Northwind 5/24/07

Whatcom County North

Rotary

May 24, 2007

MEETING TO ORDER:  President Ken called the meeting to order at 12:30 and Tim Carpenter gave the invocation.

VISITING ROTARIANS:  Visiting Rotarians include Lynn Masland from Sunrise Rotary; Karen Morse from Bellingham Rotary; Shannon Terrell and Robin Schmidt from Bellingham Bay Rotary and Pete Ruese from Sedro Woolley Rotary.

GUESTS OF ROTARIANS:  None 

BIRTHDAYS:  None

RETURNING ROTARIANS:  None

ANNOUNCEMENTS:  President Ken announced that our annual Installation Dinner is set for the evening of June 28^th.  The menu will include Prime Rib and Salmon.  There will be no lunch meeting that day.  He also reminded us that the meeting of July 5^th will be cancelled.  Rome Sarwas said the Roy Orbison Group and the Whalers concert which is set for June 23^rd is a definite go.  The concert is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. and tickets will go on sale Tuesday May 29^th for $30.00, $35.00 or $39.00.  Pat O'Day will be the Master of Ceremonies.  Tim Carpenter announced that our noon meeting on May 31 will be an organization meeting for the Rummage Sale scheduled for the month of July.  Finally, President Ken announced the Rotary District Conference to be held from May 31 to June 3 at Harrison Hot Springs, Canada.

HAPPY BUCKS:  Max Legg had $5 happy bucks for a recent scuba diving trip to Grand Cayman.  Phil Bratt had a happy buck for a recent trip to Palm Springs where it was 100 degrees and he played lots of golf.  Bill Grace was happy to be involved in the antique car show to be held at Boulevard Park this Sunday.  Lynn Masland is happy to host a Turkish couple who are Rotarians attending the upcoming District Conference.  Randy Carr has a couple of Scooter Bucks and a note that Paul Cooley was hardly recognizable without his mustache.  Scott Piper is happy to be attending his 29^th consecutive Ski to Sea Race this Sunday.  Rick Staeb was happy to have attended a management meeting recently in Sarasota, Florida, where KGMI won the small market "Station of the year" award.  Larry Pollett was happy to have attended the "grumpy old men" poker party but was disappointed that Ann Margaret wasn't in attendance.  Elizabeth Barnard was happy about meeting Warren Buffet?  Rome Sarwas was happy about some "river" boat that is built by Northup Grumman coming to Bellingham.  Tim Carpenter was happy about bicycle riding with Larry when they rode around Lake Samish and Tim did it faster than he did when he was 18.  Dick Donahue was happy to have been one of the "grumpy old men" and he came home smiling because he won and he's happy his 37-year old daughter will be having her first child in November.  Congratulations Dick!  Dick Nolan was happy to attend a Mariner's game from tickets donated by Dick Donahue.  To which several members reminded Dick of Dick Donahue's promise to replace those tickets if the Mariner's lost, which they did.  Greg Thulin was happy about his kids needing something and how his wife has this innate ability to perceive and understand that need which I think meant he was very happy to be married to his wife Kim.

FINEMASTER:  Roger Lehnert was today's Finemaster.  He fined Max Legg $2 got something I didn't hear.  All of the Cougars were asked to stand (Scott Wallace, Shannon Terrell, John Aubert, Larry Pollett, Dick Donahue & Tim Carpenter) and were fined for just being Cougars.  Brian Finnegan was fined for complaining.  Randy Carr was fined for people not showing up at the US Meeting.  All Tie wearers (there were two of them) were asked to stand up then everyone not wearing a tie was fined a buck.  Anyone who has golfed in the last two weeks was asked to stand and everyone who didn't stand was fined a buck.  A pattern is developing.  Phil Bratt was fined for being Phil Bratt.  Larry Pollett was asked who won the "grumpy old men" poker tournament and no one owned up to it so all were fined a buck.  Tim Carpenter was fined a buck for something about a laser and poker which Tim happily paid while claiming at least he wasn't grumpy.  Rome Sarwas was fined a buck for the outlandish commercial plug for the boat thing earlier. 

BANNERS:  None today

PROGRAM:  Dick Nolan introduced today's speaker Karen Morse, who is a professor of chemistry and the CEO of Western Washington University.  Karen indicated she has been the CEO of WWU since 1993.  Her program today focused on the future plans that WWU has for the GP property that they will occupy.  In their 2007-2009 biennial budget they has allocated $1.2 million for Advanced Materials Science & Engineering Center; $1.1 million for Biomedical Research Activities in Neuroscience; and $1 million for waterfront planning related to the GP property acquisition.  They have two phases towards future development.  Phase 1: Themes & Initiatives; Environmental Development; Healthy Living; Community Regional Development and Visual & Performing Arts.  Phase II: Consulting with Stratus Corporation on the seven to twelve acres that WWU will occupy out of the 190-acre total; Develop space requirements; Tour national models; Assess redevelopment potential; Assess redevelopment of Arntzen Hall and Environmental Studies Center; Alternative Transportation; and Timeline.  For more information you can go to www.wwu.edu, then enter the President's site and click on Waterfront Site. 

Drawing:  Dick Nolan had the lucky ticket but drew the six of clubs.