January 20, 2023

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.
We meet (almost) every Friday at 7 am in the Plaza View Room
of Arcata’s historic Jacoby Storehouse.

For more information, please visit the RCAS Website.


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 RCAS Calendar

RISE: “Rotary Involvement Strengthens Everyone

  • January 26 – RCAS Fellowship at the Cal Poly Jacks Basketball game – 5:30 pm
  • February 19 – RCAS Charter Celebration! High Tea at Baywood Golf and Country Club, from 2 to 5 pm
  • March 31 & April 1 – District Training Assembly
  • May 4-7 – District Conference at Konocti Harbor Resort
  • May 27-31 – Rotary International Convention in Melbourne, Australia

Jake Glasser

For Openers

Pat Knittel and Ian Schatz discussed a fundraiser in Ferndale for the local Pride Community that has been postponed for now. Ian attended a meeting of the Ferndale City Council, and he was encouraged that members of both sides of the issue have a better understanding of the concerns that have been raised. The event has been rescheduled for February 11th, and it will include a silent auction that will feature pastries prepared by a bakery that is trans/queer owned.

Marty Lay discussed the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Project in the community of Baitadi, Nepal. RCAS has teamed up to provide access to water that is clean and safe. The project has encountered some difficulties in transporting materials to the site. Marty told us that everything has to be carried in by hand. Most of this labor is being performed by residents of the local school districts and communities. In addition to the construction work, the project has several educational components related to hygiene.

President Vanessa shared highlights from the RCAS Board Meetings (Club and Foundation) that took place earlier in the week. She said that we will be funding another water catchment system, this time at Trillium School. We will once again work with students and faculty at Cal Poly Humboldt to accomplish this. Vanessa also said that our Vocational Service Committee is developing a vocational mentorship program. If you are interested in mentoring or being part of the group that heads up this effort, please contact Jeff Stebbins.

Another update focused on Sunrisers who participated in the Day of Service on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. These included Romi Hitchcock Tinseth and AJ Gonzales. [11:07]

What Is “The Thing”??? 

Our Featured Speaker was Jake Glasser, who spoke with us about “The Thing” – a co-working artistic space on the Arcata Plaza. Jake said that there are currently 16 artists who are sharing the building.

Preparing the building has taken a lot of work, but it looks very nice now. The venue has already hosted many events from dance shows to film screenings to musical performances.

They started about three years ago, presenting large events in Eureka attracting about 300 people once a month. The group wanted the events to be drug and alcohol free, and open to all ages. They found that putting the events together for one night at a time was labor intensive, so they began looking for a home. In August of last year, Jake was walking on H Street and saw that Arcata Stationers had closed. The location had many features that appealed to the artists, and they were able to work with the building’s owners to create a working “Thing”.

Jake said that The Thing is hoping to create a safer nightlife scene, based in connection and community, eschewing alcohol or other drugs. They would like to inspire other artists and event producers, and let them know that “they and their art are worth it”.

The project offers memberships, ranging from $100 to $350 per month, with escalating benefits. They currently have “16 humans” in residence.

Full Meeting Video Link:

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save