Newsletter - Archive  Jun 1, 2010

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Ecuador Journey Captured by Camera

Linda Nichols left the comforts of her photographic studio in Jefferson City in April for the dark creature-creepy rainforests of Ecuador and found many photo-ops that even wowed her.

    "I thought I was ready for the unknown, but what amazed me was the beauty of a country totally opposite of what I had experienced here in the states," said Linda, back from her Rotary international project mission trip to the jungles of Ecuador, a telephoto-lens away from the equator.

    "I will never forget the incredible wildlife, the playful monkeys, the lush color of the flowers, or the scene of happy kids who, in the middle of nowhere, worked on their computers or learned how to cook yummy meals," she told her fellow Jefferson City West Rotarians on May 24, showcasing her photographic work.

    "Truthfully, I wasn't looking forward to eating grasshoppers and snails, but I found the local cuisine to be some of the most tasty and delightful I've ever enjoyed," Linda said. "I even enjoyed eating a grilled grub," she grinned. "Tasted like bacon."

    Linda knew her first trip to a third-world country would be a once- a-life-time experience - although she pledges to go back "next year" to see how her photo students have learned their new trade. On her trip to Ecuador, she brought with her extra cameras (with a variety of lenses) and before she knew it, she had taken more than 1,400 images in six days.

    Her specific mission was to donate two digital cameras to the Yachana Technical High School which is being supported by the Chilles Milenio Rotary Club in Quito, the largest city in Ecuador (population 800,000), along with five Rotary clubs in Missouri including the Jefferson City West club where she will serve as its president this coming year.

    Linda earned the knick-name of "The Great White Hunter" after showing her prowess at throwing spears. She even agreed to be face-painted by Abel, her tour guide. "My initiation was a walk into the jungle at night with no flashlight, no moonlight, no camera - just scary sounds of jungle life ... you know, bats, spiders, snakes and gators."

   She joined a contingent of Rotarians headed by Paul Reinert of the Springfield Rotary Club and included representatives from Springfield Southwest as well as Sunrise Beach Rotary clubs. Paul has been making trips to Ecuador on behalf of Rotary for the past 10 years.

    Funds raised by the Rotary clubs have gone to purchase water pumps and other power and solar equipment for the school. The technical school is outfitted with a room full of computers, powered by solar energy, and students are also learning how to make marketable gift items and how to cook "five-star" meals, making them good candidates for jobs with the Yachana Lodge, which also supports the school.

    "The Rotary symbol is like gold to the peoples of Ecuador," said Linda. "Nothing seems to be done in this country to improve the quality of life except what is being done by Rotary and Rotarians giving of themselves," Linda said. Paul noted that there are 11 Rotary clubs in Quito and 58 clubs in all of Ecuador that make up District 4400.

    Among those attending Linda's presentation was Ashley Schwarzer, recent graduate of Helias High School, who will be sponsored by the J.C. West Rotary Club as an outbound exchange student to Ecuador this coming August through May 2011.

Check for $3,500 presented to Samaritan Center

Rotarian Tim Haas presents a check for $3,500 to Marilyn Defoe, executive director of the Samaritan Center of Jefferson City, from the Jefferson City West Rotary Club as the result of a recent fund-raising Trivia Night event. This is the second year in a row that the club has awarded its annual non-profit charity funds to the Samaritan Center. Tim noted that the funds raised this year were slightly less than last year, but that the 20 teams that participated made the event "a fun fund-raiser" for all involved.

Annual Tuition Scholarship Winner Announced

Dr. Warren Solomon, chair of the Jefferson City West Rotary Club's scholarship committee, recognizes Hayley Hoth as the winner of the annual Rotary College Scholarship Award for 2010-14. Hayley graduated this year from Helias High School with a No. 1 academic ranking, and has been on the Helias Honor Roll all four years. She served as editor of the school yearbook, is a new student mentor, a volunteer with Special Olympics and the Samaritan Center, and was a participant with the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program in her sophomore-to-junior year. She plans to major in mathematics at Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo. The scholarship is for $4,000. Hayley was joined at the Rotary meeting by her parents, Lee Ann and Bill Hoth.

New President-Elect is Named

George Welling, who has served as this year's program chair for the Jefferson City West Rotary Club, has been approved by the Board as the new President-Elect for the 2010-11 fiscal year, which begins July 1. He will succeed John Wood, currently the club's secretary and president-elect, who is moving to St. Joseph, Mo. The new club officers will be inducted by District Gov.-Elect Raymond Plue of Columbia on June 11. The new officers will be Linda Nichols, president; George Welling, president-elect; Ed Hughes, secretary; and Jill Dobbs and Mark Naeger, co-treasurers.

New Leave of Absence Policy Approved

The Jefferson City West Rotary Board of Directors approved at its May 21 meeting revisions to its Leave of Absence Policy to include those who are unable to physically attend regular meetings due to a temporary disability. The old policy was established years ago to take care of members who "went south" during the winter or summer. It was then known as the "snow bird" policy. A copy of the new policy can be viewed in the "For Members Only" Page on this website.

Program Highlights: City of Jefferson Update

Mayor John Landwehr gave an update on major projects going on within the City of Jefferson, declaring that he is not worried about the local economy, or if the recycling program needs tweaking, or if the Adrian Island Project is currently underwater. No, what worries the mayor is the 14 percent decline of young people (age 25 to 44) in the city and county since 2000. "Our city's population has been flat for a number of years, but what is alarming is that we are losing some real talent to other cities and regions - and that worries me."

    The reason is not a lack of economic growth, said the mayor, although he admitted that the city is "0 for 17" in landing quality employers they have sought through the city's tax abatement program. "In our younger days, we left home to go where the jobs were," Landwehr said. "But today, young people go where they want to live - be it Austin, Portland, L.A. or D.C. And then they look for jobs," he said. So what's missing in Jefferson City? "We don't have the Rocky Mountains, but we do have the Missouri River along with its associated rivers and lakes. Yet, the missing component is entertainment," he said. "There's plenty of entertainment here - if you are over 50."

    Nevertheless, the mayor is excited about projects that are on-going - the new federal courthouse, redevelopment around the Old Prison, continued development of Adrian's Island and its 30 acres of riverfront recreation area, the recent "go" to build a new giant facility for St. Mary's Hospital, which will become a major regional health care center, and a new convention center that will be tied in with Capital Plaza and perhaps a new hotel chain which is interested in building here.

Upcoming Programs

June 4 - Chris Gates and Larry Kolb, "How Economic Development Has Changed the Landscape of Our Community."

June 11 - District Gov.-Elect Raymond Plue, and Induction of New Club Officers.

June 18 - J.C. West Rotarian of the Year presentation.

June 25 - Big Brothers, Big Sisters.