Gordon Smith was appointed by Governor Janet Mills as the first Director of Opioid Response in January of this year (2019). Previous to this position, Gordon had been with the Maine Medical Association in a variety of positions for 39 years, the last 25 years serving as Executive Vice President. He is a native of Winthrop, Maine and a graduate of Winthrop High School, the University of Maine and Boston College Law School. He and his wife reside in East Winthrop and are the proud parents of two adult daughters and two grandsons. While at the Maine Medical Association, Gordon held a number of Board positions including the Daniel Hanley Center for Health Leadership, the Maine Cancer Foundation, the Maine Health Data Organization, The Area Agencies on Aging and Maine Quality Counts. He also was very active in a number of national medical organizations including chairing the Litigation Center and the Advocacy Resource Center of the American Medical Association. He is the recipient of several awards and honors including the American Medical Association Lifetime Achievement Award for Medical Society Executives.
Vanessa Pike, Director of Sales and Marketing for Fore Points Marina on Portland’s waterfront, shared her company’s plans for the planned mixed-use development on the site of the former Portland Company complex. The marina will extend 1,000 feet along the ocean harbor frontage and out 575 feet to the Harbor Commissioner’s Line, and offer slips to accommodate vessels of any size with deep water at all tides. Pike said that slips were planned for sizes ranging from 25 to 545 feet, with harbor anchorage for larger boats.
Vanessa said that Fore Points has partnered with IGY Marinas who will provide design, permitting, management, and branding services to the Portland Foreside development company. While she reported that the new marina would be open to anyone, the target customer is clearly the upscale owner of larger yachts. The facility will occupy thirteen acres, provide 150 slips, a fuel dock, and a full-service staff. On-shore, shrink-wrapped boat storage will not be provided, but vessels can be moored in the water over the winter. “We want to offer a family-style resort atmosphere,” Pike commented. The marina is designed to complement Foreside Development’s ten-acre mixed-use development to be comprised of a “boutique hotel” with 140 rooms, Class A office space, retail, restaurants, and residential properties. Parking will be provided for 700 cars. Asked how the India and Commercial Street area can handle more traffic as WEX’s new headquarters, Covetrus, and Foreside come to fruition, Vanessa responded that the city should provide more public transportation.
She reported that the marina will take advantage of Portland’s unique position on the coast. The design of the marina includes the installation of 30 large wave attenuators weighing 227,000 pounds each (113.5 tons) to provide protection for boats. She said the marina would be a perfect “hurricane hole” for vessels normally moored in southern ports. There are no provisions for the marina to provide space for any boats engaged in Portland’s working waterfront.
Vanessa shared her estimates of the annual impact of each yacht moored in the marina. She said that guest crews would spend $250,000 in local shops; spend $110,000 in food and beverage; $400,000 in fuel; and, $140,000 in other local support. She did not say how many yachts would be in the slips for a year, but did share that their target was to have 50 percent of the marina occupied by seasonal customers, and 50 percent by transients. Construction of the marina is expected to begin in the fall. Some demolition of the Foreside site has already begun.
(Photo L-R: President John Curran, Vanessa Pike and PP Bowen Depke.)
President John Curran called the meeting to order, by welcoming 41 members and 5 guests.
Gracie Johnston(photo at right) gave the invocation and informed us that it was National “Go for Broke” Day – from the saying “wager everything.” Gracie explained that “go for broke” was the motto of one of the most decorated units in U.S. military history, the Army’s 442nd Regimental Combat Team. This was a segregated WWII unit made up entirely of Americans of Japanese ancestry. The unit won dozens of Legion of Merit medals, Soldier’s metals and nearly 9,500 Purple Hearts. What a testimony to these loyal Americans.
After the ‘Pledge of Allegiance’ and the singing of a patriotic song, we had the introduction of visiting Rotarians and guests. President John then recognized the anniversaries and birthdays of Rotarian members.
Charlie Frair(photo at left) presented a $1000 check from our Veterans' fund on behalf of the club to a recipient chosen by PP Bob Traill (who unfortunately couldn’t make the meeting). The award went to Honor Flight Maine, a non-profit that honors our Veterans by transporting them to Washington, D.C. to tour the memorials. Laurie Sidlinger (photo at left) accepted the check on behalf of the organization and in thanking the club, noted that the funds would fully transport 2 additional veterans to Washington, DC. What a great way to honor the service and sacrifices these men and women have given to this country!
Charlie announced that Bruce Jones has offered to chair the fundraising for our annual Veterans’ Remembrance Luncheon in November. Thanks to Bruce for stepping up to the challenge!
Joe Reagan spoke on behalf of PP Kris Rosado about this year’s Maine Outdoor Challenge (MOC), scheduled for June 10–12 at L.L. Bean’s Outdoor Discovery School. Joe told us that there are already 15 teams signed up for the challenge; PP Cyrus Hagge piped up and said that he had 2 more teams to announce. This is a good start, but more teams are needed and there is much more work ahead to make this project successful as in past years. Please participate if you can.
PP Laura Young let us know there were sign-up sheets on the tables for a Rotary work day in lieu of our meeting on June 21 at Fort Williams Park. You can choose Option A for removal of invasive species and general clean up, or Option B to set up tents for RotaryFest occurring in the park the following day. If you plan to attend the RotaryFest (it is free), please be sure to register on the District website (rotary7780.com), as they need to prepare enough food for all. Again, there is no charge to attend. (See separate article in this issue.)
A card was available for signing for PP John Marr who recently underwent surgery at Mass General. Reports are that he is back home and recovering well.
Matt Tasseyconducted the raffle of $350. Ron Bennett was kind enough to leave the Queen of Hearts in the deck, allowing the jackpot to grow larger for next week’s winner.
(Photo at right L-R: Ron Bennett and Matt Tassey.)
Registration for RotaryFest 2019 is officially open!
To register, go to https://rotary7780.org/event/district-conference-1/. As you hopefully know by now, this is Governor John LoBosco's one-day, free, District Conference to be held on June 22nd at Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth. Even though it will cost you nothing, we need to know if you will attend so we know how much free food to plan for and how many children will be there for the many activities we have planned for them. And we do have an alternate location lined up in the unlikely case of bad weather.
So please, register early and we look forward to seeing you at what will be a distinctive and very fun District Conference.
PORTLAND - Earle Ellsworth Leavitt - World War II veteran and Pearl Harbor survivor - passed away peacefully at the age of 97 at the Cedars in Portland, Maine, on March 21, 2019.
Earle was born in Gloucester, Mass., on Nov. 23, 1921, to Sadie Douglass and Albert Anthony Leavitt. The Leavitt family had roots in 17th century New England. Earle was an 11th-generation descendant of Deacon John Leavitt of Hingham, Mass. Earle grew up as an only child during the Great Depression in Lowell, Mass. After graduating from Lowell High School in 1939, he and two friends enlisted in the Army Air Corps on Aug. 13, 1940. They were assigned to the 86th Observation Squadron in Hawaii and sailed into Honolulu in December, 1940. That year Earle joined and completed radio school, after which he transferred into the 58th bombardment squadron, based in Hickam Field, Hawaii.
On Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941 - almost a year after arriving in Hawaii - Earle woke up to the sound of explosions. He ran outside the barracks to see Japanese planes bombing and strafing Pearl Harbor and Hickam Field. After the attack, Earle transferred to the gunnery section and was assigned with the 531st Bomber Squadron at Canton Island. This stark-white coral atoll with a single palm tree would linger in Earle's mind into his 90s, even as old age slowly faded many of his other memories.
In 1943, Earle was accepted into officer cadet school and enrolled into Oklahoma City University. It was in Oklahoma City that Earle met Marie Elizabeth Wilson. After Earle graduated advanced flight training as a second lieutenant, he married Marie on May 20, 1945, in the air base's chapel in Victoria, Texas.
Earle became eligible for discharge that same year, and he left the service in November to attend the University of New Hampshire. After two years, Earle transferred to Boston University School of Law. After graduating, Earle worked for Century Indemnity Company and then Boston-Old Colony Ins. Co. He then took a longterm position with Employer's Liability Assurance Corp, which later merged with and became known as Commercial Union Assurance.
Earle and Marie settled in Sharon, Mass., and together had four sons: Donald, James, Robert and Dana. While raising their children, Earle became involved in local government, joining the town's finance and shool committees.
Earle and his family's lives changed in 1962 when Marie discovered she had breast cancer. Despite successful surgery and radiation treatments, in 1965 -soon after Earle and Marie's 20th anniversary - a recurrence of cancer sent Marie to the Pondville Hospital, where she passed away in October 1967, leaving four boys, aged 15, 12, 10, and 9.
Earle met Peg Redmond Arbuckle while they both served on the Sharon School Committee. Friendship led to love, and Earle and Peg married on June 3,1972. Peg and Earle's union created a large family with Earle's four children and Peg's five children from her previous marriage: Donald, Margaret, Mary, Jane and Judith.
Together they made a home in Hingham, Mass., until Earle was offered chief executive for the Medical Malpractice Insurance Association in New York City. Earle and Peg moved to Beekman Place on the East Side in 1976, where they enjoyed years of attending Broadway shows and strolling through Central Park and the city's neighborhoods.
After five years in New York, Earle took the position of president for the Medical Mutual Insurance Company of Portland. He and Peg moved into a large John Calvin Stevens town home on Neal Street in Portland Maine's West End in 1982. With plenty of room for their visiting children and grandchildren, Earle and Peg settled into a life of quieter enjoyments. Earle would wake up at 5 a.m. each day to workout with the Bay Club's "morning crew," then return home to enjoy drinking coffee with the newspapers and finishing the NY Times crossword puzzle. In the afternoons, Earle would sit with Peg contently by the living room fireplace sipping tea - or perhaps a gin-and-tonic. He became famous for making "the best blueberry pancakes in the world" during family gatherings. For many years, Earle was an avid golfer at the Purpoodock Club, a skilled cribbage player, a frequent visitor to the Portland Library, and a faithful Rotary Club member.
As Earle and Peg eased into their 90s, they moved into the Atrium at the Cedars in 2012. Two years later, Peg passed away in March 2014 at the age of 94. After several years of slowly declining health, Earle leaves behind nine children, 16 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren, who all greatly miss him, his humor and dapper ways.
A celebration of Earle's life will be held at Evergreen Cemetery in Portland on Saturday, June 8, at 1 p.m., followed by a gathering for friends and family at 125 Vaughan St., Portland. Letters of remembrance can be sent to that address or entered electronically at www.ConroyTullyWalker.com. Arrangements are under the direction of the Conroy-Tully-Walker Funeral Home of Portland.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Earle's name to: The Portland Rotary Club, PO Box 1755, ,Portland, ME 04104-1755.
Invocation: Russ Burleigh Program Reporter: Jake Bourdeau Bits & Pieces Reporter: Dick Hall Registration/Greeter: Mike Robinson Sell Meal Tickets: Jennifer Frederick Raffle: Matt Tassey Collect Meal Tickets: Mac Collins Sgt-at-Arms: Mike Anderson
The following items are needed on an on-going basis. Please feel free to bring them to a meeting where we will collect and distribute them to the appropriate projects.
Crutches4Africa - Crutches, canes, folding walkers and wheelchairs to be shipped to Africa. Contact: Roger Fagan, drrogerfagan@gmail.com
Toiletries for the Shelters - Collect those tiny bottles of toiletries you are paying for during your next hotel visit and bring them home for members of our society who find themselves staying at a shelter and in need of personal hygiene products.
.jpg)
Gordon Smith was appointed by Governor Janet Mills as the first Director of Opioid Response in January of this year (2019). Previous to this position, Gordon had been with the Maine Medical Association in a variety of positions for 39 years, the last 25 years serving as Executive Vice President. He is a native of Winthrop, Maine and a graduate of Winthrop High School, the University of Maine and Boston College Law School. He and his wife reside in East Winthrop and are the proud parents of two adult daughters and two grandsons. While at the Maine Medical Association, Gordon held a number of Board positions including the Daniel Hanley Center for Health Leadership, the Maine Cancer Foundation, the Maine Health Data Organization, The Area Agencies on Aging and Maine Quality Counts. He also was very active in a number of national medical organizations including chairing the Litigation Center and the Advocacy Resource Center of the American Medical Association. He is the recipient of several awards and honors including the American Medical Association Lifetime Achievement Award for Medical Society Executives..jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Joe Reagan spoke on behalf of PP Kris Rosado about this year’s Maine Outdoor Challenge (MOC), scheduled for June 10–12 at L.L. Bean’s Outdoor Discovery School. Joe told us that there are already 15 teams signed up for the challenge; PP Cyrus Hagge piped up and said that he had 2 more teams to announce. This is a good start, but more teams are needed and there is much more work ahead to make this project successful as in past years. Please participate if you can..jpg)
Matt Tassey conducted the raffle of $350. Ron Bennett was kind enough to leave the Queen of Hearts in the deck, allowing the jackpot to grow larger for next week’s winner.