Volume XII, Issue 41: May 23, 2014

Alex's Week
Last week, our Rotary Exchange Student from France, Alex Rialet, spent the previous weekend at the District Conference. He said that he was happy to see his fellow Exchangers from throughout the District again. President Jessica sat with Alex and two other students for the dinner on Saturday. On Sunday, all of the Exchange Students paraded into the main hall with their countries' flags, and some of the students gave speeches. After the event's close, Alex had to say goodbye to the other students, many of whom he will not see again before he leaves this summer. The rest of the week was a "normal school week"

Announcements and Calendar Items

• May 30-31  RCAS Board Retreat for 2014-2015 Directors and Committee CHairs
• May 31 Maggie's Wedding Reception
• June 1 Kids, Crabs, and Rotary at the Arcata Ballpark
• June 6 The Top 10% of the 2014 AHS Graduating Class visits at our Friday Meeting

Notes from the Board Meetings

• Our attendance for April was low - only 59%. If you must miss a meeting, please take advantage of the many makeup opportunities available. If you aren't comfortable going alone, call another Sunriser - someone will be happy to go with you!
• The Club Board approved a leave of absence for Don Rosebrook, as he deals with the purchase of one home and the sale of another. Although the leave is for six months, Don expects to return sooner, and he plans to help out with the Scholarship Committee and Kids, Crabs, and Rotary.
• The Foundation Board decided to ask the Arcata Noon Rotary to co-sponsor the North Bay Rotaract Club, with an eye to increasing that young group's base of support.
• The Foundation Board also authorized placing our reserve funds into a laddered CD portfolio, that will allow for a specified amount becoming available for each of the next four years.
• Finally, President Jessica said that she has committed a portion of her discretionary funds to the Arthur Arzola Scholarship, which was established to honor the HSU Admissions Counselor who was killed in the tragic bus accident last month.

District Conference Report
President Jessica also brought news from the previous weekend's District Conference. Attending with her were Terri Clark, Susan Jansson, Ian Schatz, and (as mentioned above) Alex Rialet. Jessica said that of the 47 Clubs in our District, 36 responded to the challenge issued at the beginning of the Rotary Year by District Governor Helaine Campbell - to take on a "Green River" project to improve a local river or other waterway. Many of these Clubs reported that they had uncovered service projects that will keep them busy for the next several years, and others said that they had established lasting partnerships with other community organizations.

The District's process for selecting new District Governors was changed at the Conference. The Nominating Committee used to consist of the five most recent Past District Governors. The new composition of this committee will be the three most recent PDGs, the District Governor Elect, the District Governor Nominee, and three representatives from various Clubs, selected by random drawing at the District Conference.

Our Club received honors at the Conference. We were recognized for our own Green River Project, and we won awards for International Service, Community Service, and Youth Service. President Jessica thanked us all for our work as Rotarians, and she also gave "a thank you to Julie Vaissade Elcock, Barbara Browning and Karen Burgesser for your efforts putting the applications together."

Recognitions

Our famed Recognition Meister, Tomas Chavez, put a few Sunrisers on the spot last week, starting with President Jessica. He learned that, despite the "Woo-hoos", our leader doesn't drink coffee. That probably reflects well on her, but if it weren't for caffeine, there would be no Sunrise Spirit. 

The photo at left shows a premiere bottle of Zinfandel from Briceland Vineyards that was provided for the previous week's Fireside Meeting that Julie hosted. Her husband Stan, the Past President of the Arcata Noon Rotary, wrote the word "RESERVE" on the bottle and had a friend put a $75 price tag on it. The actual price is "seventeen dollars or something," Julie said, "and he thinks that's funny". Tomas thought it was funny, too - "I'm definitely going to write 'RESERVE' on every bottle of wine."

Julie  remained standing when she was asked about some construction work being done by her family. "We bought a cabin in Trinity Village near Hawkins Bar," she told us. "It was a fixer-upper," but the fixing-upping should be done by summer.

Tomas (or one of his Recognitions Raiders) found some of Maggie Kraft's school photos and brought them to share with the class. As you can see (you may have to click on the photo to enlarge it), the senior portrait features a quotation by Leonard Nimoy, while the other photo is of Maggie's fourth grade class. Maggie said that fourth grade was "the first time I realized that school was stressful". 

Last Friday, we also learned that Sunrisers meet - even on different continents! Bob and Susan Johnson recently attended a conference in Barcelona; while they were there, they discovered that Howard and Rebecca Stauffer were there to wrap up a trip that started in Morocco. The foursome went to a nice restaurant together, and made a pact to "do this every year".

We then learned about "Kevin's Climb" - a tribute to the memory Charlie Jordan's son, Kevin Ebbert. Kevin served as a member of Navy SEAL Team 4, and was killed in action in Afghanistan on November 24, 2012. Kevin also loved climbing, and "Kevin's Climb" is a way for Kevin's teammates and friends to honor him by making a first ascent up Cyclorama Wall - a climb of over 1,000 up a mountain 20 miles deep in the Sierra back country. Those who make a first ascent, establishing a new path up a mountain, give the new path its name. And this climbing team will christen the path "Kevin's Climb". The group's goal includes recording a documentary about the effort, and you can help finance the project via Kickstarter. To see a video about the project and for the opportunity to contribute, click on the image of Kevin below:

A Visit From Project Amigo Founders
Last week, our featured speakers were Susan Hill and Ted Rose, who founded Project Amigo following an 1984 visit to Colima, Mexico. Ted was planning to hike up a volcano, but when he jumped on the wrong bus, he found himself in Cofradía, a small impoverished village. Cofradía was filled with poor but friendly children. He and Susan returned to the village later that year to celebrate Christmas with these kids. Two years later, the couple moved to Cofradía and set up a small school to teach the children to type. They expanded the program to help the kids learn other vocational skills, and Project Amigo was born. Today, Project Amigo continues to promote education and job skills by sponsoring students in junior high, high school, and college. Some Project Amigo-sponsored students attending the University of Colima live at Casa Amiga, the project's boarding home within walking distance of the college. The program also works to promote literacy in the states of Colima and Jalisco, providing books (supplied by Rotary Clubs in the US, Canada, and Australia) to schools and libraries.

Susan reminded us that our Club has been a long-term partner with Project Amigo. About ten years ago, we began a dental health program in Colima that continues to the present. Sunriser Harry Johnson and other dentists in our area set up a clinic and began to provide care for many young people who suffered from poor dental health. Project Amigo has provided toothbrushes to the children of the area and volunteers have taught them how to brush their teeth and other aspects of oral hygiene. This has helped the kids immensely. "With healthier mouths," Susan said, "children stay in school."

In 2005, our Club began providing fluoride tablets that Project Amigo distributes to children in primary schools in five communities. Since that time, volunteers have reported a sharp decrease in cavities suffered by the children. The cadre of volunteer dentists are now filling cavities, which are fewer and smaller, rather than extracting decayed teeth that could not be saved. As Susan notes, "A child with a healthy mouth and his or her teeth intact has a much higher probability of better health, of staying in school, and of entering adulthood with a positive and attractive presentation, so important to getting a job."

Susan also discussed three myths about world poverty that were identified and debunked recently in the 2014 Annual Letter from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  She noted that these myths block progress for the poor. They are:

• The poor are doomed to stay poor.
• Foreign aid is a waste.
• Saving lives leads to overpopulation.

She quoted the letter's closing statement:

We all have the chance to create a world where extreme poverty is the exception rather than the rule, and where all children have the same chance to thrive, no matter where they’re born. For those of us who believe in the value of every human life, there isn’t any more inspiring work under way in the world today.

 "Thanks to support from the Arcata Sunrise Rotary Club and its members," Susan said, "Project Amigo has been working to eliminate one of the main causes of poverty in Colima, Mexico, and that's lack of education." 

Project Amigo provided 112 scholarships in 2013-2014, helping 38 junior high school students, 38 in high school, and 36 university students. These scholarships overcome part of the financial barrier faced by these students. Their registration fees are paid, they receive transportation to and from school, their uniforms, shoes, and school supplies are provided, and they receive hot meals. 

Susan shared some startling graduation statistics, stating that only 5% of students who start college in Mexico continue until they receive a degree. In the US, 39% reach that level, but Project Amigo university students have achieved an amazing 70% graduation rate! To date, there are 45 Project Amigo graduates, who are working in such fields as medicine, law, business administration, computer science, and engineering. The graduates donate 3% of their incomes back to Project Amigo, to help the progress continue.

She told us about just some of Project Amigo's many success stories, including Belen, who graduated from the University of Colima's nursing program in January. Mireya received a law degree in 2008, and is now serving as the Mayor of her village. Conny, who dreamed of becoming a physician, completed medical school in 2009, and is now the  Director of the Community Health Center in Tepames, Colima. They and other students attribute their success to the sponsors of their scholarships and to the many visitors to the program who encouraged them along their academic paths and expressed their belief in them.

Susan also discussed their "Service Weeks" that will take place in the coming Rotary Year. Each week focuses on a specific area:

• Literacy: November 8-15, 2014 and March 7-14, 2015
• December Fiesta: December 7-14, 2014
• ESL: January 11-24, 2015
• Spanish Immersion: July 6-26, 2014

To donate, plan a visit, adopt a student, or to learn more, please visit Project Amigo online.

Harry Johnson, Ted Rose, President Jessica, and Susan Hill

Volume XII, Issue 40: May 16, 2014

Alex with his Host Sister Bella and Host Mother Alisa

Alex's Week
Our Exchange Student from France, Alex Rialet, recently experienced an American tradition - Mothers Day.  Along with his host father Praj and host sister Bella, Alex took his host mother to brunch in Old Town Eureka. Later that day, they went to the beach, where Alex skimboarded and surfed.  

Later in the week, Alex went to the last AHS baseball game of the season - sadly, the Tigers were defeated.

For Your Calendar

• 5/26 - Fellowship Barbeque at President Jessica's home in Rio Dell. Check your email for details
• 5/30 - Retreat for President Barbara's Board of Directors and Committee Chairs
• 6/01 - Kids, Crabs, and Rotary at the Arcata Ballpark
• 6/06 - We honor the top 10% of the AHS 2014 Graduating Class
• 6/10 - Board Meeting at the Golden Harvest (Jessica's Board and Barbara's Board)

Announcements
The first full week of May was devoted to Fireside Meetings - our annual small group get-togethers, where we help the incoming Club President plan the coming year. President-Elect Barbara Browning thanked the four Sunrisers who graciously opened their homes for the meetings: Romi Hitchcock Tinseth, Dawn Elsbree, Scott Heller, and Julie Vaissade-Elcock. She also thanked all who participated, saying that she came away with a lot of great ideas, which we will soon put into action!

Since we were dark for Firesides Week, Kathy Fraser was a one-woman Backpacks for Kids dynamo! She picked up the food, bagged it, and delivered it to the two schools. Thank you Kathy!!

Two members of the Arcata High School Interact Club - Olivia and Olivia - visited last Friday. They and other Interactors were scheduled to participate in the Youth Relay for Life, which took place at Eureka High School from 9 am Saturday to 9 am Sunday. The group did a lot of work to help set up for the event, and their nine-member team raised funds to support the American Cancer Society.

We also had a contingent from the North Bay Rotaract with us last week. Ashleigh Diehl told us that their Club is very close to receiving its charter, and they are very active as well. They helped the Lost Coast Rotaract with its recent Softball Tournament fundraiser, and they also fielded a team for the recent MS Walk. Ashleigh encouraged us to join them at their meetings, which take place at 6 pm on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, at Robert Goodman Wines.

Dan Johnson and Ceva Courtemanche were on hand to distribute thank you gifts to those who were instrumental to the success of this year's Spring Fundraiser. They also deserve a big Sunrise Thank You for guiding the event again this year!

Lori Breyer announced that the parents of Exchange Student  Alex Rialet will be in town to attend Alex's graduation next month. There will be an opportunity to meet them - Lori is hosting a pot luck get-together on (I believe) June 8th. Watch for an email with more information.

Recognitions
Our reliable Recognitions Meister, Tomas Chavez, was at the clicker last Friday when we finally caught up with Matt Babich to ask him about "Babich Bucks". Matt said that the Bucks are really old, but they surfaced recently on Facebook. They came from a holiday party that ReMax/Humboldt Realty held years ago that had an open bar. If you are in possession of a Babich Buck, it will get you any cocktail at the Ingomar Club ... and they are apparently still legal tender there!

Ceva Courtemanche was in Las Vegas for her birthday, and she and her mother took in a Britney Spears show at Planet Hollywood. She said that she's "not a huge Britney Spears fan," but they had a lot of fun.

Tomas went to the source for information about Dan Johnson. Well, close to the source. He spoke with Dan's Executive Assistant, Katherine Hungerford, and received this heartfelt description:

Personally, I've found Dan is a family man. Outside of his work, Dan is so very involved with his children. Jaden is in the eighth grade at Jacoby Creek, Carter is at St. Bernard's, and Sydney is a freshman at Santa Clara. Dan spends most of his weekends traveling with Carter's and Jaden's AAU teams.In fact he is going to be taking both of the teams to Vegas on a 12-day trip, hitting a couple of the big tournaments.

Dan is the hardest worker I've ever met, and he's happy to share all of his knowledge and he really likes to see other people succeed. He's also one of the most generous individuals I've ever met. He donates more time and money to countless organizations than anyone I can think of. It's a pleasure to have worked for him for the past year.

Julie Vaissade-Elcock's most recent birthday was May 8th. She said that she hosted a Fireside Meeting to celebrate. President-Elect Barbara brought a cake for her. Julie said that there are "a bunch of birthdays in my family", so the family got together that Saturday to party.

One week later, Bob Johnson had a birthday as well. (That's the way it works out for Julie and Bob most years.) He said that he had some wonderful friends over for dinner, following a week-long trip to Barcelona. He was pretty jet-lagged from the return flight, but he had a great time.

Catching Up With Arcata Fire
Last Friday, our guest speakers were from the Arcata Fire Department - Fire Chief Desmond Cowan and the AVFD Volunteer of the Year, Captain Alan Davis. 

Desmond said that he started as a volunteer with the department 23 years ago, and "to the joy of some and the chagrin of others, I'm a perpetual three-year-old, because I always ask, 'Why?'" Many times, the answer is, "Because we've always done it that way." He said that, as business owners and managers, we know that answer often does not lead to success. 

The first fire crew in Arcata came together in 1857, after a series of large fires. The group lasted about three or four weeks before it was disbanded. In 1884, the Arcata Volunteer Fire Department was established, and it has served the community ever since. For many years, it was operated entirely by volunteers, who wanted to help their city and its residents. 

As the organization evolved, it went from hand-drawn equipment to motorized fire engines, bypassing horse-drawn apparatus entirely. "A very interesting little quirk," Desmond noted, "and the quirks continue to this day - two of them might be right in front of you."

Desmond said that the moniker "Arcata Fire Department" is a misnomer. While they were a department of the City of Arcata for many years, they are now a separate organization whose service area encompasses 62 square miles with 37,000 residents. Geographically, they get calls from  the north end of McKinleyville to Manila and Indianola, and they cover Bayside, Jacoby Creek, about 5 miles up Fickle Hill, with stations in McKinleyville, at Mad River, and in downtown Arcata. Both paid staff and volunteers are contacted by pager when needed.

Desmond said that the Department has changed its staffing structure such that no one individual drives a fire truck alone to an incident. That was a lonely duty, he told us. They dealt with 2,620 incidents in the past year, with 60% occurring south of the Mad River. They often respond with a "blended crew" - paid staff working side by side with volunteers. And sometimes the volunteers are in charge. Alan started his firefighting career in Arcata, then served for many years as paid staff, then returned home to volunteer with AVFD. As Battallion Captain, his experience is invaluable.

Apart from their primary goal of saving lives and property, the Department is working to modernize its facilities and its culture. Funds from our previous Spring Fundraisers has provided them with the ability to make the physical changes they believe will allow them to respond efficiently when the need arises. They are also trying to instill a culture that everyone works together, at all levels of the organization. Desmond emphasized that the Department continues to evolve - physically, culturally, and organizationally. 

Following our meeting, we posed for the official check presentation. In the final year of their partnership with our Club, the Fire Department earned $29,168.36 from this year's Spring Fundraiser. As the memo on the check says, "Awesome!"
 

Holding the check are President Jessica, Co-Chair Ceva Courtemanche, Fire Chief Desmond Cowan, and Captain Alan Davis.Next to Alan is Event Co-Chair Dan Johnson

Volume XII, Issue 39: May 9, 2014

A Look Ahead to Barbara's Year as Club President

Usually, when the Club does not hold its regular Friday morning meeting, the staff of the Sunrise Spirit takes the following week off. However, since most of us attended a Fireside Meeting last week, I thought it would be nice to chat with Barbara about her plans and hopes for the coming Rotary Year, and here is the video of our discussion:

Volume XII, Issue 38: May 2, 2014

Exchange Student Corner
Sometimes Your Editor relies overmuch on technology. At our last meeting, Inbound Exchange Student Alex Rialet provided the usual recap of his week, which was followed by Outbound Exchanger Silvie Neander's talk about her interactions with her soon-to-be host parents in Belgium. I pointed my video camera at them - I just forgot to make sure that the red "RECORDING" light was on. Soooo ... Below are a few photos of Alex and Silvie to make up for the lack of reportage.

Alex and the Pixelated Tiger

Silvie with her "Navy Blazer Gang" of Exchangers

Alex Ready to Consume a Pizzaburger

The Pirate and the Pup

Silvie Learns She Will Be Off To Belgium

And ... don't forget that Silvie is still selling coffee to help fund excursions during her Exchange Year.

Calendar Items and Announcements

• May 16-18:  Rotary District 5130 Conference in Rohnert Park. Celebrate the year that's nearly over
• May 26:  Memorial Day Fellowship at President Jessica's home in Rio Dell
• May 30-31:  Board Retreat 
• June 1:  Kids, Crabs, and Rotary event at the Arcata Ballpark
• June 6:  Arcata High School's Top Ten Percent are honored at our Friday meeting

Recognitions
Tomas Chavez returned as our Recognitions Meister, and his first order of business was to ask Scott Heller about the person named as the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Women's Coach of the Year. Scott told us that his fiancee Robin Meiggs received the honor. The group selected her from Divisions I, II, and III. She has previously been named National Coach of the Year.

The Gila Monsters' First Ride

Although Charlie Jordan was not in the room last week, we learned that her Mad River Brewery won a Bronze Award at this year's World Beer Cup, for their Pale Ale. We're looking forward to more information about the award.

Ron Sharp wasn't at our meeting to be recognized for the "Gila Monsters' First Ride", but Barbara Browning was able to address the issue for us. The Blue Lake Gila Monsters are Ron Sharp, Rick Levin, and Jeff DeMark. Barbara said that Jeff is known for being a storyteller, and now he does it with a backup band. On Mothers' Day, the band will be performing at the Logger Bar in Blue Lake, and they will be telling stories about their mothers. As a special treat, Barbara's mother will be sitting in on keyboards.

Angelo Bacigaluppi and his family recently traveled to Portland, Oregon for a vacation.  They went to the top of Mt. Tabor, where they found a playground for the kids! They also enjoyed visiting the zoo and the local foodie spots.

Bob Johnson was bewildered at first when he saw an older photo of him with his son Aaron.  Bob told us that Aaron is finishing up his fifth semester at the University of Hawaii, and the clinic he is involved in wanted additional funding to help their patients. He was talking with Bob about ways to raise money, and Bob suggested that he talk with his landlord, who is a Rotarian. "We're coming to the end of the Rotary Year," Bob noted, "and their Club might just have some money ... for a medical project or a student." Aaron gave a presentation at their District Assembly, and the clinic got the money they needed.

We then got to see a video of Ceva Courtemanche riding a tiny scooter down the driveway with her son Hayes. "Hayes is like a little daredevil," she said. Looks like his mother takes after him, since she suggested the driveway run. Hayes wanted to do it again. And again. And again.

Lori and Dave Breyer's 17th anniversary was April 5th,  and Lori said, "I have no idea what we did." Fortunately, someone reminded her that she was at the District Assembly, which followed two days of the Every 15 Minutes program. "My [Wisconsin] Badgers played that Saturday night," she said, "so instead of going out to dinner, we stayed in and ate and watched my Badgers, um, lose." The next night they made their traditional trip to Abruzzi's for dinner.

Wednesday, the 23rd of April was Barbara Browning's birthday. But she started celebrating the Sunday before with a brunch on her patio, followed by dinner at her mother's. Then on Wednesday, she knew that she wanted to go to the Trinidad Lighthouse, but it was closed. So they went to the Plaza Grill instead. She and Ron then spent the weekend in Ashland.

Last Friday was Ceva Courtemanche's birthday, and she said that she would be going to Las Vegas for four days with husband Doug, son Hayes, and her mother and father. She also said that she will be taking a cruise in July!

Preparing For The Worst
Our Featured Speaker last Friday was Stephen R. Dieker, Jr. Stephen is an MD specializing in critical care medicine. He is also married to President Jessica's sister, Audrey. Stephen and Audrey recently relocated to Rio Dell when Stephen accepted a position with St. Joseph Hospital. He spoke with us about how to acquire and store food and water as part of a plan of emergency preparedness. Stephen and his family are members of the Church of Latter Day Saints, which encourages its members to be prepared for emergencies.

Stephen covered these four basic ideas about food storage:

• You need it
• You can afford it
• You can store it
• You can use it

Stephen With His Sister-In-Law

He noted that food and water are only two areas of being prepared for an emergency. Other important aspects to consider are how you will be able to communicate with your loved ones and others, how to ensure that important documents will be kept safe, whether you have sufficient cash on hand in case other purchasing methods become unavailable, if you have fuel for vehicles and/or generators handy, and having a specific plan in place to deal with such situations.

Stephen reminded us that disasters happen by showing photos of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, an Oklahoma home that had been ravaged by a tornado, and the Scotia Inn after a 1992 fire. Larger scale disasters are followed (and sometimes preceded) by runs on grocery stores and other suppliers of basic human needs. Those who have stocks of such items on hand ahead of time fare much better than those who do not.

He also noted that there are other reasons that staple items could be in short supply in a community or in an individual household, including crop failures, inflating food prices, unemployment/underemployment, disability, world economic fluctuations, and communicable diseases. 

He provided some ideas for making food and water storage affordable. He said that when he and Audrey started storing, they were both students. They looked for seasonal sales on storable items, they set aside a specific amount in their budget (the example used was $5 per week) to purchase items incrementally, and they developed a plan for purchasing and using the items stored.

Stephen said that you the areas where you store food should be cool, dark, and dry, with containers off the floor - on shelves or pallets. Each container should be marked with the "use-by" date, and you should ideally have more that one location for storage. Do not place containers directly on the floor or in contact with a wall, and only use food-grade containers, not trash bags or plastic containers that may leach unwanted compounds into the food.

He noted that you can also purchase ready-made food supply kits at local retailers or online. These are often complete packages, but some may not include water and others may require a heat source for cooking/warming.

Stephen reminded us that we should cycle through our stored items. To that end, he recommends that we find a good food storage cookbook, and find things that your family will enjoy. Finding food that is as close to your normal diet as possible, so you don't encounter unpleasant gastrointestinal surprises.

He said that we can look at three levels of food storage. The first level is good for about a month, and these may include items that could be stored in a deep freezer. This category would be things very similar to your current diet. The second level, with a storage life of about three months, would be non-perishable food such as beans, vegetables, and pasta. The third level would be large quantities of food that has a long shelf-life, such as wheat, rice, and oats. You may include seeds for a future food-producing garden in this category. The technology for food preservation continues to improve, and you can find items that can be stored for years.

To get started, you should decide how much food you want to store, and make a plan for acquiring it. You should check out various recipes for the types of food you will store, and you should continue purchasing the extra food until your goal is reached.

Volume XII, Issue 38: April 25, 2014

The Latest from Alex
Our Exchange Student from France, Alex Rialet, reported that he spent part of Easter Sunday at Firemen's Park in Ferndale. He played some bocce with Praj White and the rest of his host family. Alex said it was similar to the bocce he has played in Europe, but the balls are different. Later, they went to the beach. Last week was Spring Break for Arcata High School, so Alex had the week off - he went camping, to the movies with friends, and he's been able to sleep in (until last Friday, at least).

Calendar Items & Announcements
President Jessica noted that Romi Hitchcock Tinseth greatly appreciates the supportive messages she has received from Sunrisers and others following the tragic bus accident that took the lives of several potential HSU students along with those of her colleague Arthur "Tury" Arzola and HSU alumni Michael Myvett and Mattison Haywood. Scholarships have been established to help first-generation college students coming to HSU from inner city environments. Donations can be made by clicking this link: http://alumni.humboldt.edu/giving/accident-memorial-scholarships.

Karen Burgesser, Ron Sharp, Lori Breyer, Barbara Browning, and Megan Breyer joined President Jessica on Saturday, April 19th to help in the Mad River Clean Up in Blue Lake. "The poison oak was there," Jessica reported, "the hillside was steep, the garbage was plentiful!" The Sunriser Sextet worked hard with volunteers from the Mad River Alliance and the Eureka Noon Rotary to clean areas that had been used as an illegal dump site. Our Club arranged for the dumpsters used and for the much-appreciated beer and pizza afterwards.

The recent Mentorship/Membership Mixer was a success, and President Jessica thanked Brandi Easter for coming up with the idea, and Karen Burgesser and Scott Heller for making it happen. 

There will be no regular meeting on Friday, May 9th - instead, you should be attending one of the four Fireside Meetings that will take place earlier in the week. If you haven't signed up for one yet, please contact President-Elect Barbara Browning to get on the schedule. If you're unable to attend any of the Firesides, let Barbara know that, as well - she'll still want your ideas for her Presidential Year. 

The low-cost rooms may be gone, but there's still time to sign up for the District Conference, which will take place in Rohnert Park May 16th through the 18th. You may be able to share a room with President Jessica, if you act quickly and ask politely.

Sunday, June 3rd should also be on your radar, or at least marked on your calendar. That's the day that we will be chumming up with the Humboldt Crabs for our annual Kids, Crabs, and Rotary event. We will once again be out in left field (figures, don't it?) serving hot dogs and watermelon to a bunch of local Little Leaguers and other youngsters.

Recognitions

Lentswe and Maggie

Since it was Spring Break for local schools, Sunriser Kyle Visser was able to join us last Friday, and he led us in Recognitions. We bypassed the slides of absent members, but Maggie Kraft was there, and she told us that she had traveled to San Francisco the previous week to pick up her fiance, Lentswe. She said that in the nine days since he arrived, she has learned that there are a few things that may be stronger than love (or at least led to him not joining Maggie at last week's meeting):

• Jet lag
• Humboldt County rain (when you're from Africa)
• A new iPhone
• Fear of public speaking 

She hopes that we will have the opportunity to meet Lentswe at our next meeting. Maggie said that we are all invited to the wedding reception on Saturday, May 31st. (If you plan to attend,  RSVP to Maggie.) Lentswe will be looking for a job once he's eligible to work - after they are married, he has some paperwork to complete. He has worked with people with disabilities, and he is interested in continuing in that field here.

Kyle then asked Terri Clark about her post-tax season trip to Ashland, Oregon. For the past 30 years, Terri has made the pilgrimage each spring with a group of seven women. "We used to call it 'Ladies on the Loose', but we're older now," she said. They stay at a hotel that is a stroll away from the theater, and watch as many plays as possible during their visit. During the day, they also do some shopping. Terri loves to quilt, so she hits the fabric stores. They saw three plays, although Terri was too tired to make it all the way through one of them. On their last night, they saw a stage adaptation of the Marx Brothers' movie "The Cocoanuts", which she greatly enjoyed. Although she had a good time, Terri said that she wants to delay the trip so it doesn't fall on the first weekend following tax season. Like a seasoned journalist, Kyle asked a probing follow-up question: "Did you really do a three-hour spa visit?" Terri acknowledged that she had been to the Waterstone Spa for a 90-minute facial and a 90-minute hot stone massage with Jean-Paul. Maggie was passionate in Terri's defense: "There is nothing wrong with that!"

Kyle then caught up with Harry Johnson, who said that he had been in Mexico for about two months, and he's been back for about three weeks. He reports that Project Amigo is going well, and President Jessica added that the project's founders Ted Rose and Susan Hill plan to visit our Club in the near future. Harry said that his involvement with the dental clinic that we sponsor in Mexico is less "hands-on" than it was in years past, but he still checks to ensure that it is well-supplied. He did one emergency procedure, but he said that our efforts to provide fluoride to treat the teeth of children there has helped to decrease the incidence of such crises.The work has shifted to preventive dentistry.

Cam and Lisa Appleton celebrated their 33rd anniversary on April 18th. They traveled to Mendocino for the weekend, and enjoyed great weather with some good friends. Saturday morning they went diving, with amazing visibility. Later in the day, they wandered the town, and sampled some of the local cuisine.

Lynda and Mike Moore's anniversary was April 20th, which coincided with Easter this year. They had some friends over for a barbecue in the afternoon, and they also enjoyed the beautiful weather. "It was a fun, fun day!" she said.

Harry got up to let us know that he was gone for his birthday this year, but it was a milestone - his 70th! We sang him a hearty "Happy Birthday" to mark the occasion. 

Foundation Final Friday (Part I)

Susan and Terri

President Jessica asked us to participate in the Rotary Foundation's "Every Rotarian, Every Year" program. That means that every Sunriser makes a contribution to the Foundation each year. The donation doesn't have to be large, although no one will complain if it is. But it shows our Club's ongoing commitment to the many great programs that would not exist if there was no Rotary Foundation.

Jessica shared a story about our contributions in use in the fight against breast cancer in India. Breast cancer is often treatable in our country, but in rural India, many women died because they did not have the resources to travel to cities where screenings and treatments were available. A Rotary Club in Southern India teamed up with another Club in Maryland to write a Global Grant. The funds from that grant allowed them to purchase and equip the "Mammobus". The mobile facility's staff have performed over 2,500 breast cancer screenings and they have educated many more in the process of self-examination.

Bryan and Terri

Her second story was about the struggle to eradicate polio in Pakistan, one of only three countries where polio remains endemic. (Afghanistan and Nigeria are the other two.) The End Polio Now effort still meets with resistance here - there is an area near the northwestern border, near Afghanistan, where a team of vaccinators and their guards were killed just last year. This year, a team returned to the area, and this time, persistence won out. The team was able to persuade village elders and religious leaders of the value of the vaccinations. Despite the arrival of a team of potentially hostile militants midway through the process, the community's leaders convinced the armed men to back off. Jessica reminded us that success in one such community often spreads to other nearby villages.

Foundation Final Friday (Part II)
It's always a happy occasion when another Sunriser becomes a Paul Harris Fellow. This happens when a Rotarian (or non-Rotarian) donates $1,000 to the Rotary Foundation. Many Rotarians do it again ... and again ...

Last week, Foundation Chair Terri Clark honored three Sunrisers: Susan Jansson and Bryan Plumley both reaffirmed their PHF statuses, and Kyle Visser earned his first fellowship. Congratulations and thank you to all three!!

Foundation Final Friday (Part III)

Kyle and Terri

Last week we closed the Foundation Festivities with an auction. All proceeds are donated to the Rotary Foundation, with half the credit going to each item's donor, while the other half goes to the purchaser's account. Here is a list of the goodies:

• Ian Schatz kicked in an awesome panoramic photo that was purchased by Praj White.
• Maggie Kraft described her post-Easter basket of cupcakes and wine as a "Lent Remover". Harry Johnson was the winning bidder.
• Certificates for two oil services were offered by Orrin Plocher, and these went to Tami Camper.
• Kyle Visser offered his services as a certified policies and procedures manual writer, which was purchased by Joyce Hinrichs.
• Harry Johnson brought in two dozen 1/2 pint jars of canned albacore. This sparked a bidding war between Maggie Kraft and Cindy Sutcliffe. It was a war that they both won, when Harry promised to bring in a second case so they could each have tuna!
• Maggie donated another sweet treats and wine package for our final auction item. Sadly, I missed  writing down the name of the winning bidder - I got caught up in totaling the overall donation made by our donors and purchasers - a grand total of $1,160!!!