Stories

Members of "Girls on the Run" visited our Rotary Club today to speak with us about their organization.

(Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

Club President Howard Schreiber (left above) welcomed Director Deb Siipole, Coach Merrill Simpson and Coach Terry Peri.  For more information about the work that this organization does to help promote the welfare of young girls please go to their website;

http://www.girlsontherun.org/

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There are just six weeks left until our golf outing and we need everyone's help to make it a success!  Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin O'Rourke is coordinating the effort and says "All hands on deck".  

We need golfers, hole sponsors and gift donations.  All of the literature and forms for the golf outing are available on our website under "Downloads" on the right hand side of the homepage.  Please make your contacts now to ensure that this years outing is a success. 

"This is our club's biggest fundraiser and we only do it every other year.  If each of us pitches in it will be a great success and a fun time for all of our members, supporters and friends", says Kevin.

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Parag Sheth from India visited our Club today.  He is the District 3060 Governor Nominee and will assume his DG responsibility in 2015-16.  He was accompanied by his son-in-law Nilay Shah. 

Parag visited us courtesy of Past President Vijay Dalal.  Pictured above are, from left to right, Vijay, Club President Howard Schreiber, Parag Sheth and Nilay Shah.  

District 3060 is an area in India that is home to the Rajkot Rotary Club that was the beneficiary of a recent Rotary grant. The grant of more than $32,000 made possible a brand new Computer Lab Center at the Institute of Quality Education in the city of Rajkot.  Vijay was instrumental in the process of raising the money both here and in India while securing the grant.

Congratulations on a great effort Vijay and thank you Parag for your visit! 

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Joe Dino is a Past District Governor and a long time member of the Paterson Rotary Club.  He is also a great friend of our Club and visited today to discuss the importance and benefits of growing our Clubs membership.

Joe is pictured below being welcomed by our Club President Howard Schreiber.

Joe brought his usual high level of enthusiasm to the Club and challenged each of us to share our "Rotary Moment". 

"We are the most interconnected organization in the world",  said Joe.  "My goal here today is to ask each of you to attract and engage with the prospective Rotarians."

Thank you Joe for your commitment and your energy!

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President Elect, Michael DiLella and Bergen Highlands Rotarians joined Andrew Topp and Sam Hmoud from the International Humanitarian Aid Foundation ihaf.us for lunch recently.  Sam and Andrew spoke of IHAF's extraordinary work in providing humanitarian relief around the world with a focus on Haiti.  In Haiti the organization has constructed an orphanage for young girls and through a collaborative initiative with Rotary an "off grid" system of water, sewer and electric was built for the facility. 

Thank you Andrew and Sam and IHAF for the generous and caring work you do on behalf of so many people in great need.

Led by Captain (and Sergeant-at-Arms) Kevin O'Rourke,  Rotarians of the Bergen Highlands/Ramsey Rotary Club played hard and well in today's Ramsey Stars and Stripes Softball Game at Finch Park. The game served as a fundraiser for VFW Post 682.

As temperatures pushed north of 90 degrees our team had fun scoring eight runs. Unfortunately the other team, represented by Ramsey police, fire and EMS members, scored more.  It was all for a good cause and we were happy to participate.  

(Photo courtesy of Lauren O'Rourke.)

Kevin took the pitchers mound, Terry Beltramini manned home plate, Rich Farnham covered second base, Brent Edmonds handled short-stop and  Dan Quiles, Howey Felderman, Dave Walace and Mike DiLella saw action in the outfield.  Several other Ramsey residents played as well. (See more pictures in the Photo Album section of our website.)

During his last at-bat, Rich Farnham hit a home run over the left field fence guaranteeing an additional $25 donation to our Rotary Club's $250 commitment to VFW Post 682.

Happy Independence Day !

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On a recent summer afternoon in downtown Ramsey, longtime Rotarian Jack Levin and his wife Dex were photographed enjoying the sunshine and taking in the sights and sounds of Main Street.

(Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

Jack has been a member of the Bergen Highlands/Ramsey Rotary Club since the 1950's! 

On most Monday afternoons Jack joins his fellow Rotarians for lunch at Houlihan's Restaurant on Route 17.  Sometimes he even brings Dex along.  We always enjoy his friendship and his historical perspective on life.

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Jim Thebery, Director of the Bergen County Division on Disability Services visited our Rotary Club today. 

Pictured below (center), he is welcomed by Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin O'Rourke (left) and President-Elect Mike DiLella (right).

(Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

Through the Bergen County Department of Human Services Division on Disability Services there are an array of support programs available to residents.  Jim reviewed some of them, such as the In-Home Caregiver Education & Support Program, the Respite Care Program and the Post Stroke and Disabled Adult Support Group Program.

Anyone interested in learning more about these programs is encouraged to contact Jim Thebery at http://www.co.bergen.nj.us/Index.aspx?NID=556

Thank you Jim for educating us about these worthy and needed services.

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Rotarian and Past President Rich Farnham planted flowers at the base of the Ramsey Town Bulletin Board. 

The Bulletin Board, which is located on North Central Avenue between Police Headquarters and the town's Municipal Building, was donated to the town of Ramsey by our Rotary Club during the 1992-1993 Rotary year. You can see the Club's name at the bottom of the sign and the Rotary "wheel" emblem at the upper left and right hand corners.

Rich takes it upon himself to plant flowers in front of the sign each Spring.

Thank you Rich, great job!

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 Ramsey Police D.A.R.E. Officer Timothy Shoemaker, shown here with Club President Marcello Gloria.

Officer Shoemaker, 2011 National D.A.R.E. Officer of the Year and current member of MENSA gave a riveting and insightful talk about the growing problem of drug abuse among young adults in our communities.  He provided thoughtful and compelling suggestions about the need for community participation in managing the problem including early intervention and the avoidance of patronizing marketer's products that encourage drug use.

Thank you Officer Shoemaker for enlightening us and for all that you do for our kids and our communities.

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The Bergen Highlands/Ramsey Rotary Club hosted its 61st Annual Installation Dinner on June 12. 

 

Ken Boston, our Master of Ceremonies, (below) ensured a good time was had by all.  More pictures are in the Photo Album section of our website.

(Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

Club Officers for the 2013-2014 year were sworn in.  They include President Howard Schreiber, President Elect Mike DiLella, Vice President Ken Boston, Secretary Karen Amy, Treasurer Dave Wallace and Sargent at Arms Kevin O'Rourke.

"Thank you" to outgoing President Marcelo Gloria for your leadership.

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Emily Glaner, niece of Past Club President Rich Farnham, visited our Club today.  Uncle Rich and Emily are pictured below.

(Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

Emily is a past recipient of a John Royle Rotary Award.  She is entering her junior year at Hartwick College and is double majoring in Nursing and Spanish.  Emily spoke with us about her commitment to the nursing field and of her plans to spend time next semester working on her studies in a small town in Peru, South America.    

Congratulations Emily and keep up the great work!

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"NJPPN is a non-partisan, no-nonsense volunteer network – committed to providing accurate information to the public."

Rhoda Schermer, a founding member and leader of the NJPPN, visited our Rotary Club to speak about the goal and mission of this organization.  She is pictured below with Club President Marcelo Gloria.

(Photo Courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

"NJPPN was created in 2009 to serve the public interest through education and advocacy. Our membership represents diverse age groups, backgrounds, and professions. We welcome independent thinkers whose opinions about what is best for America are based on factual and credible information from trusted sources."

For more information about this group please go to their website http://www.northjerseypublicpolicy.org/

Thank you Rhoda for informing us about this organization.

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Representatives from the Mahwah Environmental Volunteers Organization (MEVO) visited the Club today and spoke with us about the work they are doing in Mahwah and the surrounding area to clean-up, stabilize and restore the environment.

BH/R Rotary President-Elect Howard Schreiber (left), welcomed MEVO President and Executive Director Eric Fuchs-Stengel (center) and MEVO Crew Leader Brianna Sheehan (right).

 (Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

Eric spoke about the many projects underway at MEVO to help make our parks and open space areas greener and cleaner.  MEVO relies on the support and efforts of many volunteers and welcomes the help of anyone who would like to participate.  Go to their website, http://mevoearth.org/ to learn more about this very worthwhile endeavor.

 

"Volunteering to inspire environmental sustainability and a love for nature."

Thank you Eric and Brianna for all the great work you do!

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Led by Rotarian Jerry Crean, several members of the Bergen Highlands/Ramsey Rotary Club, along with friends and family, embarked on a day at sea to try their luck at catching fish. 

More photographs of the excursion are available in the Photo Album section of our website, courtesy of Rotarian John Roth who witnessed and captured the action.

 

At first light, the fishing vessel Mi-Jo II set out on it's voyage... the crew and passengers determined to bring home a catch-of-the-day.  Facing chilly temps and a brisk breeze, the intrepid fishermen, and fisher women, persevered and landed several very respectable fish. 

 

 It was a day of fellowship and a great time was had by all.

 

Thanks Jerry for organizing a wonderful outing at sea!

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Robin Shafer, a Certified Midwife, visited our Rotary Club this week.  She is pictured below with Club President Marcelo Gloria,

Robyn received a scholarship from the District 7490 Walter D. Head Foundation to pursue her Masters Degree at Yale University.  

 

(Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

As defined in Wikipedia,  "Midwifery is a health care profession in which providers offer care to childbearing women during pregnancy, labor and birth, and during the postpartum period". 

Robyn made a compelling case for the benefit of working with a Midwife.  She also discussed how the Midwife profession may be able to help address the growing number of difficult and problem births in the USA.

Congratulations Robyn and thank you for enlightening us!

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Jennifer Easterbrook (left) of the New York-New Jersey Trails Conference joined us at todays Rotary Club meeting to speak about the campaign her organization is undertaking to renovate and restore their future headquarters building, the Darlington Schoolhouse. 

She is pictured below with Club President, Marcelo Gloria, in front of a rendering of the building.

 

The Trail Conference's website is  www.nynjtc.org  and you can get more information about the renovation and restoration campaign at their blog;  http://blog-dsh.nynjtc.org/   The Trail Conference is seeking members and volunteers to help out with the campaign.

Thank you Jennifer for educating us on this worthy effort to restore the schoolhouse to it's previous grandeur!

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Rotary District 7490 hosted it's annual Presidents Ball. Our Club President, Marcelo Gloria was joined by a group of Bergen Highlands/Ramsey Rotarians to participate in the celebration.

The Presidents Ball is an opportunity for each of the Clubs in our District to acknowledge and thank the Club Presidents for their commitment to Rotary and their leadership of the Club.

Marcelo's year as President will come to an end in June and we congratulate and thank him for his stewardship and good humor.

Thank you Marcelo!

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Members of our Rotary Club participated in the Public Spirit Showcase sponsored by the Mahwah Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The Showcase is an opportunity to introduce Rotary to members of the Chamber.  More than thirty non-profit organizations were represented. 

Pictured above are the Rotarians who participated.  From left to right, Mike DiLella, Karen Amy (representing the DACKKs group), Dave Wallace, Tom Grissom (representing the MRCC Foundation) and Ken Boston.  Aparna Mulchandani also attended but is not pictured.

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Members of the Bergen County K-9 Unit, led by Officer Dave Donow (center), visited our Rotary Club today.

The program featured the dog Andore who demonstrated a successful "bomb search" and the "capture of a bad guy". More information about the Unit is available at their website http://www.bcpd.org/spec_k9.html

 

Thank you to the members of the K-9 Unit.

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At today's meeting, Tim Shaffer(l), past President and current Rotarian of the Bergen Highlands/Ramsey Rotary Club welcomed our newest member, John Roth(r).

 

John Roth and his family have been Mahwah residents for more than 20 years.  After a successful career in advertising he now devotes much of his time to the town of Mahwah where he has been a Town Council member for the past nine years.  John has also held positions on the Mahwah Planning Board as well as the Board of Education.

We are fortunate to have John as a member of Rotary and look forward to his participation in the Club's activities.

Welcome aboard John, and congratulations!

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Representatives from The Valley Hospital visited our Club today to speak about a service they offer called the Heart Risk Assessment. 

Below, Club President Marcelo Gloria (l) thanked them after their presentation.  Mary Collins (2nd), Jasalyn Deryke (3rd) and Pamela Pate (4th)  offered sound advice to all of us on how to achieve a lifetime of good health.

"The goal of the Heart Risk Assessment program", said Mary Collins,  "is to provide a quality community outreach program that will allow participants to become educated regarding their cardiovascular health".

The program is comprehensive and anyone who would like to participate is invited to call 201-447-8207 to schedule an appointment.

Thank you Mary, Jasalyn and Pamela for the great information!

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Mrs. Row (c) visited our Club today to speak about what it takes to be a true leader.  She comes to us courtesy of Rotarian Vijay Dalal (r) and was welcomed by Club President Marcelo Gloria (l).

(Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

Mrs. Row spoke eloquently about the qualities of great leadership.  A few of those qualities are; 

-Be Inspired, -Deliver Value, -Nurture Talent, - Have Impeccable Character, - Be an Expert, -Have Talent and Passion, -Take Action, -Be a Clear Thinker, and -Look Beyond Oneself.  Qualities we can all aspire to.

Thank you Mrs. Row for the inspiration and thank you Vijay.

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John Memmelaar of Franklin Lakes visited our Club today to discuss his decades long involvement with Vintage Automobiles. 

Here he is (left) with his friend and BH/R Rotarian Jeff Fulton (right).

 

(Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

John spoke enthusiastically about some of the cars he has restored over the years ranging from a 1912 Cadillac to a 1965 Ford Mustang. 

He has taken his cars to Europe to participate in road rally events that toured the beautiful countryside there. Even his tie features the famous Ford Model T, or is that a Model A?  He owns perfect examples of each of those cars as well.

Thank you John for sharing your passion for these beautiful machines!

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Mayor Chris Botta was presented with a plaque naming him an Honorary Rotarian at last weeks Ramsey Town Council meeting.

He is pictured below (left) along with BH/R Rotary Club President Marcelo Gloria (center) and President Elect Howard Schreiber (right).

(Photo Courtesy of Tom Grissom.) 

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A message from Rotarian Vijay Dalal -

 

"On Monday, April 8, 2013, our Rotary Club is going to host a talk by Mrs. Jaya Row entitled "AWAKEN THE LEADER IN YOU".    

Mrs. Row is an outstanding motivational speaker who speaks about incorporating the Principles of Vedanta in our daily professional as well as personal life.   Many of you who have heard her in the past know the values she has been trying to convey to us.

You are requested to invite your friends, colleagues and spouses to join us on April 8 and help them enlighten themselves.   This can also help our Club President, Marcelo Gloria, in his effort to boost membership.

If each member brings just one guest, then we can have over 70 to 80 people on that day.   Mrs. Row is used to addressing large audiences."

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The Club hosted it's Youth Protection Seminar this week.  Past District Governor and Maywood Rotarian, Bill Rupp (left, below) visited to hear the seminar which was presented by Bergen Highlands/Ramsey Rotarian Tom Dunn (right, below).

(Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

Tom did an excellent job of conveying the importance of this issue and 30 of our Rotarians were present for the seminar.  Youth protection training is a high priority within Rotary District 7490 and today's event was just the first step in an ongoing initiative to safeguard young people who take part in any Rotary sponsored activity. 

Bill Rupp is the Youth Protection Officer for District 7490 and we are grateful for his guidance in conducting the seminar. 

The slides used in the seminar are available on the Club's website under "Club Links".

Thank you to both Bill and Tom! 

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Please save the date, April 25.  This year's President's Ball will be held at Season's in Washington Township.  It's a lot of fun and a great way to celebrate the leadership of our Club President, Marcelo Gloria.

Ken Boston is coordinating our attendance at this event.  Please contact him (kenboston@mac.com) if you would like to be a part of this very special evening.

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District Governor Bonnie Sirower visited the Club today to induct our two newest Rotarians; Monica Shamoun (l) and Aparna Mulchandani (r), pictured below.

 

(Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

Monica has been a Rotarian for several years with the Ridgewood Club and moved her membership to BH/R when she had a job transfer.  She is the Branch Manager for the Valley National Bank in Ramsey. 

Aparna is the owner of Two-By-Two Graphic Design, a business she founded in Ramsey in 2000. 

Bonnie asked what specific project each of these Rotarians wants to focus on.  Monica responded that she would like to "help educate and recruit new members to Rotary" and Aparna said she would like to "help address the acute hunger problem in Bergen County".  Both, worthy endeavors.

Thank you DG Bonnie and Congratulations to Monica and Aparna.              

Welcome to the Bergen Highlands/Ramsey Rotary Club!

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Tom Dater died this past week of complications from congestion in his lungs.  Tom was a friend of many in the Ramsey/Mahwah area. He would have been 84 years old on March 19.

We were fortunate to see Tom at last years Bergen Highlands/Ramsey Rotary Club Installation Dinner before his health declined.  He is pictured below recieving the         William H. Kelly Community Service Award from his friend, Rotarian Tom Dunn at the Dinner. 

(Photo Courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

While not a current member of our Rotary Club, Tom was one of the Founding Members of the Ramsey Rotary Club in 1952.  Because he was a newspaper publisher at the time, with a Monday deadline, he eventually withdrew from the Club as he felt that a vibrant club required regular attendance at home club meetings which he was unable to do.  Nontheless, Tom always enjoyed staying in touch with his Rotarian friends.  This preceding bit of information was shared by Tom Dunn.

Visiting will be at Van Emburghs in Ramsey on Friday, March 16, from 2-4 PM and 7-9 PM.  A Memorial Service will be held at Ramsey Presbyterian Church on Saturday at 11 AM.  Contributions to the Ramsey Fire Department in lieu of flowers are suggested.  Here is a link to a more complete obituary for Tom;

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/northjersey/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=163631055

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Today we had two visitors to the Club; Judith Peck - Sculptor and Professor of Art at Ramapo College and Kait Chieco with the American Cancer Society.  Here they are pictured with Club President Marcelo Gloria.

 

 (Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom.)  

Judith talked about her Art Program that has been available through the College for more than 40 years.  Entitled "Art & Interaction", it is designed to help developmentally challenged individuals as well as others who have limited or no access to the benefits of creative outlets.  

A video of the program in action is accessible here; 

http://youtu.be/zdjPyMonTd0 

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Kait Chieco from the American Cancer Society spoke about two important upcoming events.  A "Relay for Life" race will take place at Ramapo College on April 5 and at Ramsey High School on June 7.  

 

If you would like to participate or know more about these events, please visit their website at; 

www.relayforlife.org/ramseyNJ and www.relayforlife.org/ramapocollege

Thank you to both Judith and Kait for sharing this great information with us!

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As a reminder to all BH/R Rotarians, Tom Dunn will be hosting the upcoming Youth Protection Seminar.  It will be held on Monday, March 25.  This is an important event and all Club members are encouraged to attend. 

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On April 24, the Bergen Highlands/Ramsey Rotary Club will be participating in an event sponsored by the Mahwah Regional Chamber of Commerce.  It is called the Public Spirit Showcase and will feature more than 25 non-profit organizations from the area.  Details are below.

This event typically draws more than 100 Chamber members.  Many are local business people who come together to network and learn more about the non-profit community.  It presents a great opportunity for us Rotarians to meet and seek out potential candidates for membership in Rotary.  All BH/R Rotary Club members are invited to attend and engage with the broader community.  

Help tell our story and attract new members! 

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Tom Dunn has been a member of Rotary for 45 years.  He started out with the Hackensack Club in 1969 and was their Club President in 1979.  He transferred to the Bergen Highlands/Ramsey Rotary Club in 1985 where he has been an active participant ever since. 

Here he is pictured with our Club President, Marcelo Gloria.

(Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

During the last few years, Tom has become an avid traveler, visiting numerous countries around the world.  At this week's meeting, Tom presented an overview of his most recent trip; a river cruise down the Rhine River through the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland. 

Tom shared anecdotes and reviews of some of his favorite sights along the way.  He has no plans yet where he will go next, but he assured us it will be interesting and filled with adventure.

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As a reminder to all BH/R Rotarians, Tom will be hosting the upcoming Youth Protection Seminar.  It will be held on Monday, March 25.  This an important event and all Club members are encouraged to attend.  The seminar will begin at 12 noon instead of our normal 12:15 meeting start time.

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Vince Barra, the Mayor of Allendale, visited us today.  Pictured below, Club President Marcelo Gloria presents the Mayor with a plaque making him an Honorary Member of our Rotary Club. 

  (Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

After several years as a member of the Allendale Town Council, Vince was elected Mayor in 2007.  "The first order of business for me was to get our property tax increases under control", the Mayor said.  "With a lot of hard work and negotiation we were able to make progress.  In 2011 and 2012 there were no property tax increases and I am hopeful that we will not have an increase in 2013."

Vince is proud of Allendale.  He said "we are the Mayberry of Bergen County, a little town where everyone knows each other".  The most rewarding aspect of his tenure as Mayor has been the establishment of two facilities in Allendale dedicated to housing people with special needs.  "Demand for services still exceeds supply but I am gratified with the progress we have made and thankful for the support of Allendale's residents to get this done", the Mayor said.

Thank you for visiting us Mayor Barra and continued success!

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Representatives from the Independent Transportation Network (ITN) visited our Rotary Club today and spoke about their effort to establish a presence in northern NJ. 

Pictured below is our Club President, Marcelo Gloria along with ITN Steering Committee Chair, John Boswick and ITN Director of Public Donations, Mary Lyons-Kim.

(Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

ITN North Jersey is a PreAffiliate of ITN America which is the first and only national non-profit senior transportation network. Designed for America's aging population,  it is meant to replicate the freedom and flexibility of private car ownership.

"We want to offer rides in private vehicles 24 hours a day with door-through-door, arm-through-arm service," John said.  "ITN members will have no income restriction and can schedule rides for any purpose as often as they wish."

For those who would like to know more about the Independent Transportation Network, here is a link to their website;

www.ITNNorthJersey.org

Thank you for visiting us today John and Mary and good luck in this worthy effort!

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Kim Bolan, President of the Winters Park Playground Committee, visited our Rotary Club today to discuss the effort being undertaken to renovate the Mahwah playground. Here she is pictured with Club President Marcelo Gloria at the meeting. 

 

(Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

“The last renovation of the playground occurred over 20 years ago and it needs to be replaced.” Kim said.  “We are committed to raising the funds to replace the equipment while maintaining the natural and historic nature of the property so it is attractive, fun and safe for our children.”

During her presentation, Kim shared several illustrations of the equipment being considered for installation at the project. When completed, the playground will feature a play space that all of Mahwah’s residents can be proud of, but it will require considerable resources. In addition to the township applying for an open space Grant, she reviewed some of the upcoming fundraising activities the committee is planning, including;

-Coins for a Cause at Boiling Springs Bank - Saturday, Feb 23. 6 East Ramapo Ave Mahwah.  100% of the coins collected on this day will be donated to the project.

-Spring Fundraiser at Apple Ridge Country Club - Friday, Apr 26. Dinner, music, dancing and auction.

-Community Alliance Program - Ongoing effort at Boiling Springs Bank.  Designate your bank account as a Community Alliance participant.

 

More information is available at these websites;

www.wintersparkplaygroundmahwah.com

www.Facebook.com/WintersParkPlayground

Thank you Kim and good luck with this worthy project!

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This past weekend, a member of the Morristown paparazzi captured this snapshot of a certain Rotarian and Past President as he prepared to "bend steel in his bare hands and, perhaps, leap tall buildings in a single bound."  In spite of the freezing cold, our green superhero led his crew to a successful performance through the bucolic hills of historic Morristown.

 

The Pantry Manager for the Center for Food Action, Jim James, visited our Rotary Club today and was presented with a check by Rotarian and former Club President Brent Edmonds. 

The check represents the $9,000 in CFA donations that were collected during the holiday season by the Bergen Highlands/Ramsey Rotary Club, Inserra Supermarkets, the Saddle River Task Force and Friends of CFA. 

Jim and Brent are pictured below holding the check.  They are surrounded by several Rotarians from our Rotary Club.  (Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

Here are some the points that Jim made about CFA when he accepted the donation;

- 67,000 food packages were sent out last year.

- Almost 3,500 victims of Hurricane Sandy in Moonachie and Little Ferry were helped.

- Supplied food for 10,000 people during Thanksgiving.

- CFA gave away approximately $3 million worth of food last year.

Jim said that "this donation will be particularly helpful to offset the donation decline that CFA typically sees during the Summer months." 

Thank you Jim for all the great work you do!

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At our Rotary Club Board Meeting last night, one of the topics discussed was the upcoming BH/R Rotary Club Progressive Dinner.  The dinner is scheduled for Saturday, April 20. 

Club President Marcelo Gloria would like to ask our Rotarians to consult with their spouses and significant others so we can finalize some of the details at the Business Meeting which is this Monday, January 28.

Specifically, Marcelo would like a head count of those Rotarians who are interested in attending the dinner as well as those who are willing to host one of the nights events.  If you are unfamiliar with the concept of a Progressive Dinner, here is a link to a website which offers some guidance;

http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/menus/how-to-throw-a-progressive-dinner-party.htm

This club event will be great fun and an opportunity for us to socialize and get to know each other better.  Please think about it over the weekend so we can start planning for a successful evening.

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Mayor Bill Laforet visited our Rotary Club today and spoke to us about Mahwah.  Here he is receiving an Honorary Rotarian plaque from Club President Marcelo Gloria.

(Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

As his first full term gets under way the Mayor discussed the challenge of meeting the "2% Tax Cap Levy".  He assured us that he would not sacrifice Mahwah's infrastructure to meet that challenge and that he is committed to supporting the town's five Fire Departments and its Police Department.

Bill offered an update on the effort being made to assist the Mann family.  He mentioned that there would soon be available a website and/or FaceBook page to help coordinate that effort.

In reviewing the Hurricane Sandy experience, Bill mentioned that the Swift Reach and Nixle Notification systems were invaluable.  If you would like to sign-up to receive notices from these services, here are the links;

http://local.nixle.com/register/

http://www.mahwahpd.org/cit-e-access/webpage.cfm?TID=65&TPID=12186

Thank you Mr. Mayor for your leadership and thanks for your visit to Rotary!

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The followong  was received from the NJCDC in response to the $2,000 donation we made to their organization in December.   (Courtesy of Tom Grissom)

Dear Tom,

Thank you again for the generosity of Bergen Highlands Rotary Club and for coordinating some extra press for us!  The website for more details is: http://www.njcdc.org/news/2013/01/19th-anniversary-holiday-toy-and-food-drive-a-smashing-success/ 

I have also attached a handful of pictures from the collection and the event itself.  Unfortunately, our communications department informed me that our photo release policy does not allow us to distribute photographs of clients.  However, please invite your club and press to visit our webpage article for further information and to view more photos on our Flickr page.

Thank you so much, and I look forward to speaking with you in the future!  Until then, please feel free to contact me with any further questions.

Best, Carrie Morrow - AmeriCorps Program Manager

New Jersey Community Development Corporation
PO Box 6976
Paterson, NJ 07509

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"Your Rotary moment is your jewel.  It's only worth something if you share it."  -  Joe Dino

Joe Dino visited the Club today to speak about growing our membership.  Here he is pictured with our President Elect Howard Schreiber.

Joe has been a Rotarian for 23 years at the Paterson Club and is a past District Governor ('04-'05).  He spoke about the uniqueness of Rotary and asked us to talk about our "Rotary Moment" when we engage others in our quest for new members.  He reminded us that Rotary;

-Helped in the founding of the United Nations.

-Led , and leads the effort to eradicate Polio.

-Is the worlds largest provider of academic scholarships.

With his trademark boundless energy and passion, Joe asked us to look for membership candidates who "want to make the world a better place".

Thank you Joe for the inspiration!

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Important Note - Rotarians Ken Boston and Rob Parker are coordinating an effort to help the Mann family whose Mahwah home burned down this past week.  In excess of $500 was donated by the Rotarians who attended todays meeting.  Several other Rotarians are also involved in the help effort.  Please contact Ken or Rob if you would like to make a donation.

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On December 20, the Bergen Highlands/Ramsey Rotary Club made a donation of $2,000 to the New Jersey Community Development Corporation. 

Every year, NJCDC’s AmeriCorps members devote their spare time during the holiday season to collect food and toys and distribute wrapped presents to thousands of disadvantaged children and families on Christmas Eve at their annual holiday party at St. Gerard’s Parish in Paterson. 

Our donation arrived in time to help support this worthy effort.

Follow this link to see a video about NJCDC's holiday party; 

http://www.njcdc.org/featured/2012/12/njcdc-annual-toy-and-food-drive-in-full-swing/

James Fulton became the newest member of our Rotary Club this past Monday.  Here he is being inducted by Past President Tim Schaffer.  James is the son of long time Rotarian Jeff Fulton.  James is the owner of "Maximum Self Defense" and earlier this year hosted a self defense class for women on behalf of Rotary for the benefit of "Shelter Our Sisters".

Congratulations James and Welcome!   

After 19 years of service, Tom Grissom, a long time Bergen Highlands/Ramsey Rotarian, has retired from the Board of Directors of the Mahwah Regional Chamber of Commerce. 

Here he is, pictured with outgoing MRCC President (and former BH/R Rotarian) Paul Scarduffa.

 

Tom's service was recognized by Paul at the recent MRCC Holiday Luncheon.  Tom is still a very active member of our Rotary Club. 

Congratulations and Thank you Tom!

Ray Falcon, a 17 year Rotarian and Past President of the Park Ridge Club joined us at our meeting today.  Here he is, pictured below, with our Club President Marcello Gloria.  Ray spoke about the District wide initiative to place special needs students with local businesses.

          

Ray is working with 38 accredited special needs private schools in Northern NJ.  The aim is to help them place some of their higher functioning students to give them an opportunity to participate in the workforce while allowing the school to evaluate the students capability to engage in gainful activity. 

"We have learned that these schools are in constant need of internship positions for their students," said Ray.  "Many Rotarians own or work for the types of smaller businesses that would be ideal for such student placements."

If anyone would like to be a part of this worthwhile effort, please contact Adult Service Coordinator, Karen M. Koehler.  She works with Ray and can be reached at kkoehler@falconsinger.com.

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A request from Rotary District 7490;

You can easily and painlessly support our Gift of LIfe Foundation while you do your online holiday shopping. 

Please go to Support Rotary District 7490 Gift of Life Foundation to sign up.

Sign up is easy, you simply allow "igive" to work with your search provider, any time you shop one of their stores (and almost all popular stores are members of "igive").

Gift of Life automatically receives a percentage of your purchase from the merchant.  It doesn't cost you anything more and you may even save money.  It is easy and works seamlessly on your computer.

Happy shopping and thank you for your support!

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BH/R Rotary Club Holiday Party

DECEMBER 15, 2012   TIME: 6 PM

PLACE: DONNA AND HAROLD KNUTSEN    201 934 9631

           238 S CENTRAL AVE.  Ramsey  (Turn into long driveway across from Kimberly Court)

           COCKTAIL PARTY FOLLOWED BY DINNER & DESSERT   BEER & WINE (BYO)

           YANKEE SWAP: bring a wrapped gift (value of $25.00)   One each or one per couple

           Please RSVP by 12/7/12       Name          attending yes or no              # attending

           Respond via email        Roy Polizzi [roypolizzi@hotmail.com]

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Pictured above with Club Pesident Marcello Gloria, Saddle River Mayor Sam Raia visited the Bergen Highlands/Ramsey Rotary Club this week.  He began his talk by highlighting the importance of the Rotary Four-Way Test (below) and how relevant it is in his approach to business as well as in his personal life.  He stressed his priority of running the town of Saddle River as "lean" as possible, to the benefit of the towns residents.  He spoke proudly of the efforts of "Homes Fit for Heroes".  http://www.homesfitforheroes.net/

 

One of our Senior Rotarians, Jack Levin, pictured below with the Mayor, commented that many years ago he used to land airplanes in Saddle River!  The Mayor thanked Jack for not doing that anymore.

  

At the conclusion of the meeting Mayor Raia was made an Honorary Member of our Rotary Club. 

Thank you Mr. Mayor for visiting with us.

(Pictures courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

Several members of the Allendale Rotary Club joined us at today's meeting.

Pictured above with our President Marcello Gloria are Diane Eisner-Stroud, Bob Klinger and June Stahl.  Diane brought us up to date with her work with members of Interact, Bob talked about an upcoming Gift-of-Life recipient that he and his wife will soon be hosting and June discussed this weekends "Swing and Salsa Night"  to benefit Diveheart that she and our very own Ken Boston are presenting this Saturday. 

They asked for our support in each of these worthy efforts.  Anyone interested in helping out is encouraged to visit their website at www.AllendaleSaddleRiverRotary.org. 

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Also from today's meeting, an invitation from Ken Boston:

"If anyone is interested in getting a dinner group together this Sunday night, December 2,  at the Mahwah Bar & Grill to support Rob Parkers Storm Sandy relief efforts, let me know ASAP and I'll call to reserve a table or tables.  I can be reached at kenboston@mac.com or on my cell @ 973.219.6858."

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1 - Dave Wallace is our new Treasurer

2 - Rick DeSilva named to Mahwah Board of Education

3 - Holiday Party

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Dave Wallace (above) is the Clubs new Treasurer. 

Our former Treasure of several years, Paul Scarduffa has been promoted and transfered by TD Bank.  Dave, of TrustCo in Ramsey, has agreed to assume the Treasurer's responsibility. 

Congratulations Paul and Thank You Dave!

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Rotarian Rick DeSilva was recently named to the Mahwah Board of Education.  Follow the link below to the NJ Patch story covering the announcement. 

Congratulations Rick!

http://mahwah.patch.com/articles/school-board-appointee-carries-on-family-tradition?ncid=newsltuspatc00000001

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BH/R Rotary Club Holiday Party

 

DECEMBER 15, 2012   TIME: 6 PM

 

PLACE: DONNA AND HAROLD KNUTSEN    201 934 9631

           238 S CENTRAL AVE.  Ramsey  (Turn into long driveway across from Kimberly Court)

           COCKTAIL PARTY FOLLOWED BY DINNER & DESSERT   BEER & WINE (BYO)

           YANKEE SWAP: bring a wrapped gift (value of $25.00)   One each or one per couple

           Please RSVP by 12/7/12       Name          attending yes or no              # attending

           Respond via email        Roy Polizzi [roypolizzi@hotmail.com]

************************************************************************************************** 

 

Benjamin Wolff was our Program Speaker today.  What do The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss and J.S. Bach's Cello Suite No1 have in common?  Both were the result of thinking inside the box.  Ben, (pictured below with Club President Marcello Gloria), talked about the benefit of using life's contraints to explore new avenues of creativity.

(Photo's courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

 

 

The Paramus Warehouse was emptied on Saturday.  Rotarians throughout the District participated.  The Bergen Highlands/Ramsey Club was represented by Karen Amy, Tom Grissom, John and Sean Royal, and Mike DiLella.  Pictured above are John and Sean along with several Interact members who helped in the effort.  Many trucks were loaded up and sent to points throughout the region.

John, Sean and Mike were assigned to make the trip to Lindenhurst, Long Island where they met up with representative's of several local Rotary Clubs and handed over the precious cargo.  Their convoy successfully delivered 10 generators (!) as well as a generous supply of other donated items to those in need. 

It was a long and rewarding day.  More pictures in the Photo Album.

Two truckloads of donated items collected by Rotary Clubs in Vermont arrived at the Paramus warehouse this week.  Rotarian's from throughout the District jumped into action to unload and sort the packed trucks.  John and Sean Royle, and Tom Grissom from our Club pitched in.  Tomorrow, Saturday, a convoy of sorts will be put together to bring the donated items to where they are needed.  Volunteer's are needed.  Click on "More" below to see how you can help.  New picture's have been added to the "Sandy Warehouse" section of the Photo Album.

(Photo's courtesy of Sean Royle and Tom Grissom.)

Rotary District 7490 has stepped up it's Sandy relief effort.  A warehouse (made available by a Rotarian) on Rt17 in Paramus is the collection point for all the generous donations coming in. (See "Photo Album")  The response is strong, but more help is needed.

Our fellow New Jerseyan's are depending on us.

Members of the Bergen Highlands/Ramsey Rotary Club are participating with time and effort.  Here we see a group of Rotarian's taking a well deserved break after a full day of loading and unloading at the warehouse.  Members of our Club; Christian Kasparian, Ken Boston and Tom Grissom (pictured above) all helped out.  Jim Jaworski and his son, and Brent Edmonds and his daughter also spent time working at the warehouse.  DG Bonnie Sirower participated as well.  More help will be needed in the days ahead. 

Thanks to all the BH/R Rotarian's who have stepped up !!! 

(Photo's courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

 

Mayor Joanne Minichetti spoke at today's Rotary meeting and shared an update about Upper Saddle River.  She discussed the recent Bronze Certification that USR received under the Sustainable Jersey NJ Healthy Town program.  The Town has been involved in a Seaside Heights relief collection effort, has started a Town Leadership Group, received a Rain Garden Grant and is proud of a recently launched website, http://srvcares.com/, that is designed to allow residents to donate and distribute items to various charities.

Thank you Mayor Minichetti and continued success! 

Rotarian's Ken Boston, Kevin O'Rourke and Rob Parker spent the day on Thursday helping out with the clean up effort in Little Falls.  As Kevin said, "It was a back muscle messy challenge that made helping kids onto ponies seem easy!"  We are sure the folks in Little Ferry are gratefull for the help, yet there is still much to do. 

Please see the District's latest communications if you would like to know how you can help out. (Click on "More" below)  More pictures in the Photo Album section. 

Thanks Ken, Kevin and Rob for making all of us at the Rotary Club of Bergen Highlands/Ramsey proud!

Wilf Wilkerson was President of Rotary International from 2007 to 2008.  He visited the Club today and shared some inspirational thoughts on the good work that Rotary does globally.  Pictured above are past DG Emil Guering, our Club President Marcello Gloria, Wilf Wilkerson, past DG Joe Laureni, and past DG Raj Bhatia.  "We can't have peace until we know each other, we can't know each other until we meet, Rotary helps us to do this". - Wilf Wilkerson

(Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom)

 

As you recall, our Club is supporting an effort to make a donation to Table-to-Table.  Their "Brown Bag It" promotion asks that we contribute an amount of money equal to the price of a lunch for one day and brown bag it instead.  Of course, more generous contributions are welcome.  Table-to-Table really knows how to stretch a dollar and your donation will go a long way. 

Rob Parker and Ken Boston are coordinating this effort and they are asking all Rotarians to make a donation at our next meeting, this Monday, October 22. 

Thank you BH/R Rotarians and thank you Rob and Ken!

https://www.tabletotable.org/index.php/

As Thanksgiving approaches, the Center for Food Action needs our help.  BH/R Rotarian's are asked to remember CFA as we begin shopping for our own Thanksgiving celebrations and buy a little extra.  See the shopping list above.  Rotarian Brian Durkin has offered to collect the Clubs donations at our November 12 meeting and bring them to CFA.  Please mark your calendars for this worthy effort.

Tom Bragen of the Jersey City Rotary Club visited us today and shared the courageous story of South Pole explorer Ernest Shackleton.  Here he is with Mike DiLella holding a replica of Endurance, the ship used during the journey.  Thank you Tom!
(Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

The Bergen Highlands/Ramsey Rotary Club now has a listing on the popular "Patch" website.  Our club photo is above.  We appear in both the Ramsey and Mahwah listings.  Everyone is encouraged to visit the site and click on the "follow" button.  The link is below.  Thanks to Jessica Mazzola from Patch for her help.

http://ramsey-nj.patch.com/listings/bergen-highlands-ramsey-rotary-club

Our Club participated in Allendale Day.  Here, Gerry Baron, her niece Heather and a friend take a break from filling up balloons.  Poppi and Binky, two very happy clowns, were busy making masterful balloon creations.  The day was also an opportunity for our Rotarians to introduce the work of Rotary to the visitors at our booth.  Many invitiations were offered to "come join us for lunch and learn more".  Thank you to all who participated and thank you to Poppi and Binky!  More pictures in the photo album.

   Michele Howe Clark, pictured above with Club President Marcello Gloria, visited our Club today and spoke with passion about her successful battle with adversity.  Her talk was a reminder about the power we all have within us to overcome the challenges that life presents us with.  She gave several Rotarians copies of her book "Face Forward - Meeting Challenges Head On in Times of Trouble".  Thank you Michele and best wishes for continued success! 
(Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom)  

The Club sponsored this event held at Mahwah High School.  The course was taught by Jeff Fulton's son James and his new bride Jennifer.  James and Jennifer of "Maximum Self Defense" donated their services.  The proceeds from the event will be donated to Shelter our Sisters. 
(Photos courtesy of Maja Britton.)

DG Bonnie Sirower and her associate Pat LaRocca visited us today and shared some great insight.  She is pictured above with BH/R Club President Marcello.  After meeting with our Board she addressed the whole group, beginning her talk with the "starfish" analogy.  She spoke passionately about her three areas of focus for the year; (1) addressing the growing hunger problem in northern NJ, (2) the "safe water" initiative in Kenya and (3) helping people with disabilities who are outgrowing their current support programs.  She suggested we incorporate a "spelling bee" into our Dictionary (thesaurus?) Project.  DG Bonnie finished by acknowledging nine of our Club Members with between 25 and 50+ years of Rotary service.  Thank you DG Bonnie and Pat for the inspiration!
(Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom.)

Mahwah Day went off without a hitch.  Jerry C organized all the BH/R Rotarian troops and it fell into place.  Pictured above are just a few of our Rotarian Family at the Pony Corral.  Clouds threatened for most of the day, but that didn't stop the kid's who were out for a great day of fun.  Judging by the smiles everyone had a good time.  The rides were busy from start to finish.  There are lot's of pictures of the day so please check out the Photo Album. Great job Jerry!

Mayor Botta visited today and was named an Honorary Member of the BH/R Rotary Club.  Here he is pictured with Marcello and Brian.  He spoke first about an achievment he is very proud of; the soon to be established home in Ramsey for young adults with autism.  After several years of rigorous effort, construction on the home is expected to begin shortly with occupancy slated for 2014.  The Mayor also addressed our wide ranging questions; the challenges of Ramsey's water moratoriam, the problem of jaywalking on Main Street, a suggestion for a greater police presence downtown and the soon to be removed fire alarm boxes were all discussed.  "Thank you Mr. Mayor for your visit!"
(Photo's courtesy of Tom Grissom)

The clouds gathered and the rains came.  Ramsey Day was recheduled for Sunday.  Our fearless leader, Kevin O, rallied the troops, and on Sunday all went well.  The pony's did their thing and the kids had a blast.  The rides were busy from start to finish.  Tom K and Ken B had a busy day managing clowns and baloons in USR.  Thanks to everyone who helped out!  See ya in two week's at Mahwah Day.  More pictures in the Photo Album section.

Jim James, the Pantry Manager of CFA, visited the Club today.  He was there to pick up the "backpacks and all the goodies" that were donated by BH/R Rotary.  Just in time for "back-to-school".  More pictures in the Photo Album section. 
(Photo's courtesy Tom Grissom)

Mark and Amy (and Jack) standing on their new ramp.  They said it is "beautiful" and want to thank our Rotary Club (and Brent) for the wonderful gift.  See the Photo Album section for more pictures.

Lois Horowitz, a 22 year Rotary veteran visited our Club on August 20 and spoke passionately about the benefits of the Friendship Exchange.  She should know as she has visited 71 cities around the world while participating in this worthwhile Rotary program.  Here she is with Harold, Marcello and Tom G.  Tom donated five copies of his very popular book "Skylands: The Garden of the Garden State" which features beautiful pictures of the NJ Botanical Garden that Tom is intimately involved with.  Lois will be bringing the books as gifts for the five Rotarian Club Presidents she will meet on her upcoming Friendship Exchange trip to Wales later this week.

Gerry and Lorraine gave us an update on the work being done in Kenya.  The focus is a Maasai tribe.  They discussed a new water pump, a pump house, a school house for kindergartners and the progress of Benjamin Moriaso. Benjamin is an honors student at the top of his class.

Alan Krutchoff visited the Club on August 6 and made a very compelling case for the work this group does in supporting our Troops.  We have designated them our Charity of the Month for September.  Here he accepts one our famous coffee mugs from Club President Marcello Gloria.

At the August 6 District 7490 Staff Meeting, Howard was presented with a Rotary International Plaque of thanks and recognition by DG Bonnie Sirower.  He was recognized for his efforts and donations to the Center for Food Action.  Congratulations Howard !

At todays Rotary meeting, several Rotarians brought in food supplies to be donated to CFA.  Brian coordinated the effort to collect and deliver the much needed supplies.

Several Rotarians participated in a fund raising softball game for the benefit of Ramsey VFW Post #682.  The temperature was over 95 degrees.  The "Non-Profit Service Organizations" Stripes Team (us) beat the "Police, Fire, First Responders and OEM" Stars Team.  Final score; 12 to 9.

On May 12, seven members of the Bergen Highlands/Ramsey Rotary Club built a 75 foot long retaining wall for Paterson Habitat for Humanity.