THIS WEEK's Oct 3 Meeting at Italian Heritage Club
Oct 10 Meeting at USM Portland. Details forthcoming.
(Elks Lodge is renovating kitchen)
THIS WEEK'S SPEAKER: Maya Newell, Student Exchange Program/ Japan Visit
Maya Newell, daughter of Portland Rotarian Zach Newell, went to Japan through our Student Exchange program. A junior at Deering High School, Maya is a young leader who exemplifies the Rotary ideal of “Service Above Self".
She was recently elected class president, stepping into the role just after returning from a transformative year in Yaizu, Japan through the Rotary Youth Exchange program. While abroad, she embraced new experiences—joining the local cheer team and biking five miles to school each way. This immersion gave her invaluable skills in global awareness and communication.
Maya’s commitment, energy, and service make her a standout leader both locally and globally.Back in Portland, Maya is a dedicated soccer player for the Deering High Rams, serves through Key Club, participates in Model United Nations, and works part-time at Chipotle. With a growing passion for international relations and culture, she hopes to continue her education at a university in Japan after graduation.
BITS AND PIECES | By David Patterson
Co-President Bowen Depke opened the meeting, and things got underway.
DON'T GO HUNGRY: Bowen reminded everyone that October 3rd we’ll be back at the Italian Heritage Center — a familiar favorite. The following week, October 10th, we’ll meet at USM Portland for a special program featuring the President of USM as our guest speaker. Watch your email for reminders so you don’t show up hungry at the wrong spot.
POLIO FUNDING SUCCESS: Dick Hall reported good news from the Zone Summit that Rotary’s annual commitment to ending polio and medical monitoring, an annual budget of $500 million is intact. Rotary raises $50M which is matched 2:1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Other funds come through the W.H.O., Unicef, and a number of countries. The U.S. had been providing $80M thru USAID and $135M through the CDC. The USAID was dismantled however the funding was transferred and the full $80M is now funded by the U.S. Commerce Dept. The CDC budget was also cancelled but the full $135M budget was replaced by a separate appropriation directly from the U.S. Congress. Both the Commerce Dept and Congress have committed to continue this funding for 2026 and 2027.
PORTLAND ROTARY CELEBRATES RECOVERY MONTH:
Niki Curtis spoke about the excellent Rally 4 Recovery, noting that September celebrates hope, healing, and the power of recovery. She noted that in the back of the room was the display used at the R4R event, adding that Narcan, information, and resources are available for members. The first photo is Niki with Katherine Nagle. The second photo with Niki and Penny Harris from the 2025 Rally 4 Recovery, a free concert and resource fair held Sunday, September 14 at Payson Park by the Portland Recovery Community Center. The event celebrated recovery in Maine and connected people with local organizations. Portland Rotary contributed financially and hosted a table showing how Rotary supports recovery.
ALL FOR A GOOD CLAWS:
Lobster Raffle Update: The Lobster Raffle continues to be a major success — we’ve already raised about $4,600 thanks to nearly 20 members volunteering their time at the table across from Brickyard Hollow. If you haven’t signed up yet, check the paper signup sheets on your tables or email Larry or Bill to claim a slot. It’s a great way to build camaraderie, meet cruise ship passengers (and fellow Rotarians from around the world), and support projects like our Dominican Republic initiatives and local vocational training. Finally, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who makes these projects happen. As Bowen reminded us: the best part about these fundraisers is OPM — Other People’s Money — but it takes your time and energy to make it possible.
GOLDEN DEELY BOPPER: Larry also shared that the most coveted shadowbox in the club is about to change hands! The Golden Deely Bopper will soon be awarded to this year’s member who has demonstrated outstanding service to the Lobster Raffle. Stay tuned for the big reveal.
Photo: Bruce Jones, Tom Talbott, and Penny Harris look "board", but they're really having fun! On the right Larry Gross connects with a traveling Rotarian!
SPECIAL GUEST: Roger andLiz Fagan welcomed their special guest, Moises Sifren, Director of the Good Samaritan Hospital in La Romana, Dominican Republic. 20 years ago, when the hospital was just beginning, Moises welcomed Roger and Liz and helped launch the clinics where they test and treat people with hearing loss and deafness. All that good work paid off and we can now celebrate the creation of a permanent audiology clinic at Good Samaritan, supported by several local Rotary clubs and a grant with our International Host Club, Evanston Lighthouse Rotary. Moises has been integral from the start and remains key to the Fagan's mission of providing sustainable hearing health care at the hospital.
Photo: Liz Roger, Past District Governor Claudia Frost, and Moises!
BOARD MEETING & Funding Framework: There was a Board Meeting immediately following Friday’s meeting. Laura and the team are introducing a new funding framework to help align how we spend our hard-earned fundraising dollars with the club’s strategy and vision. Expect more discussion during the December General Assembly.
CELEBRATION OF LIFE: Mark Stimson. Tom Ranello reminds everyone that on Saturday, Oct 11th, 11am at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Route 88, Falmouth, there will be a celebration of Mark's life followed by a reception at the fellowship hall.
LAST WEEK'S SOCIAL:BONITA TOMPKINS, CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL STUDIES | by Tom Nickerson
Bonita Tompkins, the founder of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, talked about her journey in building a vibrant organization to encourage the entrepreneurial passions of high school students in Farmington Maine. Bonita started out as a teacher at Mt. Blue High School and she saw that many of her studies were interested in business but did not have easy access to opportunities to learn how to start and build a business. There was a need to create a way to nurture the students’ entrepreneurial spirit. As someone who sees a need and then acts, she decided to lease a store front to start a gift store near the high school to give her students a real experience in business.
Despite the challenges of opening a store at the beginning of the pandemic, Bonita was encouraged by the students’ continued interest and how much community support there was for the project. She created a non-profit to provide structure and began expanding services. One student approached her about selling jewelry she was making at home. Bonita saw another need to provide maker space and mentoring on how to market products. The Center added marketing training and access to develop marketing materials. The gift store kept growing, so the students discussed how to sustain the Center and the group decided that students would keep 90% of the profits and 10% would be reinvested into the organization. As the Center became financially viable, Bonita and the students decided to invest in a six-acre vacant parcel near the school to create more opportunities for the students.
As word of the program’s success grew, Bonita was able to leverage partnerships and funding from the US Department of Labor, the University of Maine at Farmington, and local groups like the Maine Cabin Masters to increase services for the students. As a results, the students can earn a stipend for their work and/or earn college credits from the business school. The Center has also secured federal grant funding for a planning grant to develop the vacant parcel and start to build out the services that the youth and community need. One focus of the new services will be to address homeless among high school students.
Bonita is a passionate entrepreneur and is dedicated to having this effort be led by the students. She sees her mission as supporting the students and helping them access the resources necessary to make their dreams a reality. The Center needs volunteers who want to share their business experience and help mentor the students. For more information on the Center,click here for the website. Photo: Tom Talbott, Bonita Tompkins, Bowen Depke
Speaker Schedule
October 10- @USM Dr. Jacqueline Edmondson, President, USM
October 16- Thursday Night Social : End Polio Now Bridge Walk
October 17- No Meeting
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.
Co-President Bowen Depke opened the meeting, and things got underway.
POLIO FUNDING SUCCESS: Dick Hall reported good news from the Zone Summit that Rotary’s annual commitment to ending polio and medical monitoring, an annual budget of $500 million is intact. Rotary raises $50M which is matched 2:1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Other funds come through the W.H.O., Unicef, and a number of countries. The U.S. had been providing $80M thru USAID and $135M through the CDC. The USAID was dismantled however the funding was transferred and the full $80M is now funded by the U.S. Commerce Dept. The CDC budget was also cancelled but the full $135M budget was replaced by a separate appropriation directly from the U.S. Congress. Both the Commerce Dept and Congress have committed to continue this funding for 2026 and 2027.
ALL FOR A GOOD CLAWS: 
Bonita Tompkins, the founder of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, talked about her journey in building a vibrant organization to encourage the entrepreneurial passions of high school students in Farmington Maine. Bonita started out as a teacher at Mt. Blue High School and she saw that many of her studies were interested in business but did not have easy access to opportunities to learn how to start and build a business. There was a need to create a way to nurture the students’ entrepreneurial spirit. As someone who sees a need and then acts, she decided to lease a store front to start a gift store near the high school to give her students a real experience in business.