The Rotary Club of Arcata Sunrise

Volume VII, Issue 7 — August 22, 2007

Club President 2007-2008: Lori Breyer

Editor: Dick Johnson

editor@arcatasunrise.org

Business Spotlight

This week, the Spotlight shines on Winzler and Kelly. No, they're not accountants, they're consulting engineers! Sunriser Karen Burgesser says that the firm was founded in 1954 by John Winzler and Bob Kelly in Eureka. Today, the company has offices in California, Oregon, and the South Pacific, and it employs about 300 people. Stop in at the Eureka office this week to pick up the trivia information and to say hello to Karen!

633 Third Street
Eureka, CA 95501

Janice Newman reported on the Board Meeting that took place earlier in the week. She reminded us that these meetings are open to all Sunrisers. Janice noted that it's past time to pay your dues. (They were to have been paid July 1st.) Meeting attendance has dropped below 60%, so if you're out of town, please be sure to make up each meeting at another club. The Club now has 62 members, following the resignations of Monika Stoeffl (who moved out of town) and Jay Chancey (who retired). She also mentioned the new Arcata Sunrise Blog, which we plan to keep freshly stocked with committee information and other news. (Click on the light blue box at right to check it out!) The next Board Meeting will take place September 11th, at 7 am, at the Golden Harvest Cafe.

The recent Fellowship Committee meeting was, according to Chair Chuck Giannini, "Very well-attended by three of us". The trio agreed to revive the Progressive Dinner (with a few format changes), institute a Restaurant Trip, continue the Thirsty Third Thursday program, and plan for this year's Charter Night. Sir Charles noted that these events "are only as good as the people that come - those who go always have a good time."

Our Inbound Exchange Student Jessica Bono was scheduled to arrive last Friday. [She did, but her arrival was delayed by a few hours.] She will spend her first week with Chuck and Barbara Giannini, then she'll move on to Kathy and Bill Fraser's for her first extended stay of the year. Please think about including Jessica in your plans sometime this year - it doesn't have to be elaborate. One person in the Youth Exchange Program noted that even a trip to the dump is a new experience for an Exchange Student.

Speaking of new experiences, Sunriser and District 5130 GSE Chair Jacqueline Debets said that the Group Study Exchange team will be headed for Nigeria in April or May 2008, and applications are being accepted through September 12th. Team members must be between the ages of 25 and 40, and all professions are welcome. See Jacqueline for details.

Jessica McKnight did a make-up at the Fortuna Sunrise Rotary, and found that our Club has a reputation. Our rep is that we are "a really fun club". So that group of Sunrisers invited this group of Sunrisers to their upcoming Oyster Feed. There is no challenge involved - they just want us to attend and help them have some fun! More information to follow.

Charlie decided to focus on her most recent 30 years, since she moved to Humboldt County. Since her arrival, Charlie has raised four children - three girls and one boy, who now range in age from 24 to 28. She met her husband, Mark Ritz, about eight years ago, and they married about three years later.

In 1981, Charlie started working in real estate, and by 1990, she had earned her license. From 1992 to 1996, she co-owned an agency and she served on the Planning Commission. But she hasn't limited herself - she worked for Yakima's product development division, and helped grow the business. She stayed on when the company was purchased by Watermark, but she decided to "retire" rather than move with Watermark. Charlie then co-founded a "little" coffee company that now ships to 35 states.

Her friend Dennis Rael then asked her to serve as the General Manager for Los Bagels. The move allowed owners Dennis and Peter Jermyn to spend time away from the business and enjoy the fruits of their success. Charlie was familiar with the company because she had worked as their bookkeeper in the 80's.

Special Daze

If you were Leslie Lawson, you were asked where you've been. Of course, your answer would have been Coos Bay, Davis, and Central Oregon. And you would have added that you're headed for Montana in October. So there.

If you happened to be Orrin Plocher, you would have been asked your employment status. In this order, you retired, were laid off, and came out of retirement to become self-employed. You would have called your new venture Freshwater Environmental Services, and you would be the Founding CEO.

Building Green - Steve Salzman of Winzler and Kelly

Steve said that there are several organizations in the area that are promoting sustainable construction practices. The core concept behind green building is that all construction should maximize efficiency - designing buildings to take advantage of their environment, using recycled materials, and taking other measures to minimize the impact on the earth.

Steve said that one group that is promoting sustainable building is "Plan It Green", a Humboldt County based nonprofit educational group. Their goal is not political, rather they hope to educate the public regarding the benefits of green building and planning. Certainly there is an element of altruism, but there is also an economic incentive when developers look beyond the short term.

Some typical qualities of a green building include:

1. High-quality, high-performance materials
2. Solar orientation maximizes the free light and heat of the sun
3. Energy efficiency
4. Conservation of water
5. Materials that are renewable or recycled
6. Elimination of the use of toxic materials

Steve says that everyone benefits from constructing a green building - the owners, the occupants, and the public. For more information, see the Plan It Green website or the Build It Green site.