Windsor Rotary Meeting, June 14th, 2022
Scribe: Di Brabetz, RN CPNP PHN
The Meeting was called to order by our President Pam Moulton and we were led in The Pledge to Allegiance
Song: Bill Arnone let us know that today is actually Flag Day and so appropriately we sang “You’re a Grand Ole Flag”
Rotary Moment: Leah Hansen was asked to share with us her Rotary Moment and she spoke on the program that she participated in with Social Advocated for Youth. It was a walk that was for homeless teenagers and what a moment that meant to her.
Introduction of Visiting Rotarians: Santa Rosa Sunrise: Matthew Crooks, Kristine Burns and Penny Millar
Healdsburg Sunrise: Current President – Larry Mills
Introduction of Guests: Lauren Hull, Publisher of Windsor Connection and guest of Maureen’s
Bekah Mortensen – our outgoing Exchange Student to Sweden
Our son, Domingo Lorenzini
And our Zoom Speaker, Jamie Carroll
Rotarian of the Month: Although she was not in attendance, President Pam congratulated Beth Smith for being our Rotarian of the Month
President Pam asked us to go around and if you could choose any person from history to be your imaginary friend, who would that be? Great answers from our Club………
Announcements:
Birthdays – June 1 Pegi Ball
June 3 Sandie Krutz
June 3 Kurt Mitchler
June 8 Patrick Dunn
June 14 TODAY – David Doht turns 70!!!!
June 22 Bill Conklin
June 28 Jamie Williams
President Pam suggested that all of our birthday babies consider a donation to their fines, Polio Plus, Windsor Foundation, Ken Moulton scholarship and we all joined in a quick round of Happy Birthday!
Anniversaries – June 12th Barbara and Michael Ragsdale
June 24th David Doht and Barbara McChesney
June 25th Chris and Maureen Landwehr
June 28th Jean and John Hackenburg
June 29th Monica and Larry McCabe
President Pam asked Chris Landwehr who was online what they were planning to do – “going to Italy”….Chris will pay his fines
Asked Larry McCabe what he would do ….. “waking up to the love of my life beside me”
And when Monica was asked the same question, her reply was “going to bed with the love of life beside me”, there were a lot of “Ahs……” Great answer!!!
Passport meeting to be held after our Rotary meeting – Sandie Krutz will discuss Youth Exchange.
Renee Hyde publically thanked Sandie and Wally Krutz for taking over the Rotary Bar for her – we made over $2100 and they said we should have Brian Williams work every Bar as he is a “hawker” extraordinaire – calling to people to buy a metal cup from Waste Less Windsor and come fill it at our Rotary Bar. A permanent assignment, perhaps? And Brian’s comment – priceless! “I drive people to drink!!!”
RYLA today – at Westminster Woods – see Pegi Ball if you can help with the lunch
Movie Update – Ed Turner shared with us that we are a go for a Rotary Movie Night on Wednesday, June 22nd
– 6 pm for a social time
– 6:45 pm – movie starts
Cost is $25 per person and includes a glass of wine or beer and a cup of popcorn. Wine and beer can be taken into the theater. All proceeds go to Ken Moulton Scholarship Fund.
RI Convention Update – Tom Boylan shared with us that Rotary is the only non-government organization with a seat on the UN!!! He shared with us that Our District 5130 had quite the contingency of people attending – how impressive it was that the Ukrainian Flag was carried in up front and people stood up and cheered. He also talked about people from so many countries – talking to people about their lives and their Rotary Projects. As is tradition with President Pam, Tom brought her a gift – a carved sunbird from Africa.
Youth Exchange – Sandie Krutz put out a desperate plea – she still needs 3 Host families for our incoming girl from Brazil and a boy from Germany. They are needed for the first time period of August to about Thanksgiving and then the end of the school year. Please think about hosting – it is such a great experience!
SPEAKER: Jamie Carroll
JB shared with us that he and Carol were fortunate to go to our District 5130 Conference in Fortuna and had the opportunity to hear Jamie speak. Jamie agreed to pay a visit to our club and be our speaker today. Jamie is a former Rotary Youth Exchange Student from the Rotary Club of Eureka and a graduate of Cal Poly Humboldt. She holds a degree in International Development with a concentration in Strategic Management. She currently works in Philanthropy with “Roots and Wings”, the private family Foundation of Billionaire Judith Faulkner, Founder of Epic Systems, a healthcare software company. Jamie’s real story is her journey from early difficult years of homelessness to a successful life .
Jamie then began her story……. She grew up in Eureka and was homeless, living on the streets with her mother. Until about age 7 or 8 she flew under the radar of Social Services until a teacher realized she would come to school hungry, dirty, sometimes without shoes, her mother missing meetings and brought in the Sheriff. She was placed into Foster Care and she shared with us that she had 3 wishes as that little 8 year old girl “that her mother would get better, that she would meet her father and that thirdly, she would get all of the Beanie Babies in the world!”
She was the most abused child in Humboldt County – thank God for that intervention and that compassionate teacher who cared! At age 8 she did get to meet her father! She lived with him in a Men’s Boarding Home and spent 6 years with him. He was disabled, but very intelligent and believed strongly in education. So he made her study, and do homework. At age 14, her father died of liver failure and she became a ward of the court.
She began to try to become emancipated through the courts and went to a Transitional Living Center. She remembered that her father had constantly told her to join the military as they would pay for her education and her plan had been to join. However, “Remarkable things happen” she said, and as a Senior at Eureka High School she heard an announcement over the PA system telling kids that it was last day to find out about becoming a Rotary Exchange Student. She went to the office, heard about this and applied, never thinking she would get selected! But in 2008, Jamie was selected by the Eureka Rotary club to become an Exchange Student. (She was the first student to go on the exchange program without parents.)
Jamie was sent to North Eastern Brazil in a very impoverished area that was an African community. It was the first time she was part of a stable, loving family. Her host mother was a professor at a university and must have seen the potential because as Jamie shared, “she saw to it that I attended college at night and did high school during the day”. One of things she remembers the most is hearing “the limits of my language are the limits of my world”. Did her world ever enlarge!!!!!
After Jamie’s exchange year, she returned to Northern California and went to work in health care – she started a clinic and became the Administrator there – a wellness clinic. In 2017, Jamie was awarded a scholarship so she could attend college. She had a Rotarian mentor that stressed to her “do what makes you happy!” After obtaining her Degree in International Development with a concentration in strategic management, Jamie has become a Grant maker. She manages grants for housing, food, justice, etc. She thanked our Club for hosting exchange students and being so supportive of the Exchange program.
Jamie faces everything with curiosity and lets everything go so she can live her life with optimism and thankfulness. Jamie is the epitome of the life’s challenges spurring her on to greatness. And Rotary was definitely a part of her success.
CLOSURE: President Pam thanked all who came and all who helped. She reminded us that next week’s meeting is our “Final Variety Show” of all that we have accomplished.
She closed with the Maya Angelou quote:
“I have learned that People will forget what you said…
People will forget what you do…..
People will never forget how you made them feel!”
From your Rotary Nurse….
COVID UPDATE…..
06/14/22
NEWS: INFECTIONS UP, BUT NOT SEVERE ILLNESSES! As expected 2 weeks after gatherings for Memorial Day, health officials did post we have had a slight uptick in COVID-19 infections. But luckily it has not resulted in an impact on our local hospitals that one would expect. Dr. Sundari Mase, the county’s health officer was quoted as saying “ the real success of the COVID-19 vaccine, coupled with natural immunity built up over the past two and a half years is playing out. But vaccination, she added, is still the best tool for avoiding severe illness”.
COVID UPDATE: We continue to see new COVID infections and we need to continue to encourage those who have not had their booster to do so. The 2ND booster dose is available for those over 65 or those 50 years old with chronic health conditions. We continue to see people hospitalized and the current wave of cases is tied to the variant BA.2 and a newer variant, BA 2.12.1.
Total Cases: 94,300 (last week 92,907) Recovered: 89,488 (last week 87,878) Active Cases: 4318 (last week 4536) New Cases on Sunday: 3 (last week 873)
Deaths: 495 (last week 493)
Hospitalized: 40 confirmed cases and 5 in the ICU (last week 33 confirmed and 2 in the ICU)
Vaccination information…. As of June 12th, 2022, 1,101,698 doses of vaccination have been given to residents in Sonoma County. (last week 1,096,767). We remain at 82% of our population 5 years and older who are fully vaccinated and 6% have had at least one (1) dose. We continue to stagnate in getting more people to vaccinate. Please let people you know who have not had their booster how important it is to make the appointment and complete their vaccination! And let them know Novavax may soon be authorized for vaccine which is different than either of the Pfizer or Moderna.
MASKS: Masks are being encouraged to be used again in crowded, indoor setting because of the rise in hospitalizations, ICU admits and surges. Masks are now optional on airplanes; however, they are still required in airports and most other forms of public transportation. The CDC is still recommending masks on airplanes so it has now become a personal decision.
The pandemic is not over and we continue to see numerous outbreaks occurring in our county. We are only protected if we are all protected.
Vaccine sites are still open and offering vaccinations and boosters. We continue to encourage everyone eligible for the booster, to get one. We have seen the proof that this prevents disease and hospitalizations and those who still breakthrough have minor symptoms.
TESTING:
Go to socoemergency.org to learn more about free COVID -19 testing in Sonoma County. Look for COVID-19 Testing and Tracing in Sonoma County. In addition my staff at At Home Nursing still are available to provide you COVID testing if you need it (PCR), FIT testing for a N95 mask so that it fits properly or answer any questions you may have. Call our office at 707-546-8773 to schedule an appointment. If you want to schedule either a booster or the vaccine, appointments can be found by visiting: https://socoemergency.org/events/category/pop-up-vaccine or call 707-565-4667.
Live your life, but continue to be careful in those things that you do that have you in large crowds and inside. Do not take risks if your “bubble of family and friends” is immunocompromised or at risk. If you have small children, stay tuned for whether the FDA will approve the vaccine for our under 5 year olds. Just be smart, well read and stay safe!
Respectivefully submitted by Di Brabetz, Scribe