Paul Harris Fellows

Bill Bassett

Laurie Bassett

Bridget Burns

Robert Bohlmann

Joseph Carleton

Buzzy Cather

Bill Chigas*****

Margaret Chigas****

Ron Collins

Chuck Cumming

Karen F. Darling

John Dean

Heidi Desveaux

Robert Foley

Rick Goodrich

Orrin Granger

Russell Grethe

Luke Guerrette**

Rosemary Guptill

Cathy Hansen*

Lee Hansen**

Dennis Hardy

Billy Hobbs*

Bill Hobbs, Sr.

Terry Hodskins

Suzanne Ilsley

Richard Johnson

Bob Jorgensen

Walter Leffler

Linda McDermott

Mike McDermott*

Sandy Mickeriz

Nikos Minadakis

Jim Morrison

Brad Paige

Helene Plourde

Nick Poli

Bill Ryan

Joe Sheehan

James Spiller

Dennis Thayer

Eleanor Vadenais

Marcia Vieira

Bernie Wideman

Jim Wiggin

Jake Wolterbeck

Diana Young

 Four Avenues

of Service Chairs 

Club Service Chair:

Dennis Hardy

Vocational Service Chair:

Bob Bohlmann

Community Service Chair:

TBA

International Services Chair:

TBA

Foundation

Chair:

Billy Hobbs

Program Chair:

Bill Chigas

Joe Sheehan

Sergeant-at-Arms:

Dennis Thayer

 President Rotary International

Ray Klinginsmith

District Governor

Ann Lee Hussey

District Governor Elect

Gary Speers

Past District Governor

Jeff Pelkey

Last Week

Rotary Minute

Tricia Pfeffer

Announcements

Margaret Chigas presented Chip Hall with his permanent badge. She announced that we could track our two shelter boxes at www.shelterboxusa.org. The shelterbox registration number is 10116-10117.

Chicken BBQ - Bob Foley said the banner was up at the turnpike entrance and most of the signs were up along Route 1. He asked that the few that were left be put up after the meeting. The Rotary Wheel will be put up on Thursday, setup is Friday at 4 p.m., and everyone has their assignment. He asked for volunteers Sunday morning at 10 a.m. for pickup and cleanup of equipment. Also, Bob asked that while traveling on Sunday if you see a sign, please pick it up and bring it to the Monday morning meeting, as the signs will be reused next year.

Margaret Chigas reminded everyone that Gary Leech is giving his Rotary benefit barbeque on August 18. The golf tournament committee meeting is August 2 at Luke Guerette's office. She told the club to go to "Past Projects" on the website to view Kathy Thornton's video. The member's private area is accessible through login and password, and Ken Kuscher can be reached by e-mail to obtain your information. She reminded us that the York Hospital Fund contributions would be made through our 5013C, and when we reached $5,000, the club would donate it to the hospital.

  .

Dates to Remember

Last week's Speaker

Patricia Quinn, Executive Director of the Downeaster, explained that NEPRA (New England Passenger Rail Assoc.) started as a grassroots campaign to start passenger service from Portland to Boston. After 90,000 petition signatures were obtained, the Maine state legislature became involved. It took 12 years to gather the funds, and the Downeaster has been running since 2001. It is a Maine train, not part of Amtrak, but they contract with Amtrak for ticket agents, engineers, and conductors and work cooperatively with the track owners. Their food service is their own and they specialize with local products. The 8 stations are owned and operated by the town governments where they are located. They work to promote other public methods of transportation from the train stations, such as local bus lines.

Her organization has spent $110,000 on the "Train to Maine" advertising campaign, and hosted "Train to Maine" t-shirts and sunglasses giveaways at Boston's North Station.

The Downeaster introduced computer wireless connections in 2008, two years ahead of Amtrak, and in trying to make the Downeaster's service special, one of their extras is a Christmas wreath on each train during the season. 

Who rides the train?

• Business people make up ½ of the passengers
• Students - there are 62 educational facilities on the 116-mile corridor
• Senior citizens
• Patients
• People going to sporting events
• Student field trips receive discount prices

The trains make 5 round trips a day, and it is a 2-hour, 25-minute trip from Portland to Boston. The Downeaster focused on ridership early on, and the first year 270,000 passengers rode the trains. As the novelty wore off, the second and third year's number was 250,000. She was happy to report that this past fiscal year, which ended on June 30, they had 474,000 people ride the trains, and their customer-satisfaction rating beat Amtrak's.  She said that investments in housing and community development happen around transportation, and it was predicted that by 2030, $7.2 billion will be spent around the train station areas. And the next step is extending the service to Freeport and Brunswick, and then to Rockland. Patricia then took questions from the members.

Thought for the Week

Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation, for 'tis better to be alone than in bad company.

George Washington
First president of US (1732 - 1799)

 Wells Rotary Closing Notification Policy:

If Wells schools are closed there will be no meeting.  Information can be found by checking channel 6 or going to www.WCSH6.com.  Click on "closings & delays."  The listing will be shown as "Wells-Ogunquit CSD 18."

Make Up Opportunities