News of The Rotary Club of Portland, Maine
May 11, 2022
This Week: Jeff Tarling, City of Portland Arborist
Jeff is the City Arborist /Forestry and Horticultural Manager for Portland. A grad of USM with BS in Geography and Earth Sciences. Jeff has served in this position for over 29 years, overseeing 20,000 plus trees with his crew in our fair city. His job is part custodial, part PR. A native Portlander, Jeff received a Bachelors degree from USM in the field of Geography and Earth Sciences.
 
Portland scores high on a "Tree Equity Report"as calculated by the non-profit conservation group American Forest, but between maintaining the current tree canopy while finding locations  to plant new trees is always a challenge. Trees themselves are modest in cost, but finding a spot for a tree to thrive within the volume of pavement and underground utilities is tough. Hear how Jeff deals with it all!
 
   District Conference This Sat, You Can Help!
Portland Rotarian and District 7780 Governor Dick Hall is looking for some help at the District Conference Saturday May 14, Sable Oaks Sheraton, 200 Sable Oaks Drive, South Portland.  He will need a couple folks to help set up signage, registration, House of Friendship and other odd jobs around 8:00 AM.  More importantly, he is looking for someone who can assist with audio visual needs all day.  The AV needs are fairly simple, but he needs someone or a couple of people who are reliable and willing to volunteer.  Contact dickhall7780@gmail.com if you can help.   Visit the District 7780 webpage for more details.
Pig Roast Fundraiser!
Mark your calendars and get your tickets for our June 11th social event and fundraiser! It's going to be a fantastic Pig Roast at the Italian Heritage Club in Portland, with a live band and a 50/50 Raffle. Under the direction of Mike Fortunato, it is sure to be a great time! Family, friends, $25 PP, June 11, 3p-7p.
 
Get your tickets now on EventBrite, by clicking here!  All proceeds will be going to the Rotary International/Ukraine Relief Fund.
Meeting of May 5th: Troy Moon, City of Portland's Sustainability Director  | by Ben Lowry
Following a thoughtful introduction from Jan Chapman, who cited a growing number of solar panels along her hiking route, we heard for the second time in three years from Troy Moon, who gave us the updates as Portland, the state and the earth seek answers to the ever-growing crisis that is climate change. After updating us in the past about Portland’s efforts with community gardens and curbside recycling, Troy titled his comments last Friday at the Italian Heritage Center as “One Climate Future” with a look at our current situation and with thoughts about the outlook as we begin to assess where we may be headed over the next few decades.
 
Working with the city council, Troy began his talk with some of the targets of our city: to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, to run city operations on clean energy by 2040 and to sustain carbon neutrality by 2030. With the mantra of “Electrify Everything”, our fair city faces a more difficult battle than other US cities as Maine and New England are some of the most rapidly heating spots in our country. Temperatures are rising at a staggering rate and we sit alongside the Gulf of Maine, which continues to see many of the results of global warming as high tides will impede access to the coast, including our own Old Port, over the next several years. Twice a day, at high tide, especially with a full moon, we could see flooding on our piers and along Commercial Street as tides are expected to rise two feet over the next thirty years. And, with weather events such as powerful rainstorms on the increase, we will see our infrastructure stretched to its limits in dealing with waterflow issues. In just the past two summers, Portland has been forced to open “cooling stations” as we’ve seen an increase in heat waves throughout the earth. These conditions are allowing tick and mosquito populations to flourish, with the expected illnesses that these and other insects can carry.
 
The state of Maine uses too much heating oil, with 56% of the CO2 emissions in Portland arising from commercial and residential properties. If we as a city, and as a state, nation and planet, can increase our use of alternative energy sources, we may still have time to save ourselves. Heat pumps seem to be a very wise investment as they save us money, increase comfort, both in the summer and winter, and conserve energy. And solar panels, which can be seen springing up on so many flat spaces and rooftops lately, can make a huge difference to us all. Troy has installed panels on his own home and pays $14 per month for electricity, with his panels expected to pay for themselves in about a decade. Add to the mix the electric vehicles that we are now seeing, with a huge increase in public EV chargers going in, with 23 now set up around town, and we can see that Portland seems to be headed in the right direction. Bike lanes are being installed or updated and bus lines are seeing an increase in use, both of which can help as we face the crisis of climate change. 
 
As “climate refugees” flock out of nations hardest hit by the changes, Portland can expect a continued migration of families seeking a new life far away from the heat and lack of water in so many countries around the equatorial belt. By 2050 it is expected that over 100 million people will be moving away from the areas that are the quickly becoming arid. The irony is that most of the nations that will be hit hardest by the crisis are those that produce the least amount of carbon emissions. The United States, Australia and many countries in Asia are the principal offenders and yet those most effected are in Central Africa, the South Pacific and South America. A quandary, for sure, and one with no easy or quick answers. But, if we can each do our part, as a city or as a Rotary Club, there may be some solutions as we speed headlong into a crisis that cannot be denied or ignored. Troy Moon is doing what he can and we thank him for being a small cog in a large machine that may be able to provide a modicum of relief to us all.
 
Bits and Pieces | by Laura Young
President Bruce Moore welcomed Rotarians to the meeting along with two guests.
Bruce announced May birthdays and the club sang to the Rotarians. Anniversaries were announced including the milestones of 15 years for PP Laura Young and 30 years for PP Bill Blount. See all listed below!
 
The raffle was organized by Matt Tassey for a $350 pot and guess whose name was picked. PTG! He was happy not to win to let the pot grow. (Photo)
 
Greg Hansel has an apartment in Lucca, Italy and attended the Lucca Rotary Club. He brought back the banner with greetings from Rotarians in Lucca. Greg commented how fitting it was to be presenting this at the Italian Heritage Center.
 
Katie Brown introduced Casco Bay High School’s Youth Services Award to Maizie Hummel-Logee, a senior pursuing photo journalism. Kelly Regan, special educator and crew advisor, introduced the speaker. (Phot0)
 
2nd VP Patty Byers invited Charlie Frair to join her at the podium. She recognized him as the latest Paul Harris Fellow. He received his first in 1999 and this was his 4th. Thanks for your years of support for the Rotary Foundation, Charlie! (Photo)
 
Mike Fortunato announced (photo)  that we had to change the social to the last Thursday of the month, May 26th. We haven’t had an orientation of new members for last two years. So there will be an orientation at 4 and the social 5-7. Normal Friday meeting at Italian Heritage Center on May 13th. Will not have a meeting on May 27th. Rotary will buy first drink for guests and new members. BRING A GUEST!
 
June 11th Pig Roast, 3-7 pm, band, $25 a person, all of the funds we generate is going to Ukrainian Relief Fund, special fund of RI.
 
Bruce announced that we are taking the Club administrator position in house, which is the common practice of Rotary Clubs.  Alice is leaving her role. This will have a positive effect on club dues.
Our Happy Birthdays and Anniversaries for May!
Birthdays!  Bill Blount 5/3, Mark Foster 5/12, Bill Ross 5/12, Howie Herodes 5/17, Tom Sukley 5/17, Jon Young 5/22, Emily Crowley 5/30, and Mike Harper 5/31!
 
Member Anniversaries: Ashessh Lanba 2 yrs, Joyce Kennedy 2 yrs, Laura Young 15 yrs, Tony Manhart 16 yrs, and Bill Blount 30 yrs! Cheers to all!
Speaker Schedule
May 20 | Kevin Hancock, Hancock Lumber
May 26 |  Thursday Night Club Social at Italian Heritage Center - 5pm 
May 27 |  No Meeting
June 3 |  Speaker TBD
June 9 |  Thursday Night Club Social at Italian Heritage Center - 5pm 
June 10 | No Meeting
June 17 | Nick Lund, Maine Audubon, Migratory Birds
June 24 | TImothy Brosnihan, Victoria Mansion
 
President-Elect Bruce Jones will turn over the bell to these Past Presidents to guest host the following meetings: May 20th: Bowen Depke  • May 27th: Ellen Niewoehner • June 17th: Roxane Cole  • June 29th: Ben Lowry
 
Club Executives
President-Elect  Bruce Jones
1st VP  Dick Hall
2nd VP  Patty Byers
Treasurer  Howie Herodes
Secretary  Michelle DiSotto
Board of Directors  Ellen Niewoehner, Mark Foster, Bob Clark, Roger Fagan, John Thompson
Sergeant-At-Arms  Dave Putnam
Club Administrator  Alice Alexander
The Windjammer
is published online by
The Rotary Club of Portland, Maine.
 

Contributing Editors
Bill Blount, Jake Bourdeau, Dick Hall,
Erik Jorgensen, Julie L’Heureux, Ben Lowry,
Tom Nickerson, Tom Talbott, Laura Young
 
4th Q Program Chair: Roxane Cole
       Managing Editor  Tom Talbott
Co-Production  Alice Alexander
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