Beth Stickney directs the Maine Business Immigration Coalition (MeBIC), dedicated to providing information, education and advocacy on immigration and related issues from and for the business and economic perspective. Beth is an attorney who has specialized in immigration law and related policy for more than thirty years. Prior to MeBIC, she was the founding executive director of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP), Maine’s only statewide nonprofit provider of immigration and related legal aid. Beth has also worked on human rights and refugee and asylum issues in Central America and Europe, and is co-author of the leading legal treatise on how immigration laws impact families, Immigration Law and the Family (Thomson Reuters).
Leave it to PP Paul T. Gore to introduce an interesting and engaging speaker. Scott Dunn, with Dunn Family Maple Syrup, is a 4th generation syrup maker who grew up in Vermont. He lives and produces maple syrup in Buxton, Maine. When he is not tapping maple trees and boiling down the sap in their expanding sugar house, he is both a paramedic and the Vice President of the Maine Maple Producers Association. As a child, Scott would collect 40-50 gallons of sap a day, and boil it down to make 1 gallon of syrup.
Scott wove his family’s personal experiences about growing their sugar shack over the last six years with interesting facts about the maple syrup industry and its typical operations. From collecting sap using 3rd generation tin containers and boiling down sap over open smoky fires; to his new and more efficient process using vacuum pump extraction, reverse osmosis filters, and an evaporator, one could tell that Scott was excited about maple syrup and the products that can be made with it.
The vacuum extraction system can double the sap yield from a tree, and the reverse osmosis filters can reduce the time and energy (cord wood) to make the syrup by half. If you are a business man or like sustainability, those are some significant efficiencies being realized.
Scott told us about the weather-dependent considerations for collecting the maple sap from different types of maple trees, and how last year at this time they made 75-gallons of syrup, whereas this year they already have 276 gallons prepared. He let us know that the best weather conditions for producing sap seem to be when the temperatures are around 40 degrees during the day and 20 degrees at night. These conditions cause the sap to migrate up and down through the tree trunk.
So how does Maine stack up as a maple syrup producer? Shortly after Canada, Vermont, and New York. Vermont has approximately 6 million tapped maple trees, New York 3 million, and Maine about 1.9 million. Most of the tapped trees in Maine are found on the paper mill’s forest lands in northern Maine, in areas like Somerset and Jackman.
Mr. Dunn discussed the differences in the grades and flavors of syrup ranging from the golden delicate syrup with light maple flavors, to the darker amber syrups which are made later in the season. The darker syrups are more caramelized and have stronger flavors. According to Scott, much of the syrup sold on the shelves in supermarkets is from middle of the syrup grading scale.
With Maple Sunday coming up (each fourth Sunday in March), consider venturing out and celebrating it with them at the Dunn Family Maple Syrup sugar shack in Buxton. If you don’t like syrup on pancakes or French toast, consider other uses such as maple crusted peanuts, whoopie pies, maple cream, icing, beer flavorings, as well as whisky-barrel-aged syrup for a tasty topping on ice cream.
President John Curran welcomed 42 members and 1 guest to our Friday meeting. Following the Irish Blessing invocation by Gracie Johnston (photo at right), the Pledge of Allegiance led by Julie L’Heureux, and the singing of “God Bless America,” President John noted the birthdays and membership anniversaries of the month. He also gave special recognition to PP Bill Blount for repairing our ship’s bell, and to PP Roxane Cole for her work with the University of Southern Maine, teasing us for more news to come on this front.
Charlie Frair recognized our guest Katie Berthiaume (photo at left) from the Maine Veterans Home in Scarborough with a check for $1,000 as part of the fundraising proceeds of the Veterans’ Luncheon. Katie shared that the funds will be deposited in the Home’s general activity fund to assist residents who need money for haircuts, a pair of athletic shoes, or assistance with equipment or music as part of the memory care program. “We know that personalized music plays an important part with veterans who suffer from memory loss,” Katie said. “This donation will help those who need it to be able to purchase iPods, music from iTunes, so they can have a personalized music library to help them.” She also said that the fund was purchasing laptops and iPads for veterans of the Vietnam War who are more adept with technology.
President John noted that March 8th is also International Women’s Day, a time set aside to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political accomplishments of women. He highlighted the contributions and accomplishments of women in Rotary. (Not to put too fine a point on it, however, this club is still 75 percent male and could use many more women as members.)
Jan Chapman (photo at right) spoke to us about the Lyseth Elementary School reading program which starts again on March 25. There are a few openings. Please contact Jan to volunteer. She said that the Michael Phelps Foundation purchased copies of the book, Josh the Otter, a story about water safety, which will be one of the books shared this season. The story was created by a Rotarian Blake Collingsworth to highlight water safety for children. The story serves to honor his son, Joshua, who slipped out of sight for a few moments and drowned in a backyard pool.
President John shared progress in the Club’s Greenhouse Project with the Immigrant Welcome Center. Members who wish to provide mentoring or serve as industry experts are urged to connect with President John (curraj1@mmc.org) or with Ben Millick (bmllick@clarkinsurance.com).
Gracie Johnston reminded everyone of our upcoming commitment with Preble Street on March 27th. Volunteers are needed to help prepare, serve, and clean up the evening meal. If you can help or need ore information, contact Gracie at: graciej1010@gmail.com.
Conducting the weekly raffle, PP Loretta Rowe gave President John the opportunity to take home the pot of $257, but he failed to find the winning card. She then reminded us to complete and return the Committee Preference sheets that were emailed last week, selecting which committees we would like to help with for the next Rotary year (2019-20), which starts on July 1st.
2nd VP Ellen Niewoehner announced the Rotary Ski Days at Sunday River, March 14 and March 28. Snow conditions reported to be excellent. For more information, contact Ellen at: eniewoehner@hotmail.com.
Invocation: David Small Program Reporter: Julie L'Heureux Bits & Pieces Reporter: Tom Talbott Registration/Greeter: David Ertz Sell Meal Tickets: Jennifer Frederick Raffle: Loretta Rowe Collect Meal Tickets: Marissa Fortier Sgt-at-Arms: Scott Blakeslee
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.
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President John Curran welcomed 42 members and 1 guest to our Friday meeting. Following the Irish Blessing invocation by Gracie Johnston (photo at right), the Pledge of Allegiance led by Julie L’Heureux, and the singing of “God Bless America,” President John noted the birthdays and membership anniversaries of the month. He also gave special recognition to PP Bill Blount for repairing our ship’s bell, and to PP Roxane Cole for her work with the University of Southern Maine, teasing us for more news to come on this front.
Charlie Frair recognized our guest Katie Berthiaume (photo at left) from the Maine Veterans Home in Scarborough with a check for $1,000 as part of the fundraising proceeds of the Veterans’ Luncheon. Katie shared that the funds will be deposited in the Home’s general activity fund to assist residents who need money for haircuts, a pair of athletic shoes, or assistance with equipment or music as part of the memory care program. “We know that personalized music plays an important part with veterans who suffer from memory loss,” Katie said. “This donation will help those who need it to be able to purchase iPods, music from iTunes, so they can have a personalized music library to help them.” She also said that the fund was purchasing laptops and iPads for veterans of the Vietnam War who are more adept with technology.
Jan Chapman (photo at right) spoke to us about the Lyseth Elementary School reading program which starts again on March 25. There are a few openings. Please contact Jan to volunteer. She said that the Michael Phelps Foundation purchased copies of the book, Josh the Otter, a story about water safety, which will be one of the books shared this season. The story was created by a Rotarian Blake Collingsworth to highlight water safety for children. The story serves to honor his son, Joshua, who slipped out of sight for a few moments and drowned in a backyard pool.