CLICK HERE TO SEE DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE LATEST CLUB MEETING
Upcoming Community Events
Windsor @ Weill Hall on Wed, March 25. Free – Ticket Required. More information available here: https://gmc.sonoma.edu/windsorweill/
Windsor Talent Show on Friday, March 6. $15, doors open at 6:30. More information in the flyers attached in photos.
Heather Cullen is the club contact person: tyrdnhappy@yahoo.com
Program Notes
Past President Sue Nelson took the lead and rang the bell at 7:30 in the absence of President Maureen Merrill.
The scribe was asked to lead the pledge of Allegiance.
Susan Cole gave us a “General” message from Marcus Aurelius: “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive, to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”
Photography was provided by Sandi Krutz, words by Tom Boylan.
Visiting Rotarians:
Arnie Miller, father of our newest member, Lauren Antoni, was in the house.
Guests of Rotarians:
Our other newest member, Barbara McChesney introduced her husband Dave.
My apologies for stepping away from my keyboard to pass out pamphlets for our speaker. It would appear I missed a few names.
Leah Hansen just moved into her new home which replaces the devious home that was lost in the 2017 fire.
Craig Curreri let us know that he handed out dictionaries to third graders last week. JB Leep and Chris Landwher were the assistants.
Renee Hyde, membership chair asked Lauren Antoni and Barbara McChesney to step up and be recognized as our newest members.” Tuesday’s belong to Rotary,” and there was a warm round of applause to welcome them into the club. Our traditional handshake then took place and a few alternative fist bumps.
Larry Wasem let us know that he had a great visit with his grandson in Houston Texas. Larry suggested there are a lot of grandsons and granddaughters in Houston, although not all his.
Renee Hyde announced she and Paul Peloso just celebrated their 10-year anniversary.
JB Leep shot a shared 74 with his son-in-law at Bennett Valley Golf Course, and there was a hole in one, but not on JB’s part.
Bev Graham let us know that she now has 7 great-grandchildren and another on the way.
Arnie Miller with Willits Rotary came in to see his daughter Lauren become a member of our club. He is sharing $100 Happy Bucks to recognize her commitment.
April 25th is the Dancing with the Stars and Stripes contest. Be sure to go to the website and vote for Jose Diego, then plan on attending a KC’s American Kitchen fundraiser on March 12, 5 – 7 PM.
Jose had an opportunity to let us know what an impact the dancing opportunity has given him to help raise funds for a worthy cause and the experience it has given him.
Left Edge Theater is another opportunity to raise funds in March .. 6:30 reception and 7 PM play starts.
A volunteer opportunity came up at Windsor High School Vineyard Academy, Thursday, March 5th and Friday, March 6th. We can meet students and explain who we are and what we do. Learn how you can have an impact on a student and get the Rotary story told by connecting with Sue Nelson for additional info.
Program:
JB Leep gave us an introduction to our speaker, Dr. Anish Shah. Dr. Shah is a practicing psychiatrist in Northern California for 19 years, gaining experience in several behavioral health settings, including Lake County Mental Health, Kaiser Permanente, and Sonoma County Mental Health. He is currently the CEO and Medical Director of Siyan Clinical Corporation (SCC) located in Santa Rosa.
Dr. Shah gave us a summary of the current state of opioid dependence and the growing problem of opioid addiction. The statistics he shared were staggering as to the number of people that become addicted and the number of persons that lose their lives to opiates.
According to our speaker, in 1990 pharmaceutical companies started prescribing opiates with a mention that they were not addictive. Prescriptions for opiates grew increasingly over the years and eventually it was thought that the same opiates transitioned to off-label treatments for minor pain and arthritis. Today we know that in fact, opiates do kill.
Opiate addiction is a social problem. 40% of opioid users received their opiates for free from a family member or a friend. People are not aware of the urgency of ending opioid treatment within a short amount of time in order to avoid the addiction associated with the drug.
Addiction is a disease, not a morality problem. It is a neurobiological illness and our community has a difficult time accepting it. Dr. Shah shared some insight as to what to look for in an individual that might have a problem, including:
- Excessive amounts used
- Excessive time spent using/obtaining
- Hazardous use despite health problems
- Missed obligations
- Interference with activities
- Personal problems
- Craving or urges to use
- Unsuccessful attempts to cut down
Look for the symptoms to understand when friends and family are caught in the cycle of addiction.
Great questions from the club members and informative answers followed.
Dr. Shah’s Powerpoint is available here: Anish Shah MAT Presentation