Thursday Night Social at Arcadia, No Friday Meeting!
THIS WEEK'S SOCIAL EVENT: Arcadia National Bar
Thursday January 16th -Arcadia, 504 Congress Street, Portland. The old Portland Music Hall has been transformed into a mecca of fun games, as well as drinks and food. From juices, ciders, beers and mixed drinks to pizza, variety of hot dogs, salads, and snacks, there is plenty to choose from. There are classic pinball, video and board games, so it should be a blast! Specific details on the start time are coming! See you at 5:30! Are you the club Pinball Wizard?
BITS AND PIECES | By Dave Patterson
President Patty opened the meeting and David Small opened our eyes with the "Thought of the Day". The Dali Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity answered: "Man. Because he sacrifces his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future, that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."
WELCOMING GUESTS: Jerry Wall, a seasoned Rotarian but new to our club, introduced guest Justin Novak, who was warmly welcomed as a guest of John Thompson.
RAFFLE UPDATE: Ellen Niewoehner oversaw this week’s raffle, which had an enticing $350 pot. Unfortunately, Dan Fahey could only pocket a Queen of Hearts, not the necessary Queen of Diamonds he sought to win the cash. Another attempt next meeting.
HAPPY DOLLARS OVERFLOW: We were thrilled to receive an unexpected $7,000 in Happy Dollars, gifted by Steve Nelson in memory of his father, the Reverend Edward Nelson. A touching tribute to a past club president, this generous contribution honors the legacy of service and fellowship. Members shared heartfelt memories of Reverend Nelson, reflecting on his inspiring leadership and thoughtful invocations. Rotarians also shared their own happy moments: Amy Chipman shared joy for her son’s adventurous return from a surfing trip in Costa Rica. Roger Fagan updated us on Liz’s smooth recovery from heart valve surgery. A special shout-out to Rich Campbell for representing Portland Rotary at the Pasadena Rose Bowl Parade, capped with dinner alongside Rotary International leadership.
THE VOTE IS IN: The club has finalized the vote with a unanimous show of hands for the following slate of officers for 2025-2026. Nominating Chair Dick Hall handled the proceedings, and we said Yea to the following:
Board of Directors-two year term Bill Millikin and Niki Curtis / Secretary, one year term Juliana L'Heureux / Sargeant at Arms, one year term Zach Newell /
Treasurer, one year term Dick Hall /
President for Rotary Year 2025-26 John Thompson / President Elect, who will be president in Rotary Year 2026-27 Justin Lamontagne / Vice President, who will serve as president Rotary Year 2027-28 Jake Bourdeau. Members of the nominating committee are:
Dick Hall-Chair, Patty Byers, John Thompson, Justin Lamontagne, Bruce Jones, Nannette Ranger Duncanson, Art Howe, Erik Greven and Ellen Niewoehner
HEAR YE! Roger Fagan updated the club on the Rotary Hearing Center project in the Dominican Republic. Despite the decision not to pursue a global grant, Roger presented an inspiring “Plan B” that includes collaboration with other clubs and professionals to continue this vital work. Essentially, the word is getting out in a big way, and thanks to the January issue of the international Rotarian Magazine that had a special feature story on Roger and Liz Fagan’s work. It’s attracting the attention of some big players in the Rotary and business world, a rather exciting turn of events. A big thank-you to all who have supported this initiative. Stay tuned.
NEW MEMBER! Roxane Cole introduced Bev Uhlenhake, a distinguished Rotarian and community leader, officially joining our club. She originally joined the Rotary Club of Bangor (in 2002 as the director of the Bangor Humane Society. She continued her membership over the next 22 years, serving multiple terms on their board of directors and as President in 2017. Bev moved to Portland this past summer when she began a new career in Pierce Atwood's Government Relations and Lobbying Practice Group as a Government Affairs Consultant. Prior to coming to Pierce Atwood, Bev worked in commercial real estate for two decades as a broker and development consultant. Bev now resides in Portland, and her three children currently attend the Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone. Her decades of service and dedication to making Maine a better place are sure to inspire us all. Welcome, Bev! Photo: Bev and Roxane
It was a super busy meeting with upcoming Events and Initiatives. Here’s the capsule coverage!
SOCIAL NIGHT AT MAINE CELTICS Tom Talbott noted that our February Social will be to attend a Maine Celtics game at the Portland Expo. Thurs, Feb 13th, Game time 7pm, and we are going to buy a block of tickets on the side – seats with backs, not bleachers! RSVP sheets were on the tables, and will be for the next couple weeks. Tickets are $32 – bring family, friends. We’re eager to start a relationship with the Celtics, just like we have with the SeaDogs. We need to put in our order for the number of tickets by February 3rd! Let's Go Celtics!
JOIN FLAGS FOR HEROES;: Charlie Frair made a call for volunteers to help with planning, logistics, and thank-you tasks. Reach out to Charlie and join the team. This is an amazing event, highly impactful, and it’s a great event to be involved with, because there are so many different to help! Photo>
DISTRICT 7780 MID-YEAR BRUNCH: Patty Byers invites you to the District's Mid-Year Brunch that will take place from 11:00am – 1:00pm on Sunday, January 19 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Freeport, Maine. Find out what's new and what's coming up with our District Youth Programs. Youth Services chair, Phil Giordano, will share ideas with an "All things youth services" focus. This fun, informative and interactive Brunch is open to ALL Rotarians, and Friends of Rotary! Cost for the brunch: $25.00.
BAYSIDE TREES: Mary Pat Donnellon pictured here, Chair of the Environmental Stewardship Committee, reaffirmed their commitment with the City of Portland to completeplanting of trees on the Bayside Trail project this year. Tree planting is scheduled for May and June.
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP - WINE ENTHUSIASTS
Newly minted Portland Rotarians Jerry and Katharine Wall brought to our attention a very interesting aspect of Rotary International - Fellowship Clubs. In the Wall's case, they are members of the "Rotary Fellowship of Wine Appreciation", or to be more specific, Jerry is Assistant Secretary, and both Wall's are Club Directors. With a robust website, newsletter, and events, members expand their knowledge of wine by sharing tips and ideas on all aspects of wine appreciation. BUT WAIT, there's more! There are over 100 different Fellowship Clubs of many interests - Check them out here: https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/more-fellowships
Patty with Jerry and Katharine pictured here, thanks for the info!
BACKPACK PROJECT: Bruce Moore thanked everyone who helped with the 75 backpacks that were filled for the Portland Recovery Community Center. Your continued support makes a huge difference! Photo: Bruce >
RECYCLE: Bill "Col. Clynk" Blount says "Don’t forget to participate in CLYNK for Heat by recycling your bottles and cans. Pick up a box of 10 bags and start collecting!
WARM UP: Look out for the Project Heat Telethon on January 23, where funds raised will make a direct impact.
HEARING AIDS IN THE BOX: Please pick up a recycling container to support hearing clinics in the Dominican Republic, available each meeting!
SUNRISE CLUB: The Sunrise Satellite Club met on Jan 8th at Burundi Star Coffee, ans were delighted to be joined by honorary members Dave and Betty Parsons who were in town from Surrey, ME. Dave and Betty will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in June. Pictured: Art Howe, Betty Parsons, Dave Parsons, Quinn Slayton.
Last Week's Speaker: Stephanie McFeeters, Maine Monitor | by Erik Jorgenson
Stephanie McFeeters joined us to discuss journalism in Maine from the perspective of the Maine Monitor, a nonpartisan public interest news organization. In an era where any person with a laptop can declare themself a journalist, and when the difference between opinion and fact have grown unclear (and fewer and fewer facts are being checked) services like the Monitor are especially relevant.
Stephanie came to the job as the Monitor’s deputy editor having lived overseas as part of a foreign service family, where she got connected to news. After college, she landed at a small newspaper, then went on to Harpers, where she rose to the level of managing editor.
Concomitantly, a new nonprofit news model was taking off as a resource to promote local and regional news. The Maine Monitor was established by the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting. The focus has been on justice, environment and health care. Funding comes from donors and philanthropies, a model that has become increasingly common as news organizations seek new ways to provide journalism in a world where traditional profit based models are less successful. She provided some examples of their coverage and its breadth:
Example #1 was a story about elopement at assisted living facilities. The Monitor Found that in 2020-22 residents wandered away from facilities15 times. New legislation as a result will help to increase standards in terms of staffing.
Example #2 – explored a story documenting a huge need for substance abuse services for families. Big focus on Safe Harbor – one of only a handful of recovery residences that serves children.
Example #3 – looked the effects of natural disasters on people and the environment especially due to climate change. The story focused on emergency preparedness in Norridgewock, which was caught flat footed in the last major storm. Now the community is trying to coordinate with other towns in Somerset County.
The Monitor specializes in old fashioned long-form narrative journalism, focused on solutions, not just exposés. In addition to stories, they also include data visualizations, some human interest videos, and photo essays. All this is available free of charge at their the primary website, where readers can also subscribe to newsletters on specific topics: Climate, Health, Western Maine, Downeast and Daily Digest. You can subscribe! https://themainemonitor.org/ Stephanie and Doreen!
Speaker Schedule
January 24 - Elizabeth McClellan, Founder/Pres, Partners For World Health
January 31 - Margaret Groban - Understanding 2nd Amendment
February 7 - Michael Shaughnessey, Professor of Art, Univ. Southern Maine
February 13 - Social Event - Maine Celtics vs Long Island Nets 7pm Game
February 14 - No Meeting
February 21 - Julie Poulin, Animal Rescue League Greater Portland
Club Executives
President Patty Byers President Elect John Thompson Vice President Justin Lamontagne TreasurerDick Hall Secretary Tom Nickerson Board of Directors Dick Hall,
RAFFLE UPDATE: Ellen Niewoehner oversaw this week’s raffle, which had an enticing $350 pot. Unfortunately, Dan Fahey could only pocket a Queen of Hearts, not the necessary Queen of Diamonds he sought to win the cash. Another attempt next meeting.
HEAR YE! Roger Fagan updated the club on the Rotary Hearing Center project in the Dominican Republic. Despite the decision not to pursue a global grant, Roger presented an inspiring “Plan B” that includes collaboration with other clubs and professionals to continue this vital work. Essentially, the word is getting out in a big way, and thanks to the January issue of the international Rotarian Magazine that had a special feature story on Roger and Liz Fagan’s work. It’s attracting the attention of some big players in the Rotary and business world, a rather exciting turn of events. A big thank-you to all who have supported this initiative. Stay tuned.
NEW MEMBER! Roxane Cole introduced Bev Uhlenhake, a distinguished Rotarian and community leader, officially joining our club. She originally joined the Rotary Club of Bangor (in 2002 as the director of the Bangor Humane Society. She continued her membership over the next 22 years, serving multiple terms on their board of directors and as President in 2017. Bev moved to Portland this past summer when she began a new career in Pierce Atwood's Government Relations and Lobbying Practice Group as a Government Affairs Consultant. Prior to coming to Pierce Atwood, Bev worked in commercial real estate for two decades as a broker and development consultant. Bev now resides in Portland, and her three children currently attend the Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone. Her decades of service and dedication to making Maine a better place are sure to inspire us all. Welcome, Bev! Photo: Bev and Roxane
JOIN FLAGS FOR HEROES;: Charlie Frair made a call for volunteers to help with planning, logistics, and thank-you tasks. Reach out to Charlie and join the team. This is an amazing event, highly impactful, and it’s a great event to be involved with, because there are so many different to help! Photo>
BAYSIDE TREES: Mary Pat Donnellon pictured here, Chair of the Environmental Stewardship Committee, reaffirmed their commitment with the City of Portland to completeplanting of trees on the Bayside Trail project this year. Tree planting is scheduled for May and June.
The Monitor specializes in old fashioned long-form narrative journalism, focused on solutions, not just exposés. In addition to stories, they also include data visualizations, some human interest videos, and photo essays. All this is available free of charge at their the primary website, where readers can also subscribe to newsletters on specific topics: Climate, Health, Western Maine, Downeast and Daily Digest. You can subscribe!
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