Welcome to the Sunrise Spirit –
the Weekly Newsletter of The Rotary Club of Arcata Sunrise
We hope that you will attend one of our lively Friday meetings,
whether or not you are interested in joining Rotary.
Usually, we meet on most Fridays at 7 am in the Plaza View Room
at Arcata’s historic Jacoby Storehouse,
however, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are meeting online.
Please visit the RCAS Website for the meeting links.
Rotary Vision:
Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change
– across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.
The Calendar …
RISE: “Rotary Involvement Strengthens Everyone“
- March 25 – “Best of the Wurst” – Southwest Eureka Rotary’s drive-by bratwurst dinner
- April 16-17 – District 5130 Training Assembly
- June 12-16 – The 2021 Rotary International Convention – Online!
- November 11-14 – The Zone Institute, tentatively scheduled for Tuscon, Arizona
- June 4-8, 2022 – The 2022 Rotary International Convention in Houston, Texas.
Interact and Gratitude
We started our meeting by visiting with two members of the Arcata High School Interact Club – Lila Cohen and Kyla Berman. Lila told us that her Club had a busy weekend ahead. On Saturday, they planned to help with a shoe drive and with the Arcata Noon Rotary’s Drive Through Tri-Tip Dinner. Then on Sunday, the schedule included a beach cleanup. Whew! We were happy to greet Kyla, who told us that this was her first Rotary Club meeting!
Following an update on the RCAS Health Challenge, President Maggie shared a series of photos. She wanted to remind us of what getting together in person was like (back in the olden days).
Helping Others
President Maggie reminded us to keep the North Coast Business in Ethics Awards in our thoughts. Our District is looking for two things – businesses and nonprofits that use ethical practices in their work, and ethical students who are interested in a scholarship opportunity. For more information, visit northcoastethics.com.
President-Elect Ian Schatz reminded us to sign up for our Fireside Meetings, which will take place on March 30th through April 1st (but you should only attend one meeting). The first meeting, which is on a Tuesday, is getting full, but there is space available the other two evenings.
Thank you, AJ Gonzales, Vanessa Griffin, and Charli Murphy (aka Crystal Perez) for being Backpacks for Kids mainstays! Lisa Hemphill let us know that local grocers have begun donating fresh fruit to be added to the packs – more healthy food!!
We learned about a GoFundMe page that has been set up in memory of Bev Welch, who served as a staff member at Jacoby Creek School for many years. To donate, go to https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/memorial-project-for-bev
The Rotary Foundation earned some money when Romi Hitchcock Tinseth decided to “Heckle The Prez” about the correct name for Mount Mayon!
Mitigation for the Safety Corridor
Robert Wall of CalTrans was the featured speaker at the March 19, 2021 RCAS Meeting. He discussed the mitigation efforts that his organization is taking as part of its project to revamp the Eureka-Arcata Safety Corridor on Highway 101.
Robert said that the improvements on the highway include the construction of an undercrossing at the Indianola cutoff, lanes for accelerating and decelerating, a cable median barrier, and the bridge/rail replacement. He expects construction of the undercrossing to begin in the spring of 2022.
The mitigation efforts will take place off the highway. These include revegetation of riparian habitat that will be affected by the project, and eradication of spartina – a type of cordgrass that is encroaching on Humboldt Bay.
CalTrans will also help to restore wetland areas on the Samoa Peninsula; to that end, they have purchased several acres adjacent to the Lansphere Dunes. They will also help construct the Humboldt Bay Trail and work to establish and enhance nearly 50 acres of inland, nontidal wetlands, which they then plan to transfer to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
– Click here to view the complete meeting –