MEETING RECAP
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Saturday, July 3, 2021
By: Mary MarlinA Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
By Mary Marlin
THE LAKEWOOD KEY
And it was a beautiful day in the neighborhood!! The 4th of July is soon to be celebrated, Covid is being conquered, summer weather is cooling off and Rotarians in Lakewood are looking forward to welcoming Dr. Jim Rooks as our new Lakewood Rotary President. Bring on the fun, the adventures, and the commitment to helping our community prosper with a variety of projects for the greater good. And all is well! As did our former president, Mark Edgecomb, Dr. Rooks opened the meeting of our weekly Rotary with a pre-meet at 11:30 before the real-meet at 12:30. As the Bulletin writer today, I jumped in early to pick up helpful tidbits of information, humorous chatter, and unknown specifics that often prove helpful.
So here's the overview: Jim Bisceglia is selling his million plus house! He smiled when asked if Rotarians could benefit from our friendship with him. Mary Jo Copland is working overtime to assist numerous travelers wanting to get out of town. Pres. Jim always wears his Rotary pin at meetings and encourages others to do the same. (Where did I put mine?) Marnee Obendorf, a colleague and friend of the Pres. wanted to be present at her friend's first meeting and Jim appreciated her loyalty. They've worked together for several years at Multicare. Bob Hammar has the 4 Way Test on his wall. Leanna Christian has perfected muting incoming members on zoom so that conversations will not be compromised and interruptions will not accidentally occur. Oh, to have tech skills is such a bonus in life! Carole Wier challenged neighbor Mark Edgecomb about yard mowing and mentioned that her husband's idea to use electric poles is now being validated by the Fire Dept. Walt Richardson is still fixing his house after a neighbor's tree made a negative "impression". Greg Horn has perhaps had the most virtual meetings in Rotary history and the picture behind him with his long beard and the longer hatchet appears to go WAY back in history.
Above: And he jumped right in!
Then the bell rang and the meeting was called to order. President Rooks welcomed all. Dave Coleman gave the invocation. Jim led the Pledge as all members stood in respect to our flag. Pres. Rooks then thanked members for coming, and appreciated former Pres. Mark Edgecomb for his assistance with the meeting agenda. Making the meeting set up happen today was Leanna Christian who, by the way is a pro. Just so you know. John Lowney enjoys taking fines and Foundation contributions. The Bulletin writer was Mary Marlin and each member was encouraged to send pictures to Joe Quinn to brighten the Bulletin. Pres. Rooks also paid kudos to his wife Penny, who has taught advanced English classes and assisted him with "learning". Visitors today included our own District Governor who, I believe, has completed his responsibility. Bob Cammarano was welcomed. Marnee Obendorf, a past president of Rotary with another club and a district trainer was also welcomed. The Puffins that joined us today were: Mike Brown, Tom George, Mike Murtha, Brehen Freeman, Carole Wier, Tonya Winski, Jessica James, Dave Hall, Carl Bronkema, Rachel Mazoff, Steve Saalfeld, Jamie Simons, James Osundwa, and Wendy McGowan. We love our new Puffins....our life blood...as Pres Jim said, and we also love all the energy they bring to keep our legacy vibrant and ongoing. John Forkenbrock of the Sunshine Committee had no news to report.
However, there was sad news to report over the weekend. Ward Fletcher passed away last Tuesday; at his request there will be no service. We will miss Ward, who was a solid, steady Rotarian. Also, he quietly contributed a large amount to the Rotary Foundation. (Ed.)
Greg Rediske encouraged members to pay their dues ASAP for Rotary membership. Phil Eng is all about organizing fun events and mentioned several. The Floating Board Meeting will meet at Holly Hedge at 4:00 p.m. on July 15th. Bring food items to donate and a check if you haven't paid online. August 1-3 will be the Roadster Romp to Astoria and the Courage Classic bike ride will be on August 28th. Mark your calendars and thank you, Phil!!
Other good news was incoming. Bill Potter at the Clover Park Installation dinner was honored for the strong RI Foundation legacy of Lakewood Rotary. We donated a lot to assist Polio Plus and to help eradicate polio around the world during his term. Presidents Bill Potter, Mark Edgecomb and Jim Rooks are also noted as Covid fighters and the club supports their efforts.
Sally Smith will use her tech skills to keep those who are out of town informed and will send info as it is available. Morris Northcutt is becoming famous. His first lead-single will be released on July 23rd with the EP release coming later in August. Check the Spotify link (https://sptfy.com/morris) so you will be notified as soon as the new music is available. Well done!
President Rooks then welcomed the new Board Members and welcomed back those who will help for another year. The three new Board Members are Kendra Riconosciuto who will support Community Youth Services, RYLA and Scholarships, Bob Bruback who will work with Fellowship and Membership, Community Concerns and the Courage Classic, and Anne Enquist who will be responsible for World Affairs, World Community Service and the Foundation. Welcome new members! Those who will continue to be on the Board will be Jan Gee who will be working on Fundraising, Risk Management, Club Administration, Sergeant at Arms and the Installation Dinner. Leanna Albrecht will be working with Public Relations, Communications, and IT issues. Nicole Hancock will support Community Services, Major Projects and Military Appreciation. Many kudos to all of you!!
If you thought this club was generous before, this DAY 1 of Dr. Rooks’ term will amaze you!!! As always, we have a "fine time", but our new Pres. mentioned he likes "generous givers", not fining people. Here's what happened.....
$100 from Mark Edgecomb to honor his successor.
$100 from Steve Mazoff to "muddle through" with all your great training and obvious skills
$100 from Jim Bisceglia for rehabilitation while working on his house
$100 from Peter Marsh to the club and being proud of one of his favorite colleagues, Dr. Rooks
$100 from Scott Buser as "seed money" to the club
$100 from Rachel Mazoff....(Puffin generosity at its best)
$31 from Rick Selden for 31 great years with the club for President Rooks
$100 from Jim Rooks who is honored to serve
$100 from Rob Erb just because you are a great guy, Dr. Rooks
$100 from Jason Whalen who is excited for the new pres.
$100 from Jim Sharp to celebrate graduations of both of his sons ....one from WSU and the other a high school grad
$30 from Barb Spriggs for thanking the "jumping in the lake bravery" of Jim Rooks, Mark Edgecomb and Jason Whalen
Above: Yes, here they are, All the Presidents Men
$100 from Carole Wier for a wonderful year
$100 from Charles Heberle celebrating his son's travels to New Guinea
$50 from John Lowney for not blowing up Rediske’s house while working on a compressor
$50 from Greg Rediske for being challenged by his friend(?), John Lowney, to match him
So if I added this correctly, in one meeting with one suggestion of donations we acquired
.......$1361!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow! Who said we can't do this!!!!
The Program:
Above: Nick Athia today
With this excitement out there, our speaker for the day was introduced by Greg Rediske who mentored Nick Athia from 2007-2008 when Nick came here from Brazil as a Lakewood Rotary exchange student. Others who participated and mentored were John Korsmo, Bill Allen and Mark Blanchard. Nick is now a successful architect who still enjoys soccer and tennis even though, apparently, he had a tough go at a soccer game when he was here. All is well now. Here are some things we learned about Nick and about Brazil. He has been in Sao Paulo, Brazil for six years now as an architect. He is enjoying his job and has been featured in a local magazine there. When asked questions he mentioned that Brazil has only 35% of the population with one vaccination and only 12% with the second vaccination. Masks must be worn, although the government is less than helpful. The weather is cold at this time because this is their winter. If you wish to visit mark your calendars for Nov.-March. He wishes he could practice his English more at home, but to listen to him you would never know there was an issue with language. Brazil soccer is not a favorite of his because of the political issues that are behind it all. Nick mentioned that one doesn't get a lot of pay in Brazil, but he is smart to work as an intern in certain jobs so he can learn more "on the job". Sometimes schools can only teach so much. Bricks are used more than wood when building. Concerns about deforestation and climate change as well as human needs seem to be of less concern to government leaders. A suggestion to use the app, What's App, has proven to be very helpful to this architect and Sally Smith is also a big advocate. As James Osundwa mentioned "There's always an expert at something!" (Just like in Kenya) We welcomed Nick back to visit at any time and his enthusiasm and generous attitude made us grateful for sharing his experience with us.
Above: Nick with the Coveys as an Exchange Student back in the day
Then before Pres. Rooks called the end to the meeting, Bob Peterson said he wanted to donate to this great club with another $31 as he wished Dr. Rooks the best! With that, the meeting was ended even if the bell was waiting for the ding. See you July 9th with speaker Suzanne Pak, the Director of Community and Behavioral Health with the Korean Women's Association. Till next time......yours truly, Mary Marlin
Above: And he jumped right in!
Then the bell rang and the meeting was called to order. President Rooks welcomed all. Dave Coleman gave the invocation. Jim led the Pledge as all members stood in respect to our flag. Pres. Rooks then thanked members for coming, and appreciated former Pres. Mark Edgecomb for his assistance with the meeting agenda. Making the meeting set up happen today was Leanna Christian who, by the way is a pro. Just so you know. John Lowney enjoys taking fines and Foundation contributions. The Bulletin writer was Mary Marlin and each member was encouraged to send pictures to Joe Quinn to brighten the Bulletin. Pres. Rooks also paid kudos to his wife Penny, who has taught advanced English classes and assisted him with "learning". Visitors today included our own District Governor who, I believe, has completed his responsibility. Bob Cammarano was welcomed. Marnee Obendorf, a past president of Rotary with another club and a district trainer was also welcomed. The Puffins that joined us today were: Mike Brown, Tom George, Mike Murtha, Brehen Freeman, Carole Wier, Tonya Winski, Jessica James, Dave Hall, Carl Bronkema, Rachel Mazoff, Steve Saalfeld, Jamie Simons, James Osundwa, and Wendy McGowan. We love our new Puffins....our life blood...as Pres Jim said, and we also love all the energy they bring to keep our legacy vibrant and ongoing. John Forkenbrock of the Sunshine Committee had no news to report.
However, there was sad news to report over the weekend. Ward Fletcher passed away last Tuesday; at his request there will be no service. We will miss Ward, who was a solid, steady Rotarian. Also, he quietly contributed a large amount to the Rotary Foundation. (Ed.)
Greg Rediske encouraged members to pay their dues ASAP for Rotary membership. Phil Eng is all about organizing fun events and mentioned several. The Floating Board Meeting will meet at Holly Hedge at 4:00 p.m. on July 15th. Bring food items to donate and a check if you haven't paid online. August 1-3 will be the Roadster Romp to Astoria and the Courage Classic bike ride will be on August 28th. Mark your calendars and thank you, Phil!!
Other good news was incoming. Bill Potter at the Clover Park Installation dinner was honored for the strong RI Foundation legacy of Lakewood Rotary. We donated a lot to assist Polio Plus and to help eradicate polio around the world during his term. Presidents Bill Potter, Mark Edgecomb and Jim Rooks are also noted as Covid fighters and the club supports their efforts.
Sally Smith will use her tech skills to keep those who are out of town informed and will send info as it is available. Morris Northcutt is becoming famous. His first lead-single will be released on July 23rd with the EP release coming later in August. Check the Spotify link (https://sptfy.com/morris) so you will be notified as soon as the new music is available. Well done!
President Rooks then welcomed the new Board Members and welcomed back those who will help for another year. The three new Board Members are Kendra Riconosciuto who will support Community Youth Services, RYLA and Scholarships, Bob Bruback who will work with Fellowship and Membership, Community Concerns and the Courage Classic, and Anne Enquist who will be responsible for World Affairs, World Community Service and the Foundation. Welcome new members! Those who will continue to be on the Board will be Jan Gee who will be working on Fundraising, Risk Management, Club Administration, Sergeant at Arms and the Installation Dinner. Leanna Albrecht will be working with Public Relations, Communications, and IT issues. Nicole Hancock will support Community Services, Major Projects and Military Appreciation. Many kudos to all of you!!
If you thought this club was generous before, this DAY 1 of Dr. Rooks’ term will amaze you!!! As always, we have a "fine time", but our new Pres. mentioned he likes "generous givers", not fining people. Here's what happened.....
$100 from Mark Edgecomb to honor his successor.
$100 from Steve Mazoff to "muddle through" with all your great training and obvious skills
$100 from Jim Bisceglia for rehabilitation while working on his house
$100 from Peter Marsh to the club and being proud of one of his favorite colleagues, Dr. Rooks
$100 from Scott Buser as "seed money" to the club
$100 from Rachel Mazoff....(Puffin generosity at its best)
$31 from Rick Selden for 31 great years with the club for President Rooks
$100 from Jim Rooks who is honored to serve
$100 from Rob Erb just because you are a great guy, Dr. Rooks
$100 from Jason Whalen who is excited for the new pres.
$100 from Jim Sharp to celebrate graduations of both of his sons ....one from WSU and the other a high school grad
$30 from Barb Spriggs for thanking the "jumping in the lake bravery" of Jim Rooks, Mark Edgecomb and Jason Whalen
Above: Yes, here they are, All the Presidents Men
$100 from Carole Wier for a wonderful year
$100 from Charles Heberle celebrating his son's travels to New Guinea
$50 from John Lowney for not blowing up Rediske’s house while working on a compressor
$50 from Greg Rediske for being challenged by his friend(?), John Lowney, to match him
So if I added this correctly, in one meeting with one suggestion of donations we acquired
.......$1361!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow! Who said we can't do this!!!!
The Program:
Above: Nick Athia today
With this excitement out there, our speaker for the day was introduced by Greg Rediske who mentored Nick Athia from 2007-2008 when Nick came here from Brazil as a Lakewood Rotary exchange student. Others who participated and mentored were John Korsmo, Bill Allen and Mark Blanchard. Nick is now a successful architect who still enjoys soccer and tennis even though, apparently, he had a tough go at a soccer game when he was here. All is well now. Here are some things we learned about Nick and about Brazil. He has been in Sao Paulo, Brazil for six years now as an architect. He is enjoying his job and has been featured in a local magazine there. When asked questions he mentioned that Brazil has only 35% of the population with one vaccination and only 12% with the second vaccination. Masks must be worn, although the government is less than helpful. The weather is cold at this time because this is their winter. If you wish to visit mark your calendars for Nov.-March. He wishes he could practice his English more at home, but to listen to him you would never know there was an issue with language. Brazil soccer is not a favorite of his because of the political issues that are behind it all. Nick mentioned that one doesn't get a lot of pay in Brazil, but he is smart to work as an intern in certain jobs so he can learn more "on the job". Sometimes schools can only teach so much. Bricks are used more than wood when building. Concerns about deforestation and climate change as well as human needs seem to be of less concern to government leaders. A suggestion to use the app, What's App, has proven to be very helpful to this architect and Sally Smith is also a big advocate. As James Osundwa mentioned "There's always an expert at something!" (Just like in Kenya) We welcomed Nick back to visit at any time and his enthusiasm and generous attitude made us grateful for sharing his experience with us.
Above: Nick with the Coveys as an Exchange Student back in the day
Then before Pres. Rooks called the end to the meeting, Bob Peterson said he wanted to donate to this great club with another $31 as he wished Dr. Rooks the best! With that, the meeting was ended even if the bell was waiting for the ding. See you July 9th with speaker Suzanne Pak, the Director of Community and Behavioral Health with the Korean Women's Association. Till next time......yours truly, Mary Marlin
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