure of the Humboldt Bay Nuclear Power Plant. Laura and her husband Michael renovated a barn, where they hoped to raise a family off the grid. "The family thing," shes said, "didn't work out," but they did become Foster Puppy Parents.

While Dawn was a student at Columbia, she met a fellow student who was a Forester. She and Andy were married in Davis and moved to Humboldt County in 1989, where Dawn began applying for work at local nonprofit agencies. Life was not idyllic, however. "Our first honeymoon rental was condemned," she noted.

Laura decided that she would start a business and build a house. So she and two other women (including Charter Sunriser Stacey Douglas) shared office space and hung out their shingles. As her home was being built, other developments were in the works - Laura became pregnant. Nonetheless, she was determined to complete her home, and she helped set the last log atop the roof when she was over seven months along. 

The baby, Marco, is now 20, and he was followed a couple of years later by twins Gina and Jeffrey, who are now 18. Laura told us that Jeffrey is the youngest, as Gina arrived about 8 hours earlier. Unfortunately, Laura and Michael divorced when the kids were 6 and 4.

Dawn and Andy also have three children - Nicholas, who is 20; Trevor, age 19; and Claire, who is 12. Dawn took several years off to raise her kids and to help with Andy's business - A & D Forestry Services.

Laura and her family were also very involved - they volunteered at the Discovery Museum and all four acted in the Shakespeare in the Park production of "The Taming of the Shrew". Six years ago the family started a game shop with her children called Nugames. Laura continued to serve on the Charter Council for the Mattole Valley Charter School.
 
In the wake of her mother's "miraculous recovery" from ovarian cancer, Dawn took on the role of Executive Director of the Humboldt Breast Health Project. She held that position for five years, balancing the demands of family and business. Finally, she began looking for a way to give grants rather than applying for them. The timing was perfect, as the Headwaters Fund Coordinator was stepping down. So Dawn stepped in.


Laura said that now that her daughter and sons are adults, she is seeking a buyer for Nugames. She is busy creating videos and commercials, and she works as the Marketing Director for Coldwell Banker Sellers Realty. In addition, she is the Casting Director for Redwood Curtain and she volunteers for KEET-TV. In her "spare time", she plays steel drums with Pan Dulce.


Both women were attracted to the ideals of Rotary. They said that it is a good fit with their lives. We're happy (and lucky) to have them both as Sunrisers!


Bob Johnson's Recognitions

Lori and Dave Breyer's anniversary celebration was postponed for a week due to circumstances that were unforeseen, however the fireworks were rescheduled for last Friday night. Let's here it for 15 great years of marriage!!


Sir Charles (aka Chuck Giannini) was evicted ... sorta. He and his wife Barbara have moved to Sutter Estates. I'm not sure where that is, but he said that their new home is a bit smaller. The new owner of their old digs is their daughter. I guess she was ready for more room for Chuck's grandson Rocco - a very active youngster. Grandpa Chuck was very proud of Rocco for winning the 2nd grade chess championship recently.


Manifest Positivity


Our guest speaker last week was Dave Berman of Manifest Positivity. Dave is a certified hypnotist, life coach, and master practitioner of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). Dave received his B.S. in Communication from Cornell University, and he is continuing his education in hypnosis on a full tuition scholarship to the Hypnosis Practitioner Training Institute. 

Dave Berman of Manifest Positivity

Dave began by explaining that hypnosis is a natural altered state of consciousness. It is more common than most people realize. For example, you may get a cut on your finger and you may not feel it until your attention is drawn to it. Dave said that this is a form of hypnosis. In fact, he said, hypnosis can be used as a natural form of anesthesia, and it is recognized as such by medical professionals.


The reality of hypnosis is quite different from how it is portrayed in the popular media. Dave reminded us that no one can hypnotize you and then make you "do something you don't want to do." 


He uses hypnosis and NLP to help his clients with smoking cessation, emotional issues, and phobias. Dave says that standard therapy works with the conscious mind. The techniques he uses reach the subconscious, which can be more effective in many areas.


Dave describes NLP by comparing the human brain to a filing cabinet. "We interact with our perceptions of the world," he noted. If we can change those perceptions, we can "re-file" our thoughts. He said that the way that we visualize things has a strong effect on how they impact us.


He said that hypnosis and NLP are very effective techniques. Clients rarely need to come in for more than four or five sessions. For more information, check Dave's website at www.ManifestPositivity.com.

Volume XI, Issue 35: April 6, 2012

 In and Out - We Hear From Noëmi and Colin

Our Rotary Exchange Student from Switzerland Noëmi Schönenberger played on the line in the recent Powderpuff Football game at Arcata High School. She enjoyed the "awesome" experience, but she did come away with bruised hands.

 

Our Club is sponsoring Colin Swenson as our Outbound Exchange Student for the next school/Rotary year. Last week, Colin told us that he will be headed for Trieste, Italy this summer. He is already in contact with his first host family. He has a 12-year old host brother, but he won't see much of his host sister - she will be in Tampa, Florida on a Rotary Exchange of her own!

Rotarian of the Month

President Scott selected Karen Burgesser as the Rotarian of the Month for March. Karen does a lot of behind-the-scenes work for our club. She has served as our Club Secretary, and this year, she is co-chair of the Membership Committee, which has been bringing in new members at an amazing rate.

Announcements

President Scott wants us all to remember that this year's District Conference is "in our own back yard" - well, it's a short drive to Fortuna, anyway. The event will take place Thursday, June 14 through Sunday, June 17th. It's always an inspirational, engaging, and fun event. 

Bob Johnson's Recognitions

Brother Bob returned to the Recognitions Podium briefly last week. He tipped his hat to Orrin "O.P." Plocher for serving as Interim Chief Recognizer in Bob's absence (and presence). Bob put in a plug for the MS Walk that will take place this Saturday. Many merchants in Henderson Center are sponsoring the event, and if you're interested in contributing, let Bob know.

History Day

Our Club has always been involved in Humboldt County's History Day contest. Bill Tanner, the late husband of Charter Member Fran Tanner, started the event in 1981 as an alternative to the then-annual Rotary Speech Contest. Although she is no longer a member of our Club, Fran was on hand to welcome the students.

"The Miracle"

 

The first presentation was by Taylor Schroeder, Amanda Guffie, and Taylor Combs of Orick Elementary School. They were one of two groups awarded prizes in the Junior Division Group Performance category. Their presentation was "The Miracle of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan".

"Humboldt 8"

 

 

Three students from Blue Lake Elementary School made up the other winning Junior Division Group Performance team. Dakota Small, Nollan Rohn, and Wyatt Rohn presented their performance, "Humboldt 8".

"Altruism"

Kaelee Steiner-Olson of Arcata High School was a Senior Division Individual Exhibit winner for her presentation of "Obedience to Authority". Anna Nordquist and Kaitlin Tucker, also from Arcata High School, were Senior Division Group Exhibit winners for their three-sided exhibit, "Altruism: Humanity's Redeeming Quality".

"Obedience to Authority"

Volume XI, Issue 34: March 30, 2012 - Final Friday!

Let's Hear From Noemi

"It was horrible to pack," said our Exchange Student Noëmi Schönenberger last Friday. She moved in with her new host family, and she has acquired a few things since her arrival last summer. "When I came in August," she said, "I had only one suitcase." Noëmi also said that she will be playing on the Powderpuff Football team as part of Arcata High's Spring Week celebration.

Social Media and Arcata Sunrise

Garrett Perks, the designer behind our Club's website at www.arcatasunrise.org and (of course) a Sunriser, gave us a brief tour of the Arcata Sunrise Facebook page. Garrett showed us how easy it is to create a post. He noted that each time we check in on the Club page, it allows our non-Rotary friends to learn more about the things we do. So post on, Sunriser!

Announcements

Don't miss out on Friday's "Lights, Camera, MURDER!" - a fundraiser for the Lost Coast Rotaract Club. The murder mystery party will be held from 7 to 10 pm at Sewell Gallery, 423 F Street in Eureka. For more information, or to reserve a character, call 707-621-5130. Whodunit? Maybe it was (or will be) you!

If you don't get murdered at the Sewell Gallery, you may want to celebrate by attending "The Concert to End Polio Now" on Wednesday, April 18th. The evening features a concert by Lacy J. Dalton, who has a new song called "We Are Rotary". For more information, click here.

The Plocherization of Arcata Sunrise

Once again, George Jetson (aka Orrin Plocher) was in charge of making Sunrisers famous - if only briefly. Orrin first cast his gaze upon Julie Schaefer, who had driven all the way from Ashland on Thursday night to attend our humble morning meeting. Julie had been attending the Shakespeare Festival, specifically "Animal Crackers", the 1928 musical comedy that begat the classic film that starred the Marx Brothers.

We only had one birthday to celebrate last Friday, but it was a special one. Rotary Kid Mary Crow recently celebrated her birthday with a "pajama day" at school. And we sang "Happy Birthday" to her as well. 

President Scott had to confess that he had been "caught with his pins down". He made a promise at the beginning of his realm that if anyone saw him in public without a Rotary pin (or other Rotary accouterments on his person), he would contribute $100 to that person's Rotary Foundation account. Well, it took almost 75% of Scott's term, but at a recent birthday party, upon close inspection, Jeff Munther claimed the prize. 

Foundation Final Friday

One of our Club's great traditions is to reserve the last Friday meeting of each month for a celebration of the amazing and wonderful things that the Rotary Foundation accomplishes. At Friday's meeting, we watched a video about water purification projects supported by the Foundation. The video had been presented at the 2009 Rotary International Conference in Birmingham, England, and it featured projects in Calcutta, the Dominican Republic, and Korea.

We also had one of our famous Foundation Final Friday Auctions, where Sunrisers donate items, and other Sunrisers bid on them. All of the money raised benefits the Rotary Foundation. Here's a list of items, donors, and purchasers:

• Donnie Rosebrook donated a fishing pole, reel, and line, which was purchased by Craig Newman.
• Bob Johnson provided a digital "Smart Level", and the winning bid was provided by Lori Breyer.
• Brandi Easter offered a freshly caught seafood dinner, which appealed to many of us, but was won by Jessica McKnight.
• Craig Newman gave us a rose crafted from iron, and Amy Bohner took that home.
• Jason White promised the labor of two of his St. Bernard's High School football players. Susan Jansson's bid snagged their services for four hours.
• And Susan herself provided a yoga package, including a mat with carrying case and a soothing massage, which was snapped up by Terri Clark.

Terri also let us know that if you set up a recurring donation to the Foundation between April 1st and July 1st you can earn double credit towards your Paul Harris Sustaining Fellowship. The donations must be made online, they must be recurring, and you must be registered with Rotary Direct. Click here (Double PHF Points Information) for all the details. Then take action!