On The Calendar
January 31st - AHS College & Career Center Pancake Breakfast at the D Street Neighborhood Center - 8 to 11 am
January 31st - Fortuna Sunrise's 2015 Crab Fest at the Fortuna Veterans Memorial Building - 5 to 8 pm (Take Out/Drive Thru Service Available)
February 4th - Pints for Non-Profits at the Mad River Brewery Taproom - 5 pm to ??
February 7th - Adopt-A-Highway - 9:30 to 11:30 am - Meet at the Humboldt Coastal Nature Center
February 18th - Charter Night at the Arcata Playhouse - 5:30 to 8:00 pm - "Denim & Diamonds"
March 14th - "Down The Rabbit Hole" - our Spring Fundraiser ... in Wonderland!!
March 21st - District Training Assembly in Ukiah
Announcements
Romi Hitchcock-Tinseth changed things up for the Spring Fundraiser auction/raffle item acquisition teams - she randomly selected teams of three Sunrisers, tasking each group with coming up with one raffle item (valued from $50-$100), three silent auction items ($100-$399), and one prize for the live auction ($400+).
President Barbara is expecting a big turnout for this year's Charter Night, which will take place Wednesday, February 18th, at the Arcata Playhouse. The festivities will begin at 5:30 pm, and the theme is "Denim & Diamonds" - so wear your jeans, but don't forget your BeDazzler®!
And President-Elect Howard Stauffer requests your attendance at the District Training Seminar, which will take place on Saturday, March 21st in Ukiah. As the event gets closer, check your inbox for carpool offers.
Special Daze
Rebecca and Abe Crow selected a memorable date for their wedding - January 2, 2003 (1/2/3). She told us that it's a good day for an anniversary, since everything's open after being closed on New Year's Day. "We played it local," she said. They took a walk downtown, had some food, did some shopping, and had a lot of fun.
Your Editor's birthday was on December 20th, and he noted that it was pretty quiet. He, Shelley, and son Brody went to Bless My Soul Cafe for dinner, and he highly recommended the food and the service.
Brenda Bishop's birthday on December 21st was a comedy of errors of sorts - it was around the time of our last big storm, and she and her daughter "weathered" it and other minor calamities in good humor. They survived floods, car troubles, and even a fire at a restaurant! But they laughed off the adversity, and now they have a great birthday story for the ages!
Ron Sharp's birthday is on New Year's Eve, and he said that he and his wife (aka President Barbara) stayed home because "we didn't want to go into natural disasters". Actually, he told us that it was a beautiful day in Blue Lake, so they hung out around the house and took some nice walks. They enjoyed takeout dinner and "we were actually in bed before all the artillery in downtown Blue Lake started".
It was one of those You-Had-To-Be-There moments - President Barbara's recognition of Bryan Plumley's birthday was hilarious. It started with a typo - a slide indicating that January 10th was the birthday of "Bryan Plumpey". He told us with a laugh, "People have butchered my name my whole life, but that's the first time ..." Bryan rolled with it, of course. Usually, he plays golf on his birthday, but he too busy this year. He wanted to try something different this year, so he had something custard-like at a sushi establishment. Bryan said it was really good, and "to follow the [Plumpey] theme", he said that his wife Kim gave him bike cleats.
Scott Heller's January 13th birthday started with an Arcata Sunrise Board Meeting, with "my favorite people". Later, he had a few friends over for dinner, and his bride Robin cooked some chocolate chipotle chicken - it was both delicious and alliterative! Scott said that his birthday celebration had started the week prior, with a restaurant-hopping visit to the Bay Area with Robin and son Michael.
Recognitions
Bryan Plumley told us all about Donnie Rosebrook last Friday. Bryan said that he "asked around the store [Murphy's Market], to see what I could get on him". He was told that Donnie is really into sports. So he called some of his friends, who added that Donnie is really into sports. When Bryan called Donnie's wife, Jennifer, she set him straight, saying, "Donnie's really into sports." Donnie has been a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 1980s, and he has stuck with them through their ups and downs. He also roots for the Cincinnati Reds and the LA Lakers. He missed our previous meeting because he was in Las Vegas on a business trip. While there, he met one of his long-time heroes - Pete Rose. He purchased some memorabilia and had the chance to chat with him. Donnie has recently taken up golf, which has been very engrossing for him. Bryan noted that Donnie is also very generous. He doesn't refuse when asked to help out, both personally and through Murphy's Market.
Vocational Service Committee Report
Jessica McKnight reminded us that the Vocational Service Award will soon be presented to a local businessperson who personifies the ideals of Rotary, but who is not (currently) a Rotarian. The Committee has selected a recipient, who will be invited to a meeting very soon. The Club will make a donation to the AHS College and Career Center in that person's name, to acknowledge their contributions. We will have another opportunity to propose nominees for a second award to be presented later this year.
Chris Jelinek announced that we would soon receive an email inviting us to participate in a survey of our vocations and avocations. This will allow the Committee to compile a database of our professions and interests, to serve as a resource for our members. The information gathered will be added to the "Members Only" section of our Club website.
Youth Exchange Committee Report
Ian Schatz provided an update from the Youth Exchange Committee, and he told us that Mozara's parents will be in town soon for a brief visit. He also noted that Mozara will be changing host families later this month, when she transitions from Tami Camper-Dart's home to live with Julie Vaissade-Elcock and her husband Stan.
Ian told us that two families have already committed to host next year's Exchange Student. We still need a third family for the year, so if you are interested, contact a member of the Committee to begin the process.
Our Outbound Exchanger, Sylvie Lepping is doing very well in Belgium. She recently changed host families, and Ian aid that she often thanks him and the Club for providing her the opportunity to be part of the program. Her parents will be visiting her soon, and they will also serve as host parents next year.
Next year's Outbounder, Trula Rael will find out this weekend where she will spend her Exchange Year. Ian will be there, so we will hear the news at our Final Friday meeting on January 30th.
He also said that the vetting process for people who want to spend one-on-one time with an Exchange Student continues to evolve. The process has been simplified, and is done online. If you would like to go through the process, contact Ian or another member of the Committee.
