The Rotary Club of Arcata Sunrise

Volume VII, Issue 33 — February 27, 2008

Club President 2007-2008: Lori Breyer

Editor: Dick Johnson

editor@arcatasunrise.org

Business Spotlight

California Welcome Center

1635 Heindon Road
Arcata, CA 95521

Notes From Our Last Meeting

Our Rotary Bell is still missing. George Cavinta promised to assign someone to the case, and a reward has been offered. President Lori will provide Jitter Bean cards for information that leads to the successful recovery of the treasured dinger.

President Lori also reminded us of the importance of maintaining regular attendance. The goal is 100% attendance, so if you miss, you are expected to do a make up at another Rotary function. When you do a make up, please be sure to report it to our Club Secretary, Karen Burgesser. If you have any questions about what constitutes a valid make up, be sure to ask − there are many options.

Charter Night was a great success, and President Lori wanted to thank those who worked hard to make it a memorable event. Unfortunately, Past-President Sir Charles Giannini was not present, but Karen Burgesser was on hand to receive a hand for her efforts to promote and put on the event. Other members of the Fellowship Committee who earned our gratitude included Janice Newman, John Wesa, and Charlie Jordan. President Lori provided thank you gifts to her Directors and committee chairs at Charter Night, and last Friday, she caught up with those who were not in attendance.

A somewhat fatigued Matt Babich gave a brief report on his recent visit to Project Amigo in Colima, Mexico. He was there with Sunriser Harry Johnson, and both were put to work. Matt said that now he needs a vacation! He was impressed with the impact Project Amigo makes.  "A hundred bucks goes a long way," he noted. Matt was savvy enough to return with a bribe for President Lori - a Project Amigo cookbook and a bottle of Project Amigo tequila.

There will be a meeting of the Spring Fundraiser Committee tomorrow night (Thursday) at Blue Lake Casino, starting at 5:30 pm. In addition to the discussion, the group will be sampling various culinary possibilities for the Five Alarm Round Up.

Special Daze

Ralph Altizer's birthday was February 20th. He had a good time enjoying dinner at home with his wife Laurie and a few friends. He received a fishing rod, but as of last week, he hadn't had a chance to try it out.

Jenny Bowen's birthday was January 21st, which ended up being part of a "crazy couple of weeks". She attended a California Welcome Centers conference in Sacramento, returning just in time for the Arcata Chamber's Annual Dinner. Finally, she was ale to celebrate her 31st birthday with her mother and her brothers.

February 17th was Jason White's birthday, and he and his wife Maggie headed up the road to Trinidad - Cher-Ae Heights and the Sunset Grill, to be precise. Following dinner, they played some cards.

Finemaster Bob has a Few Semi-Private Discussions

Finemaster Bob Johnson checked in with Wendy Madsen, who has been away for a couple of meetings. "I've been shopping with Bridezilla," she said. Traveling throughout Northern California, from Sacramento to San Francisco looking for the right wedding gown for her daughter. The one consolation was that, once they settled on a wedding dress, the bridesmaids' outfits were a piece of cake ... wedding cake?

The new Humboldt Area Foundation Yearbook is out, and it features photos by Sunriser Brandi Easter. Brandi told us that years ago, HAF was her first established client, and the cover photo for the Yearbook was her first assignment as a professional photographer. She hasn't been doing much diving of late - she's been moving her studio and remodeling.

Bob checked in with David Kiff, who has "been busy working". When asked if he has any exciting plans in the offing, he said no. We'll check in again soon ... maybe one of us can drag him along on a trip somewhere?

Bob then checked in with Jacqueline Debets regarding her husband's recent trip to Switzerland. Rick Bend and several other folks from Humboldt County attended the International Aid + Trade Convention in Geneva, Switzerland. Bruce LeBel was there, so were Charlie Jordan and Colin Moxon (Sunriser Kathy's son).

Mad River Rising: New Equipment and Facilities at Mad River Hospital

Our guest last week was Deb Wesley, representing Mad River Community Hospital. Deb used to work as a salesperson for a medical equipment company, but she was laid off during a sales visit to Arcata last year. The folks at MRCH were impressed by her sales abilities and hired her to help organize a major upgrade of the facility's Radiology Department. Among the equipment acquired were a mammogram machine, a portable X-ray machine, and a bone density scanner.

Soon after the equipment was in place, the hospital called Deb again. This time, they asked her to help get the word out to the community and build business for the new facilities. So she has been back for the past several weeks, letting people know that they can choose where to go for radiology services. She said that it pays to shop around, even if you have insurance. All of the co-pays can add up.

Deb said that Mad River now boasts a new Women's Health Center, a new CT Center, and a hyperbaric chamber. The chamber promotes healing, especially for diabetes patients who suffer from poor circulation.