Updates and Announcements
Nick Gunther: Nick Gunther has started his own business doing handyman, tractor and other work. He lives Pine Junction and can be contacted via phone and text at 720.924.2640.
Ghost Tour: Everyone had a great time at the Halloween dinner and ghost tour in Morrison. Many thanks to Yvonne Lipson for
organizing it, and Morrison Inn for handling a crowd!
Zone Institute: Each year, past, present, and incoming district and senior leaders attend Rotary institutes to share information, build connections, and exchange ideas about Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation. Next week is Zone Institute and Dan Immelsbach from our District is representing the West. Each zone gets a seat on the RI board of directors. Our Western Zone is Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico all the way west to Hawaii and bits of others.
Blankets for Ukraine: Save the date for the afternoon of November 19th for collecting donations to Conifer Rotary for Blankets for
Ukraine at King Soopers.
Pumpkin Decorating: Kids at school decorated their pumpkins as literary characters and Yvonne helped as a guest judge. They did a great job and it was difficult to judge!
Interact Club: The Interact Club raised enough money at lunchtime over 4 days for 50 kids to get a polio vaccination at $3 each.
Interact Club: The Interact Club raised enough money at lunchtime over 4 days for 50 kids to get a polio vaccination at $3 each.
285 Backpack Project: The 285 Backpack Project helps children who don't have enough food to eat at home by providing them with easy-to-prepare weekend meals and snacks throughout the school year. We are always looking for volunteers to help with this mission. To sign up to volunteer, go to: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040c48afa823aa8-back or email 285backpackproject@gmail.com.
Evening Meetings: Evening meetings happen every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month, and the next one will take place on Wednesday November 9th at 5:30 PM at Our Lady of the Pine Catholic Church.
November 29th: No meeting will be held the 5th Tuesday of the month in November.
Upcoming Events & Training:
Below is just a snapshot of upcoming events. All District Events can be found by going to the Rotary District 5450 Website.
Holiday Party: Holiday Party will be on Dec 4th at Janine’s place, details to follow.
Throw-Back Thursday on a Saturday: will be held on January 21 at the Aspen Park Community Center, details to follow.
Home and Garden Show: April 1st and 2nd at Evergreen High School.
2023 District Conference: The 2023 District Conference is scheduled for April 29th.
ConiferFest: August 12th
Polio Plus:
Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for more than 35 years. Our goal of ridding the world of this disease is closer than ever.
As a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, we’ve reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent since our first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979.
Rotary members have contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly 3 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than $10 billion to the effort.
Today, polio remains endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But it’s crucial to continue working to keep other countries polio-free. If all eradication efforts stopped today, within 10 years, polio could paralyze as many as 200,000 children each year. It costs $3.00 to fully protect a child against polio, including the cost of the vaccine and activities required to deliver the vaccine.
Meeting Program: Mark Taylor - Mark's trip to Alaska
- Mark Taylor, husband of Cathy Taylor, visited the club and spoke about their trip to Alaska.
- He works in his vehicle shop in Grand Junction and is close to grandkids there.
- He was able to take a 33-day, 10,000 km trip to Alaska, planned for about 13 years. Five men on motorcycles at the beginning, son-in-law went to Montana and then back to work at home.
- Bikes were set up for long-distance riding.
- Trip was in June, with snow nearby part of the way
- They spent the nights one-third each with friends, hotels and camping.
- The beginning was Grand Junction to Flaming Gorge to Pinedale. Crosswinds were so strong that the bikes were leaning over. Started with 356 miles on the first day. Then to Butte, then Flathead Lake, Montana. Most had heated vests or jacket, and protection for hands. Rainy days, cold at the beginning.
- Stopped at a tourist attraction owned by a friend at the Montana Vortex. Entered Canada and hit Radium Hot Springs, Banff and Jasper National Parks. Passed a glacier that has been shrinking enormously in the past century.
- Stopped at Testa River Lodge, which was 307 miles to another town. It had a convenience store and a gas pump with a sign on it: “No Sniveling.” (Gas was about $8 a gallon.) Super food, even though it is not a restaurant.
- Stopped at Discover Yukon Lodge near the border with Alaska. The 460 miles to Anchorage was the worst highway ever, gargantuan potholes, had to shut down bike hard when they appeared. Then Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay. Two stops to Prudhoe Bay in over 400 miles of dirt road. 40 degrees. There’s a 4000-plus foot pass that’s very steep and it snowed. In Prudhoe Bay, never saw a person or a vehicle because tundra was thawing and people could not work. The locals make an ice road when it’s freezing.
- We saw 33-34 bears, all on side of the highway. Saw caribou, musk ox, Alaska Pipeline. The others heard the wolves nearby one night. Cathy joined him in Anchorage and nearby. Last day back to Grand Junction was 100 degrees.
- If you have questions, you can contact him at M.taylor@q.com