~ Newberg Noon Rotary Club Newsletter ~

Rotary Club of Newberg, Zoom Meeting

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

~ Zoom Meeting Participants ~

Shannon B, Mike, Dan, Paul, Walter, Brandy, Joe, Kathie, Om, Tony, Shannon K, Judy, Denise, Auggie, Michelle, Jim, Gene, Laura, Lisa, Stan, Ralph, Geoff, Matt.

~ Call to Order ~

President Shannon Buckmaster welcomed Rotarians and Friends of Rotary to the Zoom meeting at 12:01 p.m. Wednesday, October 7, 2020.  The Rotarians split out into breakout groups to start the meeting.

~ Flag Salute ~

Denise lead participants in the Pledge of Allegiance.

~ 4 Way Test ~

Mike lead participants in the recital of the 4 Way Test:

Rotary’s Four Way Test of the things we think, say and do:

#1 – Is it the TRUTH?

#2 – Is it FAIR to all concerned?

#3 – Will it BUILD GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

#4 – Is it BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

~ Announcements ~

President Shannan Buckmaster announced and presented her new Rotary Branded Face Mask!  No word yet on what the distribution or availability of these masks might be from Rotary, but it is great to see Rotary evolve with the times and provide opportunities to represent the brand.

~ AUCTION UPDATE! ~

OCTOBER 30, 2020!  SAVE THE DATE!!!  The Auction team of Shannon K, Lisa, and Michelle have been working very hard to make progress on the auction and announced the release of the landing page, whereby attendees can RSVP and purchase tickets!  https://www.newbergrotary.org/virtual-auction/  

Shannon B. provided a very important answer to a frequently asked question as well:  There are tickets being sold, as previously mentioned, for people who want to attend the Pre & Post Party events and to take part in the catered meal and wine.  However, ANYONE can log in, bid, and participate FREE.  There will be a local pickup for the food and wine participants at Barley and Vine.  They are looking into options for ticket purchases who are not in the Newberg Area.  Shipping details are being ironed out and will be available shortly.

The Auction Committee is now accepting Auction Item donations!  Begin submitting your items as soon as possible.  Email the item description and if possible a picture to Shannon Knight and she will coordinate to come pick up the item and provide you with receipts as needed.  The catalog of items will be available online about a week before the event dates, and bidding on items is expected to be open for the day before the event starts.  Sponsorships are also available. 

Any additional questions should be emailed to Shannon K.

~ Guests ~

Lydia Keuler, Dan’s wife and avid supporter of the School District

Larry Strober, Rotary Club of McMinnville Sunrise, Former Assistant Governor, soon to be new member

Christy Cowgill, Judy’s guest, soon to be new member

Debby Thomas, Dean of the George Fox College of Business, soon to be new member

Rebecca Piros, Gene’s wife and Newberg School Board Member

~ The Rotary Duck ~

Judy:  Bragging and complimenting our enthused and vivacious club, which three great new members coming on board and our club being fun, active and welcoming to them.

Laura:  International announcement:  She received an emmail from our international partner from the Kathmandu Rotary Club.  He was sad to report back that there are no more ICU beds available relating to COVID in Kathmandu and his 77 year old brother has come down with COVID.  They are concerned about spreading of the Virus amongst their commune.  They are good, kind people and please keep them in your prayers.  

Tony:  Dictionaries are here! Tony’s annual dictionary donation project is underway.  Distribution will be upcoming and they will likely be setting up drive through tents at the schools

Shannon K.:  To Joe and the NSD who handled some virtual issues in classrooms.

Jim:  Has a Rotary quilt being donated to the auction that was custom made and is specific in its design to reflect our own Newberg Noon Rotary Club.  Thanks Jim!  Can’t wait to see it!

Geoff:  National Polio Day is coming up!  During the October 21st meeting, Geoff will match our club’s Polio Plus donation pool dollar for dollar up to $500!  What an amazing offer!  Lets all make sure to be there to donate and to thank him for his severe generosity!  Thanks Geoff!

Mike:  Reminded people to register to vote as the last day to do so is on Tuesday, October 13 and ballots will go out on the 14th.  The County Clerk is looking for volunteers to do ballot pickups.

~ Today’s Program: Newberg School District Construction Bond (Dr Joe Morelock and Brandy Penner)~

Brandy Penner is the Chair of the Newberg School Board.  To be a thriving community, it takes excellent schools and a healthy school district.  Strong schools are needed not only to grow the local youth into strong, valuable members of the community, but they are also needed to attract employees and employers to the area, providing larger potential for the growth and development of the community.  COVID-19 has created new challenges and needs for students and staff for when we return to in school education.  This bond takes care of a lot of deferred maintenance and the replacement of Dundee Elementary.  The efforts to get us to where we are at currently took several years of analysis, asset review, and high levels of Community Input and Support.

The $141 Million Capital Bond package includes:

• Replacement of Dundee Elementary School (about 70 years old)
• Expands and Upgrades Edwards Elementary
• Upgrades Career and Technical Education (CTE) to cutting edge facilities
• Improves safety, security, and pandemic health at every building
• Expansion of the health facilities at the High School as well as the ongoing maintenance needs of the HVAC systems, ventilation, and air filtration
• Cares for the public investment through needed maintenance throughout the district

There are 10 schools in the district currently serving approximately 4,700 students, 500 staff, as well as the greater community in many instances (just last month, the kitchens were open and operating to prepare meals for the the firefighting efforts during local wildfires), and these schools must be updated, maintained, and replaced over time to keep up the with modernization and safety of the schools.  School construction can ONLY be done through bond efforts like this as the State and Federal support does not support such projects.  The below graphic helps illustrate the facility aging over time.  The blue dotted line is today.  Buildings typically have a 50-70 year lifespan.

The Cost Homeowners:  71 Cents per $1,000 of Assessed Market Value, which is always less than the Real Market Value of the home (typically about 60%).  With the increase, our school rates are substantially lower than the neighboring districts (bottom 33% comparatively) as well as much lower than it has been historically in Newberg, with the exception of the 2 most recent years due to older bond rates dropping off.  The average Newberg home has an AMV of $250,000, which would result in a tax increase of $15/month.  (Message from the Editor: my unofficial accounting input is as follows: if you happen to itemize your deductions in your tax return, then that increased cost I believe has a reduced effective cost of possibly somewhere around 20% depending on your tax bracket, i.e. potentially just $12/month if you itemize and own an average home.  Sorry if this input only makes it more confusing, but I sort of miss preparing taxes and performing tax planning services.  Julie can shame me at the next meeting if what I am saying is incorrect and I will donate to the duck as a punishment). Additionally, this work to be done will be more expensive if pushed back into the future due to the highly favorable bond market and economical landscape we are in (So passing this bond will result in more bang for our buck vs waiting).

Visit the Bond Supporters’ webpage at www.voteyesfornps.org for more information and details.  You can also make donations at this webpage that will go towards the promotion of this measure.  Please reach out to Brandy if you would like a sign or banner or know of anyone that might be interested.  They are especially excited to find businesses that are in high traffic and visible locations.

Graphic below provides additional detail of the bond plan:

~ Next Week’s Program ~

The Newberg Rotary Foundation members (Spike Sumner, Auggie Gonzales, Bob Ficker, Jeff Lane, Leona Todd, and Joe Morelock will be presenting on the Newberg Rotary Foundation.  (Note that this is our local Foundation, not to be confused with the International Foundation.)

Check your e-mails for Mike Caruso’s Zoom meeting access information.

~ Joke of the Day ~

Q: Why do bees have sticky hair?

A: Because they use honeycombs.

~ Happy Quotes! ~

“What you get by achieving your goals, is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”

– Zig Ziglar

~ Published 10/11/2020: Dan Keuler, Newsletter Editor ~

~ Newberg Noon Rotary Club Newsletter ~

Rotary Club of Newberg, Zoom Meeting

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

~ Zoom Meeting Participants ~

Shannon B, Mike, Dan, Geoff, Judy, Corey, Patrick, Shannon K, Michelle, Auggie, Gene, Ralph, Tony, Laura, Joe, Kathie, Walter, Denise, Lisa, Todd, Paul, Om, Paula.

~ Call to Order ~

President Shannon Buckmaster welcomed Rotarians and Friends of Rotary to the Zoom meeting at 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 30, 2020.  The Rotarians split out into breakout groups to start the meeting.

~ Flag Salute ~

Walter lead participants in the Pledge of Allegiance.

~ 4 Way Test ~

Laura lead participants in the recital of the 4 Way Test:

Rotary’s Four Way Test of the things we think, say and do:

#1 – Is it the TRUTH?

#2 – Is it FAIR to all concerned?

#3 – Will it BUILD GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

#4 – Is it BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

~ Announcements ~

President Shannan Buckmaster announced and presented her new Rotary Branded Face Mask!  No word yet on what the distribution or availability of these masks might be from Rotary, but it is great to see Rotary evolve with the times and provide opportunities to represent the brand.

~ AUCTION UPDATE! ~

OCTOBER 30, 2020!  SAVE THE DATE!!!  The Auction, as previously announced, will be a virtual, online auction. The price to attend will be the same as it was in the past: $100 per ticket, with an optional $15 cost to attend the before and after party Fun  This fee includes a meal and wine for the $15 add-on fee, whereby there will be a pick-up and take-out style catered meal. Friends and Family from out of town, who wont be participating in the meal are also going to be able to join in.  A week before the auction there will be an opportunity to view the list of items and bid.  

Be sure to attend the Noon Rotary Meeting on October 28 in order to get a sample of the new before/after party format and festivities.  Starting on Monday there should be a “Landing Page” within the www.newbergrotary.org webpage.  Go to the webpage and click on the Auction link for more info.  

The Auction Committee is now accepting Auction Item donations!  Begin submitting your items as soon as possible.  Email the item description and if possible a picture to Shannon Knight and she will coordinate to come pick up the item and provide you with receipts as needed.  Sponsorships are also available. 

~ Guests ~

Sofia Torres McKay, Cramoisi Vineyard, Today’s Program Speaker

Larry Strober, Rotary Club of McMinnville Sunrise, Former Assistant Governor, soon to be new member

Christy Cowgill, new to the area, potential new member

Debby Thomas, Dean of the George Fox College of Business

Amy Kutzkey, 2nd time visitor, invited by Om

~ The Rotary Duck ~

Laura:  International announcement:  Now has the final signature from the Kathmandu District Governer.  The grant for preventing violence against women in Nepal is now going through Rotary International’s Review Board.

Shannon B.:  To celebrate Laura’s announcement!

Denise:  The first Interact meeting is coming up and will be on Zoom.  Please have any teenagers you know who are interested in joining reach out to Judy or Denise.

Shannon K.:  She wanted to brag on Shannon B’s daughter, a Senior at NHS, for being a great tutor of her daughter and her friends. 

Shannon B.:  To thank Shannon K for the kind words and paid opportunities provided to her daughter through Rotary connections.

Geoff:  $ for Laura, Paul, and Michelle for helping him with district grant paperwork related to the Mural project.  $ to celebrate getting through the leagues of paperwork involved in closing his mother’s estate.

Mike:  Celebrate Malaysia, where Mike served in the Peace Corps for 3 years, ratified the UN treaty for the prohibition of nuclear weapons, which is up to 46 parties signed on. They hope to get 4 more at the next UN meeting.  The effort by this group is intended to put pressure on the rest of the world to move away from Nuclear Options and towards peace.

Patrick:  Thanks to Paula and Laura for helping with the Nepal 911 grant paperwork.   

Ralph:  For his 23 years of service to the Navy and his thankfulness that during his service they never had to use any nuclear level options.

~ Today’s Program: Sofia Torres McKay, Ahivoy and Diversity in the Wine Industry~

Sophia is the co-founder of Cramoisi Vineyards, located in the Dundee Hills and Co-founder of Ahivoy.  Ahivoy (Asociacion Hispana de la Industria del Vino en Oregon y comunidad) formed with the purpose of creating opportunities and empowering Latino vineyard workers of the Willamette Valley through education.

Ahivoy is a new non-profit that seeks to break down the barriers that many vineyard workers face in relation to education and income disparities by educating and giving scholarships to Vineyard Stewards to pursue their careers in the wine industry.  She and her team believe that a bottle of wine tells a story of love, passion, dedication, collaboration, celebration that INCLUDES ALL ASPECTS in the process of producing wines.  Ahivoy’s goal, besides providing scholarships, is to provide a path for people to learn about the wine process including growing crops, harvesting, marketing, selling, etc.  They promote English as a second language and push participants to learn and enhance their English skills to provide more opportunities, which helps create a more diverse and inclusive workforce and ownership in the wine community.  They recognize value in retention and education.  In the 2020 season, they were able to offer 12 scholarships, largely thanks to donations from the Erath Family Foundation, Pura Vida, and Winery Owners.  The professional training program navigates barriers that otherwise keep the education from being feasible, which includes compensation matching what they otherwise make during their work day.  They work with the employees and employers to facilitate the success of everyone.  Before this program, there was no similar program able to provide similar opportunities.  Note: they need 4 more participants for the upcoming season, and are hoping to find more women, which will further their goal of diversity in the industry.  They have educational partnerships with Chemeketa and Linfield College.  The program is a great cause and has long-range value to the community.

To support the program, we can keep up with their many fundraising events.  Last weekend was their first online auction, where they raised about $18,000.  They are also planning to do a fundraising event later in the year to do a Latinex Market (small scale) as well as a Golf Tournament in 2021.  Opportunities for Rotarians to support this program can also include offering to give a brief talk about leadership or other valuable topics to help give them a big picture of the community and an opportunity to make valuable connections.

~ Next Week’s Program ~

Superintendent Dr. Joe Morelock and  School Board President Brandy Penner will be presenting information on the Newberg School District Construction Bond, which is an item on the upcoming November election.

Check your e-mails for Mike Caruso’s Zoom meeting access information.

~ Joke of the Day ~

Q: What is the best thing about Switzerland?

A: I don’t really know, but the Flag is a big Plus.

~ Happy Quotes! ~

“Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.”

– Ruth Bader Ginsburg

~ Published 10/02/2020: Dan Keuler, Newsletter Editor ~

~ Newberg Noon Rotary Club Newsletter ~

Rotary Club of Newberg, Zoom Meeting

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

~ Call to Order ~

President Shannon Buckmaster welcomed Rotarians and Friends of Rotary to the Zoom meeting at 12:06 p.m. Wednesday, September 23, 2020.  The rotarians split out into breakout groups to start the meeting.

~ Flag Salute ~

Judy lead participants in the flag salute.

~ 4 Way Test ~

Mike lead participants in the recital of the 4 Way Test:

Rotary’s Four Way Test of the things we think, say and do:

#1 – Is it the TRUTH?

#2 – Is it FAIR to all concerned?

#3 – Will it BUILD GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

#4 – Is it BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

~ Announcements ~

President Shannan Buckmaster announced that our club has received a note from past district Governor Diane Noriega congratulating our club on receiving its Rotary Citation for the 2019-2020 Rotary year.  It means we achieved several high standards of community service, club management, club organization, resource management, club growth, and other metrics tracked.  We earn this every year from the District and International club for excellent representation of Rotary.

~ AUCTION UPDATE! ~

The official date of the Auction:  OCTOBER 30, 2020!  SAVE THE DATE!!!  The Auction Trio of Shannon K, Lisa, and Michelle.  The Auction Committee is now accepting Auction Item donations!  Laura has already donated a beautiful painting.  Begin submitting your items as soon as possible.  Email the item description and if possible a picture to Shannon Knight and she will coordinate to come pick up the item.  Add the auction to your calendars and begin inviting friends and family.  Also note that with low overhead, the Club stands to gain a higher share of the revenues!

~ Guests ~

Larry Strober, Rotary Club of McMinnville Sunrise, Assistant Governor

Danielle Gross, Today’s Program Speaker

~ The Rotary Duck ~

Update after last week’s Polio Plus day:  After only 3 months into the Rotary year: the Club has collected $1,200 of its $2,500 annual goal!

Walter:  Walter passed on questions posed to him by a fellow Rotarian who has not been active lately but has been trying to follow along.  He wanted to hear: updates on the Auction (See the above update), updates on the billing (invoices will be sent out shortly, but no meals will be billed), and what happened to the Newsletter (IT’S BACK, BABY!!!).

Laura:  International announcement:  Progress is being made on global grants including one for training for advocates against violence against women as well as the Nepal 911 Dispatch Center grant is nearly complete.  Both of those grants have been funded by the District.  Also Kathie Byers generously decided to have a Soup’s On event with 10 people for Suropptomists which raised $450 for “Dream It Be It”.  More similar events may be hosted by others.

Todd:  He wanted to give in honor of emergency responders. He spoke about his experience with the fires over the last few weeks and the use of Pulse Point App.  He gave a shout out to Fire and Rescue teams and praised their amazing work.

Shannon K.:  She gave kudos to Kathy for being awesome and is proud of her 6th grader who just started at Chehalem Online Academy!  

Dan:  I am now the new Newsletter Editor!  If anyone has the skill or enthusiasm to take it over going forward please let me know.  Until then, I will do my best.

Walter:  Walter had to deal with a lot of downed trees after the storms.  Although there will be some large trees needing to be removed, not much damage was done in the end.

~ Today’s Program: Danielle Gross, Mrs. Yamhill County 2020 ~

Danielle grew up in Southwest Portland.  She met her husband in high school and have been married for 12 years and have 2 boys.  They moved from Portland to the Newberg Area five years ago in search of a simpler life with more nature and less technology.  They found themselves on a small homestead learning more about growing food and raising chickens and pigs.  She is also a good friend of our own Brandy Penner, working with her in the parent support group and auction committee for the local Elementary school.

Danielle was inspired to participate in the Mrs. Yamhill County Program after watching a good friend of hers do the Mrs. Washington County Program.  It is more than crowns, pageants, waves, etc as you might expect, but a program that leads women to help their community, get involved in volunteer work, charities, outreach, and support.  The women participating are poised, confident, proud, and that is in large part why Danielle and other women are encouraged to do it.  The platform that Danielle ran on was “Family and Farming”.  Regarding her Family platform: she worked with Safe Homes for Families.  It is a community that supports families who do not qualify for the foster care system through DHS.  Families in the community help other families by providing a safe home.  She was also involved in an effort this year to provide school supplies to help families in need be ready for the school year.  She plans to continue to be the parent leader at Ewing Young.  Regarding her Farming platform:  With additional flexibility in her schedule allowed by the new distance learning system, she plans to get her kids out to different farms in the community to learn more about farming, co-ops, how to support local farming and all that Oregon has to offer in the agricultural world.  She’d love to help educate young people to learn about where their food comes from and be responsible local eaters.

This year’s Pageant is scheduled to take place at the Salem Historic Grand Theater on April 24th, assuming that COVID allows.  She is hoping to go on to win Mrs. Oregon and continue on to Nationals.

~ Next Week’s Program ~

Sofia Torres with Cramoisi Vineyards will be speaking about Healthy Vineyard Ecosystems.

Check your e-mails for Mike Caruso’s Zoom meeting access information.

~ Joke of the Day ~

Q: Why do Golfers carry two pairs of pants with them?

A: Just in case they get a hole in one.

~ Happy Quotes! ~

“Be Excellent to Each Other.”

– Bill S. Preston, Esq.  (Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989))

~ Published 9/28/2020: Dan Keuler, Newsletter Editor ~