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“
- March 22 – RCAS Fellowship at the Hatchet House
- March 25 – BIG Adopt-a-Highway Event – be at the Coastal Nature Center at 9 am to participate!
- March 25-26 – Humboldt Steel Pan Festival in Blue Lake
- 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
For Openers
President Vanessa show photos from our March 3rd field trip to the Eureka Theater, and she thanked Gregg Foster for giving the venue’s history and for hosting us on our tour.
Terri Clark provided a moving tribute to her mother, Joyce, who passed away earlier that week.
Repairing and Protecting El Jardín Santuario
Our Featured Speaker was Willy from Centro del Pueblo, who gave us a status update regarding the Jardín Santuario (Sanctuary Garden) at 11th and F Streets in Arcata. The garden was vandalized five times in 2022, and RCAS donated funds to help Centro del Pueblo purchase cameras and other security items. In addition to the equipment, the group is establishing a Neighborhood Watch program and doing frequent group visits to enhance security.
In addition, Centro del Pueblo is hosting events emphasizing arts and culture, and they are holding “Know Your Rights” workshops, to help those who need additional information about dealing with authorities and law enforcement. Willy said that they are working to get an immigration attorney in Humboldt County; currently, the closest such lawyer is in San Francisco.
Willy said that although the folks who tend the garden do not feel welcomed by the community, they are determined to continue, because a big part of their culture is farming.
The garden produces food and flowers, including corn from México. Volunteers meet there from 10 am to noon on Saturdays, and they will soon add Wednesday late afternoons to the schedule.
Centro del Pueblo also operates a small greenhouse in Loleta, and they plan to open a second Jardín Santuario in Eureka soon.
In Closing
We learned that Cairo (our Outbound Exchange Student for the 2023-2024 Rotary Year) will be headed for Sweden! She told us that she is just beginning to learn the language. I’m sure that she will be pretty fluent by the time she heads out.
Former RCAS President AJ Gonzales was applauded for his recent promotion at Umpqua Bank. He has moved up from being the Community Manager of the Arcata Store, and he is now working in Commercial Banking. Congratulations, AJ!
President-Elect John Gullam provided a report from the recent Far West PETS event, held in San Jose. He told us that our own Dustin Littlefield introduced next year’s Rotary International President, Gordon McInally. He said that each Rotarian makes a big contribution to our organization – locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally!
The day before our meeting, Bob Johnson represented our Vocational Services Committee at a meeting at College of the Redwood. The group that met is starting a pilot program for mentoring CR students. The program is being led by Jim Ritter, whom Bob aptly described as “our good friend”. Bob said that this first meeting was a brainstorming session, discussing with the students in attendance what types of things would help them and their peers. Field trips and mentorship opportunities are high on the list. The group will meet weekly, and if you’re interested in participating in any capacity, please contact Bob.
Our Community Service Committee teamed up with our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee to help sponsor this year’s Humboldt Steel Pan Fest, which is billed as “a fundraiser to support youth steel pan music”. The event will take place Saturday and Sunday, March 25th and 26th at Blue Lake Casino and Hotel.
Past President Ian Schatz announced that the RCAS Nominating Committee, which consists of the Club’s active former Presidents, has put forward the name of Brandi Easter to serve as our Club President for the 2024-2025 Rotary Year. Nominations are still open, although Ian asked that you do two things if you are considering floating a name – first, check with him to see whether your selection is someone we have already spoken with, and who may feel that it is not yet time for them to serve, and second, please be sure that you check with your prospective candidate to ensure that they are willing to serve. The elections will take place at our April 7th Club Meeting, and we will also be electing two (or three?) members of the Board of Directors. Be there in person or online to cast your ballot!
Hatchet House fellowship event on Wednesday, March 22nd. If you’re interested, please contact Maggie Kraft to get your name on the list.
Full Meeting Video Link: