The Venue committee of Heather Gendron, Heather MacLean, and Conrad Welzel continue to research options for us. Spaces under consideration include Ricetta's, Ferry Beach Conference Center, and the Center of Technology (where today's meeting was held). The goal is to have a decision made at the Board meeting on 9/1. Note:none of our venue choices will be available until mid-October, due to staffing shortages and other reasons. So the venue committee has agreed that we will meet at the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology through Oct 13.
The Program Committee has an excellent upcoming slate of speakers. September is focused on Saco. Next week 8/25 our guest will be Nick Blunier, Biddeford artist, of Common Roots Studio and the Art Bus. This meeting will be held at the COT and also on Zoom (the COT space works well for hybrid meetings, thanks Paulette for making it available!)
Guest: Chris Soulias, Middletown CT Rotary
Happy dollars (apologies for any I missed!):
- Sergeant-at-Arms Jim LaBelle: $5, glad that Bill Kany isn't here (reference Bill's Peanut Gallery musings :)
- Dr. Joe: Please get involved with the Ogunquit clubs Two Cents Sale
- Brian Dallaire: appointed as District Fundraising Chair for Major (>$10K) Gifts. Notes that Brenda Cressey from the District Foundation Committee has joined Ogunquit club which is great.
- Peggy Bean: happy to find the COT and the right spot for the meeting!
- Melissa: nice family visit from Kansas
- Marty: got to take home leftover ice cream, good golf fundraiser, thank you to all Club members
- Don: good golf fundraiser
- Bill Paterson: family visited from Corpus Christi, it was hotter here than it was there
- Holly Culloton: thanks for having me as a guest
- Mike Burman: celebrating 17th anniversary, had a nice three-day weekend in Cancun
Guest speaker, Community Advocate-Holly Culloton "Why I Do What I Do"
- Opened and ran Bebe's Burritos on Main Street in Biddeford, 2001-2006
- Opened and ran LaCava Gift Shop on Water Street (where Magnus is now) after that
- Started Biddeford's Adopt-a-Park program
- Pursued gardening and received Master Gardener certification
- Received funding to help develop Williams Court & Pierson's Lane gardens, together with Joyfull Harvest
- There are 14 raised bed boxes there
- Renting space from Biddeford Housing Authority for $1/year at Mission Hill Community Garden (large parking area on Sullivan St)
- Supplying produce to Bon Appetit and YouthFull Maine food programs
- Thank you to Rotarian Jim Godbout for arranging water system including rainwater catchment system at Mission Hill
- York County Cooperative Extension and Service Works also support
- Partnered with McArthur Library for Biddeford Gardening learning series
- Teamed up with United Way to build 4 more boxes
- Pierson's Lane garden hasn't been as good this year due to less community attention to it, but it has been great in the past and will be again
- At Williams Court, the Maine Way housing program has the best box (Pres note: Marty likes to support Maine Way, this is an excellent transitional housing program)
- Holly has built 91 total garden boxes: top that, people!
- Thank you to Rotary, including Michael from Stoner & Co, Joe Moreshead, and many others for the support!
