Spotlight 04-05-16, Vol. 78, No. 14

Posted by Beth Walker 
on Apr 05, 2016
 
PROGRAM:
Program Host Jerry Dunneback introduced Carla Sharp, Head of Youth Services at the Brighton District Library (BDL), who discussed “Special Needs:  Special Kids.”. 
 
Brighton Rotary Spotlight
Cathy Riesterer, President
April 5, 2016, Vol. 78, No. 14
 
GUESTS:       Michael Griffith, wk1; Carla Sharp, Brighton District Library
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Happy birthday to Mike Bourke, Scott Griffith, Ron Cleveland, Cathy Riesterer, Peggi Bourke, Rich Millis, Vern Boyajian, Bill Markby & Ed Copp!
 
Happy Anniversary to Beth & Ron Hagan (6 yrs); Jane & Mike McManus (47 yrs); Jerry & Dorothy Dunneback (55 yrs); and Bonnie & Bernie Corrigan (57 yrs)!!
 
Happy ROTARY Anniversary to Dennis Whitney (2 yrs); Bert Herzog (5 yrs); Kory Leppek (5 yrs); Ron Hagan (6 yrs); Steve Bellanger (8 yrs); Cathy Riesterer (12 yrs); Anne Belser (13 yrs); and Leslie Koehler (16 yrs)!!!
 
Rotary Fun Moment (Two Truths & a Lie):  LuAnn Loy and Dirk DeWinkle shared their facts today.  Dirk grew up in California and his family was heavily involved in agriculture with lots of animals.  1) when Dirk was 10 years old, he and his brother tried to ride a halter-broke steer.  Things did not work out as expected, and Dirk went flying over the steer’s horns and landed in a patch of prickers, 2) Dirk’s mother was 13 when she immigrated from Poland, and his father was Dutch,  As a result, Dirk is fluent in Dutch., and 3) While working during college at a Northern Idaho University coffee shop, a professor/customer asked Dirk what he knew about microbiology and agriculture.  By the end of the discussion, Dirk was invited to teach a guest lecture on microbiology at the University of Idaho.  LuAnn  guessed that #2 was not true and Dirk confessed that although most of the rest of his family speaks fluent Dutch, he does not. LuAnn’s three facts are based on athleticism:  1)  When LuAnn was in high school, she established a long jump record that stood for 3 years, 2) LuAnn met her husband in 1985 at a co-ed softball league game in which he was a pitcher who broke her index finger with a pitch, 3) In 1987, LuAnn and her husband married and honeymooned in Jamaica. The competitors that they are, her husband won a Red Stripe bear drinking competition, and LuAnn won a swimsuit competition.  Dirk guessed that #2 was the untruth, and LuAnn said that her husband’s friend hit her in the back with a golf ball on the course which is how she met her husband.
Next week: Ed Copp and Greg Gray will share their fun facts
 
The Livingston Sunrise Rotary will be hosting a foreign exchange student next year at BHS and needs a few additional host families.  See Cathy Riesterer or contact a member of the Sunrise Rotary if you wish to volunteer.
 
Donna Craig had Ed Copp stand while she spoke about how AAA Service Network came to fix her fireplace and then 2 days later her hot water tank died—what a coincidence, but bother were fixed very well!  Thanks, Ed!
 
Ed Copp thanked Jeff Toole for his help:  earlier this winter a tree fell on one of Ed’s houses up north causing $7,000 worth of damage, and they are still trying to get things resolved, while his Caseville House, insured by Jeff, had $130,000 of water damage and Farm Bureau took care of providing the check with only 3 phone calls and no hassel.  It pays to hold insurance with Jeff Toole’s Farm Bureau Insurance Angency!
 
Carole Bullion-Mincy thanked Scott Spittler and Brighton Ford for providing an F150 truck that was filled with supplies for the Humane Society—1,000 tons of food.  Thanks Scott!
 
Beth Walker alerted members that Rotary Scholarship applications are due on April 6th and that she will be sending copies of those applications to Scholarship Committee members later this week.  If anyone wishes to join the Scholarship Committee, please tell Beth.  Our next meeting to select candidates to interview will be April 19th at 1:30pm
 
Reminder that the Combination SAT/ACT Practice Test will be held on Saturday, April 16th, beginning at 10am.  Registration deadline is April 14th..
Upcoming Events:
04/16/16          10am               Combo SAT/ACT Practice Test at BHS Cafeteria
04/19/16          1:30pm            Scholarship Committee Meeting
05/13-16/16                             Rotary District Conference, Chatham, Ontario
06/25/16                                  Second Annual Mt. Brighton Dash or Crash
12/13/16                                  Rotary Holiday Party
 
PROGRAM:
Program Host Jerry Dunneback introduced Carla Sharp, Head of Youth Services at the Brighton District Library (BDL), who discussed “Special Needs:  Special Kids.”.  Carla brought a wide variety of toys and resources provided to the Brighton District Library by funds raised through the Friends Group to support special needs patrons that includes students with physical/mental disabilities as well as the gifted students.  Carla shared statistics from 2014 that stated that one in 55 children have been diagnosed on the autism spectrum, while one in 30 males have high functioning autism and 9.5 percent of the population has been diagnosed with ADHD.  The BDL conducted staff training based upon recommendations from the Bloomfield Township Public Library which has an extensive collection of resources for their patrons.  Some low cost or no cost solutions included Sensory Story Time with fidget tools given to some students to squeeze to help with focusing on the story, Sensory Friendly Movies, and Art Therapy.  Higher cost solutions include Hands-on Manipulatives and Therapeutic Toys, Adaptive Technology, e.g. larger Tracking Balls on the computer mouse, Sensory Story Boxes and Kits, and Specialized back jack chairs.  Some of these tools also work well with people who have suffered strokes.  The toys/resources from the BDL are highly circulated and in demand, but they are also expensive, and it is helpful for patrons to try them before deciding to purchase them for their family. Other resources can be found at :  www.BrightonLibrary.info/specialneeds, or at www.FriendshipCircle.org/apps, or through TumbleBooks (animated eBooks for children adapted from the original picture books) available at BDL.  Braille and talking book libraries can be accessed by those who qualify at 1-800-992-9012.
 
50/50 Drawing: Tom Coates, Dirk DeWinkle, and Mitch Zoldowski were unsuccessful in locating the Ace of Spades to win the jackpot.