• Patty Sims reminded us that Miracle League will begin April 27 at Perrigo Park in Redmond. Volunteers are needed and should be at the park at 10:00 AM.
• Dave Aubry is excited that the railroad rails will be delivered Thursday morning at the Cross-Corridor site for our Legacy Railroad Project.  Dave has three volunteers to make sure the truck carrying the rails makes it safely onto the site.
• James Nevers was successful in having a couple people volunteer to visit our sponsors and make sure they will again support a coupon on our Duck Dash Adoption Papers.
• Elizabeth announced April 29^th as our Scholarship Night.  Interviews are underway this week, so be sure and attend on the 29^th to show support for our scholarship winners.
• Remember the Blood Drive effort this Saturday, April 8^th at St. John’s Church.  Plan to give blood or volunteer to help the effort starting at 10:00 AM.

• Amy Mutal invited all of us to join her at the Grand Opening of her new office at 520 Kirkland Way, Suite 201, this Wednesday evening (March 13) from 5:30 to 7:30 PM.  The Chamber will be there for the ribbon cutting and there will be lots of celebrating!
• Amy also reminded us that next Monday is “Sweetheart Night.”  Invite your guests to attend for a fun evening.  Thirteen Rotarians have submitted pictures and we’ll even have a musician playing the harp as we enjoy dinner.
• Amy also told us Bunco will be on April 27^th at the Shinstrom’s home.
• Dan Bartel updated us on the excellent turnout for the Rotary First Harvest work day last Saturday.  The Taylors, Hunters, Aubrys, Bartels (including niece Ellie), Ambareen Jaddi & her two children, Elizabeth Rusnak, Joanne Primavera, and John Woodbery helped pack 5,000 lbs. of pasta and oats for the food banks.
• President Rick announced a Board meeting for this Wednesday, March 13.  Let Rick know if you’re coming.
• Dave Aubry updated us on the CKC Rotary Central Station progress.  Everything looks good with funds being procured, trees being removed, and rails waiting to be placed at the site.

• Joanne Primavera thanked John Woodbery, who has resigned from the Foundation Board to be our President next year.  Joanne and David Aubry are the remaining Foundation Board members. Our annual Auction for the Foundation is set for September 30^th, which is a Monday evening, and it will be held at the same Church as last year.
• Amy Mutal updated us on “Sweetheart Night,” which was cancelled earlier this month due to snow.  Now the big date is Monday, March 18^th.  Everyone is welcome and if you have pictures or mementos relating to being a “Sweetheart,” pass them along to Amy.
• Patty Sims told us Saturday, April 27^th will be the first Miracle League game.  The games will last for six weeks on subsequent Saturdays, except for Memorial Day weekend.  Let Patty know if your company would like to team up and be “Buddies” for a game.  We need plenty of volunteers for the 25 or so children who want to play ball.
• James Nevers is excited about our upcoming Duck Dash.  The date for the big race is set for Sunday, July 28^th at 2:00 PM, as part of the Summerfest week-end at Marina Park.  We have a new Duck costume, and some small people are needed as volunteers to wear it to the July 4^th Parade and other events.  Sponsors are always appreciated to fund the event, so think about donating this year!
• Elizabeth Rusnak announced Scholarship night on either April 22 or 29.  Interviews at the various schools will be required prior to the special evening so plan to help interview students if you can.
• Steve Shinstrom jumped up and told us that Bunco will be Saturday evening, April 20^th at his home.  The theme is “IRS Night,” to help us recover from paying our taxes!
• Mike Hunter explained that Saturday, March 9^th is our next Rotary First Harvest workday (9:00 to 11:30 AM) at Northwest Harvest in Kent.  Meet at 8:00 AM at the Houghton Park & Ride if you want to carpool.  Let Dan Bartel know if you’re coming and enjoy lunch afterwards with our Club members.

President Elect John called the meeting to order on behalf of President Rick who is traveling.

James Nevers, VP led us in the salute to the flag.

There being no guests or visiting Rotarians, we had a series of Ernie Norehad  stories orchestrated by Joanne Primavera's thumbs up or down signs.

Moving quickly along, the program tonight was an entertaining report of fellow members Bill Taylor and Mike Hunter doing a local version of a Rick Steves report on an Italy wine country tour obtained by Mike Hunter at a Woodinville auction which Mike and Sharon had  shared (no pun intended) the trip with Bill and Sandy Taylor.

While the town and region names were hard to follow, much less remember, the mental  image of a "Tom Tom" GPS device that never seemed to find the place directed to but gave "turn here" signals forcefully whether directionally successful or not.   Memories are made of this trip with words like a "Nest" where they rested in comfort and with beautiful scenery at a region that sounded like a pizza.  Wine shops with $2.00 per bottle wines were relished and how many sober nights there were, was soberly not mentioned.  A little down town market of everything to purchase in your imagination and somehow 200 vans entered the confusing picture.  In one of these charming places, Bill and Sandy did not sleep well because the local town men gathered under their window smoking and talking Italian until the wee wee hours.  From beautiful and majestic old walled cities, walls no longer needed for protection, the  Kirklanders  walk  among local folk was transformed by toll roads they finally figured how to use,  joined the locals at unimaginable speeds as  they moved on the Cinque Terre (fixed by editor).  There apparently they found a familiar restaurant that sounded like MacDonald's  and at another place they dined at Dino's which they enjoyed very much. From there it was on to Milan where they stayed in a hotel called a"Moxi" (either a type or a name, possibly from the Marriott system?) They found another "Moxi" in a place that sounded like  Nashville.  After arriving in Milan they turned in the rental car and used taxis like every body else. There was a beautiful and huge Cathedral they enjoyed.  Apparently you had to check your weapons with an attendant at the gate so Mike dutifully handed over his pocket knife.  Whether he got it back or not was not made clear in the account.  From Milan, they took high speed trains to Rome on which they had reserved seats but somehow an Italian lady of about age 85 had one of them but the ride was shared with her  without incident. From Rome they flew home, Mike and Sharon via London and back to Seattle.  Bill and Sharon took another route  and with coach class seats were uncomfortable enduring the long flight back home.  Pictures of the tour were passed out for the audience to enjoy the beauty of the places they visited.

President Elect  Woodbery handed each a fine bottle of Italian wine in appreciation for a great program

At the end of things, President Elect Woodbery displayed a poster of the Palouse plain created by a former speaker as photographer of nature Bruce Heinemann , using a line underneath it from a poem John and his sister had written together and  shared at his program that read: " A palette of brushless light, as used by the maker of all life, as in a dance as the imagination takes flight."  One of the posters was sent to John's sister in Texas and the other displayed at the meeting tonight.  In a thank you letter to Bruce, John wrote: "May your pursuit of the capture of art God created and provides us in nature; continue to bless those of us who can only appreciate beauty by observation"

The meeting concluded at about 7:30.

John Woodbery

Scribe

• Dave Aubry and Brandon Hancoop “Special night for Rotary” presented Bob Webb with Paul Harris Fellow pin one plus 6.

• We have a new duck! Joe G. will use old duck for Polar Bear Plunge on New Year’s Day 1pm at Marina park. Calling on all members to join. Money raised will help fund warm coats for kids. Please see email GoFundMe” link from Joe to contribute. Goal is to raise $1500.
• Rick Walter announces DECA competition in January. Looking for judges. See Rick for more information.
• Happy Dollars to raise $ for Woodmark staff for the Holidays. We raised just over $500.

• Dr.Glen Curda from Overlake Medical Center. Current member and past President of Bellevue Rotary. Discussion on Common foot problems “the foot is a work of art” and debunking common myths.

• Rick presents thank you gift to Dr Glen Curda.
• No meetings for next three week. Next meeting January 7^th.