Volume XII, Issue 7: August 23, 2013

Checking in with Alex

Banner Exchange

President Jessica asked our Exchange Student from France, Alex Rialet, about his week. He said that he had traveled to San Francisco with Lori Breyer and her family. Alex got a real taste of Americana - they went to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, and to a baseball game!
Alex brought a flag from the Toulouse Rotary Club, along with a gift for President Jessica. (Photo courtesy of Angelo Baciagaluppi.)
Alex started school this week, and we should hear about that at our next meeting.

Announcements
Jessica thanked Bob Goodman for hosting the previous night's Board of Directors meeting with District Governor Helaine Campbell.

We will officially roll out the welcome mat for Exchange Student Alex on Wednesday, September 18th at Moonstone Beach. Please mark your calendars. Good weather was guaranteed.

President Jessica had a mini-help wanted classified ad section last Friday:

• We are looking for at least one more host family for the 2014-2015 Rotary Year.
• She was looking for someone to act as the Club liaison to the committee planning the "Every 15 Minutes" event to be held this spring at Arcata High School. (Joyce Hinrichs signed up for that position right away - thanks, Joyce!)
• We have two foster youths, a brother and a sister, who are interested in music. The young man is a guitarist and vocalist, and he would like to connect with a metal band. The young woman would like to learn more about music, but she does not know what instrument she wants to focus on. If you know a music teacher/tutor who plays a range of instruments, please let Jessica know.

 The new Rotary International website was unveiled on the Monday following our meeting. If you haven't yet taken a look, click on the link to the right - it has a fresh new look. Our own Arcata Sunrise website is due to be unleashed soon, as well. (The site will feature a brand new Club photo, which was taken after Friday's meeting.) The link in the sidebar now sports our new logo, as a preview of coming attractions ...

We received a thank you from Orick School for our support of their activities, including their student trips to Washington, DC. Every couple of years, about a dozen students and chaperones travel to our nation's capital. For many of the students, the trip includes their first airplane ride, and for some, their first trip away from the North Coast.

Jessica of the North Bay Rotaract Club stopped by to say hello. She thanked Angelo Baciagaluppi and Tomas Chavez for attending their most recent meeting, and she invited all of us to join them on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month at the offices of Jackson and Eklund in McKinleyville. The group is trying to increase its membership for their planned re-chartering, so if you know a likely candidate between 18 and 30, bring 'em along! It should be someone with a lot of drive - Tomas said, "They're not afraid to take on the world."

We welcomed back Howard Stauffer, who was sidelined for a few weeks as he recovered from injuries sustained in a bicycle accident.

Sunriser Maggie Kraft was absent last week. She was traveling to Botswana to provide support for the family that hosted her when she served in the Peace Corps there. Her host sister, Sophia, gave birth to a healthy boy on August 5th. Tragically, a blood vessel burst in her neck that went to her brain. She never regained consciousness, and she died on August 17th. Maggie started a fund online to provide help for the "honest, hardworking family" and especially for the new baby, Ofile. [Editor's Note: Maggie's goal for the fund was to reach $2,000. At press time, the balance in the fund was just under $2,400.]

New Members Welcomed
Last Friday, we saw not one, not two, but three new members join our club:

New Sunrisers and their Sponsors with the DG

• Jeff Stebbins works as an Programmer/Analyst for Humboldt State University. He and his wife Rachel were married in 1996, and they have two children - 14-year old Adora, and Ayla, who is 10. His sponsor is Ian Schatz.
• Ed Christians is the Vice President of Information Systems for Coast Central Credit Union in McKinleyville. He and his wife Beth have been married since 2001. 
• Gregg Foster is a familiar face at our Club. He served as our Club President for the Rotary Year 1999-2000. In 2003, he transferred to the Eureka Rotary Club. He has two sons - Riley, who is 17 and 13-year old Will. Gregg works for Redwood Capital Bank as a Vice President/Commercial Relationship Manager.

Recognitions
Friday's Recognitions were presented by Kyle Visser, who asked Sunriser and Arcata City Manager Randy Mendosa about his recent appearance in H2O. Randy "designated the Town Dunk" at a fundraising event. I hope I can find a copy of the photo ...

Laura Montagna was rightfully recognized for some of the many, many things she does to support our community. Kyle said that he spoke with several people she has worked with, and they agree - she is driven, she's a very hard worker, and she is dedicated to her children. Laura is also involved in "Random Acts of Comedy", an improvisational comedy group that performs monthly at the Arcata Theater Lounge. She started the group about five years ago. That doesn't keep her busy enough, so she also is on the Board of Directors for Redwood Curtain Theater, and serves as its Casting and Conservatory Director. Redwood Curtain Casting serves television, movie, and commercial productions filming in our area. For most people, that would be plenty, but ... Laura is also working on the TEDxYouth@HumboldtBay. This is a local offshoot of the popular TED Talk program that kicks off Imagine>Ignite on November 17th, with Kyle Visser as a featured speaker.

When Kyle goes Facebook Fishing for information on a Sunriser, there's no telling what (or who) he will find. At least our Scott Heller doesn't wear his Superman Undies on the outside. At least not on Fridays.  In the morning.

Susan Jansson ... Stretching

What Kyle found when he looked up Susan Jansson was more accurate. He discovered that she recently visited Whistler, British Columbia. She was there for a yoga fest, and she made time to bust a few moves by the river. (Photo at right shamelessly lifted from Facebook.)

On July 26th, Bryan and Kim Plumley celebrated their anniversary with a trip to Washington, D.C. Bryan said that visiting the Smithsonian Institution was a highlight.

August 21st was the 31st anniversary for Terri Clark and Marty Lay. Terri said that for years, her involvement with Rotary has caused postponements in celebrations, but what goes around, comes around. This year, Marty is the President of the Southwest Eureka Rotary, and his Club's board meeting was scheduled for that evening. When Marty got home around eight, Terri said, "Happy anniversary, honey." Marty's reply was, "Yeah, we'll catch up one of these days."


District Governor Helaine Campbell
If you haven't had an opportunity to chat with District Governor Helaine Campbell, I encourage you to find a District event and seek her out. She is a wonderful person, a delight to talk with, and a superb Rotarian. All of those traits were in strong evidence last week as she made her official visit and presentation to our Club.

Helaine told the story of a woman whose father was in Rotary, whose husband became a Rotarian, and whose father-in-law was a member. Finally, after forty years on the periphery of the greatest service organization in the world, Helaine was asked to become a Rotarian. 

Helaine Campbell, Governor of District 5130

She knows we are engaged, since we helped raise over $108,000 in our District to support polio eradication. Helaine told us that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has now pledged to donate $2 for every $1 donated to the Rotary Foundation to fight polio. 

Helaine realizes that members of our Club are very engaged in our Club's activities, but she said, "I challenge you to become engaged outside your Club." She encouraged us to visit other Clubs and to attend District events. She said, "I'm not asking you to give Rotary more, but to give it your best." Consider joining a District committee, as many Sunrisers have over the years. Check out the District 5130 website by clicking on the link in the sidebar, and continue to Engage Rotary / Change Lives.

Volume XII, Issue 6: August 16, 2013

Announcements
Our Inbound Exchange Student from France, Alexandre (Alex) Rialet-Micoulau, made it to Humboldt County in the wee hours last Wednesday/Thursday. He recovered from any jet lag, at least to the point that he was able to attend our Friday meeting. President Jessica presented Alex with a present from the Club - a gift certificate to the Arcata High School Student Store.

President Jessica then discussed on the Board of Directors meetings that took place last week. It was reported at the Club's board meeting that our July attendance was 64.97%, and that two committees are developing a formal policy regarding leaves of absence.

The Foundation Board discussed a new "SWOT" Team project (SWOT = Serving With Our Talents). The target nonprofit for this makeover is the Boys & Girls Club in Eureka. Barbara Browning is coordinating with two Rotary Clubs in Eureka, and we will be looking for commitments from various RCAS committees and individual Sunrisers to make this happen. The Board also talked about the "Every 15 Minutes" program scheduled for this spring. The meetings have begun, and we are looking for a Sunriser to serve as our liaison to the planning committee. Finally, the group noted that our District has strict guidelines for Rotarians who work with minors - through Interact, Youth Exchange, and other Club/Foundation activities that bring us in direct contact with young people. For example, if you plan to invite our Youth Exchange Student Alex along on your family's weekend adventure (and you should), you'll need to go through a clearance process with the Youth Exchange Committee.

Committee reports for both the Club and the Foundation can be found in the agendas for each Board. If you didn't pick up a copy at Friday's meeting, keep a close watch on the sidebar to the right of the Spirit - I'll be posting links to these documents soon.

The Youth Exchange Committee is looking for host families for the 2014-2015 Rotary Year. We need at least one more family to commit by September to ensure our ongoing participation in the program. If you are interested, please contact one of the members of the committee.

Romi Hitchcock Tinseth reminded us that on Saturday, August 24th, Humboldt State University will hold its 100th Birthday Party on the Arcata Plaza. She said that there are other reasons to celebrate HSU - this year, we will see both the largest group of incoming freshmen and the largest group to transfer from other institutions.

President Jessica reminded us that the theme for this Rotary Year is "Engage Rotary, Change Lives", and she said that one of the most important ways to be engaged in Rotary is to attend meetings. Twenty-six members had 100% attendance for July, and Jessica randomly rewarded four of those with a very large homemade cookie. The winners were Craig Reed, Kyle Visser, Janice Newman, and Barbara Browning. Remember, if you can't make a meeting, do not despair - do a make-up!

Recognitions

Craig Reed's Lucky (?) Jersey

Friday's Recognitionmeister du jour was Angelo Baciagaluppi, and he chose to pick on Craig Reed. He showed the photo at left of Craig. Craig said that he participates in "hockey on a baseball field", aka softball. His jersey does not match those of his teammates, since Craig was a late addition to the team. So he selects a jersey from his collection, and wears that to each game until they lose. Then it's back to the closet for the next lucky jersey. Angelo also showed a photo of the "new addition" to Craig's family - Bro. Bro is a mastiff-pit bull mix who has grown quite rapidly. Craig said that they expect him to reach about 130 pounds when he is fully grown - whoa!!


The photo at right shows a quilt that Terri Clark is working on. It's hanging in her sewing room, so (for now at least) her cats Westminster and Waterloo can't lay down on it. Westminster is almost a year old; Terri adopted him at the end of March, and she describes Waterloo as "the funniest cat I've ever had".

Ceva Courtemanche said that she and her husband Doug have two anniversaries - one for when they were married and the other for the courthouse version. One of those two took place on August 11th. She said that they didn't do much for their actual 6th anniversary, because they had just returned from a trip to Tennessee.

Praj White thanked his son Logan (our soon-to-be-Outbound Exchange Student) for reminding him of his recent 19th anniversary.  Praj rounded up his wife Alisa for a last minute trip to Lake Tahoe. While there, they took a 14-mile ride along the flume trail, which gave them some beautiful views of the lake. It was "absolutely gorgeous".

On August 4th, Terri Clark celebrated a "significant birthday" - the number ended with a zero. Her sister came up from San Diego for a visit, and they discovered that Terri may have an allergy to tequila! She said it was a great day - and "I remember most of it"!

Tomas Chavez's birthday was exactly one week later. He said that he and about 12 of his closest friends celebrated at a cabin, where they endured thunderstorms and a loss of power. It was all worth it when the storm passed, though - the air was clear and fresh, and they had a great time.

About The Creamery District and the Creamery Festival
Jackie Dandeneau and David Ferney of the Arcata Playhouse had three things to tell us last Friday. First, they wanted to review the aftermath of our SWOT Extreme Makeover in 2011. Second, they wanted to discuss the creation of the Creamery Arts District in their neighborhood. Finally, they wanted to talk about the Creamery Festival, which will take place this weekend (August 23rd through the 25th).

David & Jackie with Lanterns

Two years ago, our Club headed a large volunteer effort to address many of the issues that hampered the Playhouse's operations. The Makeover involved upgrading the facility's electrical systems, soundproofing, adding curtains, painting, and redesigning the lobby and concessions areas. David said that the project has "been a real boon to us". Last year, the Playhouse received a beautification award from the Chamber of Commerce, the owner of the Creamery Building was inspired to pave the parking area outside the building, and there has been "big movement" in the neighborhood.

The neighborhood upgrades have led to the development of the "Creamery District". The Playhouse has been looking at ways to connect local businesses with the arts, and develop a unique identity for the neighborhood. One goal is to establish the district as a tourist destination. To that end, the group commissioned five artists to create works for the area. In addition, they are working on a bike trail and doing lots of planting - "more green". Holly Yashi recently purchased the old Recycling Center property, and hopes to integrate that into the Creamery District vision.

This weekend, the district has scheduled the first Creamery Festival, which it is billing as "A Neighborhood Celebration of the Arts". The event will kick off Friday with Elemental, an "outdoor pageant with a community lantern procession", which will be followed by a showing of the Buster Keaton silent movie "The General", projected onto the side of the Creamery Building. Dancing to the salsa band Ponche will complete the evening. The next two days will include music, arts, comedy performances, and other artistic endeavors. The event promises arts and crafts booths, food, and lots of fun for all. David said that the festival will complement the celebration of HSU's centennial (see Announcements above).

Volume XII, Issue 5: August 9, 2013

Announcements

Sunrisers at Work!

A group of Sunrisers met at Alchemy Construction's warehouse to stain and seal folding bookcases for "Books for Newborns", a project that our Community Service Committee has been working on in conjunction with the Nurse Family Partnership. The Committee arranged to have 20 bookcases built by woodworking students at McKinleyville Middle School, and the completed bookcases (each with a supply of children's books) will be distributed to local families that might otherwise lack reading materials for their children.

Lara Mowery of the North Bay Rotaract Club reminded us that her group is planning to re-charter by the end of the year. She wants us to keep an eye out for potential members. Remember, the age range is from 18 to 30, and they should be the type of people who would make good Rotarians. Keep an eye out, and take them to a Rotaract meeting - the North Bay Club meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month at the Village Pantry in McKinleyville.

We had two very special guests last week - America and Erica Mayeya, the wife and daughter of our former Inbound Exchange Student from Mexico, Mauricio Mayeya. Welcome!

If you are wearing your Rotary pin on Wednesday, August 21st, you'll get into the Humboldt County Fair at no charge! While you are enjoying the festivities that evening, for only $20, you can also partake of a special dinner featuring a barbecued steak with oysters, prepared by the Ferndale Rotary Club.

It's not too late to participate in the Polio Immunization Days in West Africa. For an unforgettable experience in Lome, Togo, check with President Jessica.

Shamelessly stolen from the Lost Coast Outpost

If you're looking for an World Community Service opportunity that's a bit closer to home, consider taking part in one of the Work Weeks offered by Project Amigo in Colima, Mexico. President Jessica can hook you up on that one, too!

With two speakers last week, we had to forgo our regular Recognitions segment. However, President Jessica couldn't let another week pass without recognizing Amy Bohner. Amy's husband Steve was lauded as the area's top drummer by participants in the Lost Coast Outpost's "Humboldt Approved" poll.

Returned from Trieste
Colin Swenson spent the past year representing Our Club (and all of the US) as our Outbound Exchange Student to Trieste, Italy. Colin noted that Trieste is in the northeastern corner of Italy, an area tucked away at the northern point of the Adriatic Sea, close to the Slovenian border.

The Big Cheese (Literally!)

Colin said that he took a lot of photos during his Exchange year. One of his favorites is the one at left of a block of Parmesan cheese.

He provided many interesting facts about Trieste. For example, it boasts one of the largest sailing regattas in the world - the Barcolana regatta, also known as the Autumn Cup.

Sailing is dependent upon the wind, of course, and there is a lot of it in and around Trieste. Colin said that the locals have specific names for at least five kinds of winds. For example, the bora is a winter wind that blows from the northeast.

Colin had an interesting introduction to the differences between the US and his host city. On his first day, he woke to see his younger host brother sitting on the porch smoking a cigarette. That didn't last long - the boy soon rode off on his motorcycle, popping a wheelie as he went.

Colin benefited from his location, as he was able to do quite a bit of traveling. He attended a Rotary meeting in Austria, traveled to Central Italy with his host father, visited Croatia, and toured a cave in Slovenia. In March, Colin participated in the First Rotary Youth Peace Conference - a six-day gathering near Tel Aviv, Israel. He said so many young people from so many different cultures discussing peace made them all more aware and respectful of one another.

Colin said that he is much more competent in Italian now. He said that at Arcata High, he took many art classes. However, in Trieste, the curriculum was more varied, and his schedule included 11 academic classes. He said that the teachers there "cut me a lot of slack", due to his relative unfamiliarity with the language.

Colin also told us that most of the schools in the area are very poor. In fact, his was one of the few that provided toilet paper.

He concluded by reminding us that Rotary Youth Exchange is a "really important program", and he thanked us for the opportunity.

More About Humboldt's Economic Health
Last week, Sunriser and Humboldt County Economic Development Coordinator Jacqueline Debets provided additional good economic news about our county. The previous week, Dennis Mullins of the California EDD provided a feast for numbers fans, providing several indications that Humboldt County was better able to weather the recent recession than its neighbors. Jacqueline talked about the plan to continue the progress.

Part of the solution is to consider the economic "story" we tell about our area. If we continue to focus on the old story - the decline of the timber and fishing industries, the lack of jobs in our area, the exodus of young people from the county, and the perception that ours is a retirement community. The old story discouraged investment and encouraged our young people to leave the area. It also isn't true. As Dennis pointed out the previous week, Humboldt County is experiencing a boom in entrepreneurship. And, as Jacqueline pointed out, entrepreneurs drive economic growth.

So what industries are growing in Humboldt County?

• Diversified Health Care - Our largest "Target of Opportunity" industry, employing close to 12,000 people in our county.
• Specialty Foo, Flowers, and Beverages - The second largest target industry, with over 9,300 jobs.
• Building and Systems Construction - Many of our local construction companies bid on and win contracts throughout the state and the nation, exporting construction services while importing funds.
• Investment Support Services - This knowledge-based industry is projected to add 1,000 jobs over the next six years. That figure is in addition to the 2,500 Humboldt County residents already working in this field.
• Management and Innovation Services - This fast-growing knowledge-based field includes telecommunications and information services firms, and provides business-to-business technical and professional services. 
• Niche Manufacturing - The firms in this sector include Fire & Light, Kokatat, Jessicurl, Wing Inflatables, and Holly Yashi. Wages for niche manufacturing jobs in this county are 42% higher than the regional average.
• Forest Products - Many of the market leaders in this industry are based here, and have very long term investments in their forest lands.
• Tourism - This industry is more concentrated in Humboldt County than in the state as a whole ... by a factor of four! Since California is an international tourist destination, this is an important point.

Jacqueline closed by asking us to be "proud of our past ... [but to] look to our future". We can be encouraged by what we have learned about our economic strengths, and we can share our enthusiasm for Humboldt County.

Volume XII, Issue 4: August 2, 2013

"Putting the FUN in Rotary"

Announcements

Exchange Student Fa Sillapajarn hit a bit of a glitch in her return to her home in Thailand last week. Her flight from Arcata was delayed, so she missed her connecting flight. Rotary came to the rescue, however, as a member of a Bay Area club offered her a place to spend the night. Then it was back to the airport the next day, and (according to Fa's Facebook post), she made it home " ... after a long flight on the plane (about 20 hours)." Although she is happy to be back in Thailand, she noted that "I miss Arcata already, here [it] is super duper hot, I miss the fog, I miss people, I miss redwood, I miss Mexico, I miss the way that Glenn cooks, I miss salmon, I miss American sushi, I miss watching Netflix when we have dinner, I miss the biggest cat I [have] ever seen (Tim), I miss everything. Love you all"

Last Friday, President Jessica told us that Sunriser Howard Stauffer was injured in a bicycle accident. He has four cracked ribs that we hope will heal quickly.

You may be reading this on Thursday, August 8th. If so, and it's before 5 pm, you should head for the Alchemy Construction Workshop at 330 South G Street to help with staining and sealing portable bookcases that will be stocked with children's books and provided to families. Our Community Service Committee put together this project in conjunction with the Nurse Family Partnership. All supplies will be ready for you, and you are encouraged (but not required) to bring finger foods and/or beverages.

All Sunrisers are also encouraged to attend our Club's Board of Directors meeting at 7 am on Tuesday, August 13th. It's a great opportunity to discuss the directions that our Club and Foundation are pursuing. Your input is welcome.

We heard from members of the Lost Coast Rotaract last week. They discussed some of the activities they have planned for the coming year. This fall they will again present their annual fundraiser "Spirits and Spirits: Old Town's Haunted Halloween", and in the spring, they will participate in Bowl For Kids' Sake to help out North Coast Big Brothers/Big Sisters. They also plan to continue their Softball Tournament, and they said that the Arcata Noon Rotary plans to vigorously defend their title.  We are encouraged to attend their meetings, which take place on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month at 6:30 pm, at Los Bagels in Eureka. If you know a potential member (think of someone between the ages of 18 and 30 who will someday make a great Rotarian), encourage them to check out the Lost Coasters or the North Bay Rotaract Club. The latter group meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month at the Village Pantry in McKinleyville, at 6 pm. 

Wednesday, August 21st is Rotary Day at the Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale. When you go, take advantage of the special steak barbecue dinner for only $20!

October 15 - 24 will be Polio Immunization Days in Lome, Togo. The immunizations will take place as part of the 9th Annual West Africa Project Fair. More details are available on the Rotary Club of Indianapolis website, or contact President Jessica.

More opportunities for World Community Service are available through Project Amigo in Colima, Mexico. The organization will hold work weeks in November, December, January, February, and March. See Jessica if you would like to participate.

Past President George Cavinta put out the word that an 18-year old member of the local foster youth community is looking for work. He is interested in a position that is not necessarily customer contact oriented. If you have an opening or know someone who does, Kontact the Kahuna!

Romi Hitchcock Tinseth reminded us that the HSU students will soon return to our community. She has welcoming materials for businesses who want to court this large local market. Classes begin August 26th, so be ready!

If you're a night owl, our inbound Exchange Student for 2013-2014 will arrive shortly after midnight on Thursday, August 15th. Contact Lori Breyer for up-to-the-minute details.

Recognitions

Kyle Visser served as our recognizer last Friday. He askedFormer Club President Robert Goodman to rise. Kyle interviewed Bob's staff at Robert Goodman Winery and the Tasting Room, and learned some things about the boss. His employees said that Bob is easygoing, that he allows people to do their jobs, he is slow to judge, and that he hears everyone out. And with so much going on, he still makes time for his family. Time to send him my resume!

Being a fan of the University of Texas is a long-standing tradition in Garrett Perks' family. Even after they moved to California from Fort Worth, Texas, they maintained their Longhorn passion. "For me," Garrett says, "it's just a congenital defect." When he's not working or rooting for U of T, he serves on the board of the California Baptist Foundation, which he describes as "a learning experience". Kyle interviewed several people who know Garrett well, and they described him as "the most ethical person I know", and "extremely fair". 

If you saw Dawn Ellsbree limping recently, it was due to a backpacking mishap. She "messed up" her toes, and fortunately I missed some of the details, since what I did catch involved pushing her toenails back in. You have my sympathy, Dawn ... but owwww!

Romi Hitchcock Tinseth and Glenn Tinseth celebrated their 25th anniversary with a bash that featured a walking rack of wedding attire. Those in attendance were encouraged to wear bridal dresses, bridesmaids' dresses, and/or tuxes. The group traveled to the Plaza to amaze and confuse onlookers. Romi said that even the police cars and ambulances stopped to try and decipher what was happening.

Dennis Mullins on Economic Performance in Humboldt County

Our guest speaker last week was Dennis Mullins, an analyst with the Labor Market Information Division of the Economic Development Department office in Eureka. Dennis provided some good news about recent economic trends in Humboldt County.

Dennis compared the rate of population growth in our county with other nearby counties, and he found that our population grew by 6.4% between the censuses of 2000 and 2010. The highest growth rate during that period locally was seen in Lake County, at 10.9% growth, and Napa County, with 9.8% growth. Siskiyou and Mendocino grew at the slowest rates - 1.4% and 1.8% respectively. 

EDD's Dennis Mullens

He also said that our county's reputation as a retirement community is unwarranted - our median age of 37 is the lowest of the nearby counties. That can be partially explained, he said, by the HSU population, however Sonoma County's median age is 40, despite the presence of Sonoma State.

Our county is one of the best educated in the region, as well. 90% of our adult population has graduated from high school (a tie with Trinity County), and 26% of that group has achieved at least a bachelor's degree. 

In 2011, Dennis said, Humboldt County had almost $1.7 million in taxable transactions. of the counties included in this comparison (Trinity, Siskiyou, Shasta, Mendocino, Lake, and Del Norte), only Shasta County saw a higher figure. On a per capita basis, Humboldt ranked behind only Shasta and Mendocino Counties.

Dennis then showed graphs indicating the number of "nonemployer firms" in each of the same seven counties. These numbers indicate the level of entrepreneurial activity taking place. Dennis's data showed steady growth in all of the counties from 2003 to 2007. When the recession hit in 2008, our entrepreneurs weathered the storm better than their counterparts. In 2009 through 2011, Humboldt's numbers remained relatively stable. "We are an entrepreneurial county," Dennis said. He also showed that the sales from our one-person operations took less of a recessionary hit.

He then said that there are indications that Humboldt County is shrugging off the effects of the recession more quickly than our neighbors. Among these are the percentage of unemployed workers, which is lower that the surrounding counties, and lower than the state average. Dennis also pointed to the number of building permits issued in the various counties, and Humboldt County ranks high by this indicator as well - first in 2011 and second in 2012.

Volume XII, Issue 3: July 25, 2013

- Foundation Final Friday -

Exchange News

Fa Sillapajarn, our Rotary Exchange Student from Thailand, provided a final report last Friday. (She was scheduled to leave for her other home on Tuesday.) Fa said that she had a sushi dinner in honor of her recent birthday. Cam and Lisa Appleton hosted, and Cindy Sutcliffe and her husband Tim Theiss were among the celebrants. Following the dinner, Cam and Lisa took Fa to Trinity Lake and they all had a great time. Fa tried wakeboarding, and they even saw a deer swimming in the lake.They also played Bingo, and Fa won $14!

Fa thanked us for hosting her for the year. When she first arrived, she realized that we had a hard time understanding her, but we made her feel welcome, and that made all the difference. We'll miss you, Fa!

Logan White will be heading out soon as well. Logan is our Outbound Exchange Student for the year, and he tentatively plans to leave for his post in Italy on September 2nd. He said that he had just returned from Fresno, where he was trying to clear up some issues regarding his visa.He is continuing to work at raising funds for his Exchange, and "it's all coming together".

Announcements

In August, we will welcome District Governor Helaine Campbell for her official visit to our Club. On Thursday the 22nd, Helaine will meet with our Board of Directors, Officers, and Committee Chairs. At our meeting the next morning, Helaine will be our featured speaker. 

President Jessica reminded all committee chairs to be sure that they are in communication with their committee members. 

Jessica also continued her positive reinforcement campaign to encourage Sunrisers to be ready to go at 7 am. She provided a quart of homemade lemonade to a member who was seated at the ringing of the bell.

Recognitions

Tomas Chavez started the Recognitions Round by asking Lori Breyer about her recent birthday. She and her family spent the previous week and a half at Lake Tahoe and Reno. While there, Lori met up with Sunriser Kathy Fraser. Kathy and her husband Bill have spent the summer in Reno, watching their grandkids, and deciding whether they wanted to relocate permanently. They will be returning to Humboldt in September. Lori said that her favorite part of the trip was going to Granlibakken's Treetop Adventure Park in Tahoe City. They have a combination zip line and ropes course "that is to die for".

Cindy Sutcliffe's recent birthday was "an unusual biirthday for me". Why? She went camping. She said that she enjoyed a delicious barbequed steak dinner, salad, and s'mores! She said that it was a lot of fun.

Logan White and his family were in Monterey for his 17th birthday, and he insisted that they all go to Big Sur. His plan was that they would take a 6-8 mile hike. When they strayed off course, they came upon a big waterfall, which was an unexpected delight. Upon their return, they enjoyed a nice dinner.

George and Diana Cavinta's22nd anniversary took place on July 20th. However, according to George, "We didn't do anything!" They had just returned from a trip to Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, so they were tired. George said that he tried to rally the troops, but they were having none of it.

Scott Heller and his son Michael recently returned after spending two weeks in China. Along with seeing the sights, Michael was awarded his black belt at a post-midnight ceremony in the Shao-lin Temple. Congratulations, Michael!

Rotary Foundation - Part I: Polio Plus 

President Jessica discussed a recent article in the New York Times, entitled "Pakistan Battles Polio, and Its People's Mistrust". The piece by Donald McNeil, Jr. highlights the difficulties we face in this final phase of polio eradication. There is widespread distrust of vaccinators in Pakistan, Nigeria, and Afghanistan - the only countries were polio has not been eliminated.

The other two challenges faced by vaccinators In Pakistan are the large groups of people who are traditionally migratory and the conditions in slum areas.

There is hope that the strong rivalry between Pakistan and India will provide an impetus for Pakistanis to accept the vaccination program more readily, now that India is polio-free.

Jessica said that the proceeds from last week's Final Friday Auction would be earmarked for polio eradication.

Rotary Foundation - Part II: Terri's Stories

Terri Clark is our Club's Foundation Chair, and she has a lot of firsthand experience of the good that the Rotary Foundation does throughout the world. She shared two of her stories last Friday.

Terri said that she and her husband Marty Lay traveled to Guadalajara, Mexico in 1999 for Rotary's Festival of Brotherhood. They visited a facility that takes care of severely disabled people. Although the staff was diligent in keeping things clean, many of the residents required a daily change of bedding. They made do with two older home-style washing machines and hanging the laundry on a line to dry. As a result of cooperation among several Rotary Clubs and the Foundation, the facility now has an industrial-capacity washer and dryer. This made a difference to the staff, who had more time to spend with the patients.

She then said that about six years ago, she and Marty went to Hue and Saigon in Vietnam to help distribute wheelchairs. The chairs were provided by The Wheelchair Foundation, which our Club proudly supports. What Terri found the most touching was a young man who crawled up the steps of the local Red Cross office, with his wheelchair voucher in his teeth. When he was helped into his chair, his life was changed - now he had the means to get around without crawling.

Rotary Foundation - Part III: The Final Friday Auction

Logan "$100" White served as our Guest Auctioneer last week, and the first item he offered was a basket containing several items from Thailand. Our Exchange Student Fa put together the basket, which was purchased by Cindy Sutcliffe.

The next item was a "Coffee Basket" containing (as you may have guessed) coffee. It also contained a single-serve coffeemaker/thermal cup, a gift certificate, and Kalhua. The basket was donated by Dick Johnson, and the winning bidder was Carol Vander Meer,

Ron Sharp provided a bottle of gold-medal-winning bourbon, and Bryan Reeser was the lucky winner.

Rotary Kid Mary Crow is determined to become a Paul Harris Fellow under her own steam, and she's making great progress. Her contribution this month was a plate of butterscotch brownies. Her batch was snapped up by Praj White.

Cam Appleton put together a "Smoked Salmon Medley", which sounded delicious. The winning bidder was Meredith Hyland, the President of the Arcata Noon Rotary. (Thanks, Meredith!)

 A beautiful begonia was donated by Janice Newman. Logan noted that "I was just at Miller Farms, and I saw one just like this for $100". That may have been auctioneer hyperbole, but it was very nice. Joyce Hinrichs must have thought so, too, because she offered the high bid.

Fa placed a second basket of items from Thailand.on the block. This time, the winner was Ian Schatz.

Two dozen eggs per week for the next four weeks was Kyle Visser's contribution to the auction. That sounded tasty to winning bidder Scott Heller.

Robert Goodman provided a bottle of Robert Goodman Wine. (You expected something from another winery?) Joyce Hinrichs was the happy purchaser.

Our final item was donated by President Jessica. It was a Lemon Package, consisting of homemade lemonade, lemon Jello, and vodka. The winning bid was provided by Rebecca Crow.

Thanks to all who participated. We made an additional $795 for the Rotary Foundation!