Charlie Hewitt has been working as a professional artist for 50 years, with a studio practice in painting, sculpture and printmaking. He developed an interest in public art and his pieces are installed throughout Maine and along the East Coast. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is in the Metropolitan Museum, the Portland Museum, the Whitney Museum, the Brooklyn and Bronx museums among others. Charlie is  represented in N.Y.City by Jim Kempner Fine Art, and in Maine by the Liz Moss Gallery.

 

Charlie began The Hopeful Project, 2019-present, with a single lighted aluminum sculpture commissioned by Speedwell Projects for the roof of their headquarters at 630 Forest Avenue. “Maine is a dark place in the winter,” Hewitt said, “and I felt compelled to illuminate that corner of our world with a message of hope.”

To date, the Hopeful message has spread with installations across seven states at dozens of different sites, both public and private, including an appearance at the 2021 Presidential Inauguration.

President Dick Hall called the meeting to order and called on Zach Newell to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. For the invocation, Bruce Jones shared the following passage about living a life that matters:

 

GREETINGS: Max Chikuta (photo)  introduced a good long list of guests and visiting Rotarians to the meeting. September birthdays and anniversaries were read followed by singing to Joe Gray and Justin Lamontagne, the two with September birthdays in attendance.

 

GET WELL PTG! President Dick shared the concerning news that our beloved Paul Gore suffered a mild heart attack, but Dick said Paul was working from home and asked that no one win the raffle in his absence. Get well soon, PTG!! Max Chikuta was picked in the raffle and graciously albeit unintentionally followed Paul’s wishes by not picking the queen of hearts.

 

HAPPY: President Dick asked if there were any happy dollars. While the crowd was shy at first, it caught on with Patty Byers sharing news of her husband’s successful eye surgery; David Small celebrated Justin Lamontagne’s birthday; Max Chikuta celebrated the start of tennis and beating Bill Blount and Amy Chipman 2 sets; Charlie Frair celebrated sunny days; and Jan Chapman celebrated a successful recovery conference with 200 people in attendance.

 

FLAG SUCCESS: Charlie Frair reported on the successful Flags for Heroes fundraiser. The flags were up for two weeks and were coming down that evening. This year we honored the most heroes ever (120) with the highest number of categories. Flags were bought by 51 Rotarians, 32 non Rotarians, and 5 corporations. This fundraiser netted just under $10,000. 30% of the money will go into a fund held by the City of Portland to solve homelessness and the remaining 70% will support Rotary projects. Charlie thanked all the Rotarians involved in this event, especially Cyrus Hagge who bought additional stands and Tom Talbott for the promotional video. Charlie is forming a think tank/focus group to think about next year. President Dick thanked Charlie Frair for his great leadership on the event.

 

RECOVERY CONFERENCE:  Jan Chapman reports that the District Recovery Conference held on Thursday, September 21st, was a big success!  Portland Rotary was well represented with 10 members present.  We learned about a new initiative called 'Recovery Friendly Workplace Maine' which will help employers throughout the State learn how to better support employees in recovery.  This initiative has had great success in other states.  Kudos to members Doreen Rockstrom and Niki Curtis who served on the conference planning committee, Leslie Clark who made welcome remarks and new member Cory Masson who led a panel on the importance of housing for those in recovery.

First photo, Niki Curtis, Jan Chapman, and Bruce Moore.

Patty Byers, Dick Hall, Emma Bodwell, Future DG Bob Mackenzie, Bruce!

 

NEW MEMBER: CARMEN POFF:  Nannette Duncanson introduced new member Carmen Poff, on the right. While Carmen is fairly new to Maine she isn’t new to Rotary. She was in the Sonora 49’er Rotary Club in California for 9 years where she served a a President, earned a Paul Harris Fellow, and a busy Interact Coordinator. She arranged and accompanied over 200 participants to San Felipe, Mexico during 8 annual service trips. Carmen is currently the Director of Client Success for D&S Executive Career Management, on the Advisory Board for WMPG radio, volunteers at the Portland Tool Library, and is an enthusiastic member of the Portland Bike Party.Welcome Carmen!

 

LIGHTS, CAMERA: Sam Chipman (photo) announced that the club is interviewing Rotarians for a 30 second promotional spots. Please contact Sam, Nannette or Niki Curtis if you wish to be interviewed.

 

BARN WORK: Amy Chipman thanked the volunteers who helped out last Sunday at the fundraiser for the Falmouth Land Trust and Cultivating Community. The event raised $40K and will be used to train new Mainers to garden. Amy asked Rotarians to contact her if they are interested in a gardening volunteer project in October.

 

COAST IS CLEAN: Ellen Niewoehner reported that we had an amazing Coastal Clean Up day this past week. Thanks to Art Howe and Kath Hall for helping to organize the event. We picked up a lot of trash.Ellen also announced the TD tree planting day has been moved from October 3^rd to the 4^th.

 

HOME RUN: President Dick thanked Zach Newell for organizing the social at the Sea Dogs game last Thursday. Zach announced a new interact club forming in Portland.

 

READY TO WALK: Patty Byers (photo) announced that October 24 is World Polio Day and our club will walk across the Casco Bay Bridge again and gather for "Pints for Polio" social on October 19^th. Wear your end polio red t-shirt or contact Patty by October 6^th to order one paid for by the club.

 

 

We were happy to welcome Jon Kachmar, just a few weeks into his new job as executive director of Portland Trails. Our city’s land trust, Portland Trails “transforms Greater Portland into a healthier community for people-powered transportation, conservation, and recreation, by creating a network of trails and green spaces that connects people with places”.

 

Since 1991, Portland Trails has built and maintained a network of 70 miles of trails and green space throughout Greater Portland. The trail network reaches within a half mile of every resident of the city. It spans four different communities, and over one million people use the trails each year. Jon described the organization as “an international model of an urban trail system” and noted the significant role that Rotary has played in various projects, from trees on the Eastern Prom, to work around the ferry terminal to Rotary Grove.

 

Portland Trails has 1400 members and 3000 volunteers. Jon invited our members to join his organization, and though they are rethinking exactly what membership means, it offers its members maps, communication and a sense of shared purpose. Portland Trails owns a little bit of land but mostly uses easements and other techniques to permanently secure access to city parks, with trails connecting large blocks like Eastern Prom, Baxter Woods and Evergreen cemetery to numerous smaller parcels all around the city. Major trails (some of which include sections of street) can take a pedestrian from one end of Portland to the other.

 

Portland Trails has worked hard to broaden its volunteer base and work with new Mainers, introducing them to the pleasures of the natural landscape. While they have benefitted in the past from large-scale fundraising events, those have become increasingly expensive to pull off, so Portland Trails has been focusing on finding new less formal and smaller ways to reach out and engage people.

 

We are fortunate to have a city with this resource – 70 miles of trails is the equivalent of walking west to Mount Washington or North to Waterville, and for those of us who enjoy these places in our city, there are hundreds of interesting places to be discovered, right in our backyards.

Dick Hall, Jon Kachmar, and Doreen Rockstrom say hello!

October 6 - Marty Helman - Rotary Peace Centers

October 13 - Victor Tom "The Speed of a Baseball"

October 19 Thursday - "Casco Bay Bridge Walk For Polio" & "Pints For Polio"

October 20 - No Meeting

October 27 - Graviel Nuel Jacobo - Dominican Republic - Centro de Protesis