Cole Yoxall is passionate about environmental science, sustainable waste practices, and climate solutions. He has a Bachelor of Psychology from Seattle University. As a Waste Zero Specialist for Recology Sonoma Marin (RSM), Cole helps commercial, multi-family residential dwellings and school accounts meet compliance with California State Compost/Recycle Law SB 1383. He also helps meet diversion goals, as well as provide education, staff trainings and resources on RSM’s programs. Cole enjoys his job because he gets to work with the community to recover materials from the landfill and understand its positive impact on the environment. Cole has been with RSM since April 2023, before Recology Cole worked in community outreach for Sonoma County Resource Recovery, another waste hauling company.
Pat McEntee Introduces Know-Wildfire Inc.'s Early Wildfire Detection System
Our speaker for the November 14th meeting was Pat McEntee, a co-founder (along with Heather Dawson) of Know-Wildfire, Inc. Pat spent many years working in the internet, cloud computing, and resource venture worlds, including working at Oracle and as CEO of various companies. About 8 years ago he repurposed himself to working on the development of fire-wise communities. Pat believes that we are about 2 decades behind where we should be to be fully prepared for wildfires. Know-Wildfires (formerly No-Wildfires) is developing and implementing a system for the early detection of wildfires. Pat and Heather have spent their recent professional lives studying wildfires and have used that knowledge to help develop a very high-end system for early detection.
Between insurance payouts, diminished property values, and income loss, wildfires are an annual $893 billion problem. Extreme heat is driving the vast increase in wildfire devastation. The outside risk in a wildfire is extremely high. Personal safety is a serious concern. The lack of insurance can cause catastrophic personal loss to victims. Fire safety emergency systems are not perfect and haven’t yet adapted to the new normal. Sonoma County has its own challenges, including lots of hidden fuels in small valleys, 270-degree daily wind directions, wide humidity variation with extreme heat, and expanding ignition zones (grasslands, for example).
Know-Wildfire’s early detection system relies on a network of sensors using laser technology and working with satellite imagery and other environmental data that result in notifications of potential fires and fire risk. They are most effective when used in mesh network groups in high fire risk areas. The sensors continuously monitor the area and ensure rapid detection and precise alerts. The systems can be used by fire safety responders and private citizens who seek to protect themselves and their properties. They are extremely sensitive to environmental factors that result in fires, including smoke, burn piles and wind, and offer precise and nearly instantaneous alerts to allow quick responses. Pat gave us an example of a Glen Ellen detection network that uses 5 ChemNode nodes in a .33 square mile detection area. Every landowner can purchase a Know-Wildfire system and help protect their homes and property. Its community protection network now encompasses 100 square miles with 100 subscribers, 20 nodes, and several ignition zones.
Thank you, Pat, for the enlightening presentation. Pat and Heather are bringing much needed new technologies to combat the wildfires that cause such adverse impacts in California and other states. Well done and keep up the good work!
Click HERE to view the recording of Pat's presentation.
On a regular basis, our resident photo pro Warren Smith, submits pictures of what is going on at the weekly meetings. You can always find the most recent pictures at the websites photo journal called "Meeting Sighting" Please note that all the meeting photos for the entire Rotary year are at this location with the most recent on the last page.
Thanks for all the great pictures Warren!Link to Meeting Sightings. The most recent are on the last page!
Thanksgiving Address - Te karonia ne kon (words spoken before all others).
We give thanks to our mother, the earth, which sustains us.
We give thanks to the rivers and streams, which supply us with water.
We give thanks to all herbs,
which furnish medicines for the cure of our diseases.
We give thanks to the moon and stars,
that have given to us their light when the sun is gone.
We give thanks to the sun,
that has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye.
Lastly, we give thanks to the Great Spirit, in Whom is embodied all goodness,
and Who directs all things for the good of Her children.
*The Haudenosaunee Confederacy consists of 6 Iroquois nations:
Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tuscarora.
It is the oldest living democracy. Their Constitution, known as the Great Law of Peace (1142), influenced the democratic principles Included in the U.S. Constitution.
Thank you, Caroline for sharing these beautiful words. The full text is available should you want to contact Caroline or the editor.
Salvation Army Bell Ringing- ONLY A FEW SLOTS LEFT
Wow, how time flies! Soon we will be feasting on Turkey and all the sides and seeing Christmas decorations appear in the stores! That can only mean… It is Salvation Army Belling Ringing Time! See Scott's email to the club members on 11/18 for available time slots and to RSVP.
Our club has a long-standing tradition of volunteering to this very worthy endeavor and this year will be no exception. We have arranged to "ring the bell" at Safeway on Calistoga Road on December the 12th from 10:00am till 6:00pm. We will be covering both doors and will work in two-hour shifts of four Rotarian's per shift. I am sorry, but we have limited availability for volunteers. So, sign-up early. (can anyone beat Shauna to the punch)?
10 Reasons to Bell Ring during The Salvation Army Red Kettle Season
1. You’ll Be Part of Changing Lives: Bell Ringing is a great way to give a priceless gift of help, hope, and comfort to 1000’s of individuals and families who turn to The Salvation Army across Northern Michigan. The ringing of The Salvation Army bell is not just a sound of a bell...it’s the sound of curing hunger, the sound of Christmas to a child in need, the sound of a safe place for our neighbors to sleep. It is the sound of help, hope, and comfort to our neighbors when they need it most during the holidays and beyond.
2. Doing Good in Your Community! Every penny, nickel, dime, quarter, and dollar collected in your community stays local and supports local Salvation Army programs. By helping raise funds through a Red Kettle, you’re a neighbor helping your neighbors.
3. Impacting Neighbors. Did you know that donating 2 hours of your priceless time generates $80-$100+. That means 80+ meals or a safe warm home to a family for a month or providing 3 underprivileged children the opportunity to attend summer camp!
4. You’ll spread Christmas cheer. The Red Kettle bell is an iconic sound of the season. It really doesn’t feel like Christmas until you hear the first bell ringing. You can be a part of sharing holiday joy by providing the sounds of the season. You’ll put people in the Christmas spirit and you get to be right in the midst of the holiday bustle spreading joy. Get creative – dress up, sing Christmas Carols, bring your friends, family, or co-workers.
5. Hear Uplifting Stories from People Impacted by The Salvation Army! When people walk by the kettles, more often than not, they stop by with a story to tell. Whether they were once helped by The Salvation Army, used to volunteer or know someone who was a recipient of some sort of service, the stories they share are enlightening and uplifting.
6. Make New Friends and Warm the Heart.” You’ll get to meet lots of new people as you invite them to donate to your red kettle. Add to the fun by asking friends and family to ring a bell with you. You can even make it a new family tradition! For every time you thank someone for their donation you will be gratefully thanked for ringing the bell!
7. Know Your Impact! Our Red Kettle coordinators work hard to track daily Red Kettle donations and can share how much you and other ringers raised at a location! We want your donation of your priceless time to be as incredibly rewarding to you as an individual/group as it is to our programs and those we serve.
8. Christmas Fun! Christmas Caroling and Wacky Christmas Sweaters are some of the best parts of the holiday season. Nothing says, “It’s Christmastime” like hearing people singing or playing their favorite holiday tunes or dressed in their favorite Christmas Sweater, Santa or Mrs. Clause, elf or reindeer costume.
9. Channel You Competitive Side. It is easy to see have your efforts are paying off as your Red Kettle begins to fill. Set a personal goal of how many people you can get to stop at your Red Kettle or a personal fundraising goal.
10. Be part of a legacy. The Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign has been a Christmas tradition since 1891. Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee set out a kettle to raise funds to feed the hungry in San Francisco. Now, The Salvation Army and Red Kettles can be found
Apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?" – Reg, "The Life of Brian" (1979)
In 2007, the Rotary Club of Sofia-Balkan teamed up with the Bulgarian Basketball Federation and the National Sports Academy to form a basketball club for wheelchair users, and the project has kept growing. Over the years, the club has lured coaches from the European Wheelchair Basketball Federation to offer a player clinic, cultivated referee skills, and established a Rotary Community Corps to help. On 13 February, in conjunction with a Rotary zone event, the Bulgarian team faced off against a Serbian team for a friendly match. RI’s president at the time, Gordon McInally, sounded the starting whistle and tossed the ball into play. The club’s signature project is a point of pride for Rotarians, says Past Club President Krasimir Veselinov, and several organizations that advocate for people with disabilities have signed on to support the venture.
Kenya
Recognizing the importance of sleep to child development, the Rotary Club of Nairobi delivered bed kits for 8,000 school children in 2024, a milestone in a long-running project. Over the past 16 years, the club has partnered with Toronto-based charity Sleeping Children Around the World to supply bed kits to a total of 80,000 children at a cost of about $4 million, says club member Mumbi King. Each kit includes a mat or mattress, bedding, and mosquito netting, along with school supplies and clothing. The kits have an outsize influence on children’s lives, since better sleep improves health and school performance, King says. Twenty Nairobi Rotarians mobilized for the five-day delivery mission in February, serving the town of Naro Moru at the base of Mount Kenya and other villages, including in the Maasai Mara region. “The heat couldn’t keep the team from visiting the villages and interacting with the families,” says King.
This story originally appeared in the November 2024 issue of Rotary magazine.
Rotary projects make a difference in communities around the world.
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In 2007, the Rotary Club of Sofia-Balkan teamed up with the Bulgarian Basketball Federation and the National Sports Academy to form a basketball club for wheelchair users, and the project has kept growing. Over the years, the club has lured coaches from the European Wheelchair Basketball Federation to offer a player clinic, cultivated referee skills, and established a 
Recognizing the importance of sleep to child development, the Rotary Club of Nairobi delivered bed kits for 8,000 school children in 2024, a milestone in a long-running project. Over the past 16 years, the club has partnered with Toronto-based charity