At the end of the Superbowl (can I type Superbowl without paying Goodell?) I so badly wanted to take control of Bob Kraft’s mind and have him take the Lombardi Trophy from Goodell and then step back and flip Goodell the bird on national TV.  It might have been the most fitting ending to one of the greatest comebacks of all time.  Goodell, who was cheering for any of the other 31 teams in the league to win the Superbowl, had to be incredibly bummed that Atlanta let this game slip away.

 

​I can tell you when I am old and completely bald (I can’t say gray because I am clearly there already) I will be sure to tell my yet unborn grandchildren to never give up like Tom Brady and the 2017 Superbowl Champions who scored 31 unanswered points in one of the greatest sports comebacks of all time. Heather MacLean, the Patriots won the Superbowl and no Andrew Benintendi does not play for the Patriots.  I will tell that that most of the commercials during the Superbowl sucked and well halftime was Lady freakin’ Gaga hanging from some wires (that would have been a fantastic wardrobe malfunction), but it was a second half of football for the ages. 

 

​On a totally unrelated matter, solicit, solicit and solicit some more for the auction.  The February 24 deadline is real.  There is a tremendous amount of behind the scenes work to get the items lined up on the Quickie and Big Boards so please do your asks and get the items either to Bernice or to Joe Moreshead.  If you have stuff that needs to be picked up call Bernice and she can get it.  If someone would please get a frig donated I would love to see a full size rig on the roof of Bernice’s car. And as a reminder, gift cards are great and always acceptable but if you can get some nice physical items they make the auction better.  

 

​Finally, the essay contest meeting will be on April 12.  We tried to do it at Duffy’s again but they want an arm and a leg for a lunch buffet so we are looking at alternative locations.  If anyone has any suggestions for a larger location for the essay contest please let Lucie know. I do know that we had the essay contest at Run of the Mill during Ken’s year and Ken worked hard on the speaker system, but the fact remains that some of the students are very soft spoken and a quieter location which will enable all of us to hear their great essays and their messages would be better.

 

Have another great week.

 

​

 

Pledge of Allegiance
4 Way Test led by Bronwyn Barnett
Invocation by Joe Moreshead

Jackson Brown Introduced guests:
Cassandra Mooers
Amanda Coward
Deborah Taylor

Update by Conrad on Wine Tasting:

No totals yet overall but the 50/50 earned $600 and the silent auction close to $1500. Expected to be about $3000 in ticket sales once all the money is turned in. We should have done as well as last year, if not better.

Thanks to all who volunteered and thanks to Heather for getting tablecloths.

Bernice update on TV Auction:

All items need to be in by February 24
Auction is scheduled for 26 March
Members should have received packets with info. from last year's donations. Packets and lists are in place so multiple members don't solicit from the same merchants several times.

Items are to be dropped off at Precision Screw at 30 Gooch St. or brought to the meeting (but please do not bring canoes to Run of the Mill).

Lucie announced that York County Community College held a fundraiser selling off pavers and our club bought two of them. One of them bears A.W. Kany Jr.'s name and the other bears the name of our club. She passed them around for all to see (pictures of them; not the actual stones).

Mark Nahorney informed us that he has the Rotary t-shirts and the list of all that ordered them. Please pick them up if you ordered one or he will sell them to someone else.

Roland Gagne gave an update of the refugee grant. The final movement of funds to the project is near and there is a shortfall of around $1000.

Jim Godbout gave an update on the Rotary House: the sheetrock is being taped and painted as well as the interior trim. To celebrate all the participants, club members, COT students, and the local tradespeople who donated skills and materials, Jim announced a huge party will be held at the COT on May 31st.

Red Ribbon update: The committee has launched a t-shirt design competition to kids in the OOB-Saco-Biddeford schools with prizes of $500, $250, and $100 to be awarded for the best 3 designs.

Lucie presented service awards to the following people:
Sabine McElrath - 1 year
Steve Morin - 17 years
Craig Pendleton - 2 years
Randy Forcier - 10 years

Sargent-at-arms:

Happy dollars were flying around:
Mark: City Theater won 2 awards in Broadway News
Craig: in honor of his cousin who recently passed away
Conrad: the wine tasting event is over and he is leaving government affairs at the end of June
Joe: happy to be a member of this club
Heather: sad about a recent funeral
Jeremy: lucky to have met Karen who just landed him a $50,000 grant for fancy lights
Randy: scored the beer sale event of the week days before the Super Bowl
Bronwyn: happy to pass out ballots so CBC can win a grant from Bangor Savings
Fausto: happy for help with the 50/50 at the Wine tasting

The rest of the people were fined:
Lucie: starting a minute late
Jackson: missing our song date last Wednesday
Karen: for calling Fausto greedy at the 50/50
Fausto: for parking out front (fines aren't really working on that one)
Randy: for ordering a special lunch
Bernice: for ordering a special drink
Joe: having no respect for Lucie and chatting up his table of female guests
Various: late dues
 

 

 

Michael briefed us on some the issues the Legislature is working on.

The Maine Supreme Court will be looking at the ranked choice voting referendum that passed to determine its constitutionality.

Also evaluating the recreational marijuana statute and studying the after effects of other states, like Colorado, who have legalized it.
One interesting statistic he cited was that in Colorado, traffic fatalities rose 37% since the law passed. (editorial note: this does not prove cause and effect).

Looking into restoring the tip credit for wait staff.

He also spoke about the many special interest groups who are behind the voter ballot questions and how they write the referendums, often without much regard for the legality of the wording.
 

 

Biddeford - Saco Rotary Club​Saco Bay Rotary Club

          Lucie Kay - President​ ​ Jeff Slaton - President

 

 

 

 

TWENTY- EIGHTH ANNUAL ROTARY/TIME WARNER TV AUCTION

SUNDAY, March 26th, 2017

12:00 to 9:00 PM

 

 

The Rotary Clubs of Saco Bay and Biddeford - Saco are pleased to announce their Twenty-Eight Annual TV Auction in collaboration with Time Warner Cable of Maine.  Over the past 28 years we have raised over a million dollars that we have used to support countless community groups and charities.  Please see the back of this letter for a listing of some of our club activities and the groups with which we have partnered on projects or supported financially.

 

Your past participation is greatly appreciated and once again, we need your help and continued supportto make this another successful Rotary auction. In fact, our goal is to make our 28th auction the biggest ever.  

 

There are many ways to help!  We are seeking:

 

The auction will again take place at the J. Richard Martin Community Center in Biddeford.  It is an icon within our communities that provides an efficient location in which to run the auction and a convenient place for the people who purchase the auction items to pick them up.  The auction is a fast paced, exciting event with very few idle minutes and the space allows the public to see how we do it all.  Thousands of phone calls will be taken by volunteers from all over Maine and even other parts of the country while Rotarians auction off items and try their best to entertain.  

 

We hope that you will help us produce another successful auction with your generous donation that allows you to help the community and gain recognition for your business.  A Rotarian will be in touch with you soon to talk about your potential participation in this year’s auction or to perhaps discuss sponsorship opportunities.  Thank you for your consideration.

 

 

AUCTION  CO-CHAIRS



 



Bernice Wood

Biddeford – Saco Rotary Club​

www.biddeford-sacorotary.org

 

David LePauloue

Saco Bay Rotary Club

www.sacobayrotary.org



​​

 

 

The following is a partial listing of organizations and community projects that have received local Rotary Club support through the funds raised at our Auctions.

 

Bon Appetite Soup Kitchen​Camp Susan Curtis Camperships

Local Food Pantries​Handicapped Accessibility Donations

York County Child Abuse & Neglect Council​Community Support Services, Inc

Salvation Army​High School Youth Exchange Programs

YMCA of Southern Maine​Tomorrow’s Promise Playground

Rotary Youth Leadership (RYLA)​American Legion Post 26​

Vocational House Project at Biddeford​Dictionary Project for 3rd Graders

YWCA​​Project AWARE, Inc.

UNE Scholarships​Saco River Walk Program

Thornton Academy Scholarships​Biddeford & Adult Community Education

Biddeford High School Scholarships​McArthur Library Annex

Old Orchard Beach High Scholarships​Crop Walk Maine

Toys for Tots​Biddeford Recreation Department

Biddeford City Theater​Counseling Services, Inc.

Thornton Academy Gazebo​Eastern Trail Alliance

Saco Heath Nature Walk​VOANNE Veterans Services

Cascade Falls Nature Trail​Saco Little League

SMMC Cancer Care and Pediatric Asthma​Day One

Senior Connection-Home Safety Program​Rotary Park

Open Hands Open Heart​​St. James School

Visiting Nurses Service Daycare Center​Biddeford Community Center

Maine Children’s Cancer Program​Program Literacy Volunteers

Biddeford Little League Softball​​Engine One​​

Local Fire Department’s “Learn Not to​3D CNC Machine for Biddeford Regional

Burn” Trailer​Center of Technology

Annual Children’s Holiday Party​Our Father’s House, Inc.

for Disadvantaged Children​      ​​

​Old Orchard Beach Recreation Department

​

The Ballpark in OOB​Sweetser 

 

Dyer Library / Saco Museum​Ferry Beach Ecology School

 

 

The Rotary clubs of Saco Bay and Biddeford – Saco

wish to thank you for your continued support.

 

Total Raised:
$1,607.40

Containers CLYNKed:
29,463