Our program last week brought us Cindy Heitzman, Executive Director of the California Preservation Foundation, a state-wide nonprofit that advocates for the preservation of historic structures and sites around California. The CPF is hosting its annual conference at the Miners Foundry from May 12 – 15 (right before the Amgen Bike Race). Their program is open to the public and involves tours of historic sites, workshops, training, discussions of local historic preservation efforts (like the North Star House, the Empire Mine, and the Courthouse). Their conference is a big deal for our little town and will attract 400 or 500 people. You are welcome to attend, and they need volunteers and sponsors. More information about the CPF and their conference may be found at www.californiapreservation.org. Thank you PE Eleanor Kenitzer for bringing us this most interesting program!
Director at Large Pete Brost told us about an opportunity to host visiting Russian foresters who will be visiting our community (talk to Pete for more details), and Membership Co-chair Austin Farrar reminded us of the Google95959 march slated for 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 14th starting at Robinson Plaza at the foot of Broad Street. This is a PR event to build support for the Nevada City Chambers’ bid to make Nevada City one of the communities in which Google pays to install broadband fiber 100 times faster than cable and DSL. For more details, point your web browser to www.nevadacitychamber.com/blog/2010/03/03/95959-google/. Lastly Derek Poppell introduced his lovely wife, soon to be mother, and Rotaractor Sharon Poppell, who invited us all to Rotaract’s Champagne Brunch on Sunday, May 2nd at 11 a.m. in the Union Street Building (the Old Sole Mates retail space) in Grass Valley.
International Service Chair Carolyn Inglis let us know of an upcoming National Immunization Day in Nigeria. If you have an interest in travelling to Nigeria to put those two life-saving drops of polio vaccine in the mouths of Nigerian children, this may be one of you last opportunities, as polio was down 55% in 2009 due to Rotary’s efforts. It’s May 2, 2012 and the brochure is available at http://beachrotary.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/2009-nigeria-ipd-d9120-conference-program-final.pdf.
pP Bob Buhlis provided an update on our fundraising towards our $12k annual goal for The Rotary Foundation. We are still matching donations dollar-for-dollar up to $500 with Club points so you can get your Paul Harris for half price this year. We need to report our annual numbers to the district by late April, so get your donations to Bob or Treasurer Ellen Davis soon. Thanks to those who have already donated or who have signed up to make regularly monthly payments to the Foundation!
We have a new location for the Radio Auction! It is March 20th this year and will be at the Citizens Bank office on Railroad Avenue (at Sacramento Street). We will still use the Stonehouse for the walk-in portion of the event and the Art Show, but the work of the Auction will be at the bank. The dry-run the evening before will also be at the bank. March 4th was the cut-off for donations to appear in the circular, but we can still add things to the website and talk about them on the air on the 20th, so if you have donors who can be coaxed to donate late, or if you failed to turn in a form by the 4th, please get it to us. We are now taking signups for the various roles that need to be filed on the day of the event, too. We ask all club members to take some role on the 20th (for a shift for half of the 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. run of setup – on the air – and clean-up) and to pay a significant fine if they cannot. Sign up at the club meeting or talk to Auction Co-Chair / pP Nancy Kemp or Auction Co-Chair Gary Gustafson. Thanks!
Our program this Thursday will be presented by County Ag. Commissioner Jeff Pylman, hosted by Paul Boch. Come hear what’s going with the effort to maintain working landscapes in our community so the beauty we live here for can be preserved without relying solely on the charitable intentions of land owners. Jeff is always an interesting speaker. See you at the meeting!
