Volume XII, Issue 22: December 20, 2013

Exchange Student News
At last week's meeting, Alex Rialet, our Exchange Student from France, gave us an update. He said that he went to the final football game of the year at Humboldt State, then he attended the Arcata Invitiational Basketball Tournament at Arcata High. President Jessica said that she and Alex were the two representatives from our Club at the final game. He also made some croissants for the holidays. Jessica also told Alex that his Christmas present from the Club is an AHS yearbook - "a solid set of memories" - to be delivered near the end of the school year. 

Jessica also shared a few words from our Outbound Exchange Student in Italy, Logan White: "The weekend after my last post [in early November], my host parents took me and two friends to Lugano. If you ask the Internet, you will learn that Lugano is a small city on the shore of a lake in the south of Switzerland. If you ask me, you will learn [that] it is a breathtaking city on the edge of a breathtaking lake with crisp autumn temperatures, ridiculously high-end stores, and an awesome public park." For more from Logan, click on "Logan White in Italy" in the Links section to your right.

Announcements
As mentioned, President Jessica (and Alex) attended the AIBT Championship Game between Arcata High and the Fortuna Huskies. As our President who is also a Fortuna High alumna, she was conflicted. She sat with the Arcata fans, but she said that "it did my heart good to give FHS the trophy".

She also reminded us that through the end of the year, your donations to the Rotary Foundation will receive double recognition toward your Paul Harris Fellowship. But the clock is ticking ...

Recognitions
Craig Reed Keeps his Minions in Line
Tomas Chavez hosted the Recognitions segment of last week's meeting, calling upon Craig Reed to discuss his recent cruise to the Bahamas with family members. He also had fun at a recent holiday party at work. This photo shows him dealing with Gary ("one of my minions at work"), keeping the celebration from getting out of hand. Craig was awarded a tote bag with a pineapple and goat cheese for winning the limbo competition. He was also involved in a contest during his cruise. in which they sought the World's Sexiest Man. Craig noted that it "went poorly. I did come in last place, but there were only 10 people, and that makes me the 10th sexiest person on the ship."

Bob Johnson was recently returned from a brief trip to Hawaii to visit his son Aaron, who is attending school there. He arrived the day after Thanksgiving, and they spent four days walking around Honolulu. It rained on the Sunday he was there, "but it's still 70 degrees, so it's still kinda fun." He had a really good time, and he said that Aaron is now home for the Christmas holiday through early January.

Zöe and Romi
Romi Hitchcock Tinseth was very excited - not so much that she had completed the "Holiday Half" half-marathon in Portland, but that her daughter Zöe had completed it with her. They trained together and supported one another during the race. 

 Janice and Craig Newman celebrated their recent anniversary with a 12-day trip. They were in Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, Connecticut, and other parts of southern New England. While there, they encountered the "Elf on the Shelf", the live version of the children's book character. Apparently, in real life, the Elf wears mascara and rides atop a truck in Christmas parades. Janice also encountered Susan Branch, who has been Janice's favorite author since the late 1970s. Craig added, "She made me drive by her house." For his part, Craig spent his time looking at the hardware and architecture, when he wasn't watching football at the B&B. Since he occasionally forges iron himself, he is appreciative of the work done by the blacksmiths of the 1700s and 1800s. 

The day before our meeting was Ed Christian's birthday. When asked what he did to celebrate, he replied, "Pretty much nothing. All I really wanted was a nice quiet day at work, and since I didn't get that ..." Ed did say that he would probably go out to dinner over the weekend, especially since his co-workers got him a gift certificate for Moonstone Grill. "Problem solved!" he said.

Your Editor's birthday was the day of the meeting. I noted that, "I'm awake, I'm still alive ... I think." I planned to go to dinner with my wife Shelley that night, "or we will just go out with Ed tomorrow night".

President Jessica had one more recognition - she presented our faithful server Elsa with a token of our appreciation. Elsa works hard at each of our meetings to ensure that we are fed and (perhaps most importantly) provided a good supply of coffee. 

Our Annual Holiday Treat
As per Arcata Sunrise tradition, we were serenaded by the Arcata High School Madrigal Choir, directed by Carol Jacobson, and accompanied by Jonathan Webster. Below, you will find links to videos of the pieces they shared with us, and below those is a photo showing President Jessica with a check for $500 to help pay for the group's April trip to Italy!
A Little Help for the Madrigal Choir's Spring Trip
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Volume XII, Issue 21: December 13, 2013

What's New With Alex?

 This photo of Alex Rialet (our Club's Rotary Exchange Student from Toulouse, France) was taken at the birthday party for his Host Brother DIego Baciagaluppi. I assume that he wore something different for the recent cold weather - maybe a wet suit? President Jessica noted that despite the low temperatures, Alex has begun learning how to surf!





Announcements

 Scott Heller's father Doug passed away shortly before Thanksgiving. Doug and Scott's mother Mary visited our Club in October 2011, during Scott's term as our Club President. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Scott, Mary, and the rest of their family.
 
Mary, Scott, and Doug Heller

The Arcata High School Madrigal Choir will entertain us at our next meeting (Friday, December 20th), but if you want a preview and a chance to hear the ARMACK Orchestra and the AHS Concert Choir, go to HSU's Van Duzer Theater at 7 pm on Thursday, December 19th for their Winter Concert. Tickets are only $5.


Ed Christians has completed the requirements that allow him to discard his Red Badge in favor of a shiny new Blue Badge. (Actually, the red one gets recycled.) And although Recognitions Master Tomas Chavez was unable to attend last week's meeting, he infomed Jessica that best Christmas light display in the neighborhood belongs to Ed. Ed told us that when he lived in Texas, the next city over spent over $20,000 on its holiday light extravaganza. Nonetheless, Ed said that his Austin neighborhood outdid them. So this year, he "put up the lights that survived the move".
Not too Austin-tatious!



The Boards of Directors for both the Club and our Foundation met on December 10th. The agendas and minutes (from the previous meetings) are available to Sunrisers on our website. Here are the highlights from the Club Board Meeting:
  • Our Club's Attendance for November was up to 75%, including our Taste of the Holidays meeting.
  • The Treasurer's Report is available on our site, as are committee reports.
  • Club Elections have been completed for this Rotary Year
The top items from the Foundation's Board Meeting included:
  • The Treasurer's Report showed that our committees have begun making use of their budgets. And although the final figures are not yet in for Taste of the Holidays, it looks like our return on investment will be good.
  • The World Community Service Committee has requested that it (and other committees) be allowed to set aside funds annually to be applied to future Rotary Foundation Matching Grant projects. There was some discussion, but no decision was made.
  • Susan Jansson and Barbara Browning continue to lead the discussion about the future of our Spring Fundraiser. President Jessica noted that we need to continue to keep the Arcata Volunteer Fire Department Club in the loop, as they have worked as hard as we have over the years to make the event a success. She also said that Sunrisers will probably be surveyed sometime in January.
  • The PTO at Pacific Union School is applying for nonprofit status, but the process is not complete. They have requested that we help process funds for their annual fundraiser, as we did last year. The final decision has not been made yet.
President Jessica continues to recognize those with perfect attendance. If you missed a meeting somewhere along the line, please be sure to do a makeup meeting with another club or at a committee meeting. Remember, you're eligible for Jessica's monthly drawings if you had 100% attendance in the previous month.

A Visit From Maheen
Maheen
We had a special visitor from Pakistan last week. Maheen has been in the US for four months, and she told us that life here is "pretty much the same" as her life in her home country. "We wake up every morning," she said, "and go to school or go to jobs."  To illustrate her point, she showed us photos of her family and her friends from her university in Pakistan. She said that every child in Pakistan is inquisitive and wants to attend school. Maheen's stay in this country was sponsored by Pakistani businessmen.

She told us, "The notion that you get from the media that people [in Pakistan] are terrorists is wrong. People have the same feelings and the same values."

Radiation Oncology at St. Joseph Hospital
Our featured speaker last Friday was Dr. Michael Harmon, the Director of Radiation Oncology for St. Joseph Hospital. Dr. Harmon said that there have been major advances in cancer treatments over the past five years. In addition the hospital has hired many new staff members, including Medical Oncologist Dr. Jeff Allen. The group has pledged a new commitment to working as a team.

Dr. Harmon also noted that the hospital now enjoys an unprecendented relationship with Stanford University Medical Center. Stanford has never before made the commitment to work in conjunction with a community hospital. The benefits include access to Stanford's medical records and its treatment protocols, including experimental protocols. The local staff can now present cases to Stanford's Tumor Board for review as needed.

Dr. Harmon presented four case studies to illustrate the progress being made in radiation treatment. The first case involved an 84 year old male who had a Stage 4 carcinoma at the base of his tongue, which had metastasized to his neck. A PET scan (which Dr. Harmon explained is a combination of a CAT scan and radioisotope imaging) showed that
Dr. Michael Harmon
the tumor was using glucose at a high rate. This is an indication that the tumor is growing quickly. With the new linear accelerators available to the staff, radiation can be more precisely directed at the tumor, with less scatter. In this case, the patient also received chemotherapy, and was in complete remission one year later.

Another success story involved a woman 66 years of age who had a Stage 3B carcinoma in her lung. The tumor led to SVC (Superior Vena Cava) Syndrome, which is an obstruction of the blood flow from the upper half of her body to her heart. Emergency radiation therapy resolved her SVC Syndrome, and was followed by chemotherapy.

A 40 year old woman was admitted after a massive chest tumor was found that was compressing her lungs and heart. She was approaching cardiac and pulmonary failure. After four radiation treatments led to dramatic improvement, she too was switched to chemotherapy.

The final case was of a 70 year old woman who had a recurrence of a Stage 3B carcinoma of the lung. Six years prior, she had been treated with radiation and chemotherapy. Two years later, the cancer had metastasized to her brain, which led to brain surgery and more radiation therapy. The latest recurrence was treated with radiation and chemotherapy. which led to a complete response.

Local cancer treatment is possible in large part due to the acquisition of the two new linear accelerators at St. Joe's. Over 6,000 patients have been treated by the Radiation Oncology Department in the past 20 year, and early stage breast and prostate cancers have a cure rate of over 90%. Local treatment is critical in cases where the patient would be unlikely to survive the rigors and duration of a medical flight.

Dr. Harmon said that it is helpful to be able to be treated by doctors you know, to receive more personal care in a local facility, to be able to live at home and enjoy the support of family and friends. It is also nice not to "live out of a suitcase" for the time it takes to be treated out of the area. He noted that, especially with the new relationship with Stanford, patients are not sacrificing quality care when they are treated locally.
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Volume XII, Issue 20: December 6, 2013

Checking In With Alex and Silvie
Chef Alex
Our Exchange Student from France, Alex Rialet, experienced his first Thanksgiving this year. He said that he went to Lori Breyer's house for a gathering of Exchangers. He made creme puffs, meringues, and quiche. Following that, he and his host family went to Oakland for Thanksgiving to meet with more family members. "Were there a lot of them?" asked President Jessica. Alex nodded quickly - "Yeah ... and there was a lot of pie!" While he was there, he watched football and posed for his Senior Picture. And now, it's back to school and to HealthSport.
Silvie Neander

We met next year's Outbound Exchange Student at last Friday's meeting - Silvie Neander. Sylvie is a senior at Arcata High this year, and she said that her "top choice" for an Exchange posting would be in Spain. We shall see ...

Announcements
Last week we held our annual elections, selecting two Directors and the Club President for the year 2015-2016. Scott Heller and Dawn Elsbree were voted in as Directors, and Howard Stauffer will lead our Club following Barbara Browning's term.

President Jessica thanked us all for our work on this year's Taste of the Holidays. Everyone did a great job with ticket sales and finding items for the Dutch Auction. However, the TOTH Committee deserves special recognition - Amy Bohner, Scott Heller, Julie Schaeffer, Angelo Baciagaluppi, Dawn Elsbree, Karen Burgesser, and Rina Brodhag. And a super special Thank You goes out to TOTH Chair Ron Sharp! If you are still hoarding ticket money or tickets, please turn those in as soon as you can, so we can get a final accounting for the event.

George Cavinta and another stellar group of Sunrisers also deserve a shout-out for hosting another successful Foster Youth Dinner last week. On the menu were turkey, ham, mashed potatoes (4 pans!), mac & cheese, and a huge salad. There was enough to feed the foster kids and their supporters, with enough left over for a donation to the Rescue Mission at the event's end!

This week, we turn our attention to the  Arcata Invitational Basketball Tournament, better known as the AIBT. As usual, it's a three-day affair, beginning Thursday, December 12th through Saturday the 14th. The Coaches' Reception will take place at the Plaza Grill Friday at 10 pm. Coinciding with the AIBT is Saturday's Annual Pancake Breakfast, which supports the AHS College and Career Center. Breakfast will be served from 8 to 11 am in the AHS Multi-Purpose Room. The cost is $8 for those between the ages of 18 and 60, and $5 for everyone else.

President Jessica announced that nominations are open for District Governor for the Rotary Year 2016-2017. Please let her know if you have someone in mind, or if you would like to be considered.

Recognitions
Karen Burgesser served up the recognitions last Friday, and she discovered that during our recent Holiday Hiatus, Mark Burtchett celebrated his birthday. He had plans to go on a morning bike ride, but it was too cold. Among other things, he hiked a bit (I think) and had a nice dinner. Most important, he was able to stay away from work.

President Jessica celebrated her birthday by "serving 250 people dinner". Her birthday coincided with the Foster Youth Dinner on Thursday of last week. Following that, she and her husband James went to Robert Goodman's Tasting Room for "a bite to eat and a birthday cocktail".

Karen then called upon Your Editor to discuss his anniversary as well as his recent "exciting travels". I had to confess that Shelley and I hadn't had an overly romantic or exciting 18th anniversary - we picked up burritos from the mall. I noted that we planned to make up for it with a nice dinner over the weekend. As for the travels, I had a quick business trip planned for the week. I left Arcata on Tuesday, headed for San Diego and then to San Clemente Island to do some management training for our nonprofit's staff there. However - and this was expected - I travelled by way of Salt Lake City. I went even farther afield on my way back, making an unexpected jaunt to Denver before returning to the Golden State. The good news was that there were clear skies over much of the Southwest, and I was treated to a great view of the Grand Canyon.

Tomas Chavez said that a lot of his family was in town for Thanksgiving week, and Karen found a photo of him fishing with his brother-in-law and his nephews, who are four and seven. "We took the boat out to Freshwater Lagoon and caught nothing." Tomas laughed, "It was a lot of fun just to


be out there with the boys."

Karen then called on Ron Sharp to discuss the Co-op's recent prize-winning display. It was a national contest, and the Co-op received the Grand Prize for being the Non-GMO Project Supporting Retailer. Someone asked what the prize was, and Ron had to admit, "I'm not sure yet." Apparently it won't be awarded until September of next year, so they've got time to put something together.

Gregg Foster was asked about a photo of him with fellow Sunriser Laura Montagna. Gregg was the emcee for the TEDx Youth @ Humboldt Bay presentation, held Sunday, November 17th. Laura was one of the key organizers of the event, which featured 22 speakers, and lasted around four hours. Click here to watch video from the event.

Fire Station Update
Our Featured Speakers last week were Chief Desmond Cowan and Captain Alan Davis, both with the Arcata Fire Department, and Kirk Cohune of Greenway Partners. They shared the current plan for revitalizing the Fire Department's facilities and operations.
Desmond started by telling us that they wanted to share the "evolution of the project that we've been working on for so long". He noted that the partnership between his department and our Club has been "positive and so beneficial". The department brought Greenway Partners on board to help them develop a strategic plan to sort through the many alternatives for relocating the main fire station.

The two entities looked at the data on the types of calls received, and more importantly, the locations of those calls. The analysis led to the conclusion that the optimal location for the main station is right where it is. The department serves a large geographic area, from Crannell and McKinleyville to Fieldbrook, Blue Lake, Arcata, Jacoby Creek, Bayside, Indianola, and Manila.

A task force was formed, and they considered all of the department's assets and the needs of the people to whom they provide services. The analysis considered all of the properties the AVFD owns, and evaluated each to determine the best locations to house the needed functions. The sites discussed were the existing facilities - the downtown headquarters, the Mad River station on Janes Road, and the station on Central Avenue in McKinleyville; and the proposed sites - Bayside and the location on Sunset.

The task force concluded that the proposed new station at Sunset would require a continuation of fundraising efforts for years to come. The cost had increased to over $5 million, and so the consensus was to improve two of the current facilities. The current downtown station would be expanded and modernized with new quarters for the crew, an update to the volunteer meeting room and kitchen, expanded apparatus bays, creating offices for staff, relocating the administrative headquarters to the McKinleyville station, and ensuring that the entire facility met ADA and public safety standards. The McKinleyville station, would be expanded to accommodate the administrative offices, and its crew quarters and apparatus bays would be expanded and modernized. 

The task force believes that the current plan is the best option for moving forward and providing the best service to the people in the communities it serves. They hope to begin the project in the early part of 2014.

Alan Davis, Kirk Cohune, President Jessica, and Desmond Cowan
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Volume XII, Issue 19: November 15, 2013

Announcements
Last week's meeting was conducted by Julie Vaissade-Elcock, who served as Club President (and Rotarian Queen) in 2009-2010. Julie asked Alex Rialet, our Rotary Exchange Student from France, about his week. Alex said that he hadn't had school on Monday (Veterans Day), and on Tuesday he turned in his football gear. On Wednesday and Thursday, he hung out with friends.

Past President George Cavinta exhorted us to help out at the annual dinner that we prepare for the local foster families and the people who support them. The event will take place on Thursday, December 5 at the Bethel Church on Hubbard Lane in Eureka.

Sunrisers Bryan Plumley and Terri Clark are both looking for assistance/assistants at their offices. Bryan is a Financial Advisor at Edward Jones Investments in Arcata, and Terri is the Director of Operations at Hunter, Hunter, and Hunt.

Tickets for this week's Taste of the Holidays are in scarce supply. We are looking good for the event, thanks to the guidance of event chair Ron Sharp. See you there!

I hope to see you at the Arcata Invitational Basketball Tournament as well. This year, the AIBT does not conflict with the aforementioned Foster Family Dinner - it will take place Thursday, December 12 through Saturday, December 14. The early call is for Sunrisers (and others) who would like to place ads in the event program. For information, contact Travis Schneider. Also, watch for e-mails asking you to sign up for AIBT tasks. And don't forget the Coaches' Dinner, which will take place Friday, December 13th at the Plaza Grill.

Gregg Foster - Craft Talk Redux
"You know I just did this eighteen years ago," Gregg Foster noted last Friday, "and really, nothing exciting has happened since then." The occasion was Gregg's second Craft Talk. He originally joined our Club in May 1995, two weeks before the birth of his first son. Riley is now 6'3", and a freshman at College of the Redwoods.

In 1995, he said, "my Craft Talk consisted of - I was born in Garberville, raised in Miranda, went off to school at UC Davis, got married, quit my job, came back to Arcata in 1991, and at that time, I was working with Maggie Gainer." Gregg and Maggie had been friends for many years, and they worked as consultants, with a nationwide clientele.

He joined our Club's Board of Directors at the urging of Former President Harry Johnson, and Gregg became Club President for the 1999-2000 Rotary Year. "I like to do things in threes," he said, "and so when I became Club President, I also changed jobs, and had another child. Actually, my wife had him." He said that it was an exciting time. He had been working for the Humboldt Area Foundation, but he became the Executive Director of the Redwood Region Economic Development Corporation (RREDC). He held that position from 1999 to 2007.

And then ... "One day in 2007, my friend, whom I had known for years, Patrick Cleary came into my office and said, 'Have you ever thought about working in radio?'" Since the station was only 600 yards from Gregg's front door, he signed on. He had a lot of fun during his two years as the Master of Some Media, “however as a career path, it was probably not one that was going to take me a long ways”. 

Following the dismissal and subsequent arrest of one of Gregg’s replacements at RREDC in 2009, he was offered his old job once again. He accepted “knowing I would not do any worse than that”.

Continuing his doing things in threes, in 2012 Gregg changed jobs, got divorced, and moved. (He noted that two of the three were very closely related.) Gregg has been with Redwood Capital Bank for almost two years. He enjoys his job, and he is excited about the organization’s plans to open a branch in Arcata. He offered to head north with the business, even though he lives in Ferndale, mostly so he could re-join our Club. After all, “there are still a few folks left from when I was there the first time. They all look older, while I still look the same.” Gregg is a Commercial Lender, which means that he facilitates business loans. He works with three other lenders, and they are all extremely busy. 

Gregg also stays busy as a volunteer. He serves on several boards for local organizations. These include the Small Business Development Center, St. Joseph’s Foundation, University Center, and Eureka Main Street, among others. His boys are now 14 and 18, and both are freshmen – one at Ferndale High, the other at CR.

Good News
Terri Clark said that she recently visited Miami. It was a great place to visit, other than the cost of martinis - $25.80? She said that she felt “too old, and underdressed”.

Rebecca Crow said that we failed to recognize her for her birthday (October 23rd). She said that it was okay, because she was following a variant of the RCAS Birthmonth Tradition by celebrating for two weeks before and two weeks after. (Please note that this variation is currently in beta testing. You should seek approval from our Board of Directors before proceeding.)

Somebody didn’t show up for Rob McBeth’s surprise birthday party at the Cutten Inn – Rob!. He had been out of town on business, and his return was delayed. He did phone in an appearance, but he told us in confidence that he was okay with missing the event – “There were too many old people there anyway!”

Do We Need to “Revive” the Redwood Industry?
Our featured speaker last Monday was Gary Rynearson of the Green Diamond Resource Company (GRDC). Gary is a native of Arcata, born in Trinity Hospital, and he is a graduate of the Forestry Program at Humboldt State. Gary worked in Alaska and British Columbia before returning to Humboldt County. He worked for a natural resource and timber management company in Eureka for 24 years before moving to Simpson Timber and Green Diamond for the past 12 years. He served on the State Board of Forestry from 2000 to 2007, he has been on the board of the Humboldt County Farm Bureau, he is a past chairman of the Buckeye Conservancy, along with several other prominent volunteer positions.

Green Diamond was founded in the a logging company in 1890 by Sol Simpson, and over a century later, the company is still privately owned by his descendants (the Reed family). Gary told us that the business is headquartered in Seattle, and it owns land in two distinct areas. One is located near Shelton, Washington on the south end of Puget Sound, encompassing approximately 350,000 acres. Their other major holding is about 400,000 acres mostly in California; about 50,000 acres of the total is in Oregon. Gary noted that it is basically a Washington company and a California company. 

This dichotomy led the Simpson Timber Company to spin off Green Diamond in 2006 to manage its forest lands. Differences in the timber markets of Washington and California spurred this change. The Washington market is very competitive, while the California Redwood Company (which is owned by Green Diamond) competes in the California market. The limitations of that market led management to decide to merge the efforts of the land management division and the sawmill division. This allows the land managers to produce the materials that can best help the sawmill operations. Earlier this month, the company named Neal Ewald as Senior Vice-President, heading up all California operations, including sawmill and remanufacturing operations and timberland management.

Gary Rynearson
Green Diamond ‘s California operations include its sawmill in Korbel; remanufacturing facilities in Korbel, Brainard, Ukiah, and Woodland; and a chip transfer facility in Samoa. The remanufacturing units produce several products including specialty items. 

Unfortunately, when the Samoa pulp mill closed, chips lost value. Some are shipped to Asian markets, but chips of lesser quality and those from hardwoods are now burned.
Gary said that his company employs about 400 people in California, and roughly 250 more are hired as contractors during the peak timber season. The regular employees include biologists who band and track wildlife, including every owl that inhabits Green Diamond land. The intensive studies of owl habitat have led to the realization that the birds’ habitat can be recreated. This contradicts previous though that spotted owls would only live in old growth stands. 

As to fisheries and aquatic wildlife management, Gary said that the company evaluates the health of a river system by comparing the number of fish headed upstream with the number that exit the system, to return to the ocean. They do not rely on carcass counts.

Gary noted that Green Diamond is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The company must meet specific retention criteria when it logs an area. The standards include standards for hardwood retention, legacy tree retention, and in-unit retention. Gary said that every unit averages at least 10% retention.

Green Diamond and the Arcata Redwood Company strongly support the recent marketing efforts put into place by the Forest Products Initiative, also known as the Redwood Marketing Campaign. As we learned on November 8th, the Initiative is partly funded by the Headwaters Fund, and is a collaborative effort to grow the redwood industry.
Gary said that we made a mistake years ago when we declared that the timber industry was dying. It was and it continues to be a keystone industry in our area, employing many locals and bringing funds to the North Coast.
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Volume XII, Issue 18: November 8, 2013


Exchange Student News
Alex Rialet, our Club's Rotary Exchange Student from France said that he was busy last week. He had mid-term exams on both Tuesday and Wednesday, and the AHS football team had a game scheduled for that evening, against Del Norte High.

We also heard indirectly from Exchanger Logan White, who continues to enjoy himself in Northern Italy. He keeps us up to date via Facebook and his blog - "Rye Italy Logan White", which can be found at http://loganwhit.blogspot.it. His most recent post noted that he has been in Italy for two months now, and he has visited Aosta and the Aosta Valley, and he said that "I fell in love with the small city/capital of the valley". He found the combination of Roman ruins and the mountainous region amazing. He hopes to do the "Haute Route" this winter. This is a six-day ski tour of the Alps, which begins in France and ends in Switzerland.

Announcements
President Jessica told us that the Backpacks for Kids program still needs help. Please check out the open slots on the Sign Up Genius page, or let Howard Stauffer know that you would like to lend a hand.

Steve Bohner (Sunriser Amy Bohner's lovely spouse) was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow at last Friday's meeting. Congratulations!

This weekend, the Rotary Club of Garberville celebrates its 75th anniversary with a big to-do at the Scotia Inn. It may not be too late to crash the party!

TOTH (also known as "Taste of the Holidays") is only two weeks away. Please be sure to sell tickets and get your raffle prizes in as soon as possible. It's not too late to put up posters, if you notice any blank spaces on walls you encounter.

It's a busy time for us - hard on the heels of TOTH comes the Foster Youth Family Dinner. The good news is that this year, the dinner is a week earlier than the Arcata Invitational Basketball Tournament (AIBT). Mark your calendars or set reminders in your smartphone: the dinner is Thursday, December 5th, and the AIBT is the following Thursday through Saturday (December 12-14). The ever-popular AIBT Coaches' Party will be held on Friday, December 13th at the Plaza Grill. There will be an opportunity to purchase ad space in the AIBT program, as well.

Representatives of the Arcata Volunteer Fire Department will provide our program on Friday, December 6th. They promise new and exciting information on their plans. They have a very interesting plan for moving forward, but they want to let us know how their thinking has evolved before making any public announcements. So be sure to attend on December 6th to hear the latest before your neighbors tell you!

Howard Stauffer's wife Rebecca is an accomplished artist, and she has chosen to offer a selection of her paintings to the public in a unique way - she is exchanging works of art for works of generosity. Her program's name is "Art of Giving", and here's how it works. You select the painting you would like, and you make a donation to your favorite nonprofit organization. The event will take place from 1-5 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, at 24 Fellowship Way in Bayside. Visit Evolvingreflexions.blogspot.com for a preview of the pieces available. Kudos to Rebecca for supporting nonprofits in such a novel way!
President Jessica reminded us that the play "Far East" continues at the Redwood Curtain Theatre through November 23rd.

Recognitions
Ceva Courtemanche hosted the recognitions session last Friday, which focused on the person Ceva thinks of as "The One and Only" - Janice Newman. Janice has served our Club and our District in many roles over the years. When her husband Craig was our Club President in 1998-1999, she overcame her initial reluctance, and agreed to host a Rotary Exchange Student. She said that she was worried that "I would be the one who had to give, but I've gotten so much more". She has since been the Youth Exchange Chair for our Club and for the District.

She served as our Club President in 2004-2005, ushering in our regular donations to the Wheelchair Foundation, and beginning the first of our four-year cycles presenting the Every 15 Minutes program (which will take place once again this spring). She is currently our Club's Sergeant-At-Arms. As such, she oversees the group that sets up the Plaza View Room before each meeting (then puts everything away when it's over). They also work to ensure that all of our meetings and events run smoothly. As another part of her role, Janice serves as a non-voting member.on our Club's Board of Directors.

Janice is coming up on her 30th anniversary with local accounting firm Jackson & Eklund. She is justifiably proud of her two sons. Michael is an Assistant Manager for a Trader Joe's in Oregon, who plays saxophone in local music groups and bands. Ryan lives in Rohnert Park, and works as a professional musician, playing bass in a reggae band called "Groundation".

What is perhaps Janice's most important contribution to our Club's culture was unmentioned last week, however. She brought us the concept of "Birthmonths", which has been widely adopted among Sunrisers.

Rebuilding a Brand - Marketing Redwood Products
Chris Gaines, a Business Professor at College of the Redwoods and the founder of Capital Gaines Marketing was our Featured Speaker last week. He spoke with us about his work helping the redwood products industry regain ground it has lost to manufactured decking and fencing products. Chris said that the market share for redwood products has fallen by almost 50%. He said that part of the reason for the industry's decline could be traced to weak marketing efforts in the face of strong competitive assault and uncertain messaging in the marketing that existed.

Chris noted that many of the positive ideas that people have about composite materials used to build decks are unfounded. For example, many believe that such decks are friendlier to the environment than wood decks, but their opinions change when they hear that the composites used cannot be recycled when they are no longer usable. It is not common knowledge that composite decks also more efficiently absorb and retain the sun's heat,which can lead to burned feet on hot days.

Chris Gaines
Chris said that the Forest Products Initiative, funded in large part by the Headwaters Fund and members of the redwood industry, has launched an advertising campaign to help educate the public about these misconceptions, amonh others. The process involved developing and testing a concept strategy, and producing television ads to contrast the two types of decks.

He reported that the TV spots were very successful in test marketing. One question that the researchers asked the test groups was, "Which material is strong, durable, and lasts a long time?" Before viewing the ads, 45% answered composite materials, with only 18% identifying redwood. After seeing the ads, only 29% believed that composites were the right choice, and 47% selected redwood.

Similar results were seen when subjects were asked these questions:
  • Which material is environmentally friendly?
  • Which material is safe and comfortable?
  • Which material would you choose to build or replace your deck?
In each of these cases, the information provided in the commercials led to a large swing from favoring composites to preferring redwood.

Since California comprises about 75% of the redwood products market, the initiative's organizers rolled out their 2013 media campaign in this state, concentrating on the four primary core markets of the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Diego. The programs airing the two commercials were targeted on sporting and lifestyle shows. The early results from the  "Real.Strong. Redwood" ads indicate that the campaign may be even more effective than the testing showed.

Chris acknowledged that the campaign aggressively targets the composite industry, but he said that it was important to establish a strong contrast between the two types of material in the first and second years of the program. Eventually, he said, redwood is expected to regain its leadership role, and then the industry can "fly above the competition." For more information, visit realstrongredwood.com.
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Volume XII, Issue 16: October 25, 2013 - Final Friday!

Announcements
On October 24th, students to Arcata came from all over Humboldt County - as far south as Rio Dell, as far east as Hoopa and Casterlin, and as far north as McKinleyville - to compete in the 4th Annual RCAS Cross-Country Championships. Medals were awarded to the top three boys and the top three girls in each grade. Thanks to all who helped, and a special thanks to Rebecca Crow who once again organized the event.

 On Saturday, November 9th, you have the opportunity to support the Rotary Foundation by attending the Foundation Dinner. It will be held at the River Lodge, and you can still sign up at the District 5130 website. If you aren't able to attend, you can still help out by purchasing raffle tickets. 100% of the price of each raffle ticket is credited to your Paul Harris account, and you could win a raffle prize as well! Contact Terri Clark for more details.

 On Monday, November 11th, the Rotary Clubs of Eureka and Southwest Eureka will hold a joint meeting at the Adorni Center in honor of Veterans Day. Participants in the Honor Flight group that visited Washington, DC during the recent government shutdown will in attendance. 

 Later that week ... on Saturday, November 16th, the Garberville Rotary will celebrate 75 years of service to Southern Humboldt. The event will take place at the Scotia Inn. For more information, please see President Jessica or contact a Garberville Rotarian.

 We received a thank you note from the members of the Mad River United Youth Soccer League for our recent contribution. 

 Don't forget about A Taste of the Holidays, which is now only about three weeks off. Right now, the focus should be on selling tickets, but don't forget to lock in your raffle prizes and sign up to work at the event. 

 Jessica Ayala-Pimentel and Rachel Damme of the North Bay Rotaract Club visited our Club last Friday, along with Lost Coast Rotaract member Ashleigh Diehl. Jessica said that her Club is close to completing all the requirements for chartering. They've written their bylaws and constitution, but their main need is for additional members. They meet the first and third Wednesdays of each month, currently at the office of Jackson and Eklund in McKinleyville. If you know someone between the ages of 18 and 30 who would like to make a difference in our community, please encourage them to visit the Club to find out more. 

 Cindy Sutcliffe just can't seem to stay retired. She told us last Friday that she is once again back at her old job with Humboldt County Child and Family Services. She is filling in while the woman who replaced her is on maternity leave. 

 SWOT OPERATION #003: Clubhouse Edition
Last Friday, Barbara Browning provided a recap of our Club's makeover of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Redwoods clubhouse. The work took place over five days - from Friday, October 11th through the big "reveal" on Tuesday, October 15th. 

Barbara said that she and her fellow planners thought that the project would cost about $40,000, but they only had a $2,000 budget. Thanks to the efforts of 29 Sunrisers, over 40 local businesses, and an additional 50 or so volunteers, the makeover was a success - and they only spent $1,961! Another $2,125 has been donated since the reveal, and that money will go to fix a few remaining issues.

 Ours was not the only Rotary Club involved in the project - Old Town Eureka Rotary pitched in, as did the Arcata (Noon) Rotary and the Eureka Rotary. The Southwest Eureka Rotary helped, and they agreed to adopt the Boys & Girls Club to provide ongoing support. Hillarie Beyer, whose McKinleyville Family Resource Center was the target of our Club's first SWOT Operation, lent a hand and offered to mentor Clubhouse Director Monica Rose.

Barbara said that, in undertaking this latest SWOT Operation, "I think we changed a lot of lives." For more information about the makeover from the recipient's point of view, visit the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Redwoods website.

 Foundation Final Friday Auction
The last Friday of most months, our Club dedicates its meeting to the work of the Rotary Foundation. Since we won't be meeting on the last Fridays of November or December, our last meeting was the Final Final Friday of 2013. Fortunately, the Sunrisers were up to the challenge. Here are the results of our Foundation Final Friday Auction:
  • George Cavinta donated a feast in a basket, including salmon that had been vacuum-sealed that morning at 5:30 and a bottle of wine. Rebecca Crow was the high bidder.
  • Mark Burtchett offered a bottle of wine that he and his wife Cammy purchased at a winery. Fearing spousal retribution Mark purchased his own auction item. We don't know yet whether he put it back before Cammy noticed.
  • Something came from Beaver Creek, and it was either the gin or the designer tonic water.  Either way, Matt Babich provided a highfalutin' combo that hailed from Great Britain. Cindy Sutcliffe knows, 'cause she won the package!
  • Terri Clark brought a basket filled with bath and beauty goodies, which soon became the property of Kathy Fraser.
  • Mary Crow has earned one Paul Harris Fellowship, and she is now working on her second. To that end, she donated some hand-crafted jewelry to the auction. You may see some of these accessories adorning winning bidder Janice Newman.
  • It was a "Craft Party in a Basket" that Tami Camper offered. It contained beauty and crafting items galore, and Rebecca Crow was the winner.
  • Brandi Easter has won prizes for her home-canned goods, and she donated several such items, including albacore and some jelly, which she described as "mostly pomegranite". The purchaser was Susan Jansson.
  • Rebecca Crow noted that we don't hold Final Friday Auctions during the holiday months, so she offered holiday-time "subscriptions" of cookies to be delivered in November and December to two lucky bidders. The lucky ones were Dawn Elsbree and Amy Bohner.
  • Scott Heller said that the bottles of wine he donated were nine years old ... plus one month? They were slated to be auctioned off at our last Final Friday, but the Cabernet Sauvignon survived an additional 30 days. I don't know whether the additional aging had an effect on Tami Camper's winning bid.
  • Our last item was a 49ers Fan Package donated by Tomas Chavez. It included sportswear and memorabilia galore. Terri Clark snapped that right up.
Thanks to all the donors and to the bidders. The total take for the Rotary Foundation was nearly $1,200!!
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Volume XII, Issue 15: October 18, 2013

Checking in With Alex
Last Friday, our Rotary Exchange Student from France, Alex Rialet, told us that his previous weekend had been very eventful. His host family, the Baciagaluppis, took him out to dinner to celebrate his 17th birthday. They went to the Bayfront Restaurant in Eureka for teppanyaki. The next day, Alex went to HealthSport to work off some of that birthday dinner. He thanked Susan Jansson and HealthSport for the complimentary membership. After Monday's Columbus Day holiday, the rest of Alex's week was normal, and he planned to suit up for that night's football game against Fortuna.

 Announcements
President Jessica provided a Sunshine Report, letting us know that three Sunrisers have recently lost close family members. The fathers of George Cavinta and Donnie Rosebrook passed away, as did Robert Goodman's brother. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all three and their families. 

 Jessica also announced that our third SWOT (Serving With Our Talents) Operation was a great success the previous weekend. The enormous volunteer effort was amazing. Barbara Browning, who planned and coordinated the makeover, was under the weather last Friday, so we can look forward to an in-depth recap at our October 25th meeting.

Rebecca Crow reminded us that the RCAS Youth Cross-Country Championships will take place on Thursday, October 24th. As of press time, we still needed race spotters and help at the finish line. The event will be held at the Arcata Community Center, and set-up begins at 2:45 pm.

There may still be a few tickets left for the Lost Coast Rotaract's fall fundraiser - "Spirits and Spirits". The walking (and drinking) tour of Old Town Eureka will visit the city's haunted sites. Check the Lost Coast Interact Facebook page for more details and for contact information.

 This year's Taste of the Holidays is less than a month away - Thursday, November 21st from 5:00 to 8:00 pm at the Arcata Community Center, to be precise. Be sure that you are selling those tickets and acquiring your raffle items with your group. (And let the Raffle Committee know what you're providing as soon as you can.) TOTH'll be here before you know it!

Stan Elcock is the Past President of the Arcata Noon Rotary (and a Sunriser Spouse). He's also serving as his Club's liaison to the Interact Club at Arcata High School. He said that the group has over 60 members this year, and they are ready and willing to volunteer for anything! So ... if you need help with a fundraiser or project, give Stan a call.

 The North Bay Rotaract Club still intends to seek its charter soon. They are seeking additional members and a new location for meetings. If you know a young person (18 to 30) who will make a great Rotarian someday, help them connect with this group. They meet on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. See President Jessica for more information.

 Humboldt Live! sent a thank you note for our recent donation. The program helps students in junior high and high school set goals and explore options for their futures. Five schools currently participate in the program - Fortuna Middle School, Jacoby Creek School, Pacific Union School, Sunny Brae Middle School, and Toddy Thomas School. (Thanks back atcha - Jim Ritter, the program's Executive Director, lent a hand in the SWOT Operation at the Boys and Girls Center!) For more information about the program, check out its Facebook page.

 Craft Talk: Tami Camper
Last week, we were once again treated to a Craft Talk, this time from Tamara Camper-Dart, aka Tami Camper. She was born on March 4, 1977 in Spokane, Washington, the only child of a general contractor and a nurse/writer. Although she was only three years old at the time, she recalled the aftermath of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980. She said that everything was covered in ash, and she collected several jars of it.

 Her childhood home was in a rural area near Spokane. Tami said that her parents compromised in finding a place to live, since her father was an outdoorsman, and her mother was more urban. Her family is descended from Swiss/German farmers and ranchers, with a long history of living and working in sparsely populated areas. 

 Tami said that she wanted to "get away from Spokane", so she attended Western Washington University near Vancouver, BC. In 1999, she earned her bachelors degree in Environmental Science. Along the way, she studied abroad, in Michoacan, Mexico. In 2007, she received her masters degree in Biology from Humboldt State.
Tami Flexes

 Tami started working at a young age, doing chores and general work around the family farm, and helping clean up at her father's construction sites. "Everyone asks me where I get these biceps," she said, "and I say 'From HealthSport", but it was actually from bucking [hay] when I was twelve." Her work with her father took place mostly at schools and hospitals, but there were also a lot of septic treatment facilities as well, which were "really gross".

As a young adult, Tami worked as a lifeguard, at a county park, and as a landscaper. In 1999, Tami worked for the Forest Service surveying bryophytes (plants without vascular tissue, such as mosses and worts). The next year, she began a three-year stint with the Mendocino Redwood Company and Campbell Timberland Management, studying fisheries, owls, and botany. In 2002, Tami started Camper Consulting, and performed botany and wetlands surveys. In 2008, she joined Streamline Planning Consultants, where she continued to perform studies of botany, wetlands, and streams, in addition to providing guidance to clients with permitting and CEQA/NEPA issues. Since 2011, she has been an Environmental Planner and Revegetation/Mitigation Specialist with CalTrans.

Tami's volunteer work over the years has included working as a Candy Striper at Spokane Valley Hospital, helping at Cat Tales Zoological Training Center, serving in the LEAD (Learning, Environment, Action, and Discovery) program, assisting at the Wild Walls Climbing Gym, serving as Treasurer/Plant Sale Coordinator for the California Native Plant Society, and supporting the Arcata Christian School.

 Here are some items from a "Random Facts" slide that we ran out of time for on Friday:
  • Running, Climbing, Snowboarding/Skiing, Hiking, Backpacking, Traveling, Painting, Photography, Scuba Diving, Surfing, Fishing, Gardening, Reading, Writing, Saxophone, Swimming, Cycling, Roller Derby, Dancing
  • Climbed Mt. Rainier and Mt. Shasta
  • Backpacked alone through Central and South America including Incan Trail and Machu Picchu
  • Adrenaline junkie - hang gliding, bungee-jumping, roller coasters, scary movies ...
  • Stayed in the Ecuadorian Rainforest with the Secoya tribe and studied ethobotany; Uncle David was character in Serpent and the Rainbow and I was in Breaking Open the Head by Daniel Pinchbeck
  • General contractor and laborer on two houses, love designing and building.
Tami also participated in this year's Ragnar Relay - a 200-mile run from San Francisco to Calistoga. She ran a total of 26 of those 200 miles. 

 Recognitions
Bryan Plumley headed up our Recognitions last Friday, showing a video tour of the (relatively) new workplace of Charlie Jordan, Mad River Brewing Company. Charlie became the brewery's General Manager in February of this year, and she is helping the company take their operations to the next level. They were at capacity when she was hired, and they have undertaken a three-year plan to increase that capacity by 300%. Even when they reach their production goal of 60,000 barrels per year, the brewery will still be considered "tiny", but they will be considered more regional. Their distribution area covers the entire country and even extends to Japan. Charlie said that she recently returned from the North American Beer Festival, where their Steelhead Pale Ale won a silver medal in the Golden or Blonde Ale category. It won two golds and a silver in previous competitions. Charlie went on to say that the brewery will celebrate its 25th anniversary next year, and preparations are underway. Mad River Brewery also has a monthly "Pints for Nonprofits" program, where on the first Wednesday of each month, one dollar is donated to a local agency for each pint of beer sold. As a special treat, we each received a bottle of beer!

 October 12th was Karen Burgesser's birthday, and she said that it was fun. She worked as part of the SWOT Team at the Boys and Girls Club, and when she got home, her husband Steve had a surprise for her. Since beer was being distributed as she said what the surprise was, I can't be positive, but I'm pretty sure that he had a birthday cake waiting for her.

Rising Stars and Salsa 
Sunriser Lori Breyer introduced two of her co-workers from the County Office of Education as our Featured Speakers last Friday. Colleen Toste is the Managing Director of the Rising Stars Foundation, and Linda Prescott serves as the Office's Nutrition Education Coordinator.  Linda has been with HCOE for about 18 years, and Colleen moved there from Umpqua Bank this spring. 

 On Saturday, October 12th, the Rising Stars Foundation hosted a Salsa Competition  as part of its Culinary ALLSTARS program. Groups of students from third grade to sixth were mentored by local chefs/cooks to create salsas, which were judged in categories including taste, presentation, use of local produce, and "People's Choice". Another category, "Most Marketable", was awarded by Bien Padre Foods, who prepare, test, and produce the salsa according to the recipes created by the student teams. 
President Jessica with Colleen and Linda*

Linda said that the Culinary ALLSTARS program is an offshoot of HCOE's "Harvest of the Month" program, which strives to educate students about the benefits of consuming fresh fruits and vegetables. Linda and her colleagues prepare and distribute an educator packet that crosses the curriculum, including math, reading, science, art, and history. Each month, a different fruit or vegetable is featured. The Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) and the North Coast Co-Op help to provide local produce when possible. 

Colleen said that the ALLSTARS program is an important part the Rising Stars Foundation, which was founded in 2005. Colleen said that the Foundation provides students "a place ... to showcase the skills they've learned in school". Other programs sponsored by the Foundation include:
  • The Seal of Biliteracy Awards Program, which last June recognized the first group of graduating seniors in Humboldt County to earn the California State Seal of Biliteracy.
  • The INNOVATE! Business Challenge, which encourages entrepreneurship among high school students. Participants develop business ideas and develop a 60-90 second "elevator pitch". Those who reach Phases Two and Three are asked to defend their concepts, in written and oral presentations.
  • The GATE (Gifted And Talented Education) Academy, attended this year by 800 students, who learned about topics that varied from ancient Egypt and origami to roller coaster design and Chinese brush painting. 
  • History Day, which our Club has long supported, is also a Rising Stars program. This year, the theme for the competition was "Turning Points in History: People, Ideas, and Events". As is often the case, students from Humboldt did well at the state level, with four local students reaching the finals.
  • Projects entered in the Gary Roberts Industrial Technology Fair are displayed over the Memorial Day weekend at Bayshore Mall in Eureka. This year, almost 250 projects in woodworking, metal crafts, and drafting were featured.
  • The All-County Music Festival is co-sponsored by the Rising Stars Foundation and the North Coast Section of the California Music Educators Association. The top student musicians in Humboldt County are culled to participate in the Junior and Senior Choirs and Bands, and the Junior String Orchestra.
  • The Doris Niles Humboldt County Science Fair is held each spring at HSU. This year, 15 students went on to compete at the state level, with 3 of those eligible to participate in the national competition. 
  • The 30th Annual Humboldt County Spelling Bee was held last March at the HCOE facility in Eureka. Four local students went on to compete at the state level.
  • In April, 19 high school seniors were recognized as Humboldt County's Rising Stars Academic Achievement Team. These students were selected for their academic records and their involvement in leadership and community activities. 
Colleen encouraged us all to visit the Rising Stars website to read about the achievements of our local students and their teachers.  The Foundation has worked to increase awareness of the program through branding. Colleen would also like us to take special note of the green "DONATE" button that adorns the top of each page.

* - Photo of Jessica, Colleen, and Linda courtesy of Angelo Baciagaluppi.
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