Kim Moore served as our president while Rob Foster travels. She did a fine job, especially dealing with a somewhat challenging setup at Ramon’s.
Rotarian of the Day
Allen Roth
Spotted in The Pagosa Springs SUN
Tommy Nigro proudly basked in his newfound fame after making the newspaper and gave us a sneak peek into his prom plans.
State of the Town Update
Town Manager and Rotarian David Harris gave us a State of the Town update.
He shared the town’s 2050 Vision Statement: We are an engaged community with access to natural spaces, opportunities for sustainable growth, and respect for our heritage. The slide below shares the current council goals and objectives:
Road construction has begun. David told us that the state is investing $25 million in the project, while the Town is pumping in an additional $7.7 million. Because the landfill is under construction, the annual Spring Clean has been postponed. However, there will be a community cleanup of the cemetery from May 19 to June 2. The town also won a national award for excellence in financial reporting, promoting transparency. David noted that the police department hasn’t grown in 10 years because of a lack of funding. Several affordable housing developments are now in progress.
The rest of his presentation was dedicated to the desperate need to upgrade the town sewer system—a significant health and safety issue. The original system was installed in the ‘40s and some updates were made in the 60s. A third of the lines—92,000 linear feet of pipes—are failing, with some essentially crumbling.
Each day, the system currently pushes 325,000 gallons of effluent 7.5 miles up a 500-foot elevation. The need for a new wastewater treatment plant is urgent. The town is developing a long-term strategy to provide essential sanitation collection and treatment services.
While $4.5 million in bonds have been issued, upgrade costs will exceed $80 million. Current monthly rates are $71.25. If ratepayers have to incur the full cost of the upgrades, the monthly cost could be more than $220 a month.
The town receives 2.6% of property taxes, for $200,000. It is dependent on sales tax revenues, receiving 2% of all collected.
The town is now considering asking the community to approve a 1% sales tax collected on sales within the town limits. This would shift the cost of the wastewater treatment upgrade to all who use the system, including visitors.
“We aren’t the only community dealing with this,” David said, acknowledging the infrastructure issues the whole country is experiencing, including the county, school district, and PAWSD. Outside funding is limited. “We will have to pay for this ourselves.”
Mark Your Calendars
June 5 – Picnic and fishing
June 27 – Installation banquet honoring Janelle Syverson, our incoming president. It will be at the PLPOA clubhouse, and the cost is $20.
October 18 – Barn Dance. Kirsten Bennett needs your help. Please reach out to her.
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards
One eligible student has applied. We have an opportunity for one more.
Raffle
The pot is $426!
Join Us for Our Annual Installation Banquet
Please join us as we celebrate the installation of Jenelle Syverson as the 2025–2026 President of the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs, along with the incoming Board of Directors.
📅 Friday, June 27 📍 PLPOA Clubhouse – 230 Port Avenue 🍹 Happy Hour begins at 5:30 p.m. 🍽️ Dinner served at 6:00 p.m. 💲 $20 per person
Catering will be provided by Todd and Kellie Stevens.
Come ready to enjoy a sweet evening of fellowship and celebration!
Please note: There will be no regular club meeting on Thursday, June 26.
Imagine a future where Pagosa Springs students receive life-changing scholarships—forever. That’s the vision of the Pagosa Springs Rotary Club Scholarship Foundation: to build an endowment so strong that it funds scholarships solely through investment earnings, ensuring lasting support for generations to come.
This isn’t just about today—it’s about creating a legacy of opportunity for our community’s students. With your support, we can make this vision a reality.
Join us in this transformative mission and help shape a future where financial barriers never stand in the way of a student’s dreams.
Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs Invests in Future Leaders
Each year, the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs' Scholarship Foundation awards scholarships to deserving students, with total funding typically exceeding $20,000 annually. Since the program’s inception, we’ve awarded an impressive $564,125 to 201 graduates—and we’re excited to continue this tradition in 2025!
Attention, high school seniors: If you need help funding your education, the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs offers scholarships that could help make your educational dreams a reality.
Each year, Rotary awards scholarships to deserving students, with funding to all winners typically exceeding $20,000 annually. Since the program’s inception, we’ve awarded an impressive $564,125 to 201 graduates — and we’re excited to continue this tradition in 2025.
Rotarians are making a significant impact by supporting The Salvation Army's mission to serve those in need.
Last year, The Salvation Army provided vital assistance to over 1,500 residents of Archuleta County, offering support with rent, medical and prescription services, utility bills, food, showers, clothing, and transportation. Their efforts also extended to supporting local nonprofit organizations, including the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs.
Pagosa Rotary brings words, wonder and wide-eyed smiles to local third graders
By JoAnn Laird
Recently, dedicated members of the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs showed up in force at Pagosa Springs Elementary School to deliver the club’s annual gift of colorful dictionaries to all third-grade classes.
Recess had just ended and laughing children filled the halls for the return to their classrooms. Much to their surprise, it wasn’t their normal afternoon class. Eyes widened and smiles appeared when 120 of these beautiful books were distributed. Students quickly wrote their names on the inside cover and the energy in the rooms was palpable. Word suggestions were made by the Rotarians, but quickly, the students learned how to use the dictionary and were shouting out their own suggestions of words to be found. Now, there were smiles on Rotarian’s faces also.
Your extraordinary generosity has been crucial in empowering us to make a lasting impact on our community. Because of your support, we've been able to fund essential resources for local school teachers, offer educational scholarships to high school seniors, provide dictionaries for children, deliver emergency assistance to those in need, and spearhead youth leadership projects, among other initiatives.
Your unwavering support is the cornerstone of our efforts, and we couldn't achieve our mission without you. Together, we're creating a brighter future!
On October 25, Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs members were ringing the bells at City Market and asking for your contributions. As usual, this community is a generous one. A total of $427 was contributed to Rotary International’s PolioPlus fund and will help us achieve a world in which no child is paralyzed by polio again.
In addition to the collections at City Market, the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs individual members have contributed $695 so far this year. The Gates Foundation joined in these efforts with Rotary in 2002, matching two for one every dollar we can raise. With the Gates Foundation match that is a total of $3,366.
Rotarians in Pagosa Springs will participate in World Polio Day efforts to raise awareness, funds, and support to end polio. On Oct. 25, Rotary members will ring bells at City Market and ask for your contributions, large or small. Your donation to Rotary International’s PolioPlus fund will help us achieve a world in which no child is paralyzed by polio again.
By Donna Mosher | Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs
The first round of an international campaign to vaccinate children in the Gaza Strip against polio last month vaccinated nearly 560,000 kids, who received initial doses amid pauses in the war there. Stamping out the virus, however, will require a second round of vaccinations. Children need two doses of this vaccine for effective protection against polio.
The recent detection of variant poliovirus type-2 isolates in environmental samples and the confirmation of a 10-month-old child who has contracted polio in Gaza—the territory’s first confirmed report of polio in 25 years—is a stark reminder that as long as polio exists anywhere, it is a threat everywhere. Rotary International committed $500,000 to bolster the Gaza initiative, channeling these funds through a dedicated Polio Outbreak Response Fund.
Rotarians in Pagosa Springs will act in honor of World Polio Day to raise awareness, funds, and support to end polio. On October 25, Rotary members will ring bells at City Market and ask for your contributions, large or small. Your donation to Rotary International’s PolioPlus fund will help us achieve a world in which no child is paralyzed by polio again.
With the support of generous sponsors and the enthusiastic Pagosa Springs community, the 9th Annual Jewels and Jeans Barn Dance was deemed a success. Guests were treated to an unforgettable evening filled with fun, music, and camaraderie, all in support of the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs’ mission to make a positive impact.
Story and photos by JoAnn Laird | Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs
The beauty of the many Pagosa Springs nonprofits is that they are all about helping our community to be a better place to live, work and recreate.
On a beautiful autumn morning, about a dozen of Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs’ finest strapped on tool belts and wielded paint brushes, to work side by side Habitat for Humanity of Archuleta County mentors in helping to build the three homes Habitat currently has under construction.
Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs mobilizes to aid disaster relief for Hurricane Helene victims
By Terri House
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club is rallying support to provide critical aid to communities devastated by Hurricane Helene, which has left a trail of destruction across Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. As “People of Action,” Rotarians are stepping in to offer assistance where it is needed most, and the community’s contributions can play a vital role in these efforts.
Hurricane Helene has severely impacted countless families, causing widespread damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure. The immediate needs in the hardest-hit areas include food, clean water, medical supplies, and shelter. In response, Rotary members across the country are not only contributing financial resources but also volunteering their time and expertise to assist in the relief and rebuilding efforts.
In moments like this, we stand ready to make a difference. By supporting the relief efforts, we can provide tangible aid and hope to families in dire need.
Jewels and Jeans Barn Dance reinvigorates a frontier tradition and invests in the Pagosa Springs community
By Donna Mosher | Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs
Photo courtesy Al Myatt
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs’ annual Jewels and Jeans Barn Dance brings together friends and neighbors for a fun-filled, community-building evening. Proceeds from ticket sales directly support the club's many charitable initiatives.
In the early 1800s in the United States, folks settling the American frontier would gather in barns to celebrate special occasions and holidays. The gatherings soon included live music and dancing, and the traditional barn dance was born.
Nine years ago, the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs held its first community Barn Dance. The evening was the inspiration of a dedicated Rotarian, Betty Switzer, now living in Arkansas. Switzer wanted to offer a fun and uniting evening for our neighbors. She loved the Western heritage of our community and wanted to replicate the bygone days of large barn dances. Money raised from ticket sales would support the many charitable activities of the club.
Rotary International has a worldwide student exchange program that Pagosa Springs Rotary Clubs have participate in since 1991. Tommy Nigro is the current inbound student from Zevio, Italy. Anja Nasralla is the current outbound student living in Alicante, Spain. Pictured left to right: Host family Deglan and Graham Denen, Tommy, Anja, Carole and Dave Nasralla.
Pagosa Peak Open School, teacher Rue Graham (2023 grant recipient) with her students and, from left, Rotarians Melanie Garrett, CiCi Stuart, Kim Moore, and President Cindi Galabota
Rotary Teacher Mini Grant applications now available
The September 2024 Pagosa Rotary Teacher Mini Grant applications are now available to teachers at Pagosa Elementary, Middle, High, and San Juan Mountain Schools as well as Valor Academy, Head Start, Our Savior Lutheran School, Pagosa Open Peak School, Wings Early Childhood Center and Seed of Learning. If you are a teacher at any of those schools and have not received the application via email, please check with your principal or director. You can also download the application here. The applications are due October 4, 2024.
Bid Big, Make a Difference: Rotary Club’s Online Auction offers unique experiences and supports local initiatives
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs invites you to participate in our online charity auction—your opportunity to win incredible experiential items while making a meaningful impact in our community.
A lovely Cocktail Party was hosted by Wings Early Childhood Center to celebrate the near completion of their large expansion project! The staff and Board of Directors all showed great pride in the beautiful facility and appreciation for the donors and supporters that enabled it to become a reality. With the expansion they have two new preschool rooms, three new playgrounds (outdoor classrooms) and a commercial kitchen. The current preschool room will then be used as an infant room, providing care for children as young as 6 weeks old! You can read more about the Wings story here http://wingsearlychildhood.org
Wings provides a breakfast. lunch and afternoon snack for each child attending Wings at no additional cost. With the newly added kitchen their talented chef will be able to expand the meals offered at Wings!
In Archuleta County, there lies a beacon of hope known as the Pagosa Outreach Connection (POC).
The POC is a coalition of devoted citizens from faith-based, business, and service organizations united by a common goal: to provide a safety net for residents facing unforeseen financial hardships.
The origins of the POC trace back to 2003, when three church leaders, alongside a dedicated Archuleta County Department of Human Services Family Advocate, came together to address a pressing need in their community. With a shared belief that "community is responsible for its own citizens’ well-being," they established the POC with the guiding principle of neighbor-helping-neighbor. The mission was clear: to offer quick, government-free assistance while ensuring fiscal accountability.
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs, an early and enthusiastic supporter, played a pivotal role in bringing this vision to life. The club’s substantial contributions helped lay the foundation for what would become a cornerstone of support for the town's most vulnerable.
In Archuleta County, Pagosa Outreach Connection
shines as a beacon of hope,
offering support and a helping hand to those in need.
Get Your Boots On: Ninth Annual Jeans and Jewels Barn Dance for a Good Cause!
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs invites you to the ninth annual Jeans and Jewels Barn Dance on Saturday, October 12, from 7 p.m. till 10 p.m. in the Archuleta County Extension building at the fairgrounds. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
The Jackson Mountain Ramblers will entertain attendees with country music, line dancing, and vibrant community spirit.
Rotarians invite you to join us for fun at the Ninth Annual Jeans and Jewels Barn Dance on Saturday, Oct. 12.
Each November, third graders in Archuleta County are treated to a special gift that brightens their days — the gift of words. Thanks to the nationwide Rotary Dictionary Project, the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs presents each student with their very own personal dictionary. This initiative opens a door to learning and discovery.
Third-grade students from Pagosa Springs Elementary School
attend a weekly Rotary Club meeting to express their gratitude for their new dictionaries.
Nicole Cotts, Executive Director of Aspire Medical Services and Education, addressed the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs on July 18, as part of Rotary’s Maternal and Child Health Month.
Aspire Medical Services and Education offers essential services including free prenatal care, pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, childbirth and parenting classes, and personalized coaching.
Rotary International is committed to fostering international relationships, improving lives, and advancing global peace efforts, including the eradication of polio.
Rotary strives to ensure access to quality healthcare for vulnerable mothers and children worldwide, aiming to extend their lives and enhance their wellbeing.
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs proudly sponsors two juniors or seniors from local high schools to participate in RYLA each year. Beyond acquiring crucial leadership skills, participants engage in team-building activities and forge friendships throughout Rotary District 5470.
Rotarian Kim Moore recently introduced Elisabeth (Libby) Girardin, one of our Rotary Youth Leadership Award students, to our Rotary Club.
Last week, Libby shared her experience with RYLA, an intensive leadership program hosted at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, Colorado.
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs proudly sponsors two juniors or seniors from local high schools to participate in RYLA each year. Beyond acquiring crucial leadership skills, participants engage in team-building activities and forge friendships throughout Rotary District 5470.
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs hosted its annual leadership transition banquet on June 27. During the event, Jann Pitcher paid special tribute to the club's past presidents.
Pictured, back row: Jann Pitcher.
Front row: Shellie Peterson, Mike Vanover, Allen Roth, Warren Brown, Livia Lynch, Ken Morrison and Kim Moore.
By Terri House | Pagosa Rotary Community Assistance Fund Public Image Chair
The Pagosa Rotary Community Assistance Fund, established as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation, plays a vital role in enhancing our community's well-being.
We support various initiatives such as scholarships for students, feeding the hungry through the Feed Our Children Backpack Program, and providing educational resources to local teachers.
Our goal is to improve education, health, and quality of life in Archuleta County by coordinating volunteers and financial resources.
In 2023, over $56,000 in donations supported key projects including the Rotary’s Dictionary Project, Pagosa Outreach Connection, scholarships for local graduates, the Rotary Youth Exchange, and community grants.
These efforts exemplify our commitment to Rotary's values of "Service Above Self" and the "Four-Way Test," ensuring that our actions are truthful, fair, build goodwill, and are beneficial to all.
Managed by dedicated Rotarians, our fund minimizes administrative costs, maximizing the impact of every dollar donated.
Your support, whether through donations or volunteerism, amplifies our ability to address community needs effectively. Together, we can make a significant difference. To support local Rotary projects, please consider sending donations to:
Pagosa Rotary CAF P.O. Box 685 Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
Your contribution will directly benefit our community initiatives. Thank you for your support.
For more information on how to contribute or get involved, visit pagosaspringsrotary.org.
This year’s Fourth of July Parade Grand Marshals Bob and Lisa Scott stand as pillars of community spirit and dedication. Photo courtesy Jeff Laydon
This year’s Fourth of July Parade Grand Marshals Bob and Lisa Scott stand as pillars of community spirit and dedication.
Their journey to becoming this year’s grand marshals reflects not just their years spent in Pagosa Springs, but a lifetime of commitment to service and community building.
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs got to hear from Abbie Monroe, Pagosa Family School, Mariah Mills and Mariah Mills from Wings Early Childhood Education Center, and Amanda Schweitzer from the High School. They told us how they utilized funding from our teacher mini grant program to enhanced their classrooms for the students.
Carol Stuart led this effort again this year which entails gathering applications from the teachers and evaluating each one to determine how to best invest Rotary funds and interviewing the teachers.
Pagosa Springs Rotary Club is pleased to announce the graduating seniors who will be receiving the 2024 Rotary scholarships. This year, Rotary is awarding $24,000. There were amazing applications and tough decisions made by the committee. The scholarship selection committee chose four students to award this year.
Miles Baker will be attending Biola University in Los Angeles County, where he will study cinema and media arts.
Karis Blackman plans to pursue a degree in environmental studies at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.
Jack Hittle will begin his studies of mechanical engineering this fall. He will be attending the Colorado School of Mines, located in Golden.
Michelle Ray-Lujan will be studying nursing at Amarillo College in Amarillo, Texas.
Rotarians from Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs work alongside other local volunteers on Saturday, May 18, as part of a world-wide effort to give back to their communities. In Pagosa Springs, the focus was picking up trash along U.S. 160 on Put Hill and working on garden improvements at Rotary Park located next to the Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership domes.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to attend one of the most prestigious youth leadership programs in the area! Deadline to submit your application to the RYLA program is April 19, 2024 at 6:00 P.M.
RYLA is a workshop organized and sponsored by the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs for future leaders in Pagosa Springs currently in grades 10 and 11. This year RYLA will be held at the Colorado Mountain College in beautiful Leadville, Colorado from June 13-16. Transportation will also be provided.
Participants are selected for their leadership potential to attend an all-expense-paid hands-on, experiential program designed to foster and strengthen leadership skills, self-confidence, community building skills and character.
Here is what one of our past participants has to say about the experience:
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs is also supporting blind students attending the National School for the Blind in Niamey. With just Rotarians' spare change, this is an easy and affordable way for each of us to support our International Service work in Niger.
Here are the kids we will support, with their teacher and school head:
The long-term solution to global poverty is self-sufficiency. Forty years of thoughtful research involving 70 countries shows a strong correlation between the rate of economic development and the science and math literacy in these countries. This correlation shows that aid to improve science and math literacy in under-developed countries is likely to increase the rate of economic development and self-sufficiency of their people. The immediate purpose of this Global Grant is to improve high school science education in Niger.
With a per-capita Gross National Income (GNI) less than $1,000, Niger is often listed as the poorest country in Africa. To understand the severity of poverty in Niger, it is helpful to note that Mexico’s GNI is $16,000. Sixty percent of Niger’s population lives on less than $2/day.
ROTARY MAKES HIGH-QUALITY HEALTH CAREAVAILABLE TO VULNERABLE MOTHERS AND CHILDREN SO THEY CAN LIVE LONGER AND GROW STRONGER.
We expand access to quality care, so mothers and children everywhere can have the same opportunities for a healthy future. An estimated 5.9 million children under the age of five die each year because of malnutrition, inadequate health care, and poor sanitation — all of which can be prevented.
HOW ROTARY MAKES HELP HAPPEN
Rotary provides education, immunizations, birth kits, and mobile health clinics. Women are taught how to prevent mother-to-infant HIV transmission, how to breast-feed, and how to protect themselves and their children from disease.
OUR IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF MOTHERS AND CHILDREN
The Rotary Foundation reaches mothers and children in need by giving communities the help and training they need to take control of their own maternal and infant health care.
Super Bowl teams have been determined and the fun and excitement with friends will be at the viewing party hosted by the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs on Sunday, February 11 at the Tennyson Event Center. Party doors will open at 3 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person and may be purchased online at pagosaspringsrotary.org or in person with cash or check at The Choke Cherry Tree.
Betting squares will begin at 3 p.m. and will end at 4:15 p.m., per state sanctioned guidelines, prior to kickoff at 4:30 p.m. You can purchase squares for $20 cash per square, and there will be 100 squares available. Cash awards of $250 will be given out at the end of every quarter, for a total of $1,000 in prize money. Come early to get the squares you want!
Broadcasting the game, and all the great commercials and entertainment, will be from one large projection screen plus four additional large televisions around the room. Food, perfect for a spectator sport event, will be offered at the end of every quarter and includes homemade chili, hot dog bar, and snacks galore! Beer, wine, and mixed drinks will be offered at the cash/credit card bar.
Door prizes will be awarded throughout the game and all ticketed attendees have a chance to win. Prizes include passes to the geothermal springs, axe throwing, virtual shooting range, salt cave, horse-drawn carriage ride and more! Prizes will also be awarded to the best-dressed fan – one male and one female attendee.
Proceeds from this event will benefit the Rotary Club local scholarship program for graduating high school seniors that awards higher education support for college and certificate and vo-tech training. This scholarship program began in 1983 with Floyd McKee as the first scholarship recipient. To date, Rotary has awarded 197 scholarships for a total of $540,125 and is budgeted to award $24,000 in scholarships this year. Bring your friends for fun and viewing of the 58th NFL Super Bowl!
Pagosa Springs Rotary contributed hot cocoa and community spirit to this year’s Sledz on the Rez! Rotarians served in multiple capacities. Jane Davison, Kim Moore, Natalee Sargent, Troy Schoenbaum and Rob Foster served up the cocoa and cheer.
Rotary Exchange Students stand after the presentation of country flags at the annual District Conference in Pueblo in October. There are 13 students in the region for the 2023-2024 academic year. Charlotte Duranton, seventh from the left, is the student in Pagosa Springs and is standing with the French flag.
Pagosa Family and Middle School teachers with certificates (top row) Linda Lutomski and Abbie Monroe; (bottom row) Malinda Burnett, Katrina Thomas, Laura Mijares with (from left top) Principal Jane Lewis and Rotarians Ronnie Doctor, Melanie Garrett and CiCi Stuart.
At Pagosa Peak Open School, teacher Rue Graham with her students and, from left, Rotarians Melanie Garrett, CiCi Stuart, Kim Moore, and President Cindi Galabota.
At Seeds of Learning, teacher Leeann Skoglund and, holding the certificate, two classmates. From left, Rotarians CiCi Stuart, Melanie Garrett, Director Michelle Cusick, Program Director Kathy Faber and Rotary President Cindi Galabota
Wings Early Childhood Center, with certificates are Mirah Neulieb, Jennifer Jennings, Leah Holliday, Director Becca Gartman. Missing is teacher Shauntel Garcia. Rotarians from left CiCi Stuart and Melanie Garrett
Valor Academy teacher Jillian Cram with Rotarians Ronnie Doctor, CiCi Stuart and Melanie Garrett
Join with Pagosa Springs Rotary Club on World Polio Day October 24, 2023, to raise funds to end polio. This is an annual event in our continuing efforts to eradicate polio globally. We will be ringing the bells and taking donations for this important humanitarian event at City Market Center on Tuesday, October 24, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
After decades of efforts and fund raising exceeding $5 billion since 1988, Rotary Club International and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative including the World Health Organization, U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Vaccine Alliance are proclaiming that the world is free of Polio except for the countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
We are asking the citizens of Archuleta County for your support by donating online at endpolio.org or by mailing your check local to Pagosa Springs Rotary Club at P.O. Box 685, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147 if you cannot make it by City Market on Tuesday October 24, 2023.
It seemed like the entire town turned out to have a great time and support the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs' college scholarship program.
Tim Sullivan and his Band had everyone up and dancing the evening away with the great sounds we know and love. Greg Langford shepherded Rotary members who prepared and served a beautiful orange-chipotle chicken, homemade potato salad, coleslaw and beans all topped off with a cookie!
Thanks to the businesses that donated items for the fabulous silent auction and the folks that came out to support the event, funds were raised that will support our graduating seniors toward their college or vocational education.
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs recently heard a presentation from the high school senior who attended the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) conference. Amelia Berndt attended the three-day conference in June at Colorado Mountain College (CMC) in Leadville with over 50 other junior and senior high school students from Rotary District 5470.
RYLA is an "award" to the students that are selected to attend an all-expenses paid camp where they are inspired by a diverse group of exceptional speakers, make life-long friends through fellowship activities, and discuss the ethical and social issues of today. These activities are conducted in an atmosphere of trust and respect. The result is that these students return to their schools and communities motivated to take on additional leadership roles and to find additional ways to serve.
While Amelia described the conference as “super fun” she also described the activities that encouraged teamwork, being heard, and how to lead. “I made a lot of new friends and loved having a mini-college experience in the CMC dorm,” she stated in her presentation. She also said this experience helped her gain experience and confidence in talking about her opinions to other people. Amelia also talked about what they learned about Rotary and the impact it has in communities all over the world, especially the mission to eradicate Polio worldwide. Amelia’s family moved to Pagosa Springs four years ago and she has a twin sister.
RYLA is a program that originated with Rotary International and is implemented within various Rotary Districts. Pagosa Springs Noon Rotary Club has been involved in RYLA for over fifteen years. The Rotary District 5470 organizes the conference and local Rotary clubs select the students they want to send at the club’s expense. Rotarians Cindi Galabota, Codie Wilson, Deborah Fox and Katie Cloudman have been the leaders of this project for several years. Applications are available in March to high school sophomores and juniors.
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club is currently hosting Charlotte Duranton, high school junior, from Annonay, France who arrived in Pagosa Springs August 23rd. Annonay is in southeast France, about an hour from Lyon, and a town of 16,700 inhabitants. The Montgolfier brothers invented hot air balloons in this city and Annonay is dubbed “the city of hot air balloons.” Charlotte’s father trains technicians for heating and air conditioning, her mother is an operating room nurse and she has an older brother and a twin sister, both in high school studies. She and her family are very athletic and are all runners and play korfball, a sport that mixes basketball and handball.
At Pagosa Springs High School, she is enrolled in some typical American classes including U.S. History, English and math. She is also taking science classes, which are her favorite, and several electives like wilderness skills and hospitality and tourism. Since she’s a runner, she has joined the cross-country team this fall. Charlotte’s first host family is Gwen and Tim Taylor and their daughter Lucy, senior.
Last school year, Agustin Perez-Leal, from Argentina, was hosted by the families of Jean Garcia, Karen Ross and Yul Wilson, and DeEtte and Oliver Phillips. Everyone had wonderful exchange experiences and made close family connections.
Lover of country music that you are, the thought of the two-step may be a bit distressing. Here's that ah-ha moment you've been looking for; get lost in the hordes of those who love line dancing. And what better way to do it than being accompanied by Pagosa's well-known country-western crooner, Tim Sullivan and bandmates.
Pagosa’s Rotary Club is hosting the eighth annual Jewels and Jeans Barn Dance on Saturday, October 7 from 7 to 10 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 pm) at the Archuleta County Extension building.
A chuckwagon dinner will be available at the event for $15 and includes barbeque chicken, potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, chips and homemade cookies. Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door and $15 for the chuckwagon dinner and may be purchased at Happy Trails, Choke Cherry Tree or from any Rotarian.
It’s a barn dance! The Pagosa Rotary Club is hosting the eighth annual Jewels and Jeans Barn Dance the evening of Saturday, October 7 from 7 to 10 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 pm) at the Archuleta County Extension building. Tim Sullivan Band will be the live band playing boot-scootin’ country music for line dancing and your favorite swing moves.
Tickets are $30 per person in advance and $35 at the door and can be purchased at Choke Cherry Tree, Happy Trails or from any noon Rotarian. A chuckwagon dinner is available for those who have purchased an advance ticket for $15. The evening is full of activities including a cash saloon with local brews and a full bar, contest for sexiest cowboy & cowgirl, and wagon rides. Local retailers and restaurants have donated items that will be available in a silent auction and in a drawing for anyone who purchases a chance to win.
The evening is full of activities including a cash saloon with local brews and a full bar, contest for sexiest cowboy & cowgirl, and wagon rides.
Local retailers and restaurants have donated items that will be available in a silent auction and in a drawing for anyone who purchases a chance to win.
The area beside the Geothermal Greenhouses is known as Rotary Park. It was sorely in need of weeding and maintenance and this brave crew tackled the job! More needs to be done of course, but a huge improvement was accomplished in just one day!
Nine brave souls tackled Putt Hill on Saturday morning this past weekend!
These Rotarians were not the faint of heart no matter how busy the highway was!! The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs is proud of our community and one of the ways we show it is by cleaning up trash along the highway. It is always great fun and super rewarding. Sometimes we have found some interesting items to boot!
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs was pleased to announce this year's Fourth of July Parade grand marshal, Jann Pitcher. Jann married Todd Pitcher at Spirit Lake above Sante Fe, N.M., 53 years ago. In 1976 they moved to Pagosa to help run the Wolf Creek Ski Area; Kingsbury and Charuitt Jane Pitcher, Todd's parents subsequently purchased Wolf Creek in 1978.Over the years, more than anuthing else, Jann loved watching her three children grow up and thrive in Pagosa. Now they and their spouses are contribution member of the Pagosa community. Jann and Todd's eight grandchildren are the light of Jann's life, ranging in age from 3 to 25 years old. Her family is truly the most important aspect of her life.
Jann's support of the Pagosa Springs community is endless and it is easy to see her deep love for her hometown through her varied leadership distinctions. She has been the president of the Pagosa Springs Area Camber of Commerce, president of the Pagosa Springs Area Association of Realtors, Realtor of the Year, chair of the high school's accountability committee, and chair of the Citizens Bank of Pagosa Springs, to name a few highlights. Jann also has been an active member of the Pagosa Springs Rotary Club for many years. In 1987, she had the distinguished honor of being the first female in the club, shortly after the Supreme Court made the ruling to allow women to join. In 1997, she was named Rotarian of the Year and in 2003 she was awarded the Rotary district youth service award. In 2004 Jann was president of the club, leading with kindness, humor and grace
The end of June signifies the end of one Rotary year and the beginning of another!! Last week the Pagosa Springs Rotary Club members gathered at the Springs Resort to thank Warren Brown for his year of service as President of the Club and to welcome Cindi Galabota to the Presidents’ position for the upcoming year.
Stacy Clark was selected as the Rotarian of the Year! She was recognized for her boundless enthusiasm and dedication to service and to the Club.
The Officers of the Board of Directors of Pagosa Springs Rotary fill vital roles in managing how effective and important the Club is to the community! Mike Vanover is willing to serve on the Board, along with Kenneth Beesly and Bill Salmansohn. Sam Pittmon and Jim Garrett will continue to serve as Secretaries, Melanie Garrett will also continue to serve. Pat Tackett will take the position on the Board and the Office of Treasurer. Robert Foster will serve as President Elect.
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs is proud to announce the graduating seniors who will be receiving the 2023 Rotary scholarships, which total $22,000 this year. There were amazing applications and tough decisions to be made by the committee. There are five students who were awarded for this year.
Avery Ramirez will be studying respiratory therapy at San Juan College.
Hannah Rockensock is attending Tennessee Tech and plans to study musical theater in their School of Music.
Kaleb Johnson will be going to Montana State University in Bozeman, MT. He will be majoring in computer engineering.
Lynelle Bartz is attending Arizona State University and will be pursing her degree in nursing.
Justin Rivas will be headed to Denton, TX, to attend Northwest Lineman College.
President Warren called Rotary members, Cindi Galabota and Meg Wempe, to the podium to accept a contribution towards the Ruby Sisson Library Expansion Campaign. The Board of Directors had approved a contribution of $5,000 for 2023 from the Community Assistance Fund (CAF). The Board also approved an additional pledge of $5,000 for 2024 and 2025 for a total of $15,000, provided that funds are available to do so.
Last Thursday, The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs had the honor of having Greg Sund, Incoming District Governor at our meeting. Mr. Sund has been involved with Rotary since 1996 in Dickinson, North Dakota, and served as the President of that Club in 2004-2005. Mr. Sund initially studied wildlife management and biology at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point and later changed his focus to Art and eventually to earning a Master of Public Administration from the University of South Dakota.
Throughout Greg's career, he has served in various capacities in Rotary including being Serving as Assistant Governor and as a member on the District Membership Committee.
Pagosa Fun! and Rugby’s Rescue House, a local dog rescue, (www.rugbysrescue.com) hosted the Second Annual “Brews for Rescues" Beer Fest, SW Colorado’s first Dog-Centric beer fest that is just as much for your dog as it is for you!
On Saturday, April 29, 2023, the region’s favorite breweries came to Pagosa Springs, Colorado to showcase some of their best craft-beer and raise money for Rugby’s Rescue House, an amazing non-profit organization. Beer from Eddyline, Ska, Marble Brewing, Second Street Brewing, Breckenridge Brewing and many more were served!
Rugby's Rescue is a small non-profit rescue dedicated to "Rescuing, Saving, and Repeating" the process. Their main focus is rescuing dogs from surrounding Native American Reservations, where the growing dog population has been a big problem.
The event was hosted at Yamaguchi Park in Pagosa Springs, CO along the San Juan River with sweeping views of the San Juan Mountains. The day started at noon with a community dog walk. After the walk, the doors open and the beer tasting began. During the tasting there was a costume contest, owner look-a-like contest, best trick contest and lots more fun! Rugby’s Rescue House also had dogs and puppies available for adoption. This is really a day for the dogs! Last year we had over 7 dogs adopted out to their forever homes.
The month of May is very special to the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs! First, we interview and select our Rotary Youth Leadership Award recipient!
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is an intensive leadership experience organized by Rotary clubs and districts where you develop your skills as a leader while having fun and making connections.
What are the benefits?
Connect with leaders in your community and around the world to:
Build communication and problem-solving skills
Discover strategies for becoming a dynamic leader in your school or community
Learn from community leaders, inspirational speakers, and peer mentors
Unlock your potential to turn motivation into action
Have fun and form lasting friendships
What’s involved?
RYLA events are organized locally by Rotary clubs and districts for participants ages 14-30. Depending on community needs, RYLA may take the form of a one-day seminar, a three-day retreat, or a weeklong camp. Typically, events last 3-10 days and include presentations, activities, and workshops covering a variety of topics.
We haven’t heard from you yet, and there is still time to develop your leadership skills or potential leadership skills.
The Rotary Club here in Pagosa Springs has a great opportunity for all high school students in 10th or 11th grade. We want to sponsor you to attend this year’s RYLA retreat weekend in Leadville, Colorado, June 2-4. RYLA is Rotary Youth Leadership Award. There’s no charge to participate and everything is provided, including transportation.
Nolan Kay, who attend RYLA in 2019, had this to say: "RYLA was a great experience for me. I had the opportunity to participate in a variety of leadership activities. These helped me develop into a better leader. RYLA was also lots of fun, and I met many wonderful students from around the state.”
Outdoor recreation activities at Colorado Mountain College in the Leadville area are endless, and we are planning to offer the RYLA participants a chance to experience leadership development through outdoor experiential learning as well as traditional classroom instruction. The Colorado Mountain College offers the opportunity to experience a ropes course, a climbing wall and hiking.
When much of North America was last covered with ice, what we know today as the Sahara Desert of North Africa was covered with trees and grasslands. Many African tribes flourished during this time, each with its own culture and language.
Over a period of 5,000 to 10,000 years the “Green Sahara” turned to an extremely hot and dry desert. The tribes adapted to the conditions or moved to peripheral areas where life was more hospitable. Despite these changes, the tribes maintained their own customs and languages.
Colonization by Europeans created countries that included many tribes, each with their own customs and languages. Niger, which encompasses the central part of the Sahara Desert, recognizes 10 tribal languages. These languages remain the preferred means of communicating within families and among friends.
Although French is the official language of Niger, only about 50% of the population is proficient. Because few Nigeriens speak English, Niger remains culturally and economically isolated from much of the world. This isolation has contributed to Niger’s being one of the poorest countries in the world.
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs, with support from the Rotary Foundation, has been helping Niger to lift itself from poverty by working with our twin Rotary club in Niger on several projects. Through this relationship we have learned of the need to improve English education in Niger.
Rotary’s area of focus for February: Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution
How we have supported Ukraine locally
While an ongoing conflict rages in Ukraine, it is difficult to see how we can help to build peace and prevent conflicts from our little corner of the world. While we, as Rotarians, are powerless to deter Putin we can continue to help ease the suffering of the Ukrainian people.
Early on Rotarians contributed $15 million dollars to the Ukrainian Disaster Relief Fund. Over the last year this has funded many projects in collaboration with Ukrainians on the ground:
Provide ambulances, medical supplies, and medical units for the sick and injured.
Provide food, shelter supplies, water purification systems, and generators to ease the suffering of the civilian population.
District 5470 along with District 5440 (Northern CO, WY, and Western NE) District 5390 (Montana), and District 5180 (Central California), has used $200,000 of that money to provide beds, bedding supplies, and water purifiers to a Rotary Club in Kyiv.
As of January 30, Rotary International has reopened the Ukrainian Disaster Relief Fund for more donations. It’s another opportunity for District 5470 Rotary clubs and Rotarians to continue supporting the Ukrainian people. Donations to this Fund through the remainder of 2023 will be used for grants through June, 2024.
You can support THE ROTARY FOUNDATION to build peace and prevent conflicts worldwide
Through Peace Scholarships, our 7 World Peace Centers educate young men and women from all over the world in the important work of diplomacy and conflict resolution.
Funding of other areas of focus include: Disease Treatment and Prevention, Literacy, Water and Sanitation, Maternal and Child Health, Community Development, Supporting our Environment and Empowering Girls initiatives all help to alleviate problems that can ultimately sow the seeds of war and conflict.
I ask you to continue contributing to the ANNUAL FUND of THE ROTARY FOUNDATION. You can rest assured that you are helping to build peace and prevent future wars in our world.
Lead teachers in a high school in Niamey, Niger learn how to use voltmeters to determine the characteristics of resistors, diodes and capacitors.
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs is in the final phase of a project to improve science education in six high schools in Niger, Africa. There are nearly 4000 students in these schools, which include the last three years of secondary education. Girls make up 42% of the students.
Niger is a large country that includes much of the Sahara Desert. By most measures of prosperity, Niger as the least developed country in Africa. Yet, many students have set high goals for themselves. They want to become physicians, engineers, airline pilots and teachers. To achieve these goals, these students need access to quality education, including modern science classes.
Poorly developed countries need good science education if they are to lift themselves out of poverty. Niger has little coal, gas or oil, but it has lots of Sahara Desert sunshine. It also has substantial mineral deposits. Developing solar power and mineral assets is a high priority and will require engineers and technicians who understand science.
Although science teachers in Niger understand theory rather well, they have had little or no practical experience. They have not done lab experiments because they have had no lab equipment and no training. They have no lab manuals that describe how to do experiments.
The principal goals of our project is to help the Nigerien teachers develop lab manuals that align with their curriculum, provide supplies that are necessary to perform these experiments, and to train the teachers to perform the experiments. Good lab experiments help students to understand theory, to develop good technical skills and to see how science is connected to their lives.
High school science students use equipment provided by Rotary to study basic electronics
After travelling for 30 hours, I arrived in the capital of Niger, Niamey, with my five suitcases filled with lab supplies. Five Rotarians from our twin partner Rotary Club in Niamey met me at the airport and cleared the way through customs. All projects supported by the Rotary Foundation must have a host club in the country where the project will take place. The host clubs know the needs of their communities and how to best meet these needs
Having completed the first week of teacher training, I attended a physics class in the equivalent of our junior year of high school. There were 50 students, about 15 of which were girls.
There were no text books, so the teacher worked from a blackboard and dictated. The students took meticulous notes. This classroom is different from most physics classrooms in Niger because the teacher had some lab supplies, which had been provided several years ago by our Rotary Club.
The current project, which started three years ago, will cost $60,000. Most of the funding comes from a grant from the Rotary Foundation, which receives its funding from donations from 1.2 million Rotarians in 200 countries. Rotarians volunteering their time increase the value of these grants several fold.
My visit will last three weeks. The first week, which we have just completed, focused on training three lead teachers to do the lab experiments. During the next two weeks, these lead teachers will train an additional 30 science teachers from the six high schools supported by this grant. Each of these schools will have the equipment necessary to perform the lab experiments and teachers who have been trained to perform the experiments.
Clean water is a basic need for human beings. When people, especially children, have access to clean water, they live healthier and more productive lives. However, at least 3,000 children die each day from diseases caused by unsafe water, which is what motivates our members to build wells, install rainwater harvesting systems, and teach community members how to maintain new infrastructure.
While very few people die of thirst, millions die from preventable waterborne diseases, providing the impetus for our members to also improve sanitation facilities in undeveloped countries. Members start by providing toilets and latrines that flush into a sewer or safe enclosure and then add education programs to promote hand-washing and other good hygiene habits.
From the various water projects in which Rotary has participated, we have come to know the obstacles that many people across the globe face when it comes to some of the basic necessities of life. We tend to take for granted the clean and generally safe and plentiful water sources to which we have access.
Rotary International, through the combined actions of individual Rotarians and Rotary Clubs, seeks to assure that all people have adequate access to clean and safe water. The Rotary theme for March, Water and Sanitation, asks us to focus on the life changing improvements that we can make through these international projects to provide a more readily available and healthy supply of water to all people.
We had a very tasty Creamy Chicken Green Chili Stew this week thanks to our Sponsor, Pagosa Springs Rotary Club!
We served 230 hot meals and 385 frozen meals for a total of 615 meals this week.
Rotarians Ronnie Doctor and Larry McClintock assisted in the kitchen on Thursday and Kim Moore braved the not so bad weather outside distributing the meals. We even had people come back for seconds.
Our mystery donator struck again and we received $195 in donations for Loaves and Fishes.
The first service project of the first Rotary Club was the installation of public toilets in Chicago in 1917. This project made Rotary the World's First Service Club.
Rotary's primary motto is "Service Above Self."
There's a secondary motto: "One profits most who serves best."
There are more than 1.2 Million Rotarians all over the world in more than 35,000 Rotary Clubs in more than 200 countries in all geographic areas.
The first women joined Rotary in 1987. Today, more than 196,000 women are members of Rotary International.
The Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarships are the world's largest, privately-funded scholarships.
The first Rotaract Club was formed in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Rotariansin the United States make up 28 percent of all Rotarians worldwide.
The country of Nauru has the least number of Rotarians of any country in the world, 11. Formerly known as Pleasant Island, Naura is in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbor is Banaba Island in Kiribati, 182 miles to the east.
The Rotary emblem was printed on a commemorative stamp for the first time in 1931, at the time of the Vienna Convention.
Rotary became bilingual in 1916, when it organized a non-English-speakingClubin Cuba.
Arch Klumph established the "Rotary Endowment Fund" in 1917, when the Kansas City, MO Club donated $26.50. In 1928, it became The Rotary Foundation.
In 1929, The Rotary Foundation made its first gift, $500, to the International Society for Crippled Children.
Rotary first adopted the name "Rotary International" in 1922, when the name was changed from the International Association of Rotary Clubs.
Rotary first established Paul Harris Fellowships in 1957, for contributors of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation.
In 1968, the first Rotary Club banner to orbit the moon was carried by astronaut Frank Borman, a member of the Houston Space Center Rotary Club.
The first Rotary convention was in Chicago in 1910. There were 16 Rotary Clubs.
The first head of state to address a Rotary convention was President Warren G. Harding in 1923, in St. Louis.
In 1979, Rotary began a project to immunize six million children against polio in the Philippines. This led to Rotary making polio eradication its top priority.
In 1988, Rotary began the PolioPlus campaign with an initial fundraising pledge of $120 million.
Providing vitamin A supplements during polio immunization has averted an estimated 1.5 million childhood deaths since 1998 – the "plus" in PolioPlus.
Rotary's fiscal year began the day after its conventions until 1913. Starting in 1913, it begins on July 1st.
The first Rotary Boys' Week was held in New York City in May 1920, by the Rotary Club of New York.
In 1934, Boys' Week became known as Youth Week, and in 1936, Boys' and Girls' Week.
In 2010, Youth Service became Rotary's fifth Avenue of Service.
During the 1920s and 1930s, Paul Harris traveled extensively, ceremoniously planting trees to symbolize goodwill and friendship.
January of 1911 was the first issue of The National Rotarian. The name was changed to The Rotarianin 1912, when Clubs were organized in Canada.
The largest Rotary Club is the Oklahoma City Downtown Club with over 600 members.
Area if Focus: Peace and conflict prevention/resolution. The month of February is very special in the Rotary calendar because it includes the anniversary of the first meeting of Rotary held on February 23, 1905, now designated as the World Understanding and Peace Day.
Organize 'MUNA' (Modal United Nations Assembly) at College Level
Engage in reconciliation of broken families, restoring relationship
Help How people can live in peace with their families and their neighbors
Assist Young Single mothers who are victims of sexually abused through training them with self-help projects. e.g. Opening small business that may help them with their children
Rotary has designated months to help clubs Develop meeting agendas, projects, or public image campaigns based on these special occasions.
The Concept is to give all the clubs of the District a Ready Reckoner of the types of Service Projects, which could be indulged, during the Year, and help plan the activities of the year, mostly based on the Rotary Calendar i.e. Rotary Designated Months.
The members of the Pagosa Springs Rotary Club would like to thank our sponsors for their generous contribution to our 2022 fundraising campaign. These business and individual contributions helped us to raise over $45,850 this past year.
Our largest endeavor is providing scholarships for graduating High School Seniors. Since 1982, the Club has awarded $518,125, to 192 graduates. It is with great joy that we are following 13 Pagosa Springs college students, monitoring their class loads and grades to assure that we are being good stewards of the funds you have donated and that they are successful in their college careers.
The Club provides support for classroom needs through teacher mini grants. Last year, 14 specific teacher’s projects, unfunded through the schools, were able to come to fruition through Rotary.
3rd grade students were provided with hard-back, beautifully illustrated dictionaries of their very own.
Our Exchange Student, Agustin Periz Leal, from Las Grutas, Argentina arrived in August. He is enjoying our community and attending High School. We are thrilled to offer him this opportunity.
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards will be granted to 2 outstanding Sophomores or Juniors. The RYLA Retreat weekend provides a series of professionally developed presentations and activities that take participants through a process of assessing their personal leadership characteristics and understanding the ethics of leadership and setting personal goals.
The Club also continues to support the Pagosa Outreach Connection with representation on that review panel and funding for those in need of a one-time or emergency ‘hand-up’.
Your sponsorship is acknowledged and celebrated on our website! If you have a website URL, folks visiting pagosaspringsrotary.org can click on YOUR LOGO as our sponsor and be immediately re-directed to YOUR WEBSITE. It is one way we can say Thank You all year long. How many our ‘clicks’ or re-directs from our Rotary page directly to your website content can be monitored. Your company or name will be featured prominently as our sponsor in our publications and events.
We hope to have earned your trust and continued support as we move into another year of service in our community in 2023. One of our Rotarians will be calling or stopping by your business to answer questions or provide more information. We spend every penny thoughtfully. Check contributions can also be made payable to the Pagosa Rotary Community Assistance Fund and mailed to Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs at PO Box 685, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147.
Rotary responds to earthquake that has devastated areas of Turkey and Syria
Turkey and Syria were struck by a devastating earthquake on 6 February that has killed tens of thousands of people, destroyed thousands of homes and other structures, and left people across the region without shelter in bitterly cold winter weather.
The Rotary world responded to this catastrophe immediately. RI President Jennifer Jones activated our disaster response efforts, communicated with the affected districts, and encouraged governors in those regions to apply for disaster response grants and share information about their relief efforts so that Rotary can amplify the calls for support.
The Rotary Foundation Trustees decided that all donations made, from now until 31 March, to the Turkey/Syria Disaster Response Fund will be used to aid earthquake relief projects. In addition, the Trustees made available more than $125,000 to Rotary districts affected by the earthquake through Disaster Response Grants.
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs has support this life-saving effort in the past and is even more excited to share that, Ralph Maccarone, has been named a finalist for humanitarian award!! Pagosa Springs' Ralph Maccarone, co-founder and volunteer of Who We Play For, has been named a finalist for the NASCAR Foundation's Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award, which recognized NASCAR fans who are dedicated to providing resources and support to children, as reported in the Pagosa Springs SUN.
November is Rotary Foundation Month – Here’s why! Each year, Rotary International highlights November as Rotary Foundation Month to emphasize the importance of and need for Rotarian support of The Rotary Foundation. Contributions from Rotarians around the world go to the Foundation's Annual Programs Fund, which provides grants and awards through Foundation programs; and the Permanent Fund, an endowment from which only the earnings are spent in support of Foundation programs, ensuring the long term viability of the Foundation. Every dollar contributed by Rotarians funds humanitarian and educational programs and program operations.
Clubs and districts apply for and receive Foundation grants to carry out worthy projects worldwide, like our club’s efforts with the Heartline Maternity Center in Haiti. If Rotary is to be there to teach children to read, build wells, feed the hungry, care for the sick, shelter the poor; then Every Rotarian is invited and encouraged to support the Annual Fund with a personal contribution, Every Year. How can I make a gift in support of the Rotary Foundation? Visit the Rotary International website (www.rotary.org) to make your gift: one time, regular/sustaining (recurring gift at the timing of your choice), to the program area of your choice – all of the information is there for you to choose what would be most meaningful to you.
The Pagosa community really stepped up and stepped OUT for this event!! What a great time was had by all. A huge shout out to Tim Sullivan and his Band. They had the dance floor packed all evening! Thanks to all that bid on the many wonderful silent auction items! There certainly was a great selection to choose from. Details remain but approximately $11,000 was raised to support our College and Vocational School Scholars here in Pagosa Springs.
Thanks to EVERYONE who made this event such a success and a fun time for the community!
World Polio Day this year is Oct. 24. Polio is a contagious viral disease that spreads through person-to-person contact. It was most prevalent in the United States in the 1940s and 1950s. Most people who get infected with poliovirus will not have any visible symptoms.
About 25 percent (one out of four) individuals with polio will have flu-like symptoms including sore throat, fever, tiredness, nausea, headache and stomach pain. The symptoms typically last two to five days and then go away on their own. A few people will develop more serious symptoms such infection of the covering of the spinal cord or brain (meningitis) or paralysis (weakness or inability to move parts of the body). Paralysis can lead to lung failure, which can be treated with iron lung devices. Of 100 people who develop paralysis, two to 10 may die.
Polio vaccines protect people against naturally occurring polioviruses and vaccine-derived poliovirus. Unvaccinated and under-vaccinated people are at risk for developing the polio infection.
There are two kinds of polio infection: wild (from active virus) and vaccine-derived or “variant” (from weakened virus shed by individuals vaccinated with oral polio vaccine).
In the early 1950s, Dr. Jonas Salk developed the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). This vaccine has no risk of seeding vaccine-derived (or variant) polio outbreaks because the inactivated/killed virus cannot mutate and cause disease. This is the vaccine currently given in the U.S.
In the late 1950s, Dr. Albert Sabin developed the oral polio vaccine (OPV). Advantages of the OPV are that it is safe, effective and easy to administer, and so it is often given in the developing world. The live but weakened virus in OPV replicates in the gut and produces strong intestinal immunity. The disadvantage is that persons vaccinated with OPV can shed the weakened vaccine virus in their stool for several weeks. In areas with poor sanitation, the weakened virus can spread to unvaccinated and under-vaccinated individuals. This transmission and resulting disease is called vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV).
The United States has given only IPV since 2000. Continuing to achieve high IPV vaccination coverage is the best way to keep the U.S. polio-free and prevent the virus from spreading. Access to clean water, good hand hygiene habits, modern sewage systems and wastewater management further prevent germs, including viruses like poliovirus, from spreading around the world.
Rotary International has been working on polio eradication for more than 30 years and has helped reduce polio cases by 99.9 percent worldwide, immunizing more than 2 billion children across 122 countries.
In 1985, Rotary launched the Polio Plus initiative.
In 1988, Rotary founded the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. At that time, wild poliovirus paralyzed hundreds of children every day. There were 350,000 cases across more than 125 countries.
In 2000, children in Haiti and the Dominican Republic were getting sick. From July 2000-July 2001, 21 children were paralyzed on the island. Two died. All but one were either unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated. Their communities had vaccination rates as low as 7 percent. This was an outbreak of the weakened vaccine virus, which had mutated in unvaccinated and under-vaccinated individuals and become virulent.
In August 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) African region was certified free of wild poliovirus.
In 2021, more than 370 million children were vaccinated across 30 countries with more than 1 billion doses of OPV.
Our endless thanks to Evelyn Tennyson and her staff at the Tennyson Event Center!! With the complexities of COVID, we needed a 'home' to get back to meeting in person and the EVENT CENTER certainly took good care of us!!! Both the Event Center and Two Old Crows, the art gallery downtown, were brand new Rotary Sponsors in 2021 and they continue that support in 2022!!
Now....its on to THE DEN!
Shane Lucero is one of the owners of this new business and we are so excited to enjoy this new venue. Byran's email laid out the details but...why don't you order lunch right now?? 970-264-3005. As always, change brings new challenges but we look forward to this new adventure and to supporting this new business along the way! This business is a brand new sponsor for our Rotary efforts as well!
We are making great progress towards eradicating polio, however recent news reminds us that polio anywhere is a threat everywhere. Polio is being detected around the world in places where it hasn’t been found in decades. In the United States, an unvaccinated man was paralyzed by polio. In the UK, poliovirus has been detected in sewage samples. In Malawi, a child contracted polio. And Mozambique announced its first polio outbreak of wild poliovirus in 30 years.
The time for urgent action is now. A new vaccine has been deployed to stop outbreaks. Malawi, Mozambique, and nearby countries are conducting immunization campaigns to stop the spread of the virus. With our partners and advocates like you, we continue to encourage communities worldwide to provide vaccinations.
As we approach World Polio Day, 24 October, you can help us make an impact and stop the spread of polio. You can take action by:
Raising awareness by sharing content from the World Polio Day Toolkit, which you can find on our World Polio Day webpage
World Polio Day will help us provide the resources needed to protect children from the U.S. to Mozambique and around the world. Join us so that no child suffers the paralyzing effects of polio ever again.
The work of Rotary begins in the community, and every community has its own unique needs and concerns. While we serve in countless ways, we’ve focused our efforts in six key areas to maximize our impact. These areas encompass some of the world’s most critical and widespread humanitarian needs. Rotary members planning new service projects are encouraged to consider these areas and the many opportunities for innovative projects within them. Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation have adopted six areas of focus as organizational priorities: .....
Peace and conflict prevention/resolution
Disease prevention and treatment
Water and sanitation
Maternal and child health
Basic education and literacy
Economic and community development
There are countless ways that Rotary clubs can address these issues both locally and internationally.
For ideas, consult the publication Rotary’s Areas of Focus Brochure (965en) . It s available in a pdf format on rotary.org website.
At last week's Rotary meeting, we were honored to present Teri Peterson, Smoken Moe's Unreal BBQ, with a plaque of appreciation! Teri and her crew have been providing delicious lunch selections for our Rotary Club almost every Thursday for over a year!! We so appreciate their efforts.
There are community service projects that take money and then there are community service projects that simply take effort and the desire to see Pagosa Springs in the most positive light. This project is one that 'just won't stay done'. Rotarians know that it is inevitable that no matter how careful folks are, some of this debris is going to end up back along Putt Hill. So, we will be there to continue to serve.
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club is currently hosting Agustin Perez Leal, high school junior, from Las Grutas, Argentina who arrived in Pagosa Springs August 28th. Being from a small town on the Atlantic Ocean, he’s enjoying the similarity of a small community and the contrast of the elevation and the mountain scenery. His parents are both business professionals and he has a younger brother. Agus is smart, athletic and loves all sports and trying new things. He is an avid soccer player and is excited to snow ski.
At Pagosa Springs High School, he is enrolled in typical American classes including Math and English in addition to unique electives like Wilderness Skills and Metal Fabrication. He has started playing on the boys’ high school soccer team and participated in the annual team run up Wolf Creek Pass. Agus’s first host family is Jean Garcia and her son Trey, high school junior.
The international Rotary Youth Exchange program has been suspended since March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic began. With the restart of the international exchange program, 19 students are being hosted by Rotary Clubs in the Mountains and Plains District, covering western and southern Colorado. Additionally, 19 Colorado students from this district are spending their year abroad as outbound exchange students.
The Rotary exchange program is always interested in talking with students that are interested in the outbound program and families that are interested in hosting a student. Anyone who is interested in learning more about this opportunity should contact Rotarians Lisa Scott, 970-749-4268 or sranch@centurytel.net; Marianne DeVooght, 970-731-2009; Ronnie Doctor, 920-946-6367; or Granton Bartz, 970-946-2827.
The end of June signifies the end of one Rotary year and the beginning of another!! Last week the Pagosa Springs Rotary Club members gathered to thank Allen Roth for his year of service as President of the Club and to welcome Warren Brown to that position for the upcoming year.
David Smith was selected as the Rotarian of the Year! David’s endless work on international projects and his passion for reducing deep poverty in the world are well known.
The Officers of the Board of Directors of Pagosa Springs Rotary fill vital roles in managing how effective and important the Club is to the community! Melanie Garrett is willing to serve another term on the Board, Sam Pittmon and Jim Garrett will continue to serve as Secretaries, Larry McClintock will continue as Treasurer. Cindi Galabota will serve as President Elect.
Warren has already challenged us to make it a priority in our schedule to attend meetings! The most vital part of our success in serving the community and the world is in our friendships and camaraderie.
Rotary International President-elect Jennifer Jones wants members to imagine the possibilities in the change they can make to transform the world.
Jones, a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ontario, Canada, revealed the 2022-23 presidential theme, Imagine Rotary, as she urged people to dream big and harness their connections and the power of Rotary to turn those dreams into reality.
“Imagine, a world that deserves our best,” Jones told incoming district governors on 20 January, “where we get up each day knowing that we can make a difference.”
Jones, who will make history on 1 July by becoming Rotary’s first female president, gave a live online address to precede Rotary’s annual training event for district governors from around the world, the International Assembly. The assembly was rescheduled because of the COVID-19 pandemic and will now be held virtually 7-14 February.
Jones told the incoming governors about a chance she took when a member asked for assistance in getting a young peace activist out of Afghanistan during the U.S. troop withdrawal last year. At first unsure how she could help, she relied on “that certain Rotary magic” and contacted a former Rotary Peace Fellow she had met a few years earlier. Less than 24 hours later, the activist was on an evacuation list, and soon she was on her way to Europe.
Engaging members through meaningful responsibility
To better engage members, Rotary needs to “adapt and retool,” Jones said, using her hometown as an example. Windsor was once the automotive hub of Canada. But after plant closings left thousands without work, the city needed to retool, in the same way an auto plant would, preparing for new parts or a new model. Now, Jones said, Windsor is a leader in agribusiness and medical and aerospace technology.
For Rotary, “finding the right ‘part’ to engage each member should be our core function,” Jones said. “It comes down to the comfort and care of our members.”
Engaging members is crucial to retaining members, she said, adding that we need to ask members what they want to get from Rotary and give them meaningful responsibilities.
“It is our offer of hands-on service, personal growth, leadership development, and lifelong friendships that creates purpose and passion,” Jones said.
Imagine, a world that deserves our best where we get up each day knowing that we can make a difference.
In March, the Pagosa Springs Rotary Club set a goal to raise $10,000 in two weeks to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and due to your generous response, over $25,000 was raised. Now 100 days later we would like to give you examples of how these funds are being used.
Tjupa, a Ukraine resident and charter president of Rotary Club Kyiv International woke February 24, 2022 to the sound of heavy bombing. Within three days numerous lives were lost and the infrastructure providing access to food and other essential goods was destroyed. Survival was at stake.
In the midst of chaos, Tjupa turned to Rotary for help. The response was immediate. Using funds from Rotary International, and Rotary networks already in place, local groups began making food and medical supplies available. A lifeline was established and remains in effect today.
In the months following the onset of war, thousands like Tjupa have received aid through Rotary’s resources, which all start locally, just like they did in Pagosa Springs. Safe exit routes and bomb shelters have been identified; orphanages have been subsidized; abandoned pets rehomed; and those with special needs have been safely evacuated. International funds have provided specific essentials like hemostatic tourniquets, sleeping bags, diapers, coats, first-aid kits, battery packs, as well as meals for workers to keep these supplies moving around the clock. One club found an abandoned shopping center for distribution. Another Rotary member provided a barn to store supplies.
Clean water is a basic need for human beings. When people, especially children, have access to clean water, they live healthier and more productive lives. However, at least 3,000 children die each day from diseases caused by unsafe water, which is what motivates our members to build wells, install rainwater harvesting systems, and teach community members how to maintain new infrastructure.
While very few people die of thirst, millions die from preventable waterborne diseases, providing the impetus for our members to also improve sanitation facilities in undeveloped countries. Members start by providing toilets and latrines that flush into a sewer or safe enclosure and then add education programs to promote hand-washing and other good hygiene habits
The Rotary Foundation creates channel for direct humanitarian support in Ukraine
In response to the deepening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, The Rotary Foundation has created an official channel for donors around the world to contribute funds to support the relief efforts underway by Rotary districts and has designated its Disaster Response Fund as the main avenue for contributions.
To this end, The Rotary Foundation has approved:
Now through 30 June 2022, designated Rotary districts that border Ukraine and the Rotary district in Ukraine may apply for grants of up to $50,000 each from the Disaster Response Fund. These expedited disaster response grants can be used to provide relief to refugees or other victims of the crisis including items such as water, food, shelter, medicine and clothing.
During this same period, other impacted Rotary districts that wish to offer support to refugees or other victims of the crisis in their district can apply for $25,000 grants from the Disaster Response Fund.
Now through 30 April 2022, Rotary districts can transfer unallocated District Designated Funds (DDF) to support the Disaster Response Fund, directly supporting these Ukraine-specific humanitarian grants.
Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund in support of Ukraine can be made here. All funds need to be received into the Disaster Response Fund by 30 April 2022 in order to qualify for use in support of the Ukrainian relief efforts.
Although the Disaster Response Fund will be the main avenue for Rotary Foundation support, Rotary and Rotaract clubs are also encouraged to create their own responses to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.
In addition to support provided through the Disaster Response Fund, the Foundation is coordinating with partners and regional leaders, exploring effective solutions to the increased humanitarian needs.
We are in contact with the United Nations High Commission on Refugees – USA to prepare for and respond to the needs of those being displaced in Ukraine and to neighboring countries.
ShelterBox, our project partner for disaster response, is in communication with Rotary members in Eastern Europe to explore how it may offer support with temporary transitional housing and other essential supplies.
The Rotary Action Group for Refugees, Forced Displacement, and Migration is also mobilizing its resources to assist in this crisis.
More than 2 million people have fled Ukraine and are in dire need of emergency aid. The United Nations estimates that number could grow to as many as 5 million people displaced. Rotary clubs in Europe and around the world have stepped up their relief work, some working on the ground to help displaced families.
We will continue to monitor the situation in Ukraine and neighboring countries. Visit My Rotary and follow Rotary on social media to stay updated on how clubs can get involved and what actions Rotary members have taken and the impact it has had for people in the region.
For all other questions and to obtain more information, please contact the Rotary Support Center at rotarysupportcenter@rotary.org.
Most of the Global Grants managed by Rotary Clubs in our district were initiated by one, highly energized person who was personally interested in a specific project in a specific country. Although this approach is often successful, it is fraught with a major obstacle: How to find a Host Club Partner that will be a reliable partner?
Of the approximately 46,000 Rotary Clubs in the world, only a small number have the will or the ability to host a Global Grant. Finding a Rotary Club in a particular community to manage a particular project is usually a major challenge.
Partnering with Rotary Clubs that have already identified projects they would like to do is more likely to lead to success with less effort. I recently received an email from Linus Okezie Eze, who chairs District 9142 Grants Subcommittee for The Rotary Foundation. This district is located in SE Nigeria.
Linus has identified 6 Global Grant projects that clubs in his district would like to do. These projects are directed towards improving toilet facilities in schools, upgrading instruction in girls schools, and training to insure a safe blood supply. All fit within one or more of The Foundation’s Areas of Focus.
The Host Clubs are not only willing and able to partner on these projects, they are hyper excited. They just need an International Partner, which could be your club.
WOW! Only FOUR DAYS LEFT TO PUT YOUR GUESSES IN! Is it going to stay cold? Is it going to warm up? How deep is the ice??? Don't you wish you knew. You can put in your guess as to when the barrel will drop through the ice up until 11:59 PM, MARCH 17th. Your GUESS has to be received by then to count. After that, it will be too late to have a chance to WIN. Remember, you can still pick dates that the barrel will go down later in March or even in April!
Support the Pagosa Springs graduating seniors in their college and vocational school ambitions! Scan the QR code in the poster - or go to pagosaspringsrotary.org and click on the Hatcher Ice Melt Contest in the blue area at the top of the page!! Have FUN and GOOD LUCK! Our Seniors win!
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club Teacher Mini Grant program is a long-standing annual program for our club and this year was no different.
Twelve applications were received from seven different schools and ten teachers were selected. We are so fortunate to have such innovative creative teachers with the desire to inspire and expand the learning opportunities for our children.
Some of the educational and fun projects we were able to fund include robots for programming and coding; cardio drum storage; assistive technology for special needs students to enable better communication; a Cricut maker and supplies for students to design, produce and sell items for the school spirit; reusable gelli plates for printmaking projects now and in the future; materials to construct terrariums for small critters as part of learning science; and materials to construct costumes for a school production. To make our available funds go to as many teachers as possible, we chose to partially fund some requests and suggest other community resources to others.
2021 was a busy year and we look forward to serving the community during 2022!! We welcome new members joining our already powerful force; Adam Buttons, Jon Mills, Katie Cloudman, Bill Salmansohn and Stacy Clark.
Even during a pandemic, The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs continues to help the youth of this community. One of our largest endeavors are scholarships for graduating High School Seniors. Since 1982, the Club has awarded $498,125, to 186 graduates for college and vocational school scholarships. It is with great joy that we are following 14 Pagosa Springs college students, monitoring their class loads and grade levels to assure that we are being good stewards of the funds you have donated and that they are successful in their college careers. This year, we will applaud as two of our 2018 scholarship recipients, Colton Castro and Keanan Anderson, graduate from their selected program of study.
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs is excited to announce that Casey Lynn Crow has been selected to receive a scholarship in the amount of $30,000 to continue her education toward a PhD in Public Health and Policy from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Ms. Crow was endorsed to the Rotary District 5470 by the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs. District 5470. in partnership with the Rotary Club of Hampstead. The award has been approved for funding by The Rotary Foundation. We look forward to encouraging Casey and watching her continue to pursue her passions.
Casey holds a bachelor’s in Political Science and Global Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a masters in International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies from the London School of Economics. As a second-year doctoral student, her research explores access to sexual and reproductive healthcare in humanitarian crises, particularly for refugees and people with disabilities. Apart from her research, Casey is a dancer, choreographer, and owner of Pagosa Springs Dance Academy, and is passionate about merging art and activism. Having worked with refugees in Kenya, Jordan, Lebanon, Mexico and Greece, she has witnessed the transformational power of the arts to improve mental health and promote hope, healing and connection for survivors of trauma. Casey founded Beyond Words International in 2018 with the hope of collaborating with artists, therapists, and those serving in their communities to increase opportunities for healing, empowerment, and positive expression.
When Casey was notified about being awarded this scholarship, she said, “I am unspeakably honored and grateful to be chosen as a Rotary Global Grant Scholar. This award will allow me to continue my studies and conduct my fieldwork in the largest refugee camp in the world, Bidi Bidi Camp in Uganda, next year. I am thrilled to represent Rotary as I continue my research and do my best to make a difference in the world. Special thanks to the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs for their incredible encouragement and support!”
Supporting our local teachers is no less important! The Club provides support for classroom needs through teacher mini grants. Last year, $2,400 was supplied in cash as well as other items that we collected to support ten specific teacher’s projects in grades kindergarten through 12th grade.
Continuing another long-held tradition, 3rd and 4th grade students were provided with hard-back, beautifully illustrated dictionaries of their very own.
Adherence to and promotion of the highest ethical standards in all occupations, including fair treatment of employers, employees, associates, competitors, and the public.
The recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, not just those that are pursued by Rotarians.
The contribution of your vocational talents to solving the problems of society and meeting the needs of the community.
During January, Rotarians are encouraged to focus on this important avenue of Rotary service. Discussions on vocational service can lead to projects that not only develop the ethical consciousness and vocational skills of Rotarians but also the talents within their communities. Vocational Service Month is an opportunity to begin year-long vocational service activities, ranging from Rotary discussions to awards to community projects. Following are some suggested activities to undertake during Vocational Service Month:
District Governor, Becky Smith, was our honored speaker last week.
The following is an excerpt from prvrotary.com: "Becky’s rise to the governorship began in 2006 when she joined the Pine River Valley Rotary Club. She rose to the presidency in 2010 and served in that position for two years. Becky helped increase club membership through recruitment and public events. Today, the club has 27 members and is very active in Bayfield and Ignacio.
During the coming year, Becky will manage a budget in excess of a quarter million dollars and guide 2,000 members. She will visit all 57 clubs within the 52,000 mile boundries of District 5470. Becky sees her goals for the coming year as helping clubs re-energize and encouraging members to continue their “service above self.”
Becky also has a goal of raising funds to help educate girls in third world countries. She hopes to raise $25,000 through donations from each club. District 5470 and Rotary International will match those donations, for a total of $70,000. Becky will be working directly with a Rotary club in Kenya to provide infrastructure and supplies to help young female students complete their education.
Becky’s service during the next year will be taxing but no doubt rewarding for someone who has dedicated her life to public service. PRV is proud to have such a leader! Good luck Becky and thanks for your unwavering dedication!!"
As usual, listening to Becky speak was insightful, encouraging and entertaining!! Using the example of the Rubik Cube, she encouraged us to 'shake things up' in little ways that the community will notice and appreciate. She also encouraged us to take care of ourselves as a Club by taking care and being mindful of each of our members.
It’s crucial to eradicate polio from the last two countries where it remains endemic and to keep other countries polio-free.
If all eradication efforts stopped today, within 10 years, polio could paralyze as many as 200,000 children each year.
Be a part of history
Donate your funds
We’re close to eradicating polio, but we’re not done yet. We still need funds to continue immunization and surveillance efforts. Your gift will get us closer to the finish line.
Rotary International's impact around the world is most famously recognized as the efforts to eradicate Polio, but there is so much more!! This global grant from the Rotary Foundation will enable countless children to better their learning by greatly improving their learning environment! Specially constructed school desk tables and attached benches will improve these childrens' lives as well as let them know the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs Colorado, District 5470 and the Rotary Foundation find their future important to invest in!
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs is excited to announce that Casey Lynn Crow has been selected to receive a scholarship in the amount of $30,000 to continue her education toward a PhD in Public Health and Policy from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Incoming Rotary International President Shekhar Mehta urged members to become more involved in service projects, saying that caring for and serving others is the best way to live because it changes not only other people’s lives, but also our own.
Mehta, a member of the Rotary Club of Calcutta-Mahanagar, West Bengal, India, revealed the 2021-22 presidential theme, Serve to Change Lives, to incoming district governors on 1 February during the Rotary International Assembly. The assembly, a yearly training event for district governors-elect, was originally set to take place in Orlando, Florida, USA, but was held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mehta spoke about how participating in service projects through Rotary changed him as a person and made him empathize more with the needs of others. Soon after joining his club, he helped carry out projects that benefited rural communities in India.
Some of the poor conditions he saw in those communities strengthened his commitment to service. “I truly understood the plight of my brethren,” he said.
Mehta participated in initiatives that brought artificial limbs to children, clean water and sanitation to homes, and better health care facilities to communities.
“Rotary kindled the spark within me to look beyond myself and embrace humanity,” he said. “Service became a way of life for me and I, like many others, adopted the guiding philosophy that ‘Service is the rent I pay for the space I occupy on this earth, and I want to be a good tenant of this earth.’”
I came to Rotary “later in life” just as I was winding down a career that included many years of international service. Tired of long-distance travel, feeling enormous gratitude for the opportunities I’d had in many countries, I was eager to put my energy into making a difference in our local community. With enthusiasm, I volunteered for committees; helped raise money for local causes; took on leadership roles; and recruited new members by telling them they too could make a difference in the town we love.
But, as you are no doubt aware, Rotary isn’t a one-way street; you get back far more than you give. My meager investment afforded me great personal satisfaction; a deeper feeling of belonging; and greater knowledge of our local community—but it al-so gave me something I wasn’t expecting: a humble awareness of Rotary’s magnanimous international impact. I learned that, not only has The Rotary Foundation made polio an all but distant nightmare, but it has fought other diseases; provided clean water; saved mothers and children from poverty; supported education; and promoted peace.
The information I’ve learned about Rotary’s powerful international impact didn’t come cheap, nor did it reinforce my comfortable, myopic view of service. As I grew more uncomfortable with my international inaction, I laid the blame mostly at the feet of David Smith. Seriously, how long can you listen to his inspiring stories of bringing the very first microscope to science teachers in the poorest parts of the world without wanting to help out? How many pictures can you see of happy faces knowing they don’t have to carry water for miles every day to keep their families alive, without wanting to support more of these efforts? So, when David presented the idea of “twinning” with a club in Niamey, Niger, I eagerly volunteered to help make that happen.
High school teachers in Niamey, Niger study the optical properties of double convex lenses in a teacher training workshop organized by the Niamey-Gaweye and Pagosa Springs Rotary Clubs.
Thanks to a reluctant knowledge of Zoom, having an active “twin-club” relationship with members of the Nia-mey-Gaweye Rotary Club in Niger has never been easier. Of course, we can still (someday) travel with David as he continues his kind, quiet, altruistic journeys; or we can develop personal relationships with the Niamey members without ever leaving home, or our pajamas! And because the Niamey-Gaweye Club offers service to remote, outlying villages, even a meager investment on our part can have impact in a part of the world rarely receiving support.
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs inducted new Officers and extended thanks to those Officers and Board Members who were outgoing. Among the Directors whose term is completed, Art Benzel, Jenelle Syverson, Bill Hubbard and Livia Cloman Lynch as Immediate Past President. Directors elected to serve an additional term are Larry McClintock and James Garrett. Newly elected to the Board are Sam Pittmon and Pat Love. Allen Roth was installed as the 2021-2022 Rotary President. Congratulations Allen!!
Our immense gratitude goes out to Mike and Renee Vanover. What a difficult year to be President of Rotary!! Through all of the Zoom meetings, Mike remained steadfast in holding the Club together and encouraging our members.
Michael C. Branch was honored for his many years of service to the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs and the Pagosa Springs Rotary Club Scholarship Foundation Inc. For many years, Mike Branch has offered his professional services to the Rotary Club and the Scholarship Foundation. His services were way overdue to be acknowledged by the Club!! Thank You Mike for all you have done for us in the pursuit of serving this community and the graduating class of High School Seniors since 1983!!
Patty Tillerson was our special guest. Patty and Bob Tillerson's love and commitment to Rotary is well known in this community! She is seated here with Larry Parks, husband of our wonderful Pat Love.
A beautiful afternoon to celebrate everything we do in this community and in the world.
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club is proud to announce those individuals receiving 2021 Rotary Scholarships totaling $21,125.
Ella Blechman---Ella plans to attend the University of Colorado to study Political Science with emphasis in systems of government and political behavior.
Madeline Metzger--Madeline will attend the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio where she plans to obtain a nursing degree.
Lorah Jacobson—Lorah plans to attend Otero Junior College and will pursue an Associates of Arts degree in Education.
Nicole Bartz—Nicole will attend Colorado State University and will pursue a degree in Biology with a concentration in animal physiology, while minoring in Art.
Kylie Keuning—Kylie plans to attend Calvin University in Grand Rapids, MI and she will pursue a five-year Bachelor to Master’s program for Speech Pathology and Audiology.
Ella Hemenger—Ella will be attending the University of Northern Colorado and plans to major in Elementary Education.
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club congratulates the outstanding class of 2021 and wishes each of them success in their future endeavors.
Since 1983, the Pagosa Springs Rotary Club has awarded a total of $498,125 in scholarships to 186 local high school graduates. The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club would like to thank the Pagosa Springs community for their continued support of Rotary fundraisers and sponsorships that have made our local scholarships possible again this year. Additionally, the Pagosa Springs Rotary Club was pleased to receive Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative matching grant funds this year.
RI PRESIDENT-ELECT ANNOUNCES 2021-22 PRESIDENTIAL THEME
Incoming Rotary International President Shekhar Mehta urged members to become more involved in service projects, saying that caring for and serving others is the best way to live because it changes not only other people’s lives, but also our own.
Mehta, a member of the Rotary Club of Calcutta-Mahanagar, West Bengal, India, revealed the 2021-22 presidential theme, Serve to Change Lives, to incoming district governors on 1 February during the Rotary International Assembly. The assembly, a yearly training event for district governors-elect, was originally set to take place in Orlando, Florida, USA, but was held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Watch for this email invitation and sign up!! We will have a great time welcoming our new President, Allen Roth and thanking Mike & Renee Vanover for their service!!
If you did not get an invitation, call me for details. 970-507-0500
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs would like to thank the following individuals and businesses for their unwavering support of Rotary’s community efforts and scholarships for 2021.
Without our donors, Rotary would not be able to do the community outreach that we are committed to doing. While most are not Rotarians, they truly understand the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self.”
Nine brave souls tackled Putt Hill on Saturday morning of the Memorial Day Weekend!
Meg Wempe, Cindi and Kareena Galabota, Renee Vanover, Elaine Feeney, Paula Tennant, Elsa Lindner, Kim Moore and Jann Pitcher were not for the faint of heart no matter how busy the highway was!! The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs is proud of our community and one of the ways we show it is by cleaning up trash along the highway. It is always great fun and super rewarding. Sometimes we have found some pretty interesting items to boot!
Congratulations to Jillian Cram, Kelly Vining, Heather Rose, Katrina Thomas, Malinda Burnett, Dale Scrivener, Linda Lutomski, Kelle Bruno, Rachael Christiansen, and Karla Parker Choat!
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club Teacher Mini Grant Program is a long-standing annual program for our club and this year was no different. The mini grant program awards a limited number of grants with a maximum award of $400 for special classroom projects to individual teachers in kindergarten through twelfth grade in Archuleta County. The mini grant provides working capital to innovative teachers who want to develop new ideas to enrich the student classroom experience. The mini grants also provide funds to teachers for materials or projects that would not otherwise be available through the school district or for teachers that would otherwise have to use their own money to fund them.
Thirteen applications were received from six different schools and ten teachers were selected. We are so fortunate to have such innovative and creative teachers with the desire to inspire and expand the learning opportunities for our children.
Some of the interesting and fun projects we were able to fund included purchasing microscopes for science classes, reading intervention materials for phonics skills, 3-D wooden puzzles for Art class incorporating science, technology, math, and language, and yes, boomwhackers! Three teachers in the Middle and Family School joined together to apply for this purchase to expand their collection of boonwhackers to teach different aspects of music theory to over 200 students. Add to that, cameras for learning about digital photography and creating digital portfolios, and an egg incubator to give the students the opportunity to learn about the life cycle of a chicken!
Rise Above Violence would like to recognize the generous contributions of the Pagosa Springs Rotary Club for their continued recognition and support for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Rotary members have been especially cognizant of the effects COVID-19 has had on survivors, where victims were further isolated from supportive friends, families and systems, many having job loss due to closures and workplace restrictions. This has required Rise to provide higher than anticipated levels of support, including financial help for rent, emergency shelter and food, utilities, and legal representation. The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club has invested in our vital services and support programs, ensuring survivors are fully assisted when the need arises. Thank you Pagosa Springs Rotary, your progressive and immediate response has been especially timely and impactful.
Pagosa Springs Rotary, as a local, national and international service club, has had a tough time in raising funds in the midst of a year long pandemic. However, the curtain is rising to reveal a brighter tomorrow and Rotary is on the charge again to make life better in ways only they can do. Usher in the Third Annual Ice Melt Contest as their first 2021 fundraiser.
This armchair event is based on precise timing, down to the month, day, minute and second. A drum with a clock has been placed on Lake Hatcher and when the ice melts enough for the barrel to drop into the lake, the clock will stop and three lucky winners will be announced.
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club, in conjunction with the Pagosa Springs Property Owner's Association will be awarding $1,000 to the person whose guess is the closest to the time marked on the then useless clock, $750 for second place and $50 for third place.
To be counted, entries must be submitted to Rotary no later than midnight, March 17 or earlier if the thawing happens and the barrel plunges to the depths of Lake Hatcher. Tickets for your guesses are $5 each, $20 for five and $100 for 30.
Guessing forms are available thru links at www.pagosaspringsrotary.com and www.plpoa.com, the PLPOA Administration Office, PLPOA Rec Center, The Choke Cherry Tree and Ski and Bow Rack.
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs, working with Rotary Clubs in Vienna, Austria and Niamey, Niger, has completed a project that provides both drinking and irrigation water for a village located in the Sub-Sahara desert of Africa. Drilling of this 350 foot deep well and management of distribution of the water was organized by the Catholic organization, Fraternité des Servantes du Christ à Maradi. This region, like most of Niger, is primarily Muslim.
This organization seeks to educate and generally improve the lives of the 7,500 residents living in the village of Saé Saboua. Because most of the water in this region comes from the July/August rainy season, water is scarce throughout much of the year. Most residents use contaminated surface water for drinking and bathing.
While a pandemic may shut down, close up and change our habits, it didn’t stop your local Rotary club from delivering their annual gift of colorful dictionaries to the elementary school third grade classes.
It was different to be sure. Typically, Rotarians have the joy of handing out the books to over 100 children and teaching them the benefits a dictionary can provide. The students find words and their meaning they never knew before, travel the world thru displays of international flags and learn our country’s history thru Presidential biographies. Though Rotarians were not able to enter the school this year, there is comfort in knowing the children received these books, once again.
This year has been a tough one for Rotary, as it has for most non-profits. The annual fund raisers Rotary has, such as the Casino Night and Barn Dance could not be held.
The funds derived from these events go toward local endeavors of not only the 3rd Grade Dictionary Project but also gifting $20,000 plus annually for high school scholarships, provide manpower and resources for the needed Backpack Program, pick up highway trash, place benches for those awaiting public transportation, endow teacher mini-grants to defray their expenses, donate monies and items to the Food Pantry, help fund the GGP Greenhouse Project, host foreign students for the Student Exchange Program plus send local students to study abroad, fund expenses for high school students to attend RYLA, a leadership training program and assist the town with the 4th of July Parade. Rewarding, fun and in some cases, life changers.
A very special event happened this past Tuesday! Some of our Rotary Club members, presenters, and host families were able to reconnect with our delegates from 2018!
Theme: Tourism Destination Management
Original Travel to Pagosa Springs: May 31, 2018
9:00 – 9:05AM
Overview of Participation Procedures
Alexa King, Program Manager at the Open World Leadership Center
Opening Remarks
Jane Sargus, Executive Director of the Open World Leadership Center
9:05 – 9:15 AM
9:15 – 9:50 AM
9:50 – 9:55 AM
9:55 – 10:25 AM
10:25 – 10:50 AM
Welcome Back to Pagosa Springs
David Smith, Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs
Host Families:
Jo Bridges
Kim Moore
Alumni Updates from Kyrgyzstan: Presentation on what they have been up to since they participated on the Open World program and the effect of COVID-19 on the tourism industry in Kyrgyzstan.
Begimai Mukasheva
Aman Zhanserkeev
Nazira Makenova
Beksultan Abdisalamov
Talantbek Toksonbaev
Zeinep Isakova
Break
The Effect of COVID-19 on Tourism in Pagosa Springs
Mary Jo CoulehanDirector of Tourism in Pagosa Springs
Questions & Answers
Brian Sandy,Park Manager V, Arboles, Navajo State Park, Colorado
November 1, 2020 from 12:00PM - 1:00PM LIVE with RI President Holger Knaack
For more than 30 years, Rotary and our partners have driven the effort to eradicate polio worldwide. Our Polio Plus program was the first initiative to tackle global polio eradication by vaccinating children on a massive scale. As a core partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotary focuses on advocacy, fundraising, volunteer recruitment, and awareness-building. Rotary members have contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than $10 billion to the effort.
Rotary District 5470 will be hosting the End Polio Now Virtual Event on November 1, 2020. To attend this event, please make a $25 contribution to the Polio Plus Fund and a $3.00 fee to cover the costs of this event for the hosting Districts. Your $28 contribution will provide you access to the Polio Plus event on November 1st and provide $25 towards furthering our Rotary fight against polio. The District Foundation Leadership will ensure your contribution is credited to your account and your club. All you have to do is click on the link below and you help us fight polio in the last two countries where this wild virus still ravages children.
Your $25 dollar contribution, which will be doubled by the Gates Foundation, goes to provide hundreds of children in Afghanistan and Pakistan the wild polio virus vaccination. We are almost there! There are only TWO COUNTRIES where this insidious virus still lives. Can you please help us and make a $28 contribution so we can eradicate this terrible disease, spare the lives of hundreds or children and attend this amazing virtual event.
During the COVID pandemic, the Pagosa Springs Rotary Club actively continues to serve our community and those most in need. The Rotary Club’s “Feed Our Children” program was established nine years ago by Rotarians Jo Bridges and Lassie Olin to meet the needs of children in elementary school who frequently came to school on Mondays and reported to their teachers that they were hungry over the weekend. Often these children utilized the free and reduced food program at the Pagosa Springs Elementary school during the week but were left without food support over the weekend.
When school suddenly switched to on-line this spring due to the pandemic, we had to quickly adapt our food model. For the past nine years, Rotarians have purchased large quantities of food and stored it in a food pantry, and then each week we would pack backpacks for individual families. On Fridays we would transport the backpacks to the elementary school and at the end of the school day Rotarians would hand out the backpacks to each child.
Fortunately, when the COVID related changes occurred in the local school, the school district decided to continue to provide daily breakfasts and lunches to those families in need. The Rotary Club has been able to work with the school transportation department, who agreed to deliver our weekend food via the school bus routes, as they were doing for the daily school food delivery. Rotarians have continued to serve the same families who had been in the program when the school closed.
Our communities’ economic strain continues, so when the school district received funds to be able to deliver food Monday through Friday throughout the summer, the Pagosa Springs Rotary Club jumped on board too. We reduced our volunteers to only three people working each week, two packing and one taking the bags to the bus barn. By doing this we were able to work in entirely separate areas safely. Currently, the Rotary “Feed Our Children” backpack program is serving 58 children weekly.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on 25 August announced that transmission of the wild poliovirus has officially been stopped in all 47 countries of its African region. This is a historic and vital step toward global eradication of polio, which is Rotary’s top priority.
After decades of hard won gains in the region, Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) — WHO, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Gavi, the vaccine alliance — are proclaiming the milestone an achievement in public health. They offer it as proof that strong commitment, coordination, and perseverance can rid the world of polio.
The certification that the African region is free of wild poliovirus comes after the independent Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC) conducted thorough field verifications that confirmed no new cases and analyzed documentation of polio surveillance, immunization, and laboratory capacity by Cameroon, Central African Republic, Nigeria, and South Sudan. The commission had already accepted the documentation of the other 43 countries in the region.
The last cases of polio caused by the wild virus in the African region were recorded in Nigeria’s northern state of Borno in August 2016, after two years with no cases. Conflict, along with challenges in reaching mobile populations, had hampered efforts to immunize children there.
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club donated $1,000 to the local nonprofit Rise Above Violence to help support their increased caseload resulting from COVID-19. Archuleta County Undersheriff Derek Woodman noted in a recent Sun article that there has been an “uptick” in domestic violence calls over the past month and Rise Above Violence, a local nonprofit dedicated to assisting victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, has seen its call volume increase.
Spring is sprung and the Lake Hatcher ice melted enough to drop the fifty-five gallon barrel, containing a clock, to the depths of the lake. This proved bad news for the clock but great news for three lucky people who won some serious money.
The contest was based on guessing the exact date, hour, minute and second that the ice would melt enough to drop the barrel in the water, thus stopping the clock. According to the clock reading, this happened on March 26, at 3:53 and 41 seconds. Missing the exact time by an astonishing two minutes and 15 seconds and winning $1,000 for the closest guess was Lisa Gamber, second place, winning $500, was Dawn Eggleston and third place went to Warren Brown, winning $250.
Sounds like an easy contest but there's more than meets the eye. Getting the barrel on the lake's two foot thick ice late in early February was a bit of a chore, as there's always the chance of slipping and falling. Retrieving the barrel from the cold watery depths is another story.
While the Pagosa Springs Rotary Clubs are widely known for their fun and imaginative fundraising events such as the Kentucky Derby Party, Ice Melt Contest, Las Vegas Casino Night, Jeans and Jewels Barn Dance and Gary Morris Concert, you may not know how far reaching the results of the monies raised actually go. It's all about the club's motto, "Service Above Self".
Locally, one of our largest endeavors go to scholarships for PSHS graduating students. Since 1983, Rotary has awarded over $450,000 to 174 students, to be used for advanced education in colleges and trade schools. In 2019 alone, $37,000 was awarded.
Rotary supplies weekly manpower and food to the elementary school Backpack Program, filling in the need for food left by the gap between Friday's school lunch program and the Monday morning bell. Rotarians pick up highway trash, place benches for those awaiting public transportation, give beautifully crafted dictionaries to every third grader, endow teacher mini-grants to defray their expenses, donate monies and items to the Food Pantry, help fund the GGP Greenhouse Project, host foreign students for the Student Exchange Program plus send local students to study abroad, fund expenses for high school students to attend RYLA, a leadership training program and assist the town with the 4th of July Parade. Rewarding, fun and in some cases, life changers.
Internationally, we are the face of eradicating Polio from the world. We're almost there. While Polio still exists in two countries, between Rotary International and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, it only a matter of time before this deadly disease will be forever gone.
Your local Rotary also funds educational and humanitarian efforts to Niger and Senegal and has donated medical vehicles in Pakistan. Rotary monetarily assists other regional clubs with funds for some of their projects, like the installation of clean water systems and wheelchairs in Mexico and Central America.
Wanting to be there when our community is in need, Rotary has just authorized an additional expenditure of $15,000 for food and other community needs related to COVID-19 crisis. Rotary knows their 2020 fund raising efforts may not be as good as in years past, for obvious economic reasons. However, they will do what they can to help. After all, isn't it all about, "Service Above Self"?
Nothing like a pandemic will stop the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs from gathering in a safe manner to keep supporting the community!
Until guidelines are issued indicating it is safe to gather in person, The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs will be meeting virtually using an APP called ZOOM. The meetings will still be at noon on Thursdays but safely from everyone's home. I will post an invitation for the meeting on April 2 in the next couple of days.
You are welcome to join us! You don't have to be a Rotarian to attend!
Our guest speaker will be Rhonda Webb, CEO of the hospital addressing COVID-19
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs continues to do its outstanding work of making sure our children are fed on the weekends. During this economically and emotionally challenging time, its all the more important that these efforts continue. We are providing nourishment to approximately 60 children! Rotary is committed to continuing this effort for as long as we are able!
There are obstacles to overcome no doubt!! We don't take lightly making sure our volunteers and families are SAFE and PROTECTED. You can help us keep this pantry stocked! Donations can be made to Pagosa Springs Community Assistance Fund - Feed our Children, PO Box 685, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147.
Your current Board of Directors have begun to consider options and line items of the Pagosa Rotary Community Assistance Fund (CAF). As you know this is the budget that guides our planning for various fund raisers and how those funds will be used in the community. If you have specific thoughts about these efforts for 2020, now would be a great time to reach out to an Officer or member of the Board of Directors and let them know so it could be considered.
Speaking of the Board of Directors, the Annual Meeting (most likely December 19) will be the opportunity for you to vote on these leadership positions for the Rotary Year of July 1 2020 - June 30 2021. The Board members who will have served their 3 year term and be leaving the Board are: Shellie Peterson, Cindi Galabota, Neal Johnson and Sam Pittmon. If they are willing, these Board members may serve another term if so elected by the membership OR 4 new nominations for Directors will be necessary. Please give this some thought and consider which of our members would take an active role in managing the Club and be good candidates to lead our club in the future. Please reach out to a current Officer or Board member with your thoughts.
I WILL HAVE TO ADMIT when Jenelle from the Choke Cherry Tree first introduced this concept to the Board and later to the Club, I did not grasp the possibility right away.
Now that it has had time to 'sink in' I am becoming a really big fan! All of us are going to do a certain amount of gift giving this year. Directing our purchases to the Choke Cherry Tree AUTOMATICALLY IS A WIN FOR ROTARY! Now of course, we need to consider ALL OUR SPONSORS, support their businesses and THANK THEM for their support for all the work we do in the community. That goes without saying.
This promotion though has the potential to become a very sustainable fund raising effort for Rotary....and Jenelle....will do all the work! How great is that!
The fact that you can send this 'code' to everyone you know - or don't know for that matter - is amazing. You can give your friends and family a discount, and grow funds for our work at the same time. Share it wide, share it far! This discount will work on the online ordering system so even your Aunt in Alabama can use it! Let all that sink in! 5% contribution for Pagosa Springs Rotary - 5% savings for using the code. Not many deals that good. 54PSROTARY
The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. The Rotary Foundation helps fund our humanitarian activities, from local service projects to global initiatives. Your club or district can apply for grants from the Foundation to invest in projects and provide scholarships. The Foundation also leads the charge on worldwide Rotary campaigns such as eradicating polio and promoting peace. Rotarians and friends of Rotary support the Foundation’s work through voluntary contributions.
Did you know that your personal contributions increase your PHF recognition amount to the same value AND give you PHF points at the rate of one point per dollar which can be transferred to create a new PHF or PHF level? Please consider making a contribution TODAY! www.rotary.org/donate
Did you know that you can view your own personal giving progress to THE ROTARY FOUNDATION via “My Rotary” on the Rotary International website at www.rotary.org
Did you know that Paul Harris Recognition Points can be transferred from Club to individual and individual to individual but not from individual to Club?
Did you know that Paul Harris recognition points can ONLY be used to recognize individuals and not groups or businesses; however points can be used for “Certificates of Appreciation”?
Did you know that Foundation recognition points do not expire, unless you pass away or your surviving partner is a Major Donor?
Did you know that a group of Rotarians can combine their points to make Recognition? The minimum transfer is 100 points and in denominations of 100 points.
Did you know that the Transfer Recognition request form can be downloaded from www.rotary.org
Did you know that THE ROTARY FOUNDATION is Rotary International’s only charity?
Did you know that a PHF+1 refers to a Paul Harris Fellow recognition pin with one Sapphire?
Did you know that you’re Club President or Secretary can access your Club member PHF recognition level via MEMBERS ACCESS in the RI website at www.rotary.org and viewing the CLUB RECOGNITION SUMMARY Report?
Once again, Rotary delivers! Rotarians spent time with the 3rd grade students delivering and discovering their new color illustrated dictionaries. The children are always excited about this book. It is their only book from school that belongs to them, they put their name in and they can take it home to share with their family. Students were instructed about how to look up words, read the definitions and the way the word was used in a sentence. It is always a very fun event for Rotarians.
Jaime Novoa, the club's exchange student from Spain, was very interested in the children's reactions! Five classrooms of students received around 25 Dictionaries for each classroom at a cost of around $2,000. The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs has been performing this service for 15 years, 14 of which have been under the leadership of JoAnn Laird.
Once again, Rotary delivers! Rotarians spent time with the 3rd grade students delivering and discovering their new color illustrated dictionaries. The children are always excited about this book. It is their only book from school that belongs to them, they put their name in and they can take it home to share with their family. Students were instructed about how to look up words, read the definitions and the way the word was used in a sentence. It is always a very fun event for Rotarians.
Jaime Novoa, the club's exchange student from Spain, was very interested in the children's reactions! Five classrooms of students received around 25 Dictionaries for each classroom at a cost of around $2,000. The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs has been performing this service for 15 years, 14 of which have been under the leadership of JoAnn Laird.
Rotarians were at it again last week! 'Ringing the Bell' to eradicate polio from the face of the earth! Generous folks going in and out of City Market donated $243 to the fight! With the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledge to match every dollar raised with $2 more; that means $730 to continue the effort that we are so close to winning.
But Rotarians are not done yet! So far, Rotarians have contributed $940 and there are two weeks left in the campaign! These funds will be matched by the Gates Foundation as well. That total is then $3,550 so far. Find a Rotarian and get them a check made out to The Rotary Foundation for Polio Plus or go online to endpolionow.org and make a donation.
When Rotary and its partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative , three decades ago, polio paralyzed 1,000 children a day.
You can imagine that it might have been hard to concentrate and listen to speakers with this beautiful mountain looking over you! Truly a lovely resort area and one you should try to visit soon.
The food was amazing! We stayed at the Creekside Suites and the rooms were beautiful. We did manage a short hike to St. Elmo, a historic mining town, and a soak in the hot springs too.
We were honored to hear Johrita Solari speak. Among the many positions Johrita has held in Rotary, she has served as chair for the 2013 Southern California/Nevada PETS, training leader at the 2014 and 2015 International Assemblies, and chaired the 2015 Rotary Institute for Zones 25/26. She is currently a member of Rotary's Peace Major Gifts Initiative Committee.
Patricia LaTaille was selected as a Rotary Peace Fellow, in Bankok, Thailand in 2015. Ms. LaTaille was a fascinating speaker on the methods of NonViolent Communication and issues around social justice. In addition to acting as the Lead Facilitator and Trainer for Victim-Offender conferencing in Full Circle Restorative Justice, Patty practices as a Professional Mediator with Keeping the Peace.
We were so proud of all of the exchange students but especially our own student, Jaime Novoa hailing from Spain. To see the bond that these students from around the world form in their exchange year is truly inspirational. Friendships are formed that will last a lifetime. Rotary offers these students the chance to be ambassadors for peace from their country to ours.
Past Presidents, Kim Moore and Shellie Peterson and President Elect, Mike Vanover and his wife Renee, were thrilled to accept the Presidential Citation Award with Distinction at the District 5470 Conference at the Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort this past weekend.
This prestigious award signifies the dedication of the members of the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs to support the strategic priorities of Rotary International by being people of action changing the lives of families and communities across the world.
Join us at City Market on October 23, 2019 from 10:00 to 6:00! Help us celebrate the progress that has been made, and help us keep up the fight to eradicate Polio from planet earth! Rotarians will be there, with the famous red kettle, collecting funds that will be matched by Bill & Melinda Gates, $2 for every $1 collected!
Where are we in the fight to end polio? What bold steps are we taking to get there? Visit the Rotary International Facebook page to RSVP to the Online Global Update. Endpolio.org
No child should have to suffer from this vaccine-preventable disease. Help us make an impact on World Polio Day. Endpolio.org
Smallpox is the only human disease ever eradicated. Let’s make polio the second. Join the fight on World Polio Day. Endpolio.org
How can you triple your impact? Thanks to a 2-to-1 match from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, every donation made to Rotary to end polio will be tripled. Donate today. endpolio.org/donate
If you love country music, the Two-Step and line dancing, then you won't want to miss Pagosa Springs Rotary's fifth annual Jeans and Jewels Barn Dance.
Country Thunder, headed up by Clay Campbell, is known to turn the shyest wallflower into a crowd pleasing line dancer. To say nothing of a Two-Stepping fool. Ya got to love get-down, home-town country to relate to any of this. Most in Pagosa do.
Speaking of Clay Campbell, everyone knows him to be a gifted musician, playing around Pagosa for decades but few know the man.
Clay's fascination with Pagosa began as a boy when his grandparents bought a small cabin in the Blanco Basin. Moving here in 1978, Clay obtained an B.A. in Industrial Education and went on to do all jobs necessary to be able to live in the little mountain town he loved. Carpentry became his trick of the trade, with wilderness guiding and outfitting thrown in for good measure.
Clay has been performing for about 35 years, beginning his career in Bluegrass music. He would be, back in the day, playing the upright bass at Frankie's (aka Alley House) with Randall Davis and the Left Hand Band. All members had serious day jobs but their passion was music. Music. The fabric within us. Part of our inhale/exhale we don't even notice. A mood changer.
About five years ago, country music came a-callin and he joined the group, Country Thunder. Made up of four local musicians, they are a familiar band playing at various local venues and sought after for private functions. Like many in their audience, they are the shy, humble types, not wanting to talk about themselves, just show up and play. And play they will at the Jeans and Jewels Barn Dance, held October 19, at the County Fairgrounds, from 7:00 to 10:00. Doors open at 5:30.
Tickets are available at the Chamber of Commerce, the Chokecherry Tree or from any of your friendly Rotarians. Prices are $20 or $25 at the door. Better hurry. There are only so many tickets available and once they are sold, there goes your chance to tell those stories about an autumn night in October, dancing the night away in the County Extension Building, to the music of Country Thunder.
Ally Ashbaugh was one of the students selected to participate in the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards and she addressed the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs recently. She had been fortunate enough to attend several high-caliber leadership camps this summer, but one thing stood out to her about RYLA.
She said that the training and practice involving how to make ethical decisions in all manner of things that come 'at you' in life was one of the most valuable things she learned at RYLA. A very well spoken and interesting young lady and we look forward to watching her continue to develop her skills and be a leader in her class!
There are two other young ladies we are looking forward to hearing from, Peyton Burns and Kaia Jones were also recipients and we look forward to hearing from them soon!
This is an article from July 18, 2019, when Casey Lynn Crow and Paula Jo Miller spoke 'live' to our Rotary Club!! The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club is proud to be a part of this on-going humanitarian and educational effort!!!
Casey Crow is the president of this non-profit Pagosa Springs based organization that is comprised of several talented individuals who share the same goal of helping those who are in post conflict situations using non-verbal arts therapy and creative expression. Casey is also the owner/director of Pagosa Dance Academy.
Casey told us that her dream of Beyond Words began seven years ago when she first witnessed the impact of movement-based therapy on young student in Kisumu, Kenya. Most of these children were physically disabled, displaced from their home countries, or survivors of sexual violence yet found a visible transformational release through dance and movement.
Casey initiated a dance therapy program in Sounio Refugee Camp in Greece in 2016. Casey states that art-based nonverbal therapy is an incredible tool for healing in humanitarian context. She has witnessed the transformation that is possible when individuals are empowered to tell their story whether through art, movement or music in a safe supportive environment.
Beyond Words staff includes Casey, Paula Jo Miller who was present today. She is a contemporary abstract artist, Kelly Ziemer who is a licensed social worker trained in cognitive behavior therapy. Mary Jo Meerdink who is a clinical psychologist, therapist and executive leadership coach. Leslie Santee who is a video producer that has traveled around the world documenting humanitarian crisis. Lastly Addie Thompson who is a local graduate of Pagosa Springs High school. She is at Colby College in Maine majoring in global studies with emphasis on human rights and art.
David Wood was raised in the state of Maine and graduated from Maine Maritime Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nautical Science, a commission as Ensign in the U. S. Naval Reserve and with a Thirds Mates License issued by the U. S. Coast Guard. Following graduation, he was employed for ten years by Texaco, Inc. marine division with service on over 20 Texaco tankers in all license positions as Third officer to Master. In 1976, he was selected to join the Sabine Pilots Association, a privately-owned company providing pilotage service to ocean going vessels into three ports in southeast Texas. As a Sabine Pilot for 27 years he was responsible for over 2,500 safe vessel transits of the Sabine-Neches Waterway.
Living in Beaumont, Texas for thirty-seven years provided David with numerous opportunities to be involved in the community. His passion has always had a focus on youth so umpiring Little League baseball, junior high youth counselor at his church or Boy Scouts were all natural avenues for him to serve his community. He also served several years as a board member for the Beaumont Housing Authority and chaired a special advisory committee to the Captain of the Port U. S. Coast Guard. During his years in Beaumont was when he started his Rotary tenure joining the Rotary Club of Beaumont in 1988. Because of his community involvement he received several distinguished awards, The Cross and Flame Award from the Methodist Church, the Silver Beaver from the Boy Scouts of America and in 1995 was selected as Maritime Person of the Year in southeast Texas.
Following retirement David and Cathy decided that they would leave Texas and make their vacation home in Salida, Colorado their residence. This move opened new areas of volunteerism whether it was Meals on Wheels, The Stone Soup Kitchen, or Colorado Farm to Table. The Rotary moto of “Service Above Self” learned as a member of the Rotary Club in Beaumont was a driving force and again the call of the Rotary spirit was there as he joined the Rotary Club of Salida in 2011. As a member of the Salida club he has served on the club’s board of directors, has chaired the Youth Services Committee and is currently the club’s Foundation Chair and is a past president of the Rotary Club of Salida. Additionally, he served as Assistant Governor for Area 6 District 5470. David is a multi-Paul Harris Fellow, a Paul Harris Society Member and a Major Donor of The Rotary Foundation.
David and Cathy celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in July of 2018, they have two children, four grandchildren and two great grandchildren. They enjoy travel, skiing and anything that the great outdoors of Colorado has to offer.
This was the first meeting lead by our newly elected president Nick Tallent. Congratulations to him!
Invocation: To Be of Use by Marge Piercy was presented by Cindi Galabotha.
Pledge of Allegiance was led by John Richardson.
Song: The More We Get Together lead by Meg Wempe
Visiting Rotarians: Ken Rogers of Pagosa Mountain Rotary Club. Ken asked Rotarians to sign up for the beer garden at the county fair this year scheduled for August 1 to August 4. He stated that profits from this event will be donated to our scholarship fund.
Guess of Rotarians: Bridget Moore the granddaughter of Kim Moore was introduced as a junior Rotarian.
Announcements: David Smith informed us of an International Service project that he is considering for our club in collaboration with Father Kenny of John Paul II Catholic Church. He scheduled a meeting of the International Service Committee immediately after this meeting to discuss.
New Member Frank Estes complimented that planning and the work that was done for our July 4th Parade was extraordinary.
Cindy Galabota encouraged member to sign up for doing the invocations at our meeting.
Shellie Peterson offered appreciation to Linda Verrips, Joe Bridges and Joann Laird as they were not at the installation banquet. She thanked Linda for her service on the board of directors and Joe Bridges for serving as executive secretary on the board. She then thanked Joann Laird for her enthusiastic service to our community and to Rotary. There was loud applause and a chorus of “She’s a Jolly Good Fellow” was sang.
Shellie also circulated a get-well card for David Campbell who had shoulder surgery yesterday.
Bob Eggleston gave a brief report on our recent Casino Night event. He stated that we netted approximately $10,000.00 dollars including $3000.00 from the silent auction. The winners of the raffle Joe Bridges ($400) and Larry McClintock ($200) donated their winnings back to our Rotary club. He complimented Art Benzel for his assistance with the event. The next Casino Night is already set for June 19, 2020.
Joann Laird gave brief wrap up of the July 4th Parade stating that our partnership with the town was a success. There were 28 Rotarians who worked the parade in a variety of ways.
President NIck encouraged support for the up coming Rise Against Violence event this weekend that includes the 13th Annual Pagosa Duathlon and the High Rollers Band performance this Saturday at Town Park to benefit our Pagosa Springs High School wrestling Team.
President Nick Tallent announced the Rotary Board Meeting scheduled for tomorrow Morning at 8:00.
Sunshine and Showers: Betty began with her usual comic routine with party blowouts, kazoos, head dress and party hats. She mourned the lost of her bubble machine at the Installation Banquet. This was her opportunity to pass the job off to someone else as she and Jeff prepare for their move away from Pagosa. She stated that “ It’s going to take a lot of people to replace me”. She also said “It’s been a joy to do this for the past two years”.
She then announced that Pat Love, Meg Wempe and Kathleen McFadden will assuming her job.
President Nick then read two letters that he received from Patty Tillerson recently. On a sad note one of the them was a letter she wrote to her deceased husband and Rotarian Bob and the other was a letter thanking our club for choosing her as the Grand Marshal of our July 4th Parade.
Pat Love then took the microphone to do Sunshine and Flowers. She offered a sunshine for what our club does for our Backpack Program in comparison to what the Rotary Club in Austin Texas does for the homeless.
Shellie Peterson offered a sunshine for joining the “Past Prez Club of Rotary”.
Kim Moore also gave a sunshine for being a PP Club member and for having her granddaughter with her, for Joann Laird for “pulling off the parade”, for Nick as our new president and for herself as an Assistant Governor for our Rotary District.
Bill Darling offered sunshine that he and his wife are celebrating their 49th wedding anniversary and a shower for their dog that is dying of cancer.
Jan Pitcher offered sunshine that one granddaughter is attending Princeton University where she is doing brain surgery on mice and another granddaughter who recently received a letter of acceptance from Harvard University.
David Smith offered a sunshine that the Early Childhood Center has recently hired a director.
Club raffle was done, and the lucky ticket owner Mike Vanover was not so lucky in picking the 9 of spades! The pot is now at $414.
If anyone has items that need to be returned to the storage unit - please bring them on Thursday
If anyone has the orange and the brown extension cords for the speakers and projector - please bring them on Thursday
The Bridge Club ladies believe we may have one of their card tables - it would have happened when we were cleaning up after the Installation Banquet. If you have a card table - please bring it on Thursday
How About that Parade?????
For anyone who did not see JoAnn's email including the sweet note from Patty, it is provided again here.
Good morning,
Below is a thank you I received from your 2019 Grand Marshal of the 4th of July Parade. Our Patty is one amazing woman.
For those who were not able to be a part of the parade, you missed a great time. Your fellow Rotarians outdid themselves. Please thank them for their time and service when you see them.
I thank you for allowing me to represent you thru this transition with the Town. I have found that government thinking and service organization thinking is…different. However, the combination resulted in a terrific time for our community. We rolled up our sleeves, put our hearts into it and our club can continue to be proud of our efforts.
JoAnn Laird
Director of Pagosa Rotary Participation
Pagosa Springs 4th of July Parade
Begin forwarded message:
Dear One,
Please share this with the Club (I sent a note via the P.O. before the event, but this is "after"). Special thanks to Larry Parks and Bob Daniels---both treated me like a "Queen", something I am not used to. Everything went very well from what I could see---a great crowd---and all filled my soul with great memories. I wish I could throw a party for all, but I am a little old for that. I am driving to Texas on the 10th for a family reunion---will be back early the following week. Of course, I love having folks come by anytime. Anyway, thank you for all that love and please know it is returned 100%.
The Installation Banquet
Outgoing officers were thanked, and incoming ones welcomed. It was a special evening of looking back and looking forward at the same time!
Last Friday presented a great opportunity to get out and gamble, dance, eat, drink and support the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs! More details of exactly HOW MUCH support will come soon!
David Smith would like to call for a meeting of the international committee on July 11 after our regular meeting to listen to a proposal by Father Kenny (Pagosa's Catholic Church). This might be a good project for a new global grant that will provide equipment for a new hospital that is being build in Nigeria.
He will also give an update regarding the project in Senegal and the new project in Niger! He asked that I invite all those interested in the workings of these global grant projects to stay and participate !
I found this article by Tina Spencer-Mulhern, District Governor 2018-2019, District 5190, that I wanted to share with you. While their accomplishments are different from ours, none-the-less, we have many to be proud of this past year too!
Rotary Fellowships are international groups that share a common passion. Being part of a fellowship is a fun way to make friends around the world, explore a hobby or profession, and enhance your Rotary experience. See the information sheet in this newsletter that gives you more details on Rotary Fellowship opportunities. For me personally I am a member of the Wine Fellowship Group. I know, no surprise there.
It has been a great Season and we have much to Celebrate. Teams throughout our District have really stepped up to the plate. As I have said many times this year “Together we can do much more”. Nine Areas teamed up on area projects and 32 clubs supported our District Project “Smiles Without Borders”.
Much thanks to our District Leadership Team, Assistant Coaches and Club Presidents for all your hard work in helping District 5190 “Knock it out of the Park” this year.
As of today, our membership growth is up for the first time in many years. I congratulate you on trying new things to help your clubs grow and retaining the players you have. After all, it’s up to us to get our members out of the stands and onto the field, playing the game with us, not just watching us.
Our first Multi District conference was a weekend of celebration with inspiration around every corner. If you were able to attend, I hope it exceeded your expectations as it did mine. It was so nice seeing old friends from other Districts and making new ones as well.
Rotarians are People of Action and as we continue to make Rotary a Brand to be recognized, we will need to continue to share our stories of Action. Every game has its strikes and home runs, however when we play together, we all win, our Communities win and our World wins.
As we close out this Rotary year and the new year begins, I encourage you to hop on DGE Randy’s tandem bike and continue trying new things. Life is like riding a bicycle, to stay balanced you must keep moving.
It has truly been an honor leading, motivating and inspiring our Players.
Congratulations on a Great Season!
Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday’s successes or put its failures behind you and start over again. That’s the way life is with a new game every day, and that’s the way baseball is.
As usual, our Club has a lot going on! Here is a rundown on what is happening in the next couple of weeks:
June 17 - Tomorrow - There is a decorating session for casino night beginning at 4:00 in the back room at Pagosa Brewing. This is a lot of fun!!!
June 18 - This Tuesday - There is Black Jack Training and practice in the back room at Pagosa Brewing & Grill starting at 5:00 PM. I am sure this will be a lot of fun too! Come get all practiced up and ready for Casino Night.
June 19 - This Wednesday - Radio interview with Bob Eggleston about the Casino Night. Runs about at 8:30. Listen in!
June 19 - This Wednesday - there is a meeting to go over registration for the 4th of July Parade starting at 2:00 pm at JoAnn Lairds home. You have already been notified if you are working in this area, but this is a reminder.
June 20 - This Thursday - there is no noon meeting as we will be cooking and serving for Loaves & Fishes
June 21 - This Friday - Las Vegas Casino Night. The mighty craps table move will start out the day. Watch for further email instructions regarding what time to be there for decorating and getting ready for the big night. We will also be taking everything down that night so plan on bringing some work clothes and comfy shoes
June 24 - A week from Tomorrow - Decorating session for the Installation Banquet. Come help us get the decorations ready for a great installation party!
June 27 - A week from Thursday - Installation Banquet. Drinks and social hour begins at 5:30 pm. Have you registered for the event? If you have trouble, just email me and I will register you and your guests. We need a final count for the caterer by Monday, June 24.
July 4 - The following Thursday - The 4th of July Parade. Be on the look out for more instructions regarding the last minute details for this as well.
JoAnn was there to bring us all up to date with the arrangements for the 4th of July Parade. There is a really great article, written by JoAnn as well as an Editorial by Terri House on this subject in this week's paper. If we all try to read these and the ones that will follow in the next two weeks, on the day of the Parade we will know all the answers ALL THE TIME! Which is a good thing when we are coordinating such a big event!
Our speaker last week was Andrea Phillips, the Manager of the Town of Pagosa Springs. It was interesting to hear about how the Town is structured and managed as well as about some of their priorities for the upcoming year.
That is the thing to emphasize when selling these tickets!!
The Chance to WIN! Win! Win! Win! CASH Prizes!
Appetizers, desserts, music and dancing all will add to the magic of this evening! Bring your ticket money to Sharon as soon as possible so that we can get an idea of where we stand.
Your reporter notes that Theo told us of the events of his past year in our midst. Further, he discussed his classes at Pagosa Springs High School (favorites: wilderness skills and global sciences), he shared some observations about differences between life in the US and Denmark (his next level of schooling is referred to as secondary school, which will extend three years and, he expects, be followed by study at a university), and he described his summer travel plans, a thirty day trip around the US beginning next week.
But it’s well-nigh impossible to do full justice to Theo’s talk. Words can be recalled, so your reporter can relate that Theo described participating in many area attractions and activities — ranging from a visit to Keyah Grande, to hunting, to hiking, to skiing and snow sports in all forms as both a participant and spectator (at the X-Games), and on nearly without end. But merely to list events he described is inadequate. Perhaps what it boils down to is this: to the listener, it seems Theo may have put more into one year than many people put into a life.
But somehow, even that assessment still falls short. To this reporter, the telling point is that as a student at Pagosa Springs High School, Theo had the curiosity and gumption to participate in two sports (baseball and wrestling, one where they throw a hard object at you and the other where they try to beat you up) that he had never even seen before. Taking on such adventures was apparently as normal to Theo as tying one’s shoes, but the openness of mind to welcome challenges like these is something not found every day.
Theo told us his year in Pagosa Springs was the “Best year of my life.” That was gratifying to know, but it would be only fair to say that Theo’s visit was rewarding to our community too. Visits from young folks like Theo coming to us from around the world exemplify the value of the Rotary Exchange program.
Bill Darling opened with an invocation inspired by the second anniversary of two events, the birth of his granddaughter and the receipt of his cancer diagnosis (happily, the granddaughter now thrives while the cancer regresses). The concurrence of these contrasting events, Bill said, triggered contemplation since of life and death, redoubling his appreciation of the former.
In that spirit, Bill quoted an excerpt from a Walt Whitman poem, “The Song of the Open Road,” including the lines: “Henceforth I ask not good-fortune . . . Strong and content I travel the open road.”
A stanza of “America the Beautiful” followed, under the figurative baton of Sharon Crump.
Guests included Cody Wilson’s granddaughter, Chanel (a former Rotary scholarship recipient and recent college graduate, now planning a career in criminal justice — my advice? If that’s your choice, Chanel, seek federal employment after accumulating a few years of experience), and Laura Easterling, a prospective member under the sponsorship of Pat Love.
Bill Hubbard then solicited volunteers for the meal service at Loaves and Fishes on Thursday June 20, and circulated a job sign-up sheet.
President Shellie Peterson followed by observing that because Rotary will be working at Loaves and Fishes on June 20, and the annual Installation Dinner will be held the following Thursday, June 27, there will be no regular meetings those two weeks (nor, presumably, on the Thursday after that, July 4). Consequently, Shellie pointed out that the only meeting before the July 4 Parade will be next Thursday, June 13.
Volunteers for the Parade are needed, Shellie reminded. Although under recently revised plans, Rotary will no longer be “policing” the Parade route, new eligibility requirements for Parade participation have been established, she said, and Rotary will have responsibility for implementation. Because of the revisions affecting multiple aspects of the Parade (even including the route), Parade-related assignments for which members previously volunteered may have been eliminated, and needs for volunteers to fill new positions created. Accordingly, a new Parade sign-up sheet was circulated, accompanied by Shellie’s urgent request for members’ help. (The good news is the jobs for distribution throughout the town of posters announcing the Parade were filled before the meeting adjourned.)
Art Benzel and Bob Eggleston then unveiled the new Rotary Event Banner, intended to stretch over Hot Springs Boulevard near Pagosa Street, downtown. The Banner will initially be used to announce Casino Night on June 21, but they pointed out it can be readily modified for use to advertise future events, as well.
Art and Bob encouraged members to sell tickets to Casino Night, and reminded that all funds raised should be delivered to Sharon Crump. The event will offer Texas Hold ‘Em, craps, Wheel of Fortune, and blackjack. There will be nine tables for the latter game, they said, and training for dealers (a few openings remain) will be provided Tuesday June 18, 5 pm to 7 pm in the back room at Pagosa Brewing.
In addition to dealers, volunteers are needed to take tickets at the door and staff the “bank” (apparently, the bank will accept money for chips, and then chips for tickets, which can eventually be used by ticket-holders to win prizes, which are guaranteed “for the right tickets,” Bob pointed out, helpfully).
Pat Love added that there will be two more meetings of the Casino Night decorating committee, at 4 pm the next two Mondays (through June 17) — also in the Brewery’s back room. “Bring scissors,” Pat asked prospective participants, then reassured all that, potential weapons notwithstanding (remember the movie, “Dial M for Murder”), the Committee is rollicking good fun (well, “Enjoyable,” at least).
Kim Moore then presided for Sunshine/Showers. Among contributors were Carrie Weiss, freshly returned home from weary travels, announcing “Pagosa’s the best,” Neal Johnson, lamenting the passing of a Turkish friend met during concurrent terms as District Governors, and Codie Wilson, celebrating granddaughter Chanel.
Kim then turned to the announcement of Birthdays: her own and Dave Smith’s, both on June 7. But alas, no hats were worn, nor birthday anthems sung — Kim pressed her thumb on the scale and moved events along before the strategic omissions were noted. Was Dave in collusion with Kim’s unseemly haste? No protests over the absence of honors were noted from his corner of the room. Next month, I hope we’ll have some real Birthday Enthusiasm. (Bring back Meg Wempe, and her one-person Conga line!)
Carrie finally reclaimed her role as Lottery Czar (as Carrie resumed the mantle, Lisa Scott could be heard muttering words to the effect, “You said it would be only two months,” but that complaint was ignored by all). Pat Love held the winning ticket, but was denied glory and fortune by drawing a card of mere peasant status. And the pot grows . . .
Are you hankerin' for a fun night in Las Vegas, but don't want to spend the time or money to drive there? Your wish is Rotary's command.
That fun-loving group welcomes you to its own version of Las Vegas by presenting Casino Night Las Vegas on June 21 from 6:30 to 10 pm at the PLPOA Clubhouse, 230 Port Avenue.
GO SELL THOSE TICKETS!!!
Pagosa Springs Rotary Club
Presents Casino Night Las Vegas (probably our 15th)
Ticket Sales Support: Handling Objections
OBJECTION: “The tickets are too expensive.”
ANSWERS:
All of the expenses for the event have been paid for by our sponsors. Their generosity allows us to designate all of the ticket sales proceeds back into our community through scholarships and other Rotary projects that support our local students.
For a great night out with full entertainment, dancing, being with friends, fun games to play, appetizers and desserts, you would spend a similar amount of money.
Your ticket is your entry into a drawing for $400 cash, $200 cash and $100 cash prizes.
An option would be to make a small donation of $20 to $30 to Pagosa Springs Rotary Club as means of supporting our organization and your community.
OBJECTION: “I will be out of town that weekend.”
ANSWERS:
Surprise your friends with two tickets to this great event! (What a great Anniversary or Birthday present!)
Give your tickets to your employees as a “Thank You” to reward them for all of their hard work and efforts towards your company’s success.
See above #4. Even if you are unable to attend, purchasing tickets is a donation to benefit Rotary scholarships and Rotary projects helping local students.
See above #3. You could win $400, $200 or $100 CASH!
OBJECTION: “I don’t like to gamble”
ANSWERS:
No problem. There will dancing with the Retro Cats, a silent auction, socializing with your friends and eating appetizers and desserts. A cash bar is also available.
See above #3. Did we mention that you could win $400, $200 or $100 in cash!
You will receive $50,000 casino dollars that is worth 5 entry tickets for additional prizes.
Marcie Mitchell is the Executive Director of Aspire, a local organization that provides medical services and education to expectant Archuleta County mothers and new parents. According to the organization’s website, aspirepagosa.org, Aspire (formerly operated under the name Thrive) is the d/b/a of Pagosa Crisis Pregnancy Center, Inc, a not-for-profit corporation located at 608 S. 8th Street in downtown Pagosa Springs.
Marcie explained that Aspire is a “pro-family” organization, but not political. It provides counselling to pregnant women regarding options, but does not refer for abortions. It is dedicated to supporting infant health and development physically, socially and emotionally with a variety of services provided to expectant mothers and families through early childhood. Among its services are pregnancy testing and ultrasound examinations, prenatal care, education, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections.
In 2018, Aspire provided a total of 3000 services to 278 local individuals, Marcie related, and provided care and assistance in more than 70% of community pregnancies. 40% of its clients are self-pay, but many require financial help she said, in view of the high local incidence of low-pay employment.
In addition to testing, prenatal care such as dietary support and medical examinations, education in childbirth, finances and parenthood, and support with supplies including vitamins, diapers and wipes are provided.
Aspire’s mission, Marcie reported, responds to the wide-spread problems nationally of pre-term birth and low birth-weight. 6% of births in Archuleta County fall short of desired benchmarks in both categories, she added, but these numbers are actually better than national averages.
The Aspire staff consists of volunteers, other than herself, Marcie said. Visit its website to make donations. As examples, she cited some values: $50 buys diapers and wipes for seven clients, $60 funds a childhood education class, and $100 pays for an ultrasound exam.
The organization hosts an annual fund-raising banquet, this year set for August 22 at Centerpoint Church. The speaker will be a young mother who became pregnant as a 16-year old drug user, but then turned her life around.
Art Benzell began the proceedings by quoting Rotary founder Paul Harris, and former President George Bush, on key elements of humanity (not an invocation, asserted Art, just important thoughts).
Harris: “You must share knowledge. Ignorance is a menace to peace.” Bush: “Any definition of a successful life must include service to others.”
Sharon Crump and Jesse Formwalt then debuted a new song, “When We Meet at Rotary,” to an old tune, “When the Saints Go Marching In.” Very catchy, but only one line: someone needs to propose additional lyrics. Certainly, though, a good start.
Guests were introduced: Mike Beckel, a member returning from Leave of Absence (Kim Moore) and Jodie Brown (husband Warren).
A new member was next announced, by President Shellie Peterson in the absence of Dave Campbell: Kathleen McFadden, sponsored by the effervescent Pat Love (a/k/a Mom). Kathleen told us she enjoys Pagosa, and has made it her home, recently becoming a licensed Colorado driver and now working toward a real estate license. With regard to Rotary, Kathleen “loves being part of an organization that does so many good things.”
Grant Guru Dave Smith then updated the group on Rotary’s grant activities. Initially he displayed a calendar featuring amateur photos by a Rotarian couple, used to raise funds to support a sister club’s Nicaraguan water project by selling advertising. The calendar, Dave indicated, exemplified the ways that small beginnings can lead to big results, as the local club had managed to raise $14,000 for the project, which it ultimately leveraged to $65,000 with a Rotary International Global Grant.
In addition, Dave pointed out the benefits to be reaped by obtaining Rotary District Grants. As examples, Dave noted that District Grants have recently helped fund a diverse variety of beneficial projects in multiple communities, including providing equipment for schools, a dental clinic, and a local meeting hall, outfitting needy children with shoes and socks, and installing benches in a public park (for the weary, perhaps, or even just nature-lovers).
Bob Eggleston then reminded all of the task of selling tickets for the upcoming Casino Night, and Pat Love stayed on theme by issuing a similarly ecumenical invitation to all to participate on the event’s decorating committee. The committee will be assembling to work magic on Mondays June 3 and June 10 at 4 pm in the back room at Pagosa Brewing, Pat said. Don’t worry about the goings on, cautiously described as “fun,” by Kim Moore. As allegedly true for Las Vegas (or so they claim), what happens in the back room, stays in the back room, so good times are virtually guaranteed – or at least, good works (and remember what President Bush said about service).
Pat hinted further at good times to come, by revealing that the local UPS store had donated boxes to be decorated as large dice for Casino Night. Large dice!!! The mind boggles at the mere mention . . .
President Shellie then provided a dose of cold reality to the proceedings, with mention of thus-far unproductive discussions with the Town of Pagosa Springs over the issue of liability associated with hosting the Fourth of July Parade. Discussions with Town staff seem to have reached an impasse, Shellie indicated, threatening Rotary’s ability to fulfill its traditional role, and a decision would need to be reached soon. Your reporter then lamented the news, declaiming with concurrence of many the centrality of the Parade to Pagosa summertime.
[As this is being written on Sunday June 2, this seems a still developing story. Following the Thursday meeting, the Pagosa Springs Sun reported that Rotary would not host the Parade. But subsequently, it was suggested to your reporter that additional developments may be in the offing, and it appears new arrangements for the Parade could be revealed by the time of the Pagosa Springs Town Council meeting the evening of Tuesday June 4, 2019. Those interested may wish to await further developments.]
Kim Moore then presided in the absence of Betty “Bubbles” Switzer over Sunshine/Showers (apologies to those omitted from this account due to the slowness of your reporter’s pen):
Dave Smith led off with a description of his recent trip to San Jose, California – driving his 89 year-old Model A Ford. The don’t make ‘em like they used to. But according to Dave, he and his wife needed visits to the chiropractor at the end of the ride under nearly century-old standards of comfort, so maybe that’s not all bad.
Bill Hubbard reported on the return to town of former local scholarship winner, the granddaughter of downtown barber Ray Garcia.
Warren Brown celebrated athletes: his wife Jodie, who recently claimed 5th place in a Utah triathlon, and the upcoming Special Olympics, to be kicked off by a torch run at Mary Fisher Park set for June 22.
Bill Darling rejoiced (a) in the recent visit of a granddaughter (the youngster brought her parents, Bill observed in an apparent afterthought), and (b) a recent scan finding him cancer-free at one year.
Sharon Crump recounted her Mothers’ Day visit to New Orleans, to (you guessed it) visit her mother.
And Kim herself reported on an acrobatic, soon-arriving grandson, who performed a graceful “flip” in the womb of Kim’s daughter-in-law, thus averting an impending C-section for his mother.
The lottery concluded the meeting. Mike Beckel held the winning ticket, but drew a looser from the remaining concealed cards flourished by Lisa Scott. The pot, up to $368 at the time of Mike’s disappointment, continues to grow, as the remaining cards in the deck dwindle down to a mere few and the Ace of Spades still lurks anonymously in hiding.
We were delighted to welcome Dr. Rhonda Webb to our membership last week. We are delighted to have her involved with our service.
Before moving to Pagosa Springs, Dr. Webb worked as the Medical Director of Patient Safety and Quality for the Willis-Knighton Health System. In her previous leadership role, she focused on improvements to the quality of patient care and as a key liaison between administrators and physicians.
Dr. Webb served as PSMC, CMO prior to becoming the CEO. Her focus and commitment are to provide quality, compassionate care for all community members, surrounding communities, and those who visit our majestic area.
Co-Chairs Bob Eggleston and Art Benzel gave us the run down regarding the upcoming Casino Night! Pat Love was recruiting for decoration creations. Tickets were disbursed and we are on point for another successful Rotary fundraising event! Sharon Crump will be commanding the ticket control booth so get your money to her as soon as possible along with your ticket numbers. If you need more tickets she is the lady to see as well.
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs was happy to collaborate with the CDC on this public information seminar! The guest speaker for the event was Jeff Kraft, Division Director, Business Funding & Initiatives from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. I estimate there were about 70 participants including the presenters.
The meeting’s business then began with the introduction by Dave Campbell of a new member, Frank Estes. Frank was sponsored by Pat Love, who took the floor for the fanciful recollection that she and Frank met “as children 30 years ago.” (Whether Pat’s fancy was to be found in the remoteness of the claimed meeting date, the stage of life at which it purportedly occurred, or both, was not clear, but it was well-recognized by many present.) Pat observed she was glad to be able to sponsor Frank, since her own membership began simply by crashing the party, armed with no sponsor but only a cheery smile.
CiCi Stuart started the meeting with a thoughtful invocation attributed to Mark Twain, in which the writer counseled lliving with courage, the human quality he reckoned as the root of integrity.
Sue Walen followed by leading the singing of “America the Beautiful.”
The meeting’s business then began with the introduction by Dave Campbell of a new member, Frank Estes. Frank was sponsored by Pat Love, who took the floor for the fanciful recollection that she and Frank met “as children 30 years ago.” (Whether Pat’s fancy was to be found in the remoteness of the claimed meeting date, the stage of life at which it purportedly occurred, or both, was not clear, but it was well-recognized by many present.) Pat observed she was glad to be able to sponsor Frank, since her own membership began simply by crashing the party, armed with no sponsor but only a cheery smile.
President Shellie Peterson then took a moment to remember Katy Threet, who passed away in Houston on May 13. Please see the obituary in the May 16, edition of the Pagosa Springs Sun. Codie Wilson will say a few words about how important the Threets have been in the Clubs efforts. Shellie simply sucks at this type of conversation.
Exchanger Theo Bonlokke next reported that the Pagosa Springs High School baseball Pirates had made the Colorado State Playoffs. Fellow-exchanger Cata Acuilera rejoiced in the impending arrival of her family for a visit from home in Chile. She also invited Rotarians to the High School Choir recital next Thursday (while declining for the second week running an invitation from the indefatigable Dave Cammack to provide the meeting a preview sample of the choir’s repertoire).
Exchanger Theo Bonlokke next reported that the Pagosa Springs High School baseball Pirates had made the Colorado State Playoffs. Fellow-exchanger Cata Acuilera rejoiced in the impending arrival of her family for a visit from home in Chile. She also invited Rotarians to the High School Choir recital next Thursday (while declining for the second week running an invitation from the indefatigable Dave Cammack to provide the meeting a preview sample of the choir’s repertoire).
How sad we will bee to see these fine students leave us!
Kim Moore announced the May 25 Vets 4 Vets golf tournament. (A scramble, your reporter thought Kim said. To some people, that refers to eggs, but to golfers it evidently means something altogether different. What that may be, exactly, is not clear to those of us whose horizons are more limited. But come to think of it, my own few golfing efforts have involved scrambling, mostly through the woods in search of my ball. Somehow, I don’t think that’s what Kim had in mind.)
Birthdays were then announced with élan by our inimitable Betty “Bubbles” Switzer. Livia Lynch, John Shepard and Melanie Garrett were the honorees, whose natal dates were robustly celebrated by an assortment of voices, ranging from motley to soaring (one can’t be sure, but Dave C may have been closer to the motley end of the spectrum, where your reporter was to be found bellowing lustily.)
Betty then branched out to anniversaries, announcing 19 years of bliss for Shellie and Kim Peterson, 28 for Marianne and Mike DeVooght, and 39 years for Margaret and Larry McClintock. Betty’s bubble brandishing show was then completed with announcements of one-year Rotary anniversaries for Ci Ci and Bruce Stuart, Georgann Baumgartner, Sandra Houston and Alan Roth.
Livia then came forward again for the eagerly anticipated announcement of the 2019 Rotary Scholarship awards. Before she announced the winners sharing in this year’s $37,000 Rotary bounty, Livia acknowledged committee members Marianne D, Melanie G., Alan R., Betty S (still trailing bubbles), Pat Love, and Meg Wempe for their hard work. (Your reporter can verify from discussion with at least one of the members, that the committee indeed deserves congratulations for its diligence and effort devoted to what is one of Rotary’s signature community contributions.)
Winners (including College plans to the extent recorded by a reporter handicapped with a slow pen and fading hearing, compounded by the absence of a few winners) are: Javier Marinelarena (Univ. of Colorado), Nathan Lewis (Iowa State), Sara Ross (Cody Wilson’s granddaughter, headed to Sothern Oregon Univ.), Cole Cayard (University of Denver), Kianna Plate (Ft. Lewis), Morgan Thompson (Colorado State Univ.), Paul Farrah, Cade Cowan, Cameron Lucero, Jonathon Robel (Colorado School of Mines), Madison Peart (Brigham Young University), and Edgar Arellano. All were welcomed with a hearty round of applause.
The last item of Rotary business came courtesy of Bob Eggleston, who asked, can you add (e.g. 10 + 11 = ?). If you know the answer is 21, proclaimed Bob, chair for the Rotary Casino Night to be staged June 21, who was looking to round out the roster of dealers, “I can use you.” (Hint: offer coffee and donuts, Bob, or perhaps something more nearly associated with the event. Check with Jann on proper technique for the offer of inducements. And remember, there won’t be any snow, so talk that up too!)
Next week’s meeting on May 23rd will kick-off the Casino Night promotional effort, Bob added, and tickets will be distributed to members for sale.
Pat Love reminded all that decorations will be needed for the PLPOA events center, venue for Casino Night, and solicited volunteers for the decorating committee.
Speakers: Jodi Scarpa, Sherry Waner, Mary Jo Coulehan, Pagosa Springs Community Development Corporation
The Pagosa Springs Community Development Corporation (CDC) works, according to its website pagosaspringscdc.org, to “help change the economic future of Pagosa Springs.” Among other things, the CDC
Provides strategic direction for the community’s economic future;
Seeks to build economic development networks among constituents including community businesses, Region 9 Economic Development District, Southwest Colorado Small Business Development Center at Fort Lewis College in Durango, and agencies of the State of Colorado;
Helps administer Enterprise Zone Tax credits that provide tax incentives to encourage businesses to locate here and expand;
Gathers, interprets and presents data about economic activity in Archuleta County; and
Advises businesses as they begin, grow and mature.
The not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization is funded by its membership, and by contributions from Archuleta County and the Town of Pagosa Springs.
CDC board President Jodi Scarpa, Pagosa Springs Medical Center Foundation Director, led off the presentation by boiling the website’s description down to some key elements: the organization’s efforts focus on planning for infrastructure, supporting existing businesses and assisting start-ups, and overall, seeking to facilitate business growth and to build local employment.
Ms. Scarpa cited the CDC’s work on bringing improved broadband internet service to the community as an example. Mary Jo Coulehan, Director of the Pagosa Springs Chamber of Commerce, which contracts to provide administrative support to the CDC, then gave more details on the CDC’s broadband effort.
The need for improvement in broadband infrastructure is obvious to all in the community, Ms. Coulehan observed. Achievement of the goal of improvement is challenging due to low population density and difficult terrain, she said, which increase the capital cost of service delivery and diminish the rewards of commercial investment. To overcome the resulting lag in private investment, she related, the CDC started its mission to improve broadband by hiring a consultant to identify specific improvement targets based on impact and feasibility, having high value sufficient to justify publicly supported effort.
With broadband targets chosen, the CDC is moving forward, Ms. Coulehan told us, with efforts to secure grant funding from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs to establish “last mile” connectivity in unserved areas (last mile referring to facilities for the final connection to service users).
With respect to large areas of the community currently having internet service at levels that have become obsolete, middle mile connectivity will be built out from the existing regional SCAN network, which runs through Pagosa in the Highway 160 corridor. SCAN is a high-capacity, fiber optic cable network, which was originally developed throughout the region several years ago to provide high speed internet access to public facilities (government installations, schools, public districts, etc.).
A substantial, and so-far unused part of the cable included in the SCAN network is owned locally by the Town and the County, which have both agreed to dedicate their unused cable to a system now being established under CDC guidance to deliver high speed broadband to customers in the community.
The plan being followed will involve leasing access to the existing publicly-owned, SCAN fiber to commercial Internet Service Providers. Leases will be on condition of use of the access promptly to provide delivery of last mile service to consumers. Thus, essential infrastructure will become available for broadband service in the community, without the need for commercially profitable return on expensive capital investments.
Customers should begin to see changes in the availability of high-speed internet service for homes and businesses as early as the end of this year, Ms. Coulehan predicted, and progress will pick-up further in 2020.
The CDC’s Sherry Waner, 1st Southwest Bank Chief of Development, then took over the presentation. She described CDC’s program to make “microloans” available to local businesses on terms that would not be available from commercial lenders. The loans are designed to help cover the cost of small start-up investments, she said, mentioning loans made to a medical practice, an auto repair shop, and a vending machine business as examples.
Ms. Waner also discussed the CDC’s involvement in facilitating exploitation of the relatively new, federal Opportunity Zone tax incentive program. The CDC has provided educational presentations on the program, and will help with identification of eligible projects.
Ms. Scarpa then closed with a mention of the CDC’s plans for expansion of its efforts, including hiring an executive director to oversee its increasing work. Noting the upcoming Economic Development Luncheon on May 22, she commented that participation in the CDC is an investment in a stronger community.
Attention parents of 8th graders. Pagosa Springs Middle School cares about your child's heart health, so we are partnering with Who We Play For to screen students with an electrocardiogram (ECG). This procedure can detect issues in the heart that can be missed in standard physicals. The BEST part is it is FREE!
All you have to do is fill out the form your child brings home and return it to the office. A qualified health professional will screen them next Friday, May 17th during PE or band class. Our goal is 100% participation! Thank you for your support. Your student will be bringing these forms home this week!
Every parent should take advantage of this important and potentially lifesaving screening!! The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs is proud to support this important effort for our Pagosa Springs athletes. You can learn more at www.whoweplayfor.org
Speaker: Dr. Virginia Chan, Oncologist, Pagosa Springs Medical Center/Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders
Dr. Chan, a native Indonesian, grew up on Long Island, N.Y., and came to Pagosa Springs recently by way of Connecticut and Grand Junction. She explained that after nine years of living in the I-70 corridor, she began thinking about moving to a “mountain town,” and while pondering the possibility of life in Crested Butte, had an epiphany in the form of a well-timed recruiting ad from PSMC, and now “loves it here.”
The new Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders provides oncology and hematology services. In addition to Dr. Chan, it is staffed by Dr. William Jordan, and assorted other professionals with relevant specialized skills and knowledge.
Dr. Chan explained the Center delivers the latest in advanced treatment, citing immunotherapy, treatment designed to induce the human immune system to bring its power to bear in attacking diseased cells, with the aid of targeting techniques utilizing computer analysis to tailor the regimen to the individual patient.
Although immunotherapy is a form of treatment that not all can tolerate, because of the potential for inflammation, it can be very effective, she said. Because it is targeted, and thereby differs from what Dr. Chan described as the more generalized “nuclear bomb” of chemotherapy, it does not create the wide array of side effects that can be so difficult for patients.
In response to questions from the audience, Dr. Chan acknowledged the challenge of keeping pace with rapidly advancing diagnostic and treatment technologies, but said that the relevant medical communities as a whole include many specialists who are generous with their time in consulting with fellow-professionals on new means of addressing issues in their fields.
And, she added, the Medical Center has good, cooperative relationships with other regional facilities with advanced capabilities currently beyond local reach that may be needed by some patients.
Patients treated at the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders include generally full-time local residents, and second-home owners.
Jeff Switzer got the meeting started by offering an Apache Blessing as the invocation:
May the sun bring you new energy by day,
May the moon softly restore you by night,
May the rain wash away your worries,
May the breeze blow new strength into your being,
May you walk gently through the world and
know its beauty all the days of your life.
Kim Moore followed by leading the singing of “You Are My Sunshine.”
Visitors included two who regularly share our bon homie: Frank Wylie of Sun Lakes, Arizona, and Kenny Rodgers of Pagosa Mountain Rotary.
Frank travels with humor in his kit bag, as he displayed with the alleged news that Starbucks will be starting to sell alcoholic beverages, since it’s too difficult to sell a $4 cup of coffee to sober customers.
Additionally. Frank reported the impressive news that his home club was sponsoring 23 (count ‘em!) RYLA campers this year. (For context, Sun Lakes is a suburban Phoenix, Az. adult community with a population recorded in the 2010 census of approximately 14,000, located in Maricopa County, home to a population of over 4 million.)
Kenny discussed a local 4-H Club program for certification of 12 – 18 year-olds as baby sitters through a class being provided during the first week of June. Kenny said 4-H is looking for donations to help youths of limited means meet tuition charges.
Pat Love then took possession of the microphone to solicit participation with the Casino Night Decorating Committee, which she said would meet Monday May 13 at 4 pm, in the event venue itself (looking for inspiration, don’t you know!), the PLPOA activities building.
The mike was next passed on to Bob Eggleston, who renewed the request for dealers to staff the various activities to be staged during the June 21 Casino Night event. (Bob did not appear to be a candidate for participation with Pat on the Decorating Committee – the important thing is not décor, but “It’s gambling, you know,” quoth he.)
Remaining on topic, Jo Ann Laird called for a final volunteer (of four needed) to distribute Casino Night Posters throughout the town, and such was her magnetic appeal that she succeeded right on the spot! Posters will go up May 23, Jo Ann said, and reported also that tickets will be available that day, and will then be distributed to Rotarians for flogging to friends, neighbors, assorted passers-by, and any others potential gamblers ingenuity can procure.
Breaking from the Casino Night pattern, Dave Smith then reported that remodeling for the Early Childhood Center is well underway. (The construction of the Center is an outgrowth of the assessment of local need made by the Early Childhood Work Group, sponsored by the Town of Pagosa Springs and Archuleta County.)
The Center will be located in a building that housed a long-closed restaurant off Piedra Road near the airport. Dave reported that plumbing and electrical inspections were recently passed, and the remodeling is now heading toward completion. A Center opening in September or October is hoped for, Dave said. The facility needs a Director, he added, asking for leads to qualified persons who might be interested.
President Shellie Peterson then reminded the meeting of the May 22 Development Luncheon, being hosted by the Pagosa Springs Community Development Corp. (CDC) at the Pagosa Springs Arts Council Building on Navajo Trails Drive (near 1st Southwest Bank). Rotary projects will benefit from the event, set for 11:30 am on May 22, to include a catered lunch and a speaker from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, Jeff Kraft. Rotary will provide help with setup the day before, May 21 at 1pm.
Tickets for the Luncheon are only $30 (plus a small processing fee). Go to the CDC website, and click on the event link to buy tickets with a few strikes of your keyboard! Contact the CDC through the Pagosa Springs Chamber of Commerce at the Visitors Center, or Jim Garrett, (412) 508-1060, for more information. Complimentary tickets will be provided by the CDC for eight Rotarians helping with event set-up and take-down.
Livia Lynch next reported that the Scholarship Committee had completed its work and selected 12 high school seniors to share in scholarships totaling $37,000. The winners will be presented at the Rotary meeting next week, May 16, she said.
A reminder was also offered of Rotary’s annual Put Hill cleanup, to be orchestrated by Jann Pitcher with the aid of volunteers, on May 18, beginning at 8:00 am.
Betty Switzer then presided over a session of Sunshine and Showers, producing among other contributions:
Dave Campbell’s report of a trip with Chris to Moab in a party of 16, which yielded hiking, site-seeing and, by Dave’s report, rollicking dinners;
Larry McClintock’s weather report for St. George, Utah (80 degrees);
Shellie’s crossed fingers over the blossoming potential for the well-coordinated sale of her present home with the purchase of a new one (on Antelope Avenue);
Kim’s surprising, fun encounter during a dreaded phone call for customer service answered at a call-center in Michigan, with a service agent in the person of a Senegalese immigrant, with whom she shared happy reminiscences of his native country;
CiCi Stuart’s discovery of the meaning of “Pagosa Time,” through her enforced six-weeks of delay in obtaining repair of a freezer; and
Pat Love’s congratulations to Betty on her successful implementation of a New Year’s resolution to “be kinder;” (Pat did not elaborate, so it is only a guess that the congratulations may have been triggered in part by a highly favorable review Betty gave of a new hair-do sported by Jo Ann Laird).
Exchange students Theo Bonlokke and Cata Acuilera then updated the meeting on their activities. Theo reported he had an RBI triple for Pagosa Springs in a game at Monte Vista, and then even struck a mighty homer (“over the fence”) at the Pirates’ practice. The varsity team hopes to “make states,” he reported. Cata said she was recovering well from being sick, and would be accompanying the High School Choir to Denver for an event. She demurred at an invitation to display her singing talents for the meeting, however, pointing out “in choir we have more people, so you’re not alone.”)
Turning to the Rotary lottery as the meeting ended, Lisa Scott announced the pot was up to $336. Dave Campbell held the winning ticket (it took a while for Dave to discover the number was his, so many tics had he purchased). Alas, Dave pulled a spade from the deck, but not the Ace. Calls from the audience to give the poor man a second chance in view of his mammoth investment in tickets when unheeded by Lisa.
The meeting began with a corny invocation by Meg Wempe. Well, alright, it wasn’t really corny – it’s only that the invocation was based on corn.
A farmer, Meg related, was celebrated for his blue-ribbon, prize-winning corn. A visitor observed that after the growing season, the farmer distributed parts of the seed corn from his bumper crop to the neighboring farmers. Aren’t you worried about the competition, the visitor inquired? No, the farmer explained, he hoped his neighbors would grow the same great corn, so the wind wouldn’t blow inferior pollen into his fields.
Those who want to live well, Meg concluded, do best when they help others live well too. A kernel of wisdom, so to speak.
The talk on a bright April day of growing corn then inspired Sharon Crump to lead the meeting in a rendition of “You Are My Sunshine.”
As voices rose in song, Dave Cammack and Kim Moore were moved by the festive tune to dance around the room, as if blown by the wind into graceful pirouettes of welcome to spring after the long chill of cabin fever. (But wait: Kim was lately cruising the South Pacific. Maybe it was the left-over influence of chill from her prior trip to the slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet?)
Dave Campbell then was called to the podium by President Shellie Peterson, to continue the apparent theme of spring rebirth by introducing new members Pat Tackett and Julie Walters. Pat, sponsored by Marianne DeVooght, told us she has been a resident of Pagosa Springs for 36 years, and works in Citizens Bank (now TDK Bank). Julie, sponsored by Lisa Scott, said she had returned to Pagosa three years ago after an extended absence, and currently works for Bob Scott. She is involved locally in hot air balloons.
Additional new members are pending, Dave reported. More cabin fever effects, overcome?
Exchanger Theo Bonlokke then took the floor to report that after his exploits over the winter on the Pagosa Springs wrestling mats, he has recently turned his attention to the Pirates’ baseball diamond. Against Durango recently, he struck a blow mighty enough to end a speedy dash safely astride 2nd base, with his first hit of the season. Tillykke, Theo! (According to Google, Tillykke is Danish for congratulations. According to me, based on years of my own baseball futility, unless the Danish have secretly taken to playing the game, that hit is a fabulous accomplishment!)
International Committee Chairman David Smith then reported that his proposal to extend the high school science education project to Niger after years of success in Senegal, has been approved for funding by the Rotary Foundation. Total funding for the budget of $65,000 will be supplied by Pagosa Rotary ($12,000), by our generous Aspen Rotary neighbors ($5000), and the balance from the Rotary Foundation.
Attention was then turned to the previous weekend’s Gary Morris concert, hosted by Rotary as a fundraiser for the Feed Our Children project. Treasurer Larry McClintock reported that the enormously successful concert had produced proceeds of over $17,000 for the program, thanks to Morris’ donation of his extraordinary talents.
Larry reported that ticket sales champs included Jenelle Syverson’s Choke Cherry Tree, Georgette Baumgardner, Lassie Olin, and Art Benzel, among others. He added a special shout-out for Pat Love and husband Larry Parks, the winning bidders for the “one and only” Gary Morris CD auctioned by the singer during the concert.
Betty Switzer also presented a large bouquet of red roses to Georgette, whose stellar organizational efforts (and sales pitch to Mr. Morris) made the event possible.
Dave Cammack, a voice from the back benches, having regained his breath after his earlier dance exertions, then offered a story related by a friend who had known Gary Morris in his high school days in Texas. His classmates had been surprised by Morris’ later fame as a musician, Dave recalled being told: it wasn’t the fame that surprised them much, he said, but the field. They had expected Morris’ success to come in sports, not music, as he had been the star athlete of his day, a champion who walked away, but then reemerged anew.
Jann Pitcher then reminded Rotarians of the annual Put Hill cleanup, coming this year on May 18. Volunteers with any eye for Pagosa’s (hopefully) unmarred scenic beauty needed!
Dreyspring, the retiring LPEA CEO, addressed a variety of topics concerning the electric utility during his informative talk.
His first topic was of near-term significance: the cooperative’s annual members meeting, to be held Thursday May 2, 2019 at 6:30 pm in the Fort Lewis College Concert Hall. Current board elections end at the meeting. Candidates running for the local seat on the board are Holly Metzler and Michael Whiting.
Mike’s remaining topics had a longer-term focus, dealing broadly with the subject of energy sources. Context was provided in a brief history: LPEA’s origins trace to the New Deal Rural Electrification Administration. The cooperative was formed in 1939, and it became one of several cooperatives that participated in power generation through membership in Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association (itself a cooperative).
Tri-State members deliver electric power to their own consumer-members in Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming and New Mexico. According to its website, Tri-State generates about one third of its electricity from renewable sources at present: it has 13 coal-fired generating facilities and eight wind or solar renewable generating facilities.
Power generation is capital intensive, so to provide revenue commitments required by lenders, Tri-States’ utility members have all entered into long-term contracts to buy the power produced by it. Mike reported that with the exception of a “5% local sources allowance,” LPEA currently is committed to buying from Tri-State all of the electricity needed to supply its members under a contract that extends to 2050.
However, Mike reported that LPEA has been considering the possibility of using other sources for supplying its members with power. A study committee recently concluded that doing so may be economically feasible, depending on the terms of essentially an exit fee that would need to be negotiated with Tri-State.
Mike discussed briefly also advances in technology that may help with the feasibility of turning to power generation alternatives. For example, he mentioned advances in compensating for weather variables like wind levels and sunshine volume by use in real time of computer algorithms to adjust production at renewable facilities, and shift between them. (Another area of recent advances not specifically mentioned by Mike, but reported in the news media, is the rapid improvement in battery electric storage capacity, which has begun to attract major utility company investments). These advances increase the efficiency of renewable generating capacity, and thus reduce its cost.
A technology of particular interest in Pagosa Springs, is biomass electric power generation, which would produce power from forest waste. Mike said that LPEA has considered the possibility of biomass production, and though no commitment has been made as yet to using it, he suggested it has interesting potential.
Rotary’s Dave Richardson was in attendance at the meeting, and offered more information from the audience. Biomass is championed by local businessman JR Ford, with whom Dave works. The idea would involve thinning local forests (something needed for fire risk mitigation), conversion of the wood waste to a gas, and then use of the gas to fire generating turbines. Burning the gas, Dave reported, would not produce carbon-dioxide, a major pollutant by-product of burning coal. And, use of local wood waste would reduce pollution in transportation.
Mike said that overall, LPEA has formulated an objective of reducing by 2030 its total carbon emissions into the atmosphere by 50%, while maintaining cost competitiveness of the power supplied to members. To achieve the objective, he said, LPEA wants to increase its use of renewable generating sources as much as possible. In addition, it anticipates using electric vehicles in its service fleet, and incentivizing customer use of electric vehicles by rebates to cover the cost of home charger installations.
What an amazing concert! If you missed this event, you missed a magical evening for sure! Mr. Morris was personable and charming on top of being such a talented singer and song writer. The crowd certainly responded very warmly to him as did he to the crowd.
Larry will give us a report at the meeting on Thursday, but ***Spoiler Alert*** the event was a big success.
Rena introduced her self as a member of “San Juan Back Country Horsemen” (BCHA). She stated that she started riding horses when she was 60 years old and that it was very difficult for her but now, she enjoys riding. She said that “what I really want to do is encourage and solicit active participation in the use of back country resources by stock users and the general public commensurate with our heritage”.
Rena showed the other purpose and philosophy of BCHA which is:
To perpetuate the common sense use and enjoyment of horses in America’s back country and wilderness.
To work to ensure that public lands remain open to recreational stock use.
To assist the various government, state and private agencies in their maintenance and management of said resources.
To foster and encourage the formation of new state organizations and BCHA.
She wanted to let us know what the Back-Country Horsemen do to maintain back country trails such as keep the trails cleared of fallen limbs and trees as well as other repairs to trails as needed. She mentioned that other groups such as the Forest Service, the Pagosa Area Trail Council, ATV groups also help clear the trails. She stated that they all are prohibited from using chain saws and other motorized equipment on the wilderness trails, so they must use hand tools. It took she and her husband 5 month to clear Leche Creek, Opal Creek and Fish Creek trails last year.
Rena then showed a slide show that included a fund raiser that netted $30000 last year with the help of many including several outfitters in the area. Many of these outfitters have also been helping clear the trails of yearly dead fall in the spring. There were images of huge logs across trails that were removed using axes, hand saws and the big two man crosscut saws. Many of these projects are above 10000 feet making them even more difficult. Crews are required to measure and document the trees removed from the trails. Sometimes crews spend several nights in the wilderness clearing trails and Back Country Horsemen carry food and other supplies to them. They interact with and set up trail heads for hunters in the fall. She showed pictures of Anderson trail, Little Sand trail and Archuleta trails that had been cleared.
Rena stated that they have about 85 members (25 does most of the work) that worked about 1800 hours last year to clear the trails. That involved clearing about 500 trees from 242 miles of trail with 177 miles in the wilderness. She then showed a slide of the number of trees cut by different trail clearing groups. The Pagosa Ranger District Backcountry crew cut 1768 trees from the trails, Ron Decker and Becca Smith cut 1700 trees themselves, Southwest Conservation Corp cut 545 trees and the San Juan Outdoor Club and others cut out 86 trees all for a total of 4599 trees cleared from the trails. She stated that there are approximately 9500 fallen trees on San Juan forest trails each year.
Rena’s presentation ended with a picture of a beautifully groomed horse’s rear and there was expected cheers, laughter and applause.
Invocation: Art Benzel: “Rotary starts with friendships. In Rotary there are no strangers only friends we have not yet met. The action plan is to shake the hand of somebody you have not met yet and we can go on with the meeting”.
Song: Sharon Crump “The Happy Wanderer”
Exchange student report: Kata stated that she has a soccer game today and tomorrow. She invited members to come and watch. She was asked what position that she plays, and she answered defense.
President Shellie introduced three very special people that participated in the Ice Melt contest. They were Al Myatt who was the second-place winner of $500 and club photographer for the event, Jere Hill the third-place winner of $250 who is a previous Pagosa Springs Rotary Club member for 25 years and past president, and Brent Bailey the grand prize winner of $1000.00. At this point the winners went up front for photos and a formal presentation of wins by Larry McClintock and Allen Roth. Brent Bailey stated that he was donating $200 of his winnings back to Rotary. President Shellie stated that this Ice Melt contest will be repeated next year. Total proceeds were about $3000.
Announcements: David Campbell made some comments about rotary membership. He encouraged everyone to always check-in upon entering the meeting so that you are not listed as absent on the weekly attendance report. If you attend a rotary meeting somewhere else be sure and give the attendance document to him. He also announced the mini-orientation meeting next week on April 24 for Julie Walters and Pat Tackett. Lastly, Dave stated that members who are on leave-of-absence still need to pay rotary dues.
Pat Day introduced her daughter Kathleen McFadden and Frank Estes for the third and last time as applicants for membership.
Joe Bridges announced the tragic accidental death of a long time Rotary supporter Monk Tarbel and the injury of his partner Carla Evans. Carla is being released from the hospital today but will be a Pine Ridge Nursing home for a while in recovery. A card was circulated for Carla.
Livia Lynch announced that the rotary Scholarship Committee met recently and reviewed 21 applicants. On May 2 winners will be announced. The Scholarship Foundation netted another $10000 donation recently making a total of about $37000 available for scholarship awards.
Shellie announced the second rotary meeting for Dr. Rhonda Webb as a corporate membership. Dr. Webb announced that there is a Business After Hours event next Wednesday at Pagosa Springs Medical Center.
Cindi Galabota announced that RYLA applications are due tomorrow and that ESL classes are starting at Ruby Sisson public library on May 1.
David Smith reported that he attended an International Service meeting last Saturday in Montrose. Discussions included global grants and the deep well project in Vienna, Austria that received a $3000 donation from our district. An email response was received from Vienna that they are willing to donate $3000 to a project supported by our district.
Georgette Baumgardner brought attention to the “big event” this Saturday which is the Gary Morris Concert. She solicited help with concessions. She expects that we will have a “big turn-out” for the concert. She encourages anyone who have not sold their tickets to turn them in so that they can be sold by others and at the door.
Kim Moore stated that she will be arriving at Pagosa High School at 5:15 pm Saturday to set up for concession sells and that she will need help. Those cooking brownies and cookies should have them there by 6:30 pm.
Lisa Scott announced that our club has been assigned an exchange student for next year. It’s a boy from Spain and his name is Jaime. He will be arriving June 16. He plays tennis, soccer and he skis. His Sister did a Rotary exchange last year in the US and his father is a Rotarian.
Lisa also announced a 4-H paper shredding day on May 8 from 4-6 pm. For $5 they will shred a whole box of paper.
Joe Bridges extended sincere gratitude to Georgette Baumgardner and her family for the Back Pack Program fund raiser. There was applause and cheers from the membership.
SUNSHINE AND FLOWERS: Betty Switzer made us aware that she was gone for three weeks and that she is back. She stated, “I bet you have some pinned up sunshine and flowers that you wanted to wait to share when I was here”.
Georgette’s sunshine was that “I think we are going to hit our goal for the Gary Morris concert.
Betty and Jeff sunshine was that “we are not in Arkansas”.
Bill Darling’s sunshine was that he is 1 year out from his stem cell transplant and doing so well that he will be getting a new series of immunizations soon to improve his immune status.
Diane Bower talked of her recent return from Hawaii with her husband and a friend couple. That friend wife has pancreatic cancer with a prognosis of about 3 months. The night before they were to fly back home, Diane’s husband got the stomach flu. He was seen at the emergency room and was admitted to the hospital overnight. They had a flight back home the next day which they made but he continued to have symptoms for several days but has improved.
Sharon Carter’s sunshine was for her niece that will be graduating from medical school this May with a GPA of 3.7.
ALL UNSOLD TICKETS AND TICKET MONEY MUST BE RETURNED TO SHARON CRUMP BY NO LATER THAN THURSDAY!!
This is a great opportunity! We have a renowned star willing to invest his time and talent for us! let's not let one ticket go unsold or one dollar that could support our Feed Our Children Program go un-raised!!
Doors open to the public at 6:00 the High School will be open for us at 4:00. If you can come a little early, there are always things that need done at the last minute. If you are bringing deserts for the concession stand, please be there with them no later than 6:00 pm or make arrangements with Kim.
Spring is sprung and the Lake Hatcher ice melted enough to drop the fifty-five gallon barrel, containing a clock, to the depths of the lake. This proved bad news for the clock but great news for three lucky people who won some serious money.
The contest was based on guessing the exact date, hour, minute and second that the ice would melt enough to drop the barrel in the water, thus stopping the clock. Winning $1,000 for the closest guess was Brent Bailey, second place, winning $500, was Al Myatt and third place went to Jere Hill, winning $250.
Sounds like an easy contest but there's more than meets the eye. Getting the barrel on the lake's two foot thick ice in early March was a bit of a chore, as there's always the chance of slipping and falling. Retrieving the barrel from the cold watery depths is another story.
The barrel initially dropped on April 10 but extreme winds delayed the recovery until April 11, around 2:00. Under the watchful eye of Chief Larson and Deputy Chief Karn Macht, a twenty foot Rescue Boat was launched with firemen Josh Montoya and Daniel Cabrera. Although tethered to the shore in case of an incident, two additional firemen, Jared Wirth and Lyle Hoffschneider were at the ready, if needed, as required in the two in, two out rescue method. This method proved the right choice for these highly trained firemen, as the barrel was swiftly and safely brought to shore.
These game wardens can be reached by calling the Archuleta County Sheriffs office or by calling 970-799-0843 for Doug and 970-799-0842 for Nate if you need to obtain information about wild life issues such as hunting, trespassing, bears, injured animals or other wild life related concerns.
Doug started with a discussion concerning bears. Usually bears appear between now and May 1st and we should be aware that trash cans should be put away now so that bears can’t get to them. There are some plastic trash cans with “bear proof” lids available but don’t rely on them because bears will “prove you wrong” as they jump up and down on them. Commercial dumpsters should be secured with metal lids secured at all four corners. Bears are quick to learn how to gain access to food so it’s best to keep the plastic trash cans inside the garage.
Black Bears as we have rarely attack people unless they are trying to gain access to food. Black bears come in various hair colors from black to brown to blonde. They are mostly black on the east coast and as you move west across the U.S. they become more shades of brown and it is unusual to see a true black color bear in our area. Black bears are more aggressive toward humans in Alaska and Canada because they don’t have much interaction with people and they treat humans as a bear or a territorial threat. Bears that roam our neighborhoods lose that natural fear of humans and may be more aggressive. One-and-a-half-year-old yearling bears who haven’t developed a natural fear of humans have a tendency to break-in to garages and homes looking for food.
Doug discussed the issues of resident wildlife. In Pagosa Springs area we have resident deer and Turkeys that are nice to see around but it is illegal to feed the deer (except for natural plant growth) because of disease concerns, migration concerns and when large numbers of deer congregate, it lures wildlife predators such as mountain lions to the area. He said that there are mountain lions in the area but we don’t want to increase their presence. It is not illegal to feed turkeys or to water any wild animal.
There is a problem of winter deer kill typically but it is greater when larger amounts of snow make it more difficult for deer to feed and migrate. The question was asked if deer always come back to the same area and the answer is yes. Studies have shown that deer migration is habitual. Elk have no pattern of migration but may stay in an area if the food supply is adequate. Hazing of nuisance deer is ok but don’t injure them like shooting with a BB gun.
The moose population is increasing gradually in the Weminuche area but efforts are being made to keep the population in check due to concerns of their susceptibility to disease.
Doug then talked about how best to protect your self when you encounter wild animals. The #1 thing is not to run. The mountain lion will chase you like it’s pry if you run. Mountain lions generally stay away from populated areas except at night between 10 pm and 4 am. That means that you probably won’t see them. Lion hunting is permitted to about 6 tags per year.
Bears in the wild are not generally a predator as it is usually looking for food. Let them know you are there and move away slowly is recommended.
The Ram sheep population has suffered due to exposure to farmed sheep and disease in their area of habitat. Lynx population is thought to be good as there is adequate habitat in the area but its hard to track them because they are a very skittish animal.
Lastly, Doug mention two seminars been held in Pagosa Springs: The Youth/Women Turkey Hunting Seminar being held this Friday 3-6 pm at John Paul II Catholic Church and the Cut Throat Trout Project public meeting on April 16 at 6:30 pm at Pagosa Springs Resort with the objective of reintroducing this native trout to the area.
Weekly Raffle was held and yours truly won a chance to pick the Ace of Spades but Lady luck was not with me!
Doug Purcell and Nate Martinez, District Wildlife Managers
Chosen from an African proverb: If you want to go fast go alone. If you want to go far go together. So, here’s to going far together.
Pledge of Allegiance: All
Song: Sharon Carter
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Visitors: Lisa Scott introduced Julie Walters as a proposed new member who is a certified and avid balloonist and a customer service manager at Scott Strategic Investments. She also introduced Pat Tackett as a proposed new member who is the human relations manager at TDK bank.
Art Benzel introduced Dr. Rhonda Webb the CEO of Pagosa Springs Medical Center as our club’s first proposed corporate membership. Dr Webb and her husband orthopedic surgeon Dr. Bill Webb moved to Pagosa Springs in 2014 from Louisiana and joined the medical Staff at Pagosa Springs Medical Center in 2015. She was chosen as CEO in 2017. She stated that they love being in Pagosa Springs and would like to get involved with our Rotary Club but acknowledges the difficulty of making meeting every week. So, as a cooperate membership she, Bill or the Chairman of the Board can attend meetings. Club members applauded her message and some stated “you are in”.
Announcements: President Shellie welcomed back members John Richardson after having spine surgery and Sue Walan after foot surgery. She also welcomed back David and Kriss Campbell, Sam Pittmon, and finally CiCi and Bruce Stuart.
Exchange Student Reports: Theo was excited to report that he played baseball with the varsity team in three games. They won the third game. He was proud to report that he did hit the ball, stole a base and caught as fly ball. He spent spring break skiing a Hesperus Ski Area and at Los Alamos ski area. He has four baseball games this weekend and hopes to play in all of them. He went to school prom last weekend. Cata reported that she spent her spring break in Hawaii and she got to meet several rotary exchange students from California. She had a surfing lesson and that was fun. They went on a catamaran boat trip in the ocean and went shopping. Upon return to Pagosa she also went to the school prom and had fun. On Tuesday she played in a soccer game that they won and she managed to get a yellow card which she admitted was due to her “being a tough player”.
Allan Roth gave an update on the barrel contest stating that “the barrel went down yesterday”. Now, we will have to wait until the fire department retrieves it to determine the exact time it went down. Larry McClintock reported that approximately $3000 was collected from the raffle which means that approximately $750 will go to our scholarship program.
Larry McClintock gave a preliminary estimate of $22000 being raised from Rotary sponsorships donors. This amount exceeds our goal of $20000.
Gary Morris Concert update: Sharon Crump estimates that ticket sales have garnered $6300 thus far. Shellie encourage all members to either sale tickets that they have or turn them in so that others can sale them. Kim Moore reported that there will be concession sales of brownies, chocolate chip cookies and Choke Cherry Caramels at the concert.
Shellie announced that there is a day long videography course on April 26 for anyone interested in learning for the benefit of our Rotary Club. She also reminded members of the 9 Health Fair to be held April 27, 2019 at Pagosa High School and that there is a need for additional volunteers to help with form control and form checks. Friday pre-draw will be at the Methodist Church at 7:30 am and she encourages that more people sign up because the lack of adequate participation may result in cancellation of the pre-draw for the 9 Health program. You can register online at 9healthfair.org.
There will be the 1st District Training conference this weekend at Montrose. You are encouraged to attend to learn more about Rotary.
Janelle Syverson solicited participation in the Geothermal Greenhouse water-themed Environmental Film Festival this Friday and Saturday.
David Smith gave an update on Wings the early child care facility that’s being constructed. He stated that it is progressing very well with hopes to open for business in September. He announced that our Rotary member CiCi Stuart has volunteered to help with that program.
The 40th Annual 9Health Fair is coming up! This is a community service project for this Club and the Mountain Rotary Club. Its the last Saturday in April, the 27th. Doors open at 7:00 am and the Fair runs until 11:00. There are many service available in addition to blood screenings. Hearing, spinal screening, blood pressure, and so many more! All of the screenings and health material are free of charge. The blood screenings are at a very reasonable cost as indicated below. A volunteer discount is also available. If you have not volunteered with us in the past and need more information, please contact me!
BLOOD CHEMISTRY | $35
• Provides information on your blood glucose, cholesterol, electrolytes, liver, kidneys, thyroid, and more • This screening can help you and your healthcare provider monitor and identify health issues such as diabetes and heart disease • Pair with Hemoglobin A1c for a complete diabetes screening
HEMOGLOBIN A1C | $35 • Measures your average blood sugar control for the past 2 to 3 months • Screens for diabetes/prediabetes, or used to follow existing diabetes treatment • Pair with Blood Chemistry for a complete diabetes screening
PROSTATE SPECIFIC ANTIGEN (PSA) | $35 • Measures a protein produced by the prostate gland • After discussion with your healthcare provider, this screening may be recommended for individuals age 69 or younger, or those with a family history of prostate cancer
BLOOD CELL COUNT | $25 • Measures white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets • Screens for your body's ability to fight infection, anemia, some clotting disorders and cancers
VITAMIN D | $50 • Provides baseline Vitamin D levels • Vitamin D is important for bone health and may affect other vital body functions • Pair with Blood Chemistry for information on your calcium levels, which play an important role in bone health
COLON CANCER SCREENING KIT | $30 • This take-home/mail-in kit checks for human blood in the stool • Screens for colon cancer and colon polyps, and may indicate hemorrhoids or colon inflammation
TESTOSTERONE, MALE | $45 • Testosterone levels fluctuate throughout the day. Levels are best represented when the screening is performed in the morning • Low testosterone levels in males can affect energy levels, mood and cognitive function, sexual desire, bone and muscle mass, and fat distribution • Low testosterone levels can be caused by many conditions. If out-of-range, seek further evaluation to screen for other underlying issues such as sleep apnea, depression, opiate and other drug use, liver disease, diabetes, thyroid disorders and others.
VITAMIN B12 | $25 • Provides baseline Vitamin B12 levels • Plays a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and the formation of red blood cells • Vitamin B12 deficiency may be a cause of anemia, numbness and other sensory issues, memory and mood impairment
HIGH SENSITIVITY C-REACTIVE PROTEIN | $35 • Can help measure your risk of developing cardiovascular disease along with risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, family history and obesity. Pair with Blood Chemistry and Hemoglobin A1c. • hsCRP measures the amount of inflamation in your body which is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. • This screening is NOT recommended if you have recently had surgery, injury, illness or infection.
BLOOD TYPE | $30 • Blood test to show what type of blood you have. There are four different blood types • Blood typing is not a medical need, but it will be checked if you get a blood transfusion or donate blood.
Jennie Green, self-described data geek, director of the Town/County Tourism Board, and globe-trotting Pagosa promoter, began by commenting on our lingering winter, and by displaying a snapshot of the welcome sign east of Town, altered recently to boast of the “World’s Deepest Pot Holes,” instead of hot springs. So, we know for sure Jennie is well-suited for her job: she has the gift of all true promoters of ability to make the best of things.
Local tourism is growing, Jennie said, resorting to data on lodging tax collections to back-up her report, which have grown here 110% in ten years. For partial comparison, she provided recent revenue figures for other regional communities: in the last 5 years, lodging tax collections in Durango, Ouray and Cortez have grown between 25% and 27%. Consistent with the growth in the lodging tax, Jennie reported that foot traffic in the Pagosa Springs Visitor Center, downtown, has doubled in that period, reaching a total of 84,000 persons through the entrance last year.
Jennie discussed some of the current promotional efforts to build local tourism. Pagosa, plus Chaffee County, Steamboat Springs, Glenwood Springs, and Ouray, together promote the Hot Springs Loop, a route linking several hot springs enjoyed by visitors to their Colorado mountain communities, as well as others. And the Colorado Tourism office includes our area in the southwest region of the state it promotes in a brochure entitled “Mountains and Mesas.”
The state published brochure is of note especially in that it is printed in German as well as English. Germans typically have six-week annual vacations, Jennie noted, and travel extensively. There are no fewer than 35 tour operators that book tours to the Rocky Mountains operating in Germany, she said.
Hot springs are only one of the local attractions, of course, but the Tourism Board is always looking for promotional ideas. One described by Jennie is the Bike Planter Scavenger Hunt, utilizing the bicycle sculptures located at businesses around town, which are intended as both planters for flowers, and sites of clues in the scavenger hunt. Armed with a map indicating the general location of the businesses exhibiting the sculptures, contestants fill out game-cards with letters found on a tag affixed to each bike-planter, and are eligible to win a prize at the Visitors’ Center upon completion.
Recommendations recently made by a consultant of means further to enhance Pagosa as a tourist destination are currently under consideration by the Town and County. Recommendations include new lodging and meeting space. Jennie also plans to improve wayfinding signage in the community, and to build greater focus into data collection to help more specifically identify promotional opportunities.
There will be a local Tourism Conference in Town at the Community Center, South Conference Room from 9 am to 5 pm on April 17. All are welcome to participate, Jennie said.
Jennie was accompanied to the presentation by Pam Hotchkiss, a Visitor Center staffer. Pam solicited Rotarians to become volunteers to help greet visitors. She related that currently 20 or so volunteers help staff the Center during the summer, for four hours (or more) each per month. More volunteers are needed. Pam indicated rewards for volunteers include the satisfaction of helping visitors enjoy their local stay, plus enjoyable staff parties.
The Rotary Foundation reaches mothers and children in need by giving communities the help and training they need to take control of their own maternal and infant health care.
Rotary makes amazing things happen, like:
Mobile prenatal clinics
Haiti has the highest maternal and infant mortality rate of any country in the western hemisphere. Rotary provided a fully equipped medical Jeep to volunteers and midwives to reach mothers and children in remote areas.
Cancer screening
Rotarians provided a mobile cancer screening unit and awareness trainings around Chennai, India, where there is a high mortality rate of women with breast and cervical cancer due to late diagnosis.
Preventing injuries and deaths
Rotary members launched a $3 million, five-year pilot to save lives of mothers and children during home deliveries in Nigeria. Since 2005, they’ve also repaired 1,500 obstetric fistulas — 500 more than their initial goal — restoring dignity and hope to vulnerable mothers.
The meeting began with an invocation by Cindy Galabota, that your late (i.e., tardy) scribe missed. Sorry Cindy – I’m sure your efforts were thoughtful and interesting, but time is inelastic. (Actually, I believe Einstein’s theory of relativity may suggest time is not as finite as my excuse assumes, but that involves numbers to the power of whatever, and is way out of my league.)
When your scribe entered the meeting, club members were rejoicing in a new and different version of “You Are My Sunshine,” that might have done honor to e.e. cummings. Or maybe everyone just collectively lost track of the lyric, a common experience that may explain the popularity of Karaoke night at Coyote Moon.
Next up: visitors. Among several guests was returning visitor Frank Wylie, of the Sun Lakes, Arizona Rotary Club, who travels with a rollicking sense of humor. Frank told the story of a father trying to share a little conviviality in honor of St. Patrick’s Day with his son. At the Dad’s suggestion, they tried a round of Guinness, but when it proved not to be to the son’s taste, the father quaffed both glasses. Then he tried Harp’s, with the same result, followed by Jameson’s Irish Whiskey and subsequently Redhead, which Frank described as the finest of Irish Whiskeys, but all to no avail, and the father was compelled to drink it all. By that point, Frank observed, the Dad had gotten rather tipsy, and abandoned the celebration. The poor man, he said, could barely push his son’s stroller home.
Other visitors were identified by Pat Love and Lisa Scott as potential members. Pat’s guests were Frank Estes and daughter Kathleen McFadden. Lisa's guests were Pat Tackett from TBK Bank and Julie from Scott Strategic Investments.
An update from Georgette Baumgardner on ticket sales for the April 20 Gary Morris concert at the High School followed. Georgette reported she had sold 22 tickets, and counseled the laggards among us to redouble our efforts to peddle tics by emphasizing the good cause the concert will support, Rotary’s backpack program.
Lassie Olin doubled-down on Georgette’s suggestion, by recommending astonishment in the face of reluctance to buy, such as (e.g., to a Humane Society donor), “What? You support animals, but not kids???” Lassie said she had sold 32 tickets, so apparently her passionate approach works well at overcoming sales resistance.
Georgette reminded all that Sharon Crump will make additional concert tickets available to those whose success selling tickets outstrips their supply.
President Shellie Peterson then reminded us of the Ice Melt Contest deadline, midnight April 8. When the barrel takes the plunge, Shellie said, it will be retrieved from the icy depths to determine the critical time with an exciting flourish, in the form of a “cold-water rescue” by the Pagosa Fire Protection District and the County’s Search and Rescue Team.
Shellie then turned to the Fourth of July Parade, which despite our lingering snow drifts (and ice) is just three months, a mere 91 days, off.
Shellie noted that last year our troops in the figurative line of fire along the Parade route were spread too thin to maintain good order, a potential health and safety issue, as well as generally a hindrance to public enjoyment of the event. So she is asking for commitments by Rotarians to help as Parade marshals along the route early this year, hoping to ensure potential recruits will not be on vacation or otherwise engaged when needed, and that Rotary will not find itself ultimately embarrassed by a forced confession to the Town of inability to continue a quarter-century old tradition of Parade sponsorship. A sign-up sheet was circulated: many volunteered, but more are needed, so strike-up the band, and join the Parade!
(Your scribe begs the reader’s indulgence to add a personal note. The Parade is amazing: It is America, it is Pagosa, it is us, it is a joy. Participation is “Casey at the Bat,” but hitting the homer.)
Cindi Galabota then reminded all of the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA). Nominations for participation in the summer camp as part of the RYLA program are due April 19, she said.
We had no Betty Switzer, but Lisa Scott presided over a brief Sunshine/Showers. Codie Wilson reported that her granddaughter Devin Wilson had been named girls basketball Player of the Year in the Intermountain League, and second-team all state. And Neal Johnson reported that he would be teaching for a development program in Brazil this spring, but was glad to be able to report he would be spending this summer in Pagosa.
Gary Morris will be in concert on April 20th at 7:00 pm at the Pagosa Springs High School Auditorium. Doors will open at 6:00 pm. Mr. Morris has a heart for many charitable activities and one of them is our Feed Our Children Backpack Program. Pagosa Springs is not a community that readily accepts the notion that any of our children should go hungry. This program is in its eighth year of providing food for third and fourth graders to assist families who are struggling. In addition to supporting a good cause, this concert will be an opportunity to see a multi-talented, world renown singer who has captivated audiences from Nashville to Broadway to a command performance for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. His recording career garnered five No. 1 and 16 top 10 singles, including “Why Lady Why,’ “The Love She Found in Me” and “Baby Bye Bye.” Please consider joining us on April 20th for this special event! Call or email me if you would like to reserve tickets at the pre-event price of $45 and we will have them for you at the door.
Feral cats are everywhere. Carol Blechschmidt, of downtown Pagosa Springs near Yamagucci Park, loves them all. But Carol agrees with John Locke: life is nasty, brutish and short (certainly, at least, for a feral cat). To show her love, therefore, she avidly traps them, neuters them (courtesy of a veterinarian), and (when recovered) releases them.
Trap, Neuter and Release is the name for a plan to reduce the population of feral and stray, homeless cats without resorting to euthanasia, conceived in Great Britain in the 1970s, Carol says. The program has proven to be not only more humane than the alternative, but also less expensive, she adds. Locally, the Pagosa Springs Humane Society is a supporter. It supplied a trap to Carol to get her started on the progarm, and provides vouchers for the needed veterinarians’ services.
Carol described some of her experiences, including trapping (to date) 12 cats as well as six skunks (which seemingly regard the cat food bait as a delicacy). Skunks are not really a part of the program, so Carol releases them (with great care and trepidation, but so far, without mishap). But the cats get appointments with the veterinarian, for the neutering as well as a standard round of shots.
Carol described feelings of strong affection for at least some of the cats she has trapped. But despite the loving care she provides, they remain very cautious of humans. Based on her stories, it appears that even cats who may be willing over an extended period to take the food she puts out and to use the shelter she provides, will never let her get close to them. (Of their wariness, Locke might say, I told you so!)
Her goal in describing her experiences with the program, Carol explained, is to encourage others to participate too.
We began with an invocation offered by Warren Brown entitled “Song of March,” a poetic variation on the theme, in like a lion, out like a lamb – referencing among other characteristics of this month of contrasts, daffodils, clearing skies, and “the whistling song” (presumably, winter gusting back into the mountains with phalanxes of clouds stubbornly to obscure traces of spring).
Sue Walen then led singing of “America the Beautiful.”
Meeting guests were introduced, including Kenny Rogers of morning Rotary, who reported the local club’s Puerto Rican project for installation of solar panels on a school was under construction.
Rotarians from clubs in Evergreen and Salida, Colorado were also present. From Evergreen, we learned that there has been an annual ice-melt contest there for 15 years, and received encouragement on our infant contest. From Salida, we received advance invitations to the 2019 District Conference, scheduled for October 11-13 at Mt. Princeton, near Salida.
Alan Roth followed up by reporting that the ice at the Hatcher Lake site of the local ice-melt contest was still a foot thick. More “bets” on the time of the ice “break through” are being taken, so Alan encouraged all who set their sights too early, or are finally coming to life following winter hibernation, to “take the plunge” and get into the action while also helping the Scholarship Fund.
Larry McClintock then looked up from his calculator to announce that the 2019 Rotary event sponsorship tally stands at $19,350. There is some time remaining, Larry said, so he is hopeful of passing the $20,000 mark.
President Shellie Peterson then reminded all of the Gary Morris Concert to be held at Pagosa Springs High School, Saturday evening April 20, and asked for more efforts by members to sell tickets to friends, neighbors, and music fans everywhere. “Everybody needs to work on sales,” Shellie cajoled.
In addition, Shellie reported that the Casino Night event will be delayed from May to June 21, 2019, explaining that even Rotarians need to catch their breath, so the earlier date formerly set for the gala occasion seemed to come much too close to the concert.
Helen Richardson reported that John was recovering well from his spinal fusion surgery, and was half-way through the expected 6 week convalescence.
Jo Bridges circulated a sign-up sheet for the next three weeks of the Feed Our Children Project.
We will be closing the Hatcher Ice Melt Contest!! Your guesses have to be in by then! This barrel is going down! When it gets rescued, by the PFPD and EMT's it will be coming to shore in a much larger boat! Last chance to win $1,000 for the closest guess of when the clocks will hit the water! $500 for the second closest and $250 for the third.
At least 7 million children under the age of five die each year due to malnutrition, poor health care, and inadequate sanitation. To help reduce this rate, Rotary International provide immunizations and antibiotics to babies, improve access to essential medical services, and support trained health care providers for mothers and their children. Their projects ensure sustainability by empowering the local community to take ownership of health care training programs.
As it just so happens, April is the month that Gary Morris has generously donated his time and talent to support the clubs' efforts to help feed Pagosa Springs' hungry children over the weekend. A child that has not had enough to eat over the weekend can not show up for school on Monday rested and ready to learn!
Let's make the most of this opportunity to assure the continued financial strength of this program! Go SELL YOUR TICKETS! Bring your envelopes to the meeting!
That barrel is going DOWN!!! Soon, how soon, I wish I knew! We are looking forward to that magic day when it plunges through the ice though! You have until one second before that happens to continue to make guesses. Proceeds from this fun contest will support our graduating seniors with their college or vo-tech education.
Guesses can be made at the Chamber of Commerce and the Choke Cherry Tree. Also online at pagosaspringsrotary.org or plpoa.com. You can also click this link https://form.jotform.com/90245466595163
Cata got us started with a beautiful invocation in Spanish. I have always loved the sound of the Spanish language although personally, I could not speak or understand a single word. She briefly interpreted that the words were about learning to love ourselves and to take care of each other. A little later in the meeting Cindi Galabota passed around a clip board for folks to sign up to inspire us with their own invocations! If you missed the clip board, give Cindi a call and she can put you on that list.
Cindi also shared that the RYLA committee has met, made updates to the application forms, and is ready to get them distributed to the High School . The event will be held in Glenwood Springs, Colorado Mountain College June 21 - 24. Application forms are due to be returned to Cindi by April 19 and the interviews will take place the week of the 22nd. Encourage that special student that you know to apply for this great opportunity! Also, transportation is needed for one leg of this journey. If three students are selected it will require a larger vehicle. Please get in touch with Cindi if this is something you would like to experience.
The Hatcher Ice Melt contest has been extended! Please get the word out that folks have UNTIL THE BARREL FALLS to continue to make guesses about that exact month, day, hour and second. Just think, as the time goes nearer, your chances to win get better and better! But, don't wait too long!
Tickets and posters were made available for the Gary Morris Concert on April 20, 2019. Gary will do an interview with KWUF at 8:00 am on April 8th, so check in to listen to that. Also, we will have the cover of the Preview on April 18th. In the meantime, lets get selling those tickets! It would be just wonderful if we can fill that auditorium.
The Casino Night planning continues to move forward. Don't forget to put that date down as well for May 17th! We will most likely need to recruit more dealers so keep that in mind as you attend various functions and be making a list.
David Richardson gave us an update on brother John. Other than the annoyance of having to wear a large uncomfortable neck brace, John and Helen are doing well with the recovery from his surgery.
Then Betty took over to celebrate our birthdays for the month of March. Georgette, Allen, Sue and Jeff were all called to the front of the room to don their birthday hats. Jeff had a terrible time making his work.
Carmen Hubb introduced herself and her presenters from Youth Rise, Sarah Ross and Elisa Hubb. Cheryl Bowdridge directs Youth Rise and she was there to cheer the girls on. The purpose of the program is to improve the lives of youth in our community by teaching healthy beliefs and behaviors and setting them up for positive social norms regarding relationship violence while striving for a violence free Pagosa. This is the second year of this class being offered as an elective in the High School and was conceived to stop violent behaviors from being developed at an early age. Programs such as internet safety, bullying, healthy relationships and sexual harassment are offered throughout the year. There are also special events such as the Denim Day Marchon April 24th at noon at the downtown Bell Tower, The Push Up Challenge on April 26th at Crossfit and the Pagosa Duathlon on July 13th.
Rise Above Violence was re-branded from the previously know Archuleta County Victims Assistance program in 2006. Whenever any person is involved in a violent crime there can be a number of other systems that get involved including the Civil Court system, protective custody, short and long-term housing, serious financial implications can be involved as well as dealing with the trauma. A grant-funded Advocate assists victims with managing all these issues as well as hearing appearances. Rise Above Violence has a 24 hour hotline in Pagosa but no alternative housing solutions here locally other than short-term motel stays. There is a shelter in Durango.
Another function of RISE is to assist with training for law enforcement officers and emergency responders so that they can recognize signs of abuse and know how to respond to it.
Thank you for volunteering at last year’s 9Health Fair in Pagosa Springs. Priscilla Roberts or I will be contacting you at some point in the next couple of weeks to see if you can help again this year! Priscilla is handling the majority of scheduling volunteers this year and I am so happy to have her on our team! We will be in close contact so if it’s easier for you to reply to this email to let us know your availability, that will be fine too.
The Pagosa Springs Fair will be on April 27, 2019! Save the date! That’s the last Saturday of April.
In the meantime – Please know that we appreciate your volunteering and read on for some exciting information! The Pagosa Springs Fair will utilize on-line registration again this year and it is open now! If you have any questions, Please email me or call Shellie Peterson 507-0500.
To recognize and thank you for your volunteerism, you,AND YOUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY may receive 20% off any & all blood work and colorectal kits that 9Health Fair offers. This 20% is more important than ever and is our way of saying thank you for your volunteerism so that you can own your health!
To receive your 20% off, please read this information carefully and follow these steps. Your coupon code is: ThankYouVol19 (this code is NOT case sensitive)
OWN YOUR HEALTH with YOUR 20% DISCOUNT
20% off any & all blood work and colorectal kits as offered by 9Health Fair – For you & your immediate family
You should register online as a participant at 9healthfair.org to get this 20% discount.
ü Participant registration closes at 12 noon the day before the fair date. Most of you already are familiar to registering online, but here are the details again:
Pagosa Springs High School appears – select Register Online
Here is where you would enter your existing Log In information or create your username and password and follow the prompts to register and complete the process
When you get to the Payment Summary page enter your Discount Code
ü For Volunteers
How to Get your Coupon Code:
Your coupon code is: ThankYouVol19
It is more important than EVER to participate in the Volunteer Pre-Draw. Unless we can achieve a minimum participation in the Pre-Draw we may lose this important advantage! Having your blood drawn on Friday enables you to focus on providing your volunteer efforts toward the participants on the day of the Fair
This will be held on Friday, April 26th at the Methodist Church from 7:30 to 9:00 am. Register for the 9HealthFair of your choice by going to www.9healthfair.orgby 12:00 Noon on April 25th
Enter the Coupon Code and hit ‘apply’ and you will see your discount!
Call us if you need help: 303.698.4455
WHO gets 20% off? Anyone who has given 1 hour or more of time as a volunteer in any capacity to 9Health Fair in 2017, 2018 or 2019. This includes any type of volunteering that benefits 9Health Fair including preparations for a fair, serving at a fair, errands or tasks behind the scenes, setup/clean up, after the fair tasks, calls, emails, etc. If you have volunteered in any capacity for a 9Health Fair, you get 20% off! This discount has now been extended to your ENTIRE IMMEDIATE FAMILY!
By participating in a 9Health Fair, you’re helping in 3 ways:
Owning your health!
Helping us help more people own their health! The more people who participate in our fairs, the more people we can help with vouchers and supportive services!
Recognizing the importance of our wonderful volunteers- YOU!
Please let me know if you have questions or feel free to reply to this email to let me know if you are available to volunteer for this year’s fair!
John Moore was our speaker last week and we learned a great deal about Scouting in Pagosa Springs! Starting in 2018, families can choose Cub Scouts for their sons AND daughters. Most likely the main driver of this change was that families want programs like the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts for their daughters. For the children age five to 10, the Scout pack could be made up of all boys, all girls or both boys and girls. For ages eleven to seventeen it would be a all boy or all girl troop.
The Scouts BSA Pack and Scouts Troop are chartered by the United Methodist Church. In addition, the Venturing Crew 612 has been chartered by St. Patrick's Episcopal Church. The Venturing Crews decide their own area of focus but most are high adventure units.
I graduated as an Urban Water and Sanitation Engineer, specializing in Sanitary Engineering in 2017. My studies provided me exposure to our global culture, and a head start towards understanding the global water and sanitation challenge. Understanding the land, food, energy, climate, health, jobs and water nexus as an essential link for communities to thrive gave me the inspiration to pursue my career. As Leonardo da Vinci stated, “when you put your hand in a flowing stream, you touch the last that has gone and the first of what is to come”; it is a fulfilling career to be at the heart of engineering water and sanitation solutions that leave lasting impacts on communities.
Now a member of the Rotary Club of Bugolobi in Uganda, I am glad to contribute to all of Rotary’s areas of focus in my little ways as a water professional. I often describe myself as a water steward, where I always put The Four-Way Test to practice in my work. As a water steward, I often fight against unequal access to water and help ensure security of this vital resource. Through my service in Kampala, I work with communities to ensure that all primary stakeholders have their needs met in securing water.
The city of Kampala has undergone a period of rapid urbanization, population growth and industrialization in the last 20 years. However, 40% of its residents live in informal settlements lacking basic water, drainage, sewage or solid waste collection services, whilst the benefits of the manufacturing industry are offset by the pollution it creates. Undoubtedly, the scale and complexity of emerging challenges related to water and sanitation means that individual actions, despite those actions being important, are limited in their effectiveness. This is why it’s important to involve companies that work in the water sector on projects to ensure a broader impact.
For example, I’ve been working with stakeholders in the water sector to help them better understand their role in water resource management and that their partnerships with humanitarian efforts offer a practical approach to understanding shared water risks and providing joint solutions. Industries have begun to realize that dealing with water security beyond the confines of their fences enables them to achieve better productivity and sustain markets. The public sector has stepped up to enable equitable distribution of water and sanitation services across the city regardless of social-economic clustering.
My work also focuses on various critical challenges in securing water in Kampala as a baseline towards achieving water related Sustainable Development Goals. Differentiating physical/infrastructure related factors from non-physical factors helps me prepare comprehensive plans for water and sanitation services to communities. Working in tandem, the cultural, governance, policy/legal framework and capacities of all stakeholders should be considered to enable an effectively managed and secure water and sanitation sector in a city.
I am grateful for the education I received and the ability to use my skills to help communities in need.
John Shepard started us out with a lovely Irish story with a blessing in honor of the upcoming St. Patrick's Day.
There were lots of announcements and reminders last week with such a busy couple of months before us! The meeting got started with pictures on the screen of the brave Rotarians and the PLPOA staff who ventured out onto the ice with the Hatcher Ice Melt Contest Barrel! The Pagosa Fire Protection District came after the fact but none the less I am sure they could have rescued us had the need arose.
We really need to focus on selling these Ice Melt guesses!! Betty Switzer made a really profound comment about this being a very reasonable investment in our efforts for our high school scholarship program and that we really should have 100% participation by every Rotarian! Here is that link again https://form.jotform.com/90245466595163
Our next opportunity to sell these tickets will be at the Business After Hours at the Choke Cherry Tree on Wednesday evening! Georgette and I will be in the lobby with tables but other could be walking around the crowd talking and selling tickets! Larry will be there with the square so we should be able to do credit cards as well. Please come out and support this effort as well as Jenelle's business!
Shellie reported that John Richardson's surgery went well and that he and Helen were doing OK and recovering.
Everyone please make that one last big effort to go see sponsors that have supported us in the past and not yet responded with a check and form for this year. The sponsors from last year are right here on the bulletin and they have been on the web site all year too. The sponsors who have committed their support so far are:
Ears 2 You - $3,000
Morehart Murphy - $500
Durango Dermatology - $500
Exit Realty - 1,000
Mike Vanover - $1,000
Farmers Insurance - $500
LaPlata Electric - 1,000
Village Interiors - $300
Scott Strategic Investment - $500
1st Southwest Bank - $500
San Juan Veterinary - $300
John Zissman - $300
Colorado Title Services - $500
Colorado Dream Homes - $500
Jack & Katy Threet - $3,000
Sunetha Management - $500 (check in the mail)
Georgette Baumgardner had just picked up the posters for the Gary Morris Concert coming up on April 20th. Four volunteers have come forward to get these eye-catching posters out and visible in town so we can get a good start on those tickets! This has the potential to be a big fundraiser for Feed Our Children.
We were happy to have CiCi and Bruce Stuart back among us! Welcome home!
We certainly all had a good time 'rolling out the barrel', or pulling it actually. The clocks are all ticking away! Get your guesses in soon and often as the weather is certainly unpredictable this time of year! You don't want to hear that the barrel fell through the ice and you had not gotten your guesses in yet!
Rotarians were joined by members of the PLPOA staff and our photographer, Al Myatt early that morning for the event. The Pagosa Fire Protection District men with equipment were there as well and they will be an important role when the barrel has to be 'rescued' and retrieved from the icy water.
Clean water, sanitation, and hygiene education are basic necessities for a healthy environment and a productive life.
When people have access to clean water and sanitation, waterborne diseases decrease, children stay healthier and attend school more regularly, and mothers can spend less time carrying water and more time helping their families.
In rural Ghana, Rotary members supply clean water and sanitation facilities to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
Clean water is a basic need for human beings. When people, especially children, have access to clean water, they live healthier and more productive lives. However, at least 3,000 children die each day from diseases caused by unsafe water, which is what motivates our members to build wells, install rainwater harvesting systems, and teach community members how to maintain new infrastructure.
While very few people die of thirst, millions die from preventable waterborne diseases, providing the impetus for our members to also improve sanitation facilities in undeveloped countries. Members start by providing toilets and latrines that flush into a sewer or safe enclosure and then add education programs to promote hand-washing and other good hygiene habits.
Nick Tallent, Kim Moore and Sam Conti look like they were having way to much fun in Denver earlier this month! Nick and Sam attended President Elect Training or PETS and Kim Moore attended Assistant Governor Training.
Both the Mountain and Noon Rotary Clubs were represented last Thursday cooking and serving for Loaves & Fishes. The Clubs participate with other non-profit service organizations to provide the man-power to bring this free community meal together each Thursday. Even our Rotary Youth Exchange students were in on the action last week as Theo and Cata learn and practice service above self.
Rotary Serves the Community at Loaves & Fishes
Clean water and sanitation is a human right, but not everyone is afforded that right. Rotary members are providing communities with sustainable access to safe water, improved sanitation, hygiene management training. When people, especially children, have access to clean water, improved sanitation facilitates, and better hygiene habits, they lead
healthier and more successful lives.
During March, Rotary Water and Sanitation Month, we encourage members to work towards Rotary’s goal of providing everyone with safe water, sanitation, and hygiene by 2030. Here are just a few examples of club service projects that are working towards that goal:
In Nepal, the Rotary Club of Durbarmarg collaborated with their twin club and the Rotaract Clubs of Phulbari and Eco-Himal Nepal, to provide access to safe drinking water for students at a government school. Students were drinking visibly contaminated, untreated water directly from the water source. Rotary members installed 14 low-cost colloidal silver-enhanced ceramic water filters with strong filtration systems. These filters were manufactured locally, and are a traditional practice in availing safe drinking water to those lacking access.
Ronnie Maez, Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners, was our speaker last week. Mr. Maez indicated that the Commissioners had reached the decision to utilize a financing instrument known as Certificates of Participation to provide the means to construct a jail facility on property donated by the Harman family in Harman Park.
Mr. Maez went on to report that currently the County is spending between $800,000 to $850,000 to house inmates and those awaiting trial in the La Plata County jail facility. A Sales Tax Increase was voted down by the people in November so there will be no new funds to pay for the project, Mr. Maez indicated that it would have to be paid for by cutting other services. He suggested that after a period of time, it may be possible to go back to the voters, perhaps in harmony with the Town, to ask for an increase in Sales Taxes to provide funding. He also added that currently the County is spending about $30,00 to rent space for the Health and Human Services Department from the Town of Pagosa Springs and the town has already indicated that they will need that space in the not to distant future. Which presents an additional challenge as well as additional space needed by the Treasurer, Clerk and Assessor.
We began with an invocation offered by Betty Switzer dealing with gratitude, defined as feeling thankful, appreciating good, and returning kindnesses. Take a few minutes every day to reflect on those things inspiring your thankfulness, Betty suggested, to help stay on the “right path” and enjoy the blessings around us.
After Betty brought us together with inspiring thoughts, Sue Walen immediately undertook to divide us – but only temporarily for the singing of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” in a three-part round. Dave Cammack proclaimed that his side of the room had kicked butt, boasting (following the current style of ignoring the evidence) of the stellar quality of its singing. Your reporter can verify, however, that Dave could be heard to provide considerable effort so far as volume.
Cutting Dave off in mid-spout, President Shellie Peterson then announced, “Here come the clipboards,” beginning circulation of “effort sheets,” for recording time devoted by members to supporting Rotary with muscle, sweat, brain-power, patience, inspiration or whatever (perhaps even volume) where needed to help provide substance to its mission.
While the clipboards started their journey around the room, Shellie looked to welcome guests. Two, introduced as Murph and Fluffy, had accompanied Betty to the meeting: stuffed puppies gifted to Betty at Christmas, so she could practice “having a real dog.” Betty pointed out she had proven her mettle as a future dog owner, demonstrating Murph’s well-coordinated, battery-powered ability to walk and wag his tail simultaneously.
Cindy Galabota next reminded all of the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) program, which supports deserving high school students with a week of camp in June. Cindy said she and Helen Richardson have succeeded to Roberta Tolan in overseeing RYLA in Pagosa. Applications need to be submitted in March, Cindy said, and asked Rotarians to encourage promising students to apply.
Jenelle Syverson then invited all to attend Business After Hours to be hosted by Choke Cherry Tree on March 20. Chile (both red and green), will be served at the Chamber of Commerce organized event, she advised.
Applications for part-time employment by persons experienced in teaching English as a second language were then solicited by Meg Wempe, who explained that the Library was taking over local management of the useful program.
Kim Moore then renewed her encouragement for Rotarians to recruit 2019 event sponsors, with the new concept in place this year of annual sponsorships supporting all four major Rotary fund-raisers, which will include the currently ongoing Ice Melt contest (with the trend in the weather, I’m plunging bigtime for June), Casino Night in May, a concert (on a date currently unknown), and the Barn Dance, to be held (it can now be publicly reported here for the very the first time in a triumphant scoop) on October 19. What potential sponsor could resist? Fame and glory for a year! Just a step removed from immortality!
Following Kim’s reminder to seek sponsorships, details on Casino Night were supplied by Art Benzel. The gala event will be held May 17 at the PLPOA clubhouse from 7-10 pm, he said, emphasizing that is a changed date. Games of skill will be contested (blackjack, craps, and Texas Hold-‘Em), and there will be graceful (or otherwise) dancing to the sweet tunes of a combo.
John Richardson announced that the Rotary Scholarship Fund had been gifted $5000 by an anonymous donor, whom he described as a frequent local visitor, but non-resident. Cody Wilson added that the fund is organized as a 501(c)(3), so donations are tax deductible.
Garrulous Exchange Student Theo Bonlokke reported that the prior Saturday had been the final wrestling tournament of the year, and that on Sunday he had been snowboarding (most likely, one guesses, not for the last time of the year in view of our ongoing blizzard-like conditions). Increasingly garrulous Exchange Student Cata Acuilera then took the stage to report having attended Winterfest and done some cross-country skiing.
Betty Switzer then presided in the celebration of February birthdays for Shellie, Helen and Carrie Weiss (absent, for the Weiss’ annual RV expedition). Alan Roth and wife Eileen were honored for their 34th anniversary. And Granton Bartz’s 14th anniversary as a Rotarian was noted as well.
Sunshines were offered by Kim in honor of husband Walt’s birthday and her son’s impending parenthood, by Jann Pitcher for the success of Lady Pirates basketball, and Bill Darling for a recent clear scan – one more clear scan in three more months, said Bill, will indicate he should be free of cancer hereafter.
A District Assembly is conducted to enhance the learning experience delivered at PETS. All club Presidents Elect and Presidents Elect Nominee are strongly encouraged to attend one of the District Assemblies most convenient for them. The material presented at the assembly will not be a repeat of what you were given at PETS and is not position specific but will cover topics that will help with better club management. Any club member and especially future club leaders will benefit by attending an assembly.
For the Club President Elect we are offering a club incentive "Fill Your Car", for the club PE the cost of the assembly will be $40 which includes lunch and for each additional person only the cost of lunch $15. Each assembly will start at 9:00 am and end at 4:00 pm.
The Montrose District Assembly will be held at the Holiday Inn Express 1391 S. Townsend Ave.
The Salida District Assembly will be held at the Rotary Scout Hut in Riverside Park.
Ralph opened his presentations with an explanation of what had brought him to take on the mission of the organization, Who We Play For, dedicated to providing cardiac screening to students by administering electro-cardio grams (EKG).
Briefly, Ralph’s son, a gifted athlete, stricken by an undisclosed cardiac defect, collapsed on a Florida high school playing field in 2007 when only a sophomore, and died days later. Three years afterward, Ralph explained, while several of his son’s buddies were students at Florida State University, they formed a foundation in his memory, Play for Rafe.
The group was dedicated to ensuring that school playing fields in the state would be equipped with Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs). In addition, it lobbied successfully to win passage in 2017 of a Florida law requiring high schools to offer CPR classes. Today, Ralph said, his son’s former high school has a trainer with an AED present at all times playing fields are in use.
A District Assembly is conducted to enhance the learning experience delivered at PETS. All club Presidents Elect and Presidents Elect Nominee are strongly encouraged to attend one of the District Assemblies most convenient for them. The material presented at the assembly will not be a repeat of what you were given at PETS and is not position specific but will cover topics that will help with better club management. Any club member and especially future club leaders will benefit by attending an assembly.
For you as Club President Elect we are offering a club incentive "Fill Your Car", for the club PE the cost of the assembly will be $40 which includes lunch and for each additional person only the cost of lunch $15. Each assembly will start at 9:00 am and end at 4:00 pm.
The Montrose District Assembly will be held at the Holiday Inn Express 1391 S. Townsend Ave.
The Salida District Assembly will be held at the Rotary Scout Hut in Riverside Park.
“All day I’ve faced,” the song goes, “the barren waste, without the taste of water, cool water. Old Dan and I with throats burned dry, and souls that cry for water, cool, clear water.” This more or less describes the future of not only Dan and Bob Nolan (the song writer; Dan was a mule), but of much of the southwest, as well, indicated former Water Commissioner Val Valentine.
We are currently, and since 2002, said Val, in a protracted drought, citing the low levels throughout recent years of the water stored in Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the major impoundments for water flowing from the western slope of Colorado though the Upper Basin of the Colorado River. Powell, he reported is currently 65% full, and at a water level of 3577 feet, if the lake drops another 100 feet, it will no longer be able to generate electric power that supplies users in a vast area.
But upstream reservoirs are even lower, he said, with Navajo Lake for example at 50% of full, and thus lack ability to replenish Powell. Plus, Lake Mead, downsteam of Powell and the major source of water for urban centers like Los Angeles, Phoenix and Las Vegas, is even lower, at only 40% of capacity.
Simply put, demand on the Basin is acute. For example, Val reported that if Mead lowers only 11 feet more to a water level of 1074 feet, that will shut off water supply to the Central Arizona Project, which supplies water to substantial urban areas in Arizona, including Tucson (through a 300-mile pipeline).
Snow pack is currently relatively good, Val noted. Last year the snow pack reached only 34% of normal, but this year in the Upper San Juan Basin it stands currently at 99% of normal for this time of the season. But, he added, it is no time to breathe a sigh of relief: the current volume of water in the snowpack equals 19.1 inches, whereas the historical norm on the First of April should be 34.7 inches, so there is a long way to go.
Val compared the present to what he called a “mega-drought” in the 12th Century, which he reported has been shown by research to have been a likely cause of the relocation in that era of Native Americans from scattered settlements to pueblos.
The history, Val stated is that we don’t have enough water. So the question is, how do we use what we do have. The state’s answer is the Colorado Water Plan, which includes an assumption that Colorado’s population will double by 2050.
He reported even despite drought conditions, Colorado has continued to meet obligations under its 1922 compact with California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming for downstream water delivery.
But that is not enough, Val explained. The state’s plan for the future sketched in the Water Plan includes demanding components: creating new supplies by building infrastructure to improve efficiency such as new reservoirs, municipal conservation (Pagosa Area Water and Sanitary Distirct has made considerable headway he reported, having reduced average local consumption by nearly 20%), and acquisition of new water rights for population centers from state agricultural users.
Val didn’t mention the possibility of resorting to rain dances. But I guess that didn’t work in the 12th Century, so it probably won’t work now, either.
The invocation was delivered by Jeff Switzer, from Native American tradition, recounting requests under the inducement of lies by the Evil One made to the Great Spirit, for riches, power, strength and generally for the stuff of comfort. In each instance, in the story the requests were met by the Great Spirit patiently, with grants instead of the immediate gratification sought, of substance to build on, viz: “I asked for a happy life, and the Great Spirit gave me life, that I might live happily.”
Jeff did not add, but your reporter thinks it fitting, If the Great Spirit is dealing with modern times, in response to being asked to Make America Great, perhaps he will instead make America thoughtful, that we might become great.
After the Pledge of Allegiance, Sue Whalen took-up the baton to lead in singing an appropriate follow-up, “This Is My Country.”
President Shellie Peterson then provided a run-down on major calendar events in the future, encouraging broad participation: the Health Fair, April 27 at the High School, Casino Night May 10 at the PLPOA Clubhouse, and ultimately carrying all the way out to the Fourth of July Parade (you guessed it: July 4).
For the last of the big events, Shellie asked for all to be in town if at all possible, since keeping the event and the mob of attendees within some semblance of reasonable order demands lots of “wranglers” in orange vests. If you ever had a hankering to direct traffic, there is a spot for you!
After reminding all of the summertime fun that awaits us, Shellie rebounded back to winter, with a reminder that the Hatcher Lake Ice Melt contest would soon be in full swing. Entrants were already registering guesses, she added, and noted that entries can be made on line through the Pagosa Springs Rotary website, or by purchasing tickets at the Visitor’s Center (Chamber of Commerce) downtown, Choke Cherry Tree, and at both the PLPOA Recreation Center and Administrative Office. Entries must be in by March 20.
Allen Roth reported that the 55-gallon drum that will determine a lucky (sagacious?) contestant’s bragging rights and unlock the key to riches (up to a cool one grand for first, half that for second, and one-quarter for third) for guessing (computing?) the official moment of final thaw would be in place soon. First, Allen explained, it needed to be properly stenciled with the legend, “Rotary,” to distinguish it from the other 55-gallon drums that may be bobbing around in Hatcher Lake. (Well, he didn’t say that part, but there must be some reason for the stencil.)
Shellie then followed-up by encouraging all to beat the drums (sorry) for event sponsors, an initiative of increased magnitude this year since, as reported in last week’s Bulletin, Rotary has shifted to one-time, annual, all-event sponsorships. Commitments from sponsors for the year are due in another five weeks or so, on March 15, so time is running out to reel ‘em in.
Thanks were next expressed by Shellie to Melanie Garrett and Sharon Carter for compiling the data and sending status reports to members on their standing in the march to accumulate Paul Harris points.
Exchange students Theo Bonlokke and Cata Acuilera followed with reports on their recent doings. Theo went snowboarding in the company of Larry McClintock, and was both enthusiastic about the fun he had boarding, and complimentary of Larry’s skiing. (That’s good Theo: always be complimentary to your host.) Cata then recalled her participation in the year’s last swim meet for the Lady Pirates at Grand Junction last weekend, and added she soon would be playing soccer with the Pirates’ squad this Spring. (With our weather, Cata, you might want to borrow Theo’s snowboard.)
At a gesture of her magic bubble-wand, Betty Switzer next convened a session of Sunshine and Showers.
Larry commented on the good time at Wolf Creek with Theo, Betty herself reported a win in a Super Bowl pool, Cindy Galabota noted that with her son’s birthday she now had a teenager in the house (eliciting broad commiserations from the assembled throng, heavily featuring grandparents), Linda Virrips reported the purchase of a house, Sue Whalen recounted the annoyance of Traveler (must be a horse, but Sue didn’t explain) over Rotary’s decision against having a Kentucky Derby party this year, and Dave Cammack complimented students Cata and Theo for their patience in putting up with him for a trip to see the X-Games in Aspen (the Games were big-time fun, he added).
Georgette Baumgardner stepped up to the plate for an invocation calling for the better parts of human nature to prevail. Regrettably, your reporter’s pen moved too slowly to record more than the line, “Let my eyes be opened.” Still, that was enough to demonstrate that thoughts valuable to all were expressed, both figuratively for a good life, and literally for many activities commonly pursued.
(Keeping the eyes open is especially worthwhile for hitting a baseball, which comes to mind as the calendar turns to February and the Colorado Rockies head off soon to spring training; your reporter can attest from personal experience that an eyes-closed approach to hitting has severe weaknesses.)
Gasp: we enjoyed no song??? Jessie Formwalt was absent, and apparently her recent renderings have been so impressive no one felt equal to the task of succeeding her. Take heart, all! It’s a George Bushian audience (kind and gentle).
Visitors included Sam Conti, of Pagosa Mountain Rotary (where she presides as president). Also present was Rotarian Frank Wylie of Sunlight, Arizona. Frank identified himself as a student of geography, and illustrated with an observation on an oddity of the map: the Canary Islands, he said, have no canaries. And, he added, the Virgin Islands are similar! (That is, he clarified, they also have no canaries.)
Then President Shellie Peterson announced the time had come to bestow a Paul Harris Fellowship Award on our newest member-honoree. But first, she called on Art Benzel, who reported that Rotary founder Paul Harris had passed 72 years ago. He added that Harris’ motto was, “A man with a 1000 friends has not one he can afford to lose.” Art advised that on Harris’ death in 1947, in response to his request for donations to the Rotary Foundation in lieu of flowers, $2 million was raised, an impressive sum especially in those days.
Shellie then called Jonnae Benzel forward to receive her pin and citation for support of the Foundation, and welcomed her into the fold, encompassing currently a large part of the Club’s membership.
Next on the agenda, a new Rotary fundraising project was announced, the Hatcher Lake Ice-Melt contest, being conducted locally in cooperation with the Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association (PLPOA), and modeled on a similar event held by Summit County Rotary.
Allen Roth (who moonlights as PLPOA Manager) explained: PLPOA will haul a 55-gallon drum onto the currently icy surface of Hatcher Lake, fitted with a clock and a triggering mechanism. As the weather warms, the ice will eventually melt, the drum will fall into the water, and the triggering mechanism will cause the clock to register the exact moment of hitting the water, down to the second. The clock is calibrated to within .00001 second accuracy based on Greenwich Mean Time by the Swiss Chronological and Measuring Society (SCAMS). Well, something like that, anyhow.
Allen explained the contest involves trying to predict (in an entry that must be received by March 20) the exact moment of the drum’s watery plunge. The rewards for entries displaying accurate foresight are tangible (as in other contexts): first place prize $1000, second $500 and third $250. (A voice in the audience, apparently belonging to someone who fears the thumb on the scale or the blowtorch on the ice, called out, “Who’s watching?” We’ll drive by, quoth Allen, betraying impressive trust in the integrity of his community’s residents.)
Proceeds will support the Rotary Scholarship fund. Entries are approximately 9 cents per gallon of drum, otherwise stated as $5 per guess (or if you pretend to rely on scientific insight, per forecast). But discount rates are available: $20 for five guesses, or $100 for thirty (of course, that means $100 will cover half a minute of Pagosa Springtime, which is 30 seconds out of weeks in which the payoff could potentially occur – but forget that, the idea is to have fun and support a good cause!). Entries may be submitted on the Rotary and/or PLPOA websites.
A similar contest has been staged by Summit County Rotary for over 30 years, and its a big fund-raiser in that community, so there is much optimism for equal success here.
Kim Moore followed up Allen’s presentation on the Ice-Melt Contest with the announcement of a new approach to Rotary event sponsorships for this year: a single solicitation of sponsors for all four or five of the events Kim said would be hosted by Rotary as fund-raisers throughout the year. Those who sign up by the end of the sponsorship campaign on March 15, will receive public recognition in connection with all of the events, as well as continuing notice throughout the year on Rotary’s website.
Kim added that one of the fund-raising events this year will be Casino Night, a revival of a popular attraction hosted by Rotary in years past, to be held, she said, on Friday night May 10, 2019 at the PLPOA clubhouse.
Kim also distributed forms for use by members to recruit sponsors. Included in the required information, she emphasized, is the sponsor’s mailing address as well as business location. Those in need of forms for recruiting sponsors should contact her.
Andrew Loren volunteered this past Holiday season to manage the “bell-ringing” campaign mounted outside of City Market and Walmart for the Salvation Army. As volunteer bell-ringers who started or finished days will remember, Andrew dropped off and picked up their gear (bells, collection pot with stand, and garb). Additionally, interjected Neal Umali of Justice Ministries, which coordinates the project locally for the Salvation Army, Andrew counted and deposited the daily collections. 90% of the amount donated in response to the ringing bells supports programs in our community, Neal added. (It is a significant supporter of Feed Our Children, Jo chimed in from the audience.)
Andrew reported the main features of the 2018 campaign:
The campaign ran 31 days, from November 24 to December 24.
Volunteers manned pots at City Market all 31 days, but only 15 days at Walmart. Unfortunately, Andrew explained, the Walmart site is totally shaded in the winter, and cold. Although he tried to compensate by providing a heater, the discomfort discourages volunteers at Walmart.
Multiple churches and other community organizations (plus some independent individuals) staffed the collection pots at both City Market and Walmart, each organization taking responsibility for one or two days. Rotary, however, took responsibility for 10 days. Additionally, Andrew stated that Rotary was the only organization that took administrative responsibility to send pinch-hitters if its scheduled volunteers were no-shows.
A total of just short of $30,000 was collected during the campaign, 63% at City Market, 16% at Walmart, and 21% by mailed checks.
Contributions declined on Sundays, when NFL games were broadcast. (Visiting Mountain Rotarian Sam Conti offered the observation that Sunday contributions could be boosted by advancing the starting time on those days earlier to 11 am, to coincide with the conclusion of church services. In her experience, Sam observed, people right out of church are in a giving frame-of-mind. Your reporter’s query to Sam: a manifestation, perhaps, of the power of positive thinking?)
Odd items were stashed in collection pots, Andrew reported, mostly of minimal value: washers, a shell-casing, tokens, including a Durango parking token, a flattened penny from the Birch Aquarium, and (of course) coins from multiple foreign countries. However, one oddity had value: a 1 oz. silver bar. Andrew said he “bought” the bar from the Salvation Army for its then market value, and since has made a little profit on paper as the value of silver has appreciated.
Andrew commented on potential ideas for improving and expanding the campaign. Obviously, better staffing at Walmart would be helpful, but in addition, Andrew suggested consideration of an additional collection point, such as outside the downtown Post Office, which he noted has substantial traffic. Also, he added that better schedule coordination would be useful to eliminate gaps in staffing, and ensure the availability of pinch-hitters. Finally, Andrew suggested that participation by more community organizations would be valuable.
Speaker: Kim (Globetrotter) Moore, on her trip to Tibet.
Nowhere, apparently, is there a corner of the globe where Kim Moore’s curiosity is outpaced by “cost, germs or fuss,” or perhaps anything else, other than possibly war (I don’t think she’s been to Afghanistan, but there are negotiations underway to end that conflict, so maybe that’s next year). The “hugging diplomat” gets more use out of a passport than anyone other than possibly airline pilots!
(Plus, Kim is not flustered by technological glitches. When the balky slide projector showed images on end last Thursday, “tilt your head,” she suggested unflappably to the audience.)
Kim explained that her trip to Tibet was an offshoot of a Tibetan water project organized under the auspices of Rotary International by Durango Rotary. A group from the Durango club went to visit the project site, and Kim seized the opportunity to join up with them for the trip.
Tibet sits on the northern slope of the Himalayas. Mt. Everest rests astride its border with Nepal. It’s capital, Lhasa, is at 8000 feet, and much of the country’s altitude is even higher – according to Wikipedia, its average elevation is 16,000 feet. A Tibetan Empire existed in the 6th Century, but today Tibet is politically an autonomous region of China. It was absorbed by the Chinese after an invasion mounted in the 1950’s, Kim said.
The travelers’ jumping off point for entry to the small, mountainous country was Chengdu, China, where the group boarded a train for the 23-hour trip. They had time beforehand, however, to visit the Center for Preservation of Pandas in Chengdu; the city evidently sits in the midst of the exotic animals’ range.
According to Kim, Tibet’s population numbers between four to five million, mostly farmers or nomads. She reported its citizens are subject to substantial repression by their Chinese overlords, and substantial restrictions are imposed on Tibetans’ civil freedom, including mandatory displays of fealty to Chinese leaders.
Tibet was formerly the home of the Dalai Lama, a political and religious leader banished by the Chinese, well-known today throughout the world as a humanistic and ethical holy person. But today his home, a building of more than 1000 rooms in Lhasa known as the Portola, is a tourist attraction.
But religion is nonetheless freely practiced. Tibetans, Kim reported, are primarily devout Buddhists. The country is home to 4700 monasteries, and statues of Buddha in all sizes, shapes, expressions and appearances are ubiquitous. The large population of monks shave their heads, Kim told us, to avoid dwelling on appearance and keep their lives simple. (Dave Richardson spontaneously endorsed the wisdom of their choice.)
In addition to monasteries, substantial public displays of “prayer flags,” are common throughout Tibet, with elaborate formations of flags in shapes like large pin-wheels or bulls-eyes set-up by monks on mountainsides. And pilgrims are a frequent sight at monasteries, Kim reported, rotating “prayer-wheels” in pursuit of inner peace as they circle the structures on foot.
Yaks, appearing similar to large, shaggy-coated goats, are everywhere in Tibet, and are frequently seen grazing even at high altitude in the mountains. Tibetan culture revolves around the animal, Kim said. Yak meat is a common food, and yak dung is a common fuel.
Another common food is a bread-like loaf called Sampa, made out of barley flour. For a beverage, Kim extolled the lemon-ginger-honey tea she was served.
Kim and others in her group visited a Mt. Everest base camp, at 18,000 feet altitude. The route to the camp was a tortuous ascent up a road of endless switchbacks over three mountain passes. Great motorcycling, it appeared, except Kim reported the conditions were cold and windy. She rented a Chinese Army parka for use in the daytime, and used five quilts to keep warm at night.
What about bathrooms, Kim was asked. Squatters only, she recalled for the most part, except in handicap facilities. Ever adaptable, Kim made the obvious choice for comfort, when possible.
Kim also reported that street vendors plying the trade of ear-cleaning, are common in Tibet. She recommended the practice to all, as It clarifies your brain (or so she claimed).
And yes, Kim reported, there was at least one long and heartfelt hug shared along the way. Never fear, the hugging diplomat is always ready!
Danish was served! But not pastry: the invocation was delivered by exchange student Theo Bonlokke in his native language. Theo followed-up with an English interpretation for the benefit of those who don’t know their Danish beyond picking apricot or raspberry, including your reporter and probably just about everybody else in the room. It went something like the following: “To make earth a better place, be better humans, ja!” (In any language, that seems to hit the nail on the head.)
Jessie Formwalt then stepped up once again to provide harmonious vocal delights, leading the group in “She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain.”
Visitors included the omni-present Kenny Rogers (although sans a hat), who reported that Pagosa Mountain Rotary’s project to provide solar panels for an elementary school in Puerto Rico, had reached full funding, and installation of the panels is expected soon.
Guests included Lisa Scott’s son, Spence, home from Hofstra University on Long Island, where he is a senior.
Carrie Weiss then solicited volunteers to take over the lottery temporarily, while she and John take their annual RV adventure.
President Shellie Peterson then asked for volunteers to stuff envelopes after the meeting, to send out forms to donors documenting their donations during the year for use on 2018 tax returns. Shellie’s appeal having been lodged, Jo Bridges interjected a comment on Shellie’s computer prowess, which she reported had enormously facilitated the process of addressing the envelopes to mail the notices. (Jo said something about a merge, which I always thought was done on the highway coming out of Walmart, but apparently Jo had some more exotic skill in mind – she didn’t explain, but considering her audience, it would have been wasted breath.)
The next order of business was a celebration of Theo’s 17th birthday, with singing of the traditional song and a birthday cake and candles. Theo reported that cakes are included in birthday celebrations in Denmark, but he didn’t mention candles. (He was not able to blow-out all 17 candles on his cake when bidden, so perhaps that is not part of the Danish birthday ritual, and he was taken by surprise.)
Sunshine and Showers ensued, but few ventured to share their thoughts. The Mistress of Ceremonies, Betty Switzer, herself offered gratitude that her “testable hypothesis” question to Dave Smith of last week was little noted in the Bulletin, and your reporter responded by likewise expressing thanks for the abundant copy Betty routinely provides. Carrie offered a scholarship donation to encourage a lottery pinch-hitter in her absence, and Kim Moore expressed appreciation for the wonderful ceremony last weekend in honor of Larry Olin.
Shellie then introduced our speaker by inviting all to join a trip to Tibet, without “cost, germs or fuss,” a/k/a, vicariously, courtesy of the recollections of one not so faint of heart.
As leaders in their businesses and professions, Rotarians can advance high ethical standards by setting a positive example among colleagues and in their community. Here are a few specific ways Rotarians integrate ethics into their daily work life:
• Discuss and emphasize honesty, accountability, fairness, integrity, and respect when hiring, training, and supervising employees • Praise and encourage the exemplary behavior of colleagues • Demonstrate personal commitment to high ethical standards in relations with customers, vendors, and business associates, treating each business interaction with care and consideration • Promote socially and environmentally responsible practices in your businesses and organizations
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• Join or start a conversation in a Rotary discussion group on My Rotary. The Vocational Service group discusses project ideas, shares successes, and connects members to better serve their communities.
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WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK – January 17, 2019 Meeting Summary
(Back in the writer’s nook: Last week’s third meeting this January was the first of the year for your reporter, and it may take a while to replenish the ink of irreverence customarily flowing in my figurative pen. Current subjects, enjoy the reprieve!)
The meeting began with an invocation by Sam Pittmon, from the words of St. Theresa of Calcutta (formerly known more prosaically as simply Mother Theresa, she was canonized September 4, 2016). Sam chose a passage exhorting positive conduct in the face of negatives (e.g. “If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.”) The passage ended with a statement of values providing the new Saint’s justification for graceful acceptance of such challenges: “For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”
After the Pledge of Allegiance led by Madame President Shellie Peterson, Jessie Formwalt conducted the singing of “You Are My Sunshine,” even sneaking in a bar or two of delicate harmony as the rest of us stumbled through the melody, more or less in tune. Pretty nice stuff, Jessie! Next time, why not lead the group in some three-part choral harmony?
Next were guests. The magnetic Pat Love had a gaggle in tow, but your reporter didn’t catch their names except daughter Kathleen McFadden.
Exchange student Theo Bonlokke than provided the latest update on his diverse adventures, seemingly aimed at sampling every experience available to a young person in Colorado, reporting he attended a stock show in Denver featuring a demonstration of horsemanship, and was then with the Pagosa Pirates Wrestling Team for a successful weekend of meets and tournaments. In response to questions, Theo allowed that although he had not participated in wrestling previously at home in Denmark, he intends to join a club when he returns.
The more taciturn Cata Acuilera, our exchange student from Chile, reported she had participated in the Pagosa Lady Acqua Pirates’ swim meet at Durango, where she said the local showing improved and everybody had fun. In addition, Cata said she enjoyed seeing a performance of “Little Women,” at Thingamajig.
Final arrangements for the Larry Olin memorial celebration set for Saturday January 19 (two days after the meeting) were then announced. This reporter was unable to attend, but understands a mob of Larry’s good friends and acquaintances from Rotary and other groups jammed the PLPOA clubhouse, and honored Larry’s memory by enjoying good food and sharing many fond reminiscences of his memorable life and times.
Betty Switzer then took the floor with a balky bubble machine (like your reporter, evidently it stiffens up with disuse).
Betty began with this month’s birthdays, announcing first newbie Sandra Houston, then oldies, in Betty’s generous phrase, “old, but not really old, just been here before:” Brian Wetzel, Lassie Olin, Diane Bower, and yours truly. After donning celebratory head gear, the honorees enjoyed a raucous rendition of “Happy Birthday,” even though Meg Wempe was not present to invest the song with her special élan.
Wedding anniversaries were then announced for Warren and Jodie Brown, and Dave and Jean Smith (52 years and counting).
Membership anniversaries were announced next, for David Cammack (at 26 years, the reigning champ in this group) and Meg Wempe, Cindy Galabota, Bill Hubbard and Sharon Carter, Dave and Kriss Campbell, and finally, Betty herself and husband Jeff.
Betty then turned to Sunshine and Showers, but pickings were slim (post-holiday torpor? Snow induced ennui? Lack of sleep? Bio-rhythms? An evil spell cast by the government shutdown? By Donald Trump? Who knows?)
Dave Richardson did offer two Sunshines: the pleasure of seeing a picture in the Sun of Codie Wilson’s granddaughter pouring in two for the Lady Pirates Roundballers against rival Centauri, and an expression of gratitude to Pat Love for her talk the week before, described by Dave as “outstanding.”
Codie then followed with a Sunshine of her own, reporting that the victory against Centauri was “huge” for her granddaughter and teammates, as their rival had been ranked ahead of the Lady Pirates before being walloped by the locals in their recent matchup.
President Shellie then turned to the introduction of our speaker. It’s surprisingly hard, Shellie began, to devise a meeting program every week with capacity to entertain and inform for an hour. And even after plans have been well laid, there is a risk that a speaker might cancel, exactly as had just happened, she lamented. When that is the way the cookie crumbles, you need a pinch-hitter, but right now, most of the good ones are getting ready to attend Spring Training and resume the pursuit of millions. Fortunately, Shellie knew exactly what to do in the hour of need: get out Rotary’s Swiss Army knife, David Smith.
Speaker: David Smith, on the Topics of the Day
David filled in by discussing two topics of community interest: the Middle School Science Fair, and the publicly supported project to provide a new facility for early childhood education. He began by explaining he’d been asked to talk just two hours earlier, so he was probably just well enough prepared to make a fool of himself. But if that was his horizon, it seemed in truth he sailed well beyond it, like Dorothy’s bluebird over the rainbow.
This year’s edition of the Science Fair, David told us, had been competed the day before. The annual event is a voluntary part of the Middle School’s science curriculum in which 15 students chose to participate this school year. The Fair program runs 10 weeks, and challenges sixth through eighth graders to explore a “testable” (what was that word? Betty called out, but maybe you had to be there to fully appreciate the nuances of the moment) hypothesis. A simple example, David illustrated could be, “The sun will rise in the east.” Prizes are awarded by a panel of volunteer judges for the best demonstrations, and winners advance to a Regional competition.
David has helped students develop and demonstrate their testable hypotheses during the programs conducted for a period of several years. It’s been very satisfying and enjoyable, he reported, to watch the students’ progress from year to year.
Several other Rotarians have also contributed to the Science Fairs, including Dave Richardson, Lisa Scott and Larry McClintock. Lisa recalled that not all hypotheses tested are arcane, dry technical matters. For example, she described one student’s “Cupcake test,” designed to prove boys are more impulsive than girls by evaluating how long subjects can defer eating a treat. But Dave R. added that he has been rewarded by participation, from watching the kids learn science, which is “important to mankind because that is how progress is made.”
David’s other topic was the Early Childhood Education project supported by funding from Archuleta County and the Town of Pagosa Springs, currently devoted to developing a facility intended to begin operation next school year and to provide early childhood positions for 40-45 children under the umbrella of the non-profit Archuleta County Education Center.
According to a recent finding by the State of Colorado, David said, Archuleta County was one of six “desert” areas of Colorado found to be extremely short of services for pre-school children. A workgroup formed by the local governments in early 2016 assessed the issue by tallying available resources and evaluating the level of need, concluding that the community had a shortage of 300 additional early childhood education slots, especially for the 0-3 yr. age group.
The new facility, to be based in an abandoned commercial building currently undergoing extensive remodeling, formerly the site off Piedra Road of the Greenhouse Restaurant, will begin to address the need. While it is not a complete answer, David reported that efforts to establish new services by other means were unsuccessful, and a decision was made to start by doing what was possible.
Remodeling costs approximate $500,000. In addition to the Town and County, funding has been provided from foundation grants and donations.
David reported that research based on tracking the performance over later life of individuals served by early childhood education, compared to those not served, has demonstrated that on average, the community saves $200,000 in lifetime costs of maladjustment including incarcerations and un-employment for each individual served.
The new facility will have three classrooms, he said, two for toddlers 1-3, and one for pre-kindergarten. The costs of attendance will be covered by tuition. There is hope for some form of tuition assistance from the local governments, but currently, no commitments have been made.
By including men and women from diverse professions and backgrounds, Rotary recognizes the importance of all skills and occupations. A vibrant Rotary club reflects the businesses, organizations, and professions in its community, embracing diversity in experiences and perspectives. Your professional life and vocational service go together. Rotarians have a dual responsibility: to represent their occupations within their club and to exemplify the ideals of Rotary in their places of work.
VOCATIONAL SERVICE IN ACTION The Rotary Club of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., USA, launched partnerships with a half-dozen local nonprofits. Members acted as strategic consultants, offering their expertise to their partners free of charge. The partnerships brought four benefits: 1. Improved service opportunities for club members, which resulted in greater local impact 2. Increased visibility for the club and its partners 3. Attracted new members 4. Strengthened Rotarian/ non-Rotarian service teams
ROTARY NAME
The name “Rotary” came from the practice of rotating meeting sites among members’ places of business. That tradition remains an excellent way for Rotarians to share their occupations with their club. Invite each member of your club to briefly share about his or her profession, an area of specialty, or a particular skill set during club meetings throughout the year.
TAKE ACTION
Join a Rotarian Action Group, and support service projects around the world. These independent groups include Rotarians, family members, and Rotary program participants and alumni who have expertise in a particular field. Members advise clubs and districts and collaborate with them on service projects. Learn more at rotary.org/actiongroups.
Join or form a Rotary Fellowship that’s related to your vocation. Rotary Fellowships are international groups of Rotarians, family members, and program participants and alumni who share a vocational or recreational interest. Many fellowships are related to professions, such as Editors and Publishers, Health Professionals, Lawyers, Photographers, and Police and Law Enforcement. See more at rotary.org/fellowships.
Volunteer to work on a service project, and use your vocational skills to serve others. Think about the skills that make you successful in your profession: Maybe you have training in some branch of science or medicine, are handy with tools or machinery, know how to start a business, have expertise managing finances, or can influence others through public speaking or writing. Use your unique set of talents to make a difference in your community. Share your expertise through your district resource network. If you have technical expertise in one of Rotary’s six areas of focus — or with project planning and implementation; community assessment, measurement, and evaluation; or other important aspects of large-scale project grants — let your district international service chair know. Lend your skills to local clubs, and help develop projects with greater impact.
TAKE ACTION Find inspiring examples of ways to take action through vocational service. Consider doing some of the described activities or introducing similar ones in your club. Alternately, you may want to expand on current efforts.
INTEGRITY AND ETHICS Rotary emphasizes integrity and high ethical standards. Two standards developed by Rotarians — The Four-Way Test and the Rotarian Code of Conduct — provide a road map for ethical behavior in the workplace and other areas of life.
THE HISTORY OF THE FOUR-WAY TEST
The Four-Way Test was conceived in 1932 by businessman Herbert J. Taylor, a member of the Rotary Club of Chicago, Illinois, USA, who served as Rotary International president in 1954-55. Having taken on the task of saving a company from bankruptcy, Taylor developed the test as an ethical guide to follow in all business matters. The company’s survival was credited to this simple philosophy. Adopted by Rotary International in 1934, The Four-Way Test remains an essential standard against which Rotarians measure ethical behavior.
It has been translated into dozens of languages and promoted by Rotarians worldwide.
THE FOUR-WAY TEST Of the things we think, say or do: 1. Is it the TRUTH? 2. Is it FAIR to all concerned? 3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? 4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
ROTARIAN CODE OF CONDUCT The Rotarian Code of Conduct provides a framework for ethical behavior that all Rotarians can use, together with The Four-Way Test, in their business and professional activities. As part of Rotary’s guiding principles and the Avenues of Service, Vocational Service calls on Rotarians to empower others by using their unique skills and expertise to address community needs and help others discover new professional opportunities and interests. This handbook can help you gain a better understanding of vocational service and provide you with ideas to practice it through your service activities, in your personal life, and in your career.
ROTARIAN CODE OF CONDUCT As a Rotarian, I will
1. Act with integrity and high ethical standards in my personal and professional life 2. Deal fairly with others and treat them and their occupations with respect 3. Use my professional skills through Rotary to mentor young people, help those with special needs, and improve people’s quality of life in my community and in the world 4. Avoid behavior that reflects adversely on Rotary or other Rotarians
Speech by Former Coke Cola CEO Bryan Dyson: Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. They are Work, Family, Health, Friends, and Spirit and you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls-Family, Health, Friends and Spirit- are made of glass. If you drop one of these they will be irrevocably scuffed, mark, nicked, damaged or even shatter. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life. There is more to this speech that you may find online.
Pledge of Allegiance: Jeff Switzer
Song by Kim Moore: Jolly Good Fellow
Guess of Rotarians: Ken Peterson guest and spouse of our President Shellie Peterson
Kathleen McFadden guest of Pat Love
Laura Eastland guest of Pat Love
Announcements:
President Shellie announced the Rotary Board meeting scheduled for tomorrow.
Kim Moore announced that there will be a celebration of life for Lassie Olin’s husband Larry Olin on January 19 at 1: 00 pm at PLPOA.
Cindi Galabota circulated a sign-up sheet for others to do invocations. With 52 weeks per year each member would only have to do one per year.
Livia Lynch announced the scholarship committee meeting immediately following today’s Rotary meeting
Theo our exchange student wished us all a Happy New Year and that he enjoyed celebrating Christmas with food and presents. He went skiing 5 times and fell two times with no injuries reported. His wrestling is going well and he’s excited about tournaments this weekend. Theo calls his family 1-2 times per month.
Cata likewise wished us all Happy New Year. She enjoyed Christmas but noted that celebrations were different from home. She went ice skating and had difficulty standing. She then went to Durango and spent time with Rotary friends. She has her last swim meet this Friday and hope the team does well. She was home sick during the Christmas holidays and does call her family back home daily.
Lisa Scott gave us an update about previous inbound exchange student Leo who sent a letter stating that he really missed Pagosa and the mountains, the snow, the school, the soccer team and talking in front of the Rotary Club. She also heard from Ana of Brazil who was a Pagosa exchange student in 2007-8. She informed that she will be visiting Pagosa Springs this year in September.
Introduction of new Rotary members: Bryan Wentzel and Cindy Heitz were welcomed and introduced as new Rotary Club Members by Sam Pittmon. They were each given a certificate of membership, a Rotary Pin and a Rotary badge by David Campbell. They each talked briefly about themselves and were given a warm welcome applause by all club members.
Sunshine and showers by Betty Switzer. David Smith had a sunshine for recently deceased Rotary member Dick Bond. He told the story of Dick that occurred about 12 years ago. They were working on a project in Pakistan and Dick initiated a fund-raising campaign to raise money for a supply vehicle to be used in Pakistan. He requested donations of 42 (the # of years he had been in Rotary) such as 42 cents, 42 dollars or 4200 dollars. He apparently raised 12-14,000 dollars which was enough to make the purchase. David finished the story with “Let the sun shine where ever Dick is”.
Kim Moore shared a sunshine for Dick Bond saying that his wife Mary reported that they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in the fall with a 5-week tour of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. She also stated that Dick died from ALS. Kim finished her comments with “Dick was a kind man”. Kim shared another sunshine stating the she attended the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena. Jessie Formwalt shared a shower that her mother passed on December 22 with a donation equal to her age at death. Meg Whitman gleefully shared a sunshine that her favorite college football team the Clemson Tigers won the National Championship game.Cindy Galabota shared a sunshine in honoring Dave Richardson for volunteering to teach her students chemistry.
Guest Speaker: Dr. Pat Love spoke on the topic “The Biggest Problem That No One Talks About”.
Pat started with saying that this malady #1 is more highly correlated with early morbidity than obesity, smoking and drug abuse. #2 It is also correlated with violence, careless acts and substance abuse. #3 It is not as simple as you might think. This condition is “loneliness”. The greatest predictor of longevity is close social contacts.
She talked about these five questions as an antidote to loneliness.
#1. Who Are You? Specifically, what are your core values, what do you stand for, what are the principals, traits that without which you would not be you. An example is Kindness something that you do daily and can affirm at the end of each day.
#2. Are you connected? Are there at least three people in your life that show up when needed, are tuned in, they understand you and their behavior shows it.
#3. Are you in community? Do you feel good about the community where you live? Do you have a sense of belonging, connected and secure in your community?
#4. Are your talents being utilized in meaningful work? Is your work a job, a career or avocation? An avocation is a calling like who you are. Are your talents utilized in meaningful work? If your work is not meaningful, there is a missing element that contributes to a feeling of loneliness.
#5. Are you living out the purpose of your life as referred to by author Rick Warren in his book “The Purpose Driven Life”? One of his notable quotes is “Being successful and fulfilling your life purpose are not at all the same thing: you can reach all your personal goals, become a raving success by the worlds standards and still miss your purpose in this life.”
In closing, Pat stated that it is “smarter to strive for contentment than happiness”
President Shellie welcomed all those present to the New Year with greetings from Jack & Katy Threet. They are both doing well and send their best wishes from their home in Texas. On a much sadder note, Jo Bridges announced that we had just received word that our long time friend Dick Bond had passed away on New Year's Day. A card was circulated to send to Mary and his family.
We had a very special visitor, Athe Ocando was a guest of Bill Darling. She was a Rotary Exchange Student in 1999-2000, coming from Venezuela. Bill and Margaret Darling were one of her hosts during her school year at Valley High School in Albuquerque, NM. She and the Darlings became very close, and they have remained a “family” since her exchange year. Athe has come to Colorado several times to support Bill and Margaret as Bill has faced his medical issues. During her current visit she brought along her husband David Lobo and their three beautiful children, two boys and one girl. Athe has lived in the Miami area for approximately 13 years, and she has become an American citizen. Athe came to Albuquerque through the efforts of Larry McClintock, who headed the exchange student committee for the Albuquerque Rotary Club. Larry and Bill were neighbors in Albuquerque, and Larry was able to have the Darlings host Athe. Larry’s son Benjamin walked Athe to high school almost every morning, a memory both reminisced about when Ben was able to visit with Athe at the Darling’s home before New Year’s. It was a pleasure to have Athe at our club, and to see the impact that the Rotary Student Exchange program can have.
Betty was in fine form for Sunshine and Showers having rested up over the Holidays! She enthusiastically encouraged us to share our New Year's resolutions! There were several noteworthy thoughts such as to be more patient, but I believe Kriss Campbell probably had the best of all. She shared something she had read recently; The New Year lies before us like a trackless field of snow. Be careful how you tread on it for every mark will show.
Shellie offered a $20 sunshine to the Scholarship Fund celebrating her 20+ years of service at Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District. Remember to not call or email her at work anymore - because you won't find her there!
Carrie Weiss offered up thanks for the Holiday Party planners! It really was a great deal of fun! Thanks were offered to Bill Hubbard who once again did such a marvelous job at providing the food. Betty even allowed that she had been a kermudgen over the snarky $20 comment and vowed to do better in 2019.
Shellie also made another very important announcement - Mike Vanover had been selected by the Nominating Committee to become our President Elect Nominee! Mike has graciously accepted the position and we are very excited for him to lead us in 2020-2021 following Nick Tallent in 2019-2020!
Mike Vanover has a great deal of experience that he brings to our Club! When he was with the Morgan City Rotary Club, Mike was the Co-Chair of the Youth Exchange Committee for District 6200. He also served as President of that Club for one year and Vice-President for two years. While on the Board of Directors, he served for a year in each of the areas of Club Service, Membership, International Services/Foundation, Club Programs, Publicity and Scholarships. He also served as the Club Orientation Officer for 15 years. While I am sure that Morgan City misses Mike, we are honored to have he and Renee as full-time Pagosans now. I am looking forward to all that he brings to our Club.
While Bill Hubbard gave it a "Good Try", the elusive Ace of Spades still is in the envelope. At least, that's what Carrie tells us anyway!
If you have not had the opportunity to listen to Pat Love speak - you are in for a treat next week! Don't miss hearing about the biggest thing that NO ONE TALKS ABOUT!
The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:
First The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
Second High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society;
Third The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life;
Fourth The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.
THE CONCEPT OF VOCATIONAL SERVICE
The Object of Rotary is a philosophical statement of Rotary’s purpose and the responsibilities of Rotarians. The concept of vocational service is rooted in the second object, which calls on Rotarians to encourage and foster:
• High ethical standards in business and professions • The recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations • The dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society
As a Rotarian, how can you put these ideals into action? Consider these suggestions:
• Talk about your profession in your club, and take time to learn about fellow members’ occupations. • Use your skills and expertise to serve a community. • Practice your profession with integrity, and inspire others to behave ethically through your words and actions. • Help young people achieve their career goals. • Guide and encourage others in their professional development.
By undertaking these activities, you bring vocational service to life. Vocational service is the essence of Rotary and serves as the foundation from which we serve our communities around the world.
Sandra Houston, Regional Coordinator for the Three Rivers Foundation for Literacy, was our featured speaker last week. Through Sandra's work and the resources she has available, over 3,000 books were provided to local families during the week of Halloween!
Sandra challenged us in several ways during her presentation. One challenge she presented was to look up Rosemary Wells. From her biography, I found this: "I was a scrawny girl who grew up in the 1940's and 50's on the New Jersey shore. I was lucky. I had really good parents. My mother was a ballet dancer for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. My father, a playwright. They were intelligent and sensitive. They praised what I did well and didn't care much about what I didn't do well. I drew uncannily for a youngster. Every week my mother would choose the best drawing of the week and thumbtack it to the mantle piece. In this way I learned that some of my pictures were better than others and I strove to please."
Rosemary Wells also said, "Reading to your little one is just like putting gold coins in the bank. It will pay you back tenfold. Your daughter will learn, and imagine, and be strong in herself. Your son will thrive, and give your love back forever."
Sandra also suggested that we should read what inspires us and read to our little ones or those that we have an opportunity to influence with our time and talents.
The meeting began with a prayer by Kim Moore, asking blessings for Lassie Olin following the sad and sudden loss of husband Larry, and reminding us all to be thankful for the lives we enjoy.
Visitors were welcomed. Aside from the omnipresent Kenny Rogers (we need to start changing the man dues – just kidding Kenny, you and your hat always bring good cheer to Thursday meetings), included were Arizonan Frank Wylie, from Sun Lakes.
Announcements ensued. Jo Bridges circulated a card for Lassie, and announced a Celebration of Larry’s life to be held January 19. Jo reported Lassie will be spending the Holidays in California with family, and suggested donations in Larry’s memory to the Veterans Memorial.
Kim reminded all of the annual Festival of Trees, and encouraged Rotarians to vote on Thursday for featured trees to be included in the live auction the next evening (Friday, December 7). Fired-up by the glory of Holiday celebrations, Kim added the suggestion that Rotary should enter a tree in the Festival next year. After a moment to absorb the idea, Jeff Switzer observed how much he liked the fact that Kim would make such a wonderful Chairperson.
Carrie Weiss, then asked for a few more volunteer bell-ringers to man the Salvation Army pot outside City Market. Just a few openings remained in the Rotary commitment, she said, and who doesn’t enjoy an hour of non-stop smiling and exchanging Christmas wishes with friend and stranger alike!
President Shellie Peterson then reminded of key upcoming events for Rotary, both occurring before our next meeting on January 3: the Loaves and Fishes lunch service on Thursday, December 13, and the Rotary Holiday Party on Friday evening, December 14.
For the Holiday Party, Shellie circulated a registration sheet to get a good head count for attendees, and a sign-up sheet for party crew volunteers. She reported that the party will cost $20/person, which will be collected at the door. More information will be circulated by email in advance of the party, she added.
Diane Bower reminded all to bring a gift, either gag or serious, for the drawing during the party.
Exchange student Theo Bonlokke reported he had spent the prior weekend in Grand Junction, where current exchange students from overseas gathered to give presentations on their home countries to prospective future outbound exchangers. Theo no doubt pitched his homeland to great effect – demand for Denmark next year will surely be at fever pitch. (Cata, alas, was feeling poorly at meeting time, and did not speak.)
Betty Switzer then took the floor, but didn’t only take it – she commanded it, dominated it and subjugated it, with the unanticipated aid of one notable accomplice.
To astonishment of one and all, Betty began with a mock strip-tease that had to be seen to be believed. Life is a feast of opportunities with Betty, all seized. ‘Nuff said.
Next, a single birthday was celebrated, Meg Wempe’s. Little did we know, Meg is Betty’s kindred spirit. The Happy Birthday song triggered what may have been some ancient tribal rite, or perhaps only an explosion of repressed memories of youthful exuberance, but in either case, again, your reporter’s mere words cannot capture Meg’s heartfelt embrace of the moment. I already want to jump ahead to next year for a reprise.
Then, a semblance of orderly conduct was restored with the announcement of anniversaries, celebrated by your reporter and wife Melanie (47 years), and Lisa Scott and Bob (25 years).
Finally Jo Bridges’ ninth anniversary as a Rotarian was celebrated (excluding the years of Jo’s earlier stint as a Rotary member who strayed from the fold, those years being apparently banished to oblivion, as if Orwellian non-years. Hmm . . . come to think of it, I have some years that could happily be treated as non-years.) Also reported by Betty were first year anniversaries for Marianne DeVooght and Ronnie Doctor.
Moving on, Betty donned her Rudolph sunglasses, and with red nose dangling precariously like a Christmas ornament in a stiff breeze, especially when she gave it a vigorous puff of breath, called for Sunshine/Showers. Contributors were Kim Moore (wonderful Community Choir performance), Bill Darling (harrowing life-flite evacuation to Denver for pneumonia recovery), Neal Johnson (good memories of the late President George H.W. Bush), Meg Wempe (whose remarks were missed by your reporter), Shellie Peterson (news of a new grandchild), Diane Bower (fire in and, alarmingly, out of the fireplace), and Dave Cammack (reports of two vehicle accidents, and a dead horse; don’t worry Dave, bad luck comes in threes).
Next, the Pagosa Springs Rotary Annual Meeting was called to order by Madame President Shellie. Business was swiftly dispatched and the meeting adjourned after the election of three board members for next year, Melanie Garrett, Sharon Crump and Alan Roth. More’s the pity, parades around the convention hall and brass bands were dispensed with. But gratitude was expressed for the efforts of departing board members, Linda Verrips, Dave Campbell and Kim Moore.
The meeting was not graced with a formal speaker. Instead, Shellie took a few minutes to demonstrate our Clubrunner site, pagosaspringsrotary.org. What I got out of the demonstration was: the site is easy to use, and there’s lots of value that can be accessed both on the public side and members only side (requiring your password for entry).
Any effort by this reporter, however, to recount the details of the presentation beyond these key principles would be useless, and probably even counterproductive. So the best I can advise is just get on the site and explore. It’s non-toxic.
Rotary's top priority is the eradication of polio. Part of the Polio campaign is the vacination of children for a wide range of diseases. This alone has saved thousands of lives.
Clean Water & Sanitation is the single most important way Rotary fights Disease. Our Largest Health activity after Polio.
In Tahiti, Rotary tests thousands for Diabetes each year in Tahiti, Moorea and Taravao- providing advice and education.
Each year Rotary runs a Cataract Project across Fiji. Dental projects are run in Taveuni and Otahuhu.
Rotarians set up health camps and training facilities in undeveloped countries and in communities struggling with HIV/AIDS and malaria. Work in India is in the photo to the left with an integrated health services provider.
Work in Africa on eye disease prevention is in the photo above.
Speakers: Cindy Galabota and Mozhdeh Bruss, FACE (Foundation for Archuleta County Education)
Cindy and Mozhdeh spoke as members FACE’s board. (One of the founders of the organization in 2012 was Rotarian Jesse Formwalt.) The organization’s website, www.facepagosa.com, describes it as “a non-profit organization that supports programs to enhance academic opportunities for students K–12 in Archuleta County, Colorado.”
Our speakers explained that FACE makes grants supplying “gap funding,” to help support and enhance curricular and extra-curricular activities provided in local schools and related entities. According to the website, “Groups or individuals who have innovative or established educational programs are encouraged to submit proposals to the FACE board of directors for consideration.”
According to data cited by Cindy, 60 awards in the total amount of approximately $36,000 have been made since FACE was established in 2012. Among the purposes have been to provide equipment for student and classroom use, including computer hardware, microscopes, magnetic hardboards, and items needed in the High School’s building trades class, and to give support to innovative teaching opportunities including to date a seventh grade math teaching program built around fantasy baseball, and a science project to develop student’s understanding of collecting and analyzing data, by studying Owl Pellets (droppings) to uncover characteristics of the birds’ diet and lives.
Cindy added that FACE expects to place increased emphasis on “instructional and learning innovations” moving forward.
Mozhdeh then addressed FACE’s new initiative, Enhancing Summer Education, which will operate in cooperation with the Summer Camp based in the Community Center, and run by the Town of Pagosa Springs.
The Summer Camp is a project of the Town to provide constructive and fun activities while schools are closed during the summer to local children from ages 6 – 12. Last year, Mozhdeh said, there were 80 campers.
This year for the first time, she said, during one week of the Camp, FACE will organize a so-called STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) focused program for campers, which is expected to cover 2.5 hours daily for five consecutive days.
Various “content providers” may be involved, Mozhdeh added, mentioning the Weminuche Audubon Society, Archuleta County Extension/4 H, and the Mountain Studies Institute, among others.
The speakers advised that FACE projects needs next year of $5000 for its school-based funding and another $5000 to support the summer enhancement effort. They advised that support for the organization in the past has come from fund-raising events, grants and donations. Donations can easily be made on the organization’s website.
In addition, they solicited volunteers for the board and its subcommittees. The organization has no paid staff, and all funds it receives go to its efforts to support education.
Proceedings were kicked off by Cindy Galabota with an invocation that illustrated donkeys can’t swim. True, Cindy did maintain the invocation showed the folly of being an empty-headed yes man (a point also being made by the investigation headed by Robert Mueller), but I think she was just looking for an excuse to use the word “ass” in public. Here’s how it went – you be the judge:
An old man was leading a donkey, with a boy riding, down a road. A passer-by criticized the boy for disrespecting his elders by riding while the man walked. Concerned, they switched. Soon, another passer-by criticized the man for cruelty to the child, by riding while the boy walked. Concerned, both the man and the boy began to walk. But the next passer-by criticized them both for abusing the donkey, by making it walk with no purpose. Concerned, the man and the boy picked up the donkey to carry it, but it slipped from their grasp while on a bridge passing over a stream, whereupon it fell into the water and drowned.
Now, clearly, that showed donkeys can’t swim. But Cindy disclosed her secret objective, by claiming “the moral of the story is if you try to please everyone, you might as well kiss your ass good bye.” Now, I ask you, why didn’t she just say, “See, donkeys can’t swim?”
When the guffaws and applause from Cindy’s invocation died down, the absence of any Songmeister at the meeting was discovered. President Shellie Peterson called for volunteers to lead a song, and someone shouted out, “Let’s do White Christmas.” And so it was, as a tentative rendering of the modern X-mas classic was credibly provided by Rotarians struggling to recall the lyrics.
Guests were then welcomed, most prominently our-own Ramona Tscharr, back for a visit to Pagosa from her new home Austin, Texas.
Following greetings to Ramona and other guests, attention was turned to the Rotary Christmas Party, to be this year at the Colorado Timber Ridge Clubhouse on the evening of December 14. The cost will be modest, at $20/person including all the festivities, food by The Buck Stops Here, and setups for BYOB beverages. Party crew volunteers were solicited.
During the party, there will be a gag gift exchange (each couple brings one gift of whatever nature as deemed appropriate, and gifts are distributed by draw subject to the right of piratical claim by subsequent drawees). Requests went out for the loan for use at the party of battery-powered lanterns, table cloths, serving utensils, crock pots and roaster pans. Finally, a registration sheet for attendees was circulated, including a column to volunteer a desert.
Also in connection with the Christmas Party, Kim Moore reported that the Evans family, recently devastated by the loss of their home in the Vista neighborhood and all their belongings, had already received a wide variety of donated items to help meet their immediate needs. The one exception, she said, is that Mr. Evans continues to need replacements for his tools. So Kim suggested that to help, tools donated by Rotarians for his benefit be collected at the Party.
Exchange students Theodor Bonlokke and Catalina Acuilera reported on their Thanksgiving experiences. Theo traveled with his host family to Tucson, he said, and appreciated the warm weather and good food. Catalina reported having enjoyed her first ski lesson, which she noted included an unanticipated opportunity to hug a tree, and also swam in her first meet with the Pasosa Springs Lady Aqua Pirates, which she reported went “really well.”
Larry McClintock then made a pitch of interest only to “anyone here over 70,” touting the opportunity to direct distributions from IRA accounts directly to a charitable foundation (ahem, one suspects Larry had in mind the Rotary Foundation, although being a modest man, he was coy about it) without incurring any tax liability for the distribution.
Dave Campbell then announced blue badges for new members Helen Richardson, Jeannie Bissell, and Alan Roth. An interesting event, indeed, since your reporter had long since forgotten these three – who have already become as comfortable as old shoes – were new members. Life is full of pleasant surprises when you get to be a certain age and things sort of blend into the obscurity of partial memory!
The meeting then turned to the Feed our Children campaign. While circulating a volunteer sign-up sheet for the next several weeks, Jo Bridges reported that 29 families with a total of 89 children were participating this year, a record for the program. Jo asked for the donation by Rotarians of their surplus “great, big suitcases,” which are needed to transport multiple backpacks stuffed with food from the loading depot uptown, to the Elementary School Distribution room, where the packs are picked up by third graders.
The suitcases presently in use, are “falling apart,” Jo explained. She added that in addition to replacement luggage, volunteers with “big” vehicles are needed to move the filled suitcases downtown.
Next, Carrie Weiss asked for a few more volunteers to fill slots for the Salvation Army Bell Ringing/Christmas Collection campaign assigned to Rotary at City Market. In addition, while Rotary is well on the road to meeting its campaign commitment, Carrie reported that the number of volunteers to help the campaign at Wallmart so far has lagged behind the need, and asked for additional Rotarians to fill in there.
Madame President then reminded that next week, December 6, is Rotary’s Annual Meeting, at which new Board Members will be elected. She noted that some nominations have been made, but added that additional nominations are welcome, and encouraged members to evaluate potential candidates for possible nomination.
Betty Switzer then donned her seasonal Rudolph sunglasses, with antlers and a red nose, for Sunshine/Showers. Betty herself offered the first Sunshine, in honor of Ramona’s visit; “You are missed,” quoth our ersatz Rudolph.
Dave Richardson then denied offering a sunshine, saying that Betty had only misunderstood the glare off his dome. This denial was followed by Sunshine spreading so rapidly like a summer sunrise that your humble reporter, already blinded by the actual sunshine streaming in the windows (and reflecting off Dave’s head), was unable to keep up.
Consequently, it can only be noted here that Sunshines were offered by several including Granton Bartz, Larrry McClintock, and Kim Moore. On the other hand, Sue Walen temporarily clouded the picture with a Shower, reporting on a lost wallet and the attendant chore of replacing essential documents and credit cards, but Kim restored the brightness by offering Sue (whose worldly possessions were until that moment clutched in a plastic freezer bag) a new wallet she had brought back from Tibet. And Kriss Campbell followed up congratulations offered to herself and husband Dave at some point during the sunrise unrecalled here, by explaining they had both won age/gender group 5K races in Marathon, Texas that they entered when visiting with friends. Not saying it was unfair to take advantage of them unsuspecting lowlanders, but no wonder endurance athletes come to Colorado to train! Go Pagosa!
Jo Bridges accepted recognition from Justice Ministries for Rotary's efforts to reduce hunger in Pagosa Springs. The Feed Our Children Program has long been recognized as addressing a very real need for our elementary school students and their siblings for providing 'kid friendly' food for the weekend. Jo and Lassie have spearheaded this effort from its inception. New members on this committee supporting the efforts are Melanie Garrett and Ronnie Doctor. Also always faithful for much 'heavy lifting' are David Cammack and Nick Tallent. Our Mountain Rotary Club is also an important contributor to these efforts as well as Pagosa Office and Storage, who donate the packing facilities and Sherpa Realty and the Salvation Army who contribute cash funding.
The invocation was delivered by Sam Pittmon, “In keeping with this Thanksgiving Season.” It was a pithy evaluation of the true spirit embodied by the Holiday written by Shawn Bird, represented in the following excerpt: “Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts. May our acts as Rotarians demonstrate our gratitude for our blessings . . . “
Then Jessie Formwalt distributed lyrics and led the singing of a song providing a nice counterpoint to the invocation by rejoicing in the pleasures of Thanksgiving, instead of the philosophy. “It’s a lovely day, to say the least,” the lyrics celebrated, a delight to all, with the exception according to the refrain, of the flightless turkey, which finds itself involuntarily in attendance at the feast, belly-up. “La lala la la.”
(True, turkeys fly little. But the turkeys on the dinner table are mostly raised in cages. There was a time in your reporter’s experience, not so many years ago, when a glimpse of a wild turkey was exceptional. Flightless or not, enough of the wild birds escaped the dinner table for a population explosion since then. No wonder Ben Franklin thought the resourceful turkey, which like the rebel learns to go to ground when needed for survival, a noble bird more admirable than the eagle.)
Among guests were Jeff and Cindy, introduced by their friend Larry McClintock as prospective members.
Exchange students Leo Bonlokke and Catalina Acuilera reported on their recent activities.
Leo recalled he had been hunting, and heard elk bugling in the distance, but didn’t see any. Not accustomed to trekking through mountains on hunts at home in low-lying Denmark, Leo said he was a little sore – but attributed that primarily to participation in practices as a member of the Pagosa Pirates wrestling team.
Catalina said she also had been in the mountains. She went skiing for the first time, she reported enthusiastically.
Carrie Weiss reminded all of the impending Salvation Army bell-ringing, Christmas campaign, and circulated the sign-up sheet.
President Shellie Peterson announced the issuance of grants to local teachers to cover the expense of classroom projects, and distribution of dictionaries to Elementary Students, including Pagosa Peaks students. Additionally, she announced a Paul Harris Plus Two Award to Larry McClintock.
Turning from completed business to Rotary’s upcoming schedule, Shellie announced there will be no meetings December 20 and December 27, the two Thursdays bracketing Christmas Day. It was previously announced that Rotary is doing the Loaves and Fishes lunch on December 13, so there will be no regular meeting that day either.
Although there will accordingly be no regular meetings after December 6 until January 3, 2019, Shellie reported that the Rotary Holiday Party will be the evening of the day following Loaves and Fishes, December 14, at the Colorado Timber Ridge Clubhouse.
Bill Hubbard advised that the food for the party will be catered by the Buck Stops Here. Beverages will be BYOB, he said, with mixers, cups and ice provided. And Dave Campbell made an appeal for the loan of battery powered lanterns to light the building exterior and driveway, which are dark.
Among the festivities at the Party, Shellie said, will be a gag gift/piracy exchange: each couple will bring a wrapped gift, during the party recipients determined by draw will, in turn, open a gift from the pile, or piratically claim a previously opened gift from an earlier recipient (in which case the plunder victim will open a new gift), and so on until all gifts are distributed.
Additionally, there was discussion of an effort to provide help to the local Evans family, parents with three young sons, who very recently lost their home in the Vista neighborhood and all their belongings to a house fire.
Jo Bridges passed the hat during the meeting to collect emergency cash to donate to the Evans family immediately. And after discussion, it was agreed also that wrapped gifts for the family donated by Rotarians as they may deem appropriate would be collected at the Holiday Party, and presented to them as a collective Rotary effort. A sign-up sheet will be circulated at the November 29 meeting.
Membership Chair Dave Campbell then announced that Sandra Houston had completed all prerequisites, and presented her a blue name badge emblematic of full club membership. At Dave’s request, Sandra reeled off an impressive list of qualifying club activities in which she had participated during the past few months since receiving her red badge.
Dave undertook to provide some information about the Rotary International Project to eradicate polio in cooperation with the Gates Foundation, and about our individual club’s participation.
He began by recounting that among the 56 Clubs in our Rotary District, Pagosa Rotary last year ranked number six in total value of contributions, at over $3000. But in the two prior years, he said, our contributions had been negligible. The difference he attributed to a determined effort spearheaded by Neal Johnson and Sam Pittmon, begun last year.
Dave explained that the significance of the global effort to eradicate polio lies in a unique characteristic of the virus that transmits the disease: unlike the organisms which transmit other deadly diseases, it lives only in a human host and is not carried by insects or animals. So eradication is a real possibility through universal immunization, but as long as immunization is incomplete anywhere, with modern trade and travel, it could re-emerge everywhere.
The logic behind the eradication effort has sometimes been misunderstood in the few nations where polio still exists, Dave reported. He played a video from Pakistan, reporting that young women working to vaccinate children have been shot dead by tribal extremists in remote areas. So the effort to eradicate polio demands more than health care workers to vaccinate children, he noted, but also education to overcome opposition from community leaders.
Thanks to the substantial funding by Rotary and the Gates Foundation, Dave added, the effort is paying off. Many of the clerics in remote areas who have been roadblocks impeding the immunization effort have been and are being persuaded to change their views. So the goal of universal eradication remains in view despite pockets of resistance.
It's that time of year again! Rotarians get to deliver the dictionaries to the 3rd grade students at the Elementary School! As usual their excitement is palatable and the noise level in those classrooms is deafening. There are conversations wondering how relevant these books are in these days of google and cell phones. I wanted to share something one of our members shared with me.
"My son received his kids dictionary this week and totally love it. He's been repeatedly reading through it and telling me things he's reading about, and coming up with ideas and looking them up in it. Showing me about all the Presidents and more. Just a really cool and great idea to gift the kids an actual book in this day and age of many tablets and screens...thanks..."
Art Benzel did a great deal of research to familiarize himself with the depth of the Rotary Foundation. One of the things he said that really hit home with me is that we get so focused on our local community and our efforts here that it is easy to forget that Rotary is an international organization doing great things in the world.
Art gave us some history of the beginnings of the foundation when Rotary President, Arch Klumph, proposed an endowment for doing good in 1928 with a $26.50 donation. Today we have many opportunities to participate in this work through the Annual Shares Fund and the Polio Plus efforts and our own Donor Advised Fund. All three avenues are recognized with Paul Harris Fellowship award points.
David Smith then took the microphone to show us around the My Rotary website and how to make a donation directly to the Annual Share or Polio Plus programs. The Annual Share Fund is important because after being invested for three years, one-half of those funds come back into our District and becomes available for District Grants. Contributions to global efforts are best accomplished through the Pagosa Rotary Donor Advised Fund for efforts like this most recent one David is spearheading in Niger for science education in high schools there. As David has told us before, the World Health Organization defines extreme poverty as the 1.2 billion people that live on less than one dollar per day. Niger is a very poor country and by enhancing science education we can provide a means for young people to have a much better future.
Lastly, for those who have a particular thing they are passionate about, you can contribute to an Area of Focus through the Rotary Foundation. There is no return to our District 5470 for dollars directed that way though.
Birthdays abounded with Betty celebrating both Nick and Art in fine style!
What seemed like endless amounts of meetings and events were reviewed, most of them past by now with these couple of exceptions. Wednesday, November 14th at 5:00 is a Business After Hours gathering at the Lantern Dancer. The Lantern Dancer is a generous sponsor of Rotary and donated a lovely necklace and earrings set for the silent auction at the Barn Dance. Please come out and have a beverage and appetizers for just $8.
Another event that is still coming is presentations of the Teacher Mini Grants. Tuesday at 6:00 pm at the Middle School Library we will award to two teachers and again on Thursday at 10:00 am at the Pagosa Peak Open School we will award two more! More about that next week, but if you are free and would like to attend either one of those presentations please do so.
Wednesday at 11:00 am is a gathering at Justus Ministries in recognition of National Hunger and Homelessness week. We are also invited to attend that event.
Theodor led off with a discussion of Denmark, a land one-sixth the size of Colorado, having a maximum land altitude of 563 ft., 443 islands, 6000 power-generating windmills, Viking heritage, free health-care and education, and even salaries for students to attend college. (Imagine: young people don’t need to start life staring at a mountain of debt!)
His father is a farmer, with a big house (the whole Rotary club could stay there, Betty exclaimed), and 1000 acres producing wheat, barley, rye and supporting 2000 pigs – pork is a Danish staple, Theo explained. Of course, he acknowledged a national fondness for pastry too (“Danish, you know.”)
Denmark is known for Lego, Maresk shipping containers, Carlsberg Beer, and Hans Christian Andersen, Theo reported, while displaying photos of all, Andersen being represented by the Littlest Mermaid statute in Copenhagen Harbor. The city of Copenhagen is ancient, with many buildings of great antiquity. Denmark has a King, the current leader of a Royal Family that has held the Danish throne since 1665.
Danes have a distinctive sense of humor, Theo said, providing an exapmple: “Are you finished? No, I’m Danish!” They make fun of one another, he added.
He has two brothers and one sister, and a large extended family overall. He gets “lots of presents at Christmas,” Theo said, perhaps demonstrating the Danish penchant for poking fun, even at one’s self.
Theo said he enjoys skiing, skeet shooting, hunting for birds, deer and elk, and helping with the work on the farm.
Catalina then took the microphone to talk about Chile.
The invocation was a reading from the extraordinary book of essays by 20th Century naturalist, Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac. The chosen excerpt reminded of the awesome splendor of our surroundings in the mountains of the Southwest.
Sharon Crump then lead the group in singing “God Bless America,” in honor of the impending Election Day.
Meeting visitors of note included District Governor-elect, David Wood, of Salida, a cheerful man who suggested Rotarians should join him in regularly displaying their Rotary pins on their garments.
Carrie Weiss then kicked off the Holidays with an announcement of the annual Salvation Army “Bell Ringing” campaign. Rotary will wield the bells and man the pot at City Market for a total of 10 days this year, Carrie announced, and began circulation of the sign-up sheet for volunteers to choose their slots. Unexpectedly, Carrie sprinkled her announcement with a series of “Y’alls.” Do Christmas bells remind Y’uns guys of Dixie? (All right, it’s a Pittsburgh equivalent. As soon as I heard the Y’alls, I’m thinking, Y’uns.)
The vast majority of the benefits of the bell-ringing campaign are enjoyed locally, Carrie stressed. Adding tangible emphasis to the point, Larry McClintock reported that Rotary had just received a $1000 check from the Salvation Army, to support the Feed our Children project.
Providing an update on another Rotary project that benefits local children, Jo Ann Laird reported that the Free Dictionary Distribution to Elementary School 3rd Graders would occur this year next Thursday, which will be November 8, in the afternoon following the Rotary meeting.
Reporting on the Polio Plus campaign, President Shellie Peterson advised that $510.28 had been collected in cash by volunteers from members of the public outside City Market on October 24. She advised that donations by check to the Rotary Foundation can be delivered between now and year’s end to Larry. Shellie said the goal is total local contributions of $3500, and with checks already received, added that we are about half-way there.
Shellie also announced that the Rotary Holiday Party will be on December 13 this year. As it happens, Rotary is also serving a Loaves and Fishes lunch that day, she added.
Betty Switzer then took the floor, gesturing with bubble-wand and hefting her newly-renamed “Thanksgiving Pumpkin,” (formerly her Halloween Pumpkin, but recycling of plastics is a good thing).
First Betty disclosed the welcome news that only a single $1 fine had been assessed for “pin default” this week. I assume that was good news to Governor-elect Wood, but he was too busy tucking into lunch to comment.
Then Betty turned to Sunshine/Showers.
First up was Dave Richardson, whose Sunshine was “I’m eating!” (Or was that a protest of Betty’s interruption? The entrees did look quite appetizing, and Dave was following the example of the Governor-elect.) Then Dave Cammack took the floor. He was far more garrulous than Dave R; Dave C reported that his son got a job as a game warden and built a house; he added that the Cammack family bagged two bull elks this year. (Dave’s cup, evidently, “runneth over.”) Kim Moore extolled the “best Barn Dance ever,” and celebrated her most recent exotic trip, to Tibet, where she discovered the delights of Yak Yogurt. (Ah ha, there’s an idea for next year’s Barn Dance. Then Kim can enjoy exotica without missing the Dance.) Codie Wilson reported that the girls and boys cross-country teams both qualified for the state championship meet. And your intrepid scribe set down his pen for a moment to rejoice in the planting of 15 aspen trees with the aid of a team of generous neighbors. Betty concluded by announcing that Y’all was the word of the day. (Some time, I want Y’uns to be the word of the day. Then we can all by “Y’nzers.”)
Shellie then turned off the bubble machine, and added two more announcements: that the second installment of the Rotary Leadership Institute would soon be held in Bayfield (the installments are independent, she explained, so interested Rotarians will benefit from attending even if they were not able to make the first installment), and that there will be no meeting on November 22, which is Thanksgiving Day this year.
November is foundation month – The ROTARY FOUNDATION
The Rotary Foundation transforms your gifts into projects that change lives both close to home and around the world. As the charitable arm of Rotary International, we tap into a global network of Rotarians who invest their time, money, and expertise into our priorities, such as eradicating polio and promoting peace. Foundation grants empower Rotarians to approach challenges such as poverty, illiteracy, and malnutrition with sustainable solutions that leave a lasting impact.
The collective leadership and expertise of our 1.2 million members helps us tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges, locally and globally. We are united by common values and vision for the future as we sharpen our focus with targeted specific causes that will reach communities most in need.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
For more than 100 years, our guiding principles have been the foundation upon which our values and tradition stand. The Four-Way Test, Object of Rotary, and the Avenues of Service express our commitment to service, fellowship, diversity, integrity, and leadership.
AREAS OF FOCUS
We direct our efforts in six areas to enhance our local and global impact. Our most successful and sustainable projects and activities tend to fall within the following areas:
Promoting peace
Fighting disease
Providing clean water
Saving mothers and children
Supporting education
Growing local economies
HISTORY OF THE ROTARY FOUNDATION
At the 1917 convention, outgoing RI President Arch C. Klumph proposed to set up an endowment “for the purpose of doing good in the world.” In 1928, it was renamed The Rotary Foundation, and it became a distinct entity within Rotary International.
Rotary Appreciated your Support on World Polio Day
By Sam Pittmon
Two weeks ago, the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs asked for your help to raise funds on World Polio Day October 24. We are pleased to report that we raised over $500.00 to support our efforts to eradicate Polio from the face of the earth. All money raised will be forwarded to our International Rotary Foundation Polio Plus Committee where The Bill and Malinda Gates Foundation will match $2 dollars for every $1 donated. So, what that means is that your donations will grow to $1500.00. All those funds are then forwarded to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative whose goal is to stop the spread of the polio virus and rid the world of polio disease.
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs appreciates the generosity of the Pagosa community in supporting this fund raiser and all other Rotary sponsored activities. We extend a special thank you to City Market Shopping Center manager and staff for allowing us to solicit donations at their front door.
To learn more about the global efforts to eradicate polio and to donate to the cause go to endpolionow.org.
May you walk gently through the world and know its beauty all the days of your life
Pledge of allegiance: Jeff Switzer
Song: “The More We Get Together”
Silent Auction: Greg and Donna Wynn set up a silent auction of beverage item left over from the Barn Dance. Members were asked to bid on those items.
Meg Wempe gave us all a quick lesson on how to protect ourselves from “coodies”. The fist bump rather than the hand shake.
Visiting Rotarians: Elaine and Jim Mckinney from Los Cruces, NM. They each always sit at different table when visiting other Rotary clubs. They were welcomed and appeared to enjoy their visit as they stayed long after the meeting was over.
Guess of Rotarians: Cindy Galabota introduced her mother Diane who is visiting from Green Bay, Wisconsin who is celebrating she 75th birthday, her friend Jill of Pagosa Springs and friend Jena from Tucson, AZ.
Jan Pitcher introduced her guest Oralee who was our Rotary club’s third exchange student from Normandy, France 25 years ago. She brought along her twin daughters. She spoke and lauded her exchange student opportunity as changing her life. Because of that experience, she has traveled to many other countries including China, Malaysia and all over Europe, Russia and Asia working as a chemical engineer. She noted the changes in Pagosa from what she remembers. She will be visiting with members of her host family while in the US.
Announcements: John Richardson informed us that Lassie Olin’s sister from Arizona passed recently and that a sympathy card is being circulated. Joann Laird added that Lassie’s mother died earlier this year and another sister died last year.
Larry McClintock gave an assessment of the financial report from the Barn Dance. He stated that we did better than last year. Ticket sales were $3465.00 this year compared to last year $2565.00. Auction items were $4090.00 compared to $3180.00 last year. The beverage bar collected $1667.00. He estimated a net income of 15,600.00 for that event. There was raucous applause and cheers from our members.
Jeannie Bissell the chairperson for the Barn Dance expresses gratitude for everyone’s support and stated that she learned a lot from the experience and hope that we can continue to up the ante each succeeding year.
Neil Johnson talked about the World Polio Day Fund raiser that our club sponsored yesterday a City Market grocery store entrance. He applauded the “group of heroes” that signed up and rang the bell for donation. He thanked Carrie Weiss for providing the Salvation Army Kettles, and Art Benzel for displaying his Polio Plus t-shirt, Greg and Donna Wynn for the cow bells from the Barn Dance. He then tried to auction off a jacket left at the event that turned out to be Art Benzel’s. He then told of the receipts that included 165 wadded-up one-dollar bills that took him “hours” to sort. There was about $500.00 in cash and two checks collected (the final count will be reported later). He told of one elderly lady that donated $50 as she told the story of her experience with polio as a child.
Bill Hubbard announced the Loaves and Fishes Banquet being held on December 2 at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church for all who have participated. You should contact Bill to sign-up if you would like to attend.
President Shellie reminded members that it is not too late to donated by check to TRF Polio Fund if you have not already donated. Our goal this year is to raise $3500.00 total including the money collected at City Market.
Sunshine and Showers: Betty Switzer granted a sunshine to Granton Bartz (not present) for not knowing that the cowbell should only be rang after a donation was put in the red kettle at Polio Plus event. He rang that bell for the entire hour he was there. He was having such a good time that she didn’t have the heart to tell him to quit.
Georgette Baumgartner gave a sunshine for those Rotarians that showed up in support of the grand opening of her new business. Sandra Houston also celebrated that she and her husband are getting a new puppy.
Meg Wempe recognized this morning that the fire restriction signs are still up at the library and is pleased that there were no real fires in the Pagosa area. She also is happy for the recent snow up at Wolfe Creek Ski Area.
Jeff Switzer shared a shower for friends that many of us know. Garry and Cathy Stevenson is grieving the passing of his mother recently.
Sue Whalen is happy to be in Archuleta county where the roads are not nearly as bad as they are in south eastern Colorado when it rains. She was unable to travel to work today because the roads were not driveable.
Dianne Bower commented on the great talent of Dennis Elkins at Thingamajig Theatre who is the playwright and producer of the recent play “Box”. She called it the best play ever. She appreciates that we are so fortunate to have such wonderful theater shows in Pagosa.
Betty Switzer praised John Richardson’s tenth year anniversary as a Pagosa Springs Rotarian. He apparently donated $10 to Rotary for each of those years.
Betty then showed appreciation to Jeannie Bissell for becoming a pro at organizing and executing the Barn Dance. Jeannie apparently is also a pro at mopping the bathroom floor after the barn Dance and has a thumb blister as proof.
Bill Hubbard was excited to announce that recently his Notary Commission was renewed by the Secretary of State of Colorado and that we Rotarians can now get free notary from him.
Exchange Students Updates: Theo had an uneventful week at school last week but over the weekend he traveled to Telluride for two soccer games that his team loss. He then noted that his host family went along, and he got to tour the area and enjoy the scenery. Kata stated that she went to Durango during the weekend and enjoyed the movie “The Hate U Give” that was “really” good. Her host family dad celebrated his birthday yesterday and that was fun.
Cindi Galabota was our special speaker last week.
Cindy Galabota talked to us about her life story. She started off by saying that she was a bit nervous, but this recorder did not notice. She stated, “I don’t think that I have had a very exciting life”. She was born outside of Chicago, IL. She has a brother that is an archeologist who discovered a picture in a family box of her great-great grandfather. He also found the exact same picture at a museum in Chicago that showed that this grandfather was one of the men that help settle the city of Chicago.
Cindi grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Her dad was a priest. Her mother was a school teacher. She has two older brothers. The oldest is Mike who is the archeologist. Mike is the director of archeology at the University of Michigan and the curator of the archeology Museum at the University. He travels the world during the summers including places like Albania. Her younger brother is Chris and he is a teacher and lives in China. He teaches high school mathematics and is a running coach. He also runs marathons all over including the Great Wall of China. He has two kids. He has traveled all over the world.
Cindi’s family has a cabin in northern Wisconsin that was purchased in 1926 by her grand parents and says that there are several cabins on the compound that are owned by different family members. Cindi spent a lot of summers at the cabins and now visits frequently to enjoy the beauty. It is near Lac de Flambeau which is also near Minocqua, WI. She learned how and became a good water skier while there.
She went to Ohio Wesleyan College and graduated in 1987 with a degree in environmental studies and zoology. She worked at The Columbus Zoo in Ohio and got to work with the famous zoologist Jack Hanna. She got a chance to train animals and work with birds of prey, macaws, parrots and snakes. She then moved to Chicago where she got a job at the Lincoln Park Zoo which is one of the last free zoos. She worked with the education department and enjoyed going in to work early in the mornings to see the animals at play.
She talked about one of the defining “moments” of her life was when her father died of colon cancer. She was 22 y/o and he was 54. He was her best friend and they were very close. She misses not being able to call and talk to him. It’s sad that he never got to meet her kids.
Cindi met her husband Scott in Chicago shortly after her father died. He is from Madison, WI. They “hit it off” quickly and were soon married. Scott is a 6th grade teacher and cares a lot about his students “making sure that they get what they need”. He is a “really good father” for their 2 kids Donavan who is 12 y/o and Karina is 7 y/o. She is proud to say that her kids are best friends. He is kind and thoughtful with his little sister and she admires her big brother. Karina is an aspiring actress who acted in the local production of “Annie”.
Cindi talked about another sad event in her family which was the death of her brother Mike’s son named Liam that took his own life at 14 y/o. No one new that he was troubled and couldn’t understand why even though Mike and he were very close. Cindi drilled the point that parent should talk to their kids about suicide because most kids won’t talk about it but learn about it from social media.
Cindi and her husband have been in Pagosa for 14 years. She initially worked for Habitat for Humanity and joked that she thought that organization had something to do with the Humane Society. After Habitat she went to work with the Chamber of Commerce but found out that Chamber job took all her time and left little time for family.
She then went to work at Southwest Bank as a lender for three years. She then realized that she missed working for a non-profit organization and left to take a non-profit job with Pagosa Public Library earlier this year. She says that she “loves to work there”.
Lastly, she talked about her love for sports. As a child she took gymnastics and got to travel the US competing and when 11y/o she took first place in the hoop routine and tied for first place in all around. She played softball in high school and rugby in college. Now she does CrossFit workouts.
She ended her talk with “I am happy to be in Pagosa”
Club Raffle: Greg Wynn had the lucky ticket, but he was not present to pull the lucky card. His fill-in pulled a “dud” 10 of hearts.
Investing in science education in Niger is really an economic development effort. As in Senegal, there will be a partner club in country and David will be traveling there to instruct the instructors for four high schools. With funds from other clubs, the District and Rotary International any dollars we can contribute are leveraged into many more. This is an exciting opportunity to make a huge difference in a large number of young people's lives as they will be better prepared to get good paying jobs and take care of their families. So - the second 'ask' of the day, checks should be made payable to Pagosa Springs Rotary Donor Advised Fund, again, be sure your name is easily identifiable as contributions to the DAF also are awarded Paul Harris Recognition Points.
The Rotary Foundation and International Service - July 18, 2018
Dave Smith took the floor with a two-fold mission: to beat the drums to find a new chairperson for our chapter of the Rotary Foundation, and to introduce Pagosa Rotary’s latest international project, which will undertake to strengthen high school science instruction in the central African, Saharan nation Niger, which lies south of Algeria and Libya. The new project seems to be essentially a clone of the Senegal project that has been underway for a few years, with very similar objectives and means.
The local Rotary Foundation chairperson position has been open for a couple of years, David reported. He projected a job description on the screen, which filled every available inch with an avalanche of small-font characters, completely illegible to the audience.
With his characteristic, mischievous grin, David explained the slide was printed in such small font on a crowed page because he didn’t want us to see it, and quickly jumped to the next slide before potential candidates could be intimidated. The new slide, he said, summarized the essence of the position in three short words: “communication, organization, encouragement.”
Communication, he continued, with Rotary International to provide a two-way flow of information between it and our club; organization, to stimulate local involvement in Rotary Foundation activities via a local committee; and encouragement, to move us collectively forward to new and better contributions to the mission of the Rotary Foundation to fund humanitarian activities.
Dave digressed briefly with a description of Rotary as a combination of elements like a three-legged stool: local clubs numbering 35,000 with 1.2 million members all over the world, Rotary International, which herds the cats clubs into a semblance of organizational structure, and Rotary Foundation, which provides funding to help support humanitarian projects on the District level and globally, such as the Senegal Project.
With a simple pitch like that, Dave, you’ll find someone to be Foundation chairperson in no time at all.
Supporting Education in Niger - June 17, 2018
Niger is a land-locked West African country that is twice the size of Texas. About 80% of Niger lies in the Sahara Desert. In 2015, the United Nations ranked Niger 187 of 188 countries in human development.
Approximately 70% of its population cannot read. Yet, within the capital city, Niamey, there are high schools where students study biology, chemistry, physics and English. These students will likely play a major role in future economic development in Niger. The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs is working with the Gaweye Rotary Club of Niamey to improve education in two high schools in Niamey.
The Gaweye Rotary Club of Niamey is a well-established, highly active club. Great folks to work with!
Funds from a District Grant were used to buy 3 computers and 2 digital projectors that will be used by the science teachers. These funds were also used to buy voltmeters and other supplies used for teaching physics. I spent a week in Niamey where I met with school officials, taught 2 short teacher training workshops, and developed plans for a global grant that will substantially expand our efforts to improve education in these two high schools.
High school physics teachers use a computer provided by our District Grant to study simulations of common physics experiments. The combination of computers, projectors and simulated experiments is highly effective for teaching large, over-crowded classrooms. This equipment is also useful for showing Youtube videos.
Having completed an in-depth Needs Assessment, we are now preparing a Global Grant application which will be submitted to TRF in late May. The main objective of this program will be to support science and English education in two high schools. This program will build on experience we have gained through four Global Grants carried out in Senegal.
Supporting English language instruction is a new goal for our program. French is the national language in Niger. Little English is spoken. Yet, a country can be part of the modern world only if a substantial part of its workforce speaks English.
We are looking for clubs to help us in two ways. Of course, we will appreciate financial support. You can also help by hosting a small group of English teachers for a week in the summer of 2019. These teachers speak English, but have never visited an English-speaking country, such as England or the US. We plan to provide a month of practical training in English, but need Rotary Clubs to host the group for a week.
For more information, please contact David Smith (email: dsmith7@unl.edu; tel: 970 264 6647)
In addition to the 4th Annual Jewels and Jeans Barn Dance sponsors listed below, the Rotary Club of Pagosa would like to thank the band, County Thunder. Clay Campbell, Dennis Kleckner, Greg Guitar and Josh Devoti had everyone on their feet and having a great time! We thank all of those that came out and danced and bid on auction items in support of scholarships for graduating high school seniors and all the work that Rotary does in our community. Our gratitude goes out to Jake Montroy, Michael Branch and Mark Crane who all gave their time and talent for our first ever ‘live’ auction. Finally, we would like to thank the Pagosa SUN and KWUF Radio for their endless support with media coverage of Rotary events throughout the year.
Without a reporter last week, I can only recall a few of the announcements and other activities of the meeting, but we did wish Happy Birthday to several ladies from our group. Cindi Galabota, Donna Wynn and Jeannie Bissell all got to wear funny hats and get sung to. As always, Betty did a great job with this assignment, even though it appears our data is not always exactly correct. If you notice an error, let me know and I will get it fixed! Or you can log on to Clubrunner, go to the Membership Tab, Membership List and click the letter of your last name. You can change anything or make any additions to your profile.
World Polio Day is this Wednesday, October 24th, and the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs will be ringing those bells to solicit donations. For every dollar Rotary raises toward the total eradication of polio, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will match it with two dollars! So, Neal's challenge to each of us was to make it $34 so that with the match the contribution instantly turns into $100.
Stop by the City Market Shopping Complex this Wednesday and put your check in the red bucket. Be sure your name can be identified on the check so that Larry McClintock will be able to get Paul Harris Fellowship points awarded.
Neal Johnson Shares Upcoming World Polio Day Events
Carol (Ci Ci) Stuart kicked the proceedings off with the invocation: “As we Rotary members and guests gather here today, we pray we are ever mindful of opportunities to give service to our fellow citizens and community. Always keeping in mind the enduring values of life, we exert our efforts in those areas upon which our future generations can build with confidence. Let us continue to strive to make this a better and more harmonious world.”
Sharon Crump then daringly defied the elements by leading us in a merry rendition of the old classic “Let it Snow.” (I enthusiastically joined in, belting out the chorus; we do all revel in our beautiful winters. But there are limits: I didn’t see very much defiance of the elements as traffic was crawling over Wolf Creek Pass at 20 mph in the swirling, mid-morning snow Wednesday; there was instead an abundance of white-knuckled respect on display, and no doubt many sighs of relief were heaved as snow-free South Fork came into view. The snow was heavy all the way from Treasure Falls to well past the summit. On the drive to Salida that day, only Wolf Creek had real snow. So there you have it – the “most snow” boasts substantiated!)
Announcements ensued. To begin, Lisa Scott provided some information to supplement the presentation she and school board member Brooks Lindner had made at a Rotary meeting a few weeks back regarding the proposal for a mill levy override to benefit Archuleta School District to be decided by voters this fall: First, Lisa clarified that the measure will generate a consistent $1.7 million new revenue for the schools each year of its seven-year life, rather than vary with property appreciation. Second, she clarified that the revenue would be used in part for teacher and staff salaries, but would not result in salary increases for District senior management including Superintendent Linda Reed.
Madame President Shellie Peterson then reminded all to bring in donations of Halloween candy being collected by Rotary to help the families of the Pagosa Springs Mesa Heights neighborhood cope with the annual influx of an eager hoarde of “trick or treaters” it experiences.
Shellie then turned to World Polio Day, coming on Wednesday October 24, when Rotary will again be manning a pot at City Market to collect donations from members of the public. She reminded us that the goal of Polio Day is eradication of the scourge of the disease world-wide, and donations collected by Rotary Clubs will be matched by the Gates Foundation, 2 to 1, with a total goal of raising $450 million over three years.
In addition, Shellie reported on the recent District Conference, and with the help of Livia Lynch indulged in Club bragging rights earned by prizes awarded to us at the Conference.
First, Shellie reported that we had been recognized with a Presidential Citation, bestowed annually on only ten clubs in the District, based on criteria such as level of community activities and membership growth. She noted that our 6000 plus hours of community service (valued at a modest $25/hr.) and cash donations to community causes were worth over $200,000 during the last year.
Shellie then asked Livia to describe the really big award received by the Club, the DD Monroe prize, for which we received a handsome banner to display for one year. The Monroe award is given to one club a year, based on the quality of its community activities. Livia provided a rundown of many strong services our club provides to the community, like the backpack program, Loaves and Fishes, and the exchange program, which with others earned the award. Generally, Livia proclaimed, the Monroe award simply is recognition “this is an amazing club.”
Exchange students Theodor Bonlokke and Kata Acuilera also reported on activities they attended at the District Conference with their peers from communities throughout the District. Theodor took the lead in describing the group’s activities during the weekend, including a scavenger hunt in the Cripple Creek community, and a visit to a near-by gold mine. When Kata had her turn, she reported that Theodor had covered everything, except their enjoyment of the pizza.
Information concerning the October 20 Jewels and Jeans Barn Dance then became the focus of attention. Betty Switzer repeated an earlier appeal for set-up and clean-up volunteers. John Richardson reported that tickets were moving, but were still readily available for additional celebrants to don their finest and fanciest and join the festivities. Treasurer Larry McClintock called for Rotarians to beat the bushes for sponsors, who in addition to the satisfaction of supporting their community will receive recognition at the Dance and year-long publicity. And Jo Bridges reported there will a selection of choice items for the silent auction. (A source who has requested anonymity because he, she or it was not authorized to speak publicly, has informed your reporter that one will be an Alley House gift certificate.)
Betty then took plastic pumpkin in hand, and reported on the just-instituted, pin-lacking members $1 fine program, which she said had yielded proceeds of $9.25 (Betty – you let someone off for a quarter????), and a harvest of lame excuses (the dog ate it, and it’s in my other car, an adult variant of the old homework alibi, “I forgot it at home”).
At this point, Lassie Olin and Kriss Campbell began crying “Help, Help,” over spilled water (no doubt it would have been milk had there been any). It’s not clear to this reporter whether the glass knocked over at their table was a clever diversionary maneuver to avoid further details from Betty on the lame excuses (Betty had just outed Meg Wempe on the bit about the car), an expression of sympathy for the poor victims of Hurricane Michael, or simply an accident. But it is clear that Betty’s report was abruptly terminated by the commotion. Perhaps a team of crack investigators should be assembled. But don’t ask Saudi Arabia for guidance: that likely would produce a team of crack obfuscators. (“Oh absolutely not, he left, for sure. And we’re going to investigate, you bet.”)
Mr. Vihel represented a volunteer group supporting the ballot initiative proposed by Archuleta County to increase local sales tax by 0.1% for a term of 15 years, in order to raise $19.7 million for construction of a jail and a new Sheriff’s Office. (County officials are prohibited under Colorado law from advocating for the ballot initiative.)
Our speaker explained the history: Colorado law requires that each county maintain its own jail. Archuleta county had operated a 34-bed jail downtown in compliance with the law, until a severe storm in 2015 flooded the facility, immediately causing uninhabitable conditions for inmates, but also damaging the foundation. Due to the issues with the foundation, Mr. Vihel stated, costs to repair the building would be prohibitive, and the available space is not large enough to meet present and future needs in any event.
(Note: Mr. Vihel did not mention, but your reporter is aware from familiarity with the jail issue dating from his tenure at the Pagosa Springs Sun, that replacement of the jail because of its clear inadequacies had been under active discussion for many years prior to the 2015 flood. Also, readers may remember that the Sheriff’s Office had been housed in recent years adjacent to the jail; it remained in its space in the building even after the flood until approximately a year ago, when conditions in the building degenerated to the point of being unhealthful, causing employees to fall ill. The Sheriff’s office thereupon relocated to the Emergency Operations Center on Piedra Road near the County Airport. Likewise relocating from the old building at about the same time were the Archuleta County Courts, which now operate in the La Plata County Courthouse. Future accommodations for the Court system will not be resolved by the pending ballot question.)
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs was proud to be the recipient of two very prestigious awards for the 2017-2018 Rotary Year. At the Rotary District 5470 conference in Cripple Creek they were awarded the Presidential Citation Award. This award is to recognize Clubs that are strong and making a positive difference in their communities by achieving goals related to Rotary’s three strategic priorities: to support and strengthen clubs, focus and increase humanitarian service, and enhance Rotary’s public image and awareness. The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs met and exceeded all of the goals it set and was recognized with this award.
The second award that was received was the D. D. Monroe Award. This award is made annually by the District Governor to recognize the BEST Club in the District. While recognizing a Club as the best Club of the year, it also pays tribute to D. D. Monroe for his many contributions to Rotary. This is the highest award given by Rotary District 5470 to recognize truly vibrant Clubs. Much of the criteria for this award builds upon the foundation of the Presidential Citation and adds additional criteria for measurable improvement over the previous year. It is highly competitive with only 1 out of 56 Rotary clubs in District 5470 being recognized.
President Kim Moore, the Club Board of Directors and all of the members of the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs are to be congratulated for all of their efforts to serve in the community of Pagosa Springs and the world!
Livia Cloman Lynch Announces the D.D. Monroe Award
This Saturday, October 20, from 7 to 11, you will want to be at the Archuleta County Extension Building for the 4th Annual Jewels and Jeans Barn Dance! Get out your best country outfit because there will be some competition this year! There will be prizes for the Best Dressed Cowboy and the Best Dressed Cowgirl. WAIT! There are even more surprises! There will be a live auction early in the evening with several very fun and exciting items including spending a day fly fishing with Gary Morris, country music artist, at his Mountain Spirit Ranch on the Navajo River. This exciting opportunity can be arranged directly with Mr. Morris for sometime after July when the river conditions are perfect for fly fishing. Other live auction items include a beautiful necklace and earring set donated by Lantern Dancer and a new black cowboy hat autographed by Clint Black which has been donated by Garry and Cathy Stevenson. In the silent auction there are more items as well including lift tickets from Wolf Creek Ski Area and ski rental certificates from the Ski and Bow Rack, just in time for that fresh snow.
We had many fine experiences at the District 5470 District Conference, but the Rotary Youth Exchange Flag Ceremony always touches my heart! So many exceptional young people getting to know about our country and making friendships that will last a lifetime! Theo and Chata were fine ambassadors and carried their flags of Denmark and Chili well and with great pride.
Better be getting ready!!! It's going to be the best party in town, next Saturday night!!
Ticket sales are due into John and Helen Richardson by MONDAY, October 15th, or you will be charged for the tickets you have in your possession. No one wants a ticket to go unsold! Get them turned in if you have not sold them so that some of our "Super Sales" folks can do their stuff! Besides, it's not a party unless there is a full house and we have important WORK TO DO HERE! We are raising funds for our scholarship students! and all the other work we do in this community every day. More folks attending, more folks learn about Rotary, more folks buy cocktails, more folks bid on silent and live auction items. It is all important.
Speaking of important, how are your sponsorship commitments coming? We need these in by Monday as well. There is time required to get to the printer for the large poster acknowledgement of our very important sponsors for this event.
The Mayor began by providing some personal history. He has lived in Pagosa Springs since 1973, he said, and since 1977 has been serving the town as a volunteer or employee. (Don did not say, but many of those years were spent as a member of the Pagosa Springs Police Department, including a lengthy tenure as Chief.). He identified his personal priorities in life as God, family and serving Pagosa Springs.
The Mayor expressed the hope that all members of the community also love Pagosa Springs, observing it is a family, and we do best when we work together. No one has all the answers, or even all the questions, he said, so we need to break down divisions, follow the Golden Rule to treat others as we would like for ourselves, and recall that the only thing we will “carry into eternity is our relationships.”
We must “care about each other,” he observed. And, he suggested, “commit yourself” to something bigger. With mutual caring, shared work and commitment, “Pagosa Springs will be off the charts,” the Mayor predicted.
Speaking of other key figures in the Town government, Don extolled the collegiality of the Town Council. The Mayor is one of seven members of counsel, who presides over meetings but does not possess any superior powers, being entitled like the other members to one vote in deciding issues presented.
The current Town Manager is Andrea Phillips, who took over the job upon the retirement last year of Greg Schulte. The former Manager left “big shoes to fill,” said the Mayor, but Ms. Phillips has been great, and everything the Town could have hoped for. She may even one day surpass Schulte’s legacy, he observed.
With regard to the Archuleta County Board of Commissioners, the Mayor said the Town and County have a very good relationship. Council and the Commissioners meet once monthly in a joint work session, and in recent years have cooperated closely on identifying and seeking to foster progress on three community priorities: Early Childhood Development, Affordable Housing, and Broadband Internet Service. The mayor commented that the Town and County could do even better than they have in working together, but overall the relationship is very positive.
With regard to the three community priorities, in response to an inquiry what could be done to improve slowness in the rate of achieving progress, the Mayor commented that we don’t have a king and democracy takes time. But, he suggested consistent with his initial theme, we can achieve more progress by coming together with a shared commitment to finding solutions.
The meeting began with Kim Moore presiding in the absence of President Shellie Petersen while attending the District Conference at Cripple Creek.
The invocation was delivered by Meg Wempe, consisting of a compilation of observations suggesting the richness of human experience and aspirations. A few of the many thoughts included were: “Share the extraordinary experience of being alive,” “Let us celebrate our shared humanness,” “Let us work together for a better year.”
Sharon Crump then took the microphone to lead the group in singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” in honor of the Colorado Rockies.
Meeting visitors of note included John Duvall, visiting with Larry McClintock.
Jann Pitcher thanked the many who turned out for the Great Put Hill Pickup. Among the trash collected were several items that bespoke of more than mere litter, perhaps indeed of life gone wrong in one way or another: Larry found a Harley Davidson watch, Jo Ann Laird found a piece of a Chevrolet grill, and Dave Campbell found shoes, socks and a T-shirt.
So my suggestion is that we should have a contest for the best sentence explaining the loss of these items, such as: “On a hot day, the Chevrolet being driven by a man in a t-shirt collided with a pick-up carrying a water tank which ruptured in the collision, causing the hot and frustrated Chevrolet driver to leap out of his car and strip down to cool off in the cascading shower, but the pick-up driver, hot and bothered on his own, alighted from the truck to exact justice, leading to a hasty retreat by the Chevrolet driver leaving sections of the vehicle and all his belongings but pants by the roadside.” Lame, I admit, but that’s the idea.
Jann followed her description of the mayhem on Put Hill (no wait, that’s my idea, not hers) to report glad tidings regarding Barry Wheeless, whom she said had received a “get out of jail card:” i.e. been released from the hospital following four surgeries, the insertion of a rod in his forearm to repair the original broken bone, and a bout of double-peneumonia that landed him in intensive care for several days.
Lisa Scott reported that exchange students Cata and Theodor (plus a few others based in nearby communities) were attending a Rotary camp at Cripple Creek, with the help of Kenny Rogers of Pagosa Mountain Rotary. Lisa added that Pagosa outgoing exchangers Savannah and Lauren were doing well overseas, despite a little difficulty for the former with her host family requiring a little attention.
Betty Switzer then made an appeal for Barn Dance volunteers, noting especially that strong backs were needed for set-up and clean-up. In addition, she noted that two more volunteers to occupy seats of power as entrance door ticket-takers were needed.
Larry reported that sponsorships for the Dance were coming in, but solicited continued efforts to recruit more.
Kim Moore asked Rotarians to contribute candy for Halloween, needed in a town neighborhood that traditionally is swamped by trick-or-treaters.
Betty then returned to the floor for Sunshine/Showers, with bubble machine in hand. She began with an announcement advising that starting October 11, $1 fines would be imposed for attending meetings without proper attire, i.e. anything as long as a Rotary pin is attached (Betty did not specify where the point of attachment should be). Betty then suffered a brief memory lapse, saying the other thing she wanted to say was “something,” before quickly recovering by adding that the fine money and S/S donations will benefit the Scholarship fund.
Ci Ci Stewart then offered a “sunshine” by observing, “It rained.” (Two for the price of one, suggested a voice from the crowd.)
Lassie Olin thanked Rotarians participating in the backpack program, observing that the program was off to a good start with 15 students signed up already.
Jeff Switzer then offered a sunshine with the observation that a grandson had pledged to a fraternity at the University of Arkansas.
A final sunshine was offered by Kim, recounting her enjoyment with husband Walt of taking care of their granddaughters for several days while daughter and son-in-law were off on R ‘n R. One of the features was a youth soccer game, at which an apparently pointed reminder was imparted by one of the granddaughters that one-time coach, current grandpa Walt’s role was “to cheer.” (Probably a reminder others may have merited on occasion.)
Join with the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs on World Polio Day to donate to endpolionow.org. We will be ringing the red kettle bells and taking donations for this important humanitarian work at the City Market Shopping Center from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM! The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will match $2 for every $1 donated.
The 6th annual World Polio Day event will take place at the College of Physicians in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The livestream begins at 18:30 Philadelphia time (UTC -4). Find out how you can take part in World Polio Day, and watch last year's livestream program featuring global health experts and celebrities sharing our progress on the road to polio eradication. Find out how on endpolionow.org.
By the time the world is certified polio-free, Rotary’s contributions to the global polio eradication effort will exceed US$2.2 billion, including US$985 million in matching funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Rotary’s contribution to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative since 1988 accounts for nearly 14% of all contributions through June 2017 and represents approximately 42% of private sector contributions. Rotary is the leading non-governmental voluntary organization contributor to the GPEI.
Art presented to us a very thoughtful invocation that was inspired by the Beatitudes of Matthews Gospel. It goes as follows:
What is wisdom?
Having experience, knowledge, good judgement marked by deep understanding and keen discernment.
Who is wise?
People who show concern for others based on wisdom.
What makes a Great Leader?
It starts by truthfully valuing other people. By demonstrating your appreciation to all concerned. By celebrating success. By holding hands with failures.
What did I learn by thinking through this little exercise? That all of us are of value to Rotary and to each other.
And then to paraphrase this in the style of the Four Way Test: I believe this.
To be true
To be non-judgmental
That we are building goodwill and better friendships
That by using wisdom we are being beneficial to all concerned
Pledge of allegiance: Livia Lynch
Visiting Rotarians: Kenny Rogers form Pagosa Mountain Rotary. He was selling beer mugs with a coupon for free beer at Pagosa Brewery. This was a fund raiser on behalf of his Rotary Club.
Exchange student reports:
Theodor Bonlokke continues to enjoy school and that his soccer team has lost all the games that have been played. He is living with the Farrah family.
Cata Acuilera continues to enjoy school and that she will be participating in cross country track meet this weekend. Her host family is the Raymond family and she gets a kick out of their son Paul as he tries to speak Spanish to her.
Announcements: President Shellie announced that District Rotary Conference will be held next week. She will be attending and encouraged other members to attend as well. She extended a welcome back to Donna and Greg Wynn, Bill Darling and Terri House. Shellie reminded all to continue recording volunteer service hours stating that compared to last year we are 124 hours short for the year. She also reminded all to request a leave of absence from the membership chairperson if you will be gone out of town for more than a couple weeks. Sadly, she told us that John Duvall has resigned from our club.
Jan Pitcher announced that there will be trash pick-up on Putt Hill this Saturday. Participants are told to meet at Pagosa elementary school at 8:00 AM and be prepared with gloves, hats sunglasses and sun screen. Be on the look out for interesting finds to report at the next meeting. There may be a prize for the most interesting or unusual find.
Helen Richardson reminded members that she was taking money for Barn Dance tickets and requested that any tickets not sold should be turned in as soon as possible.
Jeannie Bissell appealed to all members to sign up for duty to help at the Barn Dance though she feels that all is going well.
Sam Pittmon made an announcement about the up coming Rotary Polio Plus Day schedule for October 24. Our rotary club will for the second year sponsor a fund raiser on that day at the City Market Grocery store. We will be ringing the bell for donations similarly to Salvation Army at Christmas. Last year we raised over $3000.00 dollars and would like to best that total this year. A sign-up sheet will be passed so that everyone has an opportunity to volunteer as a bell ringer. You may also donate funds directly to our club by check. Neal Johnson and I will be having a presentation on Polio Plus on October 18th.
Jo Bridges solicited volunteers to sign-up to help with Feed Our Children Backpack program. There are three opportunities to help and they are stuffing backpacks, transporting them to the school and lastly giving the backpacks to the kids at the school. The first delivery will be October 5th. Jo also made known that there is a need for additional certified “raffle masters”. Certification can be easily obtained online.
Sunshine and Showers
Betty Switzer our Sargent of Arms cheerfully reminder us that today is Thursday. She then reminded members that cell phones are going off and that there is a fine for the guilty person unless the call is for Rotary Business. She suggested that fines of quarters and dollars is better than nickel and dimes. Let this be a warning. While discussing fines she stated that Rotary members not wearing a Rotary pin can be fined, too!
Jan Pitcher shared a sunshine that her two granddaughter’s volleyball team recently beat Bayfield for the first time in 11 years.
David Campbell shared that he and Kriss travel to Lake City last week not knowing that the group that he was with had plans to climb the fourteener Handies Mountain. Guided by Donna Wynn they were successful. Donna Wynn congratulated Dave and Kriss for their feat.
Betty Switzer voiced a “Thank you” to Terri House for her support through publishing Rotary News in the Pagosa Sun.
Georgette Baumgardner announced new Barn Dance sponsors Davis Engineering and Exit Reality.
Art Benzel presented a discussion aimed at an easy way to sell tickets and get sponsors for our Barn Dance. First you must know the location, date, who is providing the food and the name of the band that will be playing. You will need to know that any checks made out should go to Pagosa Rotary CAF.
Art then suggested the best approach to gain sponsors. If you know the person you are more likely to get their support. You should exhibit honesty by looking eye to eye to the person. You should read the sponsor letter to them and make a point to tell that all moneys raised stays locally. Georgette added that money raised is used to make a significant difference in many children's lives through the scholarship, dictionary programs and other projects. You should make sure to let the sponsors know that their business logo will be included on our bulletin page and website and that when someone clicks on their logo it takes them directly to their business website.
Finding Rotarians out working in our community is certainly not a rare event! This particular morning was the opportunity to clean up trash along both sides of Highway 160 from the Elementary School to Piedra Road.
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs is one of more than 33,000 Rotary Clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. The members of these autonomous clubs are called Rotarians and they form a global network of 1.2 million business and professional leaders, all volunteering their time and talents to serve their communities and the world. Visit www.pagosaspringsrotary.org to learn more.
Rotary International is an international service organization whose stated purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian service and to advance goodwill and peace around the world.
Codie presented an overview of Pagosa Outreach Connection which is a loosely organized group of some 15-20 business and churches in Pagosa Springs whose objective is to provide financial support to a certain niche in Archuleta county. Since 2004 this organization has been helping individuals and families who live from pay check to pay check and are not eligible for assistance from other sources. Pagosa Outreach provides emergency assistance as needed. Members meet once per week to review applications and then decide who gets assistance and how much. Usually assistance is provided for rent, utilities, medical expenses and vehicle repair. Checks are written out to the business that is owed money by the applicant. The applicant is not given money directly. The recipients of aid are screened by the Department of Human Services locally or they are referred by our local veterans’ organization.
Our Rotary Club has donated approximately $4000.00 dollars yearly ($1000.00 per quarter) to this organization that regularly donates more that $30,000.00 each year to needy families and individuals. Codie has been our club liaison to Pagosa Outreach for several years and Livia Lynch applauded her dedication to this project.
The meeting began with an invocation delivered by Cindi Galabota, which she described as a “prayer/poem.” The piece called upon listeners, in artful language, to recall the many affirmative characteristics of life, and encouraged grateful observance.
Jessie Formwalt then took the microphone to lead the group in singing a chorus or two of the old favorite, “Home on the Range.”
Meeting visitors of note included our newly arrived exchange students, Cata Acuilera, from Chile, and Theodor Bonlokke, from Denmark. Not sure, but I think they like the food served up at Pagosa Brewing.
Also present was Ashley Wilson of victim advocacy group Rise Above Violence, who invited all to attend the annual fund-raiser, Art Above Violence, in which local artists practicing in forms ranging from painting, sculpture and music to dance, tell the stories of victims through their chosen medium. The event is this Saturday, September 29, beginning 6 pm at the Pagosa Springs Art Center with an auction of art works, followed by a show of performance art at 7:30.
Jann Pitcher then announced the annual Put Hill cleanup on September 29, and solicited volunteers.
Sandra Houston, Nick Tallent and Larry McClintock next reported on attendance at the recent Rotary Leadership Institute, which was held in nearby Bayfield. Sandra described the event as “very impressive,” saying it really hit home what we’re here for. She noted the emphasis in Rotary participation on three qualities: service, creativity/engagement, and “fun!” Leadership is not a formula, she suggested, and different personal styles can succeed in engaging others.
The date for the Barn Dance this year will be October 20, Jeannie Bissell announced. Tickets were distributed, and a sigh-up sheet for volunteers was circulated. “It’s going to be fun!” Jeannie exclaimed, and announced beer would be only 25 cents a bottle! (Just kidding. But suppose . . . )
Georgette Baumgartner touted the sale of sponsorships, a substantial source of revenue from the Dance. She solicited leads to good prospects, and pointed out that sponsors receive complimentary tickets. Jeannie suggested that sponsors be encouraged to use the tickets, noting they were sure to enjoy the 25 cent beers (no, no, no; your reporter is running amuck in flights of fancy!)
President Shellie Peterson encouraged Rotarians to attend the District Conference at Cripple Creek, at a Casino (there you have it, fun! Just like Sandra said.). The Conference will be October 4 – 6. And Shellie also pointed out that our club is looking for new Board members, and suggested interested persons should contact the Nominating Committee.
Betty Switzer then took the floor for the much anticipated announcement of this month’s birthdays. Our two joyous celebrants were Lisa Scott and Janelle Syverson, who basked in the warm glow of a Happy Birthday serenade. Then wedding anniversaries were announced: Bob Eggleston (5 years), Jann Pitcher (48) and Jessie Formwalt (54 years and counting). Jann’s 31st anniversary as a member of Rotary was also noted, with the observation that she had been the local first woman to join. (And now look, quoth Betty!). Also observing Rotary anniversaries were Terri House, Lassie Olin, Bob Eggleston, Jo Ann Laird, and David Smith.
Betty followed the celebration of anniversaries with an announcement there would not be time this week for Sunshine and Showers, but relented in the face of widespread protest. Among the items then shared were Sharon Cope’s disclosure of a recent ordeal with a breast cancer diagnosis, leading to surgeries, but recently also to bright sunshine in the form of a clear scan of lymph nodes.
Bill Darling also spoke of suffering recent health problems, but told of a silver lining in the gloom of hospitalization: while in a Denver hospital, he and wife Margaret had a visitor who stayed a week, a one-time exchange student from Venezuela, Ate, whom they had hosted years before. “What goes around, comes around,” Bill commented.
And continuing a theme, Dave Richardson gave a health update on Barry Wheeless, whose difficulties continue with a case of double-pneumonia that has landed him in intensive care. Barry would greatly appreciate sunny greetings from Pagosans, Dave suggested.
Shellie (denying the suggestion that she was “having a cow” over the delay), then reasserted order and called upon our speakers.
School Board member Brooks Lindner, with the help of Lisa Scott, was present to discuss the November ballot question that would authorize a so-call “mill levy override,” that seeks to provide new funding for local schools from real estate tax proceeds.
Brooks explained that the additional revenue that would take effect for the 2019-2020 school year if the override is approved, and would be used by the schools for three purposes: salaries, school resource officers (essentially police officers permanently assigned to each of the local schools to provide security), and support of full-day kindergarten.
Brooks and Lisa pointed out that teacher salaries in our school district are low. The starting salary for a new, recent graduate teacher in Pagosa is approximately $34,000, and even a teacher with 20 years experience and a Master’s Degree is paid only approximately $56,000. These salaries are not competitive, they said, even as compared to neighboring districts that already benefit from mill-levy overrides.
This competitive shortcoming is increasingly critical, they told Rotarians, because there is currently a worsening, national teacher shortage due to declining enrollments in teacher education college curricula. Our community simply cannot compete for quality teachers at the existing salary levels.
The override that would be permitted by passage of the ballot question has a seven-year “sunset clause,” Brooks said.
Livia Lynch then asked for more specific information on how the money would be used, noting that she is aware that a position for a science teacher recently drew only one, poorly-qualified applicant, possibly due to high levels of demand for talent in non-educational technical fields; would raises be across the board, or selective she inquired.
Brooks responded that the School Board would make the decision on specific allocations of the new funds if and when the measure passes.
John Richardson followed with a question whether the potential new money might be used to increase administrator salaries as well as teacher salaries, specifically referring the School Superintendent Linda Reed. Brooks repeated that the Board would make that decision when appropriate, but added that Ms. Reed’s salary is squarely in the “middle” of the range for superintendents, and in the Board’s view she is highly able and diligent. He also said that the District’s administrative staff is “bare bones,” at present.
Bill Darling observed that many local voters are seniors, who no longer have children in schools, and asked what the School Board’s response would be to such voters’ concerns that they would realize no benefit from approval of the override?
Brooks suggested in reply that education is a collective social obligation, and even if voters here do not have family members in the local schools, they may have grandchildren in schools in other communities. Would they want voters in those communities, he asked, to be indifferent to the quality of their grandchildren’s education?
Brooks also suggested that, more broadly, the quality of life in a community is greatly influenced by the quality of its schools in many ways, including the simple reality that it can be an important factor in attracting new residents with needful abilities. Would those senior voters be indifferent, he asked rhetorically, to the quality of health care available to them in the community? And, he added in a final point, one result of is that by attracting new residents, good schools lead to increasing property values.
We served 249 meals last Thursday, just one less than the week before.
Emily Jones, the lady in the kitchen who was preparing the meal is possibly going to be the new L&F cook. She has a good bit of experience and started work on the meal right away. L&F is going to give her another "interview" when she prepares a meal next week. I presume we will hear after that. I was pleased with what she did, her cooking knowledge, and her work ethic so my opinion is that she will be a good choice. I passed my opinion on to L&F.
More than 775 million people over the age of 15 are illiterate. That’s 17 percent of the world’s adult population.
Our goal is to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy. We support education for all children and literacy for children and adults.
How Rotary makes help happen
We take action to empower educators to inspire learning at all ages.
Rotary members make amazing things happen, like:
Opening schools: In Afghanistan, Rotary members opened a girls’ school to break the cycle of poverty and social imbalance.
Teaching adults to read: Rotary members in the United States partnered with ProLiteracy Detroit to recruit and train tutors after a study showed that more than half of the local adult population was functionally illiterate.
New teaching methods: The SOUNS program in South Africa, Puerto Rico and the United States teaches educators how to improve literacy by teaching children to recognize letters by sounds instead of names.
Making schools healthy: Rotarians are providing clean, fresh water to every public school in Lebanon so students can be healthier and get a better education.
When you teach somebody how to read, they have that for a lifetime. It ripples through the community, one by one.
Will entertained us for 25 minutes with discussion and photos of his travels with wife Kristi to France and northern Europe this summer. He initially related some history of his family heritage. His paternal grand father may have been related to Pocahontas and his grandmother was from northern Italy and was an importer of silk from Milan, Italy. A maternal grandfather was from the Netherlands and was a minister who died in a ship wreck in the 1600’s.
He stated that he was born in Cambridge , MA and believes that he was conceived when his parents were honeymooning in France. Therefore, he has a personal connection to France. Kristi apparently also has a strong connection to France as well through her studies of art and history of France. They visited several history museums and art galleries and several photos were shared with our audience including van Gogh paintings. Will also circulated several books to compliment the pictures. They attended a French Baroque Musical performance at a church built in the 1700s. He showed a photo of the church and the soccer game that was being played adjacent to the church simultaneously.
Will stated that they visited other famous landmarks including the Louvre Museum known as the world’s largest art museum, the Pantheon, the Eiffel tower and Musee d’Orsay.
They were able to ride the highspeed train (TGV) that travels at speeds of 320 km/hr across France and Europe. Will got a chance to do some glacial skiing in the Italian Alps after traveling to Italy through the tunnel by the TGV from France to Italy.
He ended his talk with a brief mention of the Milankovitch cycle which is a cyclical movement related to the earth’s orbit around the sun that determines when the earth plunges into a glacial period and when it thaws out of one. According to Milankovitch’s theory, Will predicts that the earth will be in another ice age in 23000 years if I heard that right. Now that’s something we should be worried about!
Will Spears - Travel to France and Northern Europe
You will only ever live the life you have created for yourself
Being busy does not mean being productive
Some sort of failure always occurs before success
Thinking and doing are two different things
You don’t have to wait for an apology to forgive
Some people are simply the wrong match for you
Its not other people’s job to love you, it’s yours
What you own is not who you are
Everything changes, every second
Song led by Sue Walan: America the Beautiful
Exchange Students Remarks
Cata Acuilera reported that attending school in Pagosa Springs is “different”. She has decided to participate in the sport of Cross Country. Theodor Bonlokke reports that school is “very nice” and that he is participating in sport of soccer. They both will be going to Durango this weekend to visit with other Rotary exchange students in the region.
Visiting Rotarians: none Guest of Rotarian: none
Carrie Weiss made known the Salvation Army Bell ringing schedule for this fall. Bell ringing will begin November 24 and end December 24. Rotarians previously did bell ringing on the weekend for five weeks. She warned that Rotarians may be needed to do some bell ringing during the weekdays. Sign-up sheets will be circulated soon. She will also be requesting volunteers to do kettle deliver, set-up, take down and collection deposits. Other volunteers may be need to serve as Bell Guards that are responsible for filling in for volunteer bell ringers that sign up but is unable show up.
Bill Hubbard thanks those who showed up to help with Loaves and Fishes last week for a job well done. He made known that he is not a fan of “pink paper”.
Jo Bridges announced the passing of a previous Pagosa Rotarian Jerry LaQuey and she circulated a sympathy card.
Jan Pitcher announced that another trash pick-up activity is scheduled for September 29. A sign-up sheet will be circulated.
Kim Moore announced that our 4th Annual Barn Dance scheduled for October 20th from 7 pm to 11pm at Archuleta County Extension Building. Tickets will be $15.00/person and $25.00 for two. There will be silent auctions and 3 live auctions. Our newly inducted Rotarian Jeannie Bissell has graciously volunteered to be the Chairperson for this event.
Carrie Weiss announced sadly that our honored club president Shellie Peterson’s mother-in law passed away recently. A sympathy cart was circulated for all to sign.
Georgette Baumgardner announced that her father in law Gary Morris has volunteered to perform a musical concert on behalf of Rotary at Pagosa Springs High School with proceeds to support youth programs at the school. The date and time have not been determined.
Jonnae Benzel spoke on behalf of our Rotary Membership Committee in encouraging all members to actively recruit new members for our club and don’t think that it’s only the Membership committee’s responsibility.
President Shellie the discussed the Why and the How of Rotary with emphasis on our values and what makes Rotary different. We then recited the Four Way Test.
Sunshine and Showers:
Betty Switzer made her jubilant return with bubbles after being away for three weeks.
Sunshine: Cici and Bruce Stuart revealed that we get off easy with a dollar sunshines compared to $25.00 they had to pay out at a club in Grass Valley, California.
Sunshine: Kim Moore welcomed the return of Betty and Jeff Switzer and Granton Bartz and her son’s 23 birthday. Shower: She announced the loss of Shellie’s mother in law.
Sunshine: Warren Brown praised the Pagosa School Board approval for an Resource Officer Patrol at the schools 5 days per week to improve safety for students. He also gleefully added that his wife won the 50/50 raffle at a recent Colorado Rookies baseball game that netted $5000.
Sunshine: David Cammack reported that his son will soon get his master’s degree and maybe a job in Gunnison, CO.
Sunshine: Jeff and Betty Switzer announced that they enjoyed a wonderful 13 day cruise recently that originated in Montreal, Canada. There were 9 ports of call on the way to Ft. Lauderdale, FL. They showered the unlucky consequences of putting your car keys in your checked luggage on a return flight to Durango especially when your luggage does not arrive when you do. As expected, that story was worthy of many laughs.
The weekly raffle ticket sales were $44.00 and the total pot for the raffle was up to $81.00. Melanie Garrett’s ticket was drawn but Luck failed her as she pulled the six of hearts.
Congratulations to Larry McClintock, Sandra Houston and Nick Tallent! All three Rotarians attended the Rotary Leadership Institute (Part 1) in Bayfield last weekend. Part 2 of this training is scheduled again in Bayfield on November 17, 2018, at the Pine River Public Library. You can still sign up for Part 2 even if you missed Part 1. Which I am very glad about as I was one that had to miss Part 1! Registration and breakfast burritos will begin at 8:30 with class beginning at 9 am. There will be a light lunch and session will conclude at 4:45 pm.
Here is a sample of the materials covered during Part 1:
For those interested in learning about the world of Rotary and its benefits.
Leadership – Insights:
As a Rotarian, I am, by definition, a leader. We will explore the characteristics of leadership, motivational techniques, and leadership styles. How do I best lead?.
My Rotary:
I am part of a worldwide organization of like-minded people. We will take time to understand the purpose and structure of Rotary.
Ethics – Vocational Service:
As a Rotarian I am ethical. I recognize and promote ethics in others, and I seek opportunities to serve others through my vocation.
Our Foundation:
Learn about the basic goals and programs of our Foundation.
Engaging Members:
I make my club and Rotary stronger by my active participation. Engaged club members have fun, make friends, and effectively serve.
Service Projects: – I am a vital part of a worldwide organization of business, professional and community leaders meeting needs in communities. I can build, run and promote service.
Note: your reporter was detained at work and arrived late, regretfully missing the Invocation and song. Accordingly, neither is covered in this report, which commences with the introductions of the new incoming exchange students for this school year.
Lisa Scott introduced Rotary to new exchange students Kata Acuilera, from Chile, and Theodor Bonlokke, from Denmark. Both rose from their seats briefly to tell us their home-towns: Kata is from Santiago, and Theodor, from a community one hour from Denmark. While our visitors’ brief “hellos” left all curious, no doubt we will hear more from them in the coming weeks.
Then the new exchange students got to hear from three of their soon-to-be fellow Pagosa Springs High School students, as they and Rotarians were treated to a presentation from this summer’s local Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) attendees. (A fourth local attendee was last-year’s Exchange Student, Laura Delgado, who had departed with her indefatigable cheerfulness for Brazil prior to last week’s meeting).
According to the Rotary District 5470 website RYLA page, the program was started in Australia in 1959 in anticipation of a visit by a member of the British royal family. It was adopted as a club activity by Rotary International in 1971. Our District’s version is for 10th and 11th grade students, though the international program is available for a much broader range of ages, 14-30.
The program this year was held June 22-25 at Colorado Mountain College in Glenwood Springs. A description of the program provided to its participants described it as a “Leadership Retreat,” in which they had been invited to participate, “because Rotarians in your community have identified you as a student with leadership potential.”
The description continued, “The RYLA Retreat Weekend is an intensive leadership training program. The teaching staff will lead a program on recognizing your personal leadership strengths, practicing your skills in leadership, and will teach practical skills in how to lead a meeting, event, or organization. There will be both discussion-based activities as well as physical group challenges such as games and ropes courses over the weekend.”
Consistent with usage in RYLA’s birthplace, Australia, the word “Award” in the name is synonymous with “scholarship,” reflecting the Club’s sponsorship of attendance. This year’s local awardees/attendees Emma Happ, Nolan Kay and Piedra Goff, were introduced by Roberta Tolan, our RYLA chairperson.
Their presentation began with recognition of the absent Laura, who, Nolan said, ”Had a pretty dang good time” at the retreat. He added they had not known Laura well beforehand, but they all “clicked,” from the beginning of the weekend. And that seemed pretty representative of the experience: Emma, Piedra and Nolan all commented at various points in their presentation about their enjoyment of the opportunities for making new friends the Retreat provided.
They described a fun and challenge filled, educational, long weekend involving games, team-based events including trying physical adventures and service projects, social activities ranging from movies to a dance, presentations from experienced leaders, and debate-like exercises in communication skills daring them to resolve moral issues and defend their solutions.
Participants were divided into groups for the duration of the retreat and throughout the activities. At first, Nolan recalled, members of his team “butted heads because everyone wanted to be the leader.” That impeded performance he observed, citing his team’s difficulties with the “low ropes” exercise, but, he added, the group “got past that,” and then achieved exciting success through good teamwork.
Echoing Nolan, Piedra commented that the camp taught that followers are just as important to success as leaders. “There are two ways of spreading light,” she observed. “Be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” And similarly, she learned that rather than insisting your own view is correct, the path to moving ahead demands finding a way to “meet in the middle.”
Plus Emma noted the support that can be drawn from a team to achieve what appears too difficult. She being very afraid to go on the high ropes course with her team, but then the pride she ultimately took in having joined them to accomplish it. Through the various activities the team became “very close,” she said, having fun meeting challenges together.
At the other end of the spectrum of activities during the weekend, Nolan described being confronted with hypothetical moral dilemmas, such as which opposing choice to protect one of two deserving individuals from grievous harm would one make in a sudden emergency, similar to the dilemma presented in the movie classic, “Sophie’s Choice.” One “learns a lot . . . [from needing] to defend your views,” he said. “It’s harder than it seems.”
All three of our RYLA attendees said they would encourage other students to participate in future retreats. Emma said others should go, because they will “learn a lot.” Nolan agreed: it helped make him “a new person,” he observed. And Piedra summed the experience up nicely, by saying it taught “new perspectives.”
At the end of the presentation, the students were asked, how they would define leadership?
Their answers had much in common. Emma responded, a leader “includes as many others” as possible. Nolan said leadership involves working with others for “common goals.” And Piedra concluded it means “bringing people together.”
Rotary Youth Exchange and Youth Leadership Awards Students
Larry said that by generally accepted lore, his family is related to Kit Carson. The McClintock roots go back to Tennessee, he told us, where Leroy Carson, a relative born in 1820 is locally remembered as one of the “Immortal 600,” members of a Civil War regiment captured and misused as prisoners.
But his branch of the family moved west, and Larry grew up in Las Vegas, New Mexico, which he pointed out had been where Teddy Roosevelt recruited many “Rough Riders” for the Spanish-American War. The city for years was the site of Rough Rider reunions, he added.
Larry recalled the early years of his youth when vestiges of the “Gilded Age” of railroad barons and industrialists remained in Las Vegas, which in 1879 had become a major junction of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad. Among the features described by Larry were vast castle-like mansions, and ponds from which the railroad harvested winter ice for cooling.
One of the mansions over time had become a monastery, and Larry described the monks out and about in the town in their cassocks, even including when they joined in playing winter ice-hockey games.
After graduating from high school, Larry went to college, but soon dropped out to join the US Army. With a flair for languages, Larry was sent to the Defense Language Institute on the California coast near Monterey, where he said he went through an intensive course of instruction in German, while living in what (according to his description) must have seemed a near-perpetual fog bank. Then he was sent for training in radio intercept technology at a base in Texas, before being posted in June 1970 to a listening station near the town of Gartow on the Elbe River, then the border between West and East Germany.
Larry described border incidents during his period in Gartow, including a pair of East German border guards who escaped by crawling across the river on the winter ice, and announced “We surrender,” at a Chateau then being used to house US Military. The escapees were welcomed with a few drinks, Larry recalled.
Larry was in Germany for four years, during which he was married to a German woman. But when he left the service, she did not return with him to the US.
Larry then attended New Mexico State, got a degree, and became a CPA. He met wife Margaret, also a CPA, and both practiced in Albuquerque for many years, before they moved to Pagosa.
Kenny Rogers of (now) Pagosa Evening Rotary, and our local Assistant Area Governor, introduced District 5470 Governor, Chris Peterson, of Carbondale. Chris had spent an enjoyable social hour organized by Shellie with numerous Rotarians the prior evening at Pagosa Brewing, and was thus already known to several of the group. But for the benefit of all, Kenny noted that Chris owns and operates hardware stores, and for recreation (when he can find time from keeping so many balls in the air with all his business and Rotary obligations), plays golf and does nature photography.
Chris began his talk by recalling that before he joined Rotary, he dreaded public speaking. But a friend encouraged him to join, and since he pretty much already knew all the members in his local chapter, he took the plunge thinking it would be a nice way to see his friends. But, the next thing he knew, he was called upon to stand up, and introduce himself to the club.
Well, he recalled, he didn’t die from the experience, and so he progressively increased his participation in Rotary activities, becoming addicted, he said, to speaking, even before large groups. So when a friend suggested he might be a good District Governor, he decided to apply.
Chris then pointed out that before the group had assembled, he had placed pairs of large nuts and bolts on the tables throughout the room. (After all, he is a hardware man. Your faithful reporter, himself being irresistibly drawn to nuts and bolts and such like objects, would likely have been busy fiddling with same at the time, but for being occupied instead scribbling notes.)
Chris explained his curious handiwork by saying that Rotary could be analogized to the Eifel Tower. It’s a giant structure, he observed, but only stands erect as a monument known world-wide because of the innumerable nuts and bolts that hold it together. So too, he said, Rotary depends on its members to hold it together and support its globe-spanning activities.
Chris pointed out that Rotary is dedicated to service, which he broke into four categories: Community Service, Youth Service, Vocational Service and International Service. Beneficial services of these types, especially when undertaken in partnership with other groups and through use of global grants, he said, brings distinction to local clubs. And, he observed, “You guys do amazing stuff.”
The meeting began with a poetic invocation from Art Benzel, a celebration of our corner of the world, originally from the pen of former Pagosa resident Mark McNown, as follows:
Summers in Pagosa are so fine
Been coming here since ’89,
The mountains and rivers are pure
Seems like all that ails will cure.
The air is fresh, the sky is clear,
The deer and elk have no fear.
Hiking in the wilderness is a gift,
It’s like singing a song and playing a perfect riff.
Let’s all enjoy this special location;
Treat every day like an eternal vacation.
President Shellie Peterson followed with several announcements, including a renewed pitch for the “Club-runner” App for download on cell phones, that provides contact data on all members at your fingertips. Shellie noted that after the App was made available a week earlier, there had been a spike in usage, and offered assistance to anyone who not been present or had issues with the download.
In addition, she reminded the group of the upcoming Rotary Leadership Institute in Bayfield, to be held Saturday September 18 from 9 am to 4 pm. She encouraged attendance by all.
Lassie Olin then announced the Backpack program, resuming soon with the new school year, had received a large donation of Spaghetti-O’s packages for back-pack stuffing, and thus help was needed collecting the bounty from the Methodist Church. She solicited volunteers for the effort, to be made on August 28.
Sharee Grazda was present at the Meeting to tell us about the annual 9 Health Fair. (The Fair takes its name from the Denver TV station that sponsors it.) The Fair has been held in Pagosa for nearly 40 years, and is now conducted at 100 sites throughout Colorado. It provides various low-cost health screening measures such as kits to help detect colon cancer and blood chemistry tests that can turn up issues like pre-diabetes and high cholesterol.
The Fair was held earlier this year at Pagosa Springs High School, and drew 440 participants served by 150 volunteers. Sharee was present at the meeting to recruit volunteers for next year’s Fair, to help with coordination of supplies and administration of screening procedures. Medical experience is not required. The Fair is to be held April 27, 2019, 7 – 11 am at the High School, she said. Visit the 9 Health Fair website for more information and let Shellie know if you are interested in participating in this effort!
The meeting began with Cindi Galabota’s invocation, a re-telling of the story of Jerry, a highly committed positive-thinker. The story originated with Francie Baltazar-Schwartz, and was retold by Cindy in full. It is partially set forth here.
The story begins by demonstrating that Jerry had a magnetic personality. In the restaurant business, when he moved from one restaurant to another, staff followed him. He was a natural motivator, always encouraging others to look for the positive side. But, he was asked, “You can’t be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?”
Jerry replied with his assessment that “Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. . . . The bottom line: It’s your choice how you live your life.” And, he said, “I choose the positive side of life.”
Years later, Jerry was shot by robbers when preparing to open his restaurant, but survived despite grievous injuries. What was that terrible experience like, he was asked? “When they wheeled me into the emergency room,” he replied, “I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses. . . I read, he’s a dead man.” Then a nurse asked whether he had any allergies. “Yes,” he declared emphatically as he could manage, “I’m allergic to bullets!” After their laughter subsided, he added, “I’m choosing to live. Operate on me as if I’m alive, not dead.” And the ER staff set to with a will, did great work, and Jerry pulled through.
Of the conversation with Jerry, Baltazar-Schwartz wrote, “I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude after all, is everything.”
Thank you, Cindi.
Jessie Formwalt then led the meeting in singing the classic Woodie Guthrie song, This Land is Your Land. Guthrie wrote the anthem in 1940, likely as a protest against inequality (“This land was made for you and me.”) It included a complaint against a “high wall” marked “private property.” Later versions often omitted the verse with that line. The song was recorded by several popular performers in the 1960’s, and during his ill-fated run for the presidency in 1968 its adoption as our national anthem was proposed by Robert F. Kennedy. But regardless of one’s politics, the song’s invocation of this land’s blessings has universal appeal to Americans, and it has been called one of the most beautiful songs ever written by no less an authority than Bruce Springsteen. In 2002, it was added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.
President Shellie Peterson then announced that Rotary District Governor Chris Peterson will be visiting us next week. He will speak at the Thursday meeting, but on Wednesday evening August 22, Shellie is hoping to host a cocktail party in his honor in the back room at Pagosa Brewing at 5:45 pm. Shellie said the guest list has “choice spots available for qualified candidates,” and invited all Rotarians to attend, noting that the party is contingent on reasonable attendance. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Shellie by Tuesday.
Shellie also reported that the Rotary beer sales at early August’s Archuleta County Fair had been successful, netting a profit of $5200 to be shared by Rotary and the Fair Board.
Bill Hubbard circulated a sign-up roster for Loaves and Fishes on September 6. Not present to sign-up? Don’t despair – help is always welcomed by Bill.
Nick Talent touted the currently available Pagosa Adventure raffle tickets being offered by the Tourism Board and the Chamber of Commerce. Some pretty nice prizes are being offered, including a Polaris Rzr All-Terrain Vehicle and other recreational equipment. Nick said the drawing would be 7 pm Saturday September 15, so visit the Chamber of Commerce at the Visitor Information Center soon, to get in on the action. In addition to the Visitor’s Center, tickets are available at The HUB, Pagosa Mountain Sports, Ski & Bow Rack, and online at the Chamber of Commerce Website. Tickets are available for $5 each, or at a bargain price of 7 for $20.
[After the meeting concluded, Dave Richardson asked that two news items regarding Rotarians be added to the Bulletin. First, he reported that Barry Wheeless would be having his fourth surgery on his arm the next day (last Friday), and hoped to be home in Pagosa on Sunday. Dave suggested that Barry would welcome email and other greetings. Next, he noted that long time Rotarian Jack Threet, who had moved back to Houston, had recently celebrated a 90th Birthday, and suggested Birthday wishes would be welcome from Jack’s and wife Katie’s (only age 92) friends back in Pagosa.]
Ralph opened his presentations with an explanation of what had brought him to take on the mission of the organization, Who We Play For, and his ability to tell the heart-breaking story without faltering suggests that like Cindi Galabota’s Jerry (see meeting summary), he is a man blessed with extraordinary ability to see the positive and choose to live life fully.
Briefly, Ralph’s son, a gifted athlete, stricken by an undisclosed cardiac defect, collapsed on a Florida high school playing field in 2007 when only a sophomore, and died days later.
Who We Play For is an organization dedicated to providing cardiac screening to students by administering electro-cardio grams (EKG), which are read by volunteer cardiologists. The tests are not administered during routine medical exams such as might be performed by a primary care physician or other health care provider.
Ralph was introduced to the organization by several of his son’s friends, who formed a group following his death they named Play for Rafe, vowing to keep his memory strong. The group committed itself to equipping all youth sports facilities in Florida with Automatic Emergency Defibrilators, and also successfully won passage just last year of a Florida law requiring high schools to offer CPR classes.
Eventually Play for Rafe merged with Who We Play For, and after moving here in 2010, Ralph became a mainstay of the organization in Pagosa. The organization to date has arranged for cardiac screening of 100,000 students nationally, in seven states. 72 students have been found in the screenings to have problems needing immediate attention, Ralph told us. He recalled a girl who was found to have the same issue as his son, and remembered her thanks to him, “for saving my life.”
The Archuleta School District is now on board with the program, Ralph told us. The first student screening was provided at Pagosa Springs High School this past January, he said. Three students were found to have medium risk problems, triggering suggestions that they seek attention within a few months. He said students receive one of three grades based on the screening: low risk, medium risk (about 2.5% are so graded), and high risk (about 0.5% receive this grade) which requires immediate medical attention.
Undersheriff Hamilton opened with her concern with misinformation that circulated on social media about the situation with Archuleta County sheriff office and detention facility. They are now on a campaign to inform the public of what is needed and the plans for the future including a new ballot initiative this November 6. She admitted that the ballot initiative last year was preceded by a “miserable campaign” and that was why it failed to gain public support. This year they have created pamphlets and leaflets with questions and answers to inform voters of the reasons why a new Sheriff Office and detention facility is needed.
Among the main reason that a new jail is needed is the fact that the present jail was closed in April 2015 due to flooding and the detection of toxic gases such as hydrogen sulfide and methane and mold in the building. This has required that the sheriff’s office be moved to a different location and that arrested persons and prisoners be transferred to another jail facility. Most have been transferred to La Plata County jail and a few to Alamosa. Since 2015, La Plata county has been paid over 1 million dollars to house Archuleta county prisoners. It cost $54.00/inmate/day. Add to that the cost of overtime pay to Archuleta county deputies and transportation cost that includes vehicle maintenance and fuel.
She talked about the reasons why we need a jail in Archuleta County referring to Colorado Revised Statute 17-26-101 that states: There shall be maintained in each county in this state, at expense of the county, a county jail for the detention, safekeeping and confinement of persons and prisoners lawfully committed. Nothing in this article shall be construed to compel the erection of jails in counties having a population of less than 2000 or when the county owns a jail erected in any other place in the county.
She went on to say that there has been a significant increase in the number of people arrested in Archuleta County and has been steadily increasing since 2000. In the past year more than 600 arrests have been made. There have been 10 homicides in 8 years including 4 this year. There have been 14 attempted murders since 2010. The point is that there have been more crime and more serious crimes in Archuleta county during the past 8-10 years and this trend is expected to continue due to several factors including the passage of Amendment 64 (marijuana legalization), the increase in transient population, more vehicular traffic, increase in home and business burglaries, the increase in the number of illegal growers of marijuana as well as increased crimes related to other drugs and alcohol.
Plan on joining us on a day trip to Bayfield!! Saturday, September 8th!!
Course 1 The Rotarian
For those interested in learning about the world of Rotary and its benefits.
Leadership – Insights: As a Rotarian, I am, by definition, a leader. We will explore the characteristics of leadership, motivational techniques, and leadership styles. How do I best lead?.
My Rotary: I am part of a worldwide organization of like-minded people. We will take time to understand the purpose and structure of Rotary.
Ethics – Vocational Service: As a Rotarian I am ethical. I recognize and promote ethics in others, and I seek opportunities to serve others through my vocation.
Our Foundation: Learn about the basic goals and programs of our Foundation.
Engaging Members: I make my club and Rotary stronger by my active participation. Engaged club members have fun, make friends, and effectively serve.
Service Projects: – I am a vital part of a worldwide organization of business, professional and community leaders meeting needs in communities. I can build, run and promote service.
We will begin at 9 am and finish by 4:15 pm. The cost is $40 for all materials, lunch, and snacks. We will meet at the Bayfield Public Library in their conference room and plan to eat lunch outside in their courtyard.
Invocation: Pat Love offered an inspirational quote by a famous Persian poet Rumi: “The wound is where the light enters you”.
Song led by Betty Switzer: You are my sunshine
Visiting Rotarian: Ken Rogers of Pagosa Mountain Rotary. He announced that with the help of several of our Rotary members serving drinks at the county fair they sold 2100 drinks for a total of $8200.00.
Guest of Rotarian: Roberta Tolan introduced her husband, David Karan of Pagosa Springs.
Betty Switzer: Colton Castro who is one of our 2018 Scholarship recipients. Colton presented to our club a thank you card and in it he wrote “I want to thank you all for choosing me to be a scholarship recipient and I ‘m excited to show all of you my college experience. It will be an honor to represent The Rotary at Colorado State. I will do my best to return home and attend a meeting so I can update all of you on how I am doing. Again, thank you for your time and kindness. GO RAMS!! Sincerely, Colton Castro
Announcements: President Shellie passed out three sign-up sheets for members to pick their preferred committee involvement. She encouraged Rotary Members to attend Chamber After Hours event at Motel SoCo on August 22.
Joe Bridges announced the death of Tony’s Father . Tony is the owner of Pagosa Brewing that host our weekly meetings.
Kim Moore gave us an update on Bill Darling’s struggle with cancer. He apparently is in remission but his immune system is compromised so he is unable to be out in public for several months. Kim also gave notice that Joe Donavan’s family sent a card of appreciation for the Rotary video that was sent after his passing.
Jeff Switzer request the need for additional help with meeting set/up.
Betty Switzer then celebrated August Birthdays of eight Rotarians including the four present: Greg Booher, Linda Verrips, Mike Vanover and last but not least herself with the “Happy Birthday” song.
Betty then announced the Rotary Club of Pagosa membership Anniversaries of Bill Darling and Dave Richardson at 13, Mike Beckel at 5 years, Neal Johnson at 2 year and Greg /Donna Wynn at 1 year. She then reminded us all of another infamous anniversary: The passing of Elvis Presley on August 16, 1977 and there was a collective moan or was it a groan.
Sunshine and Showers: Codie Wilson suggested that Todd Pitcher had recently undergone stem cell therapy instead of knee surgery. Sue Walan was happy to be back after being away for several months. Pat Love showered Betty and Jeff Switzer for participating in a couples question and answers study and invited other couples to participate in the study. Livia Lynch shared sunshine for a recent successful “farewell to college tuition” vacation to Italy and Greece with her two adult children.
President Shellie recognized our waiter Carlos for service well done.
Rotary Raffle ticket winner this week was Bob Eggleston who failed to pull the ace of spades.
Internationalist extraordinaire and Rotary Foundation advocate Dave Smith introduced our speaker, Mujtaba Haider, and a guest, Anum Saba.
Dave explained he first met Mujtaba, who was then a member of a group called Pakistan Wilderness, in 2004 in connection with a program then ongoing in a remote area of Pakistan. At the time, Dave added subsequently, Pagosa Rotary wasn’t well versed on interactions with the Rotary Foundation, and he credits Dick Bond with conceiving the plan to gain the Foundation’s support for Pakistani relief projects, and leading the initial effort to raise matching funds.
Dave said that Mujtaba has been active at least since they first met in efforts to bring the benefits of modernization to rural, mountainous Pakistan. This summer, Dave reported, Mujtaba and Anum had come to the United States to attend a course at Harvard University, and had then come to Pagosa for a visit before returning.
Taking the microphone, Mujtaba told us the area of Pakistan where he works is not only remote, mountainous and poor, it is nearly inaccessible with no modern transportation (imagine the days a century and more ago of ox carts and Ellwood pass), no electricity, and no high schools. The population is widely malnourished, without an adequate food supply, and has no access to health care.
But he told us his credo is “always dream for the best.” And so, Mujtaba recalled, in response to a request to Rotary, finally a happy day came when a four-wheel drive truck was delivered to provide the infrastructure of what had til then been only a dream, a mobile medical clinic to carry health care to the area’s population.
Pat Love kicked the proceedings off with a “Zen” invocation: “When faced with two choices, choose one. You’ll know!”
Kim Moore then led the meeting in singing, “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee.”
Madame President Shellie Peterson then acknowledged the presence at the meeting of Barry Wheeless, after he and Treva moved away. Typically bandaged up, Barry had a daunting list of health issues to deal with and more to come. Betty Switzer vigorously solemnized the occasion with a celebratory cascade of bubbles, after she coaxed the bubble machine to life with a stern shaking. I was good to see Barry – at least the wheels didn’t fall off! (Sometimes it seemed as if that was the only thing left.)
Also recognized was the return after a period of absence of Jo Ann Laird. Jo Ann, apparently (and thankfully), only had other fish to fry in recent weeks.
Next, Shellie bestowed Paul Harris awards, recognizing donations to Rotary causes, on Jo Ann (her fifth) and Neal Johnson. Neal stepped up to accept his award without regard to the large bandage on his forehead, proving it’s hard to keep a good man down.
Shellie then passed along a message of appreciation for the 4th of July Parade from the Pagosa Springs High School Class of 1978, which celebrated its 40th reunion with a ride in the Parade on a flatbed truck featuring unrestrained dancing to period music (the Twist? No, that was 10 years earlier. Disco??? Who can say; it all blends together for me now as rhythmic thrashing about, indulged in only in fantasies of days long ago.)
Shellie also announced the Friends of the Library Community Book Sale, to be conducted Saturday August 11 from 9 am to 2 pm at Centerpoint Church. Also on sale will be CDs and DVDs. Proceeds will benefit the Library.
Announcements were concluded with news of two upcoming Rotary events, a meeting of Rotary International Leadership training on September 8, a mere hop, skip and a jump away in Bayfield, and the Rotary District Conference in Cripple Creek, Colorado on October 4 – 6 (lots of interesting speakers, but if your interest should happen to wane, no problem: the venue is a casino.)
To help keep everyone occupied while awaiting these events, Shellie circulated a list of Rotary Committees, urging every member to join three. (The list worked its way slowly through the room, as Rotarians evidently took Shelly’s request to heart, and only reached my table at the meeting’s end. Fortunately, my task was lessened, because my name was already attached to something called the Public Relations Committee. With baited breath I await discovery of what that is (perhaps it was described at a meeting I missed), but regardless of the details, fear not, I stand ready to pull my oar to achieve its mission.)
Lisa Scott, our own international Rotary Youth Exchange maestro, took the floor. She provided a brief update on the short-term summer exchange, reporting that Jack Foster is now in Italy visiting Mario Rizzo, and that Lousie Mequignon-Lariviere recently returned to France after a wonderful stay with in Pagosa with Sarah Ross.
Lisa also reported that two inbound exchange students for the 2018-19 school year will be here this month, one from Denmark the other from Chile. We will make their acquaintance soon, she reminded.
Lisa then turned to her principle topic for the day, the two Pagosa students outbound for a year’s exchange: Lauren Roland, ticketed for Denmark, and Savannah Vasquez, bound for Romania. After Lisa’s introductions, the two girls took a few minutes to tell Rotarians about themselves.
Savannah went first. She spent the earliest years of her life in Cape Coral, Florida, and moved to Colorado in 2015. She relishes the fact that with the clear air here, one can see great distances, as much as 100 miles from a good vantage point, she said. Local site-seeing, and the 4th of July Parade are other big highlights cited by Savannah. At the High School, she likes the option to take a variety of electives, and enjoys participating in cheerleading, especially the camaraderie. And she said, the Proms are great, with everybody having a lot of fun.
Lauren, the daughter of a retired US Airforce Master Sergeant, also spent the early part of her life far from Pagosa Springs, moving back and forth between Tucson, Arizona and Germany, as her father’s post of duty changed. With lots of experience of life in different parts of the world, and the associations she enjoyed with families from other NATO member countries, Lauren said she loves to travel. When her father retired, she recalled, her family first moved to Missouri before settling in Colorado. Moving here was a good choice, she said, for which she is thankful. Here her family especially loves camping, and hanging out together (including the dogs, Lauren promptly added).
Lauren’s parents were in the audience, and when she finished her talk, expressed their thanks to Rotary for making it possible for Lauren to have the opportunity to participate in the exchange program.
Lisa then thanked Lauren and Savannah. She told both they have “grown so much” already in the past year, and predicted they will be “great ambassadors.”
Invocation: Pat Love quote from Oscar Wilde: Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.
Song: Kim Moore- Working on the Railroad
Visiting Rotarians: Dick Bond from Albuquerque and Don LeFeuvre from St Martin and Sidney British Columbia Canada
Announcement: Kim Moore mentioned that Joe Donovan’s wife sent a note of appreciation for the memorial video.
Sunshine and Showers: After Kim’s pinch hit last week for Betty she showed appreciation by stating: Betty bubbles sounds better than Kim Bubbles.
Sunshine: Betty and Jeff were happy with their grandson’s soccer team win at nationals.
Dave Richardson had two showers and one sunshine.
Shower: 1. Barry Wheelers: He is back in the hospital with a cellulitis and arm fracture. He is needing more surgery on the left arm and have hardware replaced in his left shoulder. He plans to visit our club in the near future.
Shower: 2. Dave’s wife Janet is with her brother in Indiana who is dying and apparently has had test showing marijuana and amphetamine in his blood. A mystery to say the least.
Sunshine: Seeds of Learning benefit, Dancing with the Pagosa Stars was such a great event!
President Shellie discussed Being an Inspiration and rebuilding our Rotary Club’s committee structure and highlighted several committees and some of the members leading them.
Lisa Peters introduced the concept of the economic impact of early childhood education referring to the fact that Seeds makes it possible for parents to be able to maintain a job without worrying about child care. Child care is a top priority of Pagosa's town and county administration. Working parents can drop their kids off at Seeds on the way to work and pick them up on the way home.
She stated that there are about 600 kids in Pagosa that are between the ages 30 months to five years old and these are the ages of the kids served by Seeds. She explained how important early childhood education is for these kids and pointed out that a child’s brain is 85% developed by the age of 5. It’s been shown that kids that don’t have early childhood education fall behind.
A study of 40 year old adults find that those with early childhood education have economic advantages like a reduced cost to society, lower incarceration rates and there is a 7-13% return on investment.
Lisa Scott introduced some very-special guests, the pairs of students participating locally in Rotary’s short-term, summer exchange program.
Codie’s granddaughter Sarah Ross is paired for the program with Louise Mequignon-Lariviere, from St. Martin les Tatinghem, France (north of Paris). Jack Foster, a junior at the High School, is paired with Mario Rizzo, from Catania, Italy (on the east coast of Sicily).
Sarah started the exchange program with a month visiting Louise’s family beginning June 11. Both girls then returned to Pagosa for Louise’s month visiting the Ross family.
Mario began by visiting the Foster family, starting here in late June. The two boys will fly back to Italy this week, for Jack’s visit with Mario’s family.
Louise told us she participated in gymnastics. During her short stay here up to the time of the meeting, she noted having enjoyed Mexican food. In France, she cited crepes as a common food.
Sarah said her visit to France was very busy, and she enjoyed staying with Louise’s family, all of whom spoke English, except for the youngest of her two sisters. She loved the crepes, the bread, the pastry, and (perhaps a little) the wine with meals. She noted also the difference in eating habits, with essentially five small meals daily. In addition, she commented that the ability of teenagers in the US to drive earlier than in France, gave them more independence.
Jack described Mario’s visit as “a blast.” They had done a lot of hiking and water sports, and had a lot of fun, he said. But perhaps the best part was enjoying the opportunity to see Pagosa through the eyes of someone new.
Mario explained that in Italy he lives close to the sea, but also to mountains (Mt. Etna, an active but currently quiet volcano rises on the outskirts of Catania.). He reported he loves to ski in the winter, on slopes with a view of the Mediterranean. Lasagna is a favorite Sicilian dish, but, he added, pizza too. Asked about differences he had observed, with a grin he said the drivers in Italy, “are a bit crazy.”
At the conclusion of their comments, Lisa gave our two charming young visitors Pagosa Rotary banners to take home with them, to the accompaniment of loud applause from the meeting. Then Lisa, herself, received a round of applause, in heartfelt recognition from Rotarians for her outstanding efforts to make the local student exchange program a resounding success.
Short-Term Exchange Students from Italy and France
Speaker: Shellie Peterson on Rotary’s new theme, “Be the Inspiration.”
“The charge Rotary International has given us this year” is to Be the Inspiration, Shellie announced.
To inspire others to achieve something beyond the scope of their normal aspirations may be the extreme challenge of life, she explained, and success starts with getting inspired oneself. Inspiration cannot be achieved passivity, she reminded, but by actions of power to influence.
Consider the problems afflicting us and people around the world, such as health, education and the environment, and what can be done to help. Then, think “I can and I will” help, Shellie counselled, and “Don’t call it a dream, call it a plan.”
As examples of the necessary frame of mind, Shellie provided some thought patterns contrasting hesitancy to embrace inspiration with the pathway to its realization:
Not “I have never been a chairperson,” but “I would love the challenge.”
Not “I am too busy,” but “I want to make a difference.”
Not “I won’t be good at leading,” but “I have skills and can lead.”
Not “No one will be interested in what I say,” but “I have an interesting and unique background to share.”
“Rotarians don’t wake up to spend the day being ordinary,” Shellie observed, “and no one in this room is ordinary.”
“Do one thing every day,” she challenged, “that scares you.” Because, as Maya Angelou said, “Courage is the most important virtue.”
Shellie concluded by quoting Pablo Picasso, with a thought having true inspirational force both advocating and exemplifying the core of Rotary’s new theme.
“The meaning of life is to find your gift,” the great artist said. “The purpose of life is to give it away.”
The meeting began with an invocation by Art Benzel featuring a simple observation on the power of attitude: “A person can alter his life by altering his attitude!”
New President Shellie Peterson then started her term in office by looking back at last year’s accomplishments, noting that during 2017-18 Rotary members had tallied 6080 hours of labor contributed to community projects. If the value of labor be estimated at $25/hr., Shellie said, that’s equivalent to $152,000 worth of effort. Added to the $51,000 cash funding provided by members to Rotary’s numerous projects, she concluded the total value of Rotary’s contributions to the community during the year was over $200,000.
Shellie also separately looked ahead to the upcoming year, as the speaker for the main presentation during the meeting, focused on the year’s new Rotary theme, “Be the Inspiration.”
In addition to the collective pat on the back for the club from Shellie, Pagosa Rotary’s success measured by a very different yardstick was recognized also during the meeting by a visitor from a Rotary chapter in Arizona. Frank, whose last name and community your reporter missed, said our club was the “most friendly” he knew of.
Dave Campbell followed by introducing a new member, Helen Richardson, for brief remarks. Helen described herself as feeling like the luckiest possible person, due to three signal events during her life: finding her partner, finding her career, and finding “the most beautiful place,” Pagosa. Many a smile of recognition could be observed in the room as Helen concluded.
Newly anointed past-President (perhaps the highest honor enjoyed by a Rotarian) Kim Moore then took the floor to pinch-hit for Betty Switzer with Sunshine and Showers.
Even without the aid of Betty’s inexhaustible bubble machine, Kim herself began by verbally bubbling over with happiness from the recent visit of her granddaughters. Among other adventures, she recalled the youngsters had been thrilled to help with the festivities at the late-June Installation dinner. (This observer noted their Herculean efforts during the event to exhaust the bubble machine had not succeeded, but they certainly did delight in the attempt, circling the room repeatedly, launching clouds of bubbles floating madly and copiously every-which-way.)
Sam Pittmon similarly rejoiced at the recent visit of his 9 year-old grandson.
Codie Wilson then picked up the theme, by noting with pride her grandchildren who were joining Rotary for lunch at the meeting. One of them, Sarah Ross, a Pagosa Springs High School senior next year and a short-term exchange student this summer, later participated in the meeting, as described below.
Dan McPherson joined in by celebrating the christening of his great-grandson.
Finally, Shellie expressed appreciation of the success of the 4th of July Parade. As one modest demonstration of the magical power of the Parade, Shellie noted she had heard that at least one of the several participating pop bands had picked up a lot of business due to their participation. (Let’s hope another Parade participant, the Fire Protection District, didn’t pick up a lot of business, too.)
What??? Our new Madam President, Shellie Peterson, missed her debut??? Stage fright??? Forgetfulness??? (That would be like a certain well-known figure forgetting his Twitter handle.). No, explained Dave Richardson, it’s only that family obligations prevented Shellie’s presence. So, we just need to be patient.
Dave presided in Shellie’s stead, as comfortable as old shoes. No doubt the lengthy email of remainders from our absent leader -- displayed by our expert pinch-hitter in the form of a document approximately four feet in length (maybe Twitter’s limit to 140 characters is a good thing) – was more than enough guidance for him to find his way through his assignment with aplomb. Who can even imagine the chaos that might otherwise have ensued?
Cindy Galabota started the festivities with a quote from a poem by Langston Hughes, to welcome the return of lifegiving, fire-quenching monsoon rains, our substitute this year for the spring rains that the poet celebrated, in his “In Time of Silver Rain” (the full poem is reprinted here, thanks to the internet):
In time of silver rain
The earth puts forth new life again,
Green grasses grow
And flowers lift their heads,
And over all the plain
The wonder spreads
Of Life,
Of Life,
Of life!
In time of silver rain
The butterflies lift silken wings
To catch a rainbow cry,
And trees put forth new leaves to sing
In joy beneath the sky
As down the roadway
Passing boys and girls
Go singing, too,
In time of silver rain When spring
And life
Are new.
Next stepping forward was Kenny Rogers, of Pagosa (morning) Mountain Rotary, in attendance to express appreciation for those who have signed up to help out at the Beer Garden during the Archuleta County Fair. Kenny didn’t say, but from the absence of any appeal for more volunteers, one infers that the Beer Garden is already fully staffed, a month in advance – probably due to the excellent fringe benefits offered. (To those who succumbed to temptation, please remember: don’t drink and drive! But, if you do, there’s a good lawyer in town . . .)
Checking his email list, Dave then chimed in with more thanks, going through the lengthy list of Rotarians under the leadership of John Shepard who helped with the Fourth of July Parade (another smash hit for Rotary and Pagosa).
Betty “Bubbles” Switzer then was called to the podium for birthday announcements and Sunshine/Showers. Elated at being called upon after a long hiatus, Betty circled the room with her bubble machine like a priest with holy water, showering her special form of blessings on all and sundry present.
Getting then down to the business at hand, Betty turned first to birthdays, sharing the reminder (perhaps not needed by many of our group) that “All birthdays are important because they mean we’re still here.” Absent natal anniversirants (made-up word alert: a combo of “anniversary” and “celebrants;” like it or lump it) included Dave Cammack, Bill Hubbard, and CiCi Stuart (poor CiCi, she and Bruce are spending the summer in California, the current US wildfire capital now that monsoon rains have arrived in Colorado – that’s jumping out of the frying pan into the fire, big time.).
Present anniverserants Sam Pittmon and Dave Richardson – made of sterner stuff apparently than their absent fellow July entrants – enjoyed the memorable pleasure of donning gaily colored party hats and being serenaded by a heavenly-voiced choir (remember: beauty is in the ear of the beholder) of enthusiastic Rotarians. (That was a smile of delight on Sam’s face, undoubtedly, despite his observation regarding the hat – uttered with an envious glance at the delightful blue chapeau gracing Dave’s noggin – that pink is not his best color. Next year, Sam, Dave will let you have the blue, I’m sure. After all, pink IS his color.)
Then it was time for wedding anniversaries, with the prize going to John Richardson and wife Helen at 50. Any big plans? queried Betty. Not one to disclose secrets, “I wouldn’t tell you if I did,” quoth John.
Finally, anniversaries as Rotary members were observed. Notable were Livia Lynch at 18 and Sharon Crump at 14 years. (There was one individual with a measly one-year anniversary, but with the license of authorship, I’ve just created a new rule: you don’t get mentioned in the Bulletin before arriving at double figures, at least not this week.)
Next, as Betty’s bubble machine demonstrated remarkable endurance, it was on to Sunshine and Showers. As in Pagosa generally, sunshine abounded, and showers were no more than intermittent.
Warren Brown was first out of the gate, noting a pleasurable experience spending time with disabled vets (including his son), a successful Special Olympics, and the good news of his promotion to Lieutenant in the Sheriff’s Department.
Neal Johnson followed with the observation that he had recently returned from an excellent trip to Togo, evidently despite some misadventures at the hands of Air France. (We’ve all got those stories, but Air France does make it more exotic.)
Not content to be lionized for a mere 50 years of marriage, John Richardson topped himself with the story of his return to Indiana for his 60th High School Reunion. (Count ‘em people, that’s 1958!)
Roberta Tolan shared the good news of husband David’s effective chemo treatment, yielding full remission of his cancer.
And John Shepard rejoiced in a successful parade, and Archuleta County’s achievement after much labor over many weeks (in which John, as Planning Director, was deeply involved) of enacting Short Term Rental Regulations. The process of crafting the new regulations was controversial, John explained, with many strongly-held opposing viewpoints, but was nonetheless accomplished with courtesy and respect, qualities that often seem to be shamefully absent at higher levels of government in these times.
Dave Smith took the floor with a two-fold mission: to beat the drums to find a new chairperson for our chapter of the Rotary Foundation, and to introduce Pagosa Rotary’s latest international project, which will undertake to strengthen high school science instruction in the central African, Saharan nation Niger, which lies south of Algeria and Libya. The new project seems to be essentially a clone of the Senegal project that has been underway for a few years, with very similar objectives and means.
The local Rotary Foundation chairperson position has been open for a couple of years, David reported. He projected a job description on the screen, which filled every available inch with an avalanche of small-font characters, completely illegible to the audience.
With his characteristic, mischievous grin, David explained the slide was printed in such small font on a crowed page because he didn’t want us to see it, and quickly jumped to the next slide before potential candidates could be intimidated. The new slide, he said, summarized the essence of the position in three short words: “communication, organization, encouragement.”
Communication, he continued, with Rotary International to provide a two-way flow of information between it and our club; organization, to stimulate local involvement in Rotary Foundation activities via a local committee; and encouragement, to move us collectively forward to new and better contributions to the mission of the Rotary Foundation to fund humanitarian activities.
Dave digressed briefly with a description of Rotary as a combination of elements like a three-legged stool: local clubs numbering 35,000 with 1.2 million members all over the world, Rotary International, which herds the cats clubs into a semblance of organizational structure, and Rotary Foundation, which provides funding to help support humanitarian projects on the District level and globally, such as the Senegal Project.
With a simple pitch like that, Dave, you’ll find someone to be Foundation chairperson in no time at all.
I know that many of these pictures and others have been circulating in social media sites, and many of you have seen them. We do have folks though that subscribe to our bulletin that may not have so I can't help but share some here!
Mason Blakemore, Case Harris and Cole Cayard, Pagosa Springs High School Student, won the state finals to move onto nationals in Louisville, Kentucky. They needed some help gathering up the funds to get them to this competition and the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs helped them along the way.
Now we have learned that these three young men placed 8th out of 33 teams nationwide! Congratulations on a great job. The following is a link to an album of pictures from their week in Louisville. http://photos.app.goo.gl/4pEHcraKyxPUUnXV6
Dear Rotary Wranglers and Volunteers, WE STILL NEED HELP - Contact me if you are available!
Thank you for being a part of this great community event! Here are some last minute thoughts and instructions.
Please come to the High School parking lot to get your orange safety vest and check in at 9:00 AM - Keep your vest afterwards and bring it to the next Rotary meeting.
Please use only Hot Springs Blvd to Apache Street or 6th Street to Apache Street to travel to the High School. 5th Street will be under construction and will be closed. Use only 6th Street or Hot Spring Blvd to 6th Street to access the High School parking lot. 8th street is the parade final staging area and will be one-way going toward Highway 160. DUE NOT ATTEMPT to travel 8th Street toward the High School!
Please be at your assigned station by 9:30. Our main duty is SAFETY. There is a lot of congestion in that half hour before the parade and you can be very important in helping with crosswalk traffic and keeping folks from setting up their chairs and such too far into the roadway
NOTHING MAY BE HANDED OUT UNTIL AFTER PASSING LEWIS STREET BECAUSE OF DETOURED VEHICLE TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAY 160
Throwing items or spraying water is strictly prohibited
Children should not go out toward the floats, or horses. Someone walking with a float may hand out goodies by coming to the side of the highway
Make sure the floats keep up with the next float to avoid big gaps in the parade. If an entrant is falling behind, diplomatically encourage the driver to keep up with the next float. It’s a long walk for the animals and participants. Stopping on hot asphalt is not a good thing.
If there is an emergency, call 911
If you have a question, call John Shepard 903-4006 or Shellie Peterson 507-0500
THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING !! HAVE FUN, BE SAFE !! DON’T LET THE ONE OR TWO INCONSIDERATE PEOPLE GET TO YOU (THERE MAY ALWAYS ONE OR TWO) BE DIPLOMATIC !!
Dear Parade Participants, Thank you for being a part of this great community event! Here are some last minute thoughts and instructions. Please come to the High School parking lot to check in at 8:30 AM. All entries must unload and register at this site. Horse trailers; please use graveled area adjacent to the school parking lot. Please use only Hot Springs Blvd to Apache Street or 6th Street to Apache Street to travel to the High School. 5th Street will be closed for construction. 6th Street has been improved and will provide direct access to the lower end of the High School Parking lot. 8th street is the parade final staging area and will be one-way going toward Highway 160. DO NOT TRY TO ACCESS THE HIGH SCHOOL FROM 8TH STREET. All non-parade vehicles should be left in the high school parking lot. Final staging will be along 8th Street. Your parade number will be printed on 8th Street on the north-bound side of the street. Please do not block driveways or side streets and do not allow your livestock or people onto the neighbors’ yards The parade will begin at 8th Street and Highway 160 promptly at 10 am. The parade route will continue through town on Highway 160 and end at 2nd Street. Do NOT STOP at 2nd Street to unload people, it causes a big backup problem for all the floats behind you! Unload your participants at the High School parking lot. At 2nd Street, please turn right and then right again onto Hermosa. Continue on Hermosa and turn left onto Hot Springs Blvd. Follow Hot Springs Blvd to Apache Street and turn right. Follow Apache Street to the high school entrance at 6th Street. All parade floats and vehicles must be removed from the High School parking lot by 2 pm. NOTHING MAY BE HANDED OUT UNTIL AFTER PASSING LEWIS STREET BECAUSE OF DETOURED VEHICLE TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAY 160 Throwing items or spraying water is strictly prohibited Children should not go out toward the floats, or horses. Someone walking with a float may hand out goodies by coming to the side of the highway where the children and parade watchers are Make sure to keep up with the next float to avoid big gaps in the parade. It’s long walk for the animals and participants. Stopping on hot asphalt is not a good thing. If there is an emergency, call 911 If you have a question, call John Shepard 903-4006 or Shellie Peterson 507-0500 THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING !! HAVE FUN, BE SAFE !! NO ONE WANTS TO BE A PART OF A TRAGEDY !! BE THOUGHTFUL AND DIPLOMATIC !!
Thank you for being a part of this great community event! Here are some last minute thoughts and instructions.
· Please come to the High School parking lot to check in at 9:00 AM. All entries must unload and register at this site. Horse trailers, please use graveled area adjacent to the school parking lot.
· Please use only Hot Springs Blvd to Apache Street or 6th Street to Apache Street to travel to the High School. 5th Street will be under construction and may be rough so use caution. If your float cannot safely use 5th Street to enter the High School Parking lot, then turn south on 8th from Apache at the main entrance to the High School parking lot. 8th street is the parade final staging area and will be one-way going toward Highway 160
· All non-parade vehicles should be left in the high school parking lot. Final staging will be along 8th Street. Your parade number will be printed on 8th Street on the north-bound side of the street. Please do not block driveways or side streets and do not allow your livestock or people onto the neighbors’ yards
· The parade will begin at 8th Street and Highway 160 promptly at 10 am. The parade route will continue through town on Highway 160 and end at 2nd Street. Do NOT STOP at 2nd Street to unload people, it causes a big backup problem for all the floats behind you! Unload your participants at the High School parking lot. At 2nd Street, please turn right and then right again onto Hermosa. Continue on Hermosa and turn left onto Hot Springs Blvd. Follow Hot Springs Blvd to Apache Street and turn right. Follow Apache Street to the high school entrance at 5th or 8th Street.
· All parade floats and vehicles must be removed from the High School parking lot by 2 pm.
· NOTHING MAY BE HANDED OUT UNTIL AFTER PASSING LEWIS STREET BECAUSE OF DETOURED VEHICLE TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAY 160
· Throwing items or spraying water is strictly prohibited
· Children should not go out toward the floats, or horses. Someone walking with a float may hand out goodies by coming to the side of the highway where the children and parade watchers are
· Make sure to keep up with the next float to avoid big gaps in the parade. It’s long walk for the animals and participants. Stopping on hot asphalt is not a good thing.
· If there is an emergency, call 911
· If you have a question, call John Shepard 903-4006 or Shellie Peterson 507-0500
THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING !! HAVE FUN, BE SAFE !! NO ONE WANTS TO BE A PART OF A TRAGEDY !! BE THOUGHTFUL AND DIPLOMATIC !!
The meeting began with an invocation by Art Benzel featuring the simple observation, “The world is full of nice people. If you can’t find one, be one!”
The normal Pledge of Allegiance followed, but was there a song after that????
Your humble reporter is embarrassed to admit he can’t recall a song, and his notes in this instance are of no help. (Heartfelt apologies to whomever led.) Probably, your reporter was distracted by one of the many sign-up sheets/reports being circulated (tasks rendered, upcoming Loves and Fishes service on Thursday June 21, Fourth of July Parade duty, etc., etc.) At times like the hectic opening moments of last week’s meeting, the mysterious absence of your reporter’s youthful brain capable of retaining multiple concurrent thoughts, is deeply lamented.
Guests to the meeting were then welcomed – principal among them being several friends of Brazilian exchange student Laura Delgado, to help observe the rapidly-approaching end of her visit to our corner of heaven. So many friends there were, your reporter is unable to list them, because his stumbling pen couldn’t keep pace with the introductions. (In this case, he cannot lament the absent youthful brain, and is left as explanation only with the deplorable state of the remaining senior brain.)
Announcements ensued, including the aforementioned Loaves and Fishes lunch this week, and the Fourth of July Parade, coming up in only two weeks. It was pointed out that due to Loaves and Fishes, and next week’s Installation Dinner (more below), there will not be another meeting prior to the Parade.
President Kim Moore noted that with the community being under stress from drought, the San Juan National Forest is closed, and fireworks will be prohibited, so the Parade will be the primary attraction for the Holiday. “Let’s make it the best ever,” she exhorted.
John Shepard added that with the focus on the Parade, and the Pagosa Springs Police short-handed, there will be a maximum need for volunteers for traffic control, as well as other tasks. He urged all Rotarians to volunteer to help in some capacity, with he noted, the numerous open slots filling all of a two-page sign-up roster. John added that volunteers will be equipped with safety vests prior to the Parade, and should assemble at the High School Parking lot before the event.
Art Benzel then reported that there will be a short, free concert of patriotic songs, titled “Let Freedom Ring,” performed by a group of community musicians (60 members strong, Art added) at 7:30 pm the evening of July 3d, at the Methodist Church on Lewis Street. All are welcome, he said.
President Kim followed by reminding all of the annual Installation Dinner, set for Thursday June 28 at the Pagosa Lakes Property Owners clubhouse, with a Happy Hour at 5:30 and dinner catered by the Buck Stops Here at 6 pm. The event will, of course, mark the ascension of Shelly Peterson to the Rotary Presidency. (It’s funny how Kim repeats announcements of the event so often, always with what appears to be a look of restrained glee.)
The meeting was then enlivened by an appearance of two cast members from Thingamajig Theater’s “Legally Blonde: The Musical,” which opened on June 15 and will run on various dates this summer as part of the Theater’s repertory of five shows.
The cast members, Charlie Tingen and Heather McCall, sang an engaging duet from the show, that sets the stage for the story that follows. As residents of Pagosa have come to expect of Thingamajig’s productions, the quality of performing was magnificent. The two talented guests whetted keen appetites among Rotarians for more delights surely to be enjoyed by attending the full performance of “Legally Blonde,” and undoubtedly the other shows as well.
PAGOSA SPRINGS—The Rotary 4th of July Parade will be held on Wed. July 4th, 2018, starting at 10am. Local residents and visitors from across the Rocky Mountains gather in downtown Pagosa Springs each year to share in the festivities.
Applications for the parade and general information are now available at the Pagosa Springs Chamber of Commerce and from the Pagosa Sun online, www.pagosasun.com. Free entries come in four categories: Youth Group, Non-Profit/Service, Individual/Family, and Commercial. The Parade Committee encourages all entrants to decorate their floats in red, white and blue celebrating our nation’s Independence Day.
Staging begins at 8:30am on 7/04, at the Pagosa Springs High School Parking Lot. Applications are due Friday, June 30th. For more information, contact Rotary Parade co-chairs Shellie Peterson (Shellie@centurytel.net) or John Shepard (jcshepard.aicp@gmail.com ).
Delightfully pleasant and charming, as always, Laura entertained one and all with recollections and observations from her year among us.
Many of her comments were inspired by her host families, and her gratitude for their kindnesses. It would take “hours” to pay fitting tribute to their generosity, Laura observed. Suffice to say that the lack of time for such details notwithstanding, her appreciation was plain. To note just one aspect, Laura observed she is an only child, so she was delighted for the experience of sharing her life with siblings while staying with two of her host families. And with another family, she enjoyed, as well, a different new experience: puppies.
Laura commented that before coming to the US, she had seen American high schools depicted in movies and TV shows. The depictions turned out to be pretty much true to life, she said!
Her most difficult class at Pagosa Springs High School was global sciences, especially as she had difficulty understanding the teacher at first. (However, she must have overcome the difficulty – Lisa Scott, head of Rotary’s Exchange Program, later disclosed that Laura had earned straight-A grades during the year.)
Laura noted some of the differences between schools in the US and Brazil. Among others, she mentioned that in Brazil, the students don’t change rooms throughout the day, and multiple grades share the same rooms.
But the differences that seemingly left the biggest impressions on Laura were the school dances in the US, which are absent from Brazilian school life, and high school sports programs, which have no parallel in Brazil.
In particular, Laura said she played soccer with the Pagosa Springs High School Lady Pirates, and loved it. She had never had the opportunity before. When asked what she would tell her friends upon her return about living for a year in the US, Laura said “playing soccer,” an astonishing observation to this reporter, knowing that soccer aficionados uniformly count Brazil as one of the premiere countries for the game in the world.
The most surprising thing about life in the US to Laura, she said, was the ability to drive a car before age 18, so that students did not need to depend always on parents for transportation.
Among memorable new things she learned, were fishing, and making chocolate chip cookies. (While cookies are evidently a delicacy unknown in her country, Laura showed that Brazilians are still fully capable of making tasty treats, even if not exactly cookies, by distributing to all a delicious confection she had made for the occasion.)
Her favorite American food? “Hamburgers,” Laura exclaimed.
Laura said she really loved Colorado and Pagosa Springs. “You’re always doing things outside,” she commented. “It’s awesome!”
San Juan Squadron set to open the Independence Day Parade!!
For the 12th consecutive year, the San Juan Squadron, Pagosa’s own formation flying team will open the Independence Day Parade. The Squadron will make three passes, each in a different formation, over downtown Pagosa Springs. The first pass will be at exactly 10:00 AM as the parade begins its trek through downtown. It is highly recommended that you make your way to downtown early to pick your best vantage point for viewing the fly overs. The Lead aircraft will be flown by Craig Taylor of Pagosa Springs.
Prepare to be impressed by these pilots and their abilities with these beautiful airplanes!
Solo Aircraft:
John Vander Horck; Van’s RV12 white with blue trim
Doug Dellmore; Carbon Cub yellow with silver wings.
Formation Aircraft (the exact position of each aircraft is yet to be determined):
Craig Taylor; Van’s RV8 silver and red. Flight Lead
Dave Peart; Van’s RV 14 Red and Black
Michael Arbuthnot; GlassAir III White
Skip Thomas Van’s; RV4 White and Red
Tim Gallagher; Van’s RV4 White and Blue
Travis Reese; Van’s RV4 Black and Silver
The Formation passes will be:
Diamond with two in trail (Like a kite)
Double “V” formation
Arrowhead (five aircraft in a “V” with one in trail as a stinger)
From the Arrowhead, we will perform a fleur de leis break, with the left side aircraft turning sharply to the left, the right two aircraft turning sharply right, and lead and stinger go straight ahead
Niger is a land-locked West African country that is twice the size of Texas. About 80% of Niger lies in the Sahara Desert. In 2015, the United Nations ranked Niger 187 of 188 countries in human development.
Approximately 70% of its population cannot read. Yet, within the capital city, Niamey, there are high schools where students study biology, chemistry, physics and English. These students will likely play a major role in future economic development in Niger. The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs is working with the Gaweye Rotary Club of Niamey to improve education in two high schools in Niamey.
The Gaweye Rotary Club of Niamey is a well-established, highly active club. Great folks to work with!
Funds from a District Grant were used to buy 3 computers and 2 digital projectors that will be used by the science teachers. These funds were also used to buy voltmeters and other supplies used for teaching physics. I spent a week in Niamey where I met with school officials, taught 2 short teacher training workshops, and developed plans for a global grant that will substantially expand our efforts to improve education in these two high schools.
Aman began the presentation with comments of appreciation for the very nice time he and his fellow Kyrgyz had enjoyed, and the opportunity to learn about tourism they had been afforded. The Pagosa Springs area is very similar to Kyrgyzstan, he said, so the lessons they will take home are strongly applicable.
A video of tourist venues and activities was played, confirming the similarities pointed out by Aman, including mountainous terrain, bodies of water, forests with evergreens and aspens, traditional lifestyles, horses, twisty roads, skiing, hiking, water sports – and hot springs.
Aman provided a brief summary of the country’s history, noting the population of 6 million is nearly ¾ Kyrgyz, who originally lived as nomads. He called it a cross-roads of culture, noting that since the heydays of the Silk Road as a major route for world trade, Kyrgyzstan has attracted peoples from Chinese to Russians to Muslims. The country, he said has been ruled by different empires, most recently the former USSR, before it became independent in 1991. It is relatively small, being roughly equivalent in area to the state of Nebraska. It has quite tall mountains, with several peaks over 24,000 feet.
One of the major events in Kyrgyzstan, Aman said, is the “Nomad Games,” that involve skills celebrating the country’s nomadic heritage. Surprisingly, he recalled that Americans have competed in the games, including a team of Peace Corps volunteers, as well as a team of cowboys – the latter presumably in a competition involving horsemanship. (In a private conversation with your reporter, Aman commented on the presence in Pagosa Springs of the Parelli Natural Horsemanship company, reflecting the importance of horses in Kyrgyz history.)
Aman reported that the US Agency for International Development is heavily engaged in encouraging the growth of tourism in Kyrgyzstan through its Business Growth Initiative. Four regional Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) have been formed to lead the effort. DMOs, he said, bring together stakeholders to provide marketing, facilities development, event sponsorship and web site presentations.
The DMO in Karakol, where Aman lives, was formed in 2015. The city is in the eastern section of Kyrgyzstan. He reported that many tourists presently visit from Europe and Israel. In a familiar-sounding note, Aman added that one objective of the DMO is to increase visitors’ length of stay, by expanding the array of activities available for their enjoyment.
Beksultan spoke next. He is from Osh, a City in southwestern Krygyzstan, where he is the executive director of the regional DMO. He agreed with Aman on the strong similarities between Pagosa and their homeland, and commented that after his visit he is “really motivated to get home to work on development of tourism.”
President Kim Moore called the meeting to order, and began with an invocation from Mother Teresa, reckoning life as a myriad of qualities calling for positive responses. Without recreating the full list, the last four were as follows: “Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is life, fight for it.”
The song “America the Beautiful” followed, led by Pat Love.
Then special visitors were introduced by Kim and Dave Smith, the guests in Pagosa Springs from Kyrgyzstan, sponsored by the Open World Program Nazira Makenova, from the village of Jyrgalan, Aman Zhanserkeev, from the city of Karakol, Begimai Mukasheva, from the south shore of Issyk-Kul Lake, Beksultan Abdisalamov, from city of Osh, Talantbek Toksonbaev, from Osh, Zeinep Isakova, from Bishkek, the capital city and Alyona Vladova, who hails from the United States but held the position of language translator for the group.
Also visiting the meeting was local resident Al Myatt, who chronicled the entire visitors stay in photographs. During the meeting, Aman, Beksultan and Begimai provided Rotarians an introduction to their home country (as summarized elsewhere in this report).
Kim reminded Rotarians that a picnic for the visitors was to be held that evening in the Town’s Yamaguchi Park, and all were invited to attend.
Kim then issued a call for volunteers to be stationed at San Juan National Forest trailheads, to warn hikers that fire restrictions had been put into effect forbidding open burning in the Forest, in reaction to the high fire danger resulting from our protracted spell of dry weather.
(Your reporter understands, however, that due to continuing extreme conditions in the region, the open burning ban has been replaced by an outright, complete closure of the Forrest to the general public, effective Tuesday, June 12. Please consult news outlets for more details.)
This year’s July Fourth Parade Grand Marshal was then announced by John Shepard, Teri House, Rotarian, and owner, publisher and editor of the Pagosa Springs Sun. John discouraged any and all Terri teasing over the honor, which he attributed primarily to the public service rendered by the Sun, and your reporter is happy to attest the honor is well deserved.
The meeting was then reminded of two upcoming events, a memorial get-together honoring Joe Donovan at Pagosa Brewing Company, the evening of June 14, and the annual Installation Banquet scheduled for Thursday evening, June 28, at the Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association clubhouse with catering by the Buck Stops Here. Tickets for the Banquet are $25 each including dinner, beverages, and the opportunity to help honor (or commiserate with) Shellie Peterson as she takes on the mantle of Rotary President.
Attention then turned to Betty’s Birthdays, the festive monthly observation, presided over by Betty Switzer, of the gradual maturation of Rotarians – not getting older, getting better – who (in this instance) first began in various unspecified years to experience the qualities of life listed by Mother Teresa during the selfsame month of June.
The distinguished honorees were Dave Cammack, Kim Moore, Dave Smith, Codie Wilson, Larry McClintock and Jann Pitcher. In honor of Kim’s fascination with kazoos, the birthday band tooted out a grating rendition “Happy Birthday,” while all meeting attendees sang along lustily. Eyes were possibly wet with tears (of laughter?), but your reporter was busily scribbling and is unable to say.
Betty then turned to announcement of anniversaries. Marriages celebrated in order of longevity (for some reason, wedding anniversaries unlike birthdays are commonly numbered in announcements by years; is the difference in habit perhaps a product of admiration typified by Mother Teresa’s admonition from the invocation, “Life is a challenge, meet it?”), included Betty’s own marriage to Jeff Switzer (55 years), Art and Jonnae Benzel (53 years), Dave and Chris Campbell (48 years), Kim and Walt Moor (46 years) and Dave and Mary Cammack, 37 years.
Dave Campbell then took the podium, to welcome a new member, Jeanie Bissell, from Alabama. Jeanie was sponsored by Greg and Donna Wynn.
Finally, Dave Richardson WON THE LOTTERY (brother John pulled the winning envelope – now, there’s a stand-in to admire). Dave graciously donated his $324 winnings to Laura Delgado, our exchange student whose stay in Pagosa is drawing to a close, and whose return to home in Brazil approaching. Laura will share with Rotary memories of her year in Pagosa during the June 14 meeting.
PRESS RELEASE – For Immediate Release 6/11/18 Contact: John Shepard, jcshepard.aicp@gmail.com 970.903.4006
PAGOSA SPRINGS—The Rotary 4th of July Parade will be held on Wed. July 4th, 2018, starting at 10am. Applications and general information are now available at the Pagosa Springs Chamber of Commerce and from the Pagosa Sun online, www.pagosasun.com .
Free entries come in four categories: Youth Group, Non-Profit/Service, Individual/Family, and Commercial. The Parade Committee encourages all entrants to decorate their floats in red, white and blue celebrating our nation’s Independence Day.
Staging begins at 8:30am on 7/04, at the Pagosa Springs High School Parking Lot (use 5th Street by the park, not 8th Street). As in years past, candy can only be handed out by those walking in the parade when they get past the Clock Tower, so the kids stay safe and out of harm’s way.
Rotarians Meg (the Library Director) and Cindy (the Development and Community Relations Manager) gave us the low-down on the seemingly endless variety of services provided to the Community by our magnificent Library (the little Library that could).
Meg summarized: “We have something for everyone,” illustrating her proposition by mentioning the outdoors backpacks the Library has available on a first come, first serve basis, containing state park passes and outdoor gear.
Distributed to further illustrate the proposition was the Library’s Adult Schedule of Activities for the month of June. (Meg and Cindy pointed out that he Library also has monthly calendars of activities for children and teens, but they didn’t bring copies because of the demographics of our particular group. Wait a minute . . . did they call us OLD?) The Adult Calendar alone well made their point, as it included at least 24 individual entries sprinkled liberally through most weekdays during the month, ranging from classes on computers, to Spanish, to fly fishing, to adult education, and other activities ranging from a free Legal Clinic, to book clubs, to a music club.
All of the Library’s activities for the different age groups, Meg advised, are fully included in the Community Calendar published weekly in the Pagosa Springs Sun. (The Community Calendar typically lists activities and events at least three weeks in advance. It is printed in the tabloid section of the Sun, that is included in the paper for sale, but is also circulated throughout the community by mail, free of charge.) Activities are also described during twice-weekly spots on KWUF radio.
Rather than the normal invocation, President Kim Moore began the meeting with a prayer pf thanksgiving for our beautiful weather, the myriad blessings of Pagosa, and the energy and effort of Rotarians to make ours a better world.
John Duvall followed by leading a lusty rendition of “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.”
Turning to business, Kim reminded all of the Installation Dinner on June 28, at which president-in-waiting Shellie Peterson will ascend to the seat of power. The dinner will be at the Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association Clubhouse. Tickets are $25, and include drinks and dinner.
In addition, Kim announced there will be a celebration of the memory of the late Joe Donovan on Thursday June 14, 5:30 pm at Pagosa Brewing Co.
John Shepard then announced nominees for Grand Marshal of the Fourth of July Parade: Terri House, Jason Cox, Mark and Wanda Crane and Patty Tillerson.
Rotary scholarship winner Kyle Garcia then stepped forward to express thanks for the award. Kyle, who had been unable to attend the prior meeting when other winners accepted their scholarships, said he would be attending the University of Utah, to study business management.
Rotary’s newest members, Georgette Baumgardner, Alan Roth, and Saundra Houston, were then welcomed into the fold by President Kim.
Following this announcement of our increasing numbers, Larry McClintock disclosed that Rotary will also be increasing dues to $60/quarter. Better buy a new abacus Larry, to keep track of all the revenue.
Brazilian exchange student Laura Delgado then reported that the next day (June 1st) would be her last day of school at Pagosa Springs High School. She added it seemed as if the first day was only yesterday, she had so much fun. Laura said she will be in town for another month, and will be attending the Rotary Youth Leadership camp.
In the absence of Maestro Betty “Bubbles” Switzer, there was only a single Sunshine/Shower: the spontaneous lament of Nick Tallent of a new street light installed outside his home, showering him with light pollution. “No stars,” exclaimed Nick.
Mike, a South Africa-born Australian, introduced to the US and Pagosa country through Ironman competitions, and now on track to become a US citizen next year, is a dauntless Indiana Jones type with an accent but without the hat. As Director of Emergency Operations (a component of the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Department), Mike says he is on duty 24/7/365, at the beck and call of annoying beeps from Archuleta County Dispatch.
Two of the major responsibilities of Emergency Operations are Search and Rescue and Wildland fire fighting throughout the unincorporated areas of Archuleta County (but also including parts of Hinsdale and Mineral Counties due to the remoteness of their emergency responders.)
In dealing with wildfire, Mike said that all fires start small, and early response is key. Pursuant to emergency operations agreements, up to 14 agencies cooperate as needed in responding to fires in the area.
To help reduce fire danger, restrictions on risky activities are invoked in stages based on 10 criteria. Currently, Mike said Stage One restrictions are in effect, banning open burning throughout the county. (When allowed, open burning always requires issuance of a permit by the Pagosa Fire Protection District, Mike reported). He added that Stage Two restrictions are imminent, noting that conditions in the County are trending similar to the major drought year of 2002, when the substantial Missionary Ridge fire burned in the region.
Mike pointed out that Archuleta County has a “reverse 911 system,” which has the capability of calling local residents’ phones to warn of potential disasters and convey evacuation orders. He pointed out that the Archuleta County website has a page via which property owners can register phones outside the area and cell phones to receive notices.
Mike reported that Search and Rescue was founded in 1995. He noted that it is useful if a person in need of assistance can be contacted by cell phone (the higher the altitude of your problem, the better the cell phone receptions, he noted), because often the reports received by Search and Rescue through emergency dispatch have garbled or incorrect details (a victim described by dispatch as small may turn out huge when the rescue team arrives, and foreknowledge of such details enables better planning of needed steps).
Mike emphasized that response by Search and Rescue is cost-free – in any incident, no charges apply until the ambulance or life-flite helicopter receives the victim, much like a traffic accident. So, he implored, don’t make a problem worse by deciding against reporting a developing incident immediately, because of fear about the cost.
One illustration of the herculean effort that can be rendered by Search and Rescue when needed was provided by Mike in response to a question about the “most exciting” rescue performed by Emergency Operations. Mike described an incident involving a man on horseback, whose mount lost its footing on a mountain trail and tumbled several hundred yards down a steep slope. The horse was killed by the fall, but the rider – described as a very large man – survived with severe injuries. Fortunately, others in his group were able to reach the victim and keep him warm in the cooling temperatures of late day, while others summoned help.
After the Search and Rescue team arrived, members carried the man on a litter up the slope, and then to a level area where they sheltered overnight. In the morning, the victim was airlifted off the mountain by a Blackhawk helicopter dispatched by the National Guard.
Art Benzel began with an invocation explaining the difference between “like” and “love.” According to the teachings of Buddha, Art recounted, when you like a flower, you pick it. But when you love it, you water it. One who understands this, Buddha said, understands life.
Pat Love then led the meeting in singing “America the Beautiful.” (Let’s hope someone follows Buddha’s formulation, and sends this corner of beautiful America some water.)
After the introduction of guests, including Sheriff Rich Valdez, Mr. R was revealed as none other than Bill Hubbard. But only a paltry $2 was collected – Bill is evidently too gregarious to produce much revenue as Mr. R. Next time, Bill, do your best for Rotary’s beneficiaries: suppress your instincts, sit in the corner, and frown.
Warren Brown then announced that the Special Olympics the prior weekend had been a big success, raising over $5000.
Shellie Petersen followed with a solicitation for more volunteers for the Open World event, during which a group from Kyrgyzstan, the central Asian country astride the ancient “Silk Road” trade route, will visit Pagosa Springs for lessons on attracting tourists to remote locations. The visitors will be among us for several days of visiting local attractions beginning this coming weekend, and Rotarians are being recruited to help host the activities.
[Note: I’m pretty sure that Krygyzstan is indeed a central Asian country, though I have been proven geographically dyslexic, by twice mis-identifying Senegal in writing for these pages as an East African country despite knowing that it sits on the Atlantic coast of West Africa (it’s simple really: when facing north, west is on the left). Sorry, David. My best defense was once memorably summed up by Ben Franklin: “Haste makes waste.”)
John Shepard then took the floor to solicit nominations for Grand Marshal of the Fourth of July Parade. Voting to select the august dignitary (or is that July dignitary) will occur during the meeting of May 31. John also dropped enticing hints of the possibility that much cherished opportunities for volunteers to help the Parade go off smoothly may soon be offered to a select multitude. The exalted position of “go-fer” is rumored to be up for grabs.
Exchange Student Laura Delgado then expressed appreciation for the birthday greetings extended to her by Rotarians last week, and noted that she had gone rafting out of Salida to help celebrate the happy event. Turning to past exploits during the year, Laura noted that she still had jellies for sale – but as of last week, only four were left. Bring your money this week, in the hope that the train didn’t leave you stranded at the station.
Lisa Scott then announced that next year there will be two “inbound” exchange students in Pagosa, one from Denmark, the other from Chile. Likewise, she said, two Pagosa students will be “outbound,” one to Denmark and one to Romania. In addition, Lisa announced that next school year Pagosa will have two pairs of “short-term” exchange students: two local students will trade places for two weeks with students from France and Italy. (By this time next year, I suspect we may have enough jelly on our hands to open a jelly donut bakery. Sounds like a great fund raising idea – you can’t beat a good jelly donut for pure enjoyment.)
Betty Switzer and her trusty bubble machine then presided over sunshine and showers. Neal Johnson was first up, offering $2 for the microphone to tell the tale of his granddaughter’s recent eventful day: she graduated from college with a degree in aeronautical engineering, was announced as the top graduate in her field, accepted her boyfriend’s proposal of marriage on the stage after her degree was bestowed, and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Airforce (by Neal, a former officer in the US Navy.) He was only able to give $2 for his sunshine announcement, Neal said, because that’s all he had left.
Among several others who contributed, Dave Richardson reported also that he helped a grandchild celebrate a big event: he attended the wedding of his grandson, whom he said, cried (the bride did not, he observed). “It will be that way for many years,” Dave quipped. He also reported that Barry had rebroken his arm and needed another in a seemingly endless round of surgeries. Nonetheless, Dave reported, Barry is recovering well. Betty offered a shower of bubbles for Barry.
Speakers: Rotary’s David Smith and Kim (Vanna White) Moore
Our intrepid international voyageurs took the dais to regale the meeting with tales of their travels during last March through Senegal, the sub-Saharan east African nation that David has lent his heart and mind to for the past four years in connection with a Rotary Global Grant project.
David, a former University of Nebraska chemistry professor who is retired from the vocation of educating, but has never lost his enthusiasm for the avocation of teaching, explained that the project was initiated several years ago with the concept of aiding science education in a poor, peaceful and Islamic country (in the hope of making a contribution to world understanding simultaneously with science education). Senegal was selected, as reported in a previous edition of the Bulletin, in part due to the commitment of its government to a policy ensuring that within 25 years, 75% of its high school students will be receiving at least some education in science before graduation.
The project has now been operated annually for four years; and David reported that total funding of $230,000 has been devoted to it during that period, not including the participants’ self-funded travel expenses. Of that sum, 70% has been provided by the Rotary Foundation, he said.
Art Benzell began with an invocation of appreciation for the world around us: plants, wildlife, air, and water. People often take these simple elements of life for granted, but “you can’t eat money,” Art concluded.
As if closely choreographed, Sharon Crump followed Art’s tribute to nature by leading the meeting in a song celebrating its enjoyment, “The Happy Wanderer.”
Guests were then greeted, including Jim Byrne and Odilia Dauzacker, a couple who own and operate Elkwood Manner, a bed and breakfast south of town on US 84. In part, they joined the meeting to help Rotary observe Brazilian exchange student Laura Delgado’s birthday, in particular because Odilia had herself been an exchange student from Brazil in 1976, spending the year in Ohio.
(Odilia did not sing the lament, “I went back to Ohio, but my family was gone. I stood on the back porch – there was nobody home. I was stunned and amazed . . . My pretty countryside had been paved . . . the farms of Ohio had been replaced by shopping malls. . . Where’d you go O-hi-o. “ Singing that was the Pretenders, channeling Art.)
Also visiting Rotary for the meeting was Savanah Vasquez, an outbound exchange student next year, heading for Romania (the land of Count Dracula, but that’s only a myth, no worries, Savanah).
Rotary’s May birthday celebrants were then called to the dais by Betty Switzer for the monthly Betty’s Birthdays feature. John Shepard, Livia Lynch, Melanie Garrett, and our aforementioned exchange student, Laura Delgado were festooned with celebratory headgear and then serenaded with a rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday,” which they received with “thank yous,” and the traditional embarrassed grins (except for Laura, whose genuine grin confirmed that she still actually welcomes birthdays).
We celebrated our very own Brazilian Exchange Student! We have been so blessed to have this young women in our community this year! Hopefully, her Rotary Exchange year will have impacted her future and her life's journey forever. Service above Self, will become her moto, and soon she will become a future Rotarian.
ALL our exchange students could use your support! They are all trying to raise funds and are willing to work to do so! Here are their numbers! Remember, get it done NOW and support our students. Soon they all leave on their epic journeys and we won't have the opportunity again!
Laura 970-507-1629
Sahvanna 239-560-3432
Lauren 573-944-3004
So, need some more 'muscular' type of help? We have pledged to our CSI students that we would put them to work too! It seems to me their date to leave on their journey is June 25th, still plenty of time to get lots of work done!
Mason Blakemore 970-394-0657
Cole Cayard 972-977-3369
Case Harris 817-944-5835
three Pagosa students comprising a “CSI” team which is headed for a competition in Louisville, Kentucky: Mason Blakemore, Cole Cayard and Case Harris. (For those who don’t watch TV and haven’t spent a lifetime in law enforcement, CSI is an abbreviation for crime scene investigation – an activity simply called “evidence collection” in a more prosaic day, when dinosaurs still roamed the earth and yours truly prowled the halls of justice as a callow youth).
The Pagosa team is participating in a contest sponsored by SkillsUSA, an organization which describes itself on its website as “a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce.” The crime scene investigation competition is one of many that will be staged by the organization this summer in Louisville, for teams engaged in a wide variety of occupational fields, from advertising design to welding.
The three-student team of aspiring law enforcement professionals is seeking to raise funds to attend the event in late June. It needs $6000 from donations combined with the anticipated proceeds of its able-bodied members’ labor, offered to community residents for yard work, to reach the goal. President Kim Moore announced Rotary has pledged $500 to help.
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club is proud to announce those individuals receiving 2018 Rotary Scholarships totaling $28,000.
Colton Castro---Colton plans to attend Colorado State University to major in Pre-med.
Hailey Rose—Hailey will also attend Colorado State University majoring in Zoology.
Keanan Anderson-- Keanan will attend the University of Denver majoring in both business administration and computer science.
Kyle Garcia –-Kyle will attend the University of Utah and plans to study business.
Kayla Nasralla—Kayla plans to attend Seattle Pacific University majoring in Business Administration.
Zoee Strohecker—Zoee will be attending Brigham Young University and plans to major in Occupational Therapy.
Kimberly Armendariz– Kimberly plans to attend Santa Fe Community College and pursue nursing.
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club congratulates the outstanding class of 2018 and wishes each of them success in their future endeavors.
Since 1983, the Pagosa Springs Rotary Club has awarded a total of $441,000 in scholarships to 169 local high school graduates. The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club would like to thank the Pagosa Springs community for their continued support of Rotary events and fundraisers that have made our local scholarships possible again this year. Additionally, the Pagosa Springs Rotary Club was pleased to receive a Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative matching grant this year.
In another schools-related topic, Kim announced that grants made by Rotary to Archuleta School District teachers for supplies and materials needed for classroom projects had benefited over 1600 students. If I can still do my numbers (learned also when dinosaurs roamed the earth) the cost for that was less that $1 per student – that’s leveraging your money!
The dynamic Juliette, a product of London, England and resident of Pagosa Springs, possesses a wealth of diverse experience ranging from a teenaged stint as a Playboy Bunny, to airplane pilot and “master flight instructor,” to Emmy winner, and horsewoman. But it’s the little-known syndrome of “compassion fatigue,” which she describes as common to many as an overlooked part of the daily routine of those helping care for others, that consumes her.
Discovery of the syndrome Juliette attributed to Dr. Charles Figley, whom she said recognized that care-givers for victims of post-traumatic stress disorder often began to display the symptoms of their patients. In essence, it seems, the stress of giving care to those chronically afflicted wears away at the lives of the compassionate, to the point they are correspondingly diminished and impaired too.
She gave an example from her own life: having become so immersed in the care of her aged mother that from her home in the US, she took on responsibilities as broad as even ordering her mother’s groceries to be delivered from the neighborhood store in London. Her mother became dependent on Juliette’s constant support, and harped on complaints of perceived abandonment frequently even threatening suicide, to the point, she said that “it sucked the life out of me.”
Anyone, Juliette suggested, who takes on the care of an elderly parent, a special needs child, a chronically ill or substance abusing family member, can find themselves completely absorbed in the life of the needy subject. It “can be a killer,” she said, if the assumed responsibility reaches the magnitude that it leads to disregard of self. According to the World Health Organization, she recounted, depression is a major health issue in the United States, claiming more victims than heart disease.
Care-givers need to know how to “just say no,” she suggested, lest they lose touch with themselves, become indifferent to their own interests, and bottle up frustration to the point that it may erupt in episodes like “road rage.” While few would be likely to describe themselves as the most important thing in their own life, and eyebrows would be raised if one did, nonetheless, it may be a fact – if you aren’t healthy yourself, Juliette asked, what good can you be for others?
So what can revitalize one from compassion fatigue and produce compassion renewal? By all means, Juliette suggested, give help to others, but include something for yourself too in your life. Take on interests and challenges that inspire you, even if they may seem daunting – such as she did in deciding at 45 to learn to fly, and then advancing to a high level in flight instruction. (Referring to the Destination Imagination team, that had taken on the big goal of raising $7000 in 11 days, Julliette said, “You remind me of me. . . . You’ll make it.”)
And, how can you help if you recognize compassion fatigue in others, she asked? It requires discretion she suggested: don’t just challenge with comments like, “you don’t look well,” but think of the right approach. Perhaps invite the diminished friend to join in some socializing or a favorite activity, and be persistent to the point of emphasizing his or her participation has importance to you. Plant the seed, she said. And if necessary, trick ‘em.
After hearing from our visitors, President Kim Moore moved on with thanks for the efforts of those who pitched in with the Kentucky Derby Gala the previous weekend. The event was the “best ever,” she said. While Kim disclosed that the tentative figures indicate that the total funds raised may have fallen slightly behind last year, she noted that was at least in part a reflection of higher costs.
Brazilian exchange student Laura Delgado reported she had actually attended the Derby in person the prior weekend in Kentucky. Laura added that she would be continuing her busy schedule of immersion into the American cultural experience with a trip to Denver the following weekend, to participate in an event with the Pagosa Springs High School chorus. And, she cheered on the High School baseball nine, whom she reported advanced this year to the state playoffs. Alas, the Lady Pirates soccer team, of which Laura is a member, did not enjoy equal success having finished the season just short of qualifying for the playoffs.
Betty Switzer, bless her heart, had the forthought to bring roses to our President and thank her for her extraordinary efforts on behalf of the Kentucky Derby Fundraiser.
Cindi Galabota began the meeting with an invocation in the form of a riddle: what is the thing that touches every aspect of your life, and based on the characteristics she enumerated, is essentially the bane of your existence or your salvation? The answer? Your attitude.
The sing-along was led again this week by Jesse Formwalt in honor, she noted, of the return of the American citizen North Korean prisoners, “America the Beautiful.”
Guests in attendance during the meeting included Alan Roth of Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association, who has been present several times recently, and a travelling Rotarian from Huxley, Texas, Dianne Payne. Dianne related her Rotary chapter has but 12 members, so she was greatly impressed by the meeting turnout in Pagosa.
John Shepard then took the floor to solicit nominations for 4th of July Parade Grand Marshall. Nominations should be made this month, he said.
Then Art Benzell contributed information that all youngsters 18 and under would be treated to free breakfast and lunch this summer at the Ross Aragon Community Center, downtown on Hot Springs Boulevard. The meals will be available Monday-Friday 8:30 to 9:30 am and 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, from June 4 through August 17 (except the July 4th Holiday).
The Pagosa Springs High School Destination Imagination Team members with their coach, teacher Becky Thompson were in attendance. The team is entered in a global competition to occur at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tn., and is seeking to raise funds for the travel expenses. Needed by May 21st was an additional $7000, they said.
According to its website, “Destination Imagination, Inc. is a leading educational nonprofit dedicated to teaching students the skills needed to succeed in school, their careers and beyond. We develop project-based learning programs that blend STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education with the arts and social entrepreneurship.” Entrants in the competition are from countries around the world. Teams compete in eight categories ranging from scientific demonstrations to improvisational performance.
The team in attendance at the meeting is entered in the Fine Arts Challenge Category, for which the members explained they will do a musical skit addressing the weighty subject of suicide. Coach Thompson told us that Pagosa has an impressive history of participation in the Destination Imagination program, and noted as an example that three of the six regional teams entered in the global competition this year are from the High School.
The 'proverbial hat' was passed to support these students in their endeavor.
In attendance during the meeting were Al Pfister, the President of the Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership (GGP), the not-for-profit organization building high-tech, all-season grow domes for public benefit along the banks of the San Juan River in Pagosa’s Centennial Park, downtown, and Cameron Parker, the landscaper designing the grounds surrounding the domes. (Cameron earlier made a presentation on the project during a Rotary meeting last winter).
President Kim Moore called Al and Cameron to the podium together with Rotary member and GGP board member Roberta Tolan, to present a check to fund plantings and benches for the Centennial Park entrance-way, a Rotary “signature” project adopted by our board at Roberta’s suggestion following Cameron’s earlier presentation.
The Paul Harris Fellow recognition acknowledges individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of US$1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.
It was established in 1957 to show appreciation for and encourage substantial contributions to what was then the Foundation’s only program, Rotary Foundation Fellowships for Advanced Study, the precursor to Ambassadorial Scholarships.
The first Paul Harris Fellows include 1937-38 RI Director Allison G. Brush and longtime RI Treasurer Rufus F. Chapin, both for donations made in 1946. Mrs. Adan Vargas was the first woman to receive the recognition, for a gift made in 1953. Mrs. Harry L. Jones was the second, and one of only five people recognized for contributions made in 1957.
Early Paul Harris Fellows received a certificate of recognition. In 1969, the Foundation unveiled the first Paul Harris Fellow medallion at the RI Convention in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. Japanese metal artist Fiju Tsuda created the piece under the direction of then-past Foundation Trustee Kyozo Yuasa. Today, Paul Harris Fellows receive a certificate and pin. They are also eligible to purchase a Paul Harris Fellow medallion.
Rotarians have a tradition of supporting the Foundation by honoring others. Ida LeTulle Taylor became a Paul Harris Fellow in 1978 when her husband, then-District Governor Vann Taylor, made a donation in her name in honor of their 34th wedding anniversary. The gift also made her the 25,000th Paul Harris Fellow.
At the International Assembly in 1979, then-RI President-elect James Bomar challenged each Rotary club to make one non-Rotarian a Paul Harris Fellow. The Rotary Club of Pikesville, Maryland, USA, responded by making a donation in the name of Mother Teresa in 1980. The entertainer Pearl Bailey also became a Paul Harris Fellow through a joint effort of the Rotary clubs in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Many other notable figures have been named as Paul Harris Fellows, including U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, U.S. astronaut James Lovell, UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar, and Jonas Salk.
The number of Paul Harris Fellows reached the one million mark in 2006.
Pat Love began the meeting with a pithy invocation from the Dalai Lama: “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” (Hmm . . . if a picture is worth 1000 words, that may be eight words worth a picture.)
The sing-along led by Jesse Formwalt was an old standby, “You Are My Sunshine.” Being that it is a favorite, your reporter gave reign to his investigative instincts, and learned on the internet that the song was penned in the 1930’s, perhaps by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell – although the attribution is disputed. Davis, a country singer, recorded the song in 1940 and became closely identified with it. Later, he also became Governor of Louisiana, and his connection to the song was cemented in history when it was named Louisiana State Song by an act of the state Legislature. As always, history is written by the victors.
Versions of “You Are My Sunshine” have been recorded by a vast array of performers, ranging from Gene Autry, to Lawrence Welk, to Ike and Tina Turner, to Ray Charles, to Mose Allison, to Brian Wilson, to Carly Simon, and (back to its country roots) Johnny Cash.
But well worthy of reporting is that during the meeting, new members Ci Ci and Bruce Stuart were welcomed into Rotary, with Dave Campbell presiding.
The energetic Ci Ci is originally from Michigan, and has enjoyed diverse experiences in restaurant management, teaching, as a court-appointed youth advocate, and as a docent at Northstar House, a cultural arts center in a historic gold-mining area of the Sierras, between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. The more stolid Bruce grew up in California, but went to college in Nebraska in search of an environment more conducive to studies than that in the Golden State. He has worked as a business consultant and owned a manufacturing concern.
The meeting concluded with presentations to numerous Rotarians of Paul Harris awards, given to members who have made cumulative donations to The Rotary Foundation of $1000. The Foundation helps advance world understanding and peace through support of worthy projects to improve health, sanitation, access to water and education the world over, and enjoys the distinction of being recognized by website Charity Navigator as an organization that exceptionally uses 100% of funds donated for projects.
Rotarians recognized as “outstanding givers” included Art Benzel, John Richardson, Jo Bridges, Sharon Crump, Bob Eggleston, Jo Ann Laird, Don McKeehan, Kim Moore, Shellie Peterson, Jann Pitcher, Dave Richardson, Carrie Weiss, Codie Wilson, and Neal Johnson. Jo’s award was her second, as was Codie’s. Shellie, Jann and Carrie each received the award a third time. Dave’s was his eighth award – a handsome, elegantly decorated Rotary pin.
Also receiving the award posthumously was Dick Babillis. Bonnie Masters accepted on Dick’s behalf, commenting that she knew the Rotary Foundation had been “near and dear” to his heart.
Larry McClintock advised all at the meeting that gifts may be made by checks made out to The Rotary Foundation, or on the Rotary.org website. He added that gifts counted for the Paul Harris award accumulate over time. Recognition is thus within the reach of all.
Our Club had the pleasure of participating, with Jason and Shelly from the Borde Rio, in our first Chamber Business After Hours event! What a fun evening that was! The turn out was really good as was the food and libations. It provided an opportunity to tell more folks about our two Rotary Clubs and what they are doing in the community.
There was a raffle drawing for tickets to the Kentucky Derby as well. Two lucky couples will be attending as our guests! Speaking of the Kentucky Derby....BE SURE TO BRING YOUR TICKET MONEY TO THE MEETING ON THURSDAY!! AS WELL AS ANY UNSOLD TICKETS!!
Before moving to Pagosa Springs, Dr. Webb worked as the Medical Director of Patient Safety and Quality for the Willis-Knighton Health System. In her previous leadership role, she focused on improvements to the quality of patient care and as a key liaison between administrators and physicians.
Dr. Webb served as PSMC, CMO prior to becoming the CEO. Her focus and commitment are to provide quality, compassionate care for all community
She and her husband were vacationing in the area in 2010 and ended up buying a house. Her Husband, Bill Web MD made the move to Pagosa first. Rhonda followed him here after about a year and a half during which she was taking care of her mother. She summarized the Medical Centers surprising growth over the past 10 years right up to the most current addition of being able to provide chemotherapy treatments.
The Medical Center employees about 270 people in our community.
District 5470 Conference was held in Pueblo Colorado last weekend. Kim Moore and Shellie Peterson along with Laura Delgato, and our out-bound exchange students all attended. The students had great fun catching up with the other exchange kids and going on a trip to the Royal Gorge. Doug Secrist was also in attendance from the Pagosa Mountain Rotary Club.
There were Roundtable Discussions regarding RYE, Rotaract, Membership, RYLA, Grants and Scholarships as well as a very motivational key note speaker, Mike Forney, the Zone Regional Public Image Coordinator.
Our very own Laura Delgato did a fine job in the Flag Ceremony. It was quite impressive to see so many fine young people from so many different countries! These ambassadors are learning about other cultures and sharing theirs. They are learning how to promote peace and understanding in our world.
President Kim Moore presided with an admirably firm hand on the gong, bringing a previously turbulent mob of gabbing Rotarians to instant order.
Art Bezel then kicked the proceedings off with an invocation inspired by the annual rite of mystical numbers and heartfelt oaths (at least in your humble scribe’s experience), known as “tax season.” Quoth Art (accepting “nevermore,” the gloom of the Raven):
Some days are better, some days are worse,
Look for the blessing instead of the curse.
Be positive, stay strong, and get enough rest;
You can’t do it all, but you can do your best.
Sharon Crump immediately further rejected gloom, by leading Rotarians in giving voice to “You Are My Sunshine.”
Following Sharon’s rousing musical interlude, guests including Alan Roth, PLPOA Manager, were warmly welcomed.
Kim began the week’s announcements by reporting that Kentucky Derby Party sponsorships were mounting up, but more are needed. Advertising, she pointed out, was soon to begin (the first radio ads being scheduled for Monday, April 23), and encouraged Rotarians to beat the bushes to hustle more sponsors to the starting gate.
In addition, Kim informed the meeting that Rotary, a member of the Pagosa Chamber of Commerce, is hosting the Chamber’s monthly After Hours social at the original Riff Raff, downtown, at 5 pm Wednesday April 25. Kim encouraged all to attend. Your reporter can attest that attendees enjoy a warm and congenial gathering, featuring good conversation with interesting neighbors, tantalizing nibbles, and (possibly) beverages of a character that inspire the caution, Don’t Drink and Drive.
Kim also advised that in June, a group of visitors from Kyrgyzstan will be in Pagosa to learn about our methods of cultivating tourism, which they intend to carry back to their homeland to help nurture tourism there. Kim said that host families are needed for the seven visitors during their stay from June 1-9, and solicited volunteers. Those interested in helping with this international cultural exchange should contact her, or Dave Smith, she said. (Imagine: you too can be a worthy part of culture. Your college classmates, or at least mine, would never believe it, but it’s an opportunity to rub their faces in it!)
Finally, Kim advised that the Rotary project for a garden in the Town’s Centennial Park, the site of the (one present, three future) Geothermal Greenhouses, has received approval.
Roberta Tolan then wrestled the microphone from Kim (or would have, if there had been a microphone) to remind the group that nominees for the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards needed to be submitted by Monday, April 23. The program, for high school students who are potential leaders, offers a weekend of leadership training to participants in Glenwood Springs.
Exchange student Laura Delgado then reported that she had a fun trip to Hawaii, and continues to raise funds to pay the cost (Laura had a supply of tasty jellies on display for purchase by Rotarians with sweet tooths, generous spirits, or both). In addition, Laura will be attending two proms this spring, one in Pagosa, and one with a friend in Westcliffe. (See – as Laura demonstrates, this cultural exchange thing can be a pretty good gig!)
Betty Switzer then took center stage to announce April birthdays, equipped in the absence of kazoos with an exotic, automatic bubble-maker acquired by Kim at Disney World. Jo Bridges, John Richardson and Will Spears were honored. Jo and John, it turns out, share the same birth date, April 4. Jo was so moved (not sure whether by John’s birthday or her own) that she donated a dollar for each year to the Rotary Scholarship fund. Actually, it was her own birthday that triggered her gift, but as a gentleman (please keep the laughter to a dull roar) your scribe can’t reveal the amount.
Also noted by Betty was Granton Bartz’s 17th wedding anniversary. The honoree confessed that he and everybody else in his family had forgotten the date, bur reported the day was well spent anyhow, watching the Pagosa Springs Lady Pirates soccer team triumph 1-0 in an “awesome” game at Cortez.
Sunshine and Showers ensued, including Jann Pitcher’s recollection of a comment by former First Lady Barbara Bush that “everyone has something to give,” Roberta’s report that her husband has but one lymphoma treatment remaining, and her acquisition of a new dog, Dave Cammack’s “shout out” to Lisa Scott for finding two prom dresses for Laura, Sam Pittmon’s happiness at being back in Pagosa after lengthy travels, Betty’s remark that “bubbles make you happy,” and your reporter’s mention of a visit to an old buddy in Cleveland.
Your reporter’s contribution somehow elicited a negative retort from John Richardson, a self-proclaimed former Cleveland resident of 32-years vintage, trashing the reporter’s Pittsburgh past. Perhaps it was the reporter’s reference to Pittsburghers’ unkind characterization of Cleveland as the “mistake by the lake.” For the record, your reporter acknowledges that any justification for that characterization is long gone: the present-day Cleveland is the equal of Paris. (Oh-oh, now I’m gonna have Parisians on my back.)
The final portion of the meeting, usually featuring a speaker, was devoted to a “travel-rama” consisting of stories by Rotarians of notable travels. The interesting recollections shared were too many for complete recapitulation here, but included were
Linda Verrips’ misadventures with Amtrack, in which in mid-journey the train left her stranded in Grand Junction with no money or identification, but a friendly travel agent came to the rescue by helping her contact American Express, purchase an airplane ticket to Denver, and get to the train station in Denver to catch up with the train;
Dave Smith’s hiking expedition with his grandson in the remote wilds of the Wind River Mountains in Wyoming.Dave had some stunning photos of the landscape, plus a photo appearing by “mistake” of Kim cooling with a can of Coke (“the Pause that Refreshes,” evidently) – Dave, Coke would pay big money for the rights to that photo -- during their recent journey in Senegal;
Jann Pitcher’s recollection of a trip long ago to “surprise” a boyfriend travelling in Europe, something she advised “you should never do,” which resulted in an extended and fruitless vigil at the local post office in Nice, France, but still had a happy ending when Jann consoled herself with a trip to Aspen upon arriving “Back in the USA,” where she met Todd;
Betty and Jeff Switzer’s recent trip to Texas to help celebrate their grandson’s attainment of Eagle Scout status, and receipt of Eagle Scout Grandparent pins,
Sharon Crump’s description of a chaotic motorhome trip to New Orleans with multiple stops including one for a Jimmy Buffet concert in Houston by her and several Pagosa women including Kim, which featured fun, near-catastrophes, minor injuries, and a traffic stop on the way home in which Kim saved the day by surprising the officer with a courteous offer of lunch;
Cindy Galabota’s story of a hot-air balloon ride during travels in Turkey, which ended in a dramatic landing in which the partially toppled passenger basket (with passengers aboard) was dragged 100 yards by the wind and partially deflated balloon;
Roberta Tolan’s canoe trip on the Green River through Dinosaur National Monument, where she was suddenly taken ill in the middle of the night and carried to safety by a robust Park Ranger, a former Navy Seal; and
Your reporter’s recollection of an out-board motorboat excursion with his sister in Grand Teton National Park as youngsters, which was interrupted by a wild storm, producing parental fears (eventually disproven) of drownings.
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club and the Mountain Rotary Club have been involved in this community service project for more years than I can remember! It is an important effort and it takes an enormous amount of willing volunteer hours to make this event happen each year.
Your health is important, and there is so much you can learn. Come to the High School on April 28th from 7 to 11:00 a.m. You can take advantage of minimal cost blood test panel for $35, add on more extensive tests, have vision and breast screenings, attend educational programs, and meet health professionals. Lifesaving tests and assessments are a great way to ward off potential problems.
In addition to our administrative volunteer efforts, there is a team of dedicated medical professionals available at the 9Health Fair to perform the blood screening tests, to answer questions and provide other free screenings. This year we have an amazing team assembled for you to take advantage of conveniently, in one location! Come, visit with your neighbors, and 'make the rounds' through all the various educational and information tables, blood pressure check and screenings.
April 28th, 7:00 to 11:00 Pagosa Springs High School
Jann Pitcher presided in the absence of globe-trotting President Kim Moore (from sub-Saharan Africa, to Disney World, to the Artic – pretty impressive!National Geographic wants to talk to you, Kim.)
Jan began by offering an invocation from the words of Thichh Nhat Hanh, according to Wikipedia, a Vietnamese-born Buddhist monk and peace activist, who now lives in France.
In a passage entitled “Empathy,” Hahn said “When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don’t blame the lettuce.You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water or less sun. . . .
“Yet if we have problems with our friends and family we blame the other person.But if we know how to take care of them they will grow well like the lettuce.Blaming has no positive effect at all, nor does trying to persuade, using reason and argument.
“That is my experience.No blame, no argument, just understanding.If you understand and you know that you understand you can love and the situation will change.”
Sharon Crump followed this thoughtful philosophy of life by leading the meeting in a song more exuberant than thoughtful, which nevertheless oddly shared Hahn’s emphasis on the springtime renewal of life (growth of lettuce), by leading the meeting in a chorus of the seasonal anthem, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”(So I wonder: do the Rockies need more water, like the rest of us in Colorado?)
Jann then resumed the microphone, with a brief history of the Rotary Four-Way test, which she said was created in the early days of organization by Herbert Taylor, who wanted guidelines to help revitalize his then-failing business.Jann followed her history lesson by challenging Will Spears to recite the test from memory.Will met the challenge with the confidence of a veteran slugger hammering a hanging curve out of the ball park, reciting it without a hitch.(Neither fertilizer nor water needed.)
Dave Commack then offered a report on the activities of Brazilian exchange student Laura Delgado.Laura was absent for the meeting, Dave explained, because she was playing soccer with the Pagosa Springs High School Lady Pirates, who were then travelling to an away game that afternoon.Dave reported also that Laura had a “fantastic” trip to Hawaii, but still needed to raise an additional $300 to cover the cost.More jelly will be on sale, Dave predicted.
The announcement of the annual Put Hill clean-up followed, this year to be on May 12.A volunteer sigh-up sheet was circulated.
Pat Love then invited Rotarians to join her and Melanie Garrett, co-chairs of the Kentucky Derby Gala Decorating Committee, for a session on 5 pm Monday April 9 in the Pagosa Brewing conference room. On the agenda?Fun and easy-peasy: cutting bolts of fabric for decorations into usable lengths.Pat said refreshments for participants will be “on me.”
Sunshine and Showers followed, with Dave Commack holding forth as chief goad and exclusive banker in the absence of Betty Switzer.(Not sure if Betty may have been in the Artic Circle as well as Kim.)
Among other contributions, Pat Love reported she’d been travelling “coast to coast,” and was glad to be back in the friendly environs of Pagosa.John Richardson acknowledged a generous gift by Patty Tillerson to the Rotary Foundation, made in memory of late husband and much-missed Rotary Songmeister, Bob.And Jann described the Easter-Egg Hunt for her grandchildren, featuring a decoy “Golden Egg,” filled not with treats, but broccoli combined with exhortations to keep looking for the real thing.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK – April 5, 2018 Meeting Summary
Marcie began her talk by noting her gratitude for the Rotary Scholarship granted last Spring to her daughter, Haley, now a freshman at Colorado State.(Haley was known to this reporter while a student at Pagosa Springs High School as an ace soccer player and mainstay of the excellent Lady Pirates team.She was also known for a variety of other impressive qualities including academic achievement and vocal ability.)
Marcie explained that Aspire is the only pre-natal care center in Pagosa.Formerly known as Thrive (until another organization asserted ownership of the name), Aspire last year served 300 clients, she said.Its clients received 3280 free services.
Whether under its new name or former name, Marcie explained the organization provides an array of services related to birth and parenthood: medical help, testing, transportation, nutritional support, supplies, clothing, education, encouragement, and support for parents both expecting and caring for new children.Aspire is even the only supplier in Archuleta County for infant car seats.
Generally, Aspire’s mission – to help parents be “the best Moms and Pops they can be” – is exemplary of its name, Marcie added.The long term outcome it seeks, she said, is for healthy babies who “thrive physically, emotionally and socially.”
In 2017, she recounted, there were 112 births in Archuleta County, and Aspire administered tests to 94 of the mothers.So, Marcie noted with a certain pride, through the ultrasound tests the organization administers at 20 weeks of pregnancy, “we get to see the newest Pagosans.”
Of the new mothers helped by Aspire, she added, 40 percent are single.And 40 percent of all of its clients have incomes of less than $15,000/year.Nine percent are high school students.
In the absence of President and World Traveler Kim Moore, Shellie Peterson presided over the meeting with a steady hand on the tiller. (However, Shellie’s hand on the gong to convene the meeting was somewhat gentle, needing a series of whacks to attract attention. That may need a little work, Shellie.)
The invocation was delivered by Sheri Booher, who introduced it as a simple illustration of simple truths.
Sheri told the story of a professor who distributed a surprise test to his class. When the instruction to begin was announced, the students were shocked to find the test included only a single sheet of paper, in the middle of which a black spot prominently appeared. A further instruction was given: write about what you see.
When time was up, the papers were collected. Then the professor read aloud to the class what they all had written they saw, consisting uniformly of descriptions of the spot: its location on the page, dimensions, shape, darkness, etc.
When done reading, the professor spoke to the class. “You all focused on the single black spot,” he said, “None wrote about the much larger white page.
“People often overlook the whole and dwell on the small,” he continued. “Life is a blessing. Don’t focus on the dark spots and overlook the good.”
Jesse Formwalt then led the group in song. Digging deep into her bag of tricks, Jesse came up with a highly appropriate number, “Springtime in the Rockies.”
Among the guests were Cindy Galabota’s Mom, from Green Bay, Wisconsin. Considering the climate in Green Bay, especially this year, and the bright sunshine nudging Pagosa’s temperature to the edge of 60 degrees last week, no doubt our visitor brought with her a powerful appreciation of springtime in the Rockies.
Shellie Peterson then announced the arrival of another harbinger of Spring: posters for the Kentucky Derby Party, and asked Rotarians to solicit local businesses to post them in shop windows. Shellie tasked all in addition to solicit businesses for sponsorships critical to the Party’s fund-raising effort, pointing out there are several recognized sponsorship levels which include tickets (worth $45 each).
A “Bronze” sponsorship ($300 or more) yields two tickets, and a “Title” sponsorship ($3000 and up) eight, with additional levels between. A general sponsorship (under $300) does not include tickets. For more information, contact Shellie, or Treasurer Larry McCliintock.
Later, as the meeting concluded, members’ Kentucky Derby Party tickets were distributed.
Smoothly shifting gears to address a later event, Shellie also asked Rotarians to think about nominees to be this year’s Grand Marshal for the Pagosa Springs Fourth of July Parade. The parade is renowned throughout the Four Corners as the “Parade that keeps on Marchin’,” but the Grand Marshal gets to sit in a comfortable car, an honor, indeed, on a hot, sunny July 4th.
Other announcements were that Rotary’s Annual Put Hill cleanup is coming, and volunteers are needed, and the Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership’s Environmental Film Festival will be held on April 13-14.
Neal Johnson then took the floor to welcome new (returned) Rotary member Warren Brown, of the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office. Warren pronounced himself delighted to be back in the fold, attributing his recent separation from the Club to the heavy burdens of his job, now somewhat abated.
Betty Switzer then presided over a burgeoning session of “Sunshine and Showers,” with many contributors. As your reporter lacked a good view of the Pagosa Brewing Company dining room during the meeting, he unfortunately has meager ability here to provide any significant summary of the always intriguing personal observations and reports that comprise S/S.
But it can be reported that John Shepard announced he has been appointed Communications Director of the American Planning Association Small Town and Rural Division. (John moonlights as the Planning Director of Archuleta County.). Plus, another job-related announcement came from Meg Wempe (who moonlights as Sisson Library Director), who reported that our own Cindy Galabota will be joining the Library as its Development Officer.
And also, in observation of her role presiding over the week’s Rotary meeting, Shellie contributed as a “Sunshine” announcement, the observation that she was confident she would cease shaking at least by 2 pm. But Betty was quick to top Shellie, pointing out with magnificent good humor, “I always shake.”
Susan explained that Chimney Rock is a National Monument, by virtue of Presidential Proclamation issued by Barak Obama (issued when the US Senate failed to act after approval of the upgrade of its former status as an Archeological Site, unopposed, in the House of Representatives.) But it is administered by the US Forest Service, not the National Park Service, as it is surrounded by San Juan National Forest.
Despite its formal recognition as a Monument, no federal funds are allocated to Chimney Rock to sponsor visitor activities. That substantial task is handled by the legion of CRIA volunteers, like Susan.
Every day during the May 15 to September 30 season, Susan said, CRIA members guide tours for visitors, over two trails: a paved, lower trail (“Great Kiva Trail”) that winds approximately a third of a mile through several pit houses, excavated and not, and a large, fully excavated kiva, and a dirt, upper trail (“Pueblo Trail”), that passes unexcavated pit houses, and ends at an excavated, impressive great house of several rooms, sitting at an altitude equivalent to the base of the rock towers, but well short of them (two thirds of a mile round trip, with a modest climb). Susan explained that the towers themselves are protected as a peregrine falcon nesting site, and are not safe for walkers in any event.
The lower trail is handicap accessible, and is also self-guiding.
BOTH your trusty reporter, Jim Garrett and his lovely wife Melanie are off on a little trip, as am I and Ken. It is unusual that one or the other of us is not available to cover the extremely interesting and utterly important functions of the weekly Rotary meeting, none-the- less, it is so.
So do good work, Sell Kentucky Derby Tickets, Approach New Sponsors, and go forth an serve in our absence. We all look forward to joining you next week.
The weekly meeting convened for the first time at Pagosa Brewing & Grill, which provided comfortable space in its main dining room. While future meetings may be moved into the restaurant’s conference room, undergoing renovation at the time of the meeting, our new hosts made Rotary feel right at home.
The meeting opened with an invocation delivered by Art Benzel, in observance of the arrival of Spring, from the writings of inspirational author Doe Zantamata:
"Some days are better, some days are worse, look for the blessing instead of the curse. Be positive, stay strong and get enough rest, you can’t do it all, but you can do your best".
Perhaps also thinking of Spring and the opportunities it brings for walks in Pagosa’s forests and mountains, Sharon Crump then followed by leading the meeting in the singing of “The Happy Wanderer.” Sharon thoughtfully supplied copies of the joyous lyrics, to help those who have forgotten the days of summer camp and campfire sing-alongs.
With the inspiration of the song ringing in our ears, Sharon might easily have led the meeting into the woods for a brisk walk, but the moment passed without an exodus. Rotarians were rewarded then for their diligent adherence to their seats by a brief report from President Kim Moore on her two weeks in Senegal. (Dave Smith remains in Africa spreading the gospel of science for two more weeks.)
Kim reported that the sub-Saharan country has “lots of sand, lots of goats and baobab trees.” According to the website Aduna, https://aduna.com/pages/the-baobab-tree, the baoba is a prehistoric species which predates both mankind and the splitting of the continents over 200 million years ago. Native to the African savannah where the climate is extremely dry and arid, it is a symbol of life and positivity in a landscape where little else can thrive. Over time, the Baobab has adapted to its environment. It is a succulent, which means that during the rainy season it absorbs and stores water in its vast trunk, enabling it to produce a nutrient-dense fruit in the dry season when all around is dry and arid. This is how it became known as "The Tree of Life". Baobab trees grow in 32 African countries. They can live for up to 5,000 years, reach up to 30 metres high and up to an enormous 50 metres in circumference. Baobab trees can provide shelter, food and water for animals and humans, which is why many savannah communities have made their homes near Baobab trees.
Kim described the high schools she visited to attend English language classes as crowded, but staffed by wonderful, well-educated and dedicated teachers, and attended by “fabulous” students, more than half of whom, she reported, hope to attend university after graduating.
Kim also commented that Senegalese women were beautifully and colorfully dressed, promising at a later meeting to show off an addition to her own wardrobe acquired during her trip as an example. And, she reported that Senegal was a land of “hugs and kisses,” as the French-speaking population follows the European custom of exchanging greetings with an embrace and a kiss on each cheek.
Shellie Petersen followed with an announcement that 9Health Fair is in need of volunteers. The medical screening event will be staged this year at Pagosa Springs High School on April 29, 7 to 11 am, and will offer a choice of 15 tests important for early detection of various diseases and health issues. The website for more information is https://www.9healthfair.org/health-fairs/fall/91/screenings. Please call Shellie or Jenelle to volunteer!
A call for nominees of local eighth to eleventh grade students to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Conference was then issued by Roberta Tolan. Anyone who knows of a student in that range with good leadership potential, should nominate the candidate by March 30, she said.
Exchange student Laura Delgado then reported that she would be appearing in the High School spring play, and invited Rotarians to attend. She also reported that fund raising for her trip to Hawaii still had a little ways to go, but her departure plans were set.
Betty Switzer then briefly donned an Easter Bunny mask to announce a long list of March birthdays. But the mask was promptly removed because, Betty explained, to see through the eyeholes she needed to tilt her head downward, producing an unsightly “double chin,” or so she claimed. Observers defended the mask, but Betty promptly overrode all objections and proceeded to announce the month’s honorees. Only Betty’s own Jeff Switzer and Kris Campbell were present to accept the meeting’s accolades, and be serenaded with a rousing “Happy Birthday.” Kris was also heard to ask, where are the presents?
Betty then transitioned to “Sunshine and Showers,” producing many tidbits of information ranging from a warning against American Airlines’ offering in event of aircraft mechanical problems of a voucher for a night’s stay in the Quality Inn of Arlington, Texas, to Kim’s display of a “Rotary Banner,” presented to her in St. Louis, Senegal by the local Rotary Club which hosted the visit by their American colleagues.
But the most interesting bit was from Art Benzel, who reported that his wife had been selected to serve on a jury in a local homicide case, that had to be tried in Durango due to the ongoing and unresolved problems of the Archuleta County Courthouse. Art reported that with the travel time to get to Durango daily, his wife had devoted 9 days of 12 hours each to her jury service, with deliberations on a verdict not then yet completed.
Our speakers provided an update on changes at the Pagosa Springs Medical Center, plus some insight into possible future developments.
Jesse Hensley is the Medical Center’s Marketing Director. He reported that in the space opened up by the construction of the new clinic completed last year, the Medical Center has now opened a new Oncology Center. And, he said, it is currently planning to expand its radiology department to provide 3-D mammography, and is already accommodating as well doctors with an expanded range of specialties, who are sharing the limited space on a rotating basis.
But, he added, with the completion of the Oncology Center and the addition of other new services, the Center’s presently available space is already fully utilized. Thus, its MRI unit continues to be housed in a trailer, outside the building. Despite that, he said, it is the best unit in terms of imaging performance available in the Four Corners Area.
However, Jesse emphasized, despite its present lack of unused capacity, the Center is evaluating what additional expansion might be appropriate to meet needs in the community. As an example, he mentioned, Obstetrics and Gynecology.
On March 4, Pagosa Springs resident and Rotary Member Dave Smith embarked for the fourth consecutive year on a muti-week mission to the sub-Saharan, west African nation, Senegal, where he and another Rotarian from Canyon City, Colorado will help spread the gospel of science education.
Dave, formerly a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Nebraska, and at heart a dedicated teacher, is an example of Pagosa Springs’ remarkable cadre of skilled retirees, who may have dropped work-a-day cares, but have chosen to continue instead to employ their expertise in labors of love. Dave explains that several years back, he decided to find an outlet for his love of science and teaching in a country where he could do the most good, by proposing a Rotary program to aid education in a poor, Islamic country.
Senegal, a poor, arid, but stable country with a mostly Sunni population of 25 million on the Atlantic Ocean Coast of West Africa, emerged as the candidate, in major part because the national government was already on board with the importance of science education. The Senegalese government, having realized that experience shows a direct relationship between science education in local schools and an emerging nation’s economic development, had adopted a national policy that by 2025, 75 percent of its high school students were to be enrolled in science courses.
Dave’s project was to be designed to improve science instruction techniques in Senegalese high schools, so it was a good match with the need and thus attracted support from the International Rotary Foundation, which provides grants to help sponsor volunteer projects the world over.
With support of the Foundation, the Senegalese Project has an annual budget of $60,000, based on the combined contributions of the sponsoring Rotary Clubs in Pagosa Spirngs, Canyon City, and Aspen, which are multiplied by matching funds from the Rotary Foundation at a 3 to 1 ratio.
All funds devoted to Rotary Foundation supported projects are provided by donations by Rotary members, which are distinct from the local fund raising activities of Rotary Clubs.
For instance, in Pagosa Springs, all funds raised by the local club from the annual Barn Dance and Kentucky Derby Party and other activities, are used solely for local purposes, such as college scholarships and other support provided for schools of the Archuleta School District.
On this year’s Senegal trip, Dave will initially be accompanied by local Rotarian Kim Moore, plus two Rotarians from Canyon City. Dave and all other Rotarians pay for their own travel expenses.
The group of four will visit two urban and two rural high schools in northern Senegal, where they will attend English classes over a period of two weeks.
Dave explains that the Senegalese indigenous language is Wolof, although the official language in French. Students at the high school level have already learned French, and many start taking English when they reach high school. So the visitors will be able to converse with class members during their visits, he says, and help the students develop increased comfort with the language.
In addition, Rotarians will be carrying with them a large cache of used books, generally at the junior high reading level, collected by local Rotarians Lassie Olin, Ronnie Doctor and Marianne DeVooght. The books will distributed by the visitors to the Senegalese classes to help start an English reading library expected to be useful for years to come.
Robin Young reminded us that with our dry conditions, it was not too soon to be thinking about creating or maintaining a defensible space around our homes. Fire can spread in several ways, either by direct contact, radiant heat or flying embers. Any fuel source in close proximity to your home could be a fire hazard. With such low snow conditions, take a look around your property and think about how you could increase that defensible space by clearing away dead tree branches, pine needles or other combustibles that could be a danger on your property.
Other things that are best done well ahead of a fire event include making plans about how to evacuate, where to meet and whom to contact away from your property to get in touch with family members. These things need to be established but also practiced so that in emergency even young children would know exactly how to proceed to safety.
Robin also mentioned planning for your pets and animals. Making arrangements with your neighbors, how to transport large animals and being sure you have all the needed equipment at the ready in the event of a need to evacuate. Remember our first responders can only do so much; it takes everyone doing their part in being prepared for an emergency. We thank Robin for her time and look forward to a more detailed presentation to come.
Robin Young, CSU Director, Speaks about Fire Mitigation
On March 4, Pagosa Springs resident and Rotary Member Dave Smith embarked for the fourth consecutive year on a muti-week mission to the sub-Saharan, west African nation, Senegal, where he and another Rotarian from Canyon City, Colorado will help spread the gospel of science education.
Dave, formerly a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Nebraska, and at heart a dedicated teacher, is an example of Pagosa Springs’ remarkable cadre of skilled retirees, who may have dropped work-a-day cares, but have chosen to continue instead to employ their expertise in labors of love. Dave explains that several years back, he decided to find an outlet for his love of science and teaching in a country where he could do the most good, by proposing a Rotary program to aid education in a poor, Islamic country.
Senegal, a poor, arid, but stable country with a mostly Sunni population of 25 million on the Atlantic Ocean Coast of West Africa, emerged as the candidate, in major part because the national government was already on board with the importance of science education. The Senegalese government, having realized that experience shows a direct relationship between science education in local schools and an emerging nation’s economic development, had adopted a national policy that by 2025, 75 percent of its high school students were to be enrolled in science courses.
Dave’s project was to be designed to improve science instruction techniques in Senegalese high schools, so it was a good match with the need and thus attracted support from the International Rotary Foundation, which provides grants to help sponsor volunteer projects the world over.
With support of the Foundation, the Senegalese Project has an annual budget of $60,000, based on the combined contributions of the sponsoring Rotary Clubs in Pagosa Spirngs, Canyon City, and Aspen, which are multiplied by matching funds from the Rotary Foundation at a 3 to 1 ratio.
Livia Cloman Lynch directed the meeting in President Kim's absence. One of her tasks was to thank Jason, Shelly and our ever patient server, Stephen, for all their hospitality! This was our last meeting at Borde Rio as they are 'transforming' their brand and in the midst of a remodel project! They have been so accommodating and gracious, it is hard to find words to express our gratitude!
This week Thursday, March 15, 2018, we will be cooking and serving for Loaves & Fishes! If you had not yet contacted Bill Hubbard to sign up to serve, please do so. This event that Rotary leads once each quarter is the absolute of selfless service. There are no funds to be raised, there is no cause to promote; other than of course, to help prepare a meal and serve our neighbors and our community.
The next Thursday, March 22, 2018, President Kim will have returned and be able to lead us in the first meeting of our new meeting location; Pagosa Brewing and Grill. Owner Tony, Julie and Porter Simmons have welcomed our Club as well as Pagosa Mountain Rotary Club.
In other news and announcements:
John Duvall and his better half are off on an extended travel to exotic locations
Keep Greg Booher's mother (and Greg) in your thoughts as they travel to see if a surgery will help her condition. Their ultimate goal is to have her well enough to move here to the Bee Hive so that they can be more active in her life
David and Kriss Campbell will also be off on a travel to celebrate Kriss's birthday! Happy Birthday Kriss!
Clean water, better sanitation, teacher training, and hygiene education in schools can improve the health and education of children by creating a cycle of opportunity: improved education, increased school attendance, and improved academic performance.
What is the WASH in Schools Target Challenge?
The WASH in Schools Target Challenge is a pilot program created to motivate Rotary clubs to develop sustainable water, sanitation, hygiene (collectively referred to as WASH), and education projects using the expertise and resources available through two of Rotary’s areas of focus: basic education and literacy and water and sanitation.
The program will focus on measuring the impact that WASH and basic education and literacy initiatives have on school attendance. Rotary and UNICEF will recognize Rotary clubs and schools whose WASH in Schools projects achieve the benchmarks outlined below.
During the pilot phase, the program will run through July 2020 in five countries, all chosen for their strong, active involvement in school sanitation efforts: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, India, and Kenya.
73.7% of Americans are overweight or obese.That is more than 2 in 3 adults. A startling statistic! I will refer to this statistical information as the “overweight syndrome” in this article.
This overweight syndrome is known to cause or promote:
• High blood pressure (Hypertension)
• High bad cholesterol, triglycerides, and low good cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Coronary heart disease
• Stroke
• Gallbladder disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Sleep apnea and breathing problems
• Cancers such as breast, colon, kidney, gallbladder, uterine and liver
• Mental illness: clinical depression, anxiety, and others
• Body pain and difficulty with physical functioning
Heart disease and stroke are the the first and third most common causes of death. Cancer is the second leading cause of death of Americans.
Diabetes contributes to these statistics, and about 80 percent with diabetes are overweight. (CDC - Centers for Disease Control data)
The medical costs are over $150 Billion per year. That’s Billion with a “B”
The annual nationwide productive losses of overweight absenteeism are about $10 billion ($200 per individual)
Many overweight Americans don't know they could change their lives if they attained a healthy weight.
Don’t be one of the Americans who don’t know. Come to the Health Fair on April 28th from 7 - 11 a.m. at the High School.
President Kim and Greg Wynn (standing in for Donna who was substitute teaching) revealed a banner from the Archuleta County School District.
The 2018 mini grant program was very successful. Fifteen local teachers from a variety of Archuleta County schools applied for grant funds. Applications were submitted from Pagosa Springs Elementary School, Middle School, High School, Pagosa Family School, and Pagosa Peak Open School. Their applications varied greatly in the needs for their students. Applicants requested funds for classroom supplies, science enrichment, creative classroom furniture, and much more. Pagosa Springs is very fortunate to have educators from many diversified schools who are dedicated to the enrichment of our young people.
It is with great pleasure that the Pagosa Springs Rotary Club is proud to announce that all applicants’ grant applications were awarded for a total of over $2,200.00.
This Year's grant recipients were Dana Hayward, Sabra Miller, Rachael Christiansen, Jeanne Dahler, Anita Hinger, Jennifer Banks, Lauren Wolford (3 grant applications), Linda Lutomski, Karla Choat, Emily Murphy, Heather Rose, Sarah Johnson, & Kelle Bruno.
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club Teacher Mini Grant Program is a long standing annual program for our club and this year was no different. The mini grant program awards a limited number of grants with a maximum award of $200 for special classroom projects to individual teachers in kindergarten through twelfth grade in Archuleta County. The mini grant provides working capital to innovative teachers who want to develop new ideas to enrich the student classroom experience. The mini grants also provide funds to teachers for materials or projects that would not otherwise be available through the school district or for teachers that would otherwise have to use their own money to support them.
Our thanks go out to Donna Wynn who shepherded this project through to completion this year! Good Job Donna!
Rotary is a Proud Partner to the Archuleta School District
Johnathan Dobson and Doug Large spoke to the Club regarding their desire to provide a school in San Juan Puerto Rico with solar power. Their initiative is in the beginning phase and results from traveling around the island and finding communities largely being ignored and left to fend for themselves after the hurricane. They wanted to find a project that would make a lasting impact and by providing solar power to the S U Marta LaFonta NE school in the central west mountains they feel like they can do that.
Johnathan traveled the country looking for such a project and they plan to raise approximately $25,000 to purchase and ship the required materials such as batteries and solar panels. They are currently working with the Pagosa Mountain Morning Rotary Club with the hopes of using their 501(c)(3) status so that contributions could be tax deductible.
Art Benzel began with an invocation consisting of excerpts from a poem by George Carlin (yes, the often vulgar comedian, but a thoughtful observer of life too), “The Paradox.” Lines recorded by your scribbling reporter included observations that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, more convenience but less time, more medicine but less wellness, stay up too late and wake up too tired, love too seldom and hate too often, and have been to the moon and back but have trouble walking across the street to greet our neighbor.
Sharon Crump then led the group in singing Grand Old Flag. Sharon’s leadership of the uplifting favorite was more melodious than a previous effort perhaps still ringing in the ears of some.
Guests included Constance D’Angelis, 9 Health Care coordinator, and James Smith, president of Citizen’s Bank, a multiple-time return guest.
Announcements included requests for volunteer sign-ups by Jo Bridges on behalf of the Feed our Children backpack program (sign-up “early and often,” Jo implored), and President Kim Moore for the Kentucky Derby party, being held again at Keyah Grande. “Many hands make light work,” Kim suggested, encouraging all to volunteer for one of the many jobs hosting the event demands.
Dave Campbell then presided over the induction of a new member, Meg Wempe, an event which he said was the result of “a couple of years of arm-twisting.” Meg is the director of the community’s highly esteemed Ruby Sisson Library.
(According to information on the internet, the Library dates to a donation of books from the estate of a wealthy New Yorker in 1896. Ruby Sisson was a local teacher, rancher and philanthropist, who lived from 1901-1985. Community members raised the funds to build the current library building in 1989. The building, located at South 8th Street and Highway 160, was later remodeled and expanded in 2005.)
Meg shared a little of her background with us. She grew up in South Carolina and is a graduate of Clemson University. After college she bounced around a bit, including a period in residence at what she described as a “hippy farm” in Virginia, until she earned a Masters in Library Science at Arizona. Eventually she wound up in Pagosa Springs, fell in love with the community, and skiing, plus, got married. She does triathlons, and recently participated in the Penguin Plunge. Meg is a welcome addition to Rotary!
Another Penguin Plunger, Nick Tallent, reported that he survived the event the previous weekend, despite being nearly drowned by the weight of his bulky Penguin costume which he wore into the San Juan. Nick said he raised $600 for Big Brothers/Sisters, and the Plunge and other Winterfest events raised a total of $11,000 for various causes.
Exchange student Laura Delgado reported she had raised $1600 for her Hawaii trip, but much of the needed sum “is still missing for me.” Her current fund-raising effort is Valentines’ Day candy. Laura reported that she had recently attended the X-Games, staged this year in Aspen. The trip was much fun, she added, except for the $7 hot chocolate in an Aspen bistro. (Beware, all ye who enter here, the land of million-dollar “affordable” homes – no joke!)
Sunshine and Showers under Betty Switzer’s leadership produced several offerings of interest, including Lassie Olin’s report that People Magazine had listed Pagosa Springs as one of 10 places in the world to visit (the only US location so honored),
Kim’s comment that it was husband Walt’s birthday and a celebratory visit to Ouray was anticipated, Donna Wynn’s report that her daughter would be opening a restaurant, Carol’s Kitchen, back home in Norman, Ok. on February 17, and your reporter’s disclosure of another step on the Pagosa odyssey started by chance in 2004, his admission to the practice of law in Colorado.
Randy told us that his career in fire fighting began in Amarillo, Texas in 1981. He retired from the fire department there after 25 years, and subsequently joined the Pine River Fire Protection District based in neighboring Bayfield, coming to the Pagosa District a few years later. He was appointed chief in 2016.
The Pagosa Fire Protection District (PFPD) was established as a Special District under Colorado law in 1979, Randy said, and later merged with the former fire department of the Town of Pagosa Springs in the 1990’s. The District currently has four paid officers, two chiefs, a Fire Marshal, and two staff persons.
Much of its fire fighting is done by a large force of volunteers, currently 41. Paid staff are on duty during the normal business week, so response to calls in off hours depends on volunteers and staff responding from their homes and their personal activities. There are seven stations in the PFPD.
The PFPD is formally responsible for coverage of an area of 37 square miles, but in reality responds to calls in an area of 1000 square miles, including places where there is no other convenient coverage like the southern part of Mineral County, and Wolf Creek Pass -- the site of many vehicle accidents, particularly involving heavy trucks.
Randy added that the PFPD deals with more than only calls to fires. It also staffs a rescue team, a Hasmat team, responds to accidents and wildland fires, and has trainied paramedics who provide supplemental emergency medical service (EMS) response in the community.
Rotary Foundation receives highest rating from Charity Navigator
For the 10th consecutive year, The Rotary Foundation has received the highest rating — four stars — from Charity Navigator, an independent evaluator of charities in the U.S.
In a letter to the Foundation, Charity Navigator notes that "only 1 percent of the charities we evaluate have received at least 10 consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that The Rotary Foundation outperforms other charities in America. This exceptional designation from Charity Navigator sets The Rotary Foundation apart from its peers and demonstrates to the public its trustworthiness."
The rating reflects Charity Navigator's assessment of how the Foundation uses donations, sustains its programs and services, and practices good governance and openness.
Justice Ministries of Pagosa describes itself on its Facebook page as “A faith based, non-profit organization that operates as a non-governmental human service agency. We connect those who have a need with those who have a heart willing to serve.”
Among its activities has been the organization of the Salvation Army Christmas season bell ringing/collections, seasonally sited currently in the community at City Market and Walmart. Nancy thanked Rotary for its participation in the fund-raising drive, through supplying bell ringers sufficient to staff 10 out of 31 total days at the City Market site. She reported that over $16,600 was raised at City Market for local programs receiving funds from the drive. The total raised was more than $36,000 including nearly $7800 at Walmart and $11,850 from mail-in donations.
Nancy and Neal distributed certificates of appreciation to all “bell ringers” from Rotary.
Cindy Gallabota started the meeting by noting that Rotary had been founded in 1905 by a lawyer, and the name “Rotary” was adopted because the meeting site rotated among members’ offices. She then offered the invocation.
Cindy narrated a story: a group of frogs was hopping through the forest. Two fell into a deep pit, landing on a ledge. They tried to jump out, but after several futile attempts, it seemed too deep, and one yielded to despair and jumped off the ledge to the bottom. The other continued to try, but the remaining frogs looking down from the edge of the pit sadly yelled “Stop, it’s no use.” Nonetheless, the frog continued to jump, finally reaching the edge with a desperate try, and clambering with an exhausted lunge onto the surface. The others were amazed, and exclaimed in wonder that their fellow had not given up despite their warnings. The frog replied, ‘”my hearing is poor, I thought you were shouting encouragement.”
The moral, Cindy explained: “Be careful what you say to others, it may be a matter of life or death.”
Later during the meeting, Cindy issued a call for volunteers to participate on a rotating basis in delivering invocations. Currently, she and Art Benzell are carrying the load. Some recruits to help pitch in would make a meaningful job more manageable.
Then came time for the song. This week, it was “Grand Old Flag,” written by George M. Cohan in 1906 (the year after Rotary’s founding). Sung well or not, it is a stirring march, that makes the hearts of Americans everywhere swell with pride. Cohan, regarded as the father of American musical theater, is celebrated by a statue in New York’s Times Square, and in addition to “Grand Old Flag,” penned numerous other famous songs including “Over There,” “Yankee Doodle Boy,” and “Give My Regards to Broadway.” (Thanks to Bill Hubbard for supplying the lyrics of the song, as well as many others.)
President Kim Moore announced that the Kentucky Derby party will again be held at Keyah Grande this year, on May 5. A volunteer sign-up sheet was circulated. (If you missed it, don’t worry – there is a fabulous array of opportunities still available for eager Rotarians.)
Ronnie Doctor reported that exchange student Laura Delgado is selling Valentine Tins filled with treats to raise funds for her Hawaii trip. Unfortunately, air fare has jumped in cost, so Laura has work remaining to do.
Borde Rio owner Jason Cox then told Rotarians that the restaurant will be closed for remodeling and rebranding: it will become Riff Raff II, Jason said, a sort of a branch of his original Riff Raff that in addition to serving food and drink will substantially expand brewing capacity. Jason said that he hopes the remodeled restaurant will be able to continue hosting Rotary meetings. During the remodeling, Rotary meetings will continue to convene in the building, at least until further notice.
In Betty Switzer’s absence, Roberta Tolan presided over Sunshine and Showers. Roberta lacked Betty’s umbrella and parasol props (which seem to supply a nearly magical aura), but still reaped a bounty of offerings.
Among others, Dave Smith noted that he’d had a good week combining abundant sunshine with a daily breakfast featuring toast spread with Laura Delgado’s delicious fund-raising jam; Kim reported she’d visited with Bob and Patty Tillerson, whom she said enjoy receiving visitors even though Bob is currently on oxygen; and Bill Hubbard gave an off-the-cuff review of the new book noted in the Bulletin a few weeks ago by Dan Darling (Bill Darling’s son), which he said is a good mystery.
Congratulations to: Dana Hayward, Sabra Miller, Rachael Christiansen, Jeanne Dahler, Anita Hinger, Jennifer Banks, Lauren Wolford (3 grant applications), Linda Lutomski, Karla Choat, Emily Murphy, Heather Rose, Sarah Johnson, & Kelle Bruno.
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club Teacher Mini Grant Program is a long standing annual program for our club and this year was no different. The mini grant program awards a limited number of grants with a maximum award of $200 for special classroom projects to individual teachers in kindergarten through twelfth grade in Archuleta County. The mini grant provides working capital to innovative teachers who want to develop new ideas to enrich the student classroom experience. The mini grants also provide funds to teachers for materials or projects that would not otherwise be available through the school district or for teachers that would otherwise have to use their own money to support them.
Brooks began the presentation by summarizing the District’s “process around” its conclusion school facilities are in urgent need of an upgrade. He reported that the District had hired an architectural consultant in October 2016 to survey its facilities in light of its expected growth and demographics. The following spring, Lindner said, the District formed a Planning Assistance Team including representatives from the community, teachers, and School Board members to help in planning and in community outreach necessary to develop support.
Last December, he added, the District decided to seek a Best Grant, a Colorado program providing school districts funds to undertake capital projects. The grant application was prepared by the consultant and recently approved by the Board, he said. So the process of seeking to accomplish the desired upgrade is well in motions, but far from complete.
Superintendent Reed then took the podium to discuss the School District’s programs. Currently, the schools serve a growing student population, she said, with current enrollment being the highest in 10 years. She said that 92% of high school students graduate within 4 years, and 42% go on to college.
On the negative side, Linda reported that state school funding (which is especially important because of restrictions imposed by state law on local funding) is in a “downward spiral.’ That makes grants hugely important, but she reported that the District has achieved notable success with its grant applications, citing as an example that all district students now have access to counselors, many available through the support of grant funding.
Doug Secrist, President of the Pagosa Mountain Morning Rotary Club, was proud to present Robert Soniat with the Rotarian of the Year Award. Robert is being recognized for his tireless service to the youth of the community as well as the Rotary Youth Exchange Program. Congratulations Robert!
Pagosa’s junior scientists recently met at the Middle School to present their research projects. Students who chose the Middle School Science Fair as an elective, started by selecting a topic and a hypothesis. They then designed experiments to test the hypothesis, and analyzed the results to determine whether the hypothesis was correct.
All research projects were judged by three scientists. With so many excellent projects, the competition was fierce. First place went to Jonathan Nasralla for his research on the possibility of using a Fresnel Lens to generate electricity from the sun’s rays. Jonathan’s Fresnel Lens, dubbed the “Solar Death Ray”, was so powerful that it melted a metal can using only energy from the sun. Like most great experiments, initial attempts failed. In Jonathan’s case, the high temperature steam generated by his Frensel Lens melted the plastic turbine that was supposed to generate electricity. Also, like most great research, initial experiments showed what needed to be done next!
Second place went to Skylar Sherman for her study of the effects of caffeine and coffee on plant growth. The goal of this research was to enhance plant growth as a possible means of solving the world food shortage. Third place went to Andrew Bowles, who explored the relationship between the weight of an airplane and the power required to fly the airplane. Related studies have shown the benefits of replacing aluminum with carbon fiber in airplanes, and they have led to increased baggage fees charged by the airlines.
All science fair students are encouraged to present their research at the Regional Science Fair in Durango on Thursday March 1. Winners in Durango may have the opportunity to present at the state competition in Denver.
In observation of Martin Luther King Day, Cindy Gallabota began the meeting with “factoids” from the life of the martyred leader as the invocation. Among the gems unearthed by Cindy:
At birth, King was named Michael, after his father. But the senior Reverend King, inspired on a trip to Germany, changed both their names to Martin, to honor Martin Luther. (One might say that some honor as well was ultimately reflected back on the transformative 16th Century religious leader by virtue of the change of the younger King’s name, when the latter, too, became a transformative leader.)
King began attending college at age 15.
He was imprisoned 30 times.
His observation that to love others, first love (accept) yourself, rather than being like a Ford trying to change to a Cadillac.
His statement of life’s most persistent question: What are you doing for others?
Then, in the absence of our Songmeister, Bob Tillerson, or any of the usual cadre of strong-voiced and courageous stand-ins, President Kim Moore led the group in singing “America, The Beautiful.”
Visitors included Dick Bond, Kenny Rogers from morning Rotary, and the new President of Citizen’ Bank, James Smith, who recently arrived in Pagosa from Bentonville, Arkansas.
Current exchange student, Brazilian Laura Delgado updated us on her activity at the Pagosa Springs High School, and on the fund-raising for her planned trip to Hawaii during spring break. Currently Laura is selling Blueberry/Lime Jelly – which was moving before the meeting like hotcakes for breakfast at an Army base.
Lisa Scott then reported that she had recently heard from Laura’s predecessor of four years ago as the exchange student in Pagosa, “Bob from Thailand.” Lisa showed off a skirt and blouse Bob had sent her.
President Kim then recalled another exchange student from a few years back, a Taiwanese who after being told how much Kim enjoyed a cup of tea, gifted her with boxes of tea by the score. Much appreciated, Kim said, but beyond her consumptive capacity, offering to share the bounty with other Rotarians upon request. But, said Lisa, why not let Laura sell the tea? Instantly persuaded, Kim vowed tea would be on sale alongside the Blueberry/Lime Jelly next week.
Donna Wynn then reported on several mini-grants by Rotary to Pagosa school teachers for supplies, which she said had been put to good use.
Continuing the schools-related theme, Dave Smith reported on the recent 6th and 7th grade science fair, which he said was a big success with 23 student projects entered. Prizes for the best entries are funded by Rotary, Dave said, with judging undertaken by a panel of local community members with scientific and technical backgrounds.
Nick Talent then encouraged Rotarians to support and volunteer for the Big Brothers/Sisters organization, which he said can have substantial effect on the lives of youngsters lacking informal, personal interactions with adults more experienced in life.
Later, during the Sunshine and Showers segment, your fearless reporter -- being moved by nostalgia triggered by Dave’s earlier report of the Science Fair -- recounted his own youthful experience in 6th grade of building a “working” volcano as a science project, in years now nearly forgotten. Sadly, your reporter’s moment of fond reminiscence was disrupted by a douse of objectivity from his wife, Melanie: “Everyone made a volcano,” quoth she. Well, after all, there was a reason your reporter became a lawyer. But, I stick to my guns: it was a nice volcano.
Among others who offered Sunshine or Showers under the mystical inducement of Betty Switzer’s sunglasses and tiny parasol, Bill Darling had notable offerings under each heading. Under Sunshine, Bill reported that his son Dan had authored a book titled Archaeopteryx (The Albuquerque Trilogy, Vol. 1) , now being sold by both Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Amazon reports the novel involves “a tangle of weirdness as old as the American Southwest,” and it currently receives the full five stars from eight reviewers. But Bill reported a Shower too (with exceptional good grace): that his battle with lymphoma continues, likely leading to the necessity of more chemo and radiation treatment. One can be confident of this: Bill will continue to wage the battle with strength and good cheer.
Betty then turned to birthdays, announcing that your reporter, Diane Bower and Lassie Olin were Rotary’s January babies. For the ritual singing of “Happy Birthday,” Kim then produced a large bag of kazoos, enough apparently to be used for monthly birthday observances for decades to come. She and Dave Commack then displayed the use of a kazoo for the benefit of all and sundry.
With this preliminary, the birthday honorees were called forward for the celebration. Alas, only your reporter was present to be festively be-hatted, feted and handed a kazoo. But, with Kim and Dave joining in, a hearty trio was formed merrily to toot “Happy Birthday,” accompanying the meeting’s singing of the traditional song.
However, your reporter (a ham by nature, who occasionally indulged in kazoo tomfoolery during his college years, also numbered among those almost forgotten) was not fully satisfied by one song alone, and continued his display of kazoo “virtuosity” with a rendition of a chorus of “When the Saints Go Marching In.” Betty immediately began doing a magnificent little soft shoe dance in the aisles worthy of Mr. Bojangles, until your reporter ran out of audacity, and returned to his seat, his notebook, and more scribblings.
Betty then announced some notable anniversaries, including Dave Commack’s 25 years as a Rotarian, and Dave and Jean Smith’s 51st wedding anniversary.
Greg began with an account of the process leading up to his appearance as the week’s speaker, charged with the task of navigating the path between boring and narcissistic, he said, while regaling the group with his “life story.”
Dave Commack, he explained, had called, outlined the concept of occasionally inviting a Rotarian to speak at a meeting of his or her life and times, and then added a forlorn appeal that he “was desperate.” Greg recalled that he reflected it was probably true, given that a name beginning with W is usually at the bottom of any list, and succumbed to Dave’s entreaties. Whether Dave was truly desperate, or not, Greg’s charming narrative well demonstrated that his choice as lead-off hitter was sound.
Greg recalled that he grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, where he went to schools within a mile of his home, and then matriculated at the nearby University of Oklahoma. He graduated in 1981 with a degree in business administration. During his schooling, Greg had made a little money to help make ends meet by working part time at the local Ford dealership, beginning in high school with car washing, and eventually progressing to some sales while still an undergraduate. So it was only natural that when Greg received his degree, he took the job of credit manager at the dealership.
Then, as fate would have it, in the process of calling in loan applications to the dealership’s bank, he began to form a relationship with a young woman who took the applications. The relationship soon advanced into courtship, and ultimately marriage to wife Donna.
Donna, Greg recounted, was from a family of five children, and wanted also to have five. But nevertheless, after two daughters and a son between 1986 and 1988 (whew), Donna thought better of that plan, and the family grew no more.
Meanwhile, Greg was advancing at the dealership, and eventually became manager of truck sales, twice winning recognition as manager of the year. Despite his success, however, he became frustrated with the work, resulting from constant, rapid turnover in sales staff causing him continually to devote his time to training, and began to think of a career change.
A few years before Greg began to think about finding another opportunity, his Dad and a friend had started a small hardware store, with a plan that after a few years Greg’s father would sell out and the friend would take full responsibility. But fate intervened again by contriving the opposite outcome: the friend unexpectedly died, leaving Greg’s Dad with full responsibility. For help, he turned to Greg to buy the store.
Greg recalled at the time he doubted it would be possible for him to be a success in the hardware business, but nevertheless decided to give it a shot. He and Donna sold their home, their cars, everything they could to raise money. At first they had tough sledding, and lived hand to mouth. But although they were barely making it to the end of each month, Greg said there was a major positive side too: the opportunity to work closely with his Dad.
Finally, the store turned the corner, and Greg began to be able to hire some help. Apparently, he had good insight: he recalled that he found people who were good employees and continued with him for years.
The business expanded and prospered, and Donna worked as a teacher. Eventually Greg said, they began to consider retirement. Over the years they had come to enjoy Colorado, and spent vacations frequently at a place in the mountains between Crede and Lake City, known as Oleo Ranch. There they met a man who had enjoyed such financial success in life that, Greg said, he could live anywhere. One day, they fell to talking about towns in Colorado, and the wealthy friend proclaimed, “Pagosa Springs is the place.” In October 2010, Greg recalled, after a couple of visits to Pagosa, he and Donna bought a house in the Lakes area. A few years later, Greg sold the hardware store to the son of one of his original employees, and he and Donna retired and moved to Pagosa.
“Retirement is great,” Greg proclaimed. But he did note two complaints about Pagosa: the cell coverage is lousy, and there is so much to do. As an example, Greg said he and Donna bought a canoe, then loved canoeing on the lakes so much they bought another for family to use, and then had so many friends who loved it too they bought a third.
But flat water alone was not enough, so Greg and Donna bought a used, commercial river raft too, for use on local rivers. Comically, Greg described the first launch of the raft on the San Juan just south of downtown, which he said within 30 seconds led to the thought, “My gosh, this is where we die.” But the craft was restored to good order within a few minutes, eventually yielding a happy ride downstream for 15 or so miles.
Greg participates in the local Search and Rescue organization, led by the Archuleta County Sheriff’s office. “A fantastic, dedicated group,” he said, “all willing to go all out for a stranger” in harm’s way.
Greg’s story concluded with a brief reference to golf, which he has recently taken up. Like many, he has found his relationship with golf complex: among other points, he recalled it restored to his vocabulary the “four-letter words” he had long ago abandoned.
Greg finished to a hearty round of applause. Good work, Dave!
In President Kim Moore’s absence, Dave Richardson presided over the meeting with well-practiced aplomb.
Cindy Galabota began the meeting with “a prayer for common ground,” a thoughtful appeal to the better part of human character consisting of several lines invoking a unifying theme. The whole was too extensive for your reporter’s pen faithfully to track, but key elements included, “may I be a force for replacing fear with insight,” and “may I be open to others.”
Jessie Formwalt followed by leading the group in singing, “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.” All gave hearty voice. (Neal Johnson, a table-mate, asked sotto-voce, “Do kids still sing these songs?” One prays fervently that they do, but in this era of digital communications, social networking, and diminishing relevance of traditional values, maybe grade schools have abandoned the old songs together with cursive writing.)
Lisa Scott reported that she had received a card at Christmas from last year’s German exchange student, Leo. Back in Berlin, Leo reported he misses Pagosa, and has a Colorado flag and a picture of the 2016 Pagosa Springs High School Boys Soccer team (Leo played striker) on his wall.
This year’s resident exchange student, Brazilian Laura Delgado, reported she was planning to tryout for the spring High School musical, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” But, she admitted, she was nervous about singing.
In Sunshine/Showers, Betty Switzer returned to her regular sunglasses and umbrella (leaving the memorable Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer glasses for the next Santa season). Carrie Weiss began by offering a combination S/S, reporting that she and John would be away from Pagosa for two months, travelling throughout the South in their RV. (John added, “I just drive.”)
Ramona Tscharr then reported what was unambiguously a shower: her departure from Pagosa Springs to move back to Austin, Texas. The artistic Ramona, whose talents have provided yeoman service to Rotary in innumerable events, most recently last fall’s Barn Dance, was honored by a bitter-sweet rendition by the group of “Red River Valley.” Dave then offered Ramona Rotary’s heartfelt thanks for all she has done.
The meeting then enjoyed another ambiguous S/S: competing reactions by two members to the Alabama Football Championship win, the first claiming it was joyous sunshine, the second, gloomy showers. (Your reporter will observe that to his ear, more boisterous support was drawn by the latter perspective than the former, but he must acknowledge the possibility that his conclusion was influenced by bias. Alabama again???? Enough! We already have a commercialized Saint Nick. We don’t need a Saint Nick Saban, at $11 million a year, an absurd amount for a so-called educational institution – though, to be fair, bad judgment of that sort is not unique to Alabama.)
Turning to education with a more realistic perspective, Dave Smith reported on the March Senegal trip he is organizing. The group will be visiting three Senegalese high schools, where travelers will have the opportunity to interact with students. Dave issued an appeal for English language paperback books that can be given to the students, who are native French speakers and receive English instruction in high school. Junior high school reading level would be appropriate, he suggested.
The Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership (GGP) has an agreement with the Town of Pagosa Springs to build and operate three grow domes in the town’s Centennial Park on the north bank of the San Juan River, across from the Springs Resort. In addition to the domes, the park has a small amphitheater scenically located by the water and new restroom facilities, and will be landscaped with plantings and native rocks.
Roberta began the presentation with a report that recent grants have supplied funding to add the two final domes to the first, which was completed in 2016. Roberta summarized that the first of the year-round, geothermally heated domes was primarily dedicated by GGP to educational uses, with heavy involvement by the Pagosa Springs schools. The second and third will be devoted to community gardening (with the participation of various groups) and mountain gardening innovations and research, respectively.
The new extension agent, Robin Young, drew extensive interest with her talk to Rotary.
Robin began by explaining the basics of the Colorado State University Extension Program, locally based in an office at the County Fairgrounds. The focus, she said, is “practical education to develop skills.” She identified multiple fields of emphasis: agriculture, energy, natural resources, farm and consumer services, food systems, 4-H for youth, horticulture, and small acreage management.
Robin mentioned several upcoming events:
On January 18, a regional backyard gardening workshop, including discussion of “high tunnel” gardens, to be held in Bayfield;
On January 22, a presentation by the Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership (which recently announced having won grants to fund construction at its site in Pagosa Springs’ Centennial park of two additional grow domes);
January 223 and February 10, Radon Workshops (Robin said Radon is frequently found in Colorado); and
February 7, a regional Beef Symposium dealing with livestock health and nutrition, to be held this year under a plan of annual site- rotation in Farmington, N.M.
However, she pointed out that the Extension Program hosts events throughout the year. All are publicized in advance in the Pagosa Springs Sun, and details are provided for interested parties such as time and specific locations. In addition, Robin invited residents to contact her office for information: the phone number is 970-264-5931, and email is Robin.young@colostate.edu.
Robin also gave Rotarians a brief summary of her personal background. She grew up in Tuscon, studied forestry in Flagstaff, was a teacher in Woodland Park for a few years, and served prior to coming to Pagosa as the Custer County Extension Agent (east of the San Luis Valley). She was also the Custer County Weed Control Manager, and was honored last year as the Colorado Weed Manager of the year.
Guests at the meeting included two Pagosa Springs High School Students who have been selected as “outbound” exchange students for 2018-19. They are Pictured here along with our current in-coming exchange student, Laura Delgato from Brazil.
Sophomore Lauren Rowland is ticketed for Denmark. Lauren said she loves travel and is excited to have been selected. Junior Sahvanna Vasquez will be going to Romania. She told us she has been friends with the recent exchange students who have spent a year in our town, and her friendships triggered her own interest in the program.
The meeting began with an invocation by Art Benzel, who offered the observation that many of us tend to be too judgmental. “If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree,” Art illustrated, “it’ll spend it’s life stupid.” So, look for the good.
Sharon Crump then led the group in singing “White Christmas,” in a rendition that had perhaps an undercurrent this year of a higher sense of urgency than customary for Pagosans, in view of the nearly unbroken string of sunny days recently experienced.
Among announcements were the news from Carrie Weiss that the tally of the Salvation Army Christmas collections, will be announced on February 1. But Carrie was able to report definitively that the effort will yield a donation of $1000 to Rotary’s Feed Our Children campaign.
Dave Smith then gave an update on the trip to Senegal he is organizing for this March. Rotarians are welcome to participate, he said, at a cost of approximately $2500 a head. Dave is lining up an interesting, in-country itinerary, and more details will be forthcoming. Immunizations are needed, he advised, so the adventuresome should start making their plans. Contact Dave for more information.
Betty’s “Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer” sunglasses emerged once again (presumably for the last time this year) for a memorable encore in Sunshine and Showers, featuring Betty’s own tribute to a lengthy list of Rotarians for good works, ranging from Carrie’s excellent job of organizing the Salvation Army bell-ringers, to Dave Campbell’s productive work with new members, Bob Tillerson’s yeoman efforts as Rotary’s Songmeister, Bill Hubbard’s patient labors for Loaves and Fishes, and Kim Moore’s “extraordinary” service as president, among a host of others too numerous to be recited here.
There was no speaker; instead, the club’s annual meeting was convened.
The principal business of the annual meeting was the election/announcement of officers. Jo Bridges it was announced, will take office as the new secretary, and Larry McClintock as the new treasurer.
Also, three additional new board members were elected by the vote of meeting attendees. The successful candidates were Bill Hubbard, Art Benzel and Jenelle Syverson.
Congratulations to all our new officers!
As the meeting closed, Kim Moore presented our Borde Rio server, Stephen, with a Christmas gift from the members of Rotary. Stephen is married with a young child, so the gift was much appreciated.
After Jessie Formwalt led the group in a jolly rendition of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” the meeting closed, with the observation from our president that as we were six minutes early, she should no longer be referred to as “the late” Kim Moore.
Apparently, everyone gets in on the fun of Bell Ringing! Appears to me we have a dog and musical instruments adding to the event for one of the last few days of the community fund-raising effort.
Rotary Clubs, both Noon and Mountain Morning, contribute a great deal of the 'ringing' to the effort. 90% of the funds raised will stay available to the members in our community who are in need of help. The Salvation Army also has contributed to Rotary's efforts for the Feed Our Children Program with those same funds!
There will be a report available in the near future about how much was raised!
What a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas- Jann Pitcher and her band of merry elves from Jann Pitcher Real Estate surprised our “Feed Our Children” kids with carefully selected and beautifully wrapped gifts. For the second straight year these fantastic folks have thrown a Christmas party for our little partners and topped off the event with presents for all the participants. Jann and her crew demonstrate that service to community does not take a holiday!
Here are a bunch of Santa's Helpers out Ringing the Salvation Army Red Kettle Bell! You know, Rotary is all about serving the community and the world but Rotarians are not above having a great deal of FUN while doing it!
Our thanks to Carrie Weiss, and no doubt John Weiss, who manage the Rotarian participation in this project every year. Hundreds of hours are committed to raising these funds, 90% of which stay to lend a hand in need to those in our own community.
If you have not yet gotten your check to David Smith for a contribution to the Donor Advised Fund, the Polio Plus Fund or the Rotary Foundation....Get your checks ready and bring them to the Holiday Party THIS THURSDAY!!! See either David Smith or Larry McClintock so that these funds can be contributed - Time is running out......
Some of our members have asked about the possibility of visiting Senegal during one of our visits when we hold a Science Teacher Training Workshop. Information on how such a visit might take place follows.
Let me know (Ph 264 6647) if you are interested in joining. If there is enough interest, I will organize a meeting to discuss more details.
Dates: End of Feb or early Mar
Duration: ~2 weeks
Airfare and in-country expenses: ~$2500
Day 1: Fly from Albuquerque
Day 2: Arrive in Dakar, Senegal. DS to meet you at the airport and spend the night in the area
Day 3: Travel by local transport north to Saint Louis (6-8 hrs)
Days 4-6: Saint Louis sight-seeing and visiting English classes in local high schools. Leave English books at the schools to start a small English library. Visit with local Rotarians. Participate in Science Day.
Day 7: Travel by car inland along the Senegal River to town of Podor. Observe irrigation and agriculture. Spend the night in a great little hotel.
Day 8: Visit sights around Podor and spend a second night there.
Day 9: Continue traveling along the Senegal River to the city of Malam. Spend the night there.
Day 10: Travel west to city of Linguere. Visit the high school and look at interesting paintings on the walls. Leave English books. Linguere is a dusty, remote town. Spend night in Linguere.
Day 11: Drive SE to city of Tuba, where we will visit the great Mosque of Tuba. Spend the night in this famous religious city and learn about the Sufi form of Islam.
Day 12: Drive to Dakar. Spend the night.
Day 13: Sight-seeing in Dakar. Perhaps a visit to Gori Island.
Pagosan Ray Finney has devoted himself to the mission in Nicaragua of the non-profit organization El Porvenir for over 25 years, and was glad to contribute a little more of his time to acquaint Pagosa Springs Rotary with its activities.
The organization undertakes very basic infrastructure projects in the impoverished rural areas of our Central American neighbor, to improve the lives of the residents by providing clean drinking water, enhancing sanitation, planting trees and contributing to children’s education.
Wells are essential to provide clean drinking water, because rural streams near remote Nicaraguan villages are polluted by domestic animals. A short film displayed by Ray showed that clean water for villagers demands hand-dug wells (as much as 60’ deep into rock) equipped with manual pumps using a system of ropes. A simple and basic approach, but nonetheless important in the lives of residents: the film showed villagers walking to the well and standing in line to fetch water, often starting as early as 4 am. A brochure distributed by Ray advised that only $2500 is needed for such a well, sufficient to provide clean water to a rural village or a school.
The meeting began with an invocation Sherri Booher, who offered several observations to live by: promise big and deliver big, she said, challenging us to make a promise we can keep, every day. Don’t overlook the small joys of life. And be a leader, she reminded, noting that it’s the lead sled dog that enjoys the best view.
After the Pledge of Allegiance, and a rousing rendition of “You are My Sunshine” under the guidance of the Songmeister, visitors were introduced.
Then, Greg Booher was revealed as the mysterious, “Mr. R.” The revelation was greeted with a howl of surprise from Dave Commack: “where were you?” Undaunted, Greg shot back, “Hiding, so I can make a lot of money,” and admonished, “fork it over.” A host of chagrined members complied – this week, not including your reporter, who was saved by Bill Hubbard. Bill had thoughtfully re-printed Dick Babillis’ “Starfish” invocation from several weeks back, but was unable to attend the meeting, and requested Greg at the last minute to give it to me for presentation.
Jo Ann Laird reported to the group that the recent distribution of dictionaries to third graders had been a great success, and thanked all those who participated, with a special nod to Mr. Commack for having delivered the dictionaries to those handling the distribution in the classroom. (Perhaps Jo Ann felt Dave needed a special pat on the back, after all the anguish he had suffered over Mr. R.)
Sergeant-at-Arms Betty Switzer then unveiled her season-appropriate Sunshine and Showers props. These featured a remarkable pair of elaborately-horned, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer sunglasses, equipped as well as horns with a bulbous red nose – a marvel of marketing ingenuity, which so swept away the group that your reporter regretfully missed the ensuing announcements in the midst of the murmur of hilarity sweeping the room. Announcements seemed comparatively few: perhaps Rotarians were too dazzled by the sunglasses to take the floor?
No doubt the glasses will reappear at Rotary’s annual meeting on December 21, which will make the event more than ever one not to be missed.
Roberta Tolan then shared with Rotarians the welcome news that the Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership had received two new, substantial grants from the Colorado Water Conservation Board and the Colorado Garden Foundation. Together, the two grants will be sufficient to allow realization of the GGP’s ambitions, by funding the installation of two additional grow domes in Pagosa Springs’ Centennial Park, on the banks of the San Juan River opposite the Springs Resort. The existing, original grow dome is devoted to educational uses. One of the new domes to be added in the Park will provide community garden space, and the other will be devoted to the development of innovational techniques.
Sergeant Betty then waiver her scepter (not sepulcher), and resumed the floor, to read a “Who am I?” submitted by one of our members, describing a personal attribute unlikely to be known to other members. Betty challenged Rotarians to guess the member’s identity, based on the mysterious contributor’s description of having once put his/her hand inside one of a cows’ four stomachs, while the cow was (what else) dining contentedly.
A flurry of wild guesses from the audience ensued (apparently, many among us are imagined to be capable of troubling the digestive tract), followed immediately by stout denials from the various accused, until Betty relieved us of the suspense. “The hand in the stomach,” she said, “was the hand that rings the gong to assemble the meeting,” identifying President Kim Moore as the adventuresome Rotarian.
Kim explained that when she had been a pre-veterinarian student at Colorado State University, her class had been introduced to a cow whose stomach could be accessed through an external port, entered by removing a plug, and she and her fellow students had all explored the animal’s stomach with a gloved hand while it was munching on hay or some such bovine delicacy, appearing not the least troubled by the invasions. Kim did not comment on whether the experience had any bearing on her career today in real estate.
Guess what? Wonderwoman is a reformed computer geek!
That’s right, Pagosa’s very own certified, personal trainer and tri-athlete extraordinaire, Theresa Snyder, earned a degree in Computer Science from the University of Vermont, and lived out of a suitcase troubleshooting for years as an information technology executive, before rejecting a partnership at Ernst & Young, and cashing it all in for a life dedicated to athletic, not intellectual perspiration!
Now, as a trainer, she overcomes her clients’ limitations resulting from sedentary lives by inducing them with encouragement and her indefatigable smile to take on pain and receive gain at the PLPOA Rec Center, and as a triathlete, flails her arms, churns her legs, and gallops her entire being and psyche through water, up hill and down dale in a relentless battle with the clock along-side of hundreds of other competitors (some of whom, based on Theresa’s description, apparently regard their peers as mere obstacles to be shoved aside, or under if they happen to be in the water at the time).
Theresa, who confessed to having become a tri-athlete “for some unknown reason,” has competed in 14 of the events since 2011. This year, she said, she competed in the Nationals in Omaha, Nebraska, with 4000 others (many of whom, most likely, also have difficulty explaining why. But that is like asking Sir Edmund Hillary, why he climbed Mount Everest? Because, it’s there, he is reported to have answered.)
But Theresa did offer a hint about some of the satisfaction she reaps from competing in triathlons: crossing the finish line, she said, “makes you so happy!”
Theresa counseled that those who want to compete in triathlons need a supportive spouse or partner, good nutrition, good shoes, a taste for travel, and a training regimen. She said she likes to take two days off from training each week, to keep mentally fresh. “Be good to yourself,” she advised.
She offered hints for general physical well-being too. Theresa advised that stretching after exercise, when the body is warmed up, not before, will benefit the casual athlete most. In exercising, she said, one should push herself – don’t pretend to exercise while talking on the phone from the gym. And the body is like a furnace, she observed, needing fuel: food and water. So don’t skip meals, and be sure to get protein.
When traveling, Theresa advised wearing compression socks. And for hiking, she suggested using two poles. Plus, use elastic bands to exercise the shoulders, she advised, to keep them mobile and limber for all=around fitness.
At the end of her talk, the cheerful Theresa was thanked by a warm round of applause, and was then joined by several of her apt pupils, beaming in good health with cell phones safely tucked away, and water bottles surely near at hand. Clad in Wonderwoman t-shirts alongside Theresa were Jo Bridges, Melanie Garrett, and Kim Moore, all flanked by Dave Richardson, in a gender-appropriate Superman t-shirt (“faster than a speeding bullet”).
The Rotary Clubs of Pagosa Springs, both Mountain Morning and Pagosa Springs Rotary conduct a project throughout every school year to provide food for children in the community over weekends. Children in the Feed Our Children program collect a backpack loaded with food for all the children in their family every weekend throughout the school year. This activity is possible because of funding from Rotarians and many individuals and businesses in the community. Sherpa Real Estate generously donates a portion of their profits on every house sale to a local non-profit.
Our thanks go out to Sherpa Realty and the Carothers Family!
Once again, Rotary delivers! Rotarians spent time with the 3rd grade students delivering and discovering their new color illustrated dictionaries. The children are always excited about this book. It is their only book from school that belongs to them, they put their name in and they can take it home to share with their family. Students were instructed about how to look up words, read the definitions and the way the word was used in a sentence. It is always a very fun event for Rotarians.
Dick was an insightful man, known to this writer principally for brightening Rotary meetings with occasional invocations illustrating key truths with stories.
His last invocation, on November 9, perhaps eerily foreshadowed his passing. Dick began with the observation that when we die, our lives are a story told by our survivors, and when they die, only a memory. But, citing the story of an experiment with monkeys on an isolated island, Dick pointed out that some things we do may become more than memories, and may arise to practices followed by others, improving the human condition. Thus, he concluded, volunteering to help in Rotary projects invites the establishment of the wide practice of volunteerism. So, “Rotary makes a difference,” Dick observed.
Dick’s invocation leapt to mind upon seeing a few days later the story from the Chicago Tribune, picked up on the internet, of a small-town, Illinois farm family. In September, the farmer, the last of uncounted generations who had farmed the same acreage since frontier days, succumbed to a sudden, fatal heart attack. Sons, daughters, brothers and sisters had all left the land, and there was no one to bring in the harvest, only the woman the farmer left behind.
But, there were his neighbors, farmers who every day, seemingly forever, had shared his lifetime of storms, droughts, good harvests, bad harvests, and fickle markets: a life of struggle, but always leavened by neighborliness. In their Sunday best at the funeral, “Don’t worry about the harvest,” they told the grieving woman. And when the time came, in early-dawn darkness there the neighboring farmers were, in phalanxes of rumbling harvesters, beginning the advance in good order through the rows of corn and soybeans to bring in the harvest.
When all of America was small towns, that’s how we were, everyone had your back. Now life is complex, and we are mobile; we are no longer rooted in the ground or follow the same lives from cradle to grave, and no longer share the good times and hard times with the same neighbors throughout. The human instinct, fundamental to our species, to band together to help others overcome in times of misfortune is blunted by distraction, engulfed by separation, and confused by uncertainty.
But to vindicate our basic instinct to help others, Dick’s last invocation points us to the remedy.
Well said, Dick. And may your insights long inspire our practices.
David Smith once again beautifully illustrated just how vital our international efforts are in the world!! Some folks may say to themselves, why are we working in foreign countries when we have so much need here in our own country? While there is great need here, the definition of poverty in the United States for a family of four is $24,600 per year, or just under $17 per person per day. The World Bank's definition of poverty is $1.90 per day. 10% of the worlds 7 billion population, or 700,000 people live in this extreme poverty condition. That is double the population of the United States.
David's presentation also illustrated the there is a connection between this extreme poverty and terrorism. Young men trying to provide for their family in these extreme poverty conditions are much more enticed by extremists such as ISIS, if only to be paid $50 per month.
Our club is encouraged to support the greater Rotary mission by contributing to the Annual Share Fund, Polio + and our Donor Advised Fund (DAF). Dividing one’s giving amongst these funds is a matter of individual preference. Each fund helps Rotary achieve its goals. All contributions to these funds generate Paul Harris Points and they are tax deductible.
President Kim recognized visitors and visiting Rotarians as well as commended Sam Pittmon and Neal Johnson regarding the outstanding results of the World Polio Drive in front of City Market!! Over 600 was raised that day from public contributions as well as $1,000 from Rotarians!
She also thanked Jann Pitcher and David Cammack for their work collecting candy that had been contributed by Rotarians and delivering it to the families that live in the Mesa Heights area. Nick Tallent mentioned that increasingly, these residents are young families that would be hard pressed to allocated enough money to purchase the treat or treat goodies for so many children that frequent this area on Halloween.
Another kind of trick or treating was going on last week as well. Rotarians were encouraged to bring the types of 'kid-friendly' food that is distributed each week for the Feed Our Children program. Jo Bridges updated us about the current recipients being 15 families with 47 children who are benefiting from these efforts each and every week throughout the school year.
Rotarians were called to order by Jo Bridges sitting in for President Kim Moore. Jo filled in admirably, despite needing to rely on a strong voice to command attention in the apparent absence of a bell to be gonged (perhaps Kim takes in travelling with her, just in case?)
Opening ceremonies featured the return of Bob Tillerson, the Songmeister, to lead the group in a heartfelt rendition of “Home on the Range.”
Several interesting guests attended including two young women from Pagosa Springs High School, who are applicants to be outgoing exchange students, and Carol and Bruce (whose last name your reporter must apologize for neglecting to note), who identified themselves as Rotarians from “the unburned part of Northern California.” In addition, Kenny Rogers from Morning Rotary, visited the meeting to announce a gift of $1000 from our early-bird brethren to the “Feed our Children” campaign.
Among the additional announcements were the opening by Doug Large of a campaign to raise funds for a solar and wind powered water purification system, to be sent to Puerto Rico for help in overcoming the recent hurricane disaster.
Jan Pitcher “pitched in” with an update on the Mesa Heights Halloween Candy campaign, predicting that thanks to Rotarians’ generosity, as many as three bags full of candy will be supplied to Mesa Heights residents to aid in coping with the traditional invasion of trick-or-treaters. Continuing the Halloween theme, Nick Tallent reminded meeting attendees of the Haunted House at the Mason’s Lodge behind Pagosa Bakery, running from Saturday the 28th through Halloween night, each evening between 5 pm – 10 pm.
Jo announced the two key results of the Barn Dance sponsored by Rotary on the evening of Saturday October 21: first, that a great time was enjoyed by all (Betty Switzer offered the observation it was the best Barn Dance ever), and second, that $11,225 was raised by the event for community projects and scholarships. Ramona Tschaar, the artistic decorations committee chair, then added thanks to committee members for their outstanding work in transforming a barn into . . . well, an attractive barn.
Jo saluted the absent Kim for her leadership contributing to the success of the Barn Dance and other Rotary activities, and suggested that all Rotarians pay tribute to Kim’s efforts by dressing in costume for the post-Halloween meeting on November 2 (this week). Jo commented, she’d rather “walk on ground glass” than don a Halloween costume, but vowed to overcome that aversion for the meeting, and urged all to join her.
With all the recent giving, Rotarians’ bank balances may have receded currently to low ebb: despite Betty’s best efforts, few sunshine or showers accounts were offered. But in her usual good spirits, Betty noted, “$5 is better than nothing.”
Neal Johnson then reported on the success of the Polio Day collection, to raise funds to support immunization of children throughout the world and eradicate the dread, crippling disease.
Neal advised that members of the public had donated a total of $529 to the collection pot staffed by Rotary volunteers at City Market on Tuesday the 24th, and that Rotary members themselves contributed an additional $600. All funds collected, Neal pointed out, will by matched twice over by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has partnered with Rotary International in the effort to eradicate polio.
(Neal noted that many children had been among the members of the public to contribute to the collection, and this reporter can suggest that the collections volunteers are unlikely soon to forget the wonderful sight of small children, with serious demeanor, putting money in the pot – it gives one hope for the future of humanity!)
Supported by a host of visiting High Schoolers (among them, Lisa Scott’s daughter, Diana Scott, the ace goalie of the soccer Lady Pirates, who was also celebrating her 17th birthday), Brazilian exchange student Laura Delgado provided Rotarians an introduction to her native land, which she said is the world’s fifth largest country in land-area, speaks Portuguese, calls its currency the Real, and makes its capital Brasilia (a city like Washington, D.C. created specifically for that purpose).
The Brazilian flag, Laua noted consists of a green background, emblematic of the country’s abundant lush vegetation, a yellow diamond, representing its mineral wealth, and a blue celestial orb with 27 stars representing its states and the capital district, and words meaning “order and progress.”
Laura said the country is known for its beautiful beaches, soccer, food (she recalled especially deserts made with enormous quantities of sugar), Carnival, the Amazon River, and abundant waterfalls.
Brazil features many citizens of Japanese, German and Italian heritage, Laura said. She noted a German friend, currently an exchange student in Durango, relishes pointing out that it was Germany that won the most recent soccer World Cup, that was staged in Brazil in 2014.
After vouching for the extraordinary volume of Halloween visitors in Mesa Heights, Sheriff Valdez described the diverse responsibilities of his office in serving the residents of Archuleta County. Among them, he said, are fighting wildland fires, emergency response, search and rescue (extending into remote parts of Hinsdale and Mineral Counties as well as Archuleta County), community patrol and law enforcement, criminal investigations, traffic control, prisoner housing, prisoner transportation, court security, service of civil process, and animal control.
In exemplification of the complexities this extensive list of responsibilities may entail, Valdez discussed an upcoming emergency response drill scheduled for next April. The drill will be based on a mock emergency, he said, the bursting of the Capote Lake dam with resultant flooding, which would he said have impacts reminiscent of the recent flooding near Boulder, Colorado. The exercise will involve not only Archuleta County personnel, but as in real life, assets from the Ute Nation, the Forest Service, the National Guard, and neighboring counties. .
But, the Sheriff also pointed out that many of the diverse responsibilities of the Sheriff’s Office may be exercised primarily out of the public view, and consequently out of the public mind. Thus, he noted, his office responded to over twenty wildland fires this year, mostly in remote areas with little public impact (if only because prompt suppression was achieved). Another example he provided was that his office is responsible for the safe custody currently of 12,000 pieces of evidence related to criminal cases.
Go over to City Market today - World Polio Day!! Each dollar Rotarians collect TODAY will be matched two to one!
Where are we in the fight to end polio? What are our successes and challenges? Find out during a live event on World Polio Day. Endpolio.org
No child should have to suffer from this vaccine-preventable disease. Help us make an impact on World Polio Day. Endpolio.org
Smallpox is the only human disease ever eradicated. Let’s make polio the second. Join the fight on World Polio Day. Endpolio.org
How can you triple your impact? Thanks to a 2-to-1 match from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, every donation made to Rotary to end polio will be tripled. Donate today. endpolio.org/donate
Where are we in the fight to end polio? What are our successes and challenges? Find out during a live event on World Polio Day. Endpolio.org
No child should have to suffer from this vaccine-preventable disease. Help us make an impact on World Polio Day. Endpolio.org
Smallpox is the only human disease ever eradicated. Let’s make polio the second. Join the fight on World Polio Day. Endpolio.org
How can you triple your impact? Thanks to a 2-to-1 match from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, every donation made to Rotary to end polio will be tripled. Donate today. endpolio.org/donate
Or stop by the City Market and talk with Rotarians in person and make a donation on October 24th, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM!
It’s a barn dance! The Pagosa Rotary Club is hosting the third annual Jewels and Jeans Barn Dance the evening of Saturday, October 21 from 7 to 11 p.m at the Archuleta County Extension building. Country Thunder will be the live band playing boot-scootin’ country music for line dancing and your favorite swing moves. Band members include Clay Campbell on base guitar, Dave Chambers on drums, Dennis Kleckner and Greg Guitar strumming guitars and all gentlemen contribute to the singing.
Tickets are $10 per person in advance and $15 at the door and can be purchased at Exit Realty or from any noon Rotarian. Bonnie Blue BBQ will be on site to serve a snack or a meal for purchase and a cash saloon will be available with local brews and a full bar. Local retailers and restaurants have donated items that will be available in a drawing for anyone who purchases a chance to win.
Profits from the Barn Dance are spread throughout the community in the form of scholarships, food-filled backpacks for youth needing weekend meals, dictionaries for third graders and awards to send our youth leaders to leadership camps.
Rod Proffitt addressed the Pagosa Springs Rotary Club last week. The San Juan Water Conservancy District is one of fifty such entities created in 1987 to serve the water needs of the majority of Archuleta County. The District is not a water provider, but makes sure water resources are available for beneficial use to those who do provide water for the community. Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District is the water provider for this area.
Mr. Proffitt was speaking principally about the San Juan Water Conservancy's mill levy increase that is on the November ballot. The mill levy increase is intended to support efforts to obtain approximately 109 acres if forest service land and 23 acres of private ranch land necessary to build a water project associated with the original Weber Running Iron Ranch, or better known as Dry Gulch.
Mr. Proffitt explained that the project has changed substantially since the challenges by Trout Unlimited and associated Supreme Court rulings indicating that 50 year projections were more appropriate for water storage needs. The original size of reservoir planning was found to be speculative and basically set water planning precedent in Colorado. The changed project is now operating under the name of the San Juan Headwaters Project in a revised scope of 11,000 acre feet storage and minus the previous pumping operations from the San Juan River.
More information and details regarding the efforts of the San Juan Water Conservancy District can be found on their website at www.sjwcd.org
Where are we in the fight to end polio? What are our successes and challenges? Find out during a live event on World Polio Day. Endpolio.org
No child should have to suffer from this vaccine-preventable disease. Help us make an impact on World Polio Day. Endpolio.org
Smallpox is the only human disease ever eradicated. Let’s make polio the second. Join the fight on World Polio Day. Endpolio.org
How can you triple your impact? Thanks to a 2-to-1 match from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, every donation made to Rotary to end polio will be tripled. Donate today. endpolio.org/donate
Or stop by the City Market and see and talk with Rotarians in person on October 24th, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM!
Distinguished marriage and family counselor Pat Love, a Rotarian, former faculty member of the University of Texas, and graduate of the University of West Virginia near your reporter’s former Western Pennsylvania environs (a Mountaineer!), delivered a brief but learned discussion of concepts central to her art. (Alas, notes could but poorly keep pace with Pat’s fascinating disquisition, packed with nuggets of information, and so this report can provide but meager hint of the wisdom she shared. But, here goes):
Pat began with the observation that narcissism and the sense of entitlement are on the rise in the U.S. today. Empathy is declining. These trends sow the seeds of discontent among those impacted by dealings with others whose own whims, wants and wishes dominate their conduct, and impede sound relationships.
Pat illustrated by citing research with chimpanzees trained to conduct trades using pebbles as a sort of currency. Chimpanzees love grapes, so one study group was offered grapes in exchange for their pebbles. Another group was offered exchanges for slices of cucumber, much less desirable to chimps. After the groups learned to trade, they were placed together. Members of the first group continued to be allowed to trade for grapes, but the second group could trade pebbles only still for cucumbers, despite observing the better deal offered their peers. Now, the second group no longer cooperated, refusing to trade for the undesirable item.
Even chimpanzees understand fairness, Pat said. The research showed that the second group’s perception of unfairness impeded the key relationship, trading. So too, she said, equity is key to human relationships. But she contrasted equity with equality, when that means “score-keeping,” and demanding an even tally. Score-keeping, and subsequent concern for discrepancies does not support relationships but leads to divorce, she explained.
Pat then discussed a common difference between men and women, beginning with a riddle. Why do Texas men like their women to wear leather, she asked? Because, she answered, they like them to smell like a new truck.
After the meeting was gonged to order and ceremonies completed (including a rendition of “Don’t Fence Me In”), new treasurer Larry McClintock, taking over for the departing Jimmy Munozscano, alerted us that invoices for dues payments had been sent. Larry added gracious thanks to Jimmy for his help in smoothing the transition of the treasurer’s responsibilities.
Shelly Peterson then reported that tickets for the Barn Dance were selling well, with payment already received for 25% of the total available. As well, Shelly reminded Rotarians to keep track of their community volunteer hours, and noted that members had recorded 591 total hours of activity so far this year through September, a great start on the effort to qualify for the coveted Presidential Citation.
Dave Smith then took the floor to announce he was seeking volunteers for an international service opportunity, involving a program sponsored by Rotary International with support of funds appropriated by the U.S. Congress. The program hosts visits to the US by delegations from former Soviet bloc countries. Dave proposed that our club apply to host a group from Kyrgyzstan, a mountainous, central Asian country astride ancient caravan routes, bordering China about 1000 miles east of the Caspian Sea, and sitting north of the Indian sub-continent about 800 miles from New Delhi. If the application is successful, Dave said that six visitors would spend about eight days in Pagosa, to learn about building tourism. The visit would be intended to help Krygyzstan build its own tourism industry by capitalizing on the country’s natural and historic attractions. Dave is looking for host families for the prospective visitors, in order to be able to submit a completed application. The visit will be scheduled for early June, 2018, he added.
President Kim Moore told the meeting that the Halloween candy collection to help residents respond to the flood of trick-or-treaters in the Mesa Heights neighborhood will begin at next week’s meeting, continuing until the meeting before the holiday. She urged members to start bringing in packages of candy to contribute.
In addition, Kim said that during Rotary’s “costume party” meeting on Thursday, November 2, immediately after Halloween, there will be a collection of food items for Rotary’s Feed our Kids project, conducted through the Elementary School. Project Chair Jo Bridges reported that there is a need for canned goods like soup and tuna, as well as, granola bars and juice boxes. She added that more volunteers are needed, and circulated a sign-up sheet with slots for volunteers running into December.
Conifer oils (think pine trees) actually contain an anti-inflammatory compound called Alpha-Pinene. This has been used to treat bronchial issues such as asthma and is being studied for other inflammatory diseases.
In Betty Switzer’s absence, Sunshine and Showers was conducted by Dave Cammack, whose winning manner elicited a number of contributions despite his glaring lack of either sunglasses or an umbrella, not even a tiny one.
Perhaps the most memorable “shower” was from Nick Tallent, who related the cautionary tale that leaving a package of pancake mix in your car may be taken by raccoons as an invitation to party – messily, to boot. A word to the wise is sufficient, they say, so unless you like the interior of your car furnished with a coating of flour, remember to take edibles inside. (At least it wasn’t the three bears, Nick, otherwise we’d be calling you Goldilocks.)
The meeting was gonged to order with sturdy thumps on the Rotary Bell by President Kim Moore, resplendent in a festive cowboy hat and boots. The normal opening elements (invocation, pledge of allegiance, song, etc.) were featured by a rousing rendition of “Home (Home!) on the Range” belted out by the eager attendees under the strong leadership of the songmeister, Bob Tillerson.
Visitors included former member Dick Bond, now of Albuquerque, who proclaimed lasting devotion to our lively Pagosa Springs Rotary Chapter. Dick then offered a little stand-up comedy, in the form of an Irish joke set in a pub, featuring the improbable feat of downing 60 Guinness Stouts in 60 minutes. (Anyone whose youth included exposure to the hopelessly doomed exercise known as “minute beer” will understand just how improbable that is.) But it was a great joke, well told by Dick.
Kim then inaugurated the monthly practice of circulating a sign-up sheet for Rotarians to record their monthly activities fulfilling Rotary projects. The sheet will facilitate the club’s efforts to meet the threshold level of community/club activities required to win a Presidential Citation.
Rotary’s next big project, of course, is the October 21 Barn Dance. Shellie Petersen said tickets for the dance ($10 in advance, $15 at the door) are moving briskly. Kim displayed the impressive event posters to be displayed around town in the run-up to the Barn Dance, and announced a decoration committee meeting for later in the day. Committee Chair Ramona Tschaar offered the opportunity to share a bottle of wine as an inducement to join the meeting. Ramona received congratulations from the meeting for her excellent work in designing the posters, as well as the dance tickets themselves. If you spin a ball as you drop it, it flies.
Kim made announcements for concerning two future meetings, occurring immediately before and immediately after Halloween. She asked that Rotarians bring Halloween Candy to the meeting on October 26, five days before the holiday. The candy will be collected, and provided for distribution on Halloween to households in Mesa Heights, a thickly settled neighborhood in town north of U S 160 which traditionally is a visited by trick-or-treaters from throughout the community, especially children living in sparsely populated areas.
Turning to the November 2 meeting, following Halloween, Kim asked that Rotarians attend the meeting in costume to celebrate the holiday. Ramona said she loved the idea, and proposed a “best costume” prize be awarded.
Jo Bridges announced the start of the annual “Feed our Children” project, in which Rotary distributes backpacks packed with foodstuffs to elementary school students to take home to their families on weekends. She solicited volunteers for the three key tasks of the project: filling the packs, delivering them to the school, and distributing them to the children.
There was no winner of the lottery. The pot “climbed” to $20. Maybe it’s like Powerball: tickets sell better when the numbers get higher.
Speaker: Report of Ahia Kaeser, on her exchange student experience
High School student Ahia shared with Rotary her experiences last year as an exchange student in Italy, where she was with a family on the island of Sardinia, located about 125 mi. off the coast of the mainland in the Mediterranean Sea, southwest of Rome.
Ahia shared some of the differences she found in the educational experience: schools were in session 6 days weekly from 8:15 am to 1:15 pm., she said, and the students were based throughout the day in one room, visited by rotating teachers. Her school had a focused classical curriculum, she said, and its students typically go on to University.
The school schedule allows students to get home in time for a big family lunch daily, joined by parents who come home from work. Meals are important to Italians, she said, and recalled one that extended for a celebratory seven hours. “Mange, Mange,” was a frequent refrain, she recalled, possibly lamenting having gained some weight.
Mark your calendars for the Pagosa Springs Rotary 3rd Annual Jewels and Jeans Barn Dance, Saturday, October 21, from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Archuleta County Extension Building.
Dig out your favorite country outfit, polish those boots and get ready to kick up your heals to the high energy sounds of County Thunder, one of the best country dancing bands in the region. Great barbeque will be available for purchase and a cash bar with all of your favorite brews will be on hand.
We had a "Golden" opportunity for a meeting last week. It was an opportunity for conversation and sharing. Something that struck me was that it was an opportunity to be grateful. We think of 'gold' or "golden" to be a precious thing. All of what was shared were certainly precious things to be grateful for! Did you know that gratitude improves our health, relationships, emotions, personality, and career?
We were grateful for Bob and Patty Tillerson! Bob, having just turned 91 last week and Patty to join him at 90 this week and 70 years married!
Other 'golden' thoughts:
Chimney Rock is celebrating 5 years as a National Monument!
Ron Gustafson was able to take an 'Honors Flight' to Washington D.C. honoring his service in WWll
Ramona Tschaar's daughter turned 39 years old
Carrie Weiss's son Garrett and daughter-in-law, Meagan, just closed on a home in Bayfield!
Ray & JoAnn Laird were married on a houseboat on Lake Powell. Inside of his golden band was inscribed Happy Labor Day
Jann Pitcher told us that to be a 'golden' guest, you need to be the first person at the birthday party
We had lots of happy wishes over 'golden' anniversaries and grand kids
We celebrated Nick Tallent's 7.5 years since he moved to Pagosa Springs
President Kim even made cookies
Jann Pitcher was asked to share a 'Rotary Moment'. She said she had thought quite awhile about what exactly to share and ended up with thoughts from Paul Harris. She noted that Rotarians care about other people; they care about their community. Larger than that, they care about the world we live in and its future.
Which is a perfect transition to Rotarians caring about early childhood education and the fund raising efforts of Seed of Learning. Coming up soon is the 'Little Black Dress' affair. Anyone who can go (well ladies anyway) should do so and support these efforts. President Kim made gifts of several items and with the help of Melanie Garrett and Jennelle Syverson - they showed us a beautiful "Evening in Italy" basket. Contents included a large pasta bowl and utensils, wine, and all the fixings including a movie! This should fetch a hefty amount toward the fund raising effort!
Nick Tallent - our social media mogul - a mogul is a person who dominates an enterprise or industry - REMINDS US - to like and SHARE! The magic begins with the SHARE. That means that whatever the post, it goes to YOUR network of friends, who can SHARE it with their network of friends and so on.....the power of social media!
Jane Parker - Pagosa Family School Coordinator/Shared School Liaison
Ms. Parker identified herself as the administrator of the Pagosa Family School, which she told us provides after-school enrichment programs to local elementary and middle school students. Included in the enrichment program are Spanish and Art classes, drum line, and choir.
The Family School operates in the Pagosa Springs Elementary School on Mondays and Wednesdays, and the Pagosa Springs Middle School Tuesdays and Thursdays. But, Ms. Parker emphasized, its activities are not just for public school students, but also for others who may be attending private schools or home schooling -- more than one third of the participants come from those sources, she added.
This year, when enrolment is finalized, Ms. Parker anticipates approximately 150 students will participate in the Family School. Primary funding originates from the State of Colorado, she said, and is disbursed to the Family School through the Archuleta School District (ASD). While she emphasized there is no negative impact on the School District’ own operating budget, as the funds are simply passed through, Ms. Parker praised the District for its “amazing” support for the program.
The meeting opened with an invocation by Dick Babillis, telling the story of a beach covered with starfish after a storm, and a little girl who was picking up individual starfish and returning them to the sea. A passer-by told her there were so many on the beach, throwing them back into the sea one-by-one would make no difference. She threw another back, and responded, “it will make a difference to him.
Tickets for the October 21 Jewels and Jeans Barn Dance were distributed to Rotarians during the meeting. President Kim Moore announced that a special meeting for interested members to discuss decorations for the dance would be held 4:30 pm Wednesday Sept. 20, at the Pagosa Brewing Company restaurant.
Guest Dominique Wynn announced the formation of a non-profit business with plans to establish at 136 E. Pagosa Street, in the River Center, an indoor playground to be known as the Romp Room. The community has 650 children under school age, Ms Wynn said, with no place to play in bad weather other than inside their homes. The Romp Room will fill that gap, and become a place “to get the wiggles out.” Plans for the new play space include an “Imagination Cabin,” games and a climbing wall. It is being prepared for opening, and will operate daily from noon to 6 pm when opened. Donations are solicited. A phone number was provided by Ms. Wynn, (970) 400-1278.
Membership Chair Dave Campbell introduced new member Greg Wynn to the meeting. Greg told us he grew up in Norman, Ok. and attended the University of Oklahoma there. After working as the credit manager at a Ford dealership (which led to his meeting his wife, Donna, then a banker, and now also a new member), he operated a hardware store for 25 years before he and Donna moved to Pagosa last year. As Membership Chair, Dave also reminded Rotarians to report their voluntary Rotary activities, for attendance credit that can substitute for missed meetings. President Moore added an additional reason for members to report voluntary activities: to support the effort for Pagosa Springs Rotary to be recognized with a Presidential Citation from Rotary International, which requires documentation of a threshold level of volunteer activity.
Goodbye wishes were expressed by Carrie Weiss to Barry Wheeless, who is moving from Pagosa Springs. Sharon Crump then led the meeting is singing “Red River Valley,” in Wheeless’ honor. Barry said he will be present for the meeting next week. Penguins will give their mate a pebble as a way of proposing.
Sam Pittmon’s ticket was drawn from the basket of raffle tickets that had been sold. Sam then demonstrated clairvoyance, promptly selecting the winning envelope containing the ace of spades! Sam, who said “I never win anything” behind a happy grin, took home the pot of $223.
Rose Cheadle, this year’s Grand Marshall for the 4th of July Parade, was President Kim's special guest and she thanked Rotarians for the honor of her selection. We also welcomed Karen Ross, mother of Sarah Ross, one of our RYLA students. Rotarian Lisa Scott introduced this year’s visiting exchange student, Laura Delgado, from Padua, Brazil, a small city with about 40,000 residents, about four hours from Rio Di Janeiro. Laura, a junior at Pagosa Springs High School, will discuss her life in Brazil at a later Rotary meeting in October. A Blue Whale's heart is the size of a VW Beetle and you could swim through some of its arteries. In other NEWS:
Sergeant-at-Arms Betty Switzer led the meeting in observance of September Birthdays for Lisa Scott, Bob Tillerson, and Patty Tillerson. A rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday” was joined by all, to the accompaniment of party horns tooted vigorously by the honorees (especially Bob). Betty mentioned also the birthdays of two additional Rotarians, who were not able to be present for the meeting, Dan McPherson and Jenelle Syverson
Betty followed up by also honouring 30-year Rotarian Jan Pitcher with the presentation of a “genuine Rotary ballpoint pen,” to mark the anniversary of Jan’s membership. Jan commented that jointing was the “best decision I ever made.” It was noted that when she jointed, Jan was the first woman to become a member of Rotary in the state of Colorado.
Additional membership anniversaries noted by Betty included Bob Eggleston (25 yr.), Carrie Weiss (18 yr.), Jo Ann Laird (14 yr.), Lassie Olin (13 yr.) and David Smith (7 yr.)
The Rotarians’ version of “This Is Your Life,” more prosaically known as “Who Am I,” challenged meeting participants to guess the identity of a member who provided the clue that his/her experience of butchering an elk for the first time followed the severe injury of a “beautiful cow elk” in a traffic accident near her Pagosa home. The self-proclaimed “road kill butcher,” Sharon Crump, was not successfully identified by meeting attendees. After stumping the audience, Sharon described how the unfortunate elk had to be put down due to her injuries. Despite Sharon’s lack of experience, she took the initiative to butcher it to make sure the meat would be preserved for those in need.
Our speakers were three Pagosa Springs High School students, Sarah Ross, DeAnn Schaaff and Madison Corbett, who had recently attended the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) program held over a three day weekend at Colorado Mountain College in Glenwood Springs.
Introductions were provided by Roberta Tolan, who explained that high school sophomores and juniors (from the past school year) are eligible for the RYLA program, which seeks by exposing promising students to new experiences, issues and challenges, to develop character, build skills and nurture leadership.
Junior (this year) Sarah Ross told Rotarians that participation in the program had been, to her, like a taste of college, offering opportunities for close interactions with high schoolers of different backgrounds from all over Colorado. The experience, she felt, encouraged open-mindedness.
Sarah noted that a feature of the program was a testing “rope course,” in which small teams were challenged to meet demanding goals, which required teamwork to achieve. The exercise taught trust of others, she said. In addition, she had participated in a timely project to create “shelter boxes,” containing a variety of supplies for disaster relief, such as were recently needed by victims of Hurricane Harvey.
Sarah observed that among the other lessons she learned was that leadership can take different forms. Leadership need not be demonstrative, but can be asserted with quiet and reserve, she said.
Fellow junior DeAnn Schaff also commented on the rope course, part of which required her to be suspended above ground with support from the members of her team, in spite of her discomfort with heights. It was a “good experience,” she said, to be able overcome her difficulty by depending on others.
Doug Hershey, Educator and Director of Proud Partners, was our speaker last week. Proud Partners is a program designed to foster student success through the School to Work Study Program and Career & Technical Education Programs. Doug also told us about the Teacher Want Ads. This is a posting of ongoing needs where the teachers post what they need to support their students or classrooms. http://www.mypagosaschools.com and scroll down to the Volunteer Sign-up. Here is a great way to find a way to help the students! Also, there will be more opportunities with the Community and Students Job Fair in the spring.
Don't miss the opportunity to hear Madison Corbett, Sarah Ross and DeAnn Schaaf speak to us this week! These three fine students will tell us about their experience at the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards! Always a joy to hear from the STUDENTS we work so hard to SUPPORT!
CHALLENGE YOURSELF
Through RYLA, you can • Develop your leadership skills and character • Gain exposure to a variety of issues and people • Meet active community leaders • Learn valuable information and career skills
Get Ready! It's coming!! When Rotary Throws a PARTY FOR PAGOSA SPRINGS! We celebrate our uniqueness. We celebrate our culture, We celebrate our heritage, We celebrate living in this beautiful State of Colorado...What the heck, we simply celebrate it all! By the way, Have you ever wondered why woodpeckers don’t get headaches? The woodpecker is uniquely designed to experience high g brain decelerations. Humans brains are not, but are impact-tightening helmets in the horizon? I think our Barn Dance Chickens are experiencing High G brain decelerations.....
Poliomyelitis (polio) is a paralyzing and potentially fatal disease that still threatens children in some parts of the world. The poliovirus invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours. It can strike at any age but mainly affects children under five. Polio is incurable, but completely vaccine-preventable.
PolioPlus
In 1985, Rotary launched its PolioPlus program, the first initiative to tackle global polio eradication through the mass vaccination of children. Rotary has contributed more than $1.7 billion and countless volunteer hours to immunize more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries. In addition, Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by donor governments to contribute more than $7.2 billion to the effort.
David Smith introduced the International Services Committee work by asking the question; "What is Rotary's role in global poverty?" The total number of people that live on less than $2.50 a day is approximately 3 billion. The number of children that die each year from lack of access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation is 1.4 million. The US spends about $30 billion on humanitarian aid each year. Statistics show us that the global poverty rate may have fallen from 37% of the worlds population in 1990 to just under 10% in 2015. SO YES! there is progress being made to reduce this suffering.
Rotary's 1.2 million members in 35,000 clubs in 200 countries make us a highly effective means for delivering humanitarian aid! By working though local partnerships, the right help can get to the right people, contributing $200 million per year! You can be a part of this important effort! Here is a snapshot of what the Pagosa Springs Rotary Club, in concert with other clubs and global matching grants is doing right now!
We are very excited to welcome our next Rotary Exchange Student, Laura Delgado. Laura is from Santo Antonio de Padua, or 'Padua' a small town about 4 hours from Rio de Janerio in Brazil. Padua has a population of approximately 40,500 people so our Pagosa might seem a bit small to her.
She has an impressive list of studies at her school with interestingly enough, three language courses; English, Spanish and Portuguese. Her least favorite classes are Math and Spanish. Laura's other study subjects include; history, geography, writing, chemistry, biology, physics, literature, philosophy, sociology and physical education. She also loves to read.
Watching movies at home with her mom and going out with her friends are some of the activities she enjoys. Most teenagers will like to eat pizza and hamburgers - but Laura adds Japanese food to Laura's list too! Those things along with tea, ice cream and pancakes are also on her list.
Laura's first host family will be Bill & Misti Smyth. They have a daughter, Ashley, that is the same age as Laura.
Introducing Laura Delgado - Our in-coming Exchange Student
Yes, it was the first of a new month so we celebrated birthdays for; Jessie Formwalt, Greg Booher, Bill Darling, Granton Bartz, Linda Verrips, Mike Vanover, Greg Wynn and Betty Switzer too!
Ahia Kaiser joined us for the meeting. She recently returned from her out-going student exchange to Italy. She will give a full presentation at an upcoming meeting.
Dick Babillis shared an interesting story about the history of the Rotary Four Way Test. He explained that it was originally developed by Herbert Tailer in 1930 when he was charged with revitalizing a failing aluminum factory. He started out with 100 words to guide and motivate the employees, but he decided that was just too much. He kept winnowing it down until, finally, he had the Four Way Test. The aluminum company had a net worth of over 2 million by 1937. Rotary International adopted the Four Way Test as its own in 1943. If you eat a polar bear liver, you will die. Humans can't handle that much vitamin A.
Greg & Donna Wynn joined us for the meeting - as guests of Jeff and Betty Switzer - and as potential new members! Greg shared an interesting story of a rescue he was involved with recently. Two men, both competent in the outdoors, had become lost when the afternoon storms drove them away from a ridge line they had been following. He pointed out how the men had done everything right as far as taking care of themselves until the rescue team arrived but that even seasoned hikers can get disoriented in our mountains.
New members, Jim and Melanie Garrett had a chance to speak for a few minutes. Jim shared one of the most interesting thoughts I think I have ever heard anyone say about how they feel about Pagosa - he said "Pagosa has always been our home - it just took us 60 years to find it." Having happened upon Pagosa in 2004 during an extended motorcycle trip with friends it appears it was love at first sight. Jim and Melanie met when Jim was in law school and Melanie was a secretary at the university. We are happy to have them join in our efforts here in Pagosa!
Last week we welcomed Jim and Melanie Garrett and Patty Tillerson into our membership! At a future meeting they will have an opportunity to tell us more about themselves.
In other news: President Kim announced that Evelyn Tennyson and Patricia Francis, the owners of Two Old Crows Gallery, donated all the proceeds from last week's Pouring event to Rotary! Such a nice gesture on their part! $360 dollars will be added to the Community Assistance Fund and used here in the community! Be sure to stop by their gallery and thank them
Neal Johnson told us about reconnecting with an exchange student that he had lost touch with. Ann Mueller had stayed at Neal's home in Artesia, New Mexico during her exchange year. They are now reconnected thanks to Anne reaching out when she saw our website!
Jeff Switzer passed along sad news that Mark Barber, the owner of Marconi's had passed away. He reminded us that Mr. Barber had served lunch at the PLPOA when we were meeting there and not charged us.
Greg Booher told of his sad luck with a new truck, a bent tailgate and a tree limb! So short of a great deal of expense and hassle, I guess the truck is 'broke-in' now.
Betty Switzer was in 'fine-form' with props and everything for the sunshine and showers! The news was indeed a shower though as Barry Wheeless told us that he and Treva had bought a house in Lakewood. They will be making the move this fall to be closer to their grand kids. It will sure be hard to loose Barry & Treva! They will be sorely missed. I just don't know WHO we will be able to send "get well soon" cards to anymore!
District Governor, George Smith, was our special speaker last week. George has been a rotarian for 43 years and that path lead him to "the G String". Not perhaps what might have popped into your mind, the G String is the chain of positions leading up to becoming the District Governor and ultimately the Past District Governor.
District Governor Smith, passed along some pretty timely information given that the Board of Directors has scheduled a retreat for August 8th. He talked about setting goals for this upcoming Rotary year and the fact that if we do set goals, write them down and visit the progress being made frequently - we will be much more likely to obtain those goals!
We can get started right now! Please be thinking about goals you would like to see the Club adopt for this year and share those with any member of the Board of Directors or President Kim. Think about goals in the following areas: Members & Engagement, Foundation Giving, Service, Young Leaders (think RYLA and RYE) and Public Image. Remember - our mission, should we choose to accept it is - Rotary: Making a difference.
CLUB HOME OF ASSISTANT DISTRICT GOVERNOR 2002-2003 PRESIDENTIAL CITATION 1997-1998 - 1999-2000 - 2000-2001 - 2002-2003
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE- #1 CLUB 1991-1992
BEST BULLETIN AWARD 1999-2000 HOME OF DISTRICT GOVERNOR 1994-1995
YOUTH SERVICE AWARD 2003-2004
It's time to UPDATE THIS RECORD! You know we have the talent and heart to do it! Rotary Club Central has a webinar every 4th Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM. I attended the last one and I would love to share the invitation with you! THIS tidbit of knowledge could win you a bottle of wine!
Well, Kim and Betty still had some MORE tricks up their sleeve last week! Kim declared that "Birthdays should be fun" and together they gathered up the July birthday Rotarians for a harmonica hoot!
In other news:
Jo Bridges announced yet another generous donation of over $1100 to Feed Our Children from Barbara Swindlehurst of Exit Realty Advantage! The Real Estate businesses have really stepped up in supporting this effort! Thanks to Barbara, as well as Sherpa Real Estate and Jann Pitcher Real Estate for all you have done for the kiddos!
Art Benzel announced the upcoming concert by the Baylor Brass on August 11, 2017 at 5:30. Tickets are just $15 so see Art and plan to attend
Lisa Scott mentioned that our next exchange student is arriving in late August from Brazil! More details about her will be coming. Also, don't forget August 17th is when Leo will be here with his parents so be sure to attend that party!
Our speaker was Margaret Burkesmith, owner of Yoga Clarity. A couple of the things she said that stuck in my mind were; "The base of all healing is awareness" and "Name it to tame it". I found her talk to be very inspiring. Margaret started teaching Yoga in 2002 - to both children and adults. In 2010 she became a Practitioner and Teacher of Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy.
Rotarians, you have a very special visitor coming on July 27, 2017!!
District 5470 – George Small
George grew up in a “small” central Nebraska farm town (Maxwell) of 250 residents. A family move following his sophomore in high school, took him to Greeley, Colorado, to finish high school. He earn a BA at Colorado State College (University of Northern Colorado) and completed his Master’s program in 1971 at the University of Northern Colorado. He worked his way through college as a Volvo/Datsun mechanic. His 34 year professional career includes teaching special education (Walsh), CEO of Southeastern Developmental Services (Lamar) and CFO/COO of Developmental Opportunities (Starpoint – Cañon City).
Rotary service began at the age of 26 in the Lamar Rotary Club, serving as a Board Member, Secretary and President. Awards during his presidential term include Presidential Citation, District 547 World Community Service Award and Runner Up – District 547 Rotary Foundation Award. That 547 not a mistake, because this was before Rotary International added the “0” to the District designations. George became a member of the Rotary Club of Cañon City in 1994. Committee Chair assignments have been charter member of District 547 RYLA (1986), Group Study Exchange, Rotary International Scholarship, Rotary Club Scholarship, Club -The Rotary Foundation and Webmaster. District assignments include Community Service Chair, Assistant Governor (2007-2014) and the current District 5470 Executive Secretary. George has been a Rotarian for 40 years and is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow.
PLEASE PLAN on attending this very special meeting and look for upcoming details about other opportunities to meet with George Small while he is here with us!
Upcoming Meeting - George Small, District Governor
George grew up in a “small” central Nebraska farm town (Maxwell) of 250 residents. A family move following his sophomore in high school, took him to Greeley, Colorado, to finish high school. He earn a BA at Colorado State College (University of Northern Colorado) and completed his Master’s program in 1971 at the University of Northern Colorado. He worked his way through college as a Volvo/Datsun mechanic. His 34 year professional career includes teaching special education (Walsh), CEO of Southeastern Developmental Services (Lamar) and CFO/COO of Developmental Opportunities (Starpoint – Cañon City).
Rotary service began at the age of 26 in the Lamar Rotary Club, serving as a Board Member, Secretary and President. Awards during his presidential term include Presidential Citation, District 547 World Community Service Award and Runner Up – District 547 Rotary Foundation Award. That 547 not a mistake, because this was before Rotary International added the “0” to the District designations. George became a member of the Rotary Club of Cañon City in 1994. Committee Chair assignments have been charter member of District 547 RYLA (1986), Group Study Exchange, Rotary International Scholarship, Rotary Club Scholarship, Club -The Rotary Foundation and Webmaster. District assignments include Community Service Chair, Assistant Governor (2007-2014) and the current District 5470 Executive Secretary. George has been a Rotarian for 40 years and is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow.
The upcoming opportunity to support Pagosa's art scene! We will be pouring and serving for this event and the proceeds will be donated to the Community Assistance Fund! If you are not signed up to participate, please see Kim today!
Last week, Dr. Dene Kay Thomas, President of the Fort Lewis College, was our speaker. I, for one, learned a GREAT DEAL about our closest college!! For example, I had no idea that Fort Lewis College had a historic commitment to Native Americans! Any qualified Native American student is admitted tuition free. No baccalaureate institution in the country awards more degrees, including STEM degrees, to Native Americans than Fort Lewis College. I also learned that retention and graduation rates at Fort Lewis College are near the top among Colorado Regionals and that it produces the leading number of Fulbright Scholars.
Dave Campbell and Neal Johnson introduced our newest member, Larry McClintock. Larry and his wife Margaret recently moved to Pagosa full time from New Mexico were he had been an active Rotarian. Larry had been coming to Pagosa since he was a child and now is enjoying living here full time and we are thrilled to have him join in our Rotary efforts in Pagosa Springs.
Yes, your Pad Party Package! While we love meeting at Borde Rio and Shelly & Jason have been great...there was that one little problem with the noisy chairs. No longer a problem! Lets hope it lasts! Here you have Rotarians all sanding, gluing and sticking felt chair pads to all those noisy chairs!
Our speaker last week was our in-coming Rotary President, Kim Moore.
Kim shared some of her goals for the upcoming year.
Increase membership by 10 new members
Take the Rotary Theme to heart to really impact the community
Have a couple of meetings 'just for fun' toward the end of August
Increase our fund raising efforts by $15,000
Work toward giving others the opportunity to serve in different positions and spreading tasks around
She also explained a few ideas she would like to implement. The new room arrangement was a nice start and hopefully it will improve everyone's experience during the meetings.
Reintroduce Mr. or Mrs. R. where a particular member is chosen at the beginning of the meeting to be 'it' and those who do not shake that person's hand can be fined. The fines collected will go to the Scholarship Foundation
Dave Richardson will be our official 'jokester' so if you have any appropriate jokes, send them to Dave
There will be a box at the check in table with slips to fill in how you made a difference in the past week
Who Am I slips to write down something that no one else would know about you - then we will try to guess who that may be
Three Rotary Wishes - list three things you would like to see happen in Rotary this year
Pizza with the 'Pres' - each Tuesday evening Kim and Walt would like to have four members over to their house for pizza
Encouraging members to bring potential members by providing that lunch to be paid for by the club
Finally, Kim thanked the outgoing Board members Carrie Weiss and Nick Tallent as well as welcomed the new Board members, Sam Pittmon, Neal Johnson, Cindi Galabota and Greg Booher.
We had a great time last Thursday at the Installation Dinner! We had the opportunity to thank John Duvall for an entire year of leadership with wit and charm!
We honored Jimmy Munozcano for his service above self as Rotarian of the Year! Thanks Jimmy for all you do for the Club! Unlike the other Officers which are known in advance for each new Rotary year, the announcement Rotarian of the Year is always a big secret and surprise! Past Presidents make this sometimes difficult choice about who deserves this designation the most.
We were able to welcome Kim Moore as our incoming President. We could not be more excited about this upcoming Rotary year! Welcome Kim and know that we will support your efforts in making this the best Club year ever!
John Duvall conducted an in-depth interview with Terri House, Owner, Editor and Publisher of the Pagosa Springs Sun last week. Terri is also a Rotarian and a Past President of the Noon Rotary Club. John asked Terri to elaborate about the numerous awards the Pagosa Springs Sun has been honored with. Terri explained that the paper was awarded the TOP WEEKLY paper of their size state-wide as well as receiving the TOP National award for the Visitors Guide.
When asked about her operating strategy; Terri responded that her priorities were to keep her eye focused on journalism's ethics and on what matters to the community. Terri also said that hardest thing about her roles at the paper would be writing the editorials when they may not always be well received by some people.
Pagosa Springs Rotary Club joined in efforts with Wyndham Resorts to host a fund-raising event for the San Juan Search & Rescue efforts. Upper San Juan Search and Rescue (USJSAR) is a non-profit, volunteer organization that trains and organizes volunteers in search, rescue, and other emergency services as described herein. USJSAR volunteers respond only when activated by the Archuleta County Sheriff or his designee and operate where directed by the Sheriff or his designee. USJSAR members volunteer to provide these services so that others may live.
Pagosa Springs Rotary Club joined in efforts with Wyndham Resorts to host a fund-raising event for the San Juan Search & Rescue efforts. Upper San Juan Search and Rescue (USJSAR) is a non-profit, volunteer organization that trains and organizes volunteers in search, rescue, and other emergency services as described herein. USJSAR volunteers respond only when activated by the Archuleta County Sheriff or his designee and operate where directed by the Sheriff or his designee. USJSAR members volunteer to provide these services so that others may live.
This week, the Pagosa Springs Rotary Club joins with other service organizations to plan, cook and serve for Loaves & Fishes at the Parish Hall. The mission of Loaves and Fishes of Archuleta County, serving as a faith based and community based organization, is to provide nutritious meals in a safe, warm, and caring environment, free of charge, to anyone who comes seeking nourishment and fellowship. And further, the mission is to provide access to community services and resources to those in need, while providing opportunities for volunteers to give of themselves in service to others. Rotary participates in this effort about four times a year and it is always a great experience!
Leo Witscurke our exchange student from Germany gave a talk titled: My Exchange Year in Pagosa Springs 2016-2017. He initially introduced his three host families that included Anthony and Veronica Doctor and kids, Tim and Stacy Evans and kids and Mark and Jean Garcia and kids who were all in attendance. He then talked about his experience at an "american high school". He expected that he would have difficulty making friends but he found that the student's at Pagosa Springs High School were friendly and welcoming. He liked the teachers because the student-teacher relationship was closer than in Germany and there was not much pressure though he admitted that his grades did not matter here because he had to repeat this school year back in Germany.
He talked about sports that he participated in during the year that included soccer and basketball. He was made to feel welcome by his soccer team and they were very helpful. He stated that he had a hard time "adjusting to the elevation" and described how short of breath he was when running initially. He enjoyed playing soccer and was proud of the many goals that he was able to score. He played basketball for the first time of his life and had difficulty learning the rules the first three games but finally got the hang of it and enjoyed playing. He even learned to dunk the ball.
Leo experienced many trips with his host families. The Doctor's took him to Lizard Head Pass and Moab, Utah where he had fun hiking and bicycling. He traveled to Phoenix, AZ with the Evans family where he attended his first hockey game and had great seats just behind the glass. He also enjoyed shopping and exploring the Phoenix area. With the Garcia family he travelled to The Grand Canyon where he was so amazed by the view that he took at least 100 pictures. They then traveled to San Diago, CA where he attended his first professional baseball game. He got to go to the beach where he swam in cold cold water for only 5 minutes and also experienced a roller coaster ride.
Leo talked about the many friends he made when he met with other Rotary exchange students in Colorado. They visited several places including the Great Sand Dunes and the alligator farm near Alamosa where he was excited and frightened to hold an alligator. Says he got to make friends with students from nearly "every continent". His best friends were Nithin from India, Bernardo from Spain and Fabio from Brazil.
In closing, Leo thanked our Rotary club and his host families for "the best year of my life" and Lisa Scott for her consistent support. He stated that he plans to return to Pagosa Springs with his family and will attend our Rotary meeting on August 17, 2017. When asked about his expectation when he came to America, he stated" I did not expect Americans to be so nice". When asked about American food he stated " I am not really picky I just eat a lot. His favorite American food is Mexican food.
After leaving Pagosa Springs next week, Leo will be traveling with other Rotary exchange student across the United States from Denver to the Grand Canyon, to Las Vegas, to Los Angeles, to San Diego, to Tucson, to El Paso, to San Antonio, to Houston, to New Orleans, to Tallahassee, to Orlando, to Myrtle Beach, to Washington D.C., to New York City, to Cleveland and to Chicago where he will depart back home to Germany.
Lisa Scott and Leo's host families describe him as nice, well adjusted, easy going, has notable integrity, is happy and always smiling and I think we all would agree.
Ramona Tschaar introduced Brian Collabolletta as a guess. He is the manager of Pagosa Multipurpose Pavilion that includes the Ice Rink that is put up yearly at South Town Park. Ramona and Brian announced a fund raiser for the Pavilion on July 4th that includes a BBQ dinner and the raffling of a bathroom remodel at the home of the winner worth 10,000 dollars. Contact Ramona for information and tickets.
Neil Johnson announced that the new member induction for Chris Kohler is being delayed until he return to Pagosa Springs after traveling for work.
Sharon Carter reminded us that our club will be doing Loaves and Fishes next Thursday June 8th and requested that additional members sign up. More help is needed with preparation on Wednesday and Thursday.
Dave Cammack thanked all who helped with set up, take down and clean up for the Kentucky Derby Party.
Jan Pitcher requested additional members sign up for trash pick-up on June 10th.
Dick Babillis announced the Grand Opening at Pagosa Springs Medical Center June 17th from 10 am until 2 pm.
Laurie Dickson, Executive Director, and Emily Burke, Program Director of 4Core addressed Rotary last week about the project to bring solar power to the Socorro Senior Living Center. Laurie told us more about the 4Core mission and values in the 5 county region, one of which was to promote responsible resource management. Their first project involved a four year winterization project that impacted 628 families. Another objective is to promote adoption of cleaner fuels and their grant program to install charging stations for electric vehicles. Through acknowledgement from the EPA of the important work they have been doing, they received a $25,000 non-competitive grant to provide solar electric assistance to the Socorro Senior Living Center here in Pagosa Springs. It will certainly be exciting to see this newest program move toward reducing electrical costs by between 4 and 5,000 for these Seniors.
Mary Jo Coulehan, Executive Director, Pagosa Springs Chamber of Commerce, was our speaker last week. Mary Jo moved to Pagosa in 1994 and previously had made her career in the hospitality business with Marriott Hotels. She started with that firm as a life-guard and left as General Manager. Mary Jo and her husband initially opened a bed and breakfast business here in Pagosa and after that spent the next 9 years at the Chamber of Commerce. Following two short years with Pagosa Verde, we are lucky enough to have her at the helm of the Chamber once again.
She said something that I found very interesting; she said that her time away from the Chamber caused her to look at situations and challenges in a new light. The Chamber is mostly known for the events that it manages and how those events draw visitors into town. Our local businesses all benefit from the sale of goods, services, lodging and meals that those visitors need while they are here. Perhaps those folks even 'fall in love' with Pagosa as so many have and decide that this is where they want to have a vacation or retirement home.
One of the major changes the Chamber is considering is allowing businesses to have more choice over the amount of services and exposure they wish to take advantage of from the Chamber. Rather than charging more in terms of membership dues based upon the number of employees, businesses will be able to tailor their costs of membership and the services they receive in exchange for that support.
Another focus the Chamber is following is working more closely with schools through the Job Fair and the upcoming Career Day. They have heard from the businesses that the need is great for more work-force ready graduating seniors. Not all graduates are college-bound and we need to provide the support they need to find good careers here in Pagosa and supply our businesses with much needed workers.
From the sounds of it, its going to be a very busy summer here in Pagosa country. Ride the Rockies, the Bike Tour of Colorado, our two major music festivals, Colorfest, the list goes on and on. For Rotary, one of the signature events is the 4th of July Parade which will be here before we know it!
David Smith was our speaker last week. Admiration was obvious in President John Duvall's voice as he introduced one of our own Rotarians having recently returned from his third year travels to Senegal. David Smith and his wife Jean, spend a great deal of their time and treasure pursuing the goal of increasing economic growth through improved science education.
Peter Jeshofnig, Professor Emeritus of Science at the Colorado Mountain College, states it this way, "Improved science instruction is expected to elevate the critical thinking skills of all students, and to contribute to the national wealth by increasing the science skills of the work force". By working to increase the economic growth in these Muslim countries with very low Gross National Income, our efforts combat radical extremism. Mr. Smith illustrated this concept with a slide:
Part of the work that the Smith's due each year is to visit the schools that they conducted training sessions for the science teachers the previous year. By doing this, they can measure the amount of actual good their efforts are creating for those teachers and therefore their students. In the Saint Louis, their assessment exceeded all expectations! Virtually, the cupboard of supplies they had provided the previous trip - were all used up.
This past Saturday, Rotarians and other volunteers from the community served 434 participants with vital health screening at the 9Health Fair. It was quite the scene with numerous vision, spinal, nutrition, stress management and many other screenings being provided entirely free of cost by health professionals. It takes a village to put on this event!
Gail Harris, Senior Fellow George Washington Center for Cyber and Homeland Security was our speaker last week. Upon her retirement from the Navy, Gail was the highest ranking female African American to ever serve. Gail was fascinating as a speaker and the National Security 'Hot Topics' she covered were certainly timely. She was recruited to National Security to lead a 'Ninja Warrior' type of intelligence agency. In the cyber world, one unsettling point, and there were many, was that in 2014 forensics study of 1,000 organizations reveal 84% had computer systems infected with malware and few were even aware. Even the leading anti-virus vendors now that "anti-virus approach is dead". The average daily cyber events targeting US Northern Command: 48 million.
In other News:
We welcomed Mike Vanover and Sam Pittmon back from their extended travels as well as Phil Swingen, a guest of Art Benzel. Phil and his wife are relatively new to Pagosa and his background is in broadcasting
Jo Bridges shared some of the good and the unknown facing the Feed Our Children Program. Sherpa Real Estate donates 15% of their profits to those in need. The good news, they selected Rotary's Feed Our Children to receive $1,980! The unknown part is that the building where the magic of FOC happens is under contract for sale. That space has been generously donated for years and it is uncertain what the future might hold in that regard. Be thinking of a fall-back location
Remember that Roberta Tolan's retirement celebration is May 10th! at the extension office
If you don't have your tickets yet you better get them soon! Contact any Rotarian or stop by Exit Realty or the Choke Cherry Tree to be able to participate in this event! The items that have been donated for the 'experience' silent auction are amazing! Some of the fabulous trips to choose from are:
Wyndham Vacation Ownership - 4 day Caribbean Cruise and 7 day trips to any Wyndham destination
Wilderness Journeys - 4-Wheel Drive excursion
Pagosa Rafting Outfitters - Full day river raft trip for 4
AND THERE IS MORE! Come out and support all the good that Rotary does in this community! There will be great food catered by The Buck Stops Here and Music by Bob Hemenger. The mint juleps will be flowing. And of course, don't forget about the betting. 75% of the betting money taken in will be returned to the winners! 25% will stay with Rotary to support college scholarships for graduating seniors and all of the other projects Rotary does in the community.
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs has received $108,554 from The Rotary Foundation to improve science education at the junior high and high school levels in Senegal. These funds are used to buy textbooks, supplies, and computers.
Senegal has its own science curriculum. Textbooks that align with this curriculum are published in Senegal. However, few rural schools have textbooks. Teachers often teach from their college notes. Rotary has provided over 1400 biology, chemistry and physics textbooks to three high schools in Senegal this year.
When the schools have no textbooks, the teachers draw pictures on the board and dictate lessons. Students copy and memorize the lessons. Although most of the science teachers have an adequate understanding of science theory, few have any practical experience. Physics teachers teach simple electronic circuits, but they have never seen resistors, diodes and capacitors. They have never used a voltmeter.
Teacher training is emphasized to insure that the impact of the program continues long after the end of the formal program. A Rotary training team, which includes Linda Carlson (Rotary Club of Canon City) and Jean and David Smith (Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs) travel to Senegal where they conduct teacher training workshops. This year, 60 teachers were trained to perform simple laboratory experiments that align with the Senegalese science curriculum. In addition, 21 high school science students were trained to present Science Day to nearly 300 sixth grade students.
If you don't have your tickets yet you better get them soon! Contact any Rotarian or stop by Exit Realty or the Choke Cherry Tree to be able to participate in this event! The items that have been donated for the 'experience' silent auction are amazing! Some of the fabulous trips to choose from are:
Wyndham Vacation Ownership - 4 day Caribbean Cruise and 7 day trips to any Wyndham destination
Wilderness Journeys - 4-Wheel Drive excursion
Pagosa Rafting Outfitters - Full day river raft trip for 4
Bruce Whitehead, from the Southwestern Water Conservation District, addressed the Club. The Southwestern Water Conservation District (SWCD) was created by the Colorado General Assembly in 1941 and is one of four Conservation Districts in the State. The SWCD is celebrating its 75th year of being charged to protect, conserve, use and develop the water resources of the Southwestern basin for the welfare of the District. Mr. Whitehead informed us that the snow-pack reached 128% of normal this year which is good news for water resources! We also got a run-down on various water related issues that are working their way through the legislative process this year.
In other news:
We welcomed several visitors and old friends alike! Jenelle Syverson, guest of Nick Tallent and John Shepard, guest of Neal Johnson. Also back from long travels were members Bob and Dawn Eggleston and Jessie Formwalt! Ramona Tschaar also returned from a short trip relaxing with her father in LaGrange, TX. We are glad that all of you joined us.
Rod Proffitt and Kenny Rogers joined us from the Morning Club. They were interested in hearing our speaker as well to tell us about the upcoming "Vets for Vets Fundraising effort" on May 27th at the Pagosa Springs Golf Course. Gather your golf partners or find out how to support them in some way. The Morning Club meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesday at 7:00 am at Pagosa Brewery and the 1st & 3rd Wednesday at at Borde Rio at 6:00 pm. We are welcome to visit any time.
Sharon Crump reported the the Environmental Film Festival sponsored by the Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership was a real inspiration last week!
The Kentucky Derby takes place on the first Saturday in May every year.
It is the longest continually held sporting event in America, and it is one of the most prestigious horse races in the world. Often called “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports”, the Kentucky Derby receives this nickname from the approximate length of time it takes the winner to run from the starting gate to the finish line. The Kentucky Derby is the first race within the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, where it is followed by the Preakness Stakes race and the Belmont Stakes race.
YOU CAN BE THERE LIVE STREAMING THIS EVENT FROM KEYAH GRANDE!
Jennifer Green, Director of the Pagosa Springs Area Tourism Board and Larry Fisher, Chairman of the Board, were our guests last week. Jennifer told us about an new beautification initiative to put flower planters on the pedestrian bridges in town! Also they are looking for businesses to sponsor a 'bike planter' to further improve the visual impact Pagosa Springs has on our visitors. With lodging tax collections up by almost $250,000 since 2009, Pagosa is certainly becoming a destination resort town!
Jennifer also told us about some progress being made with the way finding & signage efforts in connection with the newly approved San Juan Overlook pavilion in the heart of downtown. Should be a busy summer with all this going on! For further information you can contact Jennifer at sales@visitpagosaprings.com
In other News: Sunetha Management is a new sponsor of the Kentucky Derby at a $500 contribution!! Thank you Dan and Anita!!!
We heard from Randy Larson, Pagosa Fire Protection District Fire Chief, last week. I was surprised to hear that folks that he speaks with are not always aware that we have a largely volunteer fire department! Around 55 volunteers are in the pool of those ready to respond to fire emergency, to assist in disaster efforts and perform cold water rescue. So far this year they have responded to 125 call and had 4 structure fires. That is as many as the entire year last year. There are 7 Fire Stations spread out around the 317 mile boundary of the PFPD.
In other news:
We had several guests last week. Allen Domingo joined us from the Rio Grande Savings & Loan Bank, not only as a guest but as a Silver $500 dollar sponsor for the Kentucky Derby!
Jay Wilmon, the new owner of Old West Press. was there as a guest of Ramona and Jenelle Syverson joined us as Nick Tallent's guest
Kim announced other new 'experience auction' items; a round of golf at a prestigious course in Sedona & Wilderness Journeys river raft trip and 4-wheeler adventure
Sue Walan will be leaving for a job as the design-engineer for a new justice center in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Good luck Sue!
Roberta Tolan announced her upcoming retirement from the Archuleta County Extension Service in May
Wilderness Journeys has joined the ranks of Rotary Sponsors for the Kentucky Derby with donations of TWO adventure trips for the Experience Silent Auction. They will also be donating the use of their buses to transport our guests from the parking area up to the Keyah Grande venue the day of the event! The value of these in-kind contributions represents a $1,500 value!
More updates regarding the Kentucky Derby include details on the meal that will be provided by the Buck Stops Here! Braised Short Ribs with Bourbon sauce will be served with a broccoli cheese vegetable dish, Caesar Salad and rolls. It all sounds just wonderful and we need to thank the folks at the Buck Stops Here for doing all this at a discount which supports our fund raising purpose as well
Livia Cloman Lynch announced that she had just received word that the Club has been successful in obtaining the Colorado Opportunity Grant Scholarship! This is HUGE NEWS! $24,000 dollars will be made available to match our fund-raising dollars to provide scholarships for in-state tuition for our graduating seniors. Livia will do a presentation on all the details soon!
Speaking of Scholarships...the Scholarship Selection Committee has two openings! These positions are for three year terms and consist of reviewing the applications provided by the students; selecting the most qualified applicants for in-person interviews and deciding as a committee how our available funds will be distributed. It is a very exciting process and its amazing to get to know some of most talented and gifted Pagosa students. Submit a short summary of why you would like to be selected to serve on this committee to Livia
Cindi Galabota reminded us that it is RYLA time! That's Rotary Youth Leadership Academy and the deadline for applications is April 7th. If you know a good candidate for this training that is a high school sophomore or junior, get an application from Cindi
Ramona Tschaar surprised us with news that her and Alex had sold the Old West Press! A company that has similar businesses in Farmington and Durango have bought it and it looks like Ramona will get to have some more time on her hands. They plan on staying in the area for the time being.
David Smith reminded us of the Investment Opportunity for Seeds of Learning. Tickets are $100 and a maximum of 300 tickets will be sold. The prize is $10,000! Seeds has lost its funding from the Secure Rural Schools programs and needs to raise this money to help families that can't pay the full cost of tuition for their children to attend Seeds
Allen Roth, General Manager of the Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association addressed our group. Mr. Roth filled us in on a number of interesting facts about PLPOA - for instance, there are 27 different subdivisions, 6600 properties, covering 14,500 Acres with 900 of those acres designated as greenbelts! The Association is approximately 60% built out with 78 homes being built in the last year alone! About 7 miles of property are bordering the National Forest.
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club is proud to be supporting this Global Grant!
Progress Report: Water System in Terrabona, Nicaragua
April 27, 2017
GG1638218
Projection Description
This Water and Sanitation project will be divided into two tasks that will benefit four adjacent villages in Nicaragua: San Andrés, Los Calpules, Las Joyas, and San Juan. The San Andrés, Los Calpules and Las Joyas water task will be to construct an electric pump water system with a tap and meter for each home. The sanitation task will be to construct 25 double pit latrines in San Andrés, 20 in Las Joyas, 15 in Los Calpules, and 10 in San Juan. These four communities are found within a 5km radius of each other, allowing work to be done in parallel.
Small communities were selected because many Water and Sanitation projects are sited in urban areas. Therefore, smaller, isolated communities do not receive significant assistance. Although these communities are disconnected, they fit into an overall Water and Sanitation plan developed for the Terrabona municipality. These two projects are proposed because they best met the needs of these communities as identified and were proposed by the villagers themselves.
I just returned from a week in Niamey, the capital of Niger. There are 4 Rotary Clubs in Niamey, each with about 20 members. The list of projects these clubs have participated in is long and impressive. These projects include healthcare, education, water and sanitation, high-end agriculture and much more. Life in Niger is generally harsh. The country is the size of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona combined. About 80% lies in the middle of the Sahara Deseret where the annual rainfall is usually less than 1 inch. A narrow strip on the south western corner, which includes Niamey, may receive 20 inches of rain a year, but it all comes within 2-3 months. Of course temperatures are HOT. Niger is consistently ranked as one of the poorest countries in Africa by the UN Human Development Index. Yet Rotary is strong in Niamey! My host, Gaston Kaba, joined Rotary in 1988. While serving as president in 1993-1994, he inducted the first 3 women Rotarians in Niger. He has been involved with many international projects, which were sponsored by organizations in Germany, France, Canada, USA, Belgium and many other countries. Gaston studied at both UC Berkeley and SUNY Albany, so he speaks all forms of American. His father, Jean Kaba, was one of the original founders of Rotary in Niamey. During the great drought of 1969-1974, their Rotary club worked with 41 clubs in Europe to deliver 10 tons of medical supplies to those fleeing the expanding desert. They also created the Niamey Blood Bank and built a health center.
Joe Lewandowski, Public Information Officer and Cathenne Brons, Education & Volunteer Coordinator addressed the Club about potential increases in resident hunting and fishing licenses. This process will have to be approved through the legislature; however, if passed, it will be the first increase since 2005. Non-resident license fees are tied to an inflation factor so they go up steadily with the consumer price index. No taxes are received by the Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife. Their revenues are basically from the license fees, Excise Tax, GOCO lottery funds and grants. It costs a lot of money to manage our wildlife and park resources in a sustainable manner for the future. Things like helicopter flights to monitor big animal herd health and fish hatcheries where native trout are raised for stocking lakes and rivers - it all cost money. Next time you go to buy a license to participate in our wilderness experiences, remember your fees are going toward the preservation and protection of these resources. http://www.cpw.state.co.us
We were delighted to have John Applegate and Joe Donovan join us for the meeting. Both had been under the weather lately
Shellie Peterson announced that the Board of Directors had unanimously accepted Pat Love into membership - we look forward to an Induction Ceremony soon!
Nick Tallent's guest, Janelle Severson joined us again last week. Janelle owns the Choke Cherry Tree and and she has generously donated the bourbon balls for the upcoming Kentucky Derby! THANK YOU Janelle! She will also be assisting with some of the other deserts for the event.
We had a sneak preview of the talented performers in Mary Poppins! This presentation by the high School drama and theater department begins next week. We should all plan on going for sure, just $10 tickets at the door
Jean and Dave Smith have arrived home safely from Senegal. They will give a presentation early in May to tell us all about their efforts this past trip. Also, Jean has raffle tickets available for a fund raiser for the Seeds of Learning Center. The Center has lost some funding from the Secure Rural Schools resource and needs to raise some additional funds to operate. The prize is $10,000 and the drawing will be on May 20th. Tickets are $100 each and are available from Jean
Roberta Tolan mentioned that it was the time of year to collect applications for the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA) If you know any sophomores or juniors in high school, this is a wonderful opportunity to encourage and develop their leadership skills! Every year these kids come back to us and tell us what a meaningful experience it was for them
NEW SPONSORS announced for the Kentucky Derby were Wilderness Journeys and Wyndham Resorts! Both will be providing trips for the experience silent auction, Wilderness Journeys will also be providing the shuttle service from the parking area up to Keyah Grande
Our Rotary Family is growing! Jimmy Munozcano proudly announced the arrival of his son Leo, February 27th, weighing in at 5LB 13OZ. Both Leo and Marianne are doing well and the other four kids are all 'in love' and happily helping to take care of their new brother
Nick Tallent brought Jeanelle Severson, the owner of the Choke Cherry Tree as his guest. We were happy to welcome her to the meeting
Kim Moore reminded us of the upcoming District Roundup in Glenwood Springs April 20-22. She will be attending and taking our exchange student Leo for his participation with the other exchange students. Everyone is encouraged to check it out http://www.rotary5470.org/Stories/district-training-assembly-April-20-22-2017
Speaking of Leo, this past week he made the move to his third house family. He is now living with the Garcias. They have two sons, Kyle who is Leo's age and Tray who is 11. Leo is going to be assisting the coaches of Tray's soccer team this spring
David Cammack made it successfully through a knee surgery this past week; however, it looks as though more extensive surgery may be necessary in the future. Its tough getting older!
Nick Tallent reminds anyone that has not yet paid their pledge for the Penguin Plunge to do so! He needs to turn those funds in
News from John and Sandy Applegate indicates that John is mending well and they are doing some traveling
Justin Ramsey, Manager of the Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District addressed Rotary last week. Mr. Ramsey came to the District in May 2015 to fill the position of District Engineer. Previously he had been working as the Northern Regional Manager for Westland Resourses in Flagstaff, AZ. Justin brings 20 years of water and wastewater design and engineering experience as well as a Bachelor's of Science in Environmental Engineering and a Maters of Engineering in Civil Engineering - both from Norther Arizona University. Mr. Ramsey was promoted to the District Manager position in January.
During his presentation he detailed the outcome of the project undertaken jointly by PAWSD and the Pagosa Springs Sanitation General Improvement District to build a wastewater conveyance line and two major lift stations to enable the VISTA Wastewater Treatment Plant to treat the Town's sewage. Thoughtful negotiations produced a successful project which began actually pumping in May of 2017 and now approximately 300,000 gallons are being treated daily at the VISTA facility.
Member Joe Donovan surprised us with a visit. He told us of the eleven broken ribs that he sustained from a fall recently and the amount of discomfort that he endured but has improved significantly. He was accompanied by he oldest son Mike Donovan.
Dick Bond who was a recent member of our Rotary Club was in attendance. He informed us that he has joined Rio Rancho Rotary Club located in Albuquerque NM since moving there a couple months ago.
Several guess of Rotarians were present that included Tom Darrigan and his wife Elsa, Rihanna Ray, John Shepherd who is visiting for the second time, and Loyette Steward.
Kim Moore returned after vacationing at Death Valley where the weather was not favorable. She also informed us that Kia Grande has been reserved for our Kentucky Derby Party scheduled for May 6, 2017 and everyone cheered loudly.
Leo our exchange student sported a new short haircut that his friend gave him. He reported that he went shopping at Farmington NM and it was fun.
Member Joe Donovan surprised us with a visit. He told us about his 11 broken ribs that he sustained from a fall recently and the amount of discomfort that he endured. He was accompanied by his oldest son Mike Donovan.
Dick Bond who was a recent member of our Rotory Club was in attendance. He informed us that he has joined Rio Rancho Rotary Club located in Albuquerque, NM since moving there a couple months ago.
Several guest of Rotarians were present that included Tom Darrigan and his wife Elsa, Rihanna Ray, John Shepherd who was visiting for the second time and Loyette Stewart.
Kim Moore returned after vacationing at Death Valley where she said the weather was not favorable. She informed us that Keyah Grande has been reserved for our Kentucky Derby Party scheduled for May 6, 2017 and everyone cheered loudly.
Leo our exchange student sported a new haircut that his friend gave him. He stated that he went shopping in
Farmington NM last weekend and it was fun.
We were happy to welcome Barry Wheeless back to our meeting after an extended absence following back surgery. He reported that he is improving and having less pain. He also gave the invocation to start the meeting.
Betty Switzer returned after several weeks of illness and she appeared to have fully recovered.
It was reported that our Rotary member Joe Donavan fell on the ice recently and broke several ribs. A get well card was signed by members in attendance.
We were informed that a previous member Minnie Lynch has been ill. A get well card was signed by members present. It was also noted that she was the third women to join Pagosa Springs Rotary Club.
John Applegate was reported to have been ill recently and spent a few days at Pine Ridge Care Center. He is apparently back at home recuperating.
There were several guest in attendance including Rotarian Pat Love and her daughter Kathleen McFadden. Kathleen is visiting for the second time and is a potential new member candidate. Another new member candidate Chris Kohler was visiting for the third time along with his wife Jen Kohler and we welcomed them all.
Our exchange student Leo reported that he went skiing at Wolf Creek the past weekend and it was enjoyable. He was not to thrilled about the hamburger for lunch as he is accustom to having dessert type foods for lunch in Austria where he usually ski's.
Our guess speaker was Bill Trimarco who is Archuleta County Coordinator for FireWise. He gave us an overview of the function of this organization. FireWise Southwest Colorado is a citizen based council created to promote wildfire preparedness, mitigation, and education. It is a non-profit that has been serving the five county region of southwest Colorado since 2003. FireWise works closely with a variety of partners including Colorado State Forest Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Offices of Emergency Management and local Fire Protection Districts. The FireWise mission is to strive to keep lives, homes and property from being damaged by wildfires and provide education, planning and fire mitigation support to facilitate wildfire preparedness in our neighborhoods. Mr. Trimarco informed us of the Neighborhood Ambassadors program which is the backbone of the organization. These volunteer ambassadors serve as catalyst within their neighborhoods and encourage their neighbors to become aware, active and prepared for wild fires. Ambassadors receive training, support and ongoing education; access to wild fire information experts; and notice of grant opportunities. Anyone can sign up to become an ambassador at southwestcoloradofires.org.
Adrian Archuleta from the Colorado Parks & Wildlife spoke to us at the Rotary Meeting last week. The Colorado Parks & Wildlife is responsible to manage our renewable resources in a manner that benefits users who enjoy these public areas in a wide variety of ways. Mr. Archuleta was able to show us some interesting maps of the movement of mule deer in and around the Pagosa Springs area obtained through radio-collar deer captures. During the capture process, helicopter pilots fly over herds, drop nets over does and fauns, land and collar the animals quickly before freeing them. The faun collars are designed to drop off after six months, and the adult collars after a longer period. The process has enabled biologists to track the deer and again insights into their migration. While wildlife populations are cyclical, substantial growth in particular areas can impact these animals traditional migration patterns. These studies will be used in a number of ways to mitigate those impacts.
We were all relieved that NICK TALLENT survived BOTH the Penguin Plunge and the SLEDZ on the REZ. Not only did he survive; but he managed to raise over $500 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Colorado! All the Winterfest activities were huge hits in Pagosa Springs including the mass Balloon Assention. What a wonderful weekend and representation of our beautiful community! Thanks and a shout out to the Young Professionals of Pagosa Springs for their organization and enthusiasm for making these events such a hit.
The first Sponsor of the 2017 Kentucky Derby has made the page in a big way with an enormous $3,000 donation! EARS 2 U Hearing, Scott Erickson; Board Certified Hearing Instrument Specialist, Owner. These folks have been avid Rotary supporters for years and we thank them for being OUR FIRST for this fund-raising season!
Leo - our currently most beloved exchange student - reported that he personally scored 20 points as well as the winning free-throw at the last basketball game of the season!
In other news: we celebrated a couple of anniversaries - Dave Smith and his wife Jean have been married 50 years and Jimmy Munozcano and his wife have been married for 12!
Dave Richardson let us know that Barry is still really struggling with this last back surgery. It is turning out to be much more difficult that what anyone had anticipated. Please give Barry and call to cheer him up!
Roberta Tolan was celebrating the purchase of a new teardrop camper and the fine art of backing those things up
Livia Cloman Lynch gave us an update about the Colorado Opportunities Grant. She has obtained approval from the Board of County Commissioners and is moving forward with actually writing the grant itself! This is very exciting news and may well be a significant 'boost' to our graduating seniors in the upcoming years
Kim had really good news about our Holiday Party issue - The Alley House has been most gracious and is refunding some of the charges
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club Supports the Village Aid Project - Engineers Without Borders at Fort Lewis College
Megan Guerrero spoke to us last week about the Village Aid Project. This service group which is a part of Engineers without Borders, is doing some amazing work. The following is an excerpt from their website which you can access by clicking http://www.fortlewis.edu/villageaidproject/SupportEWB.aspx We enjoyed Megan's enthusiasm and it was evident how much this work means to her and her fellow students. The proverbial hat was passed and $212 was raised for their efforts.
Mike Dreysprings, Chief Executive Officer of La Plata Electric Association was our speaker last week. Mr. Dreyspring brought us up to date regarding some of the most important topics being addressed by their Board of Directors which include; deregulation, drone technology to better prepare linemen for repairs or outages, development of the smart grid, concerns over cyber security and preparing for electric cars. Also discussed were the changes to the off-peak rate time schedule changes and information available by visiting the LPEA Smart Hub. Mr. Dreyspring reminded us that we have three local representatives on the LPEA Board, Bob Lynch, Mike Alley and Bob Formwalt.
It was another busy week for visitors to the Club - in addition to those attending to celebrate Leo's birthday, Neal Johnson brought John Shepard the Archuleta County Planner and Gertie Dixon joined us from the Morning Club. We were also happy to have Tom & Ming Steen visit!
While this picture is not one of Nick Tallent it will give you an idea of just how cold this water is - Nick will be 'taking the plunge' again this year! This time he will go through the suffering for Big Brothers Big Sisters, a very worthy cause indeed. Nick encourages us to show up to watch the sled race and enjoy all the festivities next weekend. Give Nick a call and make a pledge to encourage him in his efforts!
Rich Valdez, Archuleta County Sheriff, Tonya Hamilton, Under Sheriff, and Warren Brown, Sergeant, were our guests at last week's meeting. It was fascinating to hear about how many responsibilities the Sheriff's Department have to handle. From containing wild land fires; all civil processes, court security, transporting prisoners, patrolling for the health and safety of the community and search and rescue, there is quite the job to do. In 2016 there were 17,032 calls for service in Archuleta County with the Sheriff's Department handling 50% of them. There were 88 major crime cases were investigated resulting in 18 arrests as well. It struck me as very unfortunate that man-power, funding and talent are spent transporting prisoners due to the extent our own public facilities were allowed to degrade.
It was a busy week for visitors! Kris Kohler was a guest of Neal Johnson; Hank Slikker attended as a guest of Art Benzel, Alicia Summers had been invited by Cindi Galabota and Patty Tillerson was there with our dear member Bob Tillerson
Jo Bridges updated us that the Feed the Children program was running really smoothly with lots of support and cooperation from the school. 21 families are involved which serves 67 children in those homes. Codie Wilson pointed out what a wonderful job Jo and Lassie had done with the Christmas Party for these children! There were homemake cookies from Jo and gifts donated by Jann Pitcher
Roberta Tolan announced there will be a free Radon Awareness class on January 24th at 10:30 am. See Roberta for more details
Also on January 24th a Safe Food Handling Course will be offered - Bill Hubbard has the information on that
Dave Smith gave us the rundown on the Science Fair at the Middle School. There were 28 projects to judge and Rotarians, Dave Richardson, Gindi Galabota, Lisa Scott and himself were all involved with the process. The cash prize awards were presented through Rotary with Dave contributing the funds. The top placing students will take their projects on to regional competition
Leo reported that he certainly enjoyed the watching the Ducks ice hockey game in Phoenix! They had seats that allowed them to experience the impact as the players collided with the wall
Barry Wheeless is making good improvement from his ordeal with back surgery
Our thoughts go out to Loyette with her newly acquired broken ankle and male nurse
March 31, 2017 is the last day for preregistration discount rate of $415! So start making your plans now for the 100th year of the Rotary Foundation June 10-14, 2017.
Centennial event
One hundred years ago, at the 1917 Rotary Convention in Atlanta, Rotary President Arch Klumph proposed creating an endowment “for the purpose of doing good in the world.” From the first contribution of $26.50, the Foundation has grown significantly and has spent more than $3 billion on programs and projects.
Let’s celebrate in the city where it all began. We’ll look back proudly over a century of “doing good in the world” — and look ahead to the challenges Rotary will tackle in the century to come. Here are some of the events we have planned. Check back often to see what’s new.
Adherence to and promotion of the highest ethical standards in all occupations, including fair treatment of employers, employees, associates, competitors, and the public.
The recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, not just those that are pursued by Rotarians.
The contribution of your vocational talents to solving the problems of society and meeting the needs of the community.
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs is recognized locally for its many programs that support and enhance the quality of life in Pagosa Springs. Current projects include scholarships for advanced studies, organization of the 4th of July Parade, the Feed Our Children Program, providing dictionaries to 3rd grade students, and more.
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs is also helping to improve the quality of life in some of the poorest countries in the world. It has recently joined with Rotary Clubs in Carbondale, Aspen, with three Rotary Clubs in Canada and with a Rotary Club in Niger to carry out a project in Niger. The goal of this project is to lift subsistence farmers in Africa out of poverty by approaching farming as a business and not just a means of survival. This goal will be achieved by providing a solar powered irrigation system and educating women and children to view farming as a business. The project is being implemented in the village of Gueriguindi, Niger, which is 30 minutes outside the capital city of Niamey.
Economic development in Niger has been slow. According to the UN Human Development Index statistics, Niger is the poorest country on earth. 70% of the country lies within the Sahara desert. Its 17 million citizens are primarily subsistence farmers, growing barely enough rain-fed crops to feed themselves. Drought conditions prevail in two years out of five. The general shortage of rain puts the food supply at constant risk. Farmers are trapped in a cycle of endless poverty. Feeling desperate to feed their families, they may try to migrate to Europe or they may join terrorists groups that offer hope and wages.
Rotary program will provide a solar powered pump to supply water to the fields. At this time, the solar panels have been installed and the pump is expected to be delivered soon.
I will soon begin engaging speakers for 2017 and I would appreciate your suggestions. All you would need to do is give me a name or organization and a contact number for someone that you think the Club would enjoy or benefit from hearing speak. I will take care of the rest!
Promote Rotary and help support our Foundation with the Rotary International credit card. Just by using your card, you’ll be helping The Rotary Foundation do good in the world.
Our program
A portion of each purchase you make with the card will benefit The Rotary Foundation, at no additional cost to you. The Rotary Foundation has received more than $8.6 million from the program since it launched in 2000, including $3.6 million to support polio eradication.
U.S. Rotary credit card
Earn 1% cash back on every purchase, and 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and 3% cash back on gas for the first $2,500 in combined purchases in those categories each quarter.† Bank of America donates $100 to Rotary with every activated account.
This Thursday, December 8th, Rotarians will again have the opportunity to serve in Pagosa Springs. Under the leadership of Rotarian Bill Hubbard, the best meal that some folks may have all week will be served. More than just a free meal, this is also a chance to build relationships and learn about other areas that Rotary can make a difference in Pagosa Springs. If you are not already signed up for this experience, you should be! Contact Bill or just be there, willing to wash a dish or lend a hand.
When John Duvall introduced Doug to speak at the last meeting, he used the term - renaissance man. I have to admit I had not heard that term used to describe someone before so I looked it up! When used as a noun, it is a man of the Renaissance who was knowledgeable, educated or proficient in a wide range of fields. Which, now that I think about it, was exactly what John was saying as he continued his introduction of Doug as a mountain climber, actor, musician, author, biblical scholar and Rector of the Episcopal Church.
Doug updated us on his recent sabbatical trip from the Christ of the Desert Monastery in New Mexico to the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas Texas and on to two weeks in Greece. Certainly an action filled trip for someone who was recovering from multiple pulmonary embolisms! The good news, is that he is well rested, had fun and apparently ate very well too! He also accomplished his research for his upcoming second book.
When talking of he and Sally's time in Greece, he said that the folks they encountered there were 'radically gracious'. What a pleasure to hear that would 'radical' followed by something so sweet. He said it was though they had been just waiting there for them to come visit!
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Dictionary Give-Away was actually started from a shared dream between two Rotarians in another country.
In 2001 it became a Matching Grant project between India D3150 and five clubs in Southern Colorado, led by the Lamar Rotary club. Our club started our project in approximately 2005.
This community project is one of our most loved and appreciated, as every third grader in the Archuleta School District receives a dictionary. This is the only book they have in school that belongs to them and the only one they can take home. The dictionary changes formats about every three to four years but is always colorful and comprehensive.
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club supports the Salvation Army's efforts to meet needs in Archuleta County! Beginning November 26th and right on through the evening of Christmas Eve, you will find Rotarians and other volunteers ringing that classic red kettle bell!
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club, leveraging funds with the District 5470 and Rotary International, is pleased to announce the delivery of 48 special wheelchairs for children and adolescents in Argentina and the republic of Paraguay who have neurological disabilities that prevent their mobility.
World Polio Day 2016 highlights Rotary’s progress to end polio
Immunization efforts continue in Africa, where recent setbacks underscore the need for vigilance everywhere until polio is eradicated worldwide.
Where are we in the fight to eradicate polio? What's left to do? And why does it cost so much? Rotary's World Polio Day event on 24 October will answer these questions and more.
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Clubs support the Feed Our Children Program
There are many steps - and quite a few stairs - involved with the Pagosa Springs Rotary Feed Our Children Program! From purchasing or collecting the 'kid-friendly' food to stocking the storage pantry and packing and transporting all those backpacks! Even before all of those efforts are made, working closely with the teachers and parents are the foundational efforts to be sure these resources get to the children who will most benefit.
Would you like to be a part of these efforts? You can volunteer your time or provide financial support by contacting Jo Bridges at jbridges640@gmail.com.
David Smith, Chairman of the Early Care & Education Work Group addresses the Noon Rotary Club
David Smith, Chairman of the ECEWG gave the Noon Rotary Club an update on the progress to date in determining the needs here in the community. Mr. Smith pointed out that most of the 'heavy-lifting' of gathering and summarizing the data had been accomplished by ECEWG's coordinator Jan Santopietro and committee members including Dee McPeek.
Mr. Smith discussed a variety of studies done that all pointed to the fact that the readiness of children to enter into the school system impacts all of us regardless of whether or not we directly have children in that age group. Numerous studies have determined that there is a substantial long-term benefit and 'return on investment' when considering the resulting savings to taxpayers. School ready children, by their 40th year, represented a higher percentage of well paying jobs and reduced involvement with the legal system among many other positive factors.
The Committee's work thus far has identified 212 'slots' available for a projected 481 children whose parents have indicated that they could benefit from and would participate in affordable early child care and education if it were available in our community. Their next tasks include developing possible solutions and proposing methods by which these solutions could be made a reality.
A Report From David Smith, Chairman of the Early Care & Education Work Group to speak
David Smith, Chairman of the ECEWG will be addressing the Noon Rotary Club this week. In 2015, the Archuleta County Commissioners and the Town Council of Pagosa Springs jointly agreed with the finding from the Rural Philanthropy Days that the lack of early childhood care and education was a major roadblock to the future development and vitality of Pagosa Springs. The Early Care and Education Work Group (ECEWG) was created with the specific task of researching the needs and providing recommendation to the Town and County for potential solutions to these needs. ECEWG's coordinator Jan Santopietro addressed the group's sponsors last week, but if you missed that presentation, This Thursday will be your opportunity to hear from David Smith, the group's Chairman, about their findings and recommendations to date. You are welcome to join us at the Pagosa Springs Rotary meeting on Thursday, November 3rd, to hear this presentation about one of the most significant issues of the community.
David Smith, Chairman of the Early Care & Education Work Group to speak
Betty & Jeff are off to Texas to visit family there but Betty wanted me to repeat a BIG THANK YOU for those who worked and were not there the day that she made her lengthy thank you delivery! She adds a special thank you to Sharon Crump for keeping up with the ticket sales. There were a total of 31 members who volunteered for over 225 hours of service! We had 215 at the dance and sold all of our available tickets plus an additional 27 at the door. There will be a full financial report when Betty returns and all the bills are received.
We welcomed Art Benzel's guest, Bob Robinson, a Tai Chi instructor who had 'found' Pagosa a couple of years ago
JoAnn Laird announced that the Dictionary Project is underway with a tentative date of November 17th for delivery!
Jo Bridges thanked all those who had recently responded to the giving opportunity of supporting the Feed Our Children. There are 19 backpacks being prepared each week to provide kid-friendly food for 68 children
Carrie Weiss suggested that it may be time to think about Bell Ringing for the Salvation Army again ALREADY:-) She will begin distributing sign up sheets early in November
Jimmy Munozcano announced that with his oldest son turning 11 and his youngest daughter turning 1 (and two in the middle) he and his wife Marianne are expecting another baby
Livia reported that Mamie Lynch is home from the hospital - having performed another amazing 'bounce back' she is famous for
Neal Johnson told us some of his interesting background and history. It seems that somehow, Neal started out in the small town of Artesia, New Mexico and ended up traveling the world. Neal told us something else important too, besides about his fascinating career. He told us that the experience he & Donette had of working under the leadership of Betty Switzer and our Rotary team during the production of the Jewels & Jeans Barn Dance caused Donette Wagner to be willing to take on the challenge of running for District Governor. Donette said that the experience made her realize just how much FUN we have as Rotarians doing good for our community and that encouraged her to be ready for this challenge!
Neal told us something else too. He said that in all his travels and dealing with Rotary Clubs during the time he was District Governor, he had never seen an International Committee run as well with as much outcome based results as the one Chaired by David Smith here in the Pagosa Springs Rotary Club. We can feel proud to be associated with these efforts!
Neal introduced us to his life work of addressing "Business as Mission". An interesting concept of reaching out to areas in poverty to create jobs. Those jobs them multiply to create economic development which means more than just a pay check but the self-esteem of having created that pay check. He has published a book to that effect and now is a professor teaching business management part-time through online courses. Other than that, Neal's careers include being a Bank President, a lawyer and serving in the military as a Judge Advocate General's Corp (JAG). I believe we will be fortunate to have Neal on our Rotary team!
The Jewels & Jeans Barn Dance was a huge success! Thanks, in part, to the many generous Gold, Silver and Bronze Sponsors that contributed as well as many other Donors that donated items for the silent auction such as trips, hotel accommodations, food, wine and jewelry! The silent auction alone raised over $1,000 for Pagosa Springs Rotary Club projects and programs here in Pagosa Springs!
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club thoroughly enjoyed the presentation about his homeland from Leo Witschurke, the 2016-2017 incoming Rotary Youth Exchange Student!
The Pagosa Springs Rotary, along with generous contributions from the community, supports the Feed Our Children Backpack Program. More than 22 million children receive free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program and the National School Breakfast Program. For many of these children, school meals may be the only meals they eat.
Jewels & Jeans Barn Dance to benefit the Community
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club puts on one heck of a party! And it's all for good causes. Please come out and support these efforts October 15th! Rotary uses the proceeds of these fund raising events right here in our community. Last year, the Barn Dance netted $ 7,770.68 for the community. Of the $26,750 raised by Pagosa Springs Rotary in 2015, over half of the money raised funded college and technical school scholarships for graduating seniors. Other programs supported include Pagosa Outreach Connection, Rotary Youth Exchange, Dictionaries for the 3rd grade students, teacher mini-grants, Rotary Youth Leadership Academy and Loaves & Fishes. Come out this Saturday evening! You will have a great time and help us keep supporting the community!
We welcomed Larry McClintock as a guest! Larry has recently moved from ALBQ where he was involved with a Rotary Club there
Feed Our Children is going to start up on October 14th! This is a huge effort that requires lots of volunteers each week in addition to all that Jo Bridges and Lassie Olin do to keep everything organized and stocked. Call Jo or Lassie to reserve your preferred job and dates right away! It will be fun to see how many children we can help this year!
Great News! A Affordable Storage has donated a storage unit for Rotary's use! This support will enable the Club to use those funds for other purposes. The bad news? it is smaller than the current space we have available but that just means its time to 'clean house.' Jeff Switzer and Dave Campbell are heading this effort; please give them a call if you can be available to help!
Leo enjoyed his Inbound Exchange Student Orientation over in Durango. Hopefully he is building relationships that will last a lifetime! His soccer team did experience a loss with him away though and we aren't quite sure that there were NO pretty girls at the Orientation!
Sandy and John Applegate apparently consumed all the lobster they could while in Maine and have returned home safely in time for a fall color tour
Codie Wilson shared good news about her grandson's performance in 4th grade soccer games. One of 'our own' Nick Tallent is referee for these games. It is hard to imagine a Rotarian putting in more time volunteering than what Nick does!
David Smith has extended his offer of rides in his fully restored Model A pickup truck! Just $25 donation to the Donor Advised Fund (DAF) will buy you a tour in this beauty that now has a new paint job
There was a really strong response to the presentation made by Jimmy Munozcano, Livia Cloman Lynch and Jo Bridges last week! Many pledges came in indicating Rotarians that want to be reminded quarterly about their other opportunities to contribute to the DAF and Feed Our Children
Grab your hat folks! The second annual Jewels and Jeans Barn Dance is just around the corner!
Betty Switzer mentioned the other day, that working on the Scholarship Selection Committee had given her such a bigger realization of just how important this fund raiser is! We only have two shots to raise the money to help in the Pagosa Springs community and they have to be wildly successful in order for us to do it! If you have not been at meetings lately, you need to check in with Sharon Crump at Exit Realty to collect your tickets! If you are a Rotarian, there are tickets with your name on them! Whether you sell them or give them to co-workers, family or friends, clients they are your responsibility to the club. Also, if you are a Rotarian, we need your help! Contact Betty and see where there are still open opportunities for service and get on the list.
We had an interesting presentation last week from Jimmy Munozcano, Livia Cloman Lynch and Jo Bridges. If you missed it, Shellie Peterson has extra copies. Collectively, they explained the functions and funding of the Rotary Club, the Community Assistance Fund (CAF) and the Donor Advised Fund (DAF). The proceeds from the Barn Dance will be used in the CAF to fund scholarships for graduating seniors; Pagosa Outreach Connection, Outgoing and Incoming Exchange Student programs, Teacher mini-grants, the third grade dictionaries, Rotary Youth Leadership Academy & Loaves & Fishes.
Ticket sales are just one avenue for raising funds from this event. It is also critical that selling raffle tickets for the silent auction items bring in big bucks! Jo Bridges and Lassie Olin work tirelessly at collecting exciting and interesting items for this auction year around! It's also important that folks take advantage of the libations being offered and the food! Bonny Blue BBQ will be selling BBQ plates for $15 and of that, they are donating $1 back to the fund raising efforts! Think about all these things as we sell these tickets. We need there to be community minded folks at this event who are willing to spend some money to support our efforts in the community - oh and have some fun too!
Bob Tillerson's 90th Birthday Party was a great event! John Duvall read a lovely note from Patty thanking everyone that could attend and saying how much she and Bob enjoyed the event. Their next lofty goal???? Their 100 year Birthdays!
Ramona Tschaar reported that the Morning Club is hosting a fund raising event on September 30th and October 1st to benefit Pagosa Seniors, Crime Stoppers and the Fire Department Auxiliary. Traditional Octoberfest dinner will be served to live music. Tickets are $25. Let's remember to support our fellow Rotarians in their efforts!
Sharon Crump told us the Balloon Breakfast was a great hit! The day was perfect and apparently the effort was successful for the Geothermal Greenhouse efforts
Jo Bridges was back safely from France where she indicated that the people were just delightful! She also had one last award to bestow from the Installation Dinner - Linda Verrips was due for special recognition for her efforts creating the weekly bulletin!
We got to hear from Leo - who seemed very proud of his team winning their last two games! The Inbound Orientation for Rotary Exchange Students is in Durango this weekend so he will get to meet some of his fellow student travelers!
We are all happy to see John Weiss without any walking apparatus at all - except his two feet!
Dave Richardson filled us in on Jack and Katy Threet. Jack is doing very well and although Katy's health is a challenge they seem to like the retirement area where they are living
Codie Wilson wanted to express her thankfulness for the great experience of working with the three fine RYLA participants and her partner in the efforts, Roberta Tolan
Barry Wheeless reported that he and Treva would be traveling to Sante Fe to meet up with a group of folks Barry has known since 1st grade! You know, that's quite a while:-)
Bill Darling just might be a grandfather after all! Seems his son & daughter-in-law set paying off the house as a pre-requisite to parenthood...and they have done it!
Neal Johnson was grateful for a visit from old friends from DC and Kim Moore heads out to son Scott's wedding in California
The Club was delighted to get to meet and listen to the 2016 RYLA scholarship recipients. Each year, the Pagosa Springs Rotary Club has sponsored two or three students from the high school or home school community to attend this life changing leadership training. The event is held at the Colorado Mountain College in Glenwood Springs each summer. Rotarians Codie Wilson and Roberta Tolan coordinate getting applications out to the students, reviewing and scoring each of the submittals, interviewing the selected candidates and finally making the difficult selection. Their goal being to extend this opportunity to students who will be most likely to benefit from the experience and make good use of what they learn. Leadership skills such as communication, cooperation and trust are developed through games and various group activities - some of which are performed quite high off the ground! It sounded like our three lucky students had a great experience!
Dick Babillis announced that the amount of money generated for the American Cancer Society was up 10% from the previous year - $39,158! Part of that amount was from the LPEA golf tournament where they designated Relay for Life as their non-profit recipient and which raised $12,000. The combined Rotary Clubs received the honor of top team and the newest Rotary PIG! Hopefully, Tony Simmons will find a way to display the PIGS at his new brew pub:-)
Sharon Crump handed out TICKETS for the Barn Dance. If you were not at the meeting, be sure to give her a call and get yours collected so that you can get SELLING! We need to do a bang-up job on this and get as many sold as possible and returned to Sharon for recording!
Nick Tallent told us a bit more about his trip to China. He and his 'little' 27 year old bother took a trip to Beijing, China! In a city of 25 million people they felt very safe - perhaps because they were physically so much bigger than everyone else. He especially enjoyed the monastery where it was less noisy than in the city - eating bugs was another first, but the 95% humidity and temperatures was hard to take
Leo is quickly becoming a soccer star with scoring the winning goal in the last minutes of the Bayfield game! The next opportunity to see Leo in home games come on October 11th at 4:00 pm; October 15th at 11:00 am and October 18th at 4:00 pm Get these dates on your calendar and support Leo's experience here in Pagosa Springs.
Our Speakers from the Urban Track Trail and Team were inspiring as they told us about their goals for developing single track in the downtown area in a cooperative effort with the Town of Pagosa Springs and Archuleta School District. So many good reasons to support this effort from economic to building self-confidence in our youth to developing healthy life-style and a life-long hobby! It will be interesting to support this group and their lofty dreams for the community.
Leo Witschurke is 16 years old from Berlin, Germany. His father is an architect and his mother is a teacher. He has an older sister, Luzie (19), who is in college in Germany. He has joined the boys’ high school soccer team and has been practicing for the fall season. Leo’s first host family is Anthony and Ronnie Doctor and their son Liam who is the same age as Leo and is also on the soccer team. The Doctor’s also have a daughter, Devyn, who is in college in Washington. Leo is smart, athletic and loves all sports and trying new things. He has also coached a football (soccer) team of 8 year old boys which he loved. He’s been to America twice and has travelled Europe with his family.
The Rotary Foundation Trustees met on 2 June 2016 in Seoul, South Korea. At this meeting the Trustees reviewed reports from four committees and recorded 35 decisions. The following are highlights of actions taken.
Fund Development Approved the "soft launch" of an endowment/major gifts adviser leadership team to serve as mentors to the endowment/major gifts advisers in 2016-17.
Programs The Trustees:
* approved a two-year renewal of the memorandum of understanding with UNESCO-IHE
* approved Polio Plus grant funds to: World Health Organization African Region; World Health Organization Mediterranean Region; UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia; UNICEF/Lao People's Democratic Republic; World Health Organization Polio Research. Committee; Global Polio Eradication Initiative Independent Monitoring Board; UNICEF for surveillance support, operational support, social mobilization, technical assistance, research, and administrative activities.
* approved three level III global grants (grants over US$100,000); one for basic education and literacy in Guatemala and two for disease prevention and treatment in Nepal and India.
* agreed to make an additional $3 million in World Fund available to cover an expected year-end surge in 2015-16 global grant applications.
* Finance The Trustees: approved the 2016-17 budget for revenues of US$346,919,000 and expenses of $279,742,000, including program awards of $230,052,000. The 2016-17 Trustees met in the afternoon of 2 June and among several administrative matters, adopted annual goals for 2017-18. The goals, which were also adopted by the 2016-17 RI Board at its "July" meeting and are a continuation of the priorities approved for 2016-17, are: 1) Support and Strengthen Clubs 2) Focus and Increase Humanitarian Service 3) Enhance Public Image and Awareness 4) Improve Financial Sustainability and Operation Effectiveness.
This Thursday, September 1st, Rotarians will again have the opportunity to serve in Pagosa Springs. There is still uncertainty about the Parish Hall or Methodist Church being the location due to remodeling efforts, but the event will occur, one side of the street or the other. Under the expert tollage of Bill Hubbard, the best meal that some folks may have all week will be served. More than just a free meal, this is also a chance to build relationships and learn about other areas that Rotary can make a difference in Pagosa Springs. If you are not already signed up for this experience, you should be! Contact Bill or just be there, willing to wash a dish or lend a hand.
Collective thoughts were expressed as we passed a card for Doug Neel. Doug is recovering from some serious medical conditions so remember him this week, give him a call and encouragement!
Monk Tarbell from Arvada as well as Kenny Rogers and Doug Secrist from the Mountain Morning Rotary Club were visiting
Rotarians must make great grandparents because both Greg & Sherrie Booher and Kim Moore had 5 year and 4 year birthdays to celebrate for there little ones
Livia's Bob Lynch was safely back in Pagosa after bicycling from the Boulder area where he dropped Mesa off to another year of college
David Cammack noted a memorable Monday of firsts for his family. There were a bunch of first days on new and exciting career fronts!
This remote and legendary classic Ultra brings runners together for two days in the pristine forest of the South San Juan Mountains around Pagosa Springs. 7,500’ of climbing, 10,000’ of elevation, bonfire party at the finish line and pancake awards breakfast combine to make this an authentic mountain ultra. With the Demons of Dust distances of 5k, 10k and half marathon, this event is now accessible to all runner abilities. Big climbs, high elevations, mountain vistas and plenty of single track through some of the region’s most spectacular wooded trail.
The Rotary 'cooks' and Seth, Nick's 'little' as a helper too!
Tuffy & Jane Burton were visiting from Fair Oaks Ranch Rotary in Texas
Ahia, our out-bound exchange student was with us and shared her excitement about leaving for Sardenia Italy in just two more weeks!
Bill Hubbard reminded us about Loaves & Fishes coming up soon. The remodeling continues at the Parish Hall but may be completed in time, more to come on that later. You should watch for the sign-up sheet and do this! Its quite fun and speaks well of Rotarians in service in Pagosa
Jo Bridges continues to recognize folks that had not attended the Installation Dinner and this week it was David Smith! David was recognized for his UNWAVERING DEDICATION - Yes, UNWAVERING! to bringing peace and understanding through service in Senegal and internationally
Jimmy Munozcano has sent out the quarterly DUES INVOICES by email. If you did not receive yours, please get in touch with Jimmy or Shellie to check your email address on file. Let's get these paid quickly! We appreciate Jimmy's service, so let's make short work of this house-keeping chore!
Lassie Olin shared the sorrow of her sister's illness and death - the relief about her mother being able to remain in her current care facility - the joys of having kids and grand kids home in July and the fright of her son's auto accident. That's an awful lot to go through in a short period of time. Please keep her in your thoughts and hope for smoother times to come
Bill Darling was back, recovering from shoulder surgery...but to his dismay...he did not get a butt patch. He can no longer tell butt patch jokes it seems
John & Carrie Weiss were disappointed in 3 more weeks before John can put weight on his foot. Here is to hoping for a great outcome for those who wait - patiently
Livia reported that Bob and Mesa were heading back to college soon with Bob bicycling all the way home! Seems he has not gotten enough exercise this summer irrigation a ranch in Tiffany:-)
Roberta Tolan reported on the very successful Archuleta County Fair. Over 200 volunteers provided a smooth and memorable experience for the entire community! Thank you Robert for your leadership of this wonderful event!
Congratulations to Steve and Kathy Lemons on the news that they are 'expecting' their first grandson. I'll bet they are not excited at all:-)
Greg Booher encouraged us to take advantage of the slower August season to partake in the fabulous shows presented by the Thingamajig Theater. Some generous fans of the Theater have made FREE tickets available to first time show goers! Call Laura for details on this and plan on taking your summer visitors
Livia, Bob and Mesa Lynch were 'happy' about having received 7 rabies shots so far. Well, maybe they are happier about only having 2 more to go!
Barry Wheeless was back with us again after a tangle with the tooth 'devil' and a successful family reunion. Welcome Back!
Granton also returned from a family trip to Bulgaria and time on the beach in Greece. He also made a generous $51 contribution for his 51st birthday. Happy Birthday Granton and welcome home
Jessie Formwalt had good news because despite there being 47 other swine shown at the Archuleta County Fair, her grandsons managed to get there's sold and make a little money too boot
WYNDHAM is sponsoring a fund raising event for the Upper San Juan Search & Rescue. These fine men and women deserve the best equipment.
The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club supports these efforts through providing volunteer effort toward this fund raising event! Not everyone has the skills or physical ability to be a search and rescue volunteer. But you can come out and support this important effort in our community by coming by the BIG BLUE & WHITE TENT on Tuesday, August 9th! Have a beer, listen to music, participate in the raffle & silent auction. Maybe you can meet some of the brave members of this amazing volunteer organization too!
Carrie Weiss reported that Bill Hubbard was taking the Chairmanship of the Loaves & Fishes effort
Roberta Tolan updated us on the progress of the Archuleta County Fair, volunteers are signing up in record numbers but they still could use more
Betty Switzer reported on the first very successful meeting of the Barn Dance decorating committee! They have no budget yet, but plenty of wine so all is well
President John encouraged us to support the San Juan Marketplace for hosting us each week. Its important to let them know how much we appreciate them!
He also gave a shout out to our famous Bob-Bob the drummer in a recent production of the Thingamajig Theater Company. We are lucky to have this amazing talent in our community
Both John Weiss and Barry Wheeless continue to improve from opposite ends, the foot to the head
We welcomed Sam Pittmon back from a long road-trip through Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky and more. Welcome home Sam!
Happy Anniversary wishes went out to John and Helen Richardson
Lisa Scott announced that our incoming exchange student, Leo, will arrive in August and his first host family is Anthony and Ronny Doctor.
One of the favorite things in Rotary is welcoming new members into service with us in the community. Last week we welcomed Steve and Kathy Lemons into Rotary. President Jo Bridges, and Membership Chairman Shellie Peterson stand with Greg and Sherrie Booher who sponsored and will be mentoring the Lemons in Rotary Service.
The Xterra Turkey Track Trail Run was a great success! Thanks to Nick Tallent for leading the Rotary effort of support for this important organization!
Photo: Jean Smith discusses acid-base titrations with Senegalese teachers.
By David Smith
This week our Rotary team shifted from teaching science to 6th grade students to teaching high school science teachers how to use practical demonstrations in their biology, chemistry and physics classes. This effort supports a new directive from the Senegalese Department of Education to include more laboratory experience and demonstrations in the high school science classes. Senegal has set a goal to have 80% of its high school students enrolled in science classes by 2025.
Although laboratory experience and demonstrations have been part of the Senegalese science curriculum for many years, they were seldom performed, in part because the schools have little equipment and in part because the teachers themselves had little practical experience. Yet, most teachers have a college degree in their area of science, so they understand science theory very well.
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs got to hear from Abbie Monroe, Pagosa Family School, Mariah Mills and Mariah Mills from Wings Early Childhood Education Center, and Amanda Schweitzer from the High School. They told us how they utilized funding from our teacher mini grant program to enhanced their classrooms for the students.
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and the Carothers Family!
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Rotary and polio
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When John Duvall introduced Doug to speak at the last meeting, he used the term - renaissance man. I have to admit I had not heard that term used to describe someone before so I looked it up! When used as a noun, it is a man of the Renaissance who was knowledgeable, educated or proficient in a wide range of fields. Which, now that I think about it, was exactly what John was saying as he continued his introduction of Doug as a mountain climber, actor, musician, author, biblical scholar and Rector of the Episcopal Church.
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