THIS WEEK'S SPEAKER: Our President, Patty Byers, Year in Review
The program this week is the Year in Review, recounted by President Patty Byers. It will be celebrating everything the club has achieved this past year and then welcoming John Thompson as President for Rotary Year 2025-2026. The club will be proud of the many ways it worked to make the community and the world a better place. We set goals, reached new heights, and had lots of fun along the way! Congratulations to everyone on a job well done!
Please plan to attend to share in the celebration of a good year. Do you have friends who might be interested in our programs and the mission of our club? You are encouraged to invite them to come to the meeting to hear and see our most recent accomplishments and plans for the next year!
BITS AND PIECES | By Laura Young
President Patty Byers opened the meeting and welcomed all attendees.
David Putnam led the Pledge of Allegiance. Larry Gross delivered the Message for the Day, noting that it was the 81st anniversary of D-Day. He reflected on the 8,000 Allied troops killed, wounded, or missing on that day, and on visits by club members to the American Cemetery at Normandy. Larry concluded with: “We can never properly honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the free world eighty-one years ago, nor should we ever forget the worldwide consequences when deadly force replaces dialogue as a means of settling intra and international conflict.”
WELCOME! Paul T. Gore led the recitation of the Four Way Test. Greeter Paul Tully introduced visiting Rotarians and guests, including: - Joseph and Leah O’Brien from the Farmington Rotary Club, guests of Jan Chapman and Bruce Moore - Ken Nagle from the Bangor Breakfast Rotary, guest and father of new member Ian Nagle - Lee Mitgang, guest of Doreen Rockstrom, who also helped arrange the speaker - Kevin Stilphen, Principal of PATHS, with students Moxen Klenowski, Tashawn Spradley, and Jakob Bridges, along with family and friends Heidi Klenowski, Farrah Harris, Deborah, and Tashawn’s younger brother Geto
RAFFLE: Tim Donnellon ran the raffle. The pot had grown to $553, and Dick Hall had the winning ticket but did not draw the Queen of Hearts, so the pot rolls over and will increase by $166 next week. That makes next week’s raffle all the more enticing—and it’s also our Changeover Meeting.
NEW MEMBER! Welcome IAN NAGLE: President Patty welcomed Ian Nagle as Portland Rotary’s newest member. Ian is a Bangor native and joined the Maine Mariners in October 2024 as Director of Finance. He previously held financial roles with Village Builders and Stone Coast Fund Services. A graduate of USM with a degree in Business Management, Ian played collegiate basketball and continues to participate in local sports leagues. He is a fifth-generation Rotarian—his father, Ken Nagle, is a longtime Rotarian and past AG in District 7790. Welcome Ian!
PATHS TOOLSHIP AWARDS: Brian Nickerson and Kevin Stilphen presented scholarships to three graduating students from Portland Arts and Technology High School: - Jakob Bridges (Portland High School) - Moxen Klenowski (South Portland High School, Masonry) - Tashawn Spradley (Portland High School, Culinary Arts). Kevin praised the students’ initiative and courage, noting the demanding schedule and dedication required to attend PATHS. All three received $500 scholarships from Portland Rotary.
COMMITTEE UPDATES: Dues: John Thompson reminded members that annual dues are past due. He encouraged members to support Rotary with time, talent, and treasure. - District Grants: Jan Chapman submitted a final report for a project with Sea Change Yoga. Dave Small secured a new grant to continue water filter installations in the Dominican Republic. - Membership: Niki Merrill shared updates on membership efforts. -International Service: Roger Fagan reported progress on the new Rotary hearing clinic at Good Samaritan Hospital in La Romana. Construction is underway; audiology groups in the UK are contributing 300 used hearing aids annually, and audiology students may soon participate in international service. Paul Tully shared that MSMT announced at a recent play that hearing aids were being collected in the lobby.
YOUTH SERVICE: Laura Young highlighted two youth programs:
1. RYLA: Six students (four from Deering, two from Portland) are attending Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Camp later this month. Members are invited to participate in three RYLA events) see below. If you can participate, contact the Directors: Jacey Chavezor Tim Moyer.
Three Opportunities to join in at the RYLA 2025 Camp:
• RYLA Welcome, Sunday June 22nd, 730am-1pm, at Camp Hinds HQ
• RYLA Final Campfire, Tues, June 24th, 530pm-730pm, at the Fire Ring
• RYLA BBQ, Wed, June 25th, 530p-730p, at the Fire Ring
2. SUMMER READING: Rotarians are reading to children at the Boys & Girls Club. Books are being purchased with support from generous donors. Click HERE to sign up!
FOUNDATION: President Patty recognized our latest Paul Harris Fellow Awards: - (L-R) Paul Gore (7th), Bruce Moore (5th), Brian Nickerson (6th), Niki Merrill (1st!) Thank you all for what you do! Photo with Patty!
FLAGS FOR HEROES Charlie Frair announced that 25 individual heroes have been sponsored so far. Corporate sponsorships will honor 75–100 more. Radio and TV promotions are underway. Charlie invited Paul Tully to share a story of his hero who died rescuing two children who fell through ice. Paul shared a moving tribute to his friend’s courage and service.
POST MEETING: Jake Bourdeau and Larry Gross take care of securing all of our valued banners, bells, and buttons in our official Rotary storage box!
HAPPY CLOSING: President Patty invited Rotarians to share their happy dollars. She also reminded everyone that next week is the Changeover Meeting and the last Board meeting of the year. She adjourned the meeting with well wishes for a Happy Weekend.
LAST WEEK'S SPEAKER: Kathryn Sargent, Portland Locker Project | By Juliana L'Heureux
Amy Chipman introduced the speaker Kathryn Sargent, who presented about the Portland Locker Project. Her experience in public policy includes advocacy for education, food security, housing, and other topics related to family well-being. She is a Bowdoin College graduate with academic credentials earned from the University of Virginia and the University of Southern Maine Muskie School of Public Service.
Origins of The Locker Project began in 2011, when mothers at a Portland community school observed how some children arrived without snacks. They began to collect snacks on a shelf in the nurses’ office, for kids who wanted them to pick up.
In 2014, with support from the Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine, the organization became a non-profit association. The mission is to address food insecurity among children and families by partnering with schools, community agencies, United Way and local businesses. The goal is to serve as many locations and families as possible to ensure that no child goes to school hungry. This fiscal year the association received grant funding from the United Way of Southern Maine, Hannaford Supermarkets, Maine Track Club, and a number of Foundations and Trusts, including: Margaret E. Burnham Charitable, Keep Driving, Roy A. Hunt, Margaret E. Burnham Charitable, Gwendolen Elwell Flanagan, Lighthouse Credit Union, Horizon , Seth Sprague Educational and Charitable, Maine Community, Eunice Frye Home, Elmina B. Sewall, and Simmons.
The Locker Project partners coordinate with over 40 Greater Portland schools, preschools, and local agencies to share more than 50,000 pounds of healthy food each month. Students can take home purple bags of staples as well as green bags of donated and rescued fresh produce and bread, to share with their families. The Locker Project also hosts community-based free fresh food events every week throughout the year. Their goal is to improve the nutritional content of children and family diets, stretch food budgets and encourage the enjoyment of eating fresh food at home.
Good Shepherd continues to set up relationships for collecting fresh food. Families can request to receive particular kinds of food. Volunteers are involved in picking up food bags to distribute to families. Enthusiasm from the recipients of the food bags improved when they realized how they shared the same fresh food as is purchased at the local farmers’ markets. A very popular community project held in April collects Macaroni and Cheese donations. This year (2025) 11,000 boxes of Mac and Cheese were collected. Since 2014, the Locker Project has distributed 3 million pounds of nutritious food to children and families in need.
Seven people are employed by the association and a few part time drivers to do pickups and deliveries. More information about The Locker Project is available on the website mainelockerproject.org.
Birthdays and Anniversaries President Patty recognized June birthdays: - Peter Goffin (7th), Laura Young (13th), Roger Ashe (19th) - Cort Hepler (19th) - Kath Hall (20th) - Paul Gore and Tom Ranello (21st) - Alex St. Hilaire (22nd) - Justin Lamontagne (24th) - Sam Heck (29th) Bill Blount led the club in singing Happy Birthday.
Membership anniversaries were also acknowledged: - Keegan Coons (1 year) - Mary Pat Donnellon (2) - Quinn Slayton (4) - Doreen Rockstrom (8) - Erik Greven (11) - Julie L’Heureux (27) – Roger Asch (30) - Larry Gross (31) - Roger Fagan (33, 25 spent in the Dominican Republic) – Bob Clark (35) - Tom Talbott (38).
Speaker Schedule
June 19- (Thursday) Club Social - Potluck at Roger & Liz Fagan's Home
You are welcome to bring appetizers and tasty beverages!
June 20 No Meeting
June 27 - David Packhem - S.E.E.D. Students Empowered to End Dependency
July 4 - No Meeting Happy 4th of July Weekend
July 11 - Annual Picnic Lunch at Hadlock Field/ Portland Sea Dogs
July 13- (Sunday) Flags For Heroes Event - Hadlock Field
July 18- Meeting at Maine Mall - Flags For Heroes Celebration
July 25th - Our New President - John Thompson
Club Executives
President Patty Byers President Elect John Thompson Vice President Justin Lamontagne TreasurerDick Hall Secretary Tom Nickerson Board of Directors Dick Hall,
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