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Welcome to our Club!

Service Above Self

We meet In Person

Fridays at 12:15 PM

La Scarpetta Italian Grill & Pizzeria

167 Locust Ave
West Long Branch, NJ 07764
United States of America

District Site

Venue Map

August 5, 2022

RCGLB 8/5/22 Lunch Meeting Notes

District Governor Michael Thompson (R) presented club President Paul Newell with a banner honoring Jennifer Jones as 2022-2023 Rotary International President, the first female to hold the office.

President Paul Newell called the meeting to order.

Pledge-Al Pescoe

Invocation-Paul Peacock

The President announced the speaker for the meeting is District 7505 Governor 2022-2023 Michael Thompson.

Also introduced were guests, candidates for membership Jake Jones and Paul Kapish

Guest Speaker:

Gail Winterstella, District Governor assistant, member of the Spring Lake Rotary Club introduced the speaker.

Governor Thompson joined the Marlton Rotary Club in 2012. He

served as President for two terms - 2017- 2018 & 2019-2020. The Governor owns & operates the Thompson Group Insurance Agency. He has participated & organized numerous club events, including Military Appreciation Day, Library Programs, Police Union Run 5K, youth programs including coaching and multiple humanitarian programs.

He is a member of the Evesham Economic Council the Evesham Education Foundation.

He attended Goldey-Beacom College, majoring in marketing & business management.

He attended the Rotary Leadership Institute where he currently is a facilitator. He is a member of the Marlton Zoning Board. He has received many service awards for his community service.

Presentation Highlights: “What can the District do to help clubs?”. Goal - to build relationships. First, the district hopes to receive more attention by reducing the number of emails sent to members. Available to clubs is a Face Book Page & free flyers to market events. Planned are twelve DG (Drinks with Governors) fellowship events with free food. Two free picnics are planned. One in central Jersey & the other in southern Jersey. He encouraged members to attend the District conference at the hotel Fontainebleau, Ocean City, Md. There will be two hospitality suites & a seafood fest. 15 golf courses are nearby.

Final topic- “Ways to Build Club Membership.” Club members could volunteer to assist other community civic organizations with their events. The fellowship would introduce other people to club members. Wearing club logo clothing at these events would also help give awareness of the Rotary Club. Questions to the Governor ensued.

He distributed his business card & a Rotary pin to everyone.

Respectfully submitted, Retta Schwartzstein

July 29, 2022 Lunch Meeting

President Paul Newell presenting Lisa with a guest speaker mug as a thank you for her wonderful and informative presentation.

Barb Youchah introduced our guest speaker, Lisa Kelly, Programming & Outreach Manager from the Long Branch Public Library. Lisa has been connected with the library since 2008.

Highlights:

Free membership available to all Long Branch residents and businesses. $20. fee to non-residents.
Mission- to provide equal access, barrier free resources to every individual.
The library has received many awards from the community and the National Library association. In December 0f 2021 the library was awarded a grant from the N.J. Library Construction Bond Act for 3.1 million.
Some of the research and learning tools discussed were: Tutoring & studying languages, databases in business, health, education, etc. searching full text magazines, journals & encyclopedias, practice tests for qualifying exams such as SAT, Real Estate, etc..
There are 463 total programs including programs for children , teens, art & movies.
There are two libraries in the system. The main library is located on Broadway in Long Branch. The other library is on Lincoln Avenue. The main library has a movie theater available by reservation to library members. Museum passes and Notary service are also available. Discussion ensued with suggestions for a Rotary movie night.

RCGLB Weekly Lunch Meeting

Guest Speaker: Fernando of La Scarpetta (L) – Missionary, preacher and member of the Fabulous International Clowns, being thanked for his inspirational presentation at Rotary club meeting.

Fernando arrived in the US from his homeland of Argentina in 2001.His mission is to help prevent the world’s ills to uplift and inspire children to have good self-esteem. The clown performances teach values to children through comedy. Balloons are also provided at performances at schools & hospitals. As many as 3,000 children have attended a performance. Assignments and funds are provided internationally through church missionaries. Travel and personal expenses are paid for by the performers. His mantra is a happy heart leads to a happy life.

Club Officer and Board Changeover Dinner

Dinner was held at Mar Belo Portuguese Restaurant / Lounge

Past President Mike Schwartzstein was thanked and presented with a pin by Past President Gordon Heggie for his service. Club Secretary Ken Gittell then presented Mike with a Certificate of Appreciation.

Past President Luciana Silva swore in Paul Newell as the club's 2022-2023 President.

Gordon welcomed Paul as the new president and presented him with a pin.

Gordon presented Dave Brown with a President-elect pin.

The board of directors took there swearing in very seriously.

President Paul Newell presented Retta Schwartzstein with flowers in appreciation of her support of the club and President Mike during 2021-2022.

Past President Mike and President Paul honored members of the club and community with Certificates of Appreciation for their service.

Rotary Helps Keep Long Branch Clean

Rotary Club of Greater Long Branch just finished their bi-annual cleanup on Market Place by Stop and Shop. Thank you to Anthony Morrell, Monmouth County Clean Communities for helping make this project a success.

June 3, 2022

New member Preston Spencer (R) is welcomed into the club by (L-R) David Brown, Terry Janeczyk, and Club President Mike Schwartzstein.

Guest speaker Kristen Grazioso, Clean Ocean Action, is thanked by President Mike Schwartzstein.

June 3 Meeting notes - La Scarpetta Italian Grill & Pizzeria

Pres. Mike Schwartzstein opened the meeting

Pledge of Allegiance - Al Peskoe

Invocaion - Paul Peacock

Guests - Along with their parents, Alana Dos Santos and Ana Drake from Long Branch High School, recipients of the Long Branch Rotary scholarships. Both students will be attending Monmouth University.

New Business: Dave Brown inducted new member Preston Spencer. Terry Janeczyk read Al Acer's Litany of Expectations.

Announcements:

Changeover Dinner Tuesday, June 21st 6pm at Mar Belo Restaurant
June 11 8am clean-up by Stop & Shop (West End)
September 15th end of summer party hosted at the home of Terry Janeczyk
Sylvia Allen distributed flyers for Oceanfest. 75 vendors are participating along with 2 sand art sculptors.

Guest Speaker: Kristen Grazioso, Education Coordinator, Clean Ocean Action.

The organization is funded by donations. They monitor, test and help clear the Jersey coast from pollutants in order to protect the sea wildlife. To engage the community other activities include beach sweeps and educational events. Discussion ensued concerning wind farms. A pilot program for testing has been scheduled.

President Mike Schwartzstein thanked the speaker and presented her with a Rotary mug.

Respectfully submitted, Retta Schwartzstein

An Evening at Long Branch Distillery

Judy receives her Paul Harris + 3 pin from President Mike

Mark Elia, owner of LB Distillery receives thank you from President Mike.

Our May night meeting at the Long Branch Distillery was a great success. The venue was very eclectic and comfortable, the drinks were delicious and the food from Tuzzio's always a treat.

Barb, thank you for arranging a wonderful evening.

May 13, 2022

Kristin Hock, Garden for Wildlife™/ New Jersey Audubon/National Wildlife Federation is thanked by Pres-Elect Paul Newell

Kristin Hock

New Jersey Audubon / Garden for Wildlife

In a few easy steps, you can make a big difference for local wildlife! Entice pollinators, like hummingbirds and butterflies, by transforming your outdoor space into a sanctuary enjoyed by humans and animals alike. It all starts with the end in mind by creating a plan for the space that you will transform. Not just for backyards, Gardening For Wildlife is possible anywhere that you live, learn, play, work, and worship.

* Plant a simple garden with native flowers that provide nectar for pollinators.

* Create a balcony garden with a variety of flowerpots to hold flowers and herbs.

* Transform a mowed grassy area into a milkweed patch with native grasses.

* Plant native trees and shrubs that produce berries and seeds to attract a variety of birds and wildlife.

With less than twenty percent of unclaimed space available, New Jersey is running out of land and is projected to be the first state in our nation to reach build out. This means that all land has been accounted for as protected or already developed. Human centered land use, such as shopping malls and housing developments, greatly reduce habitat for native wildlife. This is where you come in – by becoming a steward of your property and joining a nationwide movement of over 217,000 gardens!

Gardening for Wildlife is conducted through a partnership between New Jersey Audubon and the National Wildlife Federation. The program provides official recognition for properties that meet five key elements necessary for wildlife: food, water, cover, places for wildlife to raise young, and using wildlife-friendly landscaping practices. These properties are then recognized as Certified Wildlife Habitats™.

For more information visit:

www.njaudubon.org/garden

Rotary Car Wash

UPDATED FLYER WITH CORRECTED DATES

April 29, 2022

Guest Speaker- Linda Savino, volunteer Executive Director, occupational therapist with Pause To Thrive, a health and wellness organization.

Mission: “To help you no matter what problems, crises or obstacles you face”

Highlites:

The goals are to build a resilience model for individuals to gain inner strength and inner joy through mindful meditation, Reiki healing, yoga, art therapy, tapping, and attendance at restful retreats.
The organization found that 60% of Covid victims suffer from anxiety.
Monmouth Medical Center was the first medical facility to recognize behavioral health.
Mental health is not covered by insurance programs.
The organization is funded by donations and fees for services.

Our next lunch meeting will be Friday, 5/6 12:15pm at La Scarpetta Italian Grill & Pizzeria. 167 Locust Ave (next to Dollar General). Our guest speaker will be Larry Sternbach, Monmouth County Workforce Development.

May 6, 2022 Lunch Meeting

President-elect Paul Newell (L) thanking guest speakers

Guest speakers Don Miragliotta and Joan Desmarais from Monmouth County Workforce Development gave a very informative presentation this past Friday at our first weekly lunch meeting at La Scarpetta Italian Grill & Pizzeria in West Long Branch. The food was great with service to match.

The Monmouth County Division of Workforce Development prepares the people in our community for careers in various industries that promote self-sufficiency, not just jobs to carry them through to the next paycheck. They do this by providing opportunities that build the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to meet employer needs and be competitive in the workforce of today.

The Monmouth County Division of Workforce Development is the administrative entity for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and employs the staff of the Workforce Development Program. These Workforce Development programs are tailored to suit the needs of both employers and jobseekers in Monmouth County. By helping the unemployed or underemployed find work that’s right for them, and matching employers up with workers who have the training and skills their businesses require, these programs help bolster economic growth in Monmouth County and the surrounding regional service area. Centers are located in Eatontown and Neptune. These facilities are hubs where clients can find a variety of employment and training resources — most offered for free.

For more information please contact:

Don Miragliotta, Employment Counselor

Business Services

Monmouth County Workforce Development

17 Christopher Way

Eatontown, NJ 07724

(732) 683-8850, Ext. 5511

donald.miragliotta@dol.nj.gov

April 22, 2022 Lunch Meeting

Club President Mike Schwartzstein thanks Tom Arnone, Monmouth County Commissioner, Director - Made in Monmouth
& Monmouth County Economic Development for his informative presentation.

Speaker- Tom Arnone, Monmouth County Commissioner, Director - Made in Monmouth & Monmouth County Economic Development

Highlights: The Commission consisting of 5 members serves 53 towns.

*Budget expenses reduced from $493 million in 2021 to $473 million in 2022.

*. Care centers, bridges & landfill projects were privatized.

* To cut costs services are shared with municipalities.

*AAA Bond Rating

*Monmouth County received $108 million from the Federal government during the pandemic.

* $10,000 grants were awarded to small businesses serving the arts, special needs, veterans affairs and animal welfare.

*In early summer events for Made in Monmouth & Grown in Monmouth will be held at Brookdale College.

President Mike Schwartzstein thanked the speaker for his efforts and presented him with the Rotary Cup.

The next meeting will be on Friday, April 28 @ 12:15 @ Rooney’s

Respectfully submitted, Retta Schwartzstein

April 14th Dinner at Rooney's

President-elect Paul Newell thanking Mayor John Pallone for his presentation.

Our Dinner at Rooney's on Thursday, 4/14 was a big success with over 42 people in attendance. Mayor John Pallone gave a very informative presentation on the state of the city.

The food was delicious and the service excellent. Thanks again to Darrell and the staff.

April 8th Lunch Meeting

Edward Thomas (L), president of the local chapter of the Association of the United States Army, spoke at the club's Friday lunch meeting.
The program serves over 150,000 military veterans and their families. Among the many humanitarian programs are Fisher House, supporting ROTC scholarships, supplying and training service dogs for Vets, and student science scholarships.

Beach Clean-up

Rotarians help clean up Long Branch Beach for Clean Ocean Action.

4-1-22 Learn About the Red Cross

Guest speaker Gary Oliveri gave a very informative presentation on the history of the Red Cross, internationally and nationally. He also covered many of their programs including blood services, emergency preparedness education, home fire campaign, Holidays for Heroes, Military and Veteran Caregiver Network, CPR and first aid training, disaster relief, and international humanitarian services to name just a few.

Become a Red Cross Volunteer. As a volunteer you can help your community prepare for and respond to emergencies, deliver hope and comfort, meet new people --all while making a huge, positive impact on the lives of those who need it most.

March 25, 2022 Lunch Meeting

New members Cori Socher, local attorney, and Carl Jennings, Director of Long Branch Recreation & Human Services, being inducted into the club by President Mike Schwartzstein.

President Mike Schwartzstein presenting check for $1,000 to Long Branch School Superintendent Francisco Rodriguez for special needs program MCI (moderate cognitive impairment) Room in honor of Roger and Karen Hansen. Mr. Rodriguez along with Jennifer Steffich, Special Ed Supervisor (far left) and Dr. Janet Dudick, Assistant Superintendent of Schools gave a very informative presentation on the Special Ed program in the Long Branch Public Schools.

Rotary Supports Ronald McDonald House

3/11/22 - Anna Burian, Interim Executive Director of Ronald McDonald House Central and Northern NJ, receives Rotary Club of Greater Long Branch donation of $4,700 from club president Mike Schwartzstein for a much needed technology upgrade.

Ann Burian speaks about Ronald McDonald House to Rotarians at their weekly lunch meeting at Rooney's Oceanfront Restaurant.

Great food with beautiful ocean view.

New Rotary Member Inducted

New member Tasha Youngblood Brown is being inducted into the Club by Pres. Michael Schwartzstein. Standing proudly by is her father-in-law and sponsor Dave Brown.

President Mike thanks guest speakers Tasha Gordon Brown and Valerie Brett from Impact 100 Jersey Coast.

The organization is made up of women of different ages and backgrounds who combine their charitable dollars, experience and energy to make a tangible difference in our area. Impact Jersey Coast is part of a growing international movement that empowers

women to fund transformational changes in our local communities.

Their goal is to create a forum to raise awareness of our community's most pressing needs and fund transformational grants for high-impact projects addressing those needs.

For more information please visit www.impact100jerseycoast.org

Rotary / Safe Place

Club President Mike Schwartzstein (R) thanks Sargeant Kim Leavy and Lieutenant Brendan Cahill for their very informative presentation on the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office SAFE PLACE PROGRAM.

The SAFE PLACE PROGRAM is a law enforcement-sponsored concept that enhances public education regarding the reporting of bias incidents and hate crimes. The program is an active collaboration between the police, business, social organizations and schools, designed to assist in making communities a safer place to live. Any individual who sees the SAFE PLACE logo will know that business, organization, or location will provide a safe place for someone to call 911 for assistance, should they feel unsafe.

This program is for All bias incidents or hate crimes targeting an individual for reasons that can include, but are not limited to: race, color, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, national origin, or ethnicity.

Individuals requiring assistance will be treated with care, dignity, and respect from participating businesses, organizations, schools, and from responding police departments. MCPO SAFE PLACE is not designed for residential use.

For more information: Please go to MCPONJ.ORG or send an inquiry at SafePlace@mcponj.org

Rotary Club's Return to Rooney's

Club President Michael Schwartzstein (right) thanks Shore House Executive Director, Richard Ambrosino and Bailey Taft for their presentation.

The Club met back at Rooney's Oceanfront Restaurant for the first time in two years with a presentation from Shore House. They are a community in Monmouth County that provides recovery support for people living with mental illness. Shore House adheres to the Clubhouse model of psychological rehabilitation, and is the first and only accredited Clubhouse in New Jersey. Visit ShoreHouseNJ.org.

The turnout was great with a beautiful view and great company.

Rotary Makes Wishes Come True

Santa's helpers wrapping gifts

Santa and some of his elves checking out some of the gifts

Over the past 2 years during the Covid-19 Pandemic the Rotary Club of Greater Long Branch with the help of some local businesses and residents has donated over $30,000 to local food pantries helping to feed families in need.

This holiday season the club started Jingle Bell Buddies, headed up by Terry Janeczyk, to bring the joy of Christmas to 5 local families. The Long Branch School System supplied the names of the families who were then asked to fill out wish lists which the club did everything possible to make come true. In addition, they were supplied with groceries to help get them through the holidays.

The look of surprise and the smiles on the children’s faces when they saw Santa, club member Gordon Heggie, and the look of joy from the parents was well worth the effort put into the project.

There was a team of 4 elves assigned to shop for and help Santa deliver the packages to each of the five families. Members involved could not stop talking about the joy they felt in helping these families have a wonderful Christmas. A feeling of hope during these trying times seemed common among all involved.

The project was such a success that the number of families will be increased to ten next Christmas. The support of club members and others in the community was instrumental in this success.

If you would like to help next year please contact Terry at taj4@aol.com and you will receive information next fall.

Wondering what Rotary International and the Rotary Club of Greater Long Branch is about? Rotary’s 1.2 million members worldwide believe that helping to change the world starts with a personal commitment to “Service Above Self”. In more than 34,000 clubs worldwide, you’ll find members volunteering in communities at home and abroad to support education and job training, provide clean water, combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, and eradicate polio.

For more information visit us at www.longbranchrotary.org or call (732) 483-6973.

RCGLB Sangria Holiday Party

Rotary Club of Greater Long Branch held their annual Holiday Party at Mar Belo Restaurant and it was a great success. The club was presented with a proclamation by the City of Long Branch for it's work in the community. Mayor Pallone, Councilpersons Dr. Anita Voogt and Bill Dangler did the presentation.

The Club was presented with a check for $1,000 by Frank Crupi from the Long Branch Wave of Hope for Rotary's holiday project, Jingle Bell Buddies. The club will be giving gifts and food to five local families in need to make their Christmas a special one.

Club Treasurer, Judy Syms, was presented with her third Paul Harris designation for her generosity to the Rotary International Foundation helping people around the globe.

In addition to all our wonderful guests the club would like to thank West Long Branch Mayor Janet Tucci for joining us in the festivities with her husband and club member Lex Tucci.

Club President Mike Schwartzstein gave an overview of the club's activities, past present, and future.

At the end of the evening several guests expressed interest in joining the club.

Once again the food was delicious and the service excellent at Mar Belo's.