Our Exchange Student from France, Alex Rialet, reported that he has been busy since we last heard from him. He said that he sold a lot of raffle tickets at the Spring Fundraiser - and he said that someone bought him 10 tickets!
Alex also told us that his Arcata Tigers Baseball team won both halves of a doubleheader against Middletown earlier that day. When Alex couldn't think of any additional news from the week, President Jessica prompted him: "Did you feel the ground shake a little bit?" Yes, he had - but how soon we forget ...
Announcements
President Jessica commended the Club on a job well done at the Pirates' Ball Fundraiser - we grossed about $84,000 for the event. After deducting our expenses, we and the Arcata Volunteer Fire Department will be looking at splitting net proceeds of about $54k! Jessica said that this will be the last year that we will be partnering with the AVFD. At their recent business meeting, they decided to focus their energy on renovating their facilities and limiting their fundraising efforts to the annual Valentine's Day Dance. We certainly wish them well, and we thank them for being great partners.
Please note the following dates on your calendar, if you haven't done so yet:
March 22 - Arcata Rotary's "Spring Wine Festival" will be held in the Kate Buchanan Room at HSU. The event is the only fundraiser of the year for the Nooners, so please make support their Club as they support us.
March 28 - The Arcata High School Madrigal Choir's "Madrigal Dessert Night" takes place at 7 pm. The event will feature a dessert bar, and the Choir will present music they have prepared for their April trip to Italy.
March 29 - Meet at the Coastal Nature Center at 9:45 am to prepare for a morning with Adopt-A-Highway. We will be tackling both sides of Samoa Boulevard, so please help out if you can make it.
April 4-5 - District Assembly at Mendocino College in Ukiah. Learn more about Rotary while you enjoy fellowship with your fellow Rotarians.
April 19 - Mad River Clean-Up - Work Day followed by a Hoe-Down at the Friends of the Dunes headquarters in Manila.
May 16-18 - District Conference in Rohnert Park.
Board Notes
President Jessica said that boards for both the Club and Foundation met earlier in the week. Here are the highlights from the Club's Board Meeting:
- Although we didn't have a firm figure for attendance in February, we did learn that Brenda Bishop has returned from her leave of absence (in time to work on the Spring Fundraiser), while Amy Bohner's leave continues. In addition, we heard that Jacqueline Debets has resigned from the Club.
- There were no new or old business items to report.
- The Board continues to investigate the best option for housing our funds. They are looking primarily into a laddered CD portfolio.
- Discussion on the Spring Fundraiser was carried forward to April, when a more complete wrap-up will be available.
- The ARMACK Orchestra made a request for sponsorship of their Spring Gala. The thrust of the request was to ask for our help in obtaining a liquor license for the event. The Board declined, noting that it was not in keeping with our support of events like Safe and Sober and Every 15 Minutes. They were also concerned about setting a precedent for future requests.
- President-Elect Barbara Browning is encouraging all Sunrisers, especially Board Members, to attend the District Assembly in April.
- If you plan to attend the Rotary International Convention in Sydney this June, please see President Jessica. She can hook you up with Voting Credentials.
- The Scholarship Committee is in the process of selecting History Day scholarship recipients. The Board agreed that the point of the scholarships has always been to recognize and reward public speaking. The Committee will take that into consideration in their selections.
- The Scholarship Committee will also be selecting students to attend Camp RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) in June. In past years, the dates for the event coincided with Finals Week at Arcata High. This year, RYLA is scheduled for the week following Finals, so the Board approved funding for two students. We expect that they will discuss their experience at a Club meeting in late summer or early fall.
In North Carolina on March 13, 1968, the first Rotaract Club was chartered. Each year, World Rotaract Week commemorates that historic event. Last week, several members of our two local Rotaract Clubs - North Bay Rotaract and Lost Coast Rotaract - joined us to bring us up to date on their activities.
Rotaract Clubs are open to men and women between the ages of 18 and 30, who want to make a difference in their community and in the world. Lost Coast Rotaract (LCR) is the largest Rotaract Club in District 5130, and it has twice been named Club of the Year the District Conference. North Bay Rotaract (NBR) is new - the group expects to receive its charter very soon.
We learned that both clubs run their meetings much like Rotary Clubs, but when they recognize their members "the fine is just a quarter". Both Clubs assist Rotary Clubs in the area with fundraisers and projects.
In the past year, LCR members joined last year's CASA Kids' Walk, raising $1,400 for CASA of Humboldt. They raised another $1,400 which was dedicated to CASA and to the Clarke Historical Museum. Every month during Arts Alive in Eureka, the group hosts a "Wine Pull" - you purchase a wrapped bottle of wine, and if it has the right mark, you win a second bottle. In April, LCR plans to host a softball tournament as a fundraiser, and they invited our Club to field a team for the event. All of the tournament proceeds will benefit the Backpacks for Kids program.
The Rotaractors would love to see you at one of their meetings, whether you need a make-up or not! LCR meets at 6:30 pm on the first and third Mondays of each month at Los Bagels in Eureka, and NBR will now be meeting in the conference room at Robert Goodman Wines in Arcata. They meet the first and third Wednesdays of the month.
Tomas Chavez provided some photos from the Pirates' Ball:
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| How Did Ed Feel At Night's End? |
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| The Only Comment? Awwww ... |
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| Pirate Scott's Happy Face |
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| Jessica, Heidi, Rachel, and Romi - Winding Down |
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| Tomas noted how well Angelo is multitasking in this photo |
Special Days
Ed Christians and his wife Beth celebrated their 13th anniversary on March 3rd. They embraced a long-standing Sunriser tradition by going to Larrupin's for the event. Ed said that they had a nice, quiet time.
Two days later was Craig Newman's birthday. He said that both of his sons were in town - a rare situation, since one lives in Santa Rosa, but the other lives in Albany, New York. Craig said that he's lived in Arcata for about forty years, but he had never been to Folie Douce. He noted that it used to be a French restaurant, but it's now more of a bistro. The menu is less intimidating, now that it's in English. The best thing, though? "Having the family together for a while - it's pretty darned good!"
In And Out of Humboldt Bay
Last week, our featured speaker was Jack Crider, who for the past two years has served as the CEO of the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District. Jack gave a whirlwind update on the many projects in progress. Jack has 35 years of experience in the port industry, with previous postings at the ports of Tillamook Bay and Astoria, both in Oregon.
The port he currently oversees - Humboldt Bay - covers about 18,000 acres, and is situated between the ports of Coos Bay, Oregon and San Francisco Bay. The harbor has a shipping channel that is 48 feet deep at its main entrance, and its depth ranges from 38 feet in the North Bay to about 26 feet in the Eureka Channel and at the approach to Fields Landing.
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| Jack Crider |
The District employs 13 people at its facility at the Woodley Island Marina. They manage 237 slips, a 2-ton heavy hoist, and a second 1-ton hoist. They provide pilotage for boats navigating the harbor, and the Marina is where the Port Authority moors its Security Boat and its Fireboat. The Marina consistently operates at a loss, but it is subsidized by the County.
The facility is undergoing some improvements, including the installation of new meters for power and water, which will allow more accurate billing of Marina tenants. New revenue is expected from the RV Park and the Fuel Dock, and other efforts are underway to reduce costs and increase revenues.
Jack also said that improvements have been made at the Boat Yard at Fields Landing. These include a zero-discharge boat wash, a new lower dock, and a building lease which will house a marine fabrication and repair shop. These changes, along with increased revenue-generating activity by District staff, are revitalizing the area.
We learned that Pacific Gas and Electric plans to facilitate the upcoming dredging of the harbor channels by providing funds for the permits, and by providing $2 million towards the District's purchase of a dredge and its operation. They will also transfer a sizable piece of property to the District - part of the Humboldt Bay Power Plant.
Jack told us that there is a great deal of interest in aquaculture as a potential source of revenue for the area. The District is helping speed this process by pre-permitting aquaculture areas. He estimates that 55 new jobs will be created by this industry. The District is also conducting efforts to eradicate spartina and to improve bay access for kayakers.
He noted that many people express surprise that the Harbor District is in charge of the waterfront at Shelter Cove. In 1990, the District built a fish cleaning station (which was rebuilt in 2005), and they also made major improvements to the breakwater. They now face the challenge of removing a pipeline that extends into the bay.
