|
Notes & AsidesVP Alex Reczkowki opened the meeting with 77 seconds of silence in memory and recognition of the Holocaust.; The PHS Rotaract raised $500 in a recent raffle event. The students donated $250 each to Soldier On and TG's Clubhouse; We have received several thank you notes from schools that received dictionaries and food bank grant recipients. Guests of Honor: Dave Hall welcomed Roger Gibonni (visiting Rotarian from North Adams) and Gail Molari was joined by Pam Knisley (Rotary emeritus); we bid farewell to students Nick Lopenzina and Anthony Telladira. Sommelier Training: Joan DiMartino announced the Wine Pairing Dinner is scheduled for Saturday, March 19th at Mazzeo's. Tickets are $100 per person. 100% of the profits from this fundraiser will be going to the Dr. John Reynolds Scholarship. Stay tuned for more information and reminders. Palace Coup d'état? Rumors were bandied about the dining room concerning a potential power grab of the highest order. Sparks is happy to announce this unsubstantiated scuttlebutt was indeed fake news. Speaking of scuttlebutt, did you hear Tom Brady is retiring?
|
Feeding Funds Representatives of local food banks and meal programs joined us last week for grant presentations. Each organization received $1,000 in support of their work in the community.Jay Bailly introduced and presented the awards to each group. Organizations receiving support from Rotary were: Berkshire Dream Center – Joseph Rhoades, First Baptist Church – Nancy & John Ostresh, First United Methodist Church –Alice Rose and Ann Mottley, Saint Agnes’s Church Food Pantry – Rick & Henry Trudell, Saint Mark’s Food Pantry- Father Chris, Saint Stephen’s Table – Nicole & Chris Plankey, Salvation Army – Captain Justin Barter.
Representatives from the following organizations could not attend the luncheon and will have their checks delivered: Christian Assembly Church, The Christian Center, South Congregational Church. |
Notes & AsidesOctober Already: The Red Sox are still in it as we write this edition and our Patriots really looked good on Sunday night. One doink off the upright denied the boys a chance to beat the GOAT. Hard to believe fall is upon us, here's to wonderful autumn weather with three cheers to our local high school, college and pro teams. Let's Go! Zoom Zoom: As announced in various forms, luncheon meetings are now available live via Zoom. If you cannot make our weekly gathering, please consider streaming the event via the following link https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84791340270?pwd=bm1zNkJPemF0MGJoLzZncW5KS3Judz09 |
The Rep's Words State Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier was the guest speaker at last weeks luncheon. Ms. Farley-Bouvier entitled her remarks "What the h**l does a state representative do?" The Representative is one of 160 across the Commonwealth, her current district is 13 of 14 Pittsfield precincts, the coming redistricting map will update her territory to include all of Pittsfield. While Farley-Bouvier is on the Consumer Protection and Cyber Security House Committees, child welfare and foster care are her core issues. She is working to aid the overburdened agencies, especially DCF. Her latest pending bill, the family mobility act would allow all persons in the Commonwealth regardless of immigration status to obtain a drivers license. Other highlights: House meetings remain via Zoom at least through the end of the month. The House has been inundated with requests for covid-19 assistance. Unemployment benefits have been difficult to administer, the unemployment office grew from 50 to over 1,000 employees to manage the crisis. Finally, Representative Farley-Bouvier reminded us that her most important job is to be accessible to all citizens. Several members expressed frustration with changing rules and hard to find answers regarding all things covid. The good Rep agreed the times have been very challenging. |
Schaffer SpeaksDue to a scheduling snafu, the scheduled speaker was unable to attend our luncheon. Many thanks to Eric Schaffer for filling in at the last second! Eric provided a brief synopsis of the updated Avenues of Service. He reminded us that the Avenues are great tools to help the Club remain strong and provide growth in the future. The presentation detailed Club, Vocational, Community, International and the newly added Youth category as our Avenues of Service.
|
The 30th Annual Pittsfield Rotary Auction Now Live |
Splish Splash Auction 2020Splish Splash Auction 2020 coming up Saturday Feb 1. Preview and Silent Auction are at 5pm. Live auction starts at 6:30pm. Take a look at our catalog. The download link is on the right side of this page. See you there!
|
Rotary Foundation Elvis - Orbison Show at the ColonialElvis and Orbison Tribute Show The Rotary Club of Pittsfield and the Rotary Club of Pittsfield Foundation invites you on November 16, 2019 to the historical Colonial Theater to attend the Elvis and Orbison Tribute Show: a benefit concert to raise funds for future upkeep of the new Splash Pad, and universally accessible playground equipment at Clapp Park in Pittsfield. Clapp Park is a wonderful park used by many and the redesign and addition of a splash pad will benefit many residents. It will also give families a safe place for their children to cool off in the summer. The Elvis & Orbison Show kicking off at 7:30pm is a unique and incredible tribute concert experience: a true celebration of two legendary performers in one amazing show. In the first set, the portrayal of Roy Orbison is extraordinary. The look, the voice and the songs all come to life with hits like, "Oh Pretty Woman," "Only The Lonely," "Crying," "In Dreams," "It’s Over," "Dream Baby" and "Blue Angel," to name a few. In the second set, Elvis Presley is back in the building, as the celebration continues with "Jailhouse Rock," "Burnin’ Love," "Hound Dog," "Suspicious Minds," "Love Me Tender" and many more. The audience is transformed back to a time when Elvis ruled the musical world in an outstanding tribute to the King of Rock & Roll. Sing and dance along with the band, all while raising funds for this amazing destination in the community for local residents and visitors. "An amazing concert…two great shows in one." –Lubbock Avalanche-Journal "An incredible portrayal of two rock & roll legends." –Miami Herald Click here for the sponsorship form To purchase tickets starting at $22 go to the berkshiretheatregroup.org |
Splash Pad Centennial Project Club President, John McLaughlin, and Past President’s John Perreault, Jeff Hassett, Joan DiMartino and Kelly Marion, presented Mayor Linda Tyer with a final check of $155,000 on Monday, July 15th as the final payment for the Splash Pad Centennial Project. The initial payment of $25,000 was made earlier in the process to help support the design and infrastructure of the Slash Pad. Also, present, were Michelle Matthews, Pellerin Group, Parks Commissioner, Cliff Nilan and Parks & Open Space Manager, Jim McGrath. Rotary Club of Pittsfield Splash Pad Centennial Project The Pittsfield Rotary Club and the City of Pittsfield have enjoyed a long and very successful partnership, starting with the Rotary Park Project where the Club and City teamed up to create a Boundless Playground™ at Springside Park in 2004/2005. That endeavor was very successful, resulting in Springside Park being one of the most widely used parks in the City of Pittsfield. According to Club President, John McLaughlin, “the Rotary appreciates the opportunity to leverage our resources with state grant funding and the Pellerin Group for needed improvements at Clapp Park as part of the Pittsfield Club’s 100-year anniversary project.” Clapp Park is a wonderful park used by many and the proposed redesign and addition of a splash pad will benefit many residents. It will also give families a safe place for their children to cool off in the summer. The sprawling park with a proud history has long been a central location for park and recreation activities in the city. The construction of the Splash Pad, along with the current playground being made more universally accessible with the addition of new components specific for children with disabilities is part of the City of Pittsfield, Clapp Park Improvement Plan. The Pittsfield Rotary Foundation was established in 1986 with a mission to create an endowment to support capital and special projects which have a long-term community impact. The majority of the construction will be done in late August of this year. |
Adios Guest Fine-MastersAs a change-up for assessing fines, incoming president John McLaughlin has eliminated the guest fine-masters. In its place, fining will rotated between Jeff Whitehouse, Dave Hall, John O'Brien and Ron Latham, with no more than two of these at the podium on any given week.
|
Food Pantry Donation DistributionsLast week Jay Bailly and Shaun Heimann, co-chairs of The Rotary Club of Pittsfield's Annual Food Drive, presented a $1,000.00 donation to the following twelve local food pantries and kitchens: Berkshire Dream Center Christian Assembly Church Christian Center First Baptist Church First United Methodist Church Reigning Love Church Saint Agnes Church Saint Joe's Kitchen (South Congregational Church) South Congregational Church/Food Pantry Saint Mark's Food Pantry Saint Stephen's Table Salvation Army  Many thanks to Jay and Shaun for all their hard work and to all contributing Rotarians!! |
Service Above SelfLast week Joan DiMartino presented our Service Above Self awards to the following high school students for their amazing service to our community. The students also receive a $100 donation to go to the charity of their choice that is listed after their names below. From PHS: Shakia Green -Eureka Program at the Girls Inc Carolyn Guachione - Jimmy Fund Johnathan Campbell - Be like Brit foundation an organization that helps children and families in Haiti. From THS: Kailey Sultaire - Camp Dartmouth-Hitchcock in Fairlee, Vermont Katelyn Zwingelstein - Soldier On McKenzie Benoit - Berkshire Humane Society  The Service Above Self Recipients and Dr. Jason McCandless - Superintendent of Pittsfield Public Schools Here is the combined listing of all the community services provided by the students:
|
POSTPONED until February 2nd 28th Annual Pittsfield Rotary Auction – "Margarita Village"Due to the incoming snowstorm the Pittsfield Rotary Club has postponed their signature Annual Auction to February 2. It will still be at the Holiday Inn (formerly Berkshire Plaza) and start at 5:00 PM Saturday, February 2.
28th Annual Pittsfield Rotary Auction – "Margarita Village" Help our community’s future by attending The Pittsfield Rotary Club’s 28th Annual Auction on Saturday February 2nd at the Crowne Plaza in Pittsfield. The event features a cocktails and delicious hors d'oeuvres during the preview and silent auction beginning at 5:00 pm; the live auction begins at 6:30 pm. This fun and exciting live auction features merchandise and gift certificates generously donated by local merchants along with travel and advertising opportunities. Funds raised at the auction allow the Rotary Club of Pittsfield to continue issuing generous scholarships to our local students, fund Advanced Placement testing assistance programs, provide grants to local nonprofits and to continue maintenance of the Rotary Boundless Playground equipment at Springside Park in Pittsfield. It will also help the club’s effort to assist the City of Pittsfield with many improvements to Clapp Park and installing a splash pad at the park. Admission is $10.00 donation per person with light fare included and cash bar.
https://www.facebook.com/Rotary-Club-of-Pittsfield-MA-158122127559955/ |
Lyon/Nash ScholarshipAt our June 7th meeting the Lyon and Nash scholarships were presented by the scholarship committee. The Lyon Family scholarship was presented to Gavin Sicurello-Laclair of Taconic High School. The Nash Family scholarship was presented to Brandon Williams also of Taconic High School.  Committee member John O'Brien, recipients Brandon Williams and Gavin Sicurello-Laclair, Committee members Brad Felix and Dave Hall.
|
Gene Case Scholarship 2018Last Thursday, the annual Gene Case Scholarship was awarded to Samantha Callaway of Taconic High School. The ceremony was lead by Gwen Davis, chair of the Gene Case Scholarship committee, and Marshall Raser, who shared his memories of Mr. Case and his contributions to Pittsfield Rotary. In the spirit of the service-oriented nature of the award, Samantha gives back to the community while being a highly accomplished student and athlete, We congratulate Samantha on receiving the honor and wish her all the best in future endeavors. .jpg) (L-R: Don & Marsha Callaway, Samantha Callaway, Gwen Davis and Sarah Maddalena (Guidance Counselor at Taconic)
|
Pittsfield Rotary Club ScholarshipsOn May 17th The Pittsfield Rotary Club awarded their annual scholarships to recipients Michelle Johnson and Jennifer O'Neil from BCC, Olivia Douhan and Grace Barini from Pittsfield High School and Keiahna Cargill and Jaclyn Boateng from Taconic High School  |
2017 Student Service Above Self Awards President, Jeff Hassett and Service Above Self Award Chair, Joan DiMartino presented seven local students with "Service Above Self" awards. This award exemplifies student volunteer efforts and their selfless contributions to the service of others. The object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise which we both encourage and foster. Joan DiMartino and Committee member, Rob Proskin, had the privilege of reviewing a number of outstanding nominations for students this year and selected the seven awardees for their service above and beyond in their community. Ms. DiMartino noted, “It certainly was not an easy task but it was truly heartwarming to see that more of our students are out in our community volunteering both their time and talents.” Representatives from Pittsfield High School and Taconic High School presented each of the awardees to the Club at a luncheon, held on November 16, 2017 at the Crowne Plaza in Pittsfield. Also in attendance to recognize the student achievements were Roberta McCulloch-Dews, Director of Administrative Services, Office of the Mayor City of Pittsfield, Mr. John Vosburgh, Principal of Taconic High School, Susan Pivero and Sarah Maddelena from Taconic High School Guidance, along with Susan Haughey, Health Tech Teacher. Pittsfield High School was represented by Amy Higgins and Janice Barry, from the Guidance Department, along with Todd Eddy, Culinary Teacher. Again this year Rotary made a $100 donation in the award winners name to a charity of their choice. This year’s awardees who are all Seniors at their respective schools are Anthony Arace, Cooper Baity, Keiahna Cargill and Daniel Zielinski from Taconic High School, along with Gabrielle DiMassimo, Danielle LeBlanc, and Marilyn Maison, from Pittsfield High School. The presentation ended with Ms. DiMartino congratulating the award winners and thanking their parents for their involvement in supporting their students volunteerism. She added that our wish is that these students will continue down the path of service to others as they prepare for graduation and the many challenges and successes ahead! |
Water ProjectAnnually, 30,000 people die from water related illnesses – 90% of them are children. Guatemala has the third highest rate of malnutrition in the world. The women and children have to walk 20 minutes each way to gather freshwater and carry it back to the village between 4-6 times per day. Having sanitized water in the village saves them these trips. Rick Lawrence, from the Manchester Rotary Club, is the District 7890 Water Project Chairperson. Rick partners with a non-governmental organization called Aldea - formally Behrhorst Partners for Development (BPD) and a local host Rotary Club. Aldea means Village in Spanish. This NGO is able to converse in the local languages and deal with the local conditions, culture, and politics of the people of Guatemala. There are four components to the water sanitation projects: water supply, sinks, latrines, and safe stoves. Rick and his wife, involved with the project for the past nine years, have raised over $499,000 to complete projects in 16 villages in Guatemala. The 2017 project will be supporting water sanitation in four new villages in Guatemala. When Rick started this project in 2006, 12 Rotary clubs contributed $24,000 to be able to complete a project in one village. Last year’s project supported three villages and 32 Rotary clubs contributed over $100,000 to the project. This is the third Global Grant for the Guatemala Water Sanitation Project. So between the club contributions and the district contributions, Rick has raised $43,995; another $33,997 is matched by the foundation for a total of $71,164 going towards this project for four villages in Guatemala. Local labor and in-kind services are valued at another $54,817. Rotary Clubs also raised $19,000 for safe stoves at the villages. |
Student Scholarships AwardedOn Thursday, May 18 Rotary scholarships were presented to this year's recipients. The students were joined by mentors from their respective schools, as well as family and friends who came out to support them. The following students were awarded scholarships for 2017:  Allison Kahn - Berkshire Community College Stephanie Vargas - St. Joseph's High School Cassie Winn - Taconic High School Jade Tanguay - Berkshire Community College Lauren Daury - Pittsfield High School Emily Reardon - Pittsfield High School Gianna Paris - Taconic High School (Not Pictured) Congratulations to all of our scholarship recipients!
|
Birthdays & AnniversariesBirthdays: John R. Franchebois - May 12 Anniversaries: Joan DiMartino - 12 years - May 13, 2004 |
2017 Butler Award presented to Kelly & Jay MarionThe Donald Butler Award is presented each year to a Rotarian who the president feels has exemplified the Rotarian motto of Service Above Self. President Joan presented this year's award to Kelly & Jay Marion. Joan gave a heartfelt presentation and explained that the guidance and support given by both of these individuals made it impossible for her to choose only one. Congratulations to these two dedicated recipients.  |
Get Your Groove On!!Save the Date for our 2017 Rotary Auction!! It's sure to be a Groovy Time!! Saturday January 28. The donation form is available below.
|
Service Above Self HonoreesCongratulations to our Service Above Self Award Honorees:
From St. Joseph's: Olivia Bolluck, Connor Thurston, Theresa Kirsimagi and Samantha Saddick Because they have all shown such willingness to give back to their community, along with the honor and award, the Pittsfield Rotary Club will make a donation to a charity of each student’s choice. |
|
|
|
|
