Volume XX
Number 20

Tuesday
Oct. 5, 2004

Coming Programs Every Tuesday Oct 5 Sheli Smith The Frolic Oct 12 Bruce Campbell Rotary District Governor Oct 19 Andy Bartlett Youth Exchange Program Oct 26 Pete Lagarias Almost Perfect - Rotaplast & Vietnam Coming Events Oct 16 Foundation Dinner South Windsor, CA Nov 5-14 Festival of Brotherhood Guadalajara, Mexico Birthdays Oct 2 John Harrington Oct 16 Norm Alumbaugh Oct 17 Diane Dillon Oct 22 Tony Albright Oct 22 Father Mac Oct 28 Diane Bylund Oct 31 Linda Beard-Delucchi Wedding Anniversaries Oct 1 Gary Jaffe (Pam) Oct 4 Bert Johansson (Valerie) Oct 7 Frank Sottile (Penny) Oct 12 Dave McLaren (Melanie) Oct 14 Rob Andreae (Linda) Oct 16 Lisa Marie Andersen (Scott) Oct 23 Steven Rivas (Francine) Club Anniversaries Oct 1, 1987 Diane Dillon Oct 1, 1987 Robert Herrick Oct 1, 1989 Jim Wright Oct 5, 1999 Rex Stults Oct 10, 2000 Charlotte Williamson

Strong Efforts Underway For
DON HEYDLAUFF
MEMORIAL PARK
By Jeff Whitehead
 

September 28, 2004 – Guests included Shaw Whitney, the District Governor's coordinator, Anita Cummings and Lois Swanson from the Women's Opportunity Fund. Also visiting was Anthony Nunez, a Rotarian from the Philippines, who is a computer technologist at the St Helena High School, and Philip Paxton, of Merryvale Winery, a long-time Rotarian in the Bay area.

Interact Raffle – Andy Bartlett and Suzan Rada asked Club Members for assistance in manning the booth, selling raffle tickets for the Interact program at the Harvest Festival this year. The booth will be located in the area of the food vendors. All proceeds benefit this very worthwhile high school program. Purchase of a raffle ticket entitles the buyer to a slice of Suzan's famous apple crisp and an opportunity to win a weekend at Meadowood Napa Valley. A number of members present volunteered to help with this project.

ANDY BARTLETT   SUZAN RADA

A Day in the Life of Rotary International – Kathleen Patterson shared a story of how one Rotarian made a significant impact on the lives of people working for a pharmaceutical company in Guatemala City.  Rotarian Derrick Evans became involved in the restructuring of this firm, thereby saving 60 jobs and positively impacting this Latin American community.

Don Heydlauff Memorial Park ... Continued

The Women's Opportunity Fund – Lois Swanson and Anita Cummings, as they have in the past, presented information on the St. Helena Methodist Church Annual Christmas Plant Sale . In addition to poinsettias and amaryllis, this year's program includes an opportunity to purchase Christmas cactus. Prices range from $6.00 to $95.00 depending upon the item. All proceeds benefit the Women's Opportunity Fund, dedicated to making loans which help poor women in third world countries of the world start small businesses to support their families. As most clients have no equity, the WOF has developed a group lending method called Trust Banks, which bring 15 to 40 women together for training and emotional and financial support. Individuals borrow from the Trust Banks and repay from business proceeds. These cooperative banks are located in the individual communities and provide a grassroots approach to supporting the local economies of these extremely poor areas. Since 1992, these Trust Banks have experienced a repayment history of 98%.

PHIL TOOHEY   FATHER MAC

Wheelchairs to Nepal – Phil Toohey reported on his latest successful visit to Nepal. He and Father Mac just returned after delivering another 235 wheelchairs to those in need in Katmandu. These wheelchairs dramatically improve the quality of life for the less fortunate in this very, very poor city of 2.5 million people. Phil has been key in helping the Katmandu Rotary Club and the St. Helena Rotary Club develop a sister city relationship. This relationship has already resulted in a cooperative effort of buying a bus to provide transportation for children in Katmandu suffering from muscular dystrophy. Phil presented St. Helena Rotary president, Kathleen Patterson, with a mandalla from the president of the Katmandu Rotary Club. This wall hanging, depicting Mother Earth, is meant to extend blessings and good will from our sister club. In addition to all of the good works accomplished on this most recent trip, Phil and Father Mac found time to spend a week trekking in the Annapurna Sanctuary region of western Nepal.

PROGRAM: The Don Heydlauff Memorial
Park Project

ROB ANDREAE   JEFF EPPS

Rob Andreae and Jeff Epps reported the latest progress on the Club's centennial project, the Don Heydlauff Memorial Park, at Vintage Hall. The Club's aim is to make this the best centennial project of any Rotary club worldwide. Rob and Jeff are asking for 100% club participation in order to bring this project to fruition. Although $60,000 has already been raised, the completed project could cost as much as $400,000. Some of this cost could be mitigated through equipment, material and time donations. Rotarians Steve Ebersol and Loren Gardner spoke to the group as to how these volunteer efforts and donations could be organized to help the project reach completion. Those members present were asked to participate in a variety of ways. This could include donated labor for the physical completion of the project. Purchase of individual park accoutrements such as benches, pavers, trees and so on. It could also include fundraising through appeals to local businesses, individuals, graduated classes and other interested parties.

The message was clear. This is a huge project that will take across the board participation within the club to achieve success. The finished project will not only beautify and enhance a historical part of our community; it will also provide a lasting tribute to Don Heydlauff.

Organizers hope to begin the project by January 1, 2005 with completion prior to the annual Rotary convention on June 19^th. Plans and drawings have been completed and the project has been approved and accepted by the school district, who owns the property.

Six Ways to Summit Mt. Kilimanjaro
By Jim Meehan
 

September 21, 2004 – Following our customary opening ceremonies, there were introductions of visitors and guests, including John East, Randall Bryant with Napa Sunrise, and Mike Merrill from Santa Rosa West (today's speaker). Mark Jaffe, son of Gary Jaffe, also made a brief appearance at the podium to address club members. Mark discussed his Rotary Club in Ventura County and suggested creating a liaison between our two clubs, for future good works together. President Kathleen suggested that he should meet with Steve Yost of St. Helena Rotary to collaborate on the idea. 

MIKE THOMAS   GARY JAFFE   JIM MEEHAN

After the Welcome Singers, there were announcements. Don Scully asked for those who want to play tennis to stand; and there was a brief discussion to get the Fitness and Recreation group off to a fall playing schedule. A sign up sheet was passed around for the "Rotary Harvest Picnic" October 16, 2004 in Windsor, CA. Also, Andy Bartlett sent around a sign up sheet for "Sunday's with Moe" – a chance to spend a day with our visiting student from Brazil(?).

The black marble was not drawn, and we did not have a fine master for the day, but several individuals including Mike Thomas, Gary Jaffe and Jim Meehan donated over $250 as "bell ringers."

In celebration for our 100^th year of Rotary, President Kathleen went to the world map and today we moved four hours further east from GMT line as we continue to learn of others in Rotary Clubs throughout the world. Kathleen, read to us about a Rotarian – a woman dentist living in rural Brazil and what her workdays and life are like in that part of the world.

PROGRAM: The Marangu Route to the top of Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro, Speaker Mike Merrill

MIKE MERRILL, PAST DISTRICT GOVERNOR 1999-2000 WITH CLUB PRESIDENT KATHLEEN PATTERSON

Mike Merrill is a member of the Santa Rosa West Rotary Club. Using slide photos he took us on his 1997 adventure to Africa and his climb to the top of its highest mountain. Mike had done some research about the various ways up the mountain (there are six main routes) by contacting others in the Rotary organization. He found their help most useful in planning his own trip, and recommended this approach to others in planning their adventures.

The team that went on the journey totaled 12 (including porters) and five made it to the 19,000 foot Stella Peak summit. The route up the mountain started shortly after their arrival in Moshi (home of the Moshi Rotary Club) Tanzania. They chose the Marangu route to summit the peak and started out for the five-day hike from the small village of Marangu. The route included going through the Machame Gate to Shira Plain (12,000 ft.), across to the Barranco Wall (14,000 ft.), up to the Barafu camp (15,000 ft.) and finally up along the glacier to the top at 19,000 feet. This was a slow purposeful climb to avoid mountain sickness. The route back down was only a day and a half and involved the "coca-cola route" and some high energy "skreeing." To fully understand this adventure you had to hear his speech.

During the Q and A session that followed his talk, Mike was asked if they had to use oxygen to make the summit, and the answer was no. What was the cost? He didn't remember it exactly but felt it was not a costly trip considering the thrill of the adventure. Where was his next mountain climb? South America, likely Patagonia.

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