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President Laura Young opened the meeting by welcoming 46 members and 3 guests. Juliana L’Heureux gave an invocation about how women can be all they want to be, in reading the lyrics of “Who was the Greatest Female Pitcher?” by Bangor song writer and Rotarian, Joe Pickering. (In fact, the pitcher was Jackie Mitchell who struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in a 1931 exhibition game in Chattanooga TN).
.JPG) Gracie Johnston spoke during the "Rotary Moment" about how joining Rotary was influenced by her father, who was a member of the Kiwanis. Fortunately, his dedication to community service was a motivator when she joined the Rotary in Vermont. Moreover, Rotary International programs inspired her, because her children are Cambodian. In fact, she participated in an international project with the help of a group from Switzerland to create 7 water wells in Cambodia. Among her fondest Rotarian memories included seeing the Christmas Season Salvation Army Bell Ringers on Monument Square, when Bill Blount asked her to join the Portland Rotary Club. She fondly remembered being involved in a skit with Portland Rotarians, when they performed a spin-off of the TV quiz show, “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” Gracie added, “In Rotary, I’ve learned how to say hello to everyone, especially to the homeless....to be honest, forthright and to work to the benefit of all.”
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Jan Chapman led the chance for a lucky winner to receive over $1,600. Tom Ranello was unable to find the Queen of Hearts in the now very small number remaining in the shrinking deck, meaning more in the next drawing!
 [Photo: Kate Putnam (SMAAA), President Laura Young, Erik Greven, and Housie Stewart (SMAAA).]
Erik Greven led the presentation of a $6,000 club donation to the Southern Maine Area Agency on Aging (SMAAA) for the Stuart Center, an Adult Day Center for adults living with dementia and for their families. Rotary International is recognizing the growing incidence of Alzheimer’s Disease by establishing support for programs to help ease the impact of this disease. Kate Putnam, the SMAAA Chief Advancement Officer, received the contribution and she thanked the Portland Rotarians for our generosity.
.JPG) Amy Chipman presented Portland Rotarian Ellen Niewoehner with her second sustaining Paul Harris Award. Standing ovation to Ellen! A drawing will be held on april 7th to select the first of five Paul Harris Fellows in the most recent “Circle of Five” Rotary Foundation contributors.
International Service Chair, Roger Fagan, requested members to “adopt a box” to receive donated hearing aids from volunteers who consider donating their used ones to the 3H project (Hearing, Hands and H2O) in the Dominican Republic.
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George Crockett spoke about Rotarians’ programs at the Long Creek Youth Development Center and reading to 3rd graders at the Lyseth School, in Portland.
 President-elect Don Zillman discussed two youth education programs that he would like to institute during the upcoming Rotary year. He stated that we would need volunteers to continue the discussions and to potentially become involved in leadership in these areas, as mentioned at previous Friday meetings. The two programs are: a) assisting unaccompanied refugee and immigrant youth as they adjust to a challenging new world in Portland, Maine and b) working with Portland Schools Supt. Xavier Botana in better recognizing outstanding student academic achievement in our young people. PLEASE CONTACT DON, IF YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO HELP WITH PLANNING ON THESE ACTIVITIES AT 228-8029 or donald.zillman@maine.edu.
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Steve Hewins graduated from the University of Maine with a degree in history. In 1982 he started Hewins Travel out of his Munjoy Hill apartment, eventually growing it to the largest travel agency in the state. In 2007 he sold the business to AAA Northern New England and became its Vice President of Branch Operations. Steve left AAA in 2013 to become the Executive Director of Portland Downtown, a business improvement district that incorporates most of the city center, and in 2016 he was selected as President and CEO of the Maine Restaurant and the Maine Innkeepers Associations.
Roxanne Cole talked about the Rotary visit to Fort Gorges last year, then she introduced our speaker Paul Drinan, Executive Director of the nonprofit Friends of Fort Gorges (FoFoGo). Their mission is to restore Fort Gorges to make it safe and keep it accessible to future generations. They believe in its historical significance, as well as its educational and cultural potential.
