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Welcome to Ludlow, VT Rotary

Service Above Self

We meet Tuesdays at 12:15 PM
DJ's Restaurant

146 Main Street (not for mail purposes)
P.O. Box 216
Ludlow, VT 05149
United States of America

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Venue Map

Abenaki Chief, Don Stevens

Abenaki Chief, Don Stevens, Speaks to Ludlow Rotary

Don Stevens, Chief of the Nulhegan Bank of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation, spoke to members of the Ludlow Rotary Club (LRC) during its recent weekly meeting.

During his comments, Stevens described the historical background of the Abenaki, its geographic location in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Canada, and the influx of southern tribes from the Connecticut and Massachusetts areas.

He noted that the Abenaki have a history dating back 11,000 years in this area. With the influx of Europeans in the 17^th and 18^th centuries, tribes from the Deerfield and Greylock areas of Massachusetts were forced north in Abenaki territory.

Of particular interest was the relationship between the tribes and the English and French settlers and military personnel. According to Stevens, the British, especially their military, was very standoffish while the French tended to develop a rapport with tribal members. For this reason, the Abenaki allied themselves with the French during the French and Indian Wars.

Stevens described the period in Vermont during the early 1930’s as a troubling one for Abenaki members. In 1931, the Vermont Legislature enacted eugenics laws forcing “undesirable” people to be sterilized.

This highlighted the perennial problem faced by the Abenaki in terms of their identity. Stevens noted that non-Indian cultures normally had a long history of their family and national identity. Unfortunately, the Indians, due principally to language differences, did not as far as the European-oriented people were concerned.

Stevens was the first Vermonter to be vaccinated during the Covid crisis. This was part of his effort to convince the Abenaki of the desirability of the vaccination to deal with Covid.

He also noted that the Abenaki language, initially with the help of the French, was being preserved. Currently Stevens has been working with Middlebury College to provide training in the language.

Don Stevens is an award-winning leader, businessman, writer, and lecturer. He has been featured in magazines, books, TV shows, and documentaries. Don was appointed to the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs by Governor Douglas in 2006 for two terms where he served as Chair. He led the fight to obtain legal recognition for the Abenaki People in Vermont. He was able to acquire tribal land for the Nulhegan Tribe which had been absent for over 200 years. He has over 26 years of experience in successfully developing Information Technology, Logistics, and Manufacturing strategies for multi-million dollar companies. He proudly served in the US Army and graduated from Champlain College with a degree in Computer Information Systems.

Lake Rescue Milfoil Discussion

Lake Rescue Milfoil Problem

Discussed at Rotary Meeting

The co-Presidents of the Lake Rescue Association (LRA), Barbara Silver and Bruce Zanca, recently spoke to a meeting of the Ludlow Rotary Club (LRC) to discuss the problems facing them due to Eurasian Milfoil and river sediment.

The LRA, formed in 1933 and incorporated in 1954, is, according to Silver, “facing a crisis right now”. She was referring to the rapid build up of milfoil, a non-native, invasive aquatic plant that can grow from 4 to 6 inches a day in full sunlight.

The milfoil invasion of Lake Rescue and Lake Pauline was “rediscovered” in the lake system in 2014 following tropical storm Irene. It has become an on-going problem that, if not addressed, could turn the “lakes into a swamp”.

Over the years since Irene, the LRA, in conjunction with state agencies, has spent thousands of dollars to remove the milfoil from the lakes. It was estimated that the LRA would spend about $48,000 next year on removing milfoil.

Zanca noted that they would probably never be able to totally eradicate milfoil from the lakes but would be able to reduce it to a controllable situation with constant maintenance care. To this end the LRA is constructing a “Dash” boat that will be able to literally vacuum the milfoil from parts of the lake and its floor.

In addition to this problem, the LRA is also addressing the impact of sedimentation caused mainly by the Black River.

One area of concern is the channel between Lake Rescue and Round Pond. Over the years, the sediment build-up has resulted in the creation of “islands” of sediment and raised the floor of Round Pond so that the depth of the water has been severely reduced.

The LRA has about 150 members. There are approximately 250-300 individual lake properties involved.

Pictured here is Barbara Silver, co-President of the Lake Rescue Association, as she discusses the milfoil problem in Lake Rescue during a Zoom-based meeting of the Ludlow Rotary Club.

Ted & Linda Fondulas Zoom with LRC

At its recent Zoom meeting, members of the Ludlow Rotary Club (LRC) were entertained by Ted and Linda Fondulas, previous owners of Hemingway’s Restaurant in Killington as they described the history of that famous restaurant.

Linda Fondulas offered a detailed outline of how the duo created Hemingway’s. In particular, she noted the development of usage of locally produced foods and their interest in creating a diverse menu that made the restaurant one of the 25 greatest in the nation.

In detailing his approach to cooking and creating unique menus, Ted Fondulas indicated that food preparation was the second most active career in the country.

He also took this occasion to comment on the role that the late Bob Gilmore of Ludlow played in bringing new and innovative concepts of restauranteuring to Vermont noting “he was a leader in promoting food service in Vermont”.

In response to the impact of Covid-19 on the restaurant business, Fondulas raised the question of “will people continue to eat out as often after Covid?” He added that with so many people now preparing their meals at home instead of eating out, there may be a drop in restaurant business as a direct result of the virus.

During the business meeting, Kevin Barnes, LRC President, indicated that the club had received 1,000 face masks. Of this total, 300 would be used in Mt Holly while another 400 would be presented to Ludlow.

“Pictured below are Linda and Ted Fondulas with Julia Child. Child would go to Hemingway’s on her birthday during the period when she visited relatives in Woodstock.”

Help for First Responders

HELP FOR FIRST RESPONDERS

As part of Rotary International District 7870, which includes southern Vermont and New Hampshire, the Ludlow Rotary Club participated in an effort to fund area groups that offer important services addressing the Covid-19 outbreak in the community.

The grants are for food for Black River Good Neighbor Services, which will receive $2,100, and personal protective equipment for local first responders: $1,650 to the Ludlow Ambulance Service and $450 to the Gill Odd Fellows Home.

In the right-hand photo are, from left Ludlow Town Manager Scott Murphy, David Norton of the Ludlow Ambulance Service, Kevin Barnes of the Ludlow Rotary and John Mazurek, also of the Ambulance Service.

In the left-hand picture, at the Gill Odd Fellows Home from left are January Reichert, Gill director of nursing, Gill administrator Theresa Southworth and Ludlow Rotary’s Kevin Barnes.

LUDLOW ROTARY CHILI FEST CANCEL DONATION LINK

Please click here for paypal donation in lieu of 2020 chili fest.

2020 Chili Event Cancelled

Ludlow Rotary Cancels Annual Chili Cookoff

Due to Covid-19 and Seeks Donations

“For the past 19 years, the Ludlow Rotary Club (LRC) has sponsored a Chili Cook-off regardless of the weather or other worldly problems. But 2020 will see the first cancellation of the event due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We believe it is a necessary step to take to protect area residents and visitors from unnecessary exposure to the virus.”

With these words, LRC President, Kevin Barnes, announced the cancellation of an event that represented a major fund-raiser for the club in addition to the Penny Sale earlier this year. Both of these events were major programs to raise funds for the $9,000 in scholarship funds given by the club to area high school seniors.

“We still managed to use our reserve funds to cover the scholarships this year but really need to find other source of revenue for the coming year”, added Barnes.

He indicated that the Ludlow Rotary Club would appreciate any donations people were able to make to help LRC prepare for the scholarship they will hopefully be awarding in 2021.

Such donations may be sent to the Ludlow Rotary Club, PO Box 216; Ludlow, VT 05149. Direct online donations may be made through PayPal at www.ludlowrotary.com. All such donations are fully tax deductible and will be acknowledged.

“We hope events will make it possible to continue the chili cook-off next year”, noted Mark Huntley, Chili Committee Chairman, “but our primary concern is the health and well-being of those who may have attended this event and the community in general”.

Weston Playhouse, Susanna Gellert

Susanna Gellert, Executive Artistic Director of the Weston Playhouse, was the featured speaker at the recent meeting of the Ludlow Rotary Club via the Zoom app.

She described the impact of Covid-19 on the decision to cancel the current season’s production at the Weston Playhouse noting that it was difficult considering the many artists who would be affected by the decision.

In determining what the playhouse could do to provide some form of artistic performances while complying with restrictions associated with Covid-19, Gellert cited the various projects the playhouse sponsored.

One of these projects was to commission 14 well-known playwrights to write short plays with a single actor. The resulting works, called “One Room” concentrated on the question of what makes a home. This series, along with several other projects, is available on the playhouse’s YouTube page, https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=weston+playhouse.

Gellert indicated that the playhouse was considering possible productions for the 2021 season. She cautioned that such a schedule, if the situation permitted, would probably be shorter than their normal season productions.

Ninevah Foundation

At its recent meeting, the Ludlow Rotary Club (LRC) was addressed by Kelly Beerman, Conservation Director for the Ninevah Foundation, a group dedicated to the protection and conservation of Lake Ninevah in Mt Holly.

Beerman indicated that one of her primary concerns was the protection of the lake from aquatic invasive species. She described how the foundation has created “greeters” who assist people visiting the lake and ensuring that no invasive species are allowed to enter the lake’s environment.

In describing some of the various projects she is responsible for, Beerman noted the grants used to underwrite the lake’s conservation. She is also associated with the Farm and Wildness Foundation in a similar role.

The Ninevah Foundation is governed by a dedicated and knowledgeable staff as well as a diverse and experienced board of trustees. Our staff are well-versed in outdoor education and environmental stewardship. Many of our trustees were once campers and/or counselors at Farm & Wilderness camps, Ninevah Foundation’s affiliated partner. As of 2018, Ninevah Foundation and Farm & Wilderness jointly share the same staff and board members as affiliated organizations.

Duck Race Results 2020

We would like to thank all of those who participated in our 19th Annual Ralph D. Hogancamp Memorial Duck Race on Saturday, August 15, 2020.

We floated a record number of duckies this year! The winning ducks are as follows:

Alphonse "Fonz" Harris - First Place

Isabella LeMire - Second Place

Eric Alden - Third Place

Cooper Babbitt - Last Little Duck

Tom Harris - Wells Fargo Advisors - Corporate Duck Winner

Eric Alden donated his winnings back to the club! Thank you!

Proceeds will benefit community projects, scholarships and literacy projects for our service area! We were unable to hold our annual penny sale in April and truly appreciate all of those who contributed to this event!

Pictured here is Isabelle LeMire with her winning certificate and prize money!

Our next club project is our annual community calendar. Stay tuned for more info!

Stay safe friends!

21st Annual Ralph D. Hogancamp Memorial Duck Race

Come join the fun! Get your ducky today for this annual event!

Socially distanced duckies will be dropped into the river on August 15, 2020 at 12:00 noon.

One duck is just $5 bucks, a "Quack Pack" is 5 duckies for $20 and a corporate duck is $50.

Proceeds benefit community projects, scholarships and literacy just to name a few.

CASH PRIZES FOR FIRST THREE DUCKIES TO CROSS THE FINISH LINE.

And the last little ducky receives $25.00!

Ludlow Rotary Club Luncheon Cancellations

The Ludlow Rotary Club will be cancelling their weekly luncheon meetings through March 31, 2020.

RVTC Leaders Speak to Ludlow Rotary

The recent meeting of the Ludlow Rotary Club (LRC) featured leaders of the River Valley Technical Center (RVTC), located in Springfield, as they discussed the role and objectives of that school.

Both Scott Farr, the Superintendent/Director of RVTC and Dave Culver, its Cooperative Education Coordinator, explained how the school has created a wide variety of technical subjects aimed at helping its students select a career path or enhancing their educational background.

They noted that the school, which services a number of Windsor County high schools as well as one in New Hampshire, is dedicated to ensuring that attending students gain an in-depth view of selected technical career opportunities so they may opt for those they find rewarding.

Pictured above are Barbara Lemire, LRC Rotarian; Mark Huntley, LRC President; and Scott Farr, RVTC.

Springfield Co-op Expansion

Ludlow Rotary Club Learns About Springfield Co-Op Expansion

At its recent weekly luncheon meeting, the Ludlow Rotary Club (LRC) featured guest speaker Larry Kraft, Project Manager for the Springfield Food Co-Op's building expansion project.

Kraft described the history of the co-op and its new building expansion project. Currently the project, located on River Street in Springfield, is seeking $870,000 to fund the enlargement of its facilities. He noted that the purpose of this new expansion was to enhance the space used for co-op shoppers. Among the improvements will be a café area where customers and co-op members can relax. The project will also enable the co-op to hire more staff, provide a safer and more efficient store for shoppers and employees, and grow the co-op's economy.

Pictured above are, from left to right, Mark Huntley, LRC President, Glenn Heitsmith, LRC Rotarian, and Larry Kraft.

Ludlow Rotary Gavel Changes Hands

On Tuesday, June 25, 2019 the women of Rotary passed the gavel to President Mark Huntley. Rotary celebrates 30 years of women this year and our club had 5 past presidents step up and rotate time in sharing the position. Pictured here is Sharon Bixby, Jill Tofferi, Brigid Sullivan, Mark Huntley, Mary Crowley and Barbara LeMire. Barb was the first woman inducted into the LRC 30 years ago!

Congratulations to all!

LES Students Receive Personalized Books From Ludlow Rotary

Recently the 1st grade students at Ludlow Elementary School (LES) received personalized school books from the Ludlow Rotary Club (LRC). Pictured above are members of Mrs. Lauren Seber's 1st grade class at LES as they show their new, personalized books, donated to them by LRC Rotarian, Sharon Bixby, on behalf of the club. According to Tom Harris, a fellow LRC Rotarian, "The Ludlow Rotary Club has been providing personalized books, titled School is Fun to every first grader in our service area for about 23 years. We started buying the books around 1996 from Roy and Judy Quimby who had a booth at the Ludlow Vermont Harvest fair and have continued every year since. The Quimbys moved to Florida in 1998, and Roy has passed on, but to this day Judy still makes the books for us and we are very grateful". The LRC has been donating these personalized books to all the 1st graders in the Ludlow, Cavendish, and Mt Holly elementary schools during this period as part of its literacy program. In addition to this program, the LRC also provides free monthly books to young toddlers as part of its Dolly Parton Imagination Library project.

June 18 Meeting Location

Our June 18, 2019 meeting will be held at Sam's on RTE 103 S in Ludlow. Please make note of this. Our scholarship graduates have been invited to join us for lunch.

Rutland EMS Leader Speaks to Ludlow Rotary Club

At its recent luncheon meeting at DJ's Restaurant, the Ludlow Rotary Club (LRC) heard from Jim Finger, CEO of the Regional Ambulance Service, Inc of Rutland, VT . Finger explained the various healthcare roles his organization played in providing medical assistance to Rutland area residents.

He devoted much of his address to the role of volunteers in manning EMS operations, noting the difficulty in getting volunteers and the impact it had on EMS service.

Finger indicated that current employment requirements made it difficult for many people who used to volunteer for EMS service to satisfy the needs of their jobs while still having time to work as volunteers. This was a problem that was not unique to Rutland or Vermont. Rather it is a national problem.

Pictured above are, from left to right, Barbara LaMire, LRC President; Jim Finger; and Frank Heald, Ludlow Rotarian.

LRC meets for lunch on most Tuesdays at 12:15 pm at DJ's Restaurant. The LRC is small and is always looking to welcome new members. If you would like to attend a meeting and learn how you may 'Serve Humanity' while enjoying the fun and fellowship of others, please contact any Rotarian or drop a note to Ludlow Rotary, PO Box 216, Ludlow Vermont.

VT Legislature Honors Ludlow Rotarian

For more than 20 years, Ralph Pace has been an outstanding member of the greater Ludlow community. Many of his contributions to this community were described by the Vermont legislature in a lengthy proclamation issued on March 1, 2019 to honor Ralph’s community leadership and public service.

The proclamation spoke to a large number of Ralph’s accomplishments, a few of which are highlighted here:

- Served on a committee to bring the Ludlow Town Hall into compliance with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

- Spearheaded the effort to modernize the Ludlow Town Hall’s second floor auditorium while retaining the auditorium’s historic character and charm.

- Founded the Friends of Ludlow Auditorium to ensure that the auditorium, also known as the Heald Auditorium, would flourish as a popular venue for events such as movies, musicals, plays and political debates.

- Produced and hosted, on local cable television, over 300 episodes of a weekly news and public affairs program called “That Was the Week That Was”, a popular forum for local information and civic engagement.

- Served on the Ludlow Armory Committee, which transformed the former military complex into the multipurpose Ludlow Community Center, which now hosts a cafeteria, a commercial kitchen, a gymnasium and the headquarters for Black River Good Neighbor Services and Okemo Valley TV.

- Served as Ludlow’s town health officer.

The Ludlow Rotary is proud to have Ralph Pace as a member, where he continues to serve as an outstanding member of our community.

The entire proclamation was read at the Ludlow Town Meeting on March 4, 2019, and at the March 5 Ludlow Rotary meeting.

For more information contact David Almond at davidkalmond44@gmail.com.

Springfield Hospital CEO Speaks to Ludlow Rotary

Michael Halstead, the interim CEO of Springfield Hospital, addressed the latest meeting of the Ludlow Rotary club (LRC) about the current condition of the Hospital and medical center. Referring to numerous media articles about its financial status, he noted that the financial problems of the hospital were a national problem for many small, regional hospitals. Michael emphasized that Springfield Hospital had financial problems but it was the intention of the facility to make all necessary changes to ensure that it had a sustainable financial future. He cited the recent decision to eliminate the birthing clinic as an example of how the hospital is addressing the problem. He stressed that the hospital would still provide quality emergency services to pregnant women.

He indicated that the emergency ward was being transferred to a new unit as another step in reducing costs. Staff reductions and modest pay decreases were also part of the solution. When asked about the future of the hospitals outlying medical and dental facilities, he said that they all represented very solvent and successful operations. He noted that the Chester dental unit was adding "a second chair" to satisfy the demands for its services.

Pictured here is Michael Halstead and Jim Rumrill, LRC Rotarian.

Ludlow Rotary Club Sponsors FOLA Movie Series

Ludlow Rotary Supports FOLA Movie Series

At its recent meeting, held at the Big Eyes Bakery in Ludlow, the Ludlow Rotary Club (LRC) presented FOLA (Friends of Ludlow Auditorium) with sponsoring support for FOLA's three movie series featuring the work of Peter Sellers.

The series will feature "The Mouse that Roared" (April 13), "Return of the Pink Panther" (April 27). and "Being There" (May 11). The films will be screened in the Heald Auditorium in town hall. The movies will start at 7 PM. The opening film on April 13 will begin with a reception at 6 PM which will feature a presentation about Sellers and his film career by Vermont film historian, Rick Winston. Food will bne served during the reception.

Other film sponsors include The Book Nook, Big Eyes Bakery and Marylou Scofield, Attorney at Law. Pictured below is (from left to right) Paul Faenza, Rotarian; Brigid Sullivan, LRC President; Brigid Faenza, Rotarian (and chef); and Scott Stearns, FOLA Chairman.

Ludlow Emergency Services Speaker

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