Ann Lee Hussey has made the eradication of polio and the alleviation of suffering by polio survivors her life’s work. Over the past several years she has actively participated in 30 volunteer National Immunization Days (NID) teams, organizing and leading the last 26 teams herself, choosing to take those NIDs to places that do not often see westerners – Chad, Mali, Bangladesh, Niger, Nigeria, Madagascar, Pakistan, as well as less “touristy” destinations in Egypt and India – where the need is greatest and where the publicity and goodwill surrounding the trip are as critical to help communicate the need for eradication as the immunizations themselves.
She has shared her story hundreds of times at numerous Zone Institutes, District Conferences, PETS and Foundation events, and at the Rotary International Conventions in 2017, 2018, and 2019, carrying the message of polio eradication around the Rotary world and beyond, raising money and creating new converts to the fight. She is determined that no child will needlessly have to suffer what she herself, a polio survivor, has been through. Her concern for polio survivors includes working to ensure mobility and dignity for those who survived the disease, but did not have access to the kinds of surgeries and treatments that she was able to receive.
Ann Lee’s work has earned her the International Service Award for a Polio-Free World, the Rotary ‘Service Above Self’ Award and she was honored as a White House Champion of Change for her humanitarianism and contributions to public service, aimed at improving people’s lives and making a better future around the globe. She was featured in the magazine Real Simple in June 2012 and in a video in Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Annual Letter for February 2017. In March 2017, Rotary and The World Bank recognized her as a Woman of Action celebrating International Day of Women. She was honored at the Maine State Senate chamber for her remarkable achievements and included in Maine Magazine as one of the 50 Mainers of 2017 who have changed our world, improved our lives, and broadened our horizons.
Ann Lee is a member of the Rotary Club of Portland Sunrise and served District 7780 in many capacities, including as Governor in 2010-2011. Currently, she is Executive Director of the Polio Survivors Rotary Action Group, Chair of the RAGs Council and Chair of The Fellowship of Rotarian Past District Governors. Outside Rotary, she serves as a trustee of York Hospital in York, Maine.
She served as an Advisor to Rotary’s International PolioPlus Committee and as a member of the Global Polio Eradication Transition Management Group from 2015-2018. She has also served as R.I. Presidents’ Representative at several district conferences and represented Rotary at an Easter Seals Annual Convention. Previously she served as a member of the RI Rotarian Action Groups Committee, the Reach Out to Africa Initiative, and as Zone 32 Coordinator for Health and Hunger.
Ann Lee is a Veterinary Technician who with her Rotarian husband, Michael Nazemetz, DVM, owns Village Veterinary Clinic in Rollinsford, NH. They reside in South Berwick, Maine with their devoted yellow Labrador, Parker and their cat, Elliott. Ann Lee and her husband are members of the Paul Harris Society, are Rotary Foundation Major Donors and Bequest Society members.
PP Kris Rosado introduced Commissioner Judy Camuso, who has served in the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIFW) during several executive administrations. As a biologist, she dedicated her career to wildlife conservation, including 10 years with Maine Audubon. In 2019, she was promoted to Commissioner of the DIFW.
Speaking as an enthusiastic champion for the Department, she is reaching out to Maine's citizens to explain the important work being done to care for natural resources and to drive the outdoor economy. In public policy forums, Maine people rank their support for healthy wildlife as the number one issue for the DIFW.
Her presentation reported the economic impact that the DIFW has on Maine's economy. Fishing, hunting and wildlife-watching generates over $1.3 billion in annual revenues. Over 1.3 million people participate in these activities. Among the professionals employed in the Department are 45 wildlife biologists, 45 fisheries biologists and 124 game wardens.
Maine's Warden Service is the second largest law enforcement agency in the state, after the State Police. They enforce hunting, fishing, and recreational vehicle laws, and oversee all search and rescue operations in the state. Last year, they responded to over 26,000 complaints involving law enforcement and search & rescue. Multiple specialty teams include an aviation wing, dive team, airboats, K9, accident reconstruction and resource protection. Moreover, the Department oversees the sale and administration of nearly 500,000 licenses each year; registers nearly 300,000 boats, snowmobiles and all terrain vehicles (ATVs) annually. These revenues generate over $23 million annually. All Maine licenses can be accessed through the MOSES system on-line at: moses.informe.org/cgi-bin/online/moses_v3/index
Responsibility for wildlife includes collecting information about 17 species of reptiles, 18 species of amphibians, 39 species of fish, 61 mammals, 423 varieties of birds and 16,000 invertebrates, including butterflies. Currently, the impact of climate change on Maine's wildlife is a challenging priority.
The biggest priority is getting people to go outdoors. “Humans are disappearing from the outdoors at a rate that would make them top any conservationist’s list of Endangered Species,” said Tim Gill, The Ecologist. To motivate people about becoming engaged in the outdoors, the Department is creating ways to be relevant, by recruiting participation, engaging the public and reactivating supporters. Among the objectives are to engage new audiences and attract more women into pursing outdoor sports.
A collaboration of associations are partners with the DIFW. Together, they support relevance and a consumer focus on the work being done to sustain Maine's healthy wildlife.
(Photo L-R: PP Kris Rosado, Commissioner Judy Comuso and Club President Amy Chipman.)
President Amy Chipman brought the meeting to order by welcoming 46 members and three visiting guests; then invited Julie L’Heureux to present us with the invocation. She paid a tribute to summer by reading a poem….. The Lighthouse by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Click HERE to access the full poem.
PP Don Lowry led the Pledge of Allegiance and the Club sounded great with PPBill Blount leading us in ‘God Bless America.’
September birthdays and anniversaries were acknowledged that included the list of members published in last week’s WJ.
Amy reminded the Club that the memorial service for George Crockett would be Sunday, Sep. 8, 4:30 pm at the Woodford’s Congregational Church. Rotarians are invited to share their memories of George at the service, but please advise the family in advance.
Paul Tully told us that 50 'Flags4Heroes' have been sold, and since the flags and plaques have been donated, there will be $5000 into the club charitable coffers. Living Past Presidents of Portland Rotary will be honored with some of the extra flags. Setup of the flags will be at 8:45 pm Tuesday at the Maine Mall, if anyone can help. Charlie Frair told us he was “touched, moved and inspired by the Club” in the way we have quickly supported this project.
Charlie Frair shared a George Crockett story while at the podium. About 30 years ago, Charlie was teaching a course and was strict about homework. When George showed up with no homework, George was kicked out of the class. Years later when Charlie joined the Portland Rotary, he was concerned when he saw George in the group. George and Charlie laughed about it at the time.
Dave Clough (on left in photo at left) conducted the weekly raffle with Jon Young’s (on right in photo at left)name being pulled, but alas Jon was not able to find the Queen of Hearts.
PP Bill Blount, and current Club Foundation Chair, told us the Rotary Foundation has been around 100 years and has supported more student exchanges than Fulbright and Rhodes combined. Polio eradication is “This Close.” The Endowment Fund generates $120 million annually. After three years, half of the funds are returned to the District for grants.
(Photo at right L-R: PP Bill Blount, Dick Giles, Charlie Frair, and 2nd VP Ellen Niewoehner.)
Bill had three Paul Harris Fellowships to award and he asked each awardee to tell the Club why he/she donates to the Foundation. Charlie Frair (PHF +2) says he donates because it’s the best way to leverage his contributions to do more. 2nd VP Ellen Niewoehner (PHF +2) believes in the fund and its work. She also likes joining with others to fund world programs. Dick Giles (PHF +6) thinks the work on global projects are wonderful. He said the real reason he donated was to get a new PHF pin, as he was fined at his Florida club for not wearing a pin after he lost his.
Bill Blount wanted to share his “George” story, too. When Bill was president, he got an invitation from George for lunch, and George showed up with two typed pages, single spaced, of suggestions for Bill’s presidency. Bill countered with a request that George agree to be treasurer. George served 2 years in this position.
Mike Fortunato told us all to save the date for the Harvest Moon Dance, Saturday, October 26th, 7-9:00 pm in Cape Elizabeth. It will be a fun time, with casual-jean dress, cowboy hat & boots (if you are so inclined). He’s working on confirming the location and said he’s looking for a donation of a keg of beer (or two), and some bales of hay. If you can help in obtaining these items, contact Mike at: 415-9762 or michael.k.fortunato@gmail.com.
Invocation: Tom Talbott Program Reporter: Julie L'Heureux
Bits & Pieces Reporter: John Marr
Photographer: Julie L'Heureux / TBD Registration/Greeter: Bob Fowler Sell Meal Tickets: Jennifer Frederick Raffle: Dick Giles Collect Meal Tickets:Larry Gross Sgt-at-Arms: Dave Putnam
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: Erik Greven at: egrev95@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.
Ann Lee Hussey has made the eradication of polio and the alleviation of suffering by polio survivors her life’s work. Over the past several years she has actively participated in 30 volunteer National Immunization Days (NID) teams, organizing and leading the last 26 teams herself, choosing to take those NIDs to places that do not often see westerners – Chad, Mali, Bangladesh, Niger, Nigeria, Madagascar, Pakistan, as well as less “touristy” destinations in Egypt and India – where the need is greatest and where the publicity and goodwill surrounding the trip are as critical to help communicate the need for eradication as the immunizations themselves..jpg)
President Amy Chipman brought the meeting to order by welcoming 46 members and three visiting guests; then invited Julie L’Heureux to present us with the invocation. She paid a tribute to summer by reading a poem….. The Lighthouse by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Click 
Paul Tully told us that 50 'Flags4Heroes' have been sold, and since the flags and plaques have been donated, there will be $5000 into the club charitable coffers. Living Past Presidents of Portland Rotary will be honored with some of the extra flags. Setup of the flags will be at 8:45 pm Tuesday at the Maine Mall, if anyone can help. Charlie Frair told us he was “touched, moved and inspired by the Club” in the way we have quickly supported this project.
Mike Fortunato told us all to save the date for the Harvest Moon Dance, Saturday, October 26th, 7-9:00 pm in Cape Elizabeth. It will be a fun time, with casual-jean dress, cowboy hat & boots (if you are so inclined). He’s working on confirming the location and said he’s looking for a donation of a keg of beer (or two), and some bales of hay. If you can help in obtaining these items, contact Mike at: 415-9762 or