Announcements

• Barry Wolfson reported that he attended a Rotary meeting while on his trip to Argentina. He said he felt underdressed, as the meeting there was very formal.
• Blood Drive – February 27 at St. Mary’s. Assignments will be sent via e-mail.
• District 7780 World Peace and Understanding Dinner at Portland Holiday Inn By the Bay, 88 Spring Street, Portland. Friday, February 17 at 6 p.m. Cost is $42/person. The speaker is Dr. Gani Abazi. Born in Peje, Kosovo, he attended medical school at the University of Prishtina and was named a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship in 2005-06 and attended Harvard University concentrating on Health Care Policy Management. With the help of Rotary International he received a research fellowship position in the department of neurosurgery at Children’s Hospital in Boston. He helped establish the first Rotary Club in Kosovo and currently works as an advisor on health policy to the health minister of Kosovo.
• President Billy read a thank you note from our scholarship recipient currently attending Colby College.
• A Big Brother/Big Sister request will be taken up at the next Board of Directors meeting on February 13 at the Kennebunk Savings Bank at 5:30 p.m.

• The book and magazine project at the Food Pantry is going great.  Please bring in anything you are finished with -  including kids magazines and books as well.

Rotary Minute

Suzanne Ilsley spoke of the history of the man whose name is on the jar that is passed from table to table - the Sam Giftos jar. Sarando P. Giftos, born in 1921, resided in Cape Elizabeth as a high school teacher and local accountant. He became a member of the Rotary Club of South Portland-Cape Elizabeth and served as President in 1973-74. He went on to serve as club treasurer and district treasurer, was awarded a Paul Harris Fellow Award in 1977, and became our district governor in 1985-86 when he helped the Wells Rotary club become chartered. In 1985, after returning from a Rotary International meeting, Sam went to all the local clubs announcing Rotary International’s commitment to immunize every child on earth against polio. In the fall o 2001, Sam joined the humanitarian efforts in West Africa to participate in the National Immunization Day going door to door administering vaccine. Sam Giftos passed away in

December of 2004 at the age of 83.

Guest Speaker

Joe Sheehan introduced Laura Dolce, the managing editor of the York County Coast Star,

who, he said, has loved the newspaper business since she was 8 years old. The York County Coast Star began in 1876 as the Daily Evening Star, which became the Evening Star and eventually the York County Coast Star. Laura said the commitment of the YCCC was to reach out to the community and be dedicated to being there to tell people’s stories. They have moved their business back to Main Street in Kennebunk in an effort to expand their business coverage and to support the local business community. She said they have an internet presence, a Facebook presence, and are in the process of reinventing themselves in order to stay current with accessibility being of importance. Laura then graciously took several questions from the audience.

50/50 – Joe Sheehan

 Wells Rotary Closing Notification Policy:

If Wells schools are closed or delayed 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