This Friday's Portland Rotary meeting is being organized and conducted by the new members of our Club. Come to learn more about them and join in on the fun!
PP Jim Willey introduced Steve DiMillo – Manager of the well-known DiMillo’s Restaurant on Portland’s waterfront. In addition to running the floating restaurant, Steve is active in the community and sits on various boards and committees – including the Waterfront Working Group in Portland. This Group is comprised of lobstermen, property owners, and community members (including our ownPP Cyrus Hagge) and has been meeting twice monthly all this year to evaluate the current physical, functional, and business conditions within the Waterfront Central Zone and making land use recommendations to the city Planning Board.
Steve discussed in general terms the zoning that currently exists on the waterfront and how it was enacted years ago to protect marine use and development on Portland’s Waterfront. There are certain exceptions that allow non-marine uses and the competing interests of the fisherman, pier and other waterfront property owners and non-marine businesses are evident.
Fishermen want less development of piers and to keep them available exclusively for marine use; property owners want more develop of piers to allow their highest and most profitable use in order to have funds to put back into their properties; and the city of Portland is interested in some development to increase the value of the properties to allow higher property taxes.
It was clear from Steve’s discussion that the issues have been thoroughly examined and discussed at these meetings and that each competing interest has been able to fully participate and articulate reasons for their position. He and the other members of the Waterfront Working Group have met and diligently discussed the issues openly and respectfully. As might be expected, Steve shared that there will not be a consensus from the Group members on all recommendations.
This type of active community participation in our governmental process is a hallmark of our democracy and the members of this group should be thanked for their diligent work in trying to come up with recommendations to improve Portland’s waterfront zoning. For more information and to see the group’s members and related documents from all of their meetings, go to: portlandmaine.gov/2411/Waterfront-Working-Group
(Photo L-R: PP Jim Willey, Steve DiMillo and President John Curran.)
Last Friday at the Clarion Hotel, President John Curran welcomed 37 members and 2 guests. Bruce Jones(photo at right) offered a heartfelt invocation with a quote from the Rotary website. Dave Putnam led us in the pledge and PP Bill Bount spearheaded an a cappella version of “God Bless America.”Incoming President Amy Chipman(photo at left) reminded us that she would like any and all input from members on things we’d like to see changed within the club. Papers have been left on each table for comments. Feel free to express yourself!Mike Fortunato(photo at right) reminded us of the upcoming event celebrating Larry Gross’s retirement to be held at The Elk’s Club on June 27th. Please mark your calendars. More info will be coming.
Mike also had some great success in looking for volunteers to work the three days of the Maine Outdoor Challenge (June 10-12) and at the lobster bake on the evening of the 12th. With a simple request from the floor, the Portland Rotary members did what they always do and offered their time to a good cause. Look for a reminder e-mail if you volunteered.Patty Erickson and 2nd VP Ellen Niewoehner(L-R in photo at left) also spoke briefly about the need for raffle items for the Outdoor Challenge. On top of each member taking 9 raffle tickets to sell or purchase (1 for $10, 3 for $20, with the prize being a $500 LL Bean gift card), the club needs your help in obtaining gift certificates or other raffle and/or auction items. If you are out and about (and who isn’t?), ask for a gift card wherever you go.President John Curran presented photos and stories from the most recent trip to the Dominican Republic, during which 107 patients from four cities were helped with prosthetics. With the support of lots of local volunteers and Rotarians, John and his crew from District 7780 spent several days rushing from site to site, offering aid to locals in need. We have long been working with prosthetic hands, but have now ventured out to provide help to those with missing legs, with 3D laser prosthetic legs being produced for a scant $100. Our first electronic arm was provided to an eight-year old girl, which could be a sign of better options yet to come.
The project was humanized even beyond John’s amazing photographs when a young man named Graviel Nuel Jacobo took the podium. He is the Operations Director of Centro de Prótesis, Guaymate, Dominican Republic. Graviel, who grew up in the DR, lost a leg when he was just six years old and has now focused his passion for helping others into a non-profit called “Centro de Protesis,” where those in need can seek help in obtaining prosthetics. He has been speaking around the US about his project, which meshes perfectly with our “Three H” efforts. President John was proud to provide a club banner to this brave young man.
Justin Lamontagne(in photo at left on the right) ran the raffle and our speaker pulled David Small's (in photo back to) name to try and find the Queen of Hearts, but he was unable to, leaving our pot of $475 to grow for yet another week.
To register, go to https://rotary7780.org/event/district-conference-1/. As you hopefully know by now, this is Governor John LoBosco's one-day, FREE, District Conference to be held on June 22nd at Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth. Even though it will cost you nothing, we need to know if you will attend so we know how much free food to plan for and how many children will be there for the many activities we have planned for them. We do have an alternate location lined up in the unlikely case of bad weather.
So please, register early and we look forward to seeing you at what will be a distinctive and very fun District Conference.
Invocation: Julie L'Heureux Program Reporter: Dick Hall Bits & Pieces Reporter: Tom Talbott Registration/Greeter: Bob Fowler Sell Meal Tickets: Jennifer Frederick Raffle: Dick Giles Collect Meal Tickets:Mike Robinson Sgt-at-Arms: Mike Fortunato
The following items are needed on an on-going basis. Please feel free to bring them to a meeting where we will collect and distribute them to the appropriate projects.
Crutches4Africa - Crutches, canes, folding walkers and wheelchairs to be shipped to Africa. Contact: Roger Fagan, drrogerfagan@gmail.com
Toiletries for the Shelters - Collect those tiny bottles of toiletries you are paying for during your next hotel visit and bring them home for members of our society who find themselves staying at a shelter and in need of personal hygiene products.
Incoming President Amy Chipman (photo at left) reminded us that she would like any and all input from members on things we’d like to see changed within the club. Papers have been left on each table for comments. Feel free to express yourself!.jpg)
on June 27th. Please mark your calendars. More info will be coming.
Patty Erickson and 2nd VP Ellen Niewoehner (L-R in photo at left) also spoke briefly about the need for raffle items for the Outdoor Challenge. On top of each member taking 9 raffle tickets to sell or purchase (1 for $10, 3 for $20, with the prize being a $500 LL Bean gift card), the club needs your help in obtaining gift certificates or other raffle and/or auction items. If you are out and about (and who isn’t?), ask for a gift card wherever you go.
The project was humanized even beyond John’s amazing photographs when a young man named Graviel Nuel Jacobo took the podium. He is the Operations Director of Centro de Prótesis, Guaymate, Dominican Republic. Graviel, who grew up in the DR, lost a leg when he was just six years old and has now focused his passion for helping others into a non-profit called “Centro de Protesis,” where those in need can seek help in obtaining prosthetics. He has been speaking around the US about his project, which meshes perfectly with our “Three H” efforts. President John was proud to provide a club banner to this brave young man..jpeg)
Justin Lamontagne (in photo at left on the right) ran the raffle and our speaker pulled David Small's (in photo back to) name to try and find the Queen of Hearts, but he was unable to, leaving our pot of $475 to grow for yet another week.