Next Meeting
When............ April
28, 2009 at 12 noon
Where.......... The
Franklin Hotel
Program...... Jeff Simons, Rome City School
District Superintendent on RCSD Budget 2009-2010
Coming
Events
May 05......... DG Larry Calabrese and DGE
Fred Chalot Bring a Friend to Rotary Day
May 12......... Mr. Gillison — DFAS
Director
May 16......... District Assembly at BOCES
May 19......... Teacher of the Year
May 26......... Memorial Meeting, President
Ron Townsend
Jun 02.......... Rotary Student Scholarship
Jun 09.......... Roses for the Living
Jun 23.......... USAF Computer Technology —
Dr. Richard Linderman (AFRL)
Jun 30.......... Past President’s Day &
Changing of the Guard
Jul 31-Aug 2 Canalfest
Dec 04......... Rome Rotary’s 90th
Anniversary Celebration at The Beeches (PDG Mike Occhipinti)
Attendance: Total Membership: 101. Absent
or [Excused or Exempt]: Bauer, Bird, [Boguhn], Bottini, Burns, Cantor, Carey, Carnevale, Casadei,
Conway, Coon, [DiPerna], [Donovan], Faldzinski, Fariello, Fusco, Geller, Glasso,
Gray, Hairston, Henry, Kahler J, Kahler R, Kaucher, [Kryczkowski], Martin,
Mattacola, Mattson, McMahon, [Mercurio], Mitchell, Moore, Neiley C, Neiley N,
Nolan, O'Hair, Pabon, [Pfendler], Puma, Ramineni, Rouillier, Schonewetter De,
Schonewetter Do, Simons K, Smith, Speicher, Swinney, Taylor, Till, Trela,
Tuthill K, Vescio, Weber, [Weed], [Zaleski].
Guests and Visiting Rotarians: Guests:
Sue McLoughlin (Occhipinti); Sam Pendergrast (Butters); Doris Latimer
(Latimer); Melissa Loiacano, Lucy’s House (Club); Bill Guglielmo and Larry
Daniello, Rome Chamber (Club); and Annabelle Calabrese (DG Calabrese).
Rotarians: DG Larry Calabrese (Utica) and DGN BJ Scott (Eastwood).
After-Work
Meeting 4/16/09: Rome
Rotarians: Carey, Corbett, Mooney, Neiley C, Neiley N, Ramos, Tuthill K, Tuthill
W.
50/50: Larry Calabrese won the
50/50 and donated the $20 to the Polio plus Campaign. “Thank you” Larry! Pairs
of tickets were raffled off for the Syracuse Symphony Concert this Saturday.
They went to Bob Herrmann and Dee Mammolito. Additional tickets were raffled
off for the Dewitt RC Pancake Breakfast in May, and these went to Bob Herrmann,
Keith Butters, and Dave Kobernuss.
Make-ups: DeSimone (Relay for
Life 4/20); Burns, Packer, Speicher, Carnevale, Winberg, and DeSimone (RFTL 4/15);
Waters S (YMCA/YWCA 4/15); Recco (R Reader 4/3 & Fort to Fort/Red Cross
4/4); Latimer (Twigs 4/20); Foreman (R Readers 4/15); Panara (KC Bingo 4/15); Butters,
Mooney (R Reader 4/20).
Happy Birthday in April to: Darlene Burns (18); Peter Costianes (15); Ava
Dorfman (30); Rick McMahon (21); Mike Occhipinti (27); Frank Puma (5); Tony
Recco (14); Daniel Rouillier (29); John Toukatly (26); and Ron Townsend (24).
Anniversaries of Rome Rotary
Membership in April: Missy Graves (2003); Mark Kaucher (2002); Sandie
Latimer (1999); Dave Rapke (2003); Carl Reames (2007); and Dan Rouillier
(2002).
Quote of the Week: "History rests on the shoulders of those who
accepted the challenge of difficulties and drove through to victory in spite of
everything." — Hugh B. Brown.
Rotary
Information
Exchange of Club
Banners — Many
Rotary clubs follow the colorful traditions of exchanging small banners, flags,
or pennants. Rotarians traveling to distant locations often take banners to
exchange at make-up meetings as a token of friendship. Many clubs use the decorative
banners they have received for attractive displays at club meetings and
district events.
The RI Board recognized the
growing popularity of the banner exchange in 1959 and encouraged participating
clubs to ensure that the design of their banners is distinctive and expressive
of the club’s community and country. It is recommended that banners include pictures,
slogans, or designs portraying the territorial area of the club.
The Board was also aware of the
financial burden such exchanges may impose on some clubs, especially in the
popular locales where many visitors make up and request to exchange banners. In
all instances, clubs are cautioned to exercise discretion and moderation in the
exchange of banners so that the financial obligations do not interfere with the
basic service activities of the club.
Exchanging club banners is a
very pleasant custom, especially when a creative and artistic banner tells an
interesting story of community pride. The exchange of banners serves as a
tangible symbol of our international fellowship.
[Rotary ABC’s, RI 2006, p.
12-13]
Canalfest Benefits our Community
With the funds raised each summer
at Rome Rotary’s Canalfest, our club is
able to “give back” to our community. Today checks were presented to three
organizations.
The first check
was presented to Lucy’s House, represented by Melissa Loiacano. Lucy’s House is
a domestic violence shelter. With a capacity of six beds, the house served
sixteen women and thirteen children in 2008. All went on to safe living environments.
Matt Miller
represented the Rescue Mission of Rome. Last year the Rescue Mission served
70,000 meals in Rome and provided 5,000 nights of care to women and children.
The check will be put to good use, as the Rescue Mission has planned expansions,
including opening a shelter for men.
When Canalfest began the Rome Chamber of Commerce
generously seeded these efforts with funds that enabled Rome Rotary to start
what is growing to be a community tradition. Each year Rome Rotary returns some
of that seed money as we express our gratitude to the Chamber for their early
support and encouragement.
Polio
Plus, DG Larry Calabrese
We were privileged to have DG
Larry Calabrese with us today. He spoke on the Rotary theme for this year, “Make
Dreams Come True,” specifically “making dreams come true for the children of
the world” and the Polio Plus Program. In two large sums the Bill Gates
Foundation has given Rotary International $250 million toward the eradication
of polio because “they have the confidence that Rotary will finish the job.”
District 7150 has pledged $50,000 for this year and for each of the next three
years. The District has currently raised $46,005 of that amount. Our Rotary
year ends 30 June. Larry asked for our support to make this happen and praised
all that we have done to date. He enjoys coming to Rome and stated that, “Rome
Rotary is a vibrant, fun, community driven organization. It is what Rotary
needs to be throughout the world.”
Home
Show Schedule
Don’t forget the Rome Home Show
on 25–26 April! If you have signed up to work at the Rotary Booth, check the
schedule below. (PP Debbie Adamo)
|
Time
|
Saturday
|
Sunday
|
|
10-11
|
Valerie Carey
June Sperlik
|
Dave Kobernuss
Bob Herrmann
|
|
11-12
|
Donna Schonewetter
Dennis Schonewetter
|
Deb, Brit, Zach Adamo
Dave Kobernuss
|
|
12-1
|
Harry & Mary Winberg
Keith Butters
|
Phil Trela
Nancy & Chris Neiley
|
|
1-2
|
Jackie Corbett
Missy Graves
|
Sandie Latimer
Al Panara
|
|
2-3
|
Jeannie & Don Packer
|
Bob Bird
|
|
3-4
|
Jeannie & Don Packer
|
Joe Fusco
Greg Mattacola
|
|
4-5
|
Ron Townsend
|
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
|
|
5-6
|
Joe Fusco
Dave Kobernuss
|
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
|
Rotary
Announcements
·
Administrative
Assistants Day! Though we did not have many Administrative Assistants
visiting with us today, Rome Rotary honors and appreciates all that they do!
·
Nominations needed! The Roses for
the Living Award will be given on 9 June at the Beeches. The deadline for submitting
names for this honor is 1 May. Please contact a committee member with your
nominee. (Darlene Burns)
·
This Thursday 23 Apr, the RFA Social Action Club
(Rotary sponsored Interact) will sponsor a special concert to raise money for
the Haiti Water Project. The artist is well known guitarist Lauren Barrigar.
The Concert starts at 6:30 and is $8 per ticket. (Nancy Neiley)
·
The Rotary District Assembly will be held on
Saturday 16 May at the BOCES in Verona from 8 AM to 1:30 PM. The program will
focus on the next year in Rotary. The club pays the cost of attending.
Breakfast and lunch are included. (President Ron or PP Dennis)
·
The B Sharp Musical Club will present a free
concert on Sunday 26 Apr at 2 PM at Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute
Auditorium. The performing musicians are B Sharp scholarship winners from surrounding
county high schools. (Pete Costianes)
·
Concert by Hamilton College and Community Chorus
on Tuesday 28 Apr, 8 PM Wellen Hall, Hamilton College. (Sandie Latimer)
·
Annual Legends of the Diamonds Dinner at the
Beeches Tuesday 19 May. Featured guest is Ken Giffi Sr. Tickets are $65. (Fred
Normand)
Program
WKTV News Anchor Steve
McMurray
Steve
McMurray, a graduate of Syracuse University in broadcasting and journalism, is
the News Director for WKTV in Utica. He is the co-anchor for the “Alive at
Five” newscast. He is also the Assistant Fire Chief for the Volunteer Fire
Department in Herkimer.
Steve gave a
brief overview of his background and work with WKTV, and spoke of the
commitment of that 60 year old broadcasting organization to the community. He
then opened the program to questions. The issue eliciting the most discussion
was Rome’s status as part of the Syracuse broadcasting market, a relationship,
which seems less than logical given our close proximity to and interest in the
affairs of Utica. Steve addressed this, explaining the history responsible for
this division and noting that today any proposed change becomes a matter of
Syracuse relinquishing that share of the market and therefore a matter of money.
PP Glen Bahr commented on the variety of other news sources available to the
consumer, whose needs and desired must ultimately be considered. Steve felt
that in time this arrangement will be reworked to an agreement that most
parties will accept.
Steve spoke very
highly of the Daily Sentinel as a
“treasure here in Rome” and one we may not fully appreciate. His comments were
offered without knowing that the Waters were present, which added some humor. “Thank
you” Steve for joining us. We enjoyed your presentation.
Cindy
Roubian, Editor
PP Dennis
Schonewetter, Technical Editor
