Newest member Inducted

Joseph Grimes (right) was inducted as our newest member today.  He was accompanied by his wife, Rickie, and his sponsor Craig Robertson.  Joe and Rickie have been in the portrait photography business for 30 years.  They recently moved to Wenatchee to be close to their grandchildren.  They have two married children and 4 grandchildren.  We welcome Joe to the Family of Rotary, and

look forward to serving with him.

Multiple Paul Harris Fellows Recognized

Stacy Speer & daughters pinned on the Paul Harris pins.

Erik Holmberg, Jim Adamson, and Leonard Noss were presented Multiple-Paul Harris Fellow awards.  Their contributions ranged from $3000 to $5000 dollars.

Introductions and Announcements

Robb Tidd was introduced.  He is Assistant Governor for our Rotary District and a member of the Wenatchee North Rotary.   

Leticia Valencia was introduced by Jim Richardson as our Rotary Youth Leadership Award recipient.  She will go to the leadership conference held this summer in Canada.  She graduates from WVC this year.

Greg Franz, Athletic Director at Wenatchee Valley College, talked about the NCW Sports Award fundraising event coming up on June 9^th at Town Toyota Center.  It is cosponsored by the WVC Athletic department and the Wenatchee North Rotary. This is the 45th annual event that gives recognition to area athletes, coaches and others associated with the area sports scene.  Money raised supports scholarships.  $25 for students; $30 for adults. 

Jim Russell, Interim Director of the Wenatchee Valley Museum stopped by to thank us for our $1000 donation for summer adventures at the Museum.

Dan Moody announced that Ballard Brothers Seafood, located in the food area of the Apple Blossom Festival (Orondo), is contributing part of its proceeds to Polio Plus. If you mention Rotary and Polio Plus while purchasing your salmon Ballard Brothers will make a donation of $1 for each purchase through end of Apple Blossom Festival

There is a need for volunteers at Apple Blossom parade next Saturday.  Contact Carol for more information.

Jim Richardson, Wenatchee Valley College, announced a collaboration with Heritage College of Toppenish to offer bachelor degree programs in criminal justice, early childhood education and business.  

Rotarian of the Month

Carol announced that Kathleen McNalty was the April Rotarian of the Month for our club.  Kathleen has only been a member since last November, but has been very active in many areas from the start.  In April she attended the luncheon where Wenatchee North Rotarian Earl Tilly received the "Service Above Self" award from RI, participated in the club Fireside, helped at the highway cleanup and youth parade, is on the bike ride committee, and now writes most of the club blog.  Congratulations, Kathleen.

Rotarians at Work

President Carol thanked the following for their efforts this past week:

Don Sangster, Rani Sampson, Kevin Love, Kathleen McNalty, Tana Benedict and Joan Wright for working the Youth Parade;
Wayne & wife Karen, Jim & Carol Adamson, and Tana Benedict for planting the garden;
Jim Adamson for facilitating the district membership seminar in Ellensburg.

A friendly parade marshal.

Inter Club Social at Pybus

Rotarians from several area clubs gathered last Thursday evening for a time of fellowship, dinner and dancing at Pybus Market.  Foods was supplied by all of the restaurants in the building.  Guests included Paul Mulvihill and his wife.  They are form Kelowna, and Paul is the 2015 district conference chair. He gave a pitch for everyone to attend the
conference in Kelowna June 18-21.

New Rotary Satellite Club

The Wenatchee Club has started a group meeting on Friday mornings at the Pybus Public Market from 9:30 am to 10:30.  Anyone can join them and use this option when you can’t make our regular Tuesday morning meeting. This is a very informal get together where they enjoy each others fellowship and have an opportunity to discuss Rotary issues. The idea is to build better friendships and get to know each other better. Who knows what will happen in the future, but for now, just come and try it out. It does count as a make-up for attendance.

April is Magazine Month

In case you weren't aware, Rotary celebrates magazine month in April.  The Rotarian has been the source of many inspirational and educational stories since 1911.  A primary goal of the magazine is to support and promote the programs of Rotary.  It also disseminates information about the RI themes and philosophy of the RI presidents.  The Rotarian has articles that promote international fellowship, goodwill and understanding, and helps Rotarians understand how they can be more fully involved in the avenues of service around the world.
Did you know that in addition to the Rotarian, the Rotary World Magazine Press includes 30 regional magazines printed in 25 languages with a combined circulation of over 750,000.
Take time to go through each Rotarian, and consider passing it on to non-Rotarians or professional offices when you are done.

Apple Century Bike Ride Update

Alice Thompson reported we have 178 riders signed up!  Six are from Spokane.  PJ spoke about his role in the event.  He leads a small group of helpers who set up bike racks at all areas, clean out the storage unit, place signs and arrows on the route, and set up fencing and décor at the beer garden.   On Sunday everything gets cleaned up.  PJ needs a few volunteers to help this year and especially needs someone he can mentor to play his leadership role.  Interested?  Contact PJ.

Erin Cass volunteered to hand out bike race postcards at the Tour de Bloom Omnium event on 5/3.

Program - Erin McCool Classification

Erin was born and spent her early years in the Appalachian town of Damascus, population 800, near the borders of Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee.  At the age of 2 Erin moved to a large town (8000) also in Virginia.  

She characterizes herself as a “drama dork” in high school and was a member of the debate and academic teams.  Her dad’s motto for the kids was, “METT: Mental Toughness Extra Effort.”   

Erin attended the University of Virginia, studying environmental science.  After graduation she joined the Peace Corps where she spent almost three years in a Mayan village in Belize helping residents learn about sustainable farming and other environmental protections.  She had no electricity, running water or indoor plumbing.  After her outhouse was destroyed by a hurricane, she was honored when villagers built her a two-seater!  

Erin returned to the US and enrolled in law school at William & Mary.   Her mother became ill and passed away during her second year.  At the funeral she was reunited with a friend, Paul, originally from her hometown and then living in Portland, OR.  They married a few years later in 2007 on Mount Adams at Trout Lake.  

Erin moved to Portland with Paul where they adopted several cats.  She worked as a plaintiff attorney doing employment and civil right law.  Paul was offered a job with Alcoa and they moved to Wenatchee a few years ago.  Erin enjoys practicing law with Odgen, Murphy, Wallace.  

Paul and Erin are huge Seahawks fans, naming their two dogs Russell and Sherman!  They are both outdoor adventurers and especially enjoy hiking and backpacking.  Their favorite hiking and camping trip was to Iceland.  

Thanks to Erin for a humorous and informative classification talk.

Wenatchee Health Expo

Thanks to Matt McColm, Stacy Speer, & Lisa Parks for helping man the Century Bike Ride booth last Friday.

Also, thanks to Larisa and Brian Thorpe for getting some old bikes painted and stationed around town to advertise the bike ride.

Highway Clean-up

Our members were out again on Saturday picking up litter along two-mile stretch of highway south of Hydro Park.  We met after at Abbeys for pizza and more fellowship.  Thanks to Wayne Massing for organizing this event.  Litter picker-uppers were Wayne, Milt Herman and his brother Ted, Kathleen McNalty and husband Steve, Dirk Horton, PJ Jones, Maggie Nelson, Kevin Love, Jim & Carol Adamson, Jim Richardson, & Patty Rush.

Home of Miss Veedol! Steve Lacy, East Wenatchee Mayor Visits

Did you know the theme of East Wenatchee is "Home of Miss Veedol?"  Miss Veedol was the first airplane to fly non stop across the Pacific Ocean.  Clyde Pangborn and his co-pilot crash landed the plane in East Wenatchee.  Steve is a big proponent of embedding the theme into East Wenatchee culture.  There are now several landmarks including a sign near Douglas County PUD.  Many businesses are incorporating the theme into their designs.

Steve is proud of the continuing economic growth of East Wenatchee.  The new Numerica branch and soon-to-open Bob's Classic Restaurant are examples, both on Grant Road.  The city's cash balance has steadily grown.  The city has no bond debt.  This allows for some discretionary spending, such as -

• Resurfacing Valley Mall Parkway from  Grant Road to 9th 

• Possible traffic light at 9th Street and Valley Mall Parkway if studies show it is feasible

• Purchase of land at the same intersection, across from 7 Eleven for road improvement or new gateway project

Questions

Are there plans for further annexations?  If reelected will consider annexation to the southeast, in Third to Kentucky area.  Unlikely to annex north, beyond 19th, because area is so rural and it would be too costly.

Any plans for new street construction?  Greatest need is on Highline Drive from Grant Road and Eastmont to 3^rd Southeast.  It is in great need of rebuild.  The city has money for Baker Road improvement, but that work is more expensive than expected. He may recommend against it and instead use the city money for Highline. 

He Profits Most Who Serves Best

Jim Adamson shared Rotary history in his Rotary Moment, e.g., the first convention was in 1910 in Chicago.  The second convention was in Portland, Oregon.  Winnipeg was first international club.  Rotary's first motto: He profits most who serves best.  Check with Jim for more tidbits.  There were too many details for this reporter to capture!

 

Jim Huffman on National Crime Victims' Rights Week

Jim and his family were victims of crime 20 years ago.  April 13 1995, Jim's wife, Mandy and 15-year old daughter Rita were brutally murdered.  A suspect, Jack Spillman, was arrested April 19, 1995.  Spillman was charged with a capitol crime, which meant the death penalty was a potential punishment.   

Spillman pled guilty April 30, 1996. Part of Jim’s healing process has been to work with family’s of crime victims. He is involved with CASA, works with area individuals who are victims of crime, and is an advisor to national victims' rights groups.  

Jim's Learnings

• There is no justice for victims and families (for society, perhaps)
• Closure is a myth, the event and the emotions will always be carried by the victim but at varying degrees
• Grieving and the criminal justice system are mutually exclusive
• The death penalty is dying.  It is difficult to obtain the drugs.  It is more costly than life incarceration.
• Only a fine line between victims and offenders. Powerlessness leads to anger then rage.  Offenders and victims alike experience this.  
• The rumor mill is faster than internet
• Get tough policies will not work
• Criminal justice system is disabling, not enabling for victims and survivors.
• Survivors must reinvent themselves
• Need to teach children tolerance and forgiveness

Jim provided statistics on crime.  Crime rates are down over last 20 years, but 10% of victims are kids.  Youth have significant exposure to violence in their lifetimes.  The most common form of child abuse is neglect; one person can make all the difference to a child who has experienced neglect.  This is why scholarship and mentoring programs of the Rotary are so important.

Jim encouraged us not to be afraid to talk with victims of crime.  It is isolating for the victim when friends and colleagues are afraid to have a conversation with the victim.   Thank you Jim for sharing this very moving story with us.  It will help us better understand and communicate with victims of crime and encourage us as we implement our mentoring and scholarship programs.

Rotarian of the Month Alice Thompson

Carol Adamson announced Alice Thompson as Rotarian of the Month.  Alice was recognized for her volunteer efforts and her work this year on the Apple Century ride.  Alice will co-chair that event next year.

Summer Adventures for Local Youth

Jim Russell, Interim Director of the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center presented a short video on the summer adventures program sponsored by the Museum.  Jim is seeking donations to support scholarships for needy kids.  At the camp kids experience painting, scientific discovery, hiking, canoeing and exploring waterways.  Contact Jim Russell to make a contribution.  Remember what Jim Huffman told us in his presentation, neglect is the number one form of child abuse.  Let's help these kids feel wanted!

The Garden Party has started.  Wayne & Karen Massing and Jim & Carol Adamson spent time working in manure and pulling a few weeds.  The garden has been rota tilled, and rows are ready for planting.  Next step is to get the irrigation system back in place, lay landscape fabric on the paths, and plant the crops.  Stay tuned - we'll need lots of helping hands throughout the season.