Alyssa Cannings, Dr. Arnold Goldman, Jim Trully, Laura Radocy, Nora Mills, Joel Troman, Ariana Pantano
Visiting Rotarians
Bart Raser (Pittsfield)
Happy Dollars
Uncertain
Fines
-
Raffle
Sabrina Waqar ($40)
Birthdays
Mike Sherber - has lived in Avon since 1998. He asserts that he has "been through a lot the last ten years," but the "friendship, camaraderie and service of Rotary" have been constants that have helped him get through it all.
Happy Dollars
Paul Cioffari - stated the last six weeks have been a whirlwind with the state and federal taxes being due on April 18th. After the meeting he would be leaving for West Palm Beach, Florida for some rest and relaxation. Paul's own tax return was compromised when his computer was hacked. He urges everyone to to back up their computers so that important information is never irretrievably lost.
Gary Hyde - welcomed Nancy Nation back. (She had been in California for several months and had both knees replaced). Others cordially welcoming Nancy back included: Rollie Sterrett, Capri Frank, Larry Sullivan, Joanne Santiago and President Gary Miller.
Nancy Nation - thanked everyone for their support. She was excited that the Chicago Blackhawks skated away with a Double Overtime Stanley Cup Playoff Game win the night before.
Gary Hyde - shared that his daughter recently had surgery. Gary will be heading for Annapolis to help with the grandkids and will be gone a couple of months.
Heather Pantano - is headed for Las Vegas with all expenses paid by her employer. She also announced that she and Jackie Dionne will be co-chairing the Silent Auction at this year's Golf Tournament. This was well-received by the members present.
Rollie Sterrett - detailed that he would be leaving for Salt Lake City next Wednesday (4/27th). Rollie also shared two jokes.
Capri Frank - outlined how different one's offspring can be. She has an 18 year old who does well at school and plays sports at a very high level and another son who is "finally finding his way." He recently received his high school diploma at age 24.
Bill Barnes - reminded all that the next Farmington Valley Symphony Orchestra will be coming up Saturday, April 30th, at 8 p.m. The location will be Hoffman Auditorium at the University of Saint Joseph. (See below).
Dale Bronson - announced that his lovely wife Christine will be retiring June 30th. (She works in the Guidance Department at Lewis S. Mills High School, which is where she and Dale met in 1991). Dale also told a joke about an old guy.
Steve Roberto - gave what he called a "technology Happy Dollar." Steve and his son recently went on a college tour through the Southeast. Sitting in a dining hall at one college, his son chanced to meet someone he twitters with because they both are interested in environmental engineering.
Larry Sullivan - asserted that, with Nancy Nation's return, "the golf tournament campaign begins now." He reminded all that the tournament will take place September 12th.
Brian O'Donnell - explained that there will be a blood drive at his Midas franchise on May 2nd.
Joanne Santiago - gave Happy Dollars in honor of Passover and Mike Sherber's birthday.
Gary Miller - revealed that this is his "first week of unemployment." He has gone back into retirement having finished up his interim stint as Business Manager for the Waterbury school system.
Announcements
Breakfast Survey
Dear Fellow Rotarians ... I need your help.
I'm trying to upgrade or change or just improve our breakfast menu. Before I talk to Jeff the Mgr. at Avon Old Farms Hotel, I need your suggestions, so I would appreciate your filling out the survey that I will be passing out at the breakfast meetings.
This will give me an idea of what we would like, and then I can see if we can do something about the results. There are no guarantees that I will be able to change everything you want.
Your help is greatly needed to accomplish this task.
Have a good day,
Les Zinner
President's Installation Dinner
(Incoming President Don Bonner during recent volunteer work in the Dominican Republic)
Immediate Past President Salin Low announced that the annual President's Installation Dinner will take place June 17th at Farmington Woods. The cost for the evening will be $45 per person.
Outgoing President Gary Miller will be honored for a job well done, and Don Bonner will be installed as Club President for the '16-'17 Rotary Year.
Salin added "I hope you all plan to be there."
Joanne Santiago reviewed that, at the June 17th Dinner, three Club members will receive Paul Harris Awards. They are Salin Low, Len Dunstan and Thor Cheyne.
$1000 will be donated to the Rotary Foundation in each member's name. Joanne asserted this is a "very special honor for giving back in service above self."
Buy Me Some Peanuts and Crackerjacks
Kateri Dinner
Rollie Sterrett reviewed that the Club has a Table for 10 reserved at the Kateri Medical Services Annual Dinner, May 7th. The dinner will take place at the First Cathedral in Bloomfield. There is no cost for this dinner. It's a way of saying thank you for the $2,000 the Club gave to Kateri to continue its medical mission in Nigeria.
Rotary Spin - April 29!!
Here are the details for the Club's upcoming Spin Session.
Date: Friday, April 29
Time: 4:00 to 6:00 pm
Location: Farmington Valley YMCA in Granby, RT 10/202, on the left before Stop & Shop.
For ROTARY SPIN, a Spin session, we will use stable, stationary, adjustable bikes. All are invited. The Suggested Donation is $10 per 15 minutes. We will be raising money for bikes in Africa. Sign up with Paul Mikkelson, mikbenefit@comcast.net
Wear anything. You can shower at the Y if you wish. Bring a hand towel & water bottle. Invite others – RSVP – email Paul.
I guarantee that this will be the easiest workout you have ever done – however, if you like we can easily work up a sweat; totally up to you, and no one will know or notice! Dinner after?
Paul Mikkelson
Avon-Canton Rotary Bike Ride
Here are the details for the Club's upcoming Outside Bike Ride:
Date: Satuday, May 14
Time: Noon
Location: Sperry Park, Route 10/202, Avon
The Avon-Canton Rotary Ride will be along the Rails to Trails. The distances will be 1, 2, 5,10 or 20 miles, slow pace, with a lunch stop in Simsbury, if you wish.
This event will only take place if the weather is nice and dry. Get your bike checked, any bike will work; you can borrow a bike in Simsbury if you need one.
Family, friends and other contacts are invited to both sessions – For anyone under 18, check with Paul. Please sign-up for both events, the Bike Spin and the Bike Ride.
BREAK OUT OF YOUR BOX – TRY SOMETHING NEW – SET A GOAL & RIDE A FEW MILES!
FARMINGTON VALLEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Farmington Valley Symphony Orchestra will continue the celebration of its 35th Anniversary Season with Connecticut native Joshua Sawicki as piano soloist in Gershwin's, "Rhapsody in Blue," Saturday, Apr. 30, 8:00 p.m. at the Hoffman Auditorium, University of St. Joseph, 1678 Asylum Ave., West Hartford.
The concert, under the baton of Music Director Jonathan Edward Brennand, will also present Dvorak's great Symphony No. 9, "From the New World," and the premiere of "Reflections," a new piece commissioned for the FVSO's 35th Anniversary Season by Nicolas Bizub of Lowell, Massachusetts.
The 80 all-volunteer musicians of the Farmington Valley Symphony Orchestra, including Avon-Canton Rotary member Bill Barnes, represent many walks of life from the Farmington Valley and central Connecticut area. Presale tickets from the website, www.fvso.org, are $18 adults, $15 seniors and students; all tickets at the door, $20. For further information go to www.fvso.org or call 800-975-FVSO.
Rotary Pub Night - May 3rd!! Soon!!
(Recent Pub Night)
Dear Rotarians:
A reminder: our next Rotary Pub Night is 4:30 - 6:30 pm, Tuesday, May 3 at The North House, 1 Nod Road, Avon. Be sure to bring your friends, spouses, partners, significant others, etc.
Rotary Pub Night is all about networking, getting to know each other better and, usually, a lot of laughs. We hope to see you all there.
Here are links to The North House Happy Hour food and drink menus:
The decision has been made that the Club will meet the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend. The Speaker that day will be Jill Fletcher. Her presentation is titled "Youth Forum."
District Training Assembly, May 11th
Second Reminder
I’m very much pleased to formerly invite you all to the upcoming District Training Assembly in Enfield, CT on Wednesday, May 11, 2016. We are thrilled to offer a variety of training options together with a terrific keynote speaker. All Rotarians are invited to attend. If you are a leader or board member of your club, or someone who just recently joined Rotary, this training is especially important for you.
What: Rotary District 7890 District Training Assembly. The purpose of this event is to train Rotarians on various Rotary topics to create better leaders and better Rotarians. All Rotarians are invited but incoming club officers and new Rotarians are especially encouraged to attend.
When: Wednesday, May 11, 2016. Registration & Breakfast: 7:15am – 8:15am. Program: 8:15am to Noon
.
Where: Holiday Inn
1 Bright Meadow Blvd.
Enfield, CT 06082
Who: The Assembly includes breakout session for the 60 Presidents-elect, Secretaries-elect, and the Treasurers-elect. There are also breakout sessions for all members on topics including the Foundation, membership, social media, and others. There will be a session called The Rotary 101 / Rotary Basics and it will be perfect for new members, but also for anyone who would like to learn more about Rotary. Finally, we are thrilled to announce that we will have Chris Boyce, Foundation Annual Giving Officer of Rotary International, leading some of the training sessions for us.
Keynote Speaker: Past District Governor Toni McAndrew of District 7410 in Northeastern Pennsylvania will be the keynote speaker. She is a Service Above Self Award recipient and Past Chair of the Northeast America Division of the Rotary Leadership Institute.
Cost: The fee to attend is $30.00 per person. Many Rotary Clubs in our District choose to reimburse this cost to their members as an incentive to attend because it is a great investment in educating and creating better Rotarians. Check with your individual club’s leadership team to see if this applies to you.
New Rotarian Discount: DGE Wargo is continuing the special “New Rotarian” price for any Rotarian who comes to the District Training Assembly that has joined Rotary after May 11, 2015. The cost will be half price; only $15!
How to Register: Details and registration can be found at www.rotarydistrict7890.org by clicking on “District 7890 Training Assembly 2016” under the “Upcoming Events” section on the right hand side of the website.
Registration Deadline: Please register by Wednesday, May 4th at 11:59 pm.
I look forward to seeing you all there!! You will learn something and have fun!!!
Sincerely,
David Condon
District Training Assembly Chairperson
Work: 413-733-7306
New Member Induction
(Left to Right - President Gary Miller, Dr. Sabrina Waqar, Chris Heath and Len Dunstan)
Dr. Sadaf "Sabrina" Waqar is Board Certified in Dermatology and Internal Medicine. Sheis a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, American College of Osteopathic Dermatology, Women's Dermatologic Society and the American Society of Dermatologic Surgeons. She completed her residency in 2011 and opened Farmington Valley Dermatology & Surgery in the Fall of 2014. Her office is located on Simsbury Road.
Sabrina is credited with seven medical publications. She has a great interest in community service and believes Rotary is a great match for her.
Club members who read during the induction included: Chris Heath, Salin Low, Brian O'Donnell and Rollie Sterrett. Sabrina's husband Joel Troman was present for the ceremony.
Presentation
(Club Member Paul Mikkelson)
Paul's presentation was titled "Be Smart. Make Good Decisions." It is Paul's contention that it is our consumer decisions and personal choices that largely determine our health and well-being. By being smart we won't hurt ourselves or others. By being smart, we can improve and sustain good health.
Paul believes every disease has something to do with chemicals and environmental factors. Why use those chemicals? Some of Paul's points included:
* Don't buy Febreze. It is full of harmful chemical that don't break down.
* Putting fertilizers and pesticides on our lawns is so dangerous that it's silly to do so.
* Beware of formaldehyde. It is in everything and is deleterious in many, many ways.
* Clothing is made wrinkle free by spraying it with formaldehyde. When you buy new clothes, wash them three or four times before wearing them.
* Ant spray is incredibly dangerous. Don't use it. Likewise, don't spray insect repellant or sunscreen on yourself.
* Don't be present when your house is being remodeled. All the materials have dangerous chemicals in them.
* Round Up, the weed killer, is nothing but poison that ends up in our rivers and oceans.
* House paint is made from volatile organic chemicals. Get out of the house when it's being painted.
* Tell your doctor that you want to limit the number of x-rays taken of your body. Why do they need to take six x-rays when two might do?
* Don't have wi-fi using devices on your body. The wi-fi signals can be harmful.
* If it doesn't smell good, it's not good. Walk away.
Paul also hit up upon nutritional choices that impact our health. He termed salt, sugar and carbs as substances that should only be used in cautious moderation. He detailed some of the misleading and intentionally confusing information to be found on food labels.
Paul's presentation was inspired by the fact that the next day would be Earth Day 2016. He finished his presentation by asking "money goes to health treatment. Why not have it go to prevention?"
Gratuitous Vincent Van Gogh Painting #2
In The Mail
P.O. Box 11 yawned and went back to sleep this week.
Photo Credits
All Photos from the Meeting by Phil Worley
Nixon-Breshnev Photo courtesy googleimages.com
Photo of Don Bonner in the Dominican Republic courtesy Don Bonner
New Britain Bees/Rotary Graphic courtesy District 7890
District 7890 Logo Courtesy District 7890
Bicycle Cartoon and Photo courtesy googleimages.com
"Canal With Women Washing" courtesy the Van Gogh Museum
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