Author: Envira Gallery

CLICK HERE TO SEE DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE LATEST CLUB MEETING

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See student exhibitions at Windsor MET academy!

This is an opportunity for us to connect with students on a personal level.  As we look at new ways to approach our scholarship program, a major focus is to get to know the students.

If you would like to go, please wear your Rotary pin and introduce yourself as a representative of the Rotary Club of Windsor.

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Program Notes

The bell rang twice… President Maureen Merrill gave us a few additional moments to get our socializing together. 

The flag salute went well with the Four-Way Test. 

Susan Cole gave us some inspiration in the words of Buddha, “Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”

We found a mutual harmony in the song, “Satisfaction.”

Photography provided by Sue Nelson. Words provided by Tom Boylan.

Guests of Rotarians:

Jose Diaz brought the microphone around the room to find our guests.

Alison Huber let us know that Beth Smith and Kate, our outgoing exchange student, were in attendance.

Sandi Krutz introduced our exchange student Vittoria Caselli, who is now residing at Ken Moulton and Pam Moulton’s home on the lake. Ken offered a sign-up sheet to take Vittoria on adventures. 

JB Leep introduced Tony Geraldine, who is the chaperone for Miss Sonoma County Rhiannon Jones.

Announcements:

Bell Manor lunch is set for noon next Thursday. Heather Cullen reminds us she is going to be singing with her group. She says there should be more Rotarians to make the residents feel good.

Bill Bolster reminds us that Dick Bishop went to Bell Manor last year to bring some joy to the seniors. Bill also suggests that although the Dick Bishop Bell Ringing crew is set for this week, there are a few openings the following week. Cash only, please.

Sue Nelson is going to let Bev Graham do the heavy lifting for details regarding the Holiday get together at her home Saturday, December 7th at 5:30. Bev says participants should plan to bring a “nice” gift for the exchange. The emphasis is on nice.

Some of you may remember… I just forgot what I was going to say.

A couple of decades ago there was a Quiet Rotarian award and a few of our crew have been selected, including Pegi Ball. The scribe got the nod for this month’s Powerhouse of the Month.

Doug Williams gave us an update on the SMART Train moving toward the Larkspur Station by the middle of December. January 1 the schedules are going to be changing as well to coordinate with bus schedules for those going further south. Doug let us know that he initially got involved with SMART when he became a Fire Safety Contractor and then added Public Access Support (PAS) to his role. A PAS person helps newbies become educated on how the system works and how the parking works. 

Club members are asked to share comments during our meetings by writing one and dropping it in the paper bag on the table. Robin Resendez offered a comment by asking people to support a friend’s fundraiser. Please connect with Robin for more details. 

Friday the 13th is the Left Edge theater play, Escanaba in the Moonlight, a hunting story to beat all hunting stories; Escanaba In Da Moonlight spins a hilarious tale of humor, horror, and heart. Plan to receive a little culture… the play we are told by Pres. Maureen is suitable for all ages.

Wally Krutz says we need to keep John LeCave on our minds due to some surgery on his bicep. He is looking to improve muscle capacity.

Program: 

JB introduced us to Rhiannon Jones, a veteran in the world of pageants. She holds several titles in Northern California and is an Arts major at Sonoma State and a talented archer as well.

Rhiannon let us know she is not usually an early riser but appreciated that she could present to us in English because a little later in the day she will be taking a final in French. She shared that she is encouraged by her mom for her trying to be a pageant person, but mom questioned her talent. After Rhiannon entered her first pageant and won, her mom became a little more appreciative of her talents.

We found out that she grew up in Rocklin California. Rhiannon let us know that the road she travels is a little different in that she is a gay woman. Her story of coming out was interesting in that she found support easier than anticipated from her parents and her siblings. She is appreciative of the life she is leading in Sonoma County and the support the community provides to diversity.

Life as a student will be ending after this year and it sounds like there is some soul searching to go on for what she will do after school. Art is a big part of her life and she can sculpt her future.

Currently, Rhiannon is a hard worker holding down a couple of jobs, including working at a winery and Abercrombie & Fitch. 

We were offered a very intimate story of Rhiannon being taken advantage of and how it affected her work and more importantly her life. Through her friends, she found that Sonoma County offers a great support network to aid victims of sexual abuse. The story she told became one of how she managed her emotions during a trying time. 

Support comes from family and support comes from strangers. Although Rhiannon made light of the process she endured, there was a deep emotion that she presented as she endured the invasive tests associated with giving forensic evidence. 

Her testing provided evidence, but technicalities prevented charges from being filed. Her struggle became one that she had to deal with internally. The event took her on a journey of self, and through the nightmares, she found a vehicle for sharing her story, the Miss Sonoma County Pageant. 

The platform she has now allows her to share not just her story but the process of healing and the importance of educating others.  Educating others about diversity and overcoming trauma are key elements to her presentations as Miss Sonoma County. 

A good round of applause let her know we appreciated how difficult it is to have endured such trauma and how much she is appreciated for sharing her story. 

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DISTRICT 5130 PRESIDENT

Attached is the latest financials for POLIO PLUS FUNDRAISING A/0 12.2.19. It details a total of $ 78,373 credited to our district POLIO PLUS ACCOUNT. The Gates Foundation will add their 2 for 1 donation of $ 156,746 which means you have been responsible for  $235,119 to fund polio immunizations.

PolioPlusReport

Our top fundraisers are: South Ukiah $20,545, Sebastopol $ 12,000, Santa Rosa Sunrise $ 6290, Crescent City $ 4219, Cloverdale $ 3424, Lakeport $ 3290, Santa Rosa $ 3250, Sebastopol Sunrise $ 2988, Petaluma $ 2950, Fort Bragg $ 2465, Willits $ 2306, Arcata Sunrise  $2280, Eureka $ 1776, Healdsburg $ 1543, Arcata $ 1392, Petaluma Sunrise $ 1330, Rancho Cotati $ 1125, Mad River $ 1055, Valley of the Moon $ 952.

Currently, we have 9 clubs who have not donated to POLIO PLUS  & a few other clubs that have made minimal contributions since July 1, 2019. Continued donations are critical to the success of this life saving/life-changing program so please don’t put off transmitting funds promptly to your POLIO PLUS ACCOUNT at our Rotary Foundation.

Funding is also coming from our global partners who just gathered at the REACHING THE LAST MILE FORUM in Abu Dhabi and pledged $2.6 BILLION US to help fund the 2019-2023 POLIO END GAME STRATEGY. Included in these pledges were the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi pledging $ 160 MILLION US, The BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION $ 1.08 BILLION US, ROTARIANS (R.I. FOUND.) pledged  $150 MILLION, Australia $ 10.29 MILLION, DALIO PHILANT. 25 MILLION, NIGERIA $ 84.17 MILLION, GERMANY $ 105 MILLION, PAKISTAN $ 160 MILLION, UNITED KINGDOM $ 514.80 MILLION, UNITED NATIONS FOUNDATION $ 6.4 MILLION, LUXEMBOURG $ 2.22 MILLION, NEW ZEALAND $ 1.34 MILLION, NORWAY $ 10.83 MILLION, TAHIR FOUNDATION $ 15 MILLION, JAPAN $ 7.4 MILLION, BLOOMBERG $ 50 MILLION, NINGXIA Y. $1 MILLION, ALWALEED P $2 MILLION, AL ANSARI EXCHANGE $1 MILLION, AHMED AL ABDULLA GROUP $1 MILLION plus many other pledges less than $1 million each.

I feel it is important for our members to understand we are not in this alone but working with our 5 global partners including Rotary & the Gates Foundation to coordinate fundraising activities throughout the world including countries, corporations profit and nonprofit, foundations and individuals.

This is why I know we will be able to totally eradicate the last remaining strain of the poliovirus off the face of our planet.

So where are we today in terms of the total eradication of polio? I have mentioned in the past that this year has been challenging. Cases worldwide have increased however we have been able to limit the spread of the virus & contain it to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Globally 112 cases through 11.27.19. Afghanistan 21 cases YTD vs 21 cases YTD in 2018. The last documented case on 10.1.19. Pakistan 91 cases YTD vs 8 cases YTD in 2019. The last documented case on 11.3.2019.

Currently we have active immunization campaigns in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Chad, Benin, Ghana, DR Congo, Angola, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Toga, Zambia, Horn of Africa, Papua New Guinea, Mozambique, Philippines, Myanmar, Niger, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Somalia.

As we approach our holiday season, I personally want to thank each of you for the generosity of your time & money towards continuing to make a difference in the local communities you serve & in our world community – changing lives & saving lives – eradicating the poliovirus through POLIO PLUS.

Yours in service,

Larry D. Myers, P.D.G. POLIO PLUS CO-CHAIR.

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CLICK HERE TO SEE DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE LATEST CLUB MEETING

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President Maureen Merrill rang the wake up bell at 7:30

Joe Deacon shared the four key elements of Rotary, “Is it, is it, Will it, Will it.

A moment of inspiration came from Susan Cole who shared the wisdom of Lao Tzu. “If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.”

JB Leep gave us “All My Loving” in our song for the day

Photography by Sue Nelson and words by Tom Boylan

Visiting Rotarians:

Pres. Maureen introduced Sherry Raine with Petaluma Rotary. Sherie provided some info on the Miracle League North Bay to help them achieve their dream of building an incredible playground and baseball field where children and adults with disabilities can experience the joy of baseball. Children, families and friends from all over the area will now be able to gather together and play, have fun and be a part of this very special community. The Rotary Club of Petaluma has raised funds to help build the playground, baseball field and a very special BBQ pavilion/eating area so everyone can gather, mingle and enjoy some BBQ during the game.

Maureen also introduced Jo Thornton with Petaluma Valley Rotary

JB Leep introduced our speaker and fellow Rotarian Todd Thompson with the Northfield Rotary, Minnesota

Guests:

JB Leep introduced Allen McClintock and his son Spencer McClintock, a water specialist

Brian Ling introduced Lamar Collins principle of Windsor High School

Daniel Myers Introduced our student of the month Saraji Hernandez and her parents Augustine and Erika along with her instructor, Eric Coursey

Powerhouse of the Month Jose Diego got a shout out from President Maureen

Announcements:

Bev Graham says December 7th at John & Sue Nelson’s is the Holiday party. Be sure to invest $20-$25 toward your gift exchange. Bev challenges us to make the gift nice.

David Ruprecht suggested we go to the Left Edge theater en masse, we are plotting to attend Escanaba in the Moonlight, a hunting story to beat all hunting stories, Escanaba In Da Moonlight spins a hilarious tale of humor, horror, and heart. Details to follow.

Bill Bolster is looking for a few ringers to keep the holiday spirit alive with the Dick Bishop Holiday Bell Ringing.

Our “Student of the Month” was introduced by Daniel Myers who introduced Saraji’s instructor Eric Coursey, who introduced his amazing student Saraji Hernandez.

We learned Saraji is a lover of ideas and has a great curiosity along with being an excellent student with a volunteerism attitude. She works with a variety of programs to help others, including filling backpacks for underserved children at Redwood Gospel Mission.

Saraji was grateful to be recognized for her work and very appreciative of the honor. She gave credit to her parents for her success in exploring her passion for mental health issues. Saraji shared her passion donating more than 30 hours offering enlightenment to other schools in the area. A goal she shared is to develop a mental health fair for Sonoma County. After Windsor High she looks to earn a Master’s degree from Stanford or USC (yes that was Ken Moulton who started to whimper.) Daniel passed along some items to thank her for her efforts, including a check to help cover her future expenses.

President Maureen flashed an interesting picture on the screen showing Bill Bolster and his wife Joan looking like the American Gothic Farmer and Wife painting, with a bit of a barn burner going off in the background. Although we were intially amazed that Bill and Joan would take the time to stand for a photo in front of their recently burning barn, Bill shared that it was his daughter who photoshopped the couple into the picture that made all the national news channels during our Kincade Fire.

The club is invited to attend a “Sizzling Club Social at Bill’s home at 6500 Faught Road, just south of Pleasant Avenue. Bill is offering “road kill” so plan on bringing whatever you think should be consumed by friends.

Glenn Sugden offered a report on the Wrrrrrrrrrr program he and Carol Martin have been working on. The robotics program is looking for groups of students who need technical guidance and materials so they can compete at building their own robots. Rotary has an opportunity to become liaisons between the groups. We are assured we don’t have to be the technical experts, because Glenn and a few others who are in the know will be providing additional support. May 9th of 2020 will be the big event, A Robotics Jamboree.” This event includes all the students that have signed on for this event from around the county.

Club Foundation Chair John LeCave reinforced Past District Governor Bob Rogers campaign to End Polio, by supporting an Indoor Rotary Ride. John reminds us that although we don’t see it in our communities, polio is rising in the World-wide numbers of polio cases. It can spread and we need to spread the word to End Polio.

Program:

JB Leep introduced our guest speaker, Todd Thompson who gave us a presentation on Water and Sanitation in the Guatemalan Highlands. Todd has a PhD in chemistry and a Masters in music and has spent a considerable amount of time working in Guatemala as a music instructor and a guide to non natives exploring the area, along with being an ambassador of clean water and improved sanitation.

According to Todd, Guatemalan people love the earth. The highlands he refers to in his title slide sits at 5000-8000 ft high and is home to a population of 400,000 people that are closely connected with lake Atitlan for clean water. Unfortunately they also dispose their sewage in or near the lake. To emphasize the importance of water, he brought his music background to the club promoting a “deep and wide” song promoting water.

Water lacks some basic qualities in Guatemala. It is difficult to chlorinate and often has a difficult taste. The poor quality of water lends to a stunting of the children, which gives Guatemala the ranking for worst country in the world to be a child.

It is easy to see that Todd loves Guatemalan people, because they love truth, which he shared is the connection between the people and Rotary. He shared there is a need to keep Guatemala supported economically to try and stem the flow of immigrants to the States. Many of those attempting to flee find a corrupt layer of smugglers who take advantage of their vulnerabilities. In addition there is a high cost associated with the exodus. He reports that the problems that lead to immigration can often be associated with the many years of civil war that the country has had to deal with. In his opinion the tide is turning and there seems to be hope that the exodus will be reduced.

We were treated to a Guatemalan song that had us all on our feet, save the scribe.

Guatemala is the last of the indigenous countries. The people of this Central American country often turn to the village Shaman for their healing. This led us to another song called ‘Thank You God.’ Of course the language was a bit of a barrier, but we were asked to sing louder, which was met with louder laughter.

Todd shared that his program is built around relationships, which have been growing over the years. This understanding has led to an ability to build projects outside of the bickering that goes on in the village councils. Rotary has been instrumental in building emotional bridges that are leading to clean water programs and infrastructure. Improving clean water and providing proper sanitation requires projects to be sustainable, meaning that clean water requires proper sanitation.

This program is a solid reason we all should try to attend every meeting because Todd Thompson is an informative, creative, and entertaining Rotarian who combined his knowledge of the problems of water with entertaining musical interludes. He invited any who would be interested in being a part of the solution to consider joining him in Guatemala next year.

CLICK HERE TO SEE DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE LATEST CLUB MEETING

Today’s meeting was called to order by President Maureen Merrill a little later than usual to allow our members an opportunity to share their stories of survival and appreciation for each other.

“Messages of love and appreciation” is the theme for our upside down and backward meeting.

Sandi Krutz introduced our last speaker, our current exchange student from Trivero, Italy, Vittoria Castelli. She shared that her community is a small and friendly town where people know and care for each other. Her father, Mario Castelli, is the president of his Rotary Club at home. Her father followed in her grandfather’s steps as a Rotarian.

Cristina is her mother who is a working woman who manages to keep the family together and in order. Her brother Ettore is also her confidant and she relies on him for his experiences and willingness to share his knowledge. She looks forward to emulating her brother for his character and caring nature. We also met her grandmothers through a series of slides that even introduced her dog, Dante.

Vittoria’s home has been opened to other exchange students over the years. That gave her the opportunity to meet students from the East Coast, which gives her a good perspective on the differences in society and the openness of the West Coast.

We saw a photo of her high school and got a lesson in the differences between the education system. Her preference is the schools in America because there is not the same rigidity for studies that Italian schools adhere to.

Sue Nelson asked what her parents might have known about the fires in our area. She shared that the time difference makes it hard to talk with them and it appeared there was no fear. 

John LeCave, Club Foundation Chair, took the microphone to give us an update on The Rotary Foundation. He reminded us that November is Foundation Energy Month. To date, the Foundation has made more than 4.7 billion dollars with most of that going back into a variety of worldwide programs. The Foundation has been recognized as the leading charitable organization for its projects and the minimal dollars required to keep the Foundation’s work going.

Ken Moulton and Pam Moulton were asked to share the emotional moment that made them realize the impact that caused a transformation in their Rotary and personal lives. Their trip to Nigeria to share polio vaccine drops with children was life-changing. They shared the opportunities they have had to travel the world and see the benefits of Rotary in the lives of those who need help the most. 

There are many ways to make a donation and John is anxious to have our members reach out to ask how they can participate.

Alison Huber brought in new filters for members and offered to bring in additional filters from the Filtration Group. She reminded us that we have to make those changes to our homes’ filter. 

Sue Nelson followed and shared a need for some housing for a past member in need of a home for two. Their home was not lost but was damaged in the Kincade Fire and their insurance will help them with a 6-month program to help with rent. Another home is needed for Meghan the police dispatcher who lost her home in the fire. A single woman with a dog and highly recommended by Sue. 

David Culley is sharing that the local hotels are all empty with numerous cancellations for weeks and months to come. David appealed to those of our members to make every effort to share that Sonoma County is still alive and well and not all was lost. He did share that his restaurant had to throw away close to $12k in food lost to the lack of power. He offered that the business takes the biggest hit with cash flow. Maureen reminded us to consider local buying versus Amazon, especially during the recovery.

Glenn Sugden shared that computer backups are essential to keeping a record of your family pictures. Don’t copy it and leave a flash drive in the drawer under the computer. Consider sharing your precious memories on the cloud and if you need to reach out for some help, give Glenn a call.

Bill Bolster shared that his burning barn made national news, but best yet, his house was saved because of a group of committed first responders. He shared that he would like to find the people that saved his place and give them the hug they deserve. 

Diane Brabitz Let us know about her adventure in evacuation which brought her family and employees took refuge at her offices. She shared a thank you to all the caretakers who took care of people in need.

Dennis Wilkinson copped to the fact that he was a renegade when it came to evacuating. He chose to stay in his home. That meant he had a firsthand look at the operations that had fire trucks racing at a high rate of speed down Old Redwood Highway. Good that there were no people on the roads to get in their way. 

Mike Raasch was recognized for his efforts in the fire. He had multiple nights on duty and offered that the experience of the past fires helped to make the fight more effective.

Visiting Rotarians included Mary Banks from Santa Rosa Sunrise and David Mark-Raymond with Sebastopol Rotary.

Guests today:

Lamar Collins with Windsor High and he shared that the staff is ready to work with children who have been emotionally distraught due to the fire. He shared that the future of solving our fire problems in the future is in the schools today.

Closing: 

Susan Cole suggested that we all be true to ourselves… and we should do something Rotarian. 

Credits:

Photos by Sue Nelson

Written words by Tom Boylan

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Next speaker, November 12:  Ken McNab, Manager, Town of Windsor. Ken will speak on the challenges of the wildfires and what’s ahead for us now.  Link for more info:  https://windsorrotary.co/speaker/ken-macnab-from-town-of-windsor/

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FIRE RESPONSE from ROTARY CLUBS in Windsor and Healdsburg

Represent our club, make things happen!

I’ve been in touch with the Presidents of The Rotary Clubs of Healdsburg and Healdsburg Sunrise – Paul Frechette and Lance Cottrell, respectively, after Lance brought up the idea of exploring what responses we could take as soon as possible. 

Are you interested in exploring this idea with our Rotary neighbors in Healdsburg?  Please contact me about meeting with Lance and Paul in the near future. 

Best,

Maureen 

Note:

Bill Arnone’s mother, Yolanda, passed away last week. Our condolences to the Arnones and their families.

Calendar Items:

Date	Event	Info	Contact / comments
11/18, Mon., 5 – 6:15	Windsor Rotary Community Foundation Board of Trustees Meeting	Maureen’s office, 145 Wikiup Drive (north side of the street) off ORH, in  “South Windsor”	Please see AGENDA items in the body of the minutes in this bulletin; dark blue, Section B
12/4, Mon.,  5-6:15	Monthly Club Board Meeting	Maureen’s office, 145 Wikiup Drive	New Members President succession Financial plans
12/7, evening	HOLIDAY PARTY!	Home of Sue & John Nelson – watch for more info	Bev Graham, Coordinator
5/15 – 5/16/2020 Fri-Sat	Annual Rotary  District Conference	Fortuna River Walk Lodge in Humboldt County	Get rooms now! Ask Maureen for more info

Rotary Club of Windsor Board of Directors

Monday, November 4, 2019

5 PM

Not final; pending acceptance vote 

Location: South Windsor Board Room

Call to Order at (time): 5:06 PM___

Directors Present: 

x_ President Maureen Merrill

x_ President-Elect Bill Bolster

x_ Immed. Past President Sandie Krutz

x_ Treasurer Ed Turner 

x_ Secretary Steve Klick 

_x President Elect-elect Pam Moulton

_ Membership Chair Renee Hyde

x_ Club Rotary Foundation Chair John LeCave 

x_ Director Alison Huber 

_x Director Carol Martin

_x Director Glenn Sugden

Record of those present.  A quorum consists of 6 

1. ITEMS

1. Our response to the aftermath of the Kincaid Fire. I plan to allow time for this at our Tuesday, November 5 club meeting as well.
   1. Vittoria, TRF month, time to socialize
   2. Fire Response (open meeting for emotional discussion), WRCF and District Fund, Windsor Thanks 501c3 in the works and grants as other avenues for donations.  Lessons learned from Tubbs to today. Refer donations to District Fund.
2. Board’s approval of plans proposed by the Major Event Task Force.  Steve gave input on a proposed community engagement event, Windsor gets together. Fun and relaxed, BB motion, GS second, Concept approved by vote.  Need venue and date. SK, AH & GS will be part of leadership for the event. Component of the community engagement project. Impacting community members.
3. Rotary Foundation Month – John LeCave – Each meeting through November, we will have a little piece of the info on the foundation.  Boost Rotary direct donations. 5 minutes during each meeting. Stories are important. Glenn will work with John. Pam will speak about Foundation first.
4. Progress on the selection of Club President for 2022-23. The search continues.
5. WRCF fund development – building donors and matching grants.  Need to build a policy for the use of money.
6. Alison is working on job descriptions for positions in the club.
7. Membership development – Who do you know that would like to come to Rotary.
8. We need socials, next one is the holiday party. A goal for one for every month.
9. MJ and BL working on corporate involvement for our community needs.  Still mostly schools and ToW. Need more connection to local businesses.

Adjourned at 6:21

1. Agenda for Special WRCF Board Meeting – Nov 18

1. Intended date: Monday, November 18 at 5 PM, South Windsor office
2. Purpose and Intended Results:  To provide direction, take action and move forward on the following matters:
   1. Bylaws – unless existing Bylaws are found between now and our meeting, we need to adopt current bylaws.  If we do have them, we’ll review and see if revisions are needed.
   2. A policy for the spending of interest now that we have reached $500,000 in the Permanent Fund, thanks to Glenn’s generous donation
   3. Appointment of an additional non-club-director member
   4. Direction for a development plan

ADDENDUM to Windsor Rotary Bulletin:

A letter to the Business Community from Downtown Windsor Business Association President Laurie Shimuzu; edited for length

Dear Windsor Business Owner,

To assist our local businesses with recovery, the Town of Windsor and the Sonoma County Economic Development Board have both put together a collection of online resources and the Windsor Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a free legal support workshop on November 7.  

We hope you will assist in the recovery process by encouraging residents and visitors to the area to shop locally to help Windsor businesses get back on their feet. The Town will be partnering with Sonoma County Tourism, the Chamber of Commerce, and other partners to spread the word to media outlets that Sonoma County and Windsor are “Open for Business.” We need your help to spread the word that our community did not burn and in fact, is stronger than ever.

When people ask “How can I help you?” – tell them to spread the word too! Ask them to share pictures and stories with friends and family that show positive images of the community. Use your own social media accounts to tell the human story of how our amazing community has come together and is stronger than ever. Inform them that Windsor did not lose a single building and our businesses are open and ready to serve them. Please see below for a few suggested key messages and strategies to help:

Key Messages  

• Windsor is open for business!
• Residents have returned, and businesses have power and gas service and are ready to serve you.
• No structures in Windsor were destroyed.
• Visiting now helps support local businesses and families.
• Although the Kincade Fire is being called the largest fire in Sonoma County history. This is due to the acreage burned, rather than the structures damaged, or loss of life. The fires were largely situated in a remote, rugged, mountainous area, in the northeastern part of Sonoma County.
• Of more than 425 wineries only two wineries were significantly affected.
• It’s a beautiful time to explore the region and enjoy tasting rooms, brewpubs, colorful forests, and gorgeous coastline. 
• With warm temperatures and blue skies, there is a full slate of events to enjoy, and the hospitality remains unmatched. 

Social Media Strategies

• Give a glimpse of what you are doing to welcome back customers.
• Profile a customer and thank them. 
• Share a neighbor’s post and increase awareness of two businesses.
• Promote community events to help encourage business while fostering a sense of community.
• Explain why you support Sonoma County businesses.
• When followers tag friends and share a post using the hashtags below, the community also wins.

Hashtags

#WindsorTogether, #GatherInSonoma, #OpenforBusiness, #KincadeFire, #VisitWindsor

Laurie Shimizu – President

Old Downtown Windsor Merchants Association

odtwbid@gmail.com

CLICK HERE TO SEE DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE LATEST CLUB MEETING

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Upcoming Events:

All members welcome:

Monday, Nov. 18, 5-6:15 PM  Meeting, Board of Trustees, Windsor Rotary Community Foundation

145 Wikiup Drive, “South Windsor”

Monday, Dec. 2, 5-6:15 PM Meeting, Board of Directors, Windsor Rotary Club

145 Wikiup Drive, “South Windsor”

Saturday, December 7, 6 PM ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY!

Please see flyer attached. 302 Blazing Star Court, Windsor

At the home of Sue and John Nelson

RSVP: gfpsbev@aol.com; 707.292.5006

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President Maureen Merrill rang the bell at 7:30 to start us up.

The Veterans in the club were gathered in the front of the room and recognized for their service. Bill Bolster spent his time on a submarine, John Hackenberg spent his time as a Navy Pilot, Joe Deacon shot laser off the moon when in the Air Force, and Tom Boylan spent his time between helicopters and nuclear weapons. 

Susan Cole shared, “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I changed myself.” A quote by Rumi. 

“Help,” was the song, and Heather Cullen, Susan Cole, and our special guest Mark Millan led the song… they got by with a little help from their friends. 

Maureen let us know there is no Lobster Feed, but we will have an opportunity to join in a community engagement program.

Photography provided by Sue Nelson, words by Tom Boylan

Guests:

Bill Conklin introduced Marco Flores, the town barber, which elicited a question from Larry Wasem, “What’s a barber?” Marcos shared that as someone who grew up in Windsor, he appreciates that his work allows him to give back to his hometown.

Maureen introduced Dominic Foppoli, mayor, and Ken McNabb, the town manager. 

Mark Millan got a shout out as a past member, and the tip is that he is planning to rejoin.

Announcements:

Bill Arnone lost his mother, Yolanda, while he and Deneene are on vacation in Hawaii.

Jim Rupert let us know that Brenda Hassur had a hip replacement and is doing well.

Diane Brabitz announced she is a Grandmother once again with her new grandson. 

John LeCave, Club Foundation Chair, reminded us that it is still Rotary Foundation Month. There are opportunities for all of us to donate to either the RI Foundation or our own Windsor Rotary Community Foundation. He is going to introduce the “Why” we should be a part of the Foundation. Susan Cole shared that she recently gave to RI Foundation because of her concern for those in her life that were afflicted by Polio, and Rotary was at the lead to bring an end to polio… we are this close (please hold up two fingers… not the tequila… and repeat that we are this close.) Susan has had the opportunity to place the polio drops in the mouth of children she didn’t know, but well saved them from becoming a victim. 

Bill Conklin shared he is going to start with Rotary Direct to make a monthly donation to education and literacy. He can only do this now because he is done paying for his daughter’s wedding.

President-Elect Bill Bolster asked us to remember that the Dick Bishop Bell Ringing will begin in December on the 7th and 14th. Be sure to sign up and have a fun time keeping the spirit of Windsor Rotary’s own Santa alive.

Powerhouse Rotarian of the month is someone that shows up and gives to Rotary as much as he gives to his town. Jose Diego is the recipient.

Program:

JB Leep introduced us to Ken MacNab, Windsor Town Manager. We listened to hear about his many accomplishments in planning and growth for communities in the North Bay. JB shared that Ken was instrumental in the fight to save Windsor from the Kincade Fire. 

Ken shared that Rotary seems like a family having his father-in-law as a past president of his club in Southern California. He has deep roots here in the North Bay, having met his wife at Sonoma State. He currently lives in Santa Rosa with his wife and son.

The call he took that offered him a position with the Town of Windsor was interesting in that the Town had just lost two major administrators and had a new mayor. He took the job and is excited to let us know he isn’t looking back. Since his entry into the Town, there have been numerous new positions and leadership. 

His first year has been spent building relationships and trust. The immediate boss is the Town Council, and he spends a lot of time working with the individuals building agendas and managing Town staff.

Making sure that staff understands the changes in the community is essential, along with encouraging their efforts to maintain morale and keeps the performance of his team at its peak.

Ken teased that he is enthusiastic about Rotary, and many other organizations that take concern for Windsor.

The future has challenges, but the past 25 years show how sound our community is and the future is going to allow us to make changes to the infrastructure to accommodate the growing population, which will include a new civic center, the arrival of SMART, upgrading the aging infrastructure, housing, and maintaining while strengthening the economic health of Windsor.

There is enthusiasm for what the future holds. He focused on 2020 and the transition to District Elections for November 2020. There will be four districts and one at large Mayor (Maureen says she is not running.) He has some good feelings for the distribution of votes and the representation it will afford. 

SMART is on the way, and Ken is pleased to see it coming. The train will help local housing and tourism to the area. The service is slated to start by November 2021.

Trains to sewage… I mean, solar. The Town is looking to float a new project of solar panels within the sewage treatment ponds to become sustainable in our power usage.

There is a new Civic Center that will dominate the Northside of the Town Green. This is a project that will be a public and private partnership. It is anticipated that by early 2020, the Town will see the scope of the project and understand how it will affect the community as a whole.

Airports aren’t noisy, but aircraft are, and Ken is working with Sonoma County Airport to lessen the noise. The airports’ manager, Jon Stout, is open to working on solutions to mitigate noise complaints. There are also plans to allow for the growth of businesses and homes within the area around the airport. Windsor needs to be concerned with the water and sewer concerns for anticipated growth.

The Kincade Fire came with those warnings from Cal Fire that there was a good chance the community would be lost. He credited resources provided by the fire management team for the mutual aid, early evacuation. Ken shared that the entire town of 28,000 was evacuated. His staff worked the water tanks on Shiloh Ridge to keep the water systems of the Town energized. The team that did that work was told to evacuate, but they held their ground and kept water flowing. 

The sewer system also posed problems due to the lack of digestive abilities for the treatment process. The Treatment professionals fed the ponds dog food to keep the system operational, and Ken offered that it will be interesting when the Town turns in the receipts for so much dog food for the treatment system. 

In the close of his remarks, he brought up his thanks for the Town leadership to work so long and hard in the face of disaster, and for their willingness to personally welcome back the members of the community once the evacuation was lifted. He, along with many others responsible for our community, stood shoulder to shoulder to provide a welcome wave.

Questions came from all around the room…. why are we being subjected to no more natural gas in new building projects? Ken shared we are positioning for the future when even the State will be abandoning power sources that promote carbons.

Maureen cleared the house after presenting another cherished Windsor Rotary thermos. A reminder from the president, there will be a special meeting next Monday at 5 pm in Maureen’s office, which she suggested is “South Windsor.”