This Week: Brian Nickerson "Disaster in the Sea of Japan, 31 Killed, April 15, 1969"
Brian Nickerson is a forty year Rotarian in three Rotary clubs including, currently, our Portland Club. Brian is a native of Massachusetts, and a descendant from the Winn family of Wells. Most of his immediate family lives in the Portland area. He has a Masters Degree in City Planning and was city planner for Portland from 1973 to 1980. Prior to graduate school, Brian was a naval intelligence officer for a Navy electronic warfare air squadron in Japan and Vietnam, 1968-1970. He held a top secret special intelligence clearance. The subject of Brian’s presentation covers an international incident in 1969 that might have resulted in a major confrontation and, possibly, a world war.
The "Mud Sale" is an ONLINE Auction going on NOW. Your purchase price all goes to the Portland Rotary Charitable Fund. Fundraising is our life-blood to support our programs, so check it out and make some bids!
As of Wednesday morning 4/12, we have earned $2500. Many items have bids WAY under value - so jump in and scoop up a great deal!
Bidding Ends This Friday!
Check out over 60 items, and right now many are way under-priced!
Make a bid, and remember your credit card will NOT be charged unless you are the winning bid at 11:58pm this Friday, April 15th!
We have a keyboard, now we need someone who can actually play! It would dramatically help our singing, so please let Bruce Jones know if you want the gig!
Bits and Pieces|by Tom Talbott
Our meeting of April 8 at the Italian Heritage Club went straight to the bar…but that was only because our usual dining spot was being utilized for another event. With 37 in person attendees, 7 zoomers, and Mike Robinson’s online guest, Stephen Houdlette, we fit comfortably and settled in to our “cozy room” with President Bruce Jones at the helm. PP Jim Willey led us in the Pledge of Allegiance, and Paul Tully directed a chorus of “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”. Charlie Friar reminded us that as Rotarians we have one thing in common…we’re getting older! Sharing that he had just turned 75, he presented the thoughts of John Burroughs: “At my age, I find that each day is too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.”
Charlie took another moment to remind everyone that five more volunteers are needed at the upcoming District Conference, on Saturday, April 16th, at the University of New England. If you can help, contact Charlie right away!
Mike Reed was entrusted with the role of conducting the Raffle, now up to $250. Tom Ranello’s ticket was pulled from the box, but Tom was unable to close the deal when he pulled the Jack of Hearts from the deck instead of the payoff card, the elusive Queen of Hearts.
PP Ellen Niewoehner asked us to “save the date” of May 19th, 9a-12noon, when our new Environmental Committee conducts a planting of trees during Maine Arbor Week. We will team up with the City Arborist, Jeff Tarling and focus on the area of the Bayside Trail, down by the U-Haul location. Ellen reminded everyone to show up with their “Rotarians At Work” t-shirts! Sign-up sheets will be available next week!
District Governor /PP Dick Hall had a special moment for Bruce Jones, who had just returned from the PETS (President Elect Training Seminar) and could shed his “President-Elect” status for full-fledged President! Congratulations Bruce! Bruce graciously received his President’s pin, a complimentary Rotary banner, Club Directory, plus a backpack and socks. Yes, backpack and socks. Standing O!
Mike Fortunato announced a new program to inspire more fellowship and club fun, with the message that starting in May, we will have our weekly club meeting on the second Thursday of the month at the Italian Heritage Club from 5p-7p. No guest speaker, just a social opportunity to meet, mingle, and talk. The bar will be open. This will take the place of the Friday meeting that particular week. There was an enthusiastic reception to the idea, so let’s look forward to May 9th and June 12th!
PP Tom Talbott updated everyone on the “Mud Sale Auction”. Bidding for the online auction got an early start, but no matter as the auction is open until Friday April 15th at midnight. Plenty of time to go in and bid on over 60 items! Some real treats in there, from golf and fishing outings, week-long vacation at a Maine lakeside cottage, sports and game equipment, gift certificates… lots more. Here is the link to the auction. It’s very easy to bid, and remember, your credit card will not be charged anything unless you end up with the highest bid on Friday night! That’s fun!
Patty Byers was the next speaker “in the hole”, the space created for the speakers in our revised meeting room set up. Patty, as our Foundation chair, had announced in the preceding weeks that today was “Paul Harris Fellow Recognition Day”, and started her message by letting us know that 65 of our current and honorary members are PHF’s. She asked that all PHF recipients wear their pins to the meeting, and on cue, stood to be recognized. Great turnout! Taking it a step further, Patty noted that Rotary recognizes individuals who donate $1000 each year to the Foundation, inducting them into the Paul Harris Society. With that she turned to Dick Hall, our resident District Governor, to make the presentation. Dick would hand “chevrons” to the following club members, designating them as PHS recipients.
It started with our last four Foundation Chairpersons: Amy Chipman, Bill Blount, Patty Byers and Mr. Hall himself. In addition, John Marr, Mike Reed, Cyrus Hagge, and Jim Vicenzi and Jon Young. Dick noted that as District Governor, he sends a letter of gratitude to all new PHS members. This year there were 12 letters sent, and 6 of them went to Portland Rotarians, adding that Bill and Cyrus had joined prior to Dick’s term. Outstanding! Thank you all!
Bruce Jones concluded by asking everyone to share ideas they may have for an event, or something we can do as a club to build and foster more fun activities and fellowship. New programs are underway, noting Mike Fortunato’s aforementioned announcements, and we want more, so let’s hear from you!
Andy Kaplan, The History of Hard Cider in Maine
by Dick Hall
Andy Kaplan tested positive for Covid so he joined us via zoom. He entertained us with the great history of hard cider starting in Europe, then early America right up until today. Andy is co-founder of Freedom's Edge Cider, based in Albion Maine, and he is passionate about his product.
Andy told us that for 200 years, cider was the beverage of choice in New England, and Maine made some of the best hard cider in the world, helped by one of the best climates for apples anywhere. The Puritans brought seeds for barley, apples and wheat, and the apples grew better in New England than in England. New Englanders, living on farms would start the day with a tankard (16 oz.) of cider and keep drinking all day. They would also make fortified cider by adding fruit and letting it ferment longer, resulting in higher alcohol content. Youngsters were given a lower alcohol drink called ciderkin. In the late 1800s, as America became less rural, and immigrants from central Europe brought strong traditions in brewing beer, cider began to be replaced by beer. Andy claimed that in the early 20th century, there was nearly as much cider as beer consumed in Maine and New England. The quality of the American cider apple was so good, it was exported around the world and the Harrison apple was the only variety that could produce well blended cider by itself.
Apples harvested from seeds produce what are called “extreme heterozygotes,” or fruits that display unpredictable characteristics often only distantly related to their parent DNA. As a result, the only way to produce identical apple varieties are with grafting. This process is much slower and takes a long time to create an orchard of acceptable cider apple trees.
As Americans moved to urban settings and worked in manufacturing, it was no longer acceptable to be drunk all day long. Then, when prohibition came along, most cider orchards were cut down; the cider apples were not good for eating. After prohibition, beer returned quickly, but cider, which requires trees that can take up to a decade to bear fruit, did not. For most of the 20th century, virtually no hard cider was consumed in the United States. A few pioneers began producing in tiny quantities in the 80’s and 90’s, but until recently most Americans had no awareness or knowledge of hard cider whatsoever.
Beginning in 2012, Angry Orchard and a few other national brands began selling millions of gallons of hard cider annually. Because the country grew virtually no cider apples, they had to use dessert apples, concentrates and added sugar, producing a very poor quality product. They did the industry a big favor by using their marketing power to re-introduce hard cider to the general public. Andy told us that the good news is that the re-emergence of cider as a category has led to a number of excellent small-batch cider start-ups, both here in Maine and New England.
Freedom's Edge Cider has grown, in less than three years, to be the largest producer of alcoholic cider in the state of Maine. Bruce Jones brought three different ciders for us to try. My favorite was one that used a stronger blend of Macintosh apples. I noticed at the end of the meeting that Rotarians were grabbing any unopened cans to share with others later.
April Happy Birthday's: Mark Stimson -4th, Ben Jackson - 7th, David Clough - 9th, Bob Traill - 24th, Alice Alexander and Mike Robinson, on the 27th. Bob Traill....our great friend turns 100!
Rotarians who joined in the month of April oh so many years ago includes Jennifer Frederick - 6 yrs, Jan Chapman - 10 yrs, Dave Seddon - 18 yrs, Mike Reed - 29 yrs, Roxane Cole - 31 yrs, and Dick Hall - 38 yrs. (Refer to Charlie Frair's Invocation!)
Rotary has had a float in the annual Tournament of Roses Parade every year since 1980! It's one of twenty four parade floats, viewed by over 7 million TV viewers. They're huge! See MORE!
Speaker Schedule April 15 - Bidding closes for the Mud Sale Auction at Midnight!
April 22 | Dean Norm O'Reilly, U.Maine Grad School of Business
April 29 | Jonathan Culley Redfern, Tallest Building in Portland
May 20 | Kevin Hancock, Hancock Lumber
President-Elect Bruce Jones will turn over the bell to these Past Presidents to guest host the following meetings: April 22nd: Larry Gross April 29th: John Marr • 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
Brian Nickerson is a forty year Rotarian in three Rotary
“save the date” of May 19th, 9a-12noon, when our new Environmental Committee conducts a planting of trees during Maine Arbor Week. We will team up with the City Arborist, Jeff Tarling and focus on the area of the Bayside Trail, down by the U-Haul location. Ellen reminded everyone to show up with their “Rotarians At Work” t-shirts! Sign-up sheets will be available next week!
and club fun, with the message that starting in May, we will have our weekly club meeting on the second Thursday of the month at the Italian Heritage Club from 5p-7p. No guest speaker, just a social opportunity to meet, mingle, and talk. The bar will be open. This will take the place of the Friday meeting that particular week. There was an enthusiastic reception to the idea, so let’s look forward to May 9th and June 12th!
Bidding for the online auction got an early start, but no matter as the auction is open until Friday April 15th at midnight. Plenty of time to go in and bid on over 60 items! Some real treats in there, from golf and fishing outings, week-long vacation at a Maine lakeside cottage, sports and game equipment, gift certificates… lots more. 
space created for the speakers in our revised meeting room set up. Patty, as our Foundation chair, had announced in the preceding weeks that today was “Paul Harris Fellow Recognition Day”, and started her message by letting us know that 65 of our current and honorary members are PHF’s. She asked that all PHF recipients wear their pins to the meeting, and on cue, stood to be recognized. Great turnout! Taking it a step further, Patty noted that Rotary recognizes individuals who donate $1000 each year to the Foundation, inducting them into the Paul Harris Society. With that she turned to Dick Hall, our resident District Governor, to make the presentation. Dick would hand “chevrons” to the following club 
Jon Young. Dick noted that as District Governor, he sends a letter of gratitude to all new PHS members. This year there were 12 letters sent, and 6 of them went to Portland Rotarians, adding that Bill and Cyrus had joined prior to Dick’s term. Outstanding! Thank you all!
acceptable to be drunk all day long. Then, when prohibition came along, most cider orchards were cut down; the cider apples were not good for eating. After prohibition, beer returned quickly, but cider, which requires trees that can take up to a decade to bear fruit, did not. For most of the 20th century, virtually no hard cider was consumed in the United States. A few pioneers began producing in tiny quantities in the 80’s and 90’s, but until recently most Americans had no awareness or knowledge of hard cider whatsoever.
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