The West End Rotary Club has donated $500 to Burnley Employment & Rehabilitation in Snydersville. The money was raised from the club's Oktoberfest and Car Show. From left, Judy Sanner and Charlotte Wright from Burnley accept the donation from club President Kevin Noll.

West End Rotary has nominated new leadership for the 2015-16 year. Officers and directors include:

President - Debby York
President Elect - Ed Gallagher
Past President - Kevin Noll
Vice President - Honi Gruenberg
Service Projects - Jim Mannello
Publicity - Jeff Widmer
Administration - Joey Krawitz
Membership - Karin Breitlauch
Treasurer - Frank Mullane
Secretary - Diana Cardwell
Youth Services - Luanne Linares
Rotary Foundation - Honi Gruenberg

From left: Kevin Noll, Karen DeMatteo, Debby York and Luanne Linares

West End Rotary added to its ranks when Luanne Linares became the club’s newest member.

Luanne has been living and working in the West End for the past ten years. She has been employed with First Northern Bank & Trust for the past 5 years, working in their Stroudsburg, Palmerton and now Gilbert offices where she is the Assistant Branch Manager. Luanne is also involved in the community by serving on the Board of Trustees of the Western Pocono Community Library as well as the West End Committee of the Greater Pocono Chamber of Commerce. Luanne was sponsored by club President Debby York and inducted by Assistant Gov. Karen DeMatteo, the immediate past president of the Rotary Club of the Stroudsburgs.

In that ceremony, District Gov. Barbara Huffman-Belon installed officers and directors for the 2015-16 Rotary year. Officers are: Debby York, president; Ed Gallagher, president-elect; Honi Lynn Gruenberg, vice president; Diana Cardwell, secretary; Frank Mullane, treasurer; Dave Pierce, sergeant-at-arms, and Kevin Noll, immediate past president. Directors are: Jeff Widmer, public relations; Karin-Susan Breitlauch, membership; Jim Mannello, service projects; Joey Krawitz, club administration; Gruenberg, Rotary Foundation; and Luanne Linares, youth services.

In his remarks, Kevin reviewed the club’s contributions to the community last year. They included providing a stair chair for West End Ambulance, dictionaries to every third grader in the Pleasant Valley School District and winter coats to needy children. Fundraising events and service projects such as the Oktoberfest and Car Show, Basket Bingo and wheelchair rentals at the West End Fair rounded out the list.

The club also presented awards for service to the community. Awards and their recipients were: Service Above Self, Ed Gallagher; Rotarian of the Year, Jim Mannello; Reach One Keep One membership recruitment and retention, Karin Breitlauch. Kevin distributed presidential citations to Honi Gruenberg, Debbie Borger, Dave Pierce and Jeff Widmer.

Seven Rotarians were made Paul Harris Fellows: Kevin Noll, Dave Pierce, Maureen Tatu, Frank Mullane, Diana Cardwell, Karin Breitlauch and Erin Gallagher. Eight club members received perfect attendance awards: Kevin Noll, Ed Gallagher, Karin Breitlauch, Honi Gruenberg, Diana Cardwell, Jeff Widmer and two Rotarians from the Slate Belt satellite club, Valerie Noble and Bill Skinner.

A new honor Kevin created, the Quiet Rotarian award for service without fanfare, went to Diana Cardwell, Frank Mullane and Joey Krawitz. For his service, Kevin received a president’s gavel and plaque.

Members of the West End Rotary Club and the Pleasant Valley Ecumenical Network prepare winter coats for donation to children in the area.

West End Rotary has gone high-tech to keep children of the Poconos snug this winter.

In a campaign called Operation Warm, Rotary has given 150 winter coats to the Pleasant Valley Ecumenical Network for distribution to families in need. That’s nothing new for a club that donates thousands of dollars each year to ambulance corps, fire companies and other charitable organizations. What is new is the way in which West End Rotary raised the money.

Each year the club holds several fundraiser and designates the proceeds for a specific cause. Last year’s Oktoberfest and Car Show in Gilbert would have raised thousands of dollars for Operation Warm, a program that provides new winter coats to children in need in an effort to boost school attendance and self-esteem.

“But despite our best fundraising efforts, it snowed on the day of our car show and we were not able to meet this community need without help,” said Karin Susan Breitlauch, the West End Rotarian who spearheaded the project. A veterinarian who with her husband, computer specialist Ed Gallagher, uses advanced technology in her practice, Breitlauch decided to rely on the high-tech version of the kindness of strangers: she crowdsourced the fundraising.

Innovative funding
With a goal of purchasing at least a hundred coats for the ecumenical network, Breitlauch established a page for the project on GoFundMe, a San Diego-based crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money for causes, events and special needs. In less than two months, the club raised enough money to buy the coats from Operation Warm, an organization that provides garments manufactured from 100% recycled materials in two styles and 12 colors.

But while West End Rotary exceeded its goal, the club realized it had to do more when the ecumenical network said it would like to distribute 400 coats.

West End Rotary President Kevin Noll said he sees the community need every time he drives to work. “More and more families cannot afford to buy a new winter coat for their child. It’s sad to see a child on the side of the road waiting to get onto a bus without the bare essentials of a winter coat, something most of us take for granted. It’s not a good way to start their day.”

Breitlauch said the weather also plays a part in that equation. “The weather experts are suggesting that 2014-15 will exceed 2013-14 in cold and snow. There is a real sense of urgency.”

Donors who would like to support Rotary’s work can contribute toward future coat purchases—$20 per coat or $102 for a case of six—at gofundme.com/hmipbo or by contacting Breitlauch at ksbvet@ptd.net or (610) 390-0351.

History of service
This isn’t the first time West End Rotary has spearheaded the program. In 2010, the club purchased 128 new coats and repeated the effort for another relief organization the following year.

Other projects have followed. Over the past three years, the club has donated a stair chair to West End Community Ambulance, water-rescue equipment for the Jackson Township Volunteer Fire Co., thermal imaging software for Blue Ridge Hook & Ladder Co. and dictionaries to every third grade student in the Pleasant Valley School District.

West End Rotary meets for breakfast at 7:30 a.m. on most Thursdays at the Western Pocono Community Library in Brodheadsville. The public is welcome to attend.

We hope you had a great Thanksgiving. We're now in the holiday season and this month will go by all too quickly. But around all of your activities, try to keep Thursday morning open for our club meetings. Jim Mannello is in charge of speakers this month and he’s thrilled with the lineup:

• Thursday December 4- Kelly Gillow from Country Home Learning & Art Center will not only speak to us, but we'll do some fun holiday decorations with her. You don't want to miss that.
• Thursday December 11- Randy Detrick will be our speaker. He's the owner of Blue Ridge Wineries located in Saylorsburg. Great guy, full of energy. Should be fun.
• Thursday December 18 - Eric McWhirter of MCW Custom Woodcraft in Brodheadsville will speak to us about custom wood floors, cabinets, signs and other wood creations. Jim has seen his work and reports it’s beautiful and creative.

Enjoy this special month and get your Thursdays off to a fun start by making our meetings. Hope to see you there, 7:30 a.m. in the community room of the Western Pocono Community Library.

Mehmet Barzev, center, representing West End Community Ambulance, accepts a nearly $3,000 donation from West End Rotary Club President Kevin Noll, left, and the club’s Foundation Chair Honi Gruenberg.

A donation from the West End Rotary Club is helping the sick and injured get out of tight places.

To help it maneuver patients in confined spaces, West End Community Ambulance is purchasing stair chairs that help responders safely navigate homes that cannot accommodate a stretcher.

“West End Community Ambulance responds to more than 3,000 calls a year,” said Honi Gruenberg, the club’s foundation chair. “They have four Stair-PRO chairs but need two more so they will have a chair for every ambulance."

The Rotary donation of $2,976 will enable the EMS organization to equip a fifth ambulance with that piece of equipment. Gruenberg helped secure club funds and a grant from Rotary District 7410 to purchase the chair.

The Stair-PRO chair uses bulldozer-type tracks to safely glide over stairs. It can accommodate patients weighing up to 500 pounds in narrow passageways, stairs or basements where a stretcher is unable to reach.

Patients aren’t the only ones who will benefit from the donation, said Mehmet Barzev of the ambulance organization. “The Stair-PRO uses the conventional chair design with the addition of bulldozer tracks to transfer the weight of the patient to the stairs, rather than to the back of the rescuers moving the patient. This is important to EMS personnel because the majority of EMS-related injuries are due to lifting and moving patients. There are few times a responder is more vulnerable than when traversing stairs.

“When used properly,” he added, “this device can revolutionize how EMS gets patients from their homes, with minimal risk to the patient and to those moving the patient.”

West End Rotary is a service club that meets for breakfast most Thursdays at 7:30 a.m. in the Western Pocono Community Library. The public is invited to attend.

Want to network with your peers while giving something back to the community? West End Rotary has the event for you. The club will hold a mixer from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13, at Cherry's Sunset Diner in Kresgeville. As club President Kevin Noll puts it, “This is a wonderful event for exchanging ideas, promoting community initiative and diversifying your network.” Drop by and see how you can make a difference in your community and your career.

(Erin Gallagher – Stars & Moon Photography)

Get your sweet tooth running. Cake and cars will dominate the field at this year’s West End Rotary Oktoberfest and Car Show.

Hundreds of people and vehicles are expected to attend the sixth-annual event rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 19 at American Legion Post 927 on Route 209 at Fairgrounds Road in Gilbert.

Rotary's Oktoberfest will feature authentic German music and food, including full-course meals and a pig roast. Highlights include an old-fashioned cakewalk, biergarten and tricky tray. Admission to the event is free. Lunch platters are available at $12 for adults and $5 for children. A la carte menu items and a full cash bar are also available. Tickets may be purchased at the door.

For more information on Oktoberfest, contact Karin Susan Breitlauch at ksbvet@ptd.net or (610) 390-0351.

While the food and beer flow inside the hall, West End Rotary will stage a classic car show on the legion grounds. Complimentary bagels and coffee will be served to car show participants during registration from 10 a.m. to noon, with Peoples' Choice voting until 1 p.m. Prizes will be awarded at 3 p.m., with dash plaques given to the first 150 vehicles.

Car classes run from pre-1940 through the present and include stock and custom vehicles, rods, trucks, motorcycles and works in progress. This year’s event will feature open parking rather than groupings by class, while car clubs can exhibit as a group.

Admission to the car show is free. Those who wish to exhibit their vehicles can register for $10 before Oct. 4 and $12 after that, or at the door. The club is offering special pricing and parking for car clubs with 10 or more preregistered entries. Call Ed Gallagher at (610) 657-6196 for details.

Each car show registrant will receive two free cakewalk tickets. A downloadable version of the registration form is available on the right-hand side of this website.

Proceeds from the event will help fund the Burnley Workshop and a program called Operation Warm that distributes new coats to local children.

West End Rotary meets for breakfast at 7:30 a.m. on most Thursdays at the Western Pocono Community Library in Brodheadsville. You are welcome to attend.

Marge Myler, West End Rotary’s polio ambassador, shakes hands with Miles, the mascot for the Monroe County Transit Authority, this week at the West End Fair. Both our organization and the Pocono Pony are providing transportation services at the fair—we’re supplying wheelchairs for those who need mobility while the transit authority provides bus service. As a polio survivor, Marge plays a large and serious role in the club’s outreach efforts but in typically modest fashion she says of this photo, “You can say we were just horsing around at the fair.”

Marge Myler, left, and Joanie Loveless offer comfortable mobility to visitors at the West End Fair through the West End Rotary Club’s wheelchair project.

     To help people navigate the West End Fair with ease, West End Rotary will once again provide wheelchairs at the annual event, August 24-30 at the fairgrounds, Route 209 and Fairgrounds Road, Gilbert. The Rotary booth is located to the left of the main entrance on Farm Machinery Road.
    Both conventional and motorized chairs will be available. For manual chairs, a suggested donation of $5 for the first four hours and $2 an hour thereafter helps to fund the club’s non-profit activities in the community. Guests are asked to leave a driver’s license or other photo ID and a cell phone number in case they are late in returning the chairs.
    This is the 19th year West End Rotary will provide mobility at the fair. The project began in 1995 when members cleaned and donated a truckload of medical equipment to hospitals in Poland. By the end of the project, members decided to bring the initiative closer to home by providing access to fairgoers. All wheelchairs are donated by local medical equipment suppliers or individuals who no longer need them.
    In addition to the project at the fair, West End Rotary offers community members several opportunities for camaraderie and public service. The club meets at 7:30 a.m. on Thursdays in the community room of the Western Pocono Community Library, Route 115 in Brodheadsville.

 

West End Rotary’s outgoing President Debbie Borger, left, distributes awards for club service during the organization’s annual installation event. Honi Gruenberg, second from left, received the Service Above Self award for her work in promoting the Foundation of Rotary International. Three club members were made Paul Harris Fellows: Debbie Borger, Joey Krawitz, second from right, and Zena Keller, right. Jeff Widmer, not pictured, received the Rotarian of the Year award. Congratulations to all of our award-winners.

West End Rotary is doing its part to train today’s youth for tomorrow’s challenges.

Flanked by parents Pam and Dave Shay, Pius X junior Lyndsey Shay shares her leadership training experience with members of the West End Rotary Club. The club sponsored Lyndsey’s attendance at RYLA, Rotary International’s leadership program for young adults. After hearing from cancer survivors and an NFL player, students worked in groups to overcome limitations and grow their skills. Some 80 young adults participated in the annual week-long program at Keystone College in La Plume.

At Pius X, Lyndsey participates in student government, SADD, peer tutoring and basketball.

Why don't you join us? West End Rotary meets at 7:30 a.m. on Thursdays in the community room of the Western Pocono Community Library, Route 209 in Brodheadsville.

 

Newly installed WER President Kevin Noll kicked membership into high gear this week with a program to reward Rotarians and their guests. If a club member invites a guest to a meeting, the member and the guest will each receive a $25 gift card to restaurant.com. It’s a great way to introduce the community to the club. The first recipient was Kevin’s guest, Dawn Daignault, who works for the Human Resource Center in Effort. The gift drew an immediate response from Dawn, who has offered to serve as a speaker at a future meeting.

Hundreds of people and vehicles are expected to attend the sixth-annual West End Rotary Oktoberfest and Car Show. The rain-or-shine event will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 19 at American Legion Post 927 on Route 209 at Fairgrounds Road in Gilbert. View and print the event flyer and car show registration form at right under the "Download" heading.

Kevin Noll became West End Rotary's newest president during an installation ceremony July 10. Fellow officers and directors for the 2014-15 Rotary Year include, from left: Diana Cardwell, Kevin Noll, Honi Gruenberg, Dave Pierce, Deborah Borger, Jim Mannello, Ed Gallagher and Karin Breitlauch.

 

West End Rotary has installed new leadership for the 2014-15 year. Officers and directors include:

President - Kevin Noll
President Elect - Debby York
Past President - Debbie Borger
Vice President - Ed Gallagher
Service Projects - Jim Mannello
Publicity - Zena Keller, co-chair Jeff Widmer
Administration - Joey Krawitz
Membership - Karin Breitlauch
Treasurer - Frank Mullane
Secretary - Diana Cardwell
Youth Services - Elaine Ackoryd-Kelly, co-chair Joanie Loveless
Rotary Foundation - Honi Gruenberg

Western Pocono Community Library Director Carol Kern, left, accepts a $1,000 donation from the West End Rotary Club to help the library retire its mortgage. Presenting the donation for the club are, from left, Debbie Borger, president, and Karin Breitlauch. The library hopes to raise $35,000 to pay off the note by Sept. 17. The club raised the money through a variety of fundraising events, efforts, including its annual Oktoberfest and Car Show and a Bingo event that features Longaberger baskets and handbags by Vera Bradley and Coach.

 

Jill Salvi, left, director of West End Missions in Gilbert, accepts a $1,000 donation from the West End Rotary Club to help displaced and low-income individuals and families. Presenting the donation for the club are, from left, Debbie Borger, president, and Joey Krawitz. West End Missions provides transitional and temporary housing, a soup kitchen, counseling and resources to help its clients re-establish themselves in the community. The organization provides about 65 full-course meals each week, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Gilbert.

To help the Valor Clinic Foundation of Brodheadsville fund its new homeless and recovery center in Polk Township, West End Rotary President Debbie Borger, right, presents a $2,500 donation to Valor’s Mark Baylis. The money will help to fund the Maj. Paul Syverson Veterans Sanctuary at the former Hotel Jonas, as well as outreach programs for homeless veterans. The shelter will provide housing, supervision and basic and job-search skills for up to 15 people at a time. Valor will hold a homeless outreach program from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 10, at Dansbury Park in East Stroudsburg.

You don’t need a weatherman to tell you it’s time to beat the winter doldrums by getting out of the house, but you may want a Coach—the iconic handbag maker, that is. This January the West End Rotary Club offers the perfect solution to cabin fever when it hosts its sixth annual Basket Bingo event with a glamorous new addition.

To its lineup of baskets by Longaberger and bags by Vera Bradley, the club is adding items by Coach, the company that helped create the accessible luxury market with classic, well-made handbags that now average nearly $300 apiece.    Also making its debut this year will be the 1996 Holiday Hostess Yuletide Treasures basket with protector, liner, lid and wrought-iron stand, also valued at nearly $300. It joins a group of new and retired Longaberger specialty collectables, many of which are difficult to find.

Scheduled for Sunday, January 26, West End Rotary’s Basket Bingo kicks off the non-profit’s fundraising season with a new selection of baskets, bags and accessories. Doors at the West End Fire Hall in Brodheadsville open at noon and the competition starts at 1 p.m. Lunch, desserts and beverages will be available throughout the afternoon. Admission is $25 and seating is limited.

The event will feature 20 regular games, four specials, a cover-all, raffle and consolation prizes, with some more than 30 items up for grabs. As in previous years, the club will fill all of the baskets with additional prizes. Gift certificates to area businesses will be distributed as door prizes.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Valor Clinic Foundation and West End Missions. Brodheadsville-based Valor Clinic Foundation provides access to healthcare and shelter for nation’s veterans. West End Missions provides transitional housing, a soup kitchen and resources to displaced and low-income individuals and families.

West End Rotary has a history of helping those who help others. In previous years, the club has raised money for a fire-hazard monitor for the Jackson Township Volunteer Fire Co., ice rescue suits for Polk Township firefighters, a thermal imaging scanner upgrade for the Blue Ridge Hook & Ladder Co., signage for the Kunkletown Volunteer Fire Co. and a public address system for the Western Pocono Community Library.

Those who cannot attend the event but would like to help Rotary and the community can sponsor a basket in the name of their business or family by contacting any West End Rotarian.

Tickets may be purchased in advanced at Creature Comforts Veterinary Center in Saylorsburg, West End Happenings in Gilbert and First Northern Bank & Trust branches in Gilbert, Sciota, Stroudsburg and Tannersville. Tickets will also be sold at the door as long as seats remain.

A fundraiser to help Linda Kozic will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Pocono Mountains Municipal Airport. The rain date is Sunday, Oct. 20. Called Wings for Linda, the fly-in/drive-in event will feature food, drinks and live music. There will be exhibits of aircraft, antique cars and tractors; a Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department K-9 demonstration at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., hay rides and face painting.

Admission is a $20 donation per person, with children 12 and under admitted for free with a paying adult. Airplane rides will be available for a $25 donation per person and helicopter rides for a $50 donation per person.

Linda was shot and her husband Jerry killed by a gunman on Aug. 29 at a Ross Township municipal meeting. She faces more surgeries and a lengthy rehabilitation.

 

West End Rotarian Elaine Ackroyd-Kelly leads the festivities during the club’s Oktoberfest and Car Show

A slice of traditional German culture returns to Monroe County on Sunday, October 20 when the West End Rotary Club hosts its fifth annual Oktoberfest and Car show. The event runs rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at a new location—American Legion Post 927 on Route 209 at Fairgrounds Road in Gilbert.

Rotary's Oktoberfest will feature authentic German food, hand-pressed cider, music and pig roast. Highlights include an old-fashioned cakewalk and tricky tray. Admission to the event is free. Lunch platters are available at $12 for adults and $5 for children. A la carte menu items and a full cash bar are also available. Tickets may be purchased at the door.

For more information on Oktoberfest, call Karen Breitlauch at ksbvet@ptd.net or (610) 390-0351.

While the food and beer flow inside the hall, West End Rotary will stage a classic car show on the legion grounds. Complimentary bagels and coffee will be served to car show participants during registration from 10 a.m. to noon, with Peoples' Choice voting until 1 p.m. Prizes will be awarded at 3 p.m., with dash plaques given to the first 150 vehicles.

Car classes run from pre-1940 through the present and include stock and custom vehicles, rods, trucks, motorcycles and works in progress. This year’s event will feature open parking rather than groupings by class.

Admission to the car show is free. Those who wish to exhibit their vehicles can purchase tickets for $12 at the door.

Each car show registrant will receive a $2 voucher for an Oktoberfest meal or a la carte menu items. A downloadable version of the registration form is available at the West End Rotary website at www.westendrotary.org/.

Call Ed Gallagher at (610) 657-6196 for more information about the car show.

Proceeds from the event will benefit West End community organizations.

West End Rotary meets for breakfast at 7:30 a.m. on Thursdays at the Western Pocono Community Library in Brodheadsville. Its new PM Fellowship Club meets at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays at Cherry’s Sunset Diner in Kresgeville.

West End Rotary will host a business networking event from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10 at Cherry’s Sunset Restaurant in Kresgeville. Club members are asked to discuss their business as well as Rotary. We’re also asked to invite two people to the event. Hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar will be available. Reservations are recommended. For more information contact Karin Breitlauch at ksbvet@ptd.net or (610) 390-0351.

To give visitors hands-on experience with its service projects, West End Rotary demonstrated the ShelterBox emergency shelter at the West End Fair this year. ShelterBox provides lifesaving supplies for families around the world who are affected by disasters, at the time when they need it the most. Each large, green ShelterBox is tailored to a disaster but typically contains a disaster relief tent for an extended family, blankets, groundsheets, water storage and filtration equipment, cooking utensils, a basic tool kit, a children’s activity pack and other vital items.
 

Marge Myler, West End Rotarian and unofficial ambassador for the club's wheelchair project, staffs the booth at this year's West End Fair. Marge and dozens of other club members, family and friends provided mobility for more than 70 fairgoers over a seven-day span. The club has provided wheelchairs for a nominal donation for years.

Jackson Township Volunteer Fire Co. Safety Officer Keith Elliott, left, accepts a check for $2,000 from West End Rotary member Diana Cardwell and President Debbie Borger. Firefighters will use the money to purchase water-rescue equipment. A previous club donation allowed the fire company to buy a five-gas analyzer that helps protect firefighters from toxic and explosive gasses. The club raised funds for the recent donation through its Oktoberfest and Car Show last year. This year’s event will be held on Sunday, Oct. 20 at the American Legion post on Fairgrounds Road in Gilbert.

First Northern Bank & Trust will be accepting donations on behalf of the Ross Township Victims Relief Fund. Checks may be made payable to Ross Township Victims Relief Fund and dropped off at any branch or mailed to: First Northern Bank, PO Box 510, Sciota PA 18354.

This fund will be divided equally between the families of the three victims. If someone specifies a family with their donation, it will be kept separate and be given directly to that family.

If you have questions, contact Zena Keller.

Three rising high school juniors from the West End participated in ropes courses, talent shows and college discussions during the annual Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program, held July 7-11 at Keystone College in La Plume. Sponsored by the West End Rotary Club, the students are, from left, Rachel Brunnquell of Effort, Ryan Conway of Kunkletown and Erin Gallagher of Saylorsburg. Rachel and Ryan attend Pius X High School in Bangor. Erin attends the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts in Bethlehem. RYLA is Rotary International's leadership training program for young people.

 

 

 

West End Rotary Club member Joanie Loveless, left, receives the 2012-13 Service Above Self award from Past President Jill Rehrig for contributions to the club and the community. She was honored at the club's weekly breakfast meeting.

 

District Gov. Irene Carey welcomes Debbie Borger as West End Rotary's president for the 2013-14 Rotary Year at the club's annual installation dinner.

Rich Cherry, owner of Cherry's Sunset Restaurant in Kresgeville, becomes the newest member of West End Rotary as outgoing President Jill Rehrig presents him with his pin. The induction ceremony was held at Rich's restaurant.

 

First row, from left: Jeff Widmer, Karin-Susan Breitlauch, Karen Ecke, Honi Gruenberg, Jill Rehrig (behind the lectern), Irene Carey and Joey Krawitz. Second row: Jim Mannello, Kevin Noll, Debbie Borger, Elaine Ackroyd-Kelly, Bob Wehe, Diana Cardwell, Frank Mullane and Dave Pierce.

West End Rotary celebrated its 25th anniversary with the installation of a new slate of officers for the 2013-2014 Rotary year.

Officers include Debbie Borger, president; Kevin Noll, president-elect; Jim Mannello, vice president; Diana Cardwell, secretary; Frank Mullane, treasurer; Dave Pierce, sergeant-at-arms. Also serving on the board as immediate past president is Jill Rehrig.

Directors include Jeff Widmer, public relations; Karin-Susan Breitlauch, membership; Jim Mannello, service projects; Joey Krawitz, club administration, Honi Gruenberg and Karen Ecke, Rotary Foundation; and Elaine Ackroyd-Kelly, youth services.

The team was installed by District Gov. Irene Carey and Past District Gov. Bob Wehe.

As outgoing president, Rehrig inducted a new member—Rich Cherry, owner of Cherry’s Sunset Restaurant in Kresgeville—and presented awards to several members: Joanie Loveless, service above self award, and Jeff Widmer, Rotarian of the year. Rehrig and Theresa Yocum were awarded Paul Harris fellowships, one of Rotary’s highest honors. Diana Cardwell received an award for the longest-running stretch of perfect attendance—19 years.

West End Rotary offers community members many opportunities for camaraderie and public service. The AM club meets at 7:30 a.m. most Thursdays at the Western Pocono Community Library, Route 115 in Brodheadsville. The PM Fellowship Club meets at 7:30 p.m. most Thursdays at Cherry’s Sunset Restaurant, Route 209, in Kresgeville.

 

The District 7410 Nominating Committee has selected Karin Susan Breitlauch, Rotary Club of the West End, and Ray Petty, Rotary Club of Trail, for the prestigious Rotarian of the Year Award. Here Karin receives the award from Past District Governor Paul O'Malia, left, and District Governor Art Peoples.

West End Rotary has named its slate of officers and board members for 2013-14. They are:

• Debbie Borger, President
• Kevin Noll, President-elect
• Jim Manello, Vice president
• Diana Cardwell, Secretary
• Frank Mullane, Treasurer
• Jill Rehrig, Immediate past president
• Dave Pierce, Sergeant-at-arms
• Joey Krawitz, Club Administration
• Karen Ecke and Honi Gruenberg, Rotary Foundation
• Jeff Widmer and Zena Keller, Club Public Relations
• Karin Breitlauch, Membership
• Elaine Ackroyd-Kelly and Jim Manello, New Generations
• Elaine Ackroyd-Kelly and Jim Manello, Service Projects

Want to experience the camaraderie of Rotary but can’t make the breakfast meeting? Starting in June, the West End Rotary PM Fellowship Club will meet almost every Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Cherry’s Restaurant, Route 209, Kresgeville. The club combines socializing with service in an informal setting. Join us.

              DGE Irene Carey

The West End Rotary Club board took a number of actions this month. Here are the calendar highlights:

• Starting in June, the PM Fellowship Club will meet at 7:30 p.m. Thursday's at Cherry's Restaurant, route 209, Kresgeville.
• There will be no meetings, AM or PM, on Thursday, July 4 because of the holiday.
• The installation of officers and directors will be held on Thursday, July 11 at Cherry’s. There will be no AM or PM meetings that day.
• District Governor Irene Carey will pay her official visit to the club on Thursday, July 18.
• Starting in July, board meetings will be held at 6 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month, location TBD.
• Also starting in July, Club Assembly will be held on the fourth Thursday of each month.
• The Oktoberfest and Car Show will be held on Sunday, October 20 at the American Legion, Route 209, Gilbert (near the entrance to the West End Fair).
• The 5k Bear Run and Fun Walk will be held in the spring of 2014.

Daryll Speicher of the Monroe County Environmental Education Center talks about backyard habitats for birds with Karen Ecke and members of the West End Rotary Club.

 

Three Pleasant Valley High School juniors have won the 2013 West End Rotary Essay Contest.

The winners are: Nina Rose M. Giambalvo, first place; Rachel Wenrich, second, and Katheryn Hull, third. The students received certificates of achievement and monetary awards in the amounts of $150, $100 and $75, respectively. They were honored at the regular Thursday breakfast meeting of the club in Brodheadsville by club members and Pleasant Valley High School Principal John Gress.

The club has forwarded the first-place essay to Rotary International District 7410, where it will be judged along with the essays from approximately 50 high schools in Northeast Pennsylvania. The district essay awards will be presented in June. Some 100 students entered the West End essay contest. This year’s topic was “Describe your personal role model and how that person influenced you to make a difference in your community.”

Nina Rose Giambalvo selected her mother, Tracey, as her role model and indicated that her parents “felt it was an important value to contribute to the family and neighborhood because charity starts at home and our neighborhood is important to our home.” Nina volunteers for several organizations including the LEO and KEY clubs at her high school, Wesley Enhanced Living, Mrs. Bush’s Personal Care Homes and AWSOM, the Animal Welfare Society of Monroe County. She is a member of the Pocono Medical Explorers, a junior sergeant-at-arms for the American Legion Unit 928 and is active in the local Italian heritage group.

Rachel Wenrich wrote that her role model, actor Jennifer Lawrence, inspired her “to volunteer for something that you are passionate about,” which in her case is volunteering at an animal shelter, the Special Olympics, helping to build a memorial garden, participating in Relay for Life, donating her clothing to families in need and teaching children to ride horses through the Equi-Librium program for disabled youth.

Katheryn Hull wrote that her older brother was her personal role model and inspired her to participate in her community by volunteering at a daycare center, and teaching autistic children to ride horses at the local Equi-Librium horse farm.

“Rotary sponsor programs such as the essay contest because they help students improve their writing abilities, self-confidence and leadership skills,” said essay contest Chair Elaine Ackroyd-Kelly. “It also encourages young people to embrace community service early in their lives and careers.” Those comments were echoed by West End Rotary Club President Jill Rehrig, who thanked school officials and parents for stressing the importance of those values.

West End Rotary is part of Rotary International, a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service and encourages high ethical standards in all vocations. At the local level the club conducts several fundraisers to support students, firefighters, police, libraries, the Pleasant Valley Ecumenical Network and other organizations within the community.

The club meets at 7:30 a.m. most Thursdays at the Western Pocono Community Library in Brodheadsville.

Antique planes and cars come together on Sunday, May 26 when the Mt. Pocono Rotary Club sponsors its annual Fly-in, Drive-in Breakfast at the Pocono Mountains Municipal Airport in Mount Pocono. The show runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. rain or shine.

This year Aviation Day wil feature static displays, military airplanes, refreshments and the Pocono Raceway pace car. Airplane and helicopter rides are available. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. the Young Eagles EAA Program will offer free rides to children ages 8-17.

The event is also sponsored by Baileys Rib and Steakhouse and Smuggler's Cove. It is hosted by the Pocono Mountains Airport Authority and Moyer Aviation. Proceeds will benefit Rotary causes including Polio Plus and the Pocono Mountain Public Library.

Monroe County Controller Marlo Merhige speaks to the West End Rotary Club about the system of checks and balances in government.

 

West End Rotarians Honi Lynn Gruenberg, left, and Karin Susan Breitlauch, right, receive multiple honors from past Rotary International President Luis Vicente Giay at the Rotary Foundation dinner in Tunkhannock. The club was recognized for its ongoing contributions to Rotary Foundation’s $200 million Polio Plus challenge to eradicate the disease worldwide and other charitable giving, including the Every Rotarian Every Year project. Honi leads that project for the West End Club. A native of Argentina, Past President Giay chairs the Rotary Foundation and the Rotary Global Peace Forums.

With a full list of great speakers for March, West End Rotary will hold its club assembly via email after the monthly board meeting. Attend the board meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 21 at Mangia Baby (and the Fellowship Club meeting that starts at 5 p.m. at the same location), or watch your inbox for details.

There's an easy way to support the work of the Rotary Foundation. Rotary International calls it Every Rotarian Every Year. Each year every Rotarian is asked to contribute $100 to Foundation. Our club makes it even easier by matching your contribution up to $50. Our goal is to achieve 100% participation this year. Please write your check for $50 to Rotary Foundation and give it to Honi before March 31.

Club President Jill Rehrig pins the lapel of Linda Salas-Mamary to welcome her as a member of West End Rotary. Linda is the area director at Riverside Rehabilitation. Her classification is occupational therapist.

The same day West End Rotary inducted Jennifer May into the evening Fellowship Club. Her classification is advisor and her sponsor is Jill Rehrig. Jennifer works at the PA CareerLink center in Tannersville as an employment counselor. Prior to that she worked as an instructor and admissions counselor at Lehigh Carbon Community College. She has a masters of education degree from DeSales University and a B.S. degree in education from West Chester University.

Please be sure to give a warm welcome to our newest members.

Twenty-five years ago, nearly two dozen people banded together to form the West End Rotary Club. Over the years the club has donated thousands of dollars to local organizations, thousands of hours to service projects and countless hours of leadership training for its members.

Sponsored by the Rotary club of the Stroudsburgs and chartered on Jan. 29, 1988, West End Rotary was one of the first Rotary clubs in the world to be chartered with a female officer. Four of the club's 22 charter members were women, the first such charter members in the district. Those members were Terri Zinn, Leona Wood, Jacquelyn Hallas and Patricia Slutter.

The club was founded by Wes Brush, Bob Wilson and Ron Dietrich. In addition to Wes, Ron, Terri and Leona, officers and directors included Tom Kresge, Parker Lindsay, Michael Scovil, Stan Roberts, Ross Blakeslee and Jeff Cohen.

Join us at our regular meeting--7:30 a.m. most Thursdays at the Western Pocono Community Library--to see how Rotary can help you better your community and your business.

Members of the West End Rotary Club turned out in force for their annual Vera Bradley/Longaberger Basket Bingo, held the Sunday before the Super Bowl each year at the West End Fire Hall in Brodheadsville. This year, proceeds from the event will benefit Breast Friends, the Western Pocono Community Library and the many local organizations on the club's Community Wish List.

We had a solid turnout for West End Rotary's annual Vera Bradley/Longaberger Basket Bingo. In the photo, Lindsey Dorshimer of Stroudsburg wins her second prize of the afternoon, presented by Rotarian Kevin Noll.

Twenty-five years ago, nearly two dozen people banded together to form the West End Rotary Club. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, West End Rotary will host a charter dinner on Tuesday, Jan. 29 at the Scorecard, 130 N. Broadway in Wind Gap. Cocktails start at 6 p.m. with dinner at 7 p.m.

Dinner selections include a choice of New York strip steak, grilled salmon or chicken parmigiana. The cost is $25 per person.

Please RSVP Karin Breitlauch by calling or texting (610) 390-2013 or sending email to ksbvet@ptd.net by Jan. 21 and indicate your menu selection.

Sponsored by the Rotary club of the Stroudsburgs and chartered on Jan. 29, 1988, West End Rotary was one of the first Rotary clubs in the world to be chartered with a female officer. Four of the club's 22 charter members were women, the first such charter members in the district. Those members were Terri Zinn, Leona Wood, Jacquelyn Hallas and Patricia Slutter.

The club was founded by Wes Brush, Bob Wilson and Ron Dietrich. In addition to Wes, Ron, Terri and Leona, officers and directors included Tom Kresge, Parker Lindsay, Michael Scovil, Stan Roberts, Ross Blakeslee and Jeff Cohen.

If you have any stories or pictures to share with the group, please send them to Karin. She will assemble a photo montage. Digital media is preferred but actual photos could be used and returned after the event.

Bart Springer believes that learning is a lifelong activity. A member of the Jim Thorpe Rotary Club, he shared his passion, and his reading list, at a recent meeting of the West End club.

Bart, who with his wife Meriel owns Crave restaurant in the Albright Mansion, listed several resources for people who would like to improve their attitude and performance. His top-five books:

1. Personality Plus, Littauer
2. How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling, Bettger
3. How to Have Confidence and Power in Dealing with People, Biglin
4. Resolved, Woodward
5. The Ant and the Elephant, Poscente

A past president of the Jim Thorpe Chamber of Commerce, Bart also talked about another resource, the Mental Fitness Challenge series of books and videos. And he issued a challenge to West End Rotarians: gauge your mental fitness by taking a test at TakeYourChallenge.net.

Karl and Jane Kirchhofer, owners of a 1916 Model T Touring car, stand with West End Rotary President Jill Rehrig after winning the President's Choice Award at the service club's Oktoberfest and Car Show in Kresgeville. Hundreds of people and cars showed for the annual festival of fun, food and German music. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Western Pocono Community Library, Jackson Township Fire Co. and other community organizations.

After attending West End Rotary's first Fellowship Club meeting in September, Chris Raab of C&A Industries, Inc. has submitted her application for membership. More good news: Dorothy Thorton, the manager at Luna Rossa's Cafe, attended our second Fellowship Club meeting and has asked for an application. Keep up the good work, Rotarians.

On a related note, the club is revamping its bylaws to accommodate satellites clubs.

West End Rotary isn’t just for breakfast anymore. The service organization has expanded its offerings by adding an evening meeting for business people who’d rather service their community when fully awake.

“We’re extending Rotary’s community outreach to new members whose schedules don’t allow them to attend a breakfast meeting,” said Jill Rehrig, the club’s president and principal organizer of the PM Fellowship Club. “The new schedule offers greater flexibility. Members can choose to meet in the morning or the evening.”

The club has traditionally met for breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Thursdays at the Western Pocono Community Library in Brodheadsville. The new branch of the club meets at 5:30 p.m. Thursdays.

The new meeting time also offers greater possibilities for community service, she said. Over the past few years West End Rotary has held several high-profile fundraisers, including a Vera Bradley/Longaberger Basket Bingo the Sunday before the Super Bowl and its Oktoberfest and Car Show at the Polk Township Fire Hall. With those proceeds the club has purchased equipment for local firefighters, coats for children in need and dictionaries for every third grader in the Pleasant Valley School District. It has also supported regional projects such as the new Dale and Frances Hughes Cancer Center in East Stroudsburg.

For more information contact Jill Rehrig at (570) 778-3846.

Polio survivor Marge Myler, left, and West End Rotary Club member Joanie Loveless provide wheelchairs at this year's West End Fair in Brodheadsville, Pa., USA. For a nominal donation of $5 the club offers greater comfort and mobility to visitors.

Past District Governor Budd O'Malia presents Past President Karin Breitlauch and the West End Rotary Club with Rotary International's Presidential Citation for outstanding community service work. We are the only club in District 7410 to receive the award for the 2011-2012 Rotary Year. Our club has donated new coats to local children, equipment to first responders and dictionaries to every third-grade student in the Pleasant Valley School District, among other projects. Increasing membership and attendance also figure into RI's formula for granting the citations.

The Olympics may have ended but it's the students from Pleasant Valley Intermediate School who are taking home the medals for helping the West End Rotary Club raise money for charity through its annual holiday card project. Front, from left, Zach Koshinsky, Audra Jarecki and Shannon Simpson hold the plaques, art kits and packs of cards printed from the designs they submitted during an awards ceremony at the club's breakfast meeting. Standing behind them, from left, are Melinda Ludwig, PV Intermediate School art teacher; Honi Gruenberg, Rotary's holiday card project coordinator; and West End Rotary President Jill Rehrig. Each year West End Rotary commissions artwork from PV students to grace its holiday cards, which are sold throughout the region to raise money for community projects.

Dolores Everitt, center, council director for Girls on the Run, accepts a donation of $1,200 from West End Rotarian Jim Mannello and club President Jill Rehrig to benefit the organization's West End program. Girls on the Run builds self-esteem in girls ages 8-12 by incorporating life training and exercise. West End Rotary raised the money from its 5k Bear Run and Fun Walk in June.

 

The 5th annual 5K Bear run and fun walk was a huge success. Thanks to all who participated. Over 160 people showed up and had a good time. Proceeds from the race will benefit Girls on the Run, a non-profit program that helps pre-teen girls deal with the pressures of growing up, and helps them to have the courage and confidence to make good life choices.
   We appreciate all the support we received. The results are posted on this site. To view the results, just click on the download box on the right hand column of this webpage. If you see any results that are incorrect, please email Jim at manelo@ptd.net, and he will investigate the claim. Unfortunately, we were not able to differentiate runners from walkers in the results, except for the winning walkers. We apologize for that.

West End Rotary has honored founder Ron Dietrich and all Rotarians touched by cancer with a $1,000 contribution to the Dale & Frances Hughes Cancer Center in East Stroudsburg. The donation took place May 5 as the club joined the Pocono Health Foundation in a Cinco de Mayo fundraising event.

Thanks to sponsors The Hamilton Restaurant and Moe's Southwest Grill, all proceeds from tickets sales were also donated to the center.

“The club voted to donate money to the center due to the increased need in our community for this expanded center as well as the loss of one of our charter members, Ron Dietrich, to cancer,” said Rotarian and event chair Theresa Anthony Yocum, a member of the Pocono Health Foundation board and the capital campaign board for the new center.

“Everyone has been or will be touched by cancer in some way and this was our way of supporting this much needed expansion. Cancer is now the number one killer in Monroe County--it has surpassed heart attacks/disease and is expected to increase substantially in the next 10 years.”

The club raised the money during its annual Longaberger Basket Bingo in January.

Dietrich, who co-founded West End Rotary with Wes Brush and Bob Wilson, died on Jan. 1, 2010. He was the club's first full-time president, after provisional President Wes Brush. Together they chartered the club on Jan. 29, 1988.

Three Pleasant Valley High School students have won the annual West End Rotary Club scholarship competition.

Myranda Fredericks, Amber Butterfield and Alexis Telepo received checks for $100, $50 and $50 respectively at the club’s meeting on April 5. (See photo under Photo Journals, 2012 Scholarship Winners.)

This year the club asked students to describe their personal role model and discuss how that person influenced them to make a different in their community.

Myranda Fredericks wrote about her church’s youth group leader, who provides volunteer opportunities at camps and food banks. She said those programs and ones sponsored by West End Rotary benefit students as well as the community. “You get to share with people, help other people,” she said. “It might encourage them to give back, to make them more involved in their community.”

“Programs like this help students improve writing abilities, self-confidence and leadership skills,” said scholarship program coordinator Elaine Ackroyd-Kelly. “They also encourage people to embrace community service early in their careers. In fact, ‘New Generations’ is one of the five avenues of service in Rotary.”

Myranda Fredericks’ winning essay now moves to Rotary’s district level, where she will compete for a $1,000 scholarship.

West End Rotary raises money to benefit students, firefighters, libraries and others in the community. It is a part of Rotary International, a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service and encourages high ethical standards in all vocations.

If it's July it must be a new Rotary Year. For our newest members here's a list of officers and directors for 2012-2013:

Jill Rehrig, president
Debbie Borger, president-elect 
Theresa Yocum, vice president
Diana Cardwell, secretary
Frank Mullane, treasurer
Karin-Susan Breitlauch, past president
Joey Krawitz, club administrator
Dave Pierce, sergeant-at-arms
Jeff Widmer, public relations
Karen Ecke, Rotary Foundation
Elaine Ackroyd-Kelly, New Generations
Kevin Noll, service projects
Joanie Loveless, membership

For our newest members we offer West End Rotary's traditional table blessing before each meeting:

For these and all thy gifts of love
We give thee thanks and praise.
Look down our Father from above
And bless us all our days.

 

Greeter/Program Chair

 

July:  Debbie/Kevin
Aug:  Debby/Joanie
Sept: Diana/Karin
Oct:  Elaine/Debby
Nov:  Debbie/Joey
Dec:  Maureen/Jim
Jan:  Jim/Honi
Feb: Joey/OPEN
Mar: OPEN/Maureen
Apr: Debby/OPEN
May: Karin/OPEN
Jun: Debby/OPEN

 

 

 

 

 

New to our club and looking for information about Rotary programs and procedures? The club website (westendrotary.org) is the place to start. From the upper left-hand corner of the homepage, find "Links" and click on "For New Members." That will take you to the RI page for new Members. There you can view documents such as "Rotary Basics" and "What is Rotary?" You can watch a video about the organization and click on the "Member Responsibility" link for more info.

During its first ten years, the West End Rotary Club has made a difference in hundreds of ways. Find out how in a brief excerpt from the club's history book.

There are several ways to maintain your attendence by making up for a missed meeting. You can attend the meeting of another club. Or you can meet online--at Rotary eClub One http://www.rotaryeclubone.org/ or one of Rotary's 14 officially chartered e-clubs. View the list at www.rotary.org keyword "make-up" or visit http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/081222_news_howto.aspx

If you do a physical make-up, please give your card to Diana. If you do a virtual make-up please notify her at dirog@ptd.net