Nestled off the coast of Northern California and deep in the Redwood forest, Sonoma Canopy Tours is high adventure and completely unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. With two unique courses, each a two-and-a-half hour Guided eco tour that include multiple zip lines, sky bridges, a majestic spiral staircase, a rappel to the forest floor, you will be immersed in the unparalleled beauty of the world famous California Coastal Redwoods.

Under the watchful eyes of Companion Dog Cleveland, Sunrise President Merle Hays opened our weekly meeting at the national headquarters of Canine Companions for Independence here in Santa Rosa.

It was near standing room only!

A couple reminders:  1.  Consider Sonoma County teenagers (15-20 years old) with an interest in Japan for our upcoming SRKSEP program this July 10 through August 6. Contact Shauna Lorenzen.  2.  This weekend's District Assembly in Ukiah.  Contact Rich Randolph.

CCI Communications Director Michelle Williams provided excellent background into CCI's history.  Dogs, nearly all Labradors. are selected due to their intelligence and great disposition.  Applicants for the highly trained dogs may have upto a three year wait.  Not all puppies bred for the training are accepted and demand for their adoption outpaces supply.  Life as a CCI candidate begins with the puppies' 8 week home stay.  Following this nursery, the pups come back to CCI for a six month boot camp where they learn up to 30 commands and further socializing.  A dog's active years may reach as many as 10.  After retirement, dogs may remain with their handler even with another Companion dog successor.  

Trainer Oz Robinson commands Golden Labrador Cleveland as well as Sunrise member's attention.

Cleveland speaks, respectfully.

Cleveland has learned retrieval tasks including keys to purses indoors as well as outdoors.

Max & Venus Childs's daughters Bridget & Cassidy enjoyed the demonstrations.

That's using your head Cleveland!

It was great to see Ross Andress!

 

Mike Kelly reports that the Peace Wall is currently at the Living Room and will be on view at the District Assembly.

 

President Merle Hayes

The Prez called attention to articles in the April issue of Rotarian magazine that feature District 5130 Rotarians on the cover-page with a double-page, full color spread and two multi-page articles. 

 

Wulff Reinhold, Governor of District 5130, is pictured as part of the lead story, “Taking the Service Road, A dedicated team spreads 2,400 miles of goodwill.”

 

Sebastopol Sunrise Rotarians also are prominent in a another article, “Remote technology brings improved medicine to Nigeria.”

Also reported by Rotarians who “Went to the Dogs”

 

Le Roy Carlenzoli

The Super Handyman reports that a leaking roof at the Women’s Recovery Center made it necessary for him to learn a new skill – dry wall hanging and texturing – which he still needs to perfect.

 

Rich Randolph

Our Rotarian Sunshine representative led a crew who worked on upkeep at Rolf Wessman’s home, last Wednesday.

 

Rich also announced that we have met our $11,000 financing goal for the matching grant that will bring in $22,000 needed for medical equipment at the Surgery Center in Nicaragua. 

 

John Jones

Delivered the news that Stan Walker has been diagnosed with cancer and has begun chemotherapy.

 

Del Raby

Del announced that letters for the Progressive Dinner have been mailed and should be received by Monday.  Also, food should be picked up at Peggy’s between 2:30 and 3 p.m.

 

Marty Behr

A Saturday hike is scheduled for the first week in April.  It will be an easy romp through the Marin Headlands, with views of the City,  and fields of wildflowers.

 

Shauna Lorenzen

Applications for SRKSEP, July 10 – August 16, are due.  The program, that takes Sonoma County students, ages 15 – 20, to Kagoshima Japan and also welcomes Kagoshima students to Northern California. 

 

Resignations: Sharon Wright, Lorenzo Dueñas

President Merle announced the resignation of Sharon and Lorenzo.

 

And the winner finally is  .    .    .  CINDY GILLESPIE!!  $295!!!  Ezbon Jen snagged the easy $10

On a regular basis, our resident photo pros Warren Smith and Jack Strange submit 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 and Ross! Link to Meeting Sightings. The most recent are on the last page!

Additional photos may be found on the SR Sunrise Facebook Page.

Lakeport Rotarian Fora and Elsie Allen High School Interactor Jonathon Alvarado pause from their planting last Saturday during the well orchestrated multi-generational tree planting in Middletown, Lake County.  

Paul O Rear, right, and Eloise Tweeten show the locale following sweat equity in replanting over 3,000 seedlings.  Paul, Eloise, Rich, and Jack came along with over 300 other volunteers from as far away as St. Isabella's School in San Rafael where Sunriser Jack Strange is Advisor to the school's 300+ Interact Club.

The crowd was enthusiastic, receiving precise instructions on how to scalp the surrounding soil of moisture robbing vegetation and how to best place the 12 inch seedlings "greenside up" into their new location.  Above Jonathon Alvarado and Daniel Nguyen note their place in the over 300 volunteers.

Elsie Allen Interactors Logan, John and Rob happily trek back to the car, 30 trees later (10 each +/-) and hot dog lunch.  /by the time time they reached Calistoga, 15 miles away, thy needed refueling and Paul O Rear generously filled their tanks with their choice of milkshake from Mary's conveniently located creamery. 

John F. Germ

President 2016-17

Globally, in developed as well as in developing countries, child mortality is on the decline and life expectancy on the rise. In 1960, 182 of every 1,000 children born died before turning five; today, that number is down to 43. A child born in 1960 could expect to live an average of just 52 years; by contrast, a child born this year can expect to live to 71.

Then as now, the factors most likely to determine a child's fate are set at birth: where he or she is born, the educational and economic condition of the family, the availability of medical care. Yet one of the most important advances in public health has reached every country and must now reach every child: immunization.

The use of vaccines has, in many parts of the world, nearly eliminated diseases that once were widespread, such as diphtheria, tetanus, and rubella. Thanks to vaccines, 20 million lives have been saved from measles since 2000. Smallpox has been eradicated – and polio is next.

Thirty years ago, there were an estimated 350,000 cases of polio per year worldwide. As this issue of The Rotarian went to press, only 37 cases of polio had been recorded in 2016 – the lowest number in history. All of the other cases, and the paralysis and death they would have brought, were prevented through the widespread use of a safe, reliable, and inexpensive vaccine.

Overall, the World Health Organization estimates that immunization prevents an estimated 2 million to 3 million deaths every year. It also averts a tremendous burden of disability and economic loss. Yet we could be doing so much better: An additional 1.5 million deaths could be avoided by improving vaccine coverage worldwide.

This month, from 24 to 30 April, we join WHO, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in celebrating World Immunization Week, raising awareness of the incredible impact that vaccines have had on global health. This year's theme is "Vaccines Work" – and they do. Increased use of vaccines has broader repercussions for public health: controlling viral hepatitis, reducing both the need for antibiotics and the development of antibiotic-resistant microbes, and reaching more children and adolescents with essential health interventions. In every part of the world, routine immunization is as crucial as ever to ensure that all children have the best chance at a healthy future.

In an uncertain world, vaccines offer something remarkable: a way to protect our children throughout their lives. By working together to safeguard all children against polio and other preventable diseases, Rotary is truly Serving Humanity – now and for generations to come.

Kalyan Banerjee

Trustee Chair 2016-17

In communities worldwide, Rotarians are finding creative ways to celebrate The Rotary Foundation centennial and showcase our Foundation's century-long commitment to doing good in the world.

Rotarians have arranged for a commemorative postage stamp to be issued in Pakistan, sponsored a cruise on the Danube River with some proceeds going to our Foundation, and sold bottles of wine with "100 Years Doing Good in the World" printed on the label in Vancouver, B.C.

And, of course, there have been scores of centennial dinners. In Arch Klumph's hometown of Cleveland, Rotarians gathered to celebrate the centennial and honor the father of The Rotary Foundation with a banquet and concert by the Cleveland Orchestra. In addition to raising more than $2.1 million for our Foundation, the event paid tribute to Klumph's virtuosity as a flutist.

Some Rotarians are honoring the Foundation by sponsoring global grant projects. They are fighting dengue fever in Indonesia, providing sanitation facilities in Colombia, and promoting early detection of breast cancer in Turkey.

Rotaractors and Interactors have answered the call to perform 100 acts of good this year in honor of the centennial. They are donating blood, visiting the elderly, and volunteering at food pantries, to name just a few of the activities this challenge has inspired.

By celebrating this milestone, we are sharing our success stories with the world. In 2016, cable news channel CNBC named The Rotary Foundation one of the "Top 10 Charities Changing the World," citing our PolioPlus program as well as our financial health, accountability, and transparency of reporting. In addition, the Association of Fundraising Professionals named The Rotary Foundation the World's Outstanding Foundation for 2016.

Our centennial year is not over yet. You still have time to plan a special event, make a centennial contribution, and add more acts of good. In June, I hope you will join me for the biggest centennial celebration of the year at the Rotary International Convention in Atlanta.