EDITOR NOTE: For some reason the delivery system did not fire as scheduled for this issue. Sorry for any inconveniences!
THIS WEEK'S EVENT: 4th Annual “Bridge the Gap to End Polio” Walk & SOCIAL this Thursday, October 16th.
The plan is as follows:
1. Meet at 4:30 p.m. at the Broadway Bowl parking lot in SoPo.
2. Walk the Casco Bay Bridge, over and back with End Polio Now signs.
3. Afterward, enjoy Pints for Polio at Broadway Bowl (725 Broadway).
4. Wear your red End Polio Now shirts or sweatshirts! To order a red pullover sweatshirt, contact Paul T. Gore by October 10th. Jerry also has a few red short-sleeve T-shirts available (1 XL, 2 L, 1 M). 2024 Team Photo!
BITS AND PIECES | By David Patterson
Laura Young rang us in, as we held our meeting in new surroundings: Abromsen Hall on the campus of the University of Southern Maine, Portland campus. We’ll return to the Elks on Oct 24th, but USM was the ideal place for this meeting, since our guest speaker was the USM President!
GUESTS: We welcomed a lively crowd this week — including Kathryn Nagle, who’s moving from guest to (hopefully soon-to-be) member status; Jacqueline Edmondson, our keynote speaker and president of USM; Marissa Bodnar, USM’s Director of Communications; and Lizzy Lynch, representing the student body. A special shoutout to our host venue, USM, and our alumni in attendance who fondly remembered their college days (and tuition rates).
ROTARY MOMENTS RETURN: We’re reviving the Rotary Moment — brief reflections from members on how they joined and why they’ve stayed. Our inaugural storyteller, JimWilley, gave a heartfelt (and humorous) recollection of joining in 1982. Once skeptical about all this “fellowship” business, he now proudly admits to being one of those “old duffers” who treasures it.
RAFFLE: Penny Harris led the ever-suspenseful Queen of Hearts raffle. Ellen Niewoehner had a big deck to choose from, but no luck this week (again), so the pot goes up to $240.
COMMITTEE SIGN UPS: Laura Young notified us that “Committee Sign-Up” had a glitch with Survey Monkey,and not all respondents were reported. We were asked to check the printed list at the table to make sure your committee choice was captured, and there was a subsequent email with a link with all the information. Please take the time to respond, it is very important! This is your opportunity to sign up for a committee within the club that you would like to work on.
COMMITTEE HIGHLIGHTS: Laura Young passed the microphone around to the Committee chairs in attendance, asking them to provide a quick update. Of note:
Foundation Chair Jerry Wall reintroduced the club to Rotary’s Foundation, reminding us that half of contributions come back to support local projects.
Windjammer Tom Talbott put out a call for more Windjammer writers — a low-lift, high-reward role that is a great opportunity for new members to get involved and really get a sense of our club projects as well as meeting our members.
Membership Committee encouraged all Rotarians to think of potential new members and to demystify our “Rotary dialect” for guests and newcomers.
The Good Cheer Committee headed by Larry Gross is seeking more members to help reach out to Rotarians in need of support or cheer.
PORTLAND JETPORT TOUR: Peter Goffin provided an update on the opportunity for 20 Portland Rotarians to take part in a special tour of the Portland Jetport on Friday, October 31st. Due to restrictions that have been imposed due to events like 9-11, the tour will be of the terminal only, and not the control tower. Jetport Executive Director Paul Bradbury is our guest speaker that Friday (at the Elks) and those taking the tour will leave for the Jetport at the conclusion of our meeting. Interested members can contact Peter by email to sign up.
PINCH ME: Bill Milliken, Chair of our Lobster Raffle noted that we’re clawing toward a big finish! Sales have surpassed $8,500, with three weeks for sales left, before the November 8 drawing. Prizes include 8 live lobsters for first place and 4 lobsters for second — all donated by Luke’s Lobster. Proceeds are split between:
Lift All Boats — a youth program connecting high schoolers with local lobstermen for hands-on work experience. The Portland Rotary Charitable Fund — supporting scholarships, youth programs, and international service projects.
Volunteers are still needed for the next several weeks, so use the link to check for the openings and jump in. In the case of bad weather, we cancel – butyou can always sign up again — and remember, this fundraiser is an investment of our time, not our money, with 100% of the dollars raised going to these charitable programs.
MEMBERSHIP SUMMIT: Laura Young detailed an upcoming event on Sat Oct 25, 9a-12noon at the South Portland Middle School. Everyone is invited to attend and share ideas on growing club memberships. What's working, what are the challenges? Click this linkand then click on the UNITE THE SPARK logo on the first page. Looking for ideas, energy, and collaboration!
HAPPY DOLLARS: Charlie Frair celebrated an upcoming 25-day cross-country trip and impending winter in Nevada. Another shared joy over selling raffle tickets and meeting Rotarians from England to Texas. Applause for the USM concert at the new Cuddy Center — a fantastic event with acoustics to match. David Small’s report of successful cataract surgeries and new grandchildren brought smiles all around. Peter Goffin reflected on Rotary’s lasting impact — sharing that he met his wife thanks to a Rotary scholarship. The Foundation truly changes lives.
PAUL HARRIS FELLOW REDUX: Laura Young noted thatin last week's WJ it was reported that Gervin Kah had received his second PHF Award. Correction - it was his third! So...thanks again Gervin. Three of a kind beats a pair!
New Member - First Notice:Kathryn Nagle has applied for membership. She is a Financial Representative with Rise North Capital, specializing in K–12 educators to develop personalized financial plans, enhancing their retirement confidence. Club member and her brother Ian Nagle is her sponsor. Her name will be published a second time and then her application will be voted on by the Board of Directors.
LAST WEEK'S SPEAKER: Dr. Jacqueline Edmondson, USM President | by Larry Gross
Dr. Jacqueline Edmondson, celebrating her fourth year as President of the University of Southern Maine (USM), addressed the Portland Rotary Club to share updates on the university’s progress, challenges, and vision for the future. She began by emphasizing USM’s commitment to community engagement and partnership as essential components of its mission and success.
A major milestone this year is the completion of the Crewe Center for the Arts, a $63 million facility designed to strengthen USM’s arts and humanities programs. The center includes performance and teaching spaces, an arts lab for dance, the Tom and Kate Chappell Center for the Book, and 26 Steinway pianos, earning USM the distinction of being Maine’s only “All-Steinway School.” Dr. Edmondson described the center as a symbol of creativity, accessibility, and public collaboration.
She also introduced the Office for Commercialization and Innovation, an initiative connecting university research with Maine’s growing blue economy and entrepreneurial ecosystem. The office builds on partnerships with the New England Ocean Cluster and aims to translate academic ideas into practical, market-driven ventures for the “blue economy.”
Financially, Dr. Edmondson reported that USM has achieved stability through careful management and strategic planning. Over the past four years, the university has reduced its structural budget gap by half and posted small surpluses for the last two years. Enrollment levels have stabilized, with modest growth in both undergraduate and graduate programs. She credited faculty and staff for maintaining quality and student engagement amid a challenging national higher-education environment.
Dr. Edmondson acknowledged ongoing challenges, including shifting federal policies, post-pandemic learning gaps, and student mental health needs. She cited the temporary suspension—later reinstated—of funding for the Veterans Upward Bound program as an example of federal uncertainty, noting that support from Maine’s congressional delegation helped restore it. The university continues to address academic preparedness and emotional resilience among students through counseling services and the Recovery Oriented Campus Center (ROCC), which offers programs for students in recovery or seeking substance-free community.
Artificial intelligence is another area of focus. USM has established an AI Advisory Committee to explore ethical and creative uses of AI in teaching and research. The goal is to integrate new technologies in ways that enhance, rather than replace, human learning.
Speaker Schedule
October 24 - Jean Flahive, Maine Author, Historical Fiction
October 31 - Paul Bradbury. Director, Portland International Jetport
November 7 - Amy Angelo and Alice Evans, ME. Chapter Alzheimer's Assoc.
November 13- Club Social
November 14- No Meeting
November 21 - Fred Horch, Climate Change
November 28 - No Meeting "Happy Thanksgiving!"
Club Executives
Co-Presidents Bowen Depke, Laura Young President Elect Justin Lamontagne Vice President Jake Bourdeau TreasurerDick Hall Secretary Juliana L'Heureux Board of Directors Dick Hall, Patty Byers,
Art Howe, Niki Merrill, Bill Milliken, Bruce Moore
Sergeant-At-ArmsZach Newell
The Windjammer is published online by
The Rotary Club of Portland, Maine.
ROTARY MOMENTS RETURN: We’re reviving the Rotary Moment — brief reflections from members on how they joined and why they’ve stayed. Our inaugural storyteller, Jim Willey, gave a heartfelt (and humorous) recollection of joining in 1982. Once skeptical about all this “fellowship” business, he now proudly admits to being one of those “old duffers” who treasures it.
your committee choice was captured, and there was a subsequent 
PORTLAND JETPORT TOUR: Peter Goffin provided an update on the opportunity for 20 Portland Rotarians to take part in a special tour of the Portland Jetport on Friday, October 31st. Due to restrictions that have been imposed due to events like 9-11, the tour will be of the terminal only, and not the control tower. Jetport Executive Director Paul Bradbury is our guest speaker that Friday (at the Elks) and those taking the tour will leave for the Jetport at the conclusion of our meeting. Interested members can 
PINCH ME: Bill Milliken, Chair of our Lobster Raffle noted that we’re clawing toward a big finish! Sales have surpassed $8,500, with three weeks for sales left, before the November 8 drawing. Prizes include 8 live lobsters for first place and 4 lobsters for second — all donated by Luke’s Lobster. Proceeds are split between:
New Member - First Notice: