News of The Rotary Club of Portland, Maine
April 5, 2023
MORE Donations Needed for Mud Sale Auction by April 7th!
 
This Week's Speaker: Trevor Putnoky, Healthcare Purchaser Alliance of Maine
 
Trevor Putnoky is the Membership and Communications Director at the Healthcare Purchaser Alliance of Maine, a nonprofit collaborative of employers and public trusts working to advance healthcare quality, affordability, and access in our state. In addition to his work with the Alliance, Trevor also serves as the Purchaser Representative on the Legislature’s Office of Affordable Healthcare Advisory Committee. He has an undergraduate degree in English and a Master’s in Public Health from the University of New England, and he lives in Yarmouth with his wife and two young daughters.
 
In his presentation, Trevor will talk about the high cost of healthcare in the US, the impact those high costs have on families and communities, and how employers and consumers can help drive the changes necessary to create a sustainable system.
Meeting of March 31 - Ron Joseph - Maine Wildlife Biologist and Story Teller | by Erik Jorgenson
Last Friday, we heard musings from Ron Joseph, an accomplished wildlife biologist by trade but a lifetime Mainer and outdoors-person by nature. Quick facts - Maine’s the only state in the east with the Canada Lynx; it has the largest moose population in the country, and is unique for its Atlantic Salmon.
(Photo - Rusty Atwood with his life-long friend Ron Joseph, Bruce Jones)
Ron has worked with the full range of wildlife in Maine. He’s a guy who can pick up bear cubs in a den and carry bobcats and lynxes like house cats. Some of his skills might be genetic: he opened his presentation with a description of his grandmother chasing a moose off the family property.
 
As a student, Ron was captivated by raptors and birds of prey. He followed his undergraduate time with a graduate degree at Brigham Young (more raptors) before returning East, with a critical winter assignment at Clayton Lake, near Ashland. He described that temporary job as the “best decision I ever made”, living through an Aroostook winter at an International Paper logging outpost. He spent his time there dodging logging trucks and studying deer yards.
 
After Ashland, he headed back west to work for the US Fish and Wildlife Service- as a raptor ecologist, but he was always interested in returning to Maine. Finally in 1988 he came home and became a biologist at Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. There, his work included updating batteries on bear tracker collars. This is, for obvious reasons, a hazardous job if not done well!
 
Ron gave us a taste of moose calling, and closed with a story of what may have been his scariest moment in the woods: when he was “way out on the Stud Mill Road” and suddenly surrounded by a whole pack of coyotes, 50 miles from home. Luckily things went his way, and they moved off. It was, after all, just another day at the office for this Maine wildlife biologist.
Bits and Pieces | By Jake Bourdeau
President Bruce started Friday’s meeting by asking Cyrus Hagge to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
 
Larry Gross provided us with an invocation called the Baseball Prayer: God, teach us to play fair; to cheer excellence whomever exhibits it, and to root for teams worthy of our affections. And as we enter this season of renewal, keep us ever mindful that no matter what the umpire says, in your love, we are always safe at the Portland Rotary Club.
 
Jake Bourdeau presented a list of the Guests which included Bill Ross’s wife Paula Ross, Anna Gribbon a potential new member and formerly a member of a club in Connecticut, and two new members who were welcomed into the club later in the meeting:  Tuck Barclay and Nicky Curtis. 
 
The raffle drawing came shortly thereafter with the speaker pulling Bill Blount’s ticket from the can.  Bill picked the 6 of Hearts from the deck letting the queen of hearts rest another week, and increasing the pot again. 
 
FENTANYL AWARENESS CONCERT: 
Featuring the Don Campbell Band!
 Sunday, May 7th  12:30pm- 4:30pm Deering Oaks Park, Portland
 
Tom Ranello spoke about the concert being co-sponsored by the Portland Rotary and the City Of Portland. Tom is asking Rotarians to be there at noon, and he is looking for 100% club participation, more details on how you can participate are coming. The purpose of the concert is to bring awareness to fentanyl, and save a life. Several service organizations will be present including Recovery Magazine, the Salvation Army, Preble Street, the Portland Health Dept., and Milestone Recovery. Bring some cash for food too as Bill Blount may be selling hot dogs. Several people are sponsoring the event including Cyrus Hagge and Jim Willey.  
 
We are featuring Award-winning, Singer-Songwriter Don Campbell!  Public health partners and opioid support organizations will be on site to provide education and tools, including fentanyl test strips and Narcan.   
NEW MEMBERS: Bowen Depke introduced Thomas "Tuck" Barclay who has a degree in sociology, anthropology and public administration. Tuck has been in the fundraising and community service organizations through most of his professional career including Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and a long tenure with United Way. Tuck’s wife Lucy is a camp director in Maine, and they have two adult children. Their daughter Kate is a psychologist, and son George is an attorney.
 
Doreen Rockstrom introduced Niki Curtis who a long term recovery director and the publisher of Journey magazine. Niki has a degree in Mathematics, and moved to Portland in 2012. Niki worked with Jesse Harvey, and is glad to be a part of Rotary. She enjoys the Rotary Service structure which has helped her to be the responsible person that she has become today
 
Let’s welcome the new Rotary Members in the coming weeks!  (Photo L-R Doreen Rockstrom, Niki Curtis, Tuck Barclay, and Bowen Depke.)
 
MUD SALE AUCTION: Tom Talbott talked up the Mud Auction which went live online over the weekend. Dick Hall coordinated the posting of over 50 items in the auction online including an exclusive golf outing on Frye Island, a safari trip to Africa, Red Sox Sport memorabilia, a stainless outdoor travel grill, a fishing trip in Casco Bay, gift cards, and numerous other items. Use this link, and please feel free to forward it to others that may have interest in the items. You can bid on items now, and you can still donate items through this Friday April 7th.  The auction ends at 9pm on Sunday, April 16th!
 
ZOOM OUT: President Bruce Jones let us know that due to the limited volunteers, and the extra time and energy needed to run a zoom meeting option, that this component of our Friday meetings will not be supported moving forward. That said, a zoom meeting option with the club is still available.  Quinn Slayton and the Sunrise Club (our satellite club) hold their meetings entirely online on the 1st and 4th Friday morning of each month at 7:30 AM. The Zoom meeting link and call-in options for the Sunrise meetings are easily found in the “Upcoming Events” section on the right hand side of the Portland Rotary web page. 
 
DISTRICT TRAINING ASSEMBLY: Dick Hall discussed the upcoming District Training Assembly which will be held in 2 weeks on April 15th from 8 AM to 2 PM at Westbrook High School.  This is Dick’s favorite district event, and a great opportunity to interface with members of other clubs. Dick encourages anyone having a leadership position to attend the training assembly.  The club pays the $25 registration fee for our club members to attend the Assembly.  Click here for Info and Registration.
 
VA CLINIC DONATIONS: Zach Newell presented the update regarding Portland Rotary’s donation of food/snack for the veterans at the VA clinic.  The Club donated $350 dollars to purchase the food/snacks, and Zach will be buying these items at a local Costco or BJ’s.  Zach welcomed anyone who wanted to join him for some fellowship either shopping or helping drop off the food. After Zach’s presentation, Bill Blount  (Photo) stood up and called for a show of hands who would donate some additional cash for the cause. Another $355 was raised on the spot and doubling the clubs initial donation.  Nice call-out Bill and a tribute to our members. Pictured below we have Zach with Carlo Giraulo from Westbrook-Gorham Rotarian, delivering the supply of snacks to the Veterans Clinic, Commercial Street, Portland.
 
 
The Online Auction is up!
 
You can still donate, and that would be great!
Deadline for donations -  THIS FRIDAY April 7th.  Bring them to the meeting this Friday,  OR, if the items are too large, make a note of it in your submission. 
 
We have two South African Photo Safari Tour packages based at Zulu Nyala Heritage Safari Lodge in Hluhluwe, South Africa, up for bid!
 
 
Click HERE for Complete Details and Trip Information
 
HOW TO SUBMIT an item for the auction.  Please provide the following:
1. One good photo
2. Written description, including condition if used
3. Value - This is your best estimate on a fair market price. Research if 
     necessary to come up with the appropriate value.
4. Minimum bid -   If you donate an item that comes with some expense to you
   in money or time,  the minimum bid assures a fair price is paid.
 
5. Fulfillment -  Pick One
    a. Small, manageable items - 
        Bring it to a club meeting, we will store it and deliver it to winner
    b. Large, heavy, bulky item -  you agree to deliver to winner
    c. Large, heavy, bulky item - you request the winner pick up at your home
 
Email this information with the photo to Dick Hall. Click his name!
Speaker Schedule
April 14- Matt O'Malia, Engineer & Architect, OPAL Architecture
April 20 - Club Social
April 21 - No Meeting
Club Executives
President  Bruce Jones
President Elect  Dick Hall
Vice President  Patty Byers
Treasurer  Dick Hall
Secretary  Bill Blount
Board of Directors  Ellen Niewoehner,
Bob Clark,  John Thompson, Ben Millick,
Quinn Slayton
Sergeant-At-Arms  Jake Bourdeau
The Windjammer
is published online by
The Rotary Club of Portland, Maine.

 

Contributing Editors
Jake Bourdeau, Dick Hall,
Erik Jorgensen, Julie L’Heureux,
Ben Lowry,  Zach Newell, Bruce Moore,
Tom Nickerson, Dave Patterson,
Tom Talbott, Laura Young
 
Program Chair: Roxane Cole
       Managing Editor  Tom Talbott
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