February 5, 2021

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

  • February 19 – RCAS Charter Celebration!
  • April 17 – District 5130 Training Assembly

Recognitions, Fellowship, and Announcements!

February 5th was President Maggie’s birthday, a fact that was referenced a few times during the meeting.

Jennifer Coriell provided her Gratitude Recognitions® for the day. She told us that she appreciates that our Club continues to meet and support one another at a time when other Rotary Clubs are struggling. She is happy that we understand that we are doing what we can, and that she has her Rotary Family.

Maggie reminded us that we are welcome encouraged to “Heckle the President” for a donation to the Rotary Foundation. “Even if it’s my birthday,” she said, “I can take it.” She also told us that she is offering Valentine’s gifts from Mia Bella Cupcakes and/or Happy Donuts between February 12th and 17th. And, Maggie said that her Facebook fundraiser hit its target, raising funds for BIPOC youth. You can also order Masks With a Message to support this cause.

The Raven Project is looking for donations of menstrual products for its clients. If you can help, please contact Rebecca Crow for more details. We are also supporting the Wearable Shoe Drive, which will help fund this year’s Safe and Sober program for Arcata High School seniors. If you have gently used shoes, please leave them on Alex Stillman’s front porch (at  1166 H Street). The program is trying to collect 2,500 pairs!

Lori Breyer reported on the Club Health Challenge, noting that Ray Noogle/Noggle is still in the lead. (He is very excited at the prospect of winning a pie from Gregg Foster!) Others with lots of miles include Vanessa Griffin and Romi Hitchcock Tinseth. Lori reminded us that it’s not too late to join – just fire up the Nike app and send your info to her.

Club & District News, Plus a Special Visitor!

President-Elect Ian Schatz said that he appreciates the Sunrisers who have already responded to the online survey that will help him prepare for our Fireside Meetings, which will take place during the last week of March. He is also encouraging us all to attend the District Training Assembly, to be held online April 16th and 17th.

We then welcomed a special guest – Luján Caruso, who was our inbound Rotary Exchange Student for the 2009-2010 Rotary Year. Luján is now living in Buenos Aires, and she is quite an artist! She shares her work (“mostly line art”) on Instagram. Luján visited North Carolina not long ago, but it was too expensive to add traveling to Arcata to that trip. So she hopes to schedule a visit soon.

We will have a very special guest at our Charter Celebration – Rotary International President Holger Knaack! The meeting will take place on Friday, February 19th, and we are encouraged to put on our best garb for the event. (Since it’s going to be online, my advice is to “Dress Up from the Waist Up!”)

Restoring the Samoa Dunes

Mike Cipra is the Executive Director for the Friends of the Dunes, and he was our Featured Speaker. Mike has been with Friends of the Dunes since 2019, and he came to discuss the Samoa Dunes and Wetlands Conservation Project.

The project seeks to restore 357 acres of ancestral Wiyot land on the North Spit of Humboldt Bay. Mike noted that the Wiyot Tribe strongly supports the effort. Previously, 1,256 acres in the area was protected. This project increases the protected land to 1,613 acres. He said that the Friends of the Dunes have a lot of partners in this undertaking, including the Bureau of Land Management, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Fish and Wildlife Service, the State Coastal Conservancy, and the Wiyot Tribe, among others. The area is heavily forested, and Mike said that access is currently limited, but the group does offer tours.

Mike told us that the Friends of the Dunes sought to acquire the property in order to conserve its natural resources, to provide additional opportunities for nature study and outdoor education, to provide public access and recreation opportunities, and to provide future restoration opportunities. He noted that if we don’t conserve and restore areas like the Samoa Dunes, rare coastal resources will become even more endangered.

For more information, visit www.friendsofthedunes.org/property.

 


– Click here to view the complete meeting –

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