Our club is currently meeting both in person and on zoom. If you'd like more information please contact our club: ellsworthrotaryclub@gmail.com. Come join us! Meeting starts at 6:00pm.
Opening Ceremonies: President JoAnn Rodick called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance. JoAnn shared a video from the Rotary International President.
JoAnn thanked Carl Lusby for serving as Sergeant at Arms, Michael Houlsen setting up Zoom, Ashley Johnson for taking notes and everyone for helping set up and take down the meeting.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
Rotary Ladies Night: Once a month at 4:30pm at the Black Moon on Main Street in Ellsworth. An email will be sent out on the date, Please RSVP to JoAnn Rodick.
Join a Rotary Committee: We encourage club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
2026 Rotary Blueberry Pancake Breakfast: Saturday, August 1st! Save the date and please be available to help. Tickets and Flyers are available. Please sign up with Stacie or Peter.
Pancake Tickets: Who will sell the most pancake breakfast tickets? I am going to give a prize for the most tickets sold prior to the breakfast and the best video done for the pancake breakfast; prize might involve homemade chocolate chip cookies!
Check Presentations: A check in the amount of $500.00 went to Down East Family YMCA for their AED machine. Jean Wood was there to accept the check and thanked the club for the donation.
Another check in the amount of $246 went to The Next Step. Kelly Brown was there to accept the check and thanked the club of the donation.
THE SHAW INSTITUTE IN BLUE HILL ON JULY 21st - VERY IMPORTANT…PLEASE RSVP ASAP AND NO LATER THAN THIS FRIDAY, JULY 17 TO LINDA ELLIOTT IF YOU WILL BE ATTENDING OUR ROAD TRIP/MEETING AT THE SHAW INSTITUTE IN BLUE HILL ON JULY 21.We will be getting a tour of their facilities including the touch tanks and viewing of marine life. I hear they have a recent addition of seahorses! After the visit to the Shaw Institute, those of you would like to, are invited to go to Blaze in Blue Hill. It is taco tuesday! Please also RSVP if you will be going to Blaze and we will reserve a table for us. Thank you!
RYLA: Weekend of September 18th at Adventure Bound in Northern Maine. The club is looking for 1 or 2 people to send to RYLA. 18-30 is the age range.
Bar Harbor Pancake Breakfast: Thank you to Lincoln and Debbie Ehrlenbach, Fred Beyer, JoAnn Rodick, Rhonda Parker and Ashley Johnson for volunteering at the Bar Harbor Pancake Breakfast on July 4th.
Door Prizes: Carl Lusby, Shelly Van Camp, Dave Wells, Marian Wells.
50/50: $7 to Shelly Van Camp
Happy Dollars– 1st quarter Happy Dollars will be going towards The Bouquet Family. Rotarian Rachel and her husband are both fighting cancer. Many Rotarians gave happy dollars.
Guest Speaker: This week’s guest speaker was Benedetta Pellerano. She shared photos and discussed with club members who trip to Cuba back in March.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
July 14th Rotary Meeting at Ellsworth Pat’s Pizza. Arrive at 5:30pm to order dinner. Meeting starts at 6pm. We will have a quick business meeting, sharing of a couple of “vocational minutes,” silverware wrapping for the pancake breakfast, and fun and fellowship. We hope you will be able to attend!
The board meeting is at 4:30pm at Pat’s Pizza as well.
On June 30th, the Rotary Club of Ellsworth celebrated Transition Night as we recognized the leadership of our outgoing president and welcomed our new president for the 2026–2027 Rotary year.
Opening Ceremonies: President Rebecca Toci called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Rebecca thanked Nancy Mayo and Tricia Quirk for serving as Sergeant at Arms, Michael Houlsen setting up Zoom, Ashley Johnson for taking notes and everyone for helping set up and take down the meeting.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
Rotary Ladies Night: Once a month at 4:30pm at the Black Moon on Main Street in Ellsworth. An email will be sent out on the date, Please RSVP to JoAnn Rodick.
Join a Rotary Committee: We encourage club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Bar Harbor Rotary Club is looking for help at their Annual 4th of July Pancake Breakfast and Lobster Bake. Debbie and Lincoln Ehrlenbach will be attending. Please let them know if you or anyone would like to help or carpool. Arrive at 6:00am.
2026 Rotary Blueberry Pancake Breakfast: Saturday, August 1st! Save the date and please be available to help. Tickets and Flyers are available. Please see Stacie or Peter. Next Meeting is July 7th after regular meeting.
Christmas in July- “Ellsworth Rotary Supporting Ellsworth Businesses” themed Christmas Tree for The Grand Theatre fundraiser July 16-19th. The following Grift Certificates have been purchased by Rotarians and given to Peter/Stacie:
Gift Certificate
Value
1
Casa Jalisco
$50.00
2
Josie's Café
$25.00
3
Finelli's Pizzeria
$50.00
4
Pat's Pizza
$25.00
5
Sylvia's Café
$50.00
6
Lamoine Market Place
$40.00
7
Curtis Family Shoe
$25.00
8
Fogg Town
$50.00
9
Flex It
$50.00
10
Momo's
$25.00
11
Pat's Pizza
$25.00
12
Friends & Family Market
$50.00
13
L.L.Bean
$25.00
14
Bud Connection
$50.00
15
Rooster Brother
$50.00
Total Value
$590.00
If you would like to participate, please purchase your local Gift Certificate ($25-$50 in value) and bring to the Rotary meeting July 7th. This is our final due date to collect gift certificates.
Door Prizes: Tricia Quirk, Debbie Ehrlenbach, Candy Davis, Linda Elliot, Nancy Mayo, JoAnn Rodick.
50/50: $11 to Stacie Brown
Happy Dollars– 4th quarter Happy Dollars will be going towards The Rotary Scholarships! Many Rotarians gave happy dollars.
Transition Ceremony: Werecognized the leadership of our outgoing president and welcomed our new president for the 2026–2027 Rotary year.
A heartfelt thank you to Rebecca Toci for your dedication, leadership, and service over the past two years as Club President. During the evening, Rebecca reflected on her time as president and thanked the members of the club and the Board of Directors for their unwavering support throughout her term.
We are excited to welcome JoAnn Rodick as our 2026–2027 Club President. JoAnn introduced this year's Board of Directors and shared her enthusiasm for the year ahead as the club continues its tradition of service and fellowship.
We look forward to another year of providing humanitarian service, encouraging high ethical standards in all vocations, and helping build goodwill and peace throughout our community and around the world.
Congratulations, JoAnn, and thank you again, Rebecca, for your outstanding leadership!
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
On Tuesday, June 9th, the Rotary Club of Ellsworth held its annual Paul Harris Fellow Recognition Ceremony at the Moore Community Center in Ellsworth.
Our club was pleased to host this special annual event. Named for the founder of Rotary International, the Paul Harris Fellow Award is presented to community members, Rotarians, and local businesses that exemplify the ideals of Rotary through their professional achievements, community involvement, and commitment to service.
Congratulations to Rotarians Kelly Brown and Stacie Brown on being recognized as Paul Harris Fellows. We were also pleased to honor three outstanding community recipients: Kim Fitch, Bill Tracy, and E.L. Shea Builders and Engineers.
This award recognizes individuals and organizations for their contributions to their communities and professions while demonstrating Rotary's motto, "Service Above Self." These recognitions are made possible through the generous annual contributions of Rotary members to the Rotary Foundation.
Congratulations to all of this year's recipients for their dedication, leadership, and service to our communities!
Opening Ceremonies: President Rebecca Toci called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Rebecca thanked Carol Jordan for serving as Sergeant at Arms, Michael Houlsen setting up Zoom, Ashley Johnson for taking notes and everyone for helping set up and take down the meeting.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
Rotary Ladies Night: Once a month at 4:30pm at the Black Moon on Main Street in Ellsworth. An email will be sent out on the date, Please RSVP to JoAnn Rodick.
Join a Rotary Committee: We encourage club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Paul Harris Fellow Night: June 9th in the Auditorium at the Moore Community Center. RSVP by June 1st please. No Zoom option.
June 16th Board Meeting at 4:30pm at the Moore Community Center.
June 16th Fellowship at Timber Tina’s Maine Lumberjack Show! More details to come soon!
June 23rd Club Assembly at the Moore Community Center.
June 30th Transition Night at the Moore Community Center.
Bar Harbor Rotary Club is looking for help at their Annual 4th of July Pancake Breakfast and Lobster Bake. Debbie and Lincoln Ehrlenbach will be attending. Please let them know if you or anyone would like to help or carpool. Arrive at 6:00am.
2026 Rotary Blueberry Pancake Breakfast: Saturday, August 1st! Save the date and please be available to help. The first planning meeting will start in June.
Door Prizes: Jo Cooper and Dave Wells,
50/50: $16 to Stacie Brown
Happy Dollars– 4th quarter Happy Dollars will be going towards The Rotary Scholarships! Many Rotarians gave happy dollars.
Guest Speaker: This week’s guest speaker was Jason Parent. He is the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP).
Jason leads Community Action in Aroostook, Washington and Hancock Counties.
Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP), is a 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 1972. ACAP provides guidance to the community in responding to emerging human needs in the areas of Prevention and Wellness, Early Care and Education, Energy and Housing, and Workforce Development. For more information, please visit there webiste at https://acap-me.org/
DeMeyer Field Fence Forms were passed out for those who would like to purchase a picket to be engraved and will be put up at the playground. $250 per picket.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Opening Ceremonies: Past President Laura Pellerano called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Laura thanked JoAnn Rodick for serving as Sergeant at Arms, Ashley Johnson/Lincoln Ehrlenbach for setting up Zoom, Ashley Johnson for taking notes and everyone for helping set up and take down the meeting.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
Rotary Ladies Night: Once a month at 4:30pm at the Black Moon on Main Street in Ellsworth. An email will be sent out on the date, Please RSVP to JoAnn Rodick.
Join a Rotary Committee: We encourage club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Paul Harris Fellow Night: June 9th in the Auditorium at the Moore Community Center. RSVP by June 1st please.
2026 Rotary Blueberry Pancake Breakfast: Saturday, August 1st! Save the date and please be available to help. The first planning meeting will start in June.
Door Prizes: Marc Rich and Laura Pellerano
50/50: $7 to Benedetta Pellerano
Happy Dollars– 4th quarter Happy Dollars will be going towards The Rotary Scholarships! Many Rotarians gave happy dollars.
Guest Speaker: This week’s guest speaker was Dr. Stan Renard. He is an Alumnus and the Executive Direct of the Monteux School and Music Festival.
Mission
To train aspiring symphony conductors and orchestra musicians through an intensive summer program distinguished by a unique teaching legacy, a wide and varied repertoire, and public performances of symphonic, chamber and children’s concerts
Vision
The Pierre Monteux School and Music Festival, founded as a conducting school in 1943 by renowned conductor Pierre Monteux, aspires to be the finest summer training program and festival of its kind. We provide an intensive, supportive environment based on Monteux’s belief that conductors should play in the orchestra while observing the lessons of their colleagues, thus learning from both sides of the podium. We actively recruit exceptional students through enduring relationships with a global network of distinguished conservatories, universities, and alumni. Our goals are to reward the demonstrated talent, commitment and promise of our students by steadily increasing scholarship support, and to serve our local communities by offering a series of symphonic, chamber, and children’s concerts each summer.
The core values of The Pierre Monteux School and Music Festival reflect the musical and humanitarian legacy of our founder, Pierre Monteux. Under the guidance of our music director, students approach a challenging repertoire with discipline and rigor, learning from faculty, guest artists and each other in a mutually respectful and supportive environment. We share the power of classical music with our festival audiences and promote goodwill throughout our host communities. In all our activities, we strive to foster and promote profound musical understanding and personal growth.
The Monteux School and Music Festival takes place in the homeland of the Wabanaki, the People of the Dawn. We recognize and honor the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Micmac, Maliseet, and Abenaki Nations, and all of the Native communities who have lived here for hundreds of generations, and continue to do so, in what is known today as Maine.
The Monteux School and Music Festival acknowledges structural inequities have excluded individuals and communities from opportunities, and is committed to cultivating an inclusive musical community of learning, facilitating the success of all people, and supporting all individuals. An inclusive community values diversity in culture, socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, nationality, place of origin, language, physical ability, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religious and non-religious identity, political and social ideology, family background, veteran status, and age, as well as the intersections of these identities.
School seeks the application of musicians of all communities and identities strives to provide opportunities for its students, staff, and audiences to reflect upon their own perspectives while examining the perspectives of others, resulting in a culture of empathy and respect for all.
The Summer Festival Concerts: June 17- Jully 26. Tickets available online at https://www.monteuxmusic.org/
DeMeyer Field Fence Forms were passed out for those who would like to purchase a picket to be engraved and will be put up at the playground. $250 per picket.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
The Rotary Club of Ellsworth prepared and served breakfast to the students and faculty of Hancock County Technical Center on May 21st. It was a great morning spent supporting and connecting with the HCTC community! Click on the link below to see more photos!
Members of the Rotary Club of Ellsworth volunteered at the EEMS Bike Rodeo on Saturday, May 16th. It was a great day, and volunteers were able to give out and properly fit many bike helmets for local children. Thank you to everyone who helped make the event a success and support bike safety in our community!
On Tuesday, the Rotary Club of Ellsworth honored outstanding students from Hancock County Technical Center (HCTC) in Diesel Technology, Carpentry, Culinary Arts, and Business Leadership & Hospitality. Each student received a certificate, $50, and a Rotary Four-Way Test coin.
Students from the Culinary Arts program prepared a delicious meal, and it was another wonderful evening partnering with HCTC to recognize and encourage excellence in technical education.
All tips from the evening were donated to SkillsUSA. Congratulations to all of the students on their hard work and achievements.
Opening Ceremonies: Past President Laura Pellerano called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Laura thanked Carol Jordan for serving as Sergeant at Arms, Michael Houslen/Clyde Cushing for setting up Zoom, Ashley Johnson for taking notes and everyone for helping set up and take down the meeting.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
Rotary Ladies Night: Once a month at 4:30pm at the Black Moon on Main Street in Ellsworth. An email will be sent out on the date, Please RSVP to JoAnn Rodick.
Join a Rotary Committee: We encourage club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Donation Checks:$500 to Shaw Institute and $750 to The Grand were presented.
Upcoming Volunteering Opportunities: Bike Rodeo and HCTC Breakfast. Emails have been sent out and please sign up through Peter or Stacie.
Paul Harris Fellow Night: June 9th in the Auditorium at the Moore Community Center. RSVP by June 1st please.
2026 Rotary Blueberry Pancake Breakfast: Saturday, August 1st! Save the date and please be available to help. The first planning meeting will start in June.
Door Prizes: Shelly Van Camp, Nancy Mayo, Fred Beyer, Peter Farragher were winners!
50/50: $14 to Rebecca Toci
Happy Dollars– 4th quarter Happy Dollars will be going towards The Rotary Scholarships! Many Rotarians and guests have happy dollars.
Guest Speaker: This week’s guest speaker was Florence Reed. Florence “Flo” Reed founded Sustainable Harvest International (SHI) in 1997 and has been a tireless advocate for the organization’s mission since. SHI is truly her life’s work, and her unwavering enthusiasm and conviction has inspired countless people across the globe to take action.
Like many of SHI’s influential volunteers, donors, and staff, Flo traces her environmental interests to her childhood. She loved the woods near her house and the plants and animals that called it home. Her family hiked and backpacked, and her parents donated money to the Bronx Zoo. As Flo grew older, she took note of the zoo’s focus on conservation and educating people on how humans impact wildlife.
Flo’s childhood experiences sparked her passion for preserving wildlife habitats. However, it wasn’t until high school and college that she opened her eyes to social justice issues. A series of church youth trips to repair homes in Appalachia brought her face to face with the marginalization of rural communities. Then, in college at the University of New Hampshire, Flo’s real commitment to social justice issues took off. She learned how US foreign policy negatively impacts people worldwide. She met Central American refugees and got involved with a campus committee on Central America. It was during her college years that she first traveled to Central America.
Never one to shy away from hard work, Flo founded the first environmental group at her college and had a dual major in environmental conservation and international affairs by the time she was 21 years old.
DeMeyer Field Fence Forms were passed out for those who would like to purchase a picket to be engraved and will be put up at the playground. $250 per picket.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Next Week at Rotary: May 19th meeting will be held at HCTC. $13 per person. The culinary program will be provided the meal. An email will be sent out for a reminder.
Opening Ceremonies: Past President Debbie Ehrlenbach called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Debbie thanked Carl Lusby for serving as Sergeant at Arms, Michael Houslen/Clyde Cushing for setting up Zoom, Ashley Johnson for taking notes and everyone for helping set up and take down the meeting.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
Rotary Ladies Night: Once a month at 4:30pm at the Black Moon on Main Street in Ellsworth. An email will be sent out on the date, Please RSVP to JoAnn Rodick.
Join a Rotary Committee: We encourage club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Donation Checks:$530 to Maine Coast Memorial Hospital for Men’s Health from Movember fundraiser.
Paul Harris Recognitions: JoAnn Rodick received her Paul Harris +1 Pin and Domenic Efter received his Paul Harris +7 pin. Congratulations and thank you for your continued support!
Upcoming Volunteering Opportunities: Clean-up at DeMeyer Field, Birds Acre Clean-up, HCTC Breakfast. Emails have been sent out and please sign up through Peter or Stacie.
Door Prizes: Dave Wells and Heather Massey were winners!
50/50: $8 to Domenic Efter
Happy Dollars– 4th quarter Happy Dollars will be going towards The Rotary Scholarships! Many Rotarians and guests have happy dollars.
Guest Speaker: This week’s guest speaker was Heather Massey of Sarah's House.
Heather joined the Sarah’s House family as the Executive Director in 2023. Having been a caregiver for her father who passed away from esophageal cancer in 2004, her grandmother who passed away from lung cancer in 2007, and her sister who is currently battling lung cancer, she has a deep understanding of the support and care that a cancer patient needs. When asked why she chose Sarah’s House, Heather said “As someone who has closely witnessed the courageous efforts it takes to undergo cancer treatment, I am extremely touched by the Sarah’s House mission to provide a place of hope and comfort for our guests at a time they need it most. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to support this critical work and the Sarah’s House community.”
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
We apologize for the short notice, but our Cinco de Mayo fellowship night for May 5, is cancelled. We look forward to seeing you all at our following week’s meeting, Tuesday, May 12 at 6pm at the Moore Center.
Our club hosted its annual Membership Night on Tuesday, April 22 at the Moore Community Center. This event, which we launched several years ago, continues to be a great way for prospective members to learn more about Rotary and what we do both locally and around the world.
It was a wonderful evening filled with engaging conversations, great food, and meaningful connections. Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the night such a success!
The Rotary Club of Ellsworth proudly honored the top 35 students from Ellsworth High School’s Class of 2026 on Tuesday, April 14, during a special banquet held at the Masonic Lodge in Ellsworth.
Guests enjoyed a delicious spaghetti dinner, followed by cheesecake from Momo's Cheesecake. This annual tradition continues to be a highlight for Rotary members—many of whom fondly remember attending the banquet themselves during their time at EHS.
As part of the evening, five $1,000 scholarships were awarded, reflecting Rotary’s ongoing commitment to supporting education and investing in the future of the community.
Congratulations to all of this year’s outstanding students—and a special recognition to the scholarship recipients: Kaylee Bagley, Elizabeth Boles, Ryan Gross, Tyler Hollenback, and Jordin Mann.
Stacie, Peter, and Gene are planning for the EHS Honors Banquet/awards to be held on Tuesday, April 14 at the Masonic Hall on Bucksport Rd. in Ellsworth. We will be having a spaghetti dinner. Stacie will be sending out a sign-up sheet for Rotarians to help. Rotarians who will be helping should plan to arrive no later than 5:15pm on that night at the Masonic Hall.
Stacie is still collecting small containers of Play-Doh.
Membership Night is Tuesday, April 21 at 6pm in the lobby of the Moore Center. JoAnn handed out invitations and flyers for the event, encouraging all members to invite individuals that would like to learn more about joining Rotary. The membership committee will need all committee chairs to provide a brief informational presentation at the Membership Night. Also, if you would like to help with set-up or take-down for the event, please contact Saxon.
HCTC night will be on March 31, and Gene requested that Rotarians who can help sign up to help. He passed around a sign-up sheet, but please contact Gene if you can help.
This week's guest speaker is Dr. James Duffey, MD. He is board certified and specializes in total joint replacement and sports medicine at Northern Light Orthopedics in Ellsworth. Practicing orthopedic medicine for 30 years, Dr. Duffey’s areas of expertise include management of sports injuries, with extensive experience in arthroscopic procedures of knees and shoulders, as well as arthritis surgery with total joint replacement of shoulders, hips and knees. As an early adopter of minimally invasive techniques for joint replacement and the use of computer-assisted navigation for implant placement, Dr. Duffey has extensive experience with several hundred cases performed using robotic technology.
Dr. Duffey completed his undergraduate studies at Stanford University, medical school at the University of Arizona, surgical internship at University of California San Francisco, and orthopedic residency at the University of Arizona.
The Rotary Club of Ellsworth honored outstanding students from Hancock County Technical Center (HCTC) in Health Occupations, Automotive Technology, Cybersecurity and Welding Technology.
Thank you to Chloe's Cafe for catering the event! The food was delicious! It was another great night partnering with HCTC to recognize and encourage excellence in technical education!
Gene thanked Nancy Mayo for serving as Sergeant at Arms and Michael Houlsen for providing audio visual technical assistance.
Gene welcomed our visitors Heather Seavey and Diane O’Connell from the Ellsworth Area Chamber and Rotarian Domenic Efter.
Heather Seavey, Director of the Ellsworth Area Chamber announced to the Club that Debbie Ehrlenbach has been named the 2026 Citizen of the Year.
Door prizes were won by Shelly VanCamp, Linda Elliott and Carl Lusby.
Carol Jordan won the 50/50 drawing of $4 and donated it back to the happy dollars cause for this quarter Waterville Rotary Club President whose home was destroyed in a gas explosion in November.
Rebecca presented the updated Bylaws. Fundamentally the bylaws have not changed, with only minor changes. The time of the meeting was changed to “evening”, the annual meeting changed to the second Tuesday in December and reference to compliance with RI 2025 Manual of Procedures. A quorum was present with 8 members sending in a proxy. Motion to accept the bylaws was made by Laura and seconded by Jack. Motion passed.
Rebecca encourages all members to participate in a committee.
Membership night is scheduled for April 21st 6:00pm in the Atrium and cafeteria. Invitations are available from JoAnn or Saxon. Several committee members have confirmed their participation. Please bring a guest.
Debbie presented the financial report.
Lincoln and Mary Beth presented a foundation update. The club has exceeded its goal for polio, however still shy of its Annual fund goal of $5000. Members are encouraged to donate to EREY. Monthly donations of any amount can be made through Rotary Direct. Ask JoAnn, Debbie or Rebecca for assistance.
Paul Harris Fellow recognitions were given to Arlin Whitelaw, PHF +8 and Rebecca Greenlaw, PHF +1. Thank you for your continued support of this program.
Donors like Rebecca and Arlin, along with other club members, provide funds not only internationally but locally via district grants. Over the years, this club has received $35,750 in grants for our community.
Reminder to all club members that Rodney Fox has generously donated a time-share to raise money for our scholarship program. Bids for the timeshare should be sent to Rebecca’s personal email. Bids are accepted until April 15th .
Peter shared several planned community service activities for the spring to include planned is a clean-up day at Birdsacre and DeMeyer Field, the bike rodeo, and cooking breakfast for students and staff at HCTC.
For the month of March, we will be collecting Playdough for AMHC.
The honors banquet is April 14 th at the Masonic Hall. Carol will be our lead in the kitchen as we prepare a spaghetti dinner. 35 students have been invited.
Kelly reported that $4,800 has been sent to Centro de Protesis to purchase 8 adapters. Thank you to Dave and Marian for their additional donation.
Nancy Mayo reported community giving for this quarter. $750 was donated to KidsPeace and $153 to the international program to make the difference needed.
Gene Pellerano shared the next HCTC night will be March 31 st at HCTC. Chloe’s will cater for the dinner and the cost is $13 (cash only). Donation jars for Skills USA will be on the tables. The scholarship applications are in and the committee meets later tonight to review the applications and decide scholarship awardees.
Interact will present on April 7 th at 6:00 pm.
Gene shared a poster that Tina Chapman sent on a Mental Health First Aid training in Waterville on May 14 th . The cost is $25 for a Rotarian. Contact Gene if you have questions and or would like to attend.
Next week March 31st our meeting is at Hancock County Technical Center 5:30 pm.
Door prize winners: Peter, Ray, Marybeth, Charlie (guest speaker), and Laurie. Stacie won the happy dollars and put them towards the cause. Other folks also contributed to happy dollars, Stacie, Tricia, Jack, Rebecca, Peter, Carl, and Laurie. I apologize if I miss anyone. Thank you to Marc Rich for serving as Sargent at Arms tonight and thank you to Michael Houlsen for providing our IT support!
Jack Frost made an announcement that he would also donate to EREY (Every Rotarian Every Year) fund like Marc Rich, Saxon, and JoAnn had done at the previous Rotary meeting. They are matching EREY donations from March 10 until April 14. We are trying to reach our goal for donating to EREY. If we do not reach our goal, we will not be able to apply and/or receive grants next year, so it is particularly important that we reach this goal. It is extremely easy to make a one-time or recurring gift to EREY online on Rotary.org or you can bring a check to our next meeting and give it to our treasurer, Debbie. Check should be written out to EREY. Directions for making an online donation: My Rotary Homepage | My Rotary Go to My Rotary homepage and sign in. Click on the blue “DONATE” button in the upper right-hand corner of the page. Choose what you would like to support (for EREY, you should choose the box that says: Annual Fund-Share. Complete the page with your donation information (you can donate as small as $10 every month or any amount for a one-time donation) and then press the red “SUBMIT” button.
A $750 check was presented to Rebecca Toci for KidsPeace to be used for Easter baskets, the Easter Egg hunt activities, and dinner for the young people who live at KidsPeace in Ellsworth.
Gene read a thank you letter we received from the Beth C. Wright Cancer Center for our donation to them.
Stacie, Peter, and Gene are planning for the EHS Honors Banquet/awards to be held on Tuesday, April 14 at the Masonic Hall on Bucksport Rd. in Ellsworth. We will be having a spaghetti dinner. Stacie will be sending out a sign-up sheet for Rotarians to help. Rotarians who will be helping should plan to arrive no later than 5:15pm on that night at the Masonic Hall.
Stacie is still collecting small containers of Play-Doh. She has received 187 containers so far.
JoAnn mentioned that Membership Night is Tuesday, April 21 at 6pm in the lobby of the Moore Center. JoAnn handed out invitations and flyers for the event, encouraging all members to invite individuals that would like to learn more about joining Rotary. The membership committee will need all committee chairs to provide a brief informational presentation at the Membership Night. Also, if you would like to help with set-up or take-down for the event, please contact Saxon.
HCTC night will be on March 31, and Gene requested that Rotarians who can help sign up to help. He passed around a sign-up sheet, but please contact Gene if you can help.
We had a wonderful presentation with Charles (Charlie) Rolsky, Ph.D., Executive Director & Senior Research Scientist from the Shaw Institute in Blue Hill. https://shawinstitute.org/ Recommend you check out their website for more information. He did mention that they need private donations to keep providing all of the services they currently provide.
Next week’s Rotary meeting on 3/24 at 6pm in the Moore Center Conference room will be this quarter’s group assembly, so all committee chairs should come to the meeting with a brief presentation to share what their committee has been doing for this past quarter. Please contact Rebecca if you have questions. Thank you!!
Debbie thanked Jo Cooper for serving as Sergeant at Arms and Michael Houlsen for providing audio visual technical assistance.
Stacie Brown shared several planned community service activities for the spring to include the Sheriff’s Cup March 6th, 7th & 8th. Jean Wood at the YMCA will provide a list of opportunities to help. See Stacie or Peter for more information. Also planned is a clean-up day at Birdsacre and DeMeyer Field, the bike rodeo, and cooking breakfast for students and staff at HCTC. For the month of March, we will be collecting Playdough for AMHC. Please bring playdough to the club meeting and Stacie will get it to Julia Miller at AMHC.
Gene Pellerano shared the next HCTC night will be March 31st at HCTC.
Marc Rich invited all members to his home at 22 Pleasant St in Ellsworth for a chili cookoff next Tuesday, March 3rd 5:30pm, bring your chili or something to share. Drinks and cornbread will be supplied.
Club members have been invited by Salt Air Properties to their open house on March 10th 4-7pm at their new location on 225 High Street Suite 3 Ellsworth.
The club received a thank you letter from Next Step Domestic Violence Project for our recent donations.
A benefit of being a Chamber member is a discount card with discounts to various businesses. Discount cards were circulated. If you would like a card, see Peter Farragher.
The 50/50 drawing of $7 was donated back to the happy dollars cause for this quarter Waterville Rotary Club President whose home was destroyed in a gas explosion and who is in a Boston hospital recovering.
Door prizes were won by Marian Wells and Stacie Brown.
Laura Pellerano, past president, was our speaker. She shared beautiful pictures of wildlife and landscape, along with information about her recent trip to New Mexico.
Next week March 3rd our meeting is at Marc Rich’s home on 22 Pleasant St Ellsworth 5:30pm
This week's club meeting was held at KidsPeace. They provided a delicious roast beef dinner with cheesecake and brownies for dessert. Thank you to President Rebecca Toci for providing the raffle prizes.
Opening Ceremonies: President Rebecca Toci called the meeting to order at 5:30 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Rebecca thanked Carl Lusby for serving as Sergeant at Arms, Michael Houslen/Clyde Cushing for setting up Zoom, Ashley Johnson for taking notes and everyone for helping set up and take down the meeting.
FYI: Please note that the time of club meetings have changed to start at 5:30 pm beginning January 2026. Club meetings will be 1 hour 5:30 – 6:30 pm. We will try this for the winter months. Please be at the meeting a little before 5:30pm.
Starting April 7th – The weekly meetings will go back to 6:00pm
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
Congratulations to the Ellsworth High School Cheerleaders for winning the State Competition 4 Years in a row!
February 17th Club Meeting: Will be held at KidsPeace at 5:30pm.
Save the Date! Chili Cook Off – March 3rd at Marc Rich’s House! Bring favorite chili recipe for everyone to taste. Or just come to taste all the yummy food. Marc will provide corn bread and red/white wine. Location is 22 Pleasant Street in Ellsworth.
Rotary Ladies Night: Once a month at 4:30pm at the Black Moon on Main Street in Ellsworth. An email will be sent out on the date, Please RSVP to JoAnn Rodick.
Join a Rotary Committee: We encourage club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Rotary Bylaws: The committee is currently reviewing the club bylaws.
Donation Checks: $500 to The Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center and The Ellsworth Free Medical Clinic. The Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center offers hope, knowledge, and support to cancer patients, their families, caregivers, and friends by providing a source of information, social services, and compassion through all stages of the cancer journey.
The Ellsworth Free Medical Clinic has volunteer healthcare providers who care for patients and a small office staff to oversee the clinic operations. Their mission is to provide free, high quality primary care with compassion and respect to the uninsured and inadequately insured. Volunteer healthcare professionals also assist patients to gain access to healthcare at all levels and to secure affordable pharmaceuticals.
Tea Donations for Meadow View Residents: For the second year in a row, we are making donations for the YMCA Valentine care packages that are distributed to residents of Meadowview Apartments on Valentine’s Day. We are collecting boxes of tea (any variety) to donate to the YMCA who are making Valentine care packages for the residents of Meadowview Apartments. We need around 80 boxes of tea to include a box for each resident. If you could bring boxes of tea to our Rotary meeting on Feb. 10th and/or JoAnn Rodick will buy the tea for you if you want to give a cash donation, that would be greatly appreciated!
Door Prizes: Marc Rich, Linda Elliott, Gene Pellerano, Peter Farragher, Ray Williams, Nancy Mayo, Marian Wells, Debbie Ehrlenbach and Rebecca Toci.
50/50: $8 to Clyde Cushing
Happy Dollars– 3rd quarter Happy Dollars will be going towards The Waterville Rotary Club President who was badly hurt on Thanksgiving Day. Several Rotarians shared happy thoughts.
Guest Speaker: This week’s guest speaker Julia Miller. Julia is the Director of Prevention & Sexual Assault Service and has been in this position with AMHC for 6 years but has worked in the field of advocacy on and off since 2012. She oversees programming for Youth Prevention, Sexual Assault Services and the Children’s Advocacy Center across Aroostook, Hancock and Washington Counties.
Next week at Rotary: February 17th meeting will be held at KidsPeace at 5:30pm.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
President Rebecca Toci called the meeting to order at 5:30 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Rebecca thanked Debbie and Lincoln Ehrlenbach for serving as Sergeant at Arms and Michael Houlsen for providing audio visual technical assistance. She also thanked Gene Pellerano for planning the evening and Chloe’s Café for providing the food.
Upcoming offsite Rotary meeting reminders: February 17th at Kidspeace and March 3rd Chili cookoff at Marc Rich’s home.
Donation jars on the tables are for Skills USA.
The 50/50 drawing of $9 was donated back to the happy dollars cause for this quarter Waterville Rotary Club President whose home was destroyed in a gas explosion and who is in a Boston hospital recovering.
The meeting was devoted to recognizing four outstanding students at the Hancock County Technical Center.
Education and Human Services (Formerly Early Childhood Education) Instructor: Alicia Grindle Trenidy Semple, a junior from BHS
Criminal Justice Instructor: Allen Smith Kiran Hanna, a sophomore from MDIHS
Multimedia Design Instructor: Jamie Anderson Bos Lisy, a senior from MDIHS
Biomedical Science Instructor: Sarah Petroulis Madalynn Benoit-Johnson, a senior from BHS
On February 10th, we will meet at Moore Community Center. Julia Miller from AMHC will be our guest speaker. Meeting starts at 5:30pm.
Opening Ceremonies: Past President Peter Farragher called the meeting to order at 5:30 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Peter thanked Nancy Mayo for serving as Sergeant at Arms, Michael Houslen for setting up Zoom, Ashley Johnson for taking notes and everyone for helping set up and take down the meeting.
FYI: Please note that the time of club meetings have changed to start at 5:30 pm beginning January 2026. Club meetings will be 1 hour 5:30 – 6:30 pm. We will try this for the winter months. Please be at the meeting a little before 5:30pm.
Starting April 7th – The weekly meetings will go back to 6:00pm
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
February 3rd Club Meeting: Will be held at HCTC at 5:30pm.
February 17th Club Meeting: Will be held at KidsPeace at 5:30pm.
Save the Date! Chili Cook Off – March 3rd at Marc Rich’s House! Bring favorite chili recipe for everyone to taste. Or just come to taste all the yummy food. Marc will provide corn bread and red/white wine. Location is 22 Pleasant Street in Ellsworth.
Rotary Ladies Night: Once a month at 4:30pm at the Black Moon on Main Street in Ellsworth. An email will be sent out on the date, Please RSVP to JoAnn Rodick.
Join a Rotary Committee: We encourage club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Rotary Bylaws: The committee is currently reviewing the club bylaws.
Tea Donations for Meadow View Residents: For the second year in a row, we are making donations for the YMCA Valentine care packages that are distributed to residents of Meadowview Apartments on Valentine’s Day. We are collecting boxes of tea (any variety) to donate to the YMCA who are making Valentine care packages for the residents of Meadowview Apartments. We need around 80 boxes of tea to include a box for each resident. If you could bring boxes of tea to our Rotary meeting on Feb. 10th and/or JoAnn Rodick will buy the tea for you if you want to give a cash donation, that would be greatly appreciated!
Door Prizes: Marian Wells, Ray Williams, Debbie Ehrlenbach and Gene Pellerano.
50/50: $6 to Lincoln Ehrlenbach
Happy Dollars– 3rd quarter Happy Dollars will be going towards The Waterville Rotary Club President who was badly hurt on Thanksgiving Day. Several Rotarians shared happy thoughts.
Guest Speaker: We’re pleased to highlight the work of Centro de Prótesis y Terapia Física in the Dominican Republic and to introduce its Executive Director, Graviel Nuel Jacobo.
Graviel zoomed in for our meeting. He is the founder and Executive Director of the Centro, a nonprofit organization that provides free prosthetic limbs, physical therapy, and rehabilitation services to individuals who otherwise would not have access to care. Graviel lost his own leg at a young age and understands firsthand the life-changing impact that mobility and compassionate support can bring.
Guided by his lived experience, Graviel established the Centro to restore independence, dignity, and opportunity for people living with limb loss and physical disabilities. His leadership continues to transform lives and strengthen communities through access to mobility and hope.
Graviel thanked the club for our ongoing support!
Next week at Rotary: February 3rd meeting will wbe held at HCTC at 5:30pm.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Opening Ceremonies: Past President Peter Farragher called the meeting to order at 5:30 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Peter thanked Nancy Mayo for serving as Sergeant at Arms, Clyde Cushing for setting up Zoom, Ashley Johnson for taking notes. and everyone for helping set up and take down the meeting.
Please note that the time of club meetings have changed to start at 5:30 pm beginning January 2026. Club meetings will be 1 hour 5:30 – 6:30 pm. We will try this for the winter months. Please be at the meeting a little before 5:30pm.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
February 3rd Club Meeting: Will be held at HCTC at 5:30pm.
February 17th Club Meeting: Will be held at KidsPeace at 5:30pm.
Save the Date! Chili Cook Off – March 3rd at Marc Rich’s House!
Rotary Ladies Night: January 22nd at 4:30pm at the Black Moon on Main Street in Ellsworth. Please RSVP to JoAnn Rodick.
Join a Rotary Committee: We encourage club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Door Prizes: Carl Lusby, Nancy Mayo, Marc Rich, Heather Seavey, JoAnn Rodick
50/50: $5 to Linda Elliott
Happy Dollars– 3rd quarter Happy Dollars will be going towards The Waterville Rotary Club President who was badly hurt on Thanksgiving Day. Several Rotarians shared happy thoughts.
Guest Speaker: This week’s guest speaker was Heather Seavey. Heather joined the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce as Executive Director in September 2025, bringing a strong background in nonprofit leadership, event planning, and community development.
Before joining the Chamber, she spent 10 years with the Maine State Bar Association as Deputy Executive Director.
Heather is passionate about connecting with local businesses, entrepreneurs, and residents, and creating programs that help the community grow and thrive.
Heather shared two flyers of upcoming events happening at the Chamber. See below!
Next week at Rotary: On January 27th we will be highlighting the work of Centro de Prótesis y Terapia Física in the Dominican Republic and he guest speaker will be its Executive Director, Graviel Nuel Jacobo.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Opening Ceremonies: Past President Peter Farragher called the meeting to order at 5:30 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Peter thanked Nancy Mayo for serving as Sergeant at Arms, Michael Houlsen for setting up Zoom, Ashley Johnson for taking notes. and everyone for helping set up and take down the meeting.
Please note that the time of club meetings have changed to start at 5:30 pm beginning January 2026. Club meetings will be 1 hour 5:30 – 6:30 pm. We will try this for the winter months. Please be at the meeting a little before 5:30pm.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
Join a Rotary Committee: We encourage club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Door Prizes: Stacie Brown, Shelly Van Camp, Jack Frost, Rod Fox, Carl Lusby, Brielle Johnson and Peter Farragher.
50/50: $7 to Stacie Brown
Happy Dollars– 3rd quarter Happy Dollars will be going towards The Waterville Rotary Club President who was badly hurt on Thanksgiving Day. Several Rotarians shared happy thoughts.
Guest Speaker: This week’s guest speaker was Amanda Look. Amanda is the founder and CEO of Salt Air Properties. Salt Air Properties is a local, family-owned property management and vacation rental firm located in Ellsworth, Maine, just across the bridge from Bar Harbor. We directly rent the beautiful properties we manage to vacationers, provide peace of mind to property owners, and ensure that everyone is comfortable, happy, and can smell the salt air.
Their properties are within a few minutes of the coast but not always right on the beach. While not all our properties are on the beach, they like to say that you can always smell the salt air. Their focus is on balancing accessibility and luxury so that our guests have the best experience at a great value. As local rental experts with over a decade in the industry, our standards and understanding of the region and rental market are unsurpassed. Our professional team delivers the best quality, thorough property management services.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Opening Ceremonies: Past President Peter Farragher called the meeting to order at 5:30 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Peter thanked Nancy Mayo for serving as Sergeant at Arms, Michael Houlsen for setting up Zoom, Ashley Johnson for taking notes. and everyone for helping set up and take down the meeting.
Please note that the time of club meetings have changed to start at 5:30 pm beginning January 2026. Club meetings will be 1 hour 5:30 – 6:30 pm. We will try this for the winter months. Please be at the meeting a little before 5:30pm.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
February 3rd Club Meeting: Will be held at HCTC at 5:30pm.
Donation checks to Next Step: $500 and $350 to Kelly Brown of Next Step.
Rotary Ladies Night: January 22nd at 4:30pm at the Black Moon on Main Street in Ellsworth. Please RSVP to JoAnn Rodick.
Join a Rotary Committee: We encourage club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Door Prizes: Rebecca Toci, Shelly Van Camp, Mary Beth Harmon and Carl Lusby.
50/50: $9 to Jack Frost
Happy Dollars– 3rd quarter Happy Dollars will be going towards The Waterville Rotary Club President who was badly hurt on Thanksgiving Day. Several Rotarians shared happy thoughts.
Carl Lusby auctioned off a Lobster Feed Goodie Bag filled out Lobster plates, napkins and etc to have a Lobster Dinner! JoAnn Rodick was the highest bidder and the money will go towards happy dollars.
Guest Speaker: This week’s guest speaker was Matt Montgomery. Matt has been a YMCA professional for more than 25 years and currently serves as CEO of the Down East Family YMCA, a role he has held for the past two years.
He began his YMCA journey as a swim coach and instructor. He later advanced through leadership roles, including Aquatic Director, Membership & Marketing Director, and ultimately Branch Executive when the Blue Hill YMCA opened in 2020. A four-time Maine YMCA Swim Coach of the Year, he has helped build one of the strongest YMCA swim programs in the state.
Matt gave an update about the Moore Community Center and what the future holds.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Many thanks to all the Rotary Club of Ellsworth Rotarians and friends who made the 20th Annual Gifting Experience a success! And very special thanks to the Downtown merchants, including The Bud Connection, Camden National Bank, Toko and Danny’s Pizza. We assisted 17 area children in choosing and wrapping gifts for their family members. Click on the link below to see the photos!
Debbie Ehrlenbach called the meeting to order. She welcomed everyone and our guest was Pam Katsiaficas. No visiting Rotarians.
Debbie thanked Saxon for serving as Sergeant at Arms and everyone for bringing cookies and Christmas cards.
David Wells presented Michael Houlsen his first-place award in our MoVember competition.
Jack shared stories from the gifting experience held on Saturday. A total of 17 children were in attendance. He thanked all the businesses and donors who made the event possible.
Please note that the time of club meetings will change to start at 5:30 pm beginning January 2026. Club meetings will be 1 hour 5:30 – 6:30 pm. We will try this for the winter months. Please be at the meeting a little before 5:30pm.
Dues reminder – all dues are payable in full before December 31st. Please pay by check or by credit card using the PayPal link on the club’s website. If you have any questions, please reach out to Tricia. She emailed dues notices in November.
Lincoln Ehrlenbach and Mary Beth Harmon presented Tricia Quirk with a Paul Harris plus 3 thanking her for her continued support of the Rotary Foundation. Questions were answered as to what plus 3 meant. Tricia is a Paul Harris member by donating $1000 to the Annual Shared Fund Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY). In addition to her first donation, she has since donated another $3000 earning her the “Plus 3” designation and pin.
Door prizes were won by Nancy and Mary Beth
The 50/50 drawing of $5 was donated back to the happy dollars cause for this quarter, Next Step Domestic Violence.
Happy dollars were collected from many members.
The meeting was spent assembling stockings for the children at KidsPeace, signing Christmas cards for residents of Seal Cove and Golden Acres assisted living facilities, and boxing cookies to be delivered to first responders.
On January 6th, we meet at Moore Community Center. Amanda Ashe owner of Salt Air Properties will be our guest speaker. Meeting starts at 5:30pm.
Debbie Ehrlenbach called the meeting to order. She welcomed everyone and our guests were Ashley Pesek, Daniel Antonelli and Pam Butler. Ellen Koors and Matt Montgomery (new members tonight) No visiting Rotarians.
Debbie thanked Lincoln for serving as Sergeant at Arms, Ashley for taking notes and Pat’s Pizza for hosting the Club meeting.
Thank you letter from Loaves and Fishes along with three Christmas cards the club received were shared.
On behalf of Cody’s Closet, Ashley Pesek accepted a check for $471 in happy dollar donations collected in the first quarter.
A big thank you Stacie and Peter for all their work organizing the club’s participation in the Ellsworth Christmas Parade. Lincoln’s truck was decorated in theme and Max was secure on top with Peter’s special touch. Debbie shared an email from Nancy Mayo that summarizes club members’ gratitude and observation of the evening. Everyone had a great time.
Jack shared an update on the gifting experience planned for Saturday December 13th 9:30 to noon. Meet at City Hall at 9:30 am. Seventeen children have been confirmed to date. Plenty of Rotarians have agreed to participate. Many donations have been received.
Rebecca shared plans for next Tuesday’s meeting at Moore Community Center. This year the club will stuff stockings for the children at KidsPeace, sign Christmas cards for residents of assisted living facilities in Ellsworth and Hancock, and package cookies for first responders. Please bring in baked goods on Tuesday. Let Rebecca or Stacie know if you plan to bring in baked goods. If you have Christmas cards to donate, please bring those on Tuesday as well.
Please note that the time of club meetings will change to start at 5:30 pm beginning January 2026. Club meetings will be 1 hour 5:30 – 6:30 pm. We will try this for the winter months.
Dues reminder – all dues are payable in full before December 31st. Please pay by check or by credit card using the PayPal link on the club’s website. If you have any questions, please reach out to Tricia. She emailed dues notices in November.
David Wells presented our club’s fundraiser MoVember to promote awareness of Men’s Health. Four Rotarians participated, by growing facial hair others “wore faux facial hair” in support of men’s health. Club members voted, with Micheal Houlsen in first place, Jack Frost second, Gene Pellerano third and David Wells fourth. “Carlos” came in first for the faux facial hair. Lots of fun! A total of $530 was raised for the cause. Thank you to everyone, especially to Dave for organizing this fundraising effort and keeping the awareness of the importance of a simple blood test for men’s health. All donations will go to Maine Coast Hospital Urology Department.
Saxon introduced two new members to the club. New members Ellen Koors and Matt Montgomery were inducted into the club. Ellen works for Stanley Subaru and Matt is the CEO of Downeast Family YMCA.
Lincoln Ehrlenbach provided a Foundation update. To date over $2,000 has been donated to the Annual Share Fund EREY and over $1900 to PolioPlus. Members contributing $100 to date to EREY were given their annual stickers to place on their name badges.
Rebecca called the annual meeting to order. She shared the nomination process and the nominating committee’s recommendations for Executive officers for the 2026-2027 Rotary year.
Past President – Rebecca Toci
President – JoAnn Rodick
President Elect – Saxon Tinto
Vice President – Ashley Johnson
Secretary – Tricia Quirk
Treasurer – Debbie Ehrlenbach
She asked for nominations from the floor. Hearing none it was unanimous to approve the slate of officers as presented by the nominating committee. 25 members in the room and 4 proxy votes for a total of 29. Quorum met.
Debbie provided a financial report to November 30, 2025 and circulated a copy of the balance sheet and income statement for everyone to review.
Door prizes were won by Ellen Koors and Linda Elliot (who gave hers to Matt)
The 50/50 drawing of $10 was won by Shelly VanCamp and donated back to the happy dollars cause for this quarter, Next Step Domestic Violence.
Happy dollars were collected from many members.
December 16th, we meet at Moore Community Center to make up stockings, box cookies and sign Christmas cards. Please arrive at 5:30pm. This will be the last meeting for 2025.
Due to the impending winter weather being forecasted for Tuesday, December 2, 2025, we have decided to cancel the HCTC Recognition Night (Rotary Meeting) until a future date in 2026. We want to make sure that everyone is safe and sound in the event of snow.
The Rotary Club of Ellsworth met at Poppy and Polka Dot Boutique located at 97 Main Street in Ellsworth. Club members met owner Amanda Beals and she spoke about the history of her boutique. Everyone enjoyed appetizers, fellowship and shopping! Thank you Poppy & Polka Dot Boutique
The Rotary Club of Ellsworth Food Drive at Hannaford to benefit the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry was a tremendous success on many levels. Community support was amazing with a total of 102 turkeys and 817.5 pounds of food was donated along with $2,137.98 in cash donations!
A total of 16 EHS students helped during the day and were still full of enough energy at the end of the food drive to empty the food truck and stock shelves.Thank you to everyone! Those in need in our community will benefit from your time and generosity. Click on the link below to see more photos!
Jack Frost called the meeting to order. He welcomed everyone and our guests were State Senator Nicole Grohoski, Grayson Chandler, Mikele Block, and Rebecca Winkler-Barrera.
No visiting Rotarians.
Our guest speaker is Dr Jolene Driver.
Jack thanked Carl Lusby for serving as Sergeant at Arms, Debbie Ehrlenbach for taking notes and Michael Houlsen for managing our technology.
Thank you letter from Next Step Domestic Violence was shared.
David Wells presented our club’s fundraiser MoVember to promote awareness of Men’s Health. All Rotarians can participate, by growing facial hair or “wearing faux facial hair” in support of men’s health. Donations of $10 to support club members growing facial hair and club members wearing faux facial hair. Dave circulated the poster board for members to sign up. All donations will go to Maine Coast Hospital Urology Department. Club members can mail in donations, clearly marked for MoVember, to support this worthy cause. The winner of the competition will be selected on December 2nd at our HCTC night.
Lincoln Ehrlenbach provided an update for the November 15th Annual Food Drive at Hannaford. The drive runs from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, followed by delivering the food to the pantry. Delivery of the food to the pantry should be finished by 3:00 pm. Contact Stacie, Peter or Lincoln if you plan to help. Wednesday, November 5th, we will be doing a live broadcast at Star 97.7 to promote the event. Hope to see everyone at Hannaford on Saturday, November 15th.
Saxon Tinto shared that Ellen Koors will be joining our membership.
Jack Frost shared the Gifting Experience will be held Saturday, December 13th 9:30 to noon. Please contact Jack, Carl, Carol or Ashley if you have questions and or are planning to help.
Donations were given to the following organizations:
Camp CaPella - Mikele Block and Rebecca Winkler-Barrera representing Camp CaPella received a donation of $500.
Stanwood Wildlife Sanctuary – Grayson Chandler representing Stanwood Wildlife received a donation of $500.
Door prizes were won by Debbie, Marian and Dave.
The 50/50 drawing of $9 was won by Shelly VanCamp and donated back to the happy dollars cause for this quarter, Next Step Domestic Violence.
Happy dollars were collected from many members.
Senator Nicole Grohoski presented the club with a recognition from the State of Maine Senate and House of Representatives for our 75 years of service.
Dr Jolene Driver, Physician Associate at Maine Coast Hospital Urology practice, spoke to the club to kick off our support of Men’s Health awareness month. She shared with the members the importance of an annual visit to a primary care doctor and having PSA screening.
No meeting next week, in honor of Veteran’s Day.
November 18th, we meet at Poppy and Polka Dot Boutique for a business visit. Poppy and Polka Dot is located at 97 Main Street in Ellsworth. Please arrive at 5:30pm for an early meeting start. Amanda Beals will share her story with us. See you there to support a local small business.
District Governor Sue Pratt was our guest speaker last week. Sue was the President of Farmington Rotary from January 1998 to June of 2000. She has been active with many projects over the years, including many fundraisers, the club’s Festival of Trees, the local youth programs, providing invocations for the club.
She spoke about her goals and introduced this year's District Project. Our club presented a check to support the upcoming project.
Thank you for visiting and we look forward to the 2025-2026 Rotary Year!
The Rotary Club of Ellsworth will be conducting their annual Food Drive for the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry in Ellsworth on Saturday, November 15th from 9am to 2pm at the Ellsworth Hannaford. We accept food or monetary donations at this event to help those in need in Hancock County.
Once again this year we are adding a challenge -"The Ton of Turkey Challenge!" We are asking all Rotarians and members of the community to help donate a ton of Turkeys to the Pantry (134 frozen turkeys are needed, in lieu of a turkey two chickens or a ham will be greatly appreciated) during operating hours: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:00am to 12:30pm or 4:00pm to 6:00pm on Wednesdays. If you live out of town, you can donate $20 and they will count as a turkey. Donations can be mailed to our club’s address at PO Box 741, Ellsworth.
Opening Ceremonies: Past President Debbie Ehrlenbach called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
Rotary Business/Upcoming events/Volunteer Opportunities: Nominations for next year’s club officers are being sought… Please contact any member of the Nominating Committee to share your interest in becoming an officer of the club.
Our Annual Gifting Experience will be held Saturday, December 13th ….. You’re your calendars and more information to follow at future meetings.
Next Step Fundraising Event: Our Club has a VIP Table at THE VOICE DOWNEAST Season 2 being held October 23rd at Big Cats Catering in Trenton.
Community Service: Rotarian Stacie Brown, Community Service Co-Chair, announced the following upcoming service opportunities:
Polio Walk, Saturday, October 18th beginning at Knowlton Park at 10:00 a.m.;
Trunk or Treat at YMCA, Friday, October 31st at 4:00 p.m. – Rotarians are asked to donate bags of treats;
Annual Loaves and Fishes Food Drive at Hannafords Parking Lot – Saturday, November 15th 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Join a Rotary Committee: We encourage club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
50/50: $11 to Mary Beth Harmon
Happy Dollars– 2nd quarter Happy Dollars will be going towards Next Step Domestic Violence. Several Rotarians shared happy thoughts.
Guest Speaker: Our guest speaker was Chris Crockett. Chris is an Ellsworth High School graduate and lives in Surry. Chris began his career in newspapers at The Ellsworth American in 1995, leading the technology and digital initiatives for The American. He assisted in the launch of the Mount Desert Islander in 2001.
In 2020, Chris was promoted to publisher and led a group of weekly newspapers including The Ellsworth American, Mount Desert Islander, Courier-Gazette, Republican Journal, Camden Herald and The Free Press. In 2024 Chris helped guide the launch of the Midcoast Villager, a combination of the Midcoast Maine weekly newspapers. Chris continues to lead The Ellsworth American and Mount Desert Islander as publisher.
Chris spent twelve years serving on the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors including two years as board chair. In 2019 Chris joined the Maine Press Association board of director and served as board president in 2022. In 2025 Chris joined the Woodlawn board of Trustees.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Thank you to all Rotarians and community individuals who participated in the Polio Walk in Ellsworth on Saturday, October 18th and for supporting Fogtown Brewery after the walk. We raised $500.00! Thank You! Click on the link below to check out the photos!
Opening Ceremonies: Past President Jack Frost called the meeting to order.
Weekly Rotary Words: Jack shared snippets from: “How Rotary Focuses on Economic Development” and we all said the Pledge of Allegiance.
Sergeant at Arms: Rotarians Julie and Tony Bouchard handled the Sergeant at Arms duties.
Visiting Rotarians: Dom Efter from the Ellsworth Noontime Club.
50/50: The Lucky winner was: Mary Beth Harmon
Happy Dollars: 2nd Quarter Happy Dollars will go towards Next Step…The following individuals gave Happy Dollars: _Mary Beth Harmon; Dom Efter; Marian Wells; Dave Wells; Linda Rose; Jody Cushing; Carol Jordan; Jo Cooper; Carl Lusby
Rotary Business: 1)___The Autumn Gold Pancake Breakfast attracted 320 attendees and raised over $3700 for our International Prostheses Project. In addition the tip jars raised $330 for our Scholarship Fund. 2)___Nominations for next year’s club officers are being sought… Please contact any member of the Nominating Committee to share your interest in becoming an officer of the club. 3)___Our Annual Gifting Experience will be held Saturday, December 13th ….. You’re your calendars and more information to follow at future meetings. 4____Next Step Fundraising Event : Our Club has a VIP Table at THE VOICE DOWNEAST Season 2 being held October 23rd at Big Cats Catering in Trenton.
Community Service: Rotarian Stacie Brown, Community Service Co-Chair, announced the following upcoming service opportunities:
Polio Walk, Saturday, October 18th beginning at Knowlton Park at 10:00 a.m.;
Trunk or Treat at YMCA, Friday, October 31st at 4:00 p.m. – Rotarians are asked to donate bags of treats;
Annual Loaves and Fishes Food Drive at Hannafords Parking Lot – Saturday, November 15th 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Guest Speaker: Scott Boucher ---- This week's guest speaker was Scott Boucher. Scott is a member of the Rotary Club of Old Town where he is currently serving as Club President. Scott also serves on the District 7790 Foundation committee as the Polio Plus Chair, a position he has held for over 12 years. Scott has also served as a past Assistant Governor and District Trainer for 7790. He lives in Bangor with his wife Dena and daughter Claire.
Scott shared that World Polio Day is October 24th. He commended our club for its long tradition of supporting Rotary International’s efforts to eradicate polio world wide. He noted our upcoming Polio walk as an example of how to raise funds as well as awareness in the community of the importance of continuing the effort to remove the polio virus from the world.
Scott shared a power point presentation showing what a devastating disease polio can be by sharing pictures and statistics from the 1950’s and 60’s through today where the wild polio virus is only present in two remaining countries. Scott reminded us why it is important to continue the effort until full eradication of the virus. Rotary has contributed more than $2.6 billion to fight polio, including matching funds from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and countless volunteer hours since launching its polio eradication program, PolioPlus, in 1985. Scott also shared how each Rotary member can become a member of the District 7790 PolioPlus Society. Fore more information contact Scott Boucher at: sboucher@barresibenefits.com
Thank you to all sponsors, volunteers and community members for supporting the 2025 Autumn Gold Rotary Pancake Breakfast! Click on the link below to see the photos!
Opening Ceremonies: Past President Dave Wells called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Carl thanked Jo Cooper for taking care of Sergeant at Arms duties and Michael Houlsen for setting up Zoom.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
Autumn Gold Pancake Breakfast – Saturday, September 27th from 7am-10am at EEMS. Kelly Brown sent an email out asking for help. We need propane tanks, cooks, etc. Please sign up to help.
Peanut Butter & Jelly Drive: Club members donated jars of peanut butter and jelly to the Bangor Savings Bank for their annual food drive to support local food insecurity programs. For every jar donated, Bangor Savings Bank will donate an additional jar!
Rotary Polio Walk: Our club will hold its Annual Polio Walk in recognition of World Polio Day on Saturday, October 18th. All walkers will meet at Knowlton Park at 9:30am. The walk will start at 10:00am. We will proceed down State Street to the lower light on Main Street, walk up Main Street to School Street and return to Knowlton Park. A $20 donation is suggested to participate. Bring your family and friends along to help raise money to eradicate polio. Dogs are also welcome. Funds raised will go toward Rotary International’s End Polio Now efforts.
After the Polio Walk everyone is invited to Fogtown Brewery located at 25 Pine Street in Ellsworth from Noon to 3:00pm to order pizza and pints. Fogtown Brewery will be having a Pints for Polio where any pints sold, they will donate 10% towards Polio.
Ellsworth and Blue Hill YMCA Community Polio Walk: Join the YMCA in Ellsworth and Blue Hill walking club in the laps around the gym. We ask that participants gather sponsors for this Walk-A-Thon to raise awareness and donations for this worthy cause, Celebrate with us on October 23rd from 11am to Noon.
Membership Night: October 28th at EEMS. More details to come soon!
Rotary Food Drive – November 15th at the Ellsworth Hannaford Parking Lot. More details to come soon!
Partner Program: To date we have over collected $12,000! Debbie will bring the poster to next week’s meeting for all to see the businesses who have donated.
Join a Rotary Committee: We encourage club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Door prizes were won by Lori Googins, Carl Lusby, Candy, Michael Houlsen Dave Wells, Fred Beyer, Laurie Fogelman and Mary Beth Harmon. Dave added to the door prize fun with “Let’s Make a Deal”. Lori swapped her prize for a Rotary Hat. Carl won a Dunkin gift card. Lots of fun!
Happy Dollars– 1st quarter Happy Dollars will be going towards Cody's Closet This is a great opportunity to support children in our Foster Care system in Maine and meet their needs. Several Rotarians shared happy thoughts.
Guest Speaker: Our guest speaker was Matthew Mank of Honor Flight Maine. He shared a presentation about the program. Honor Flight Maine provides Maine Veterans a free weekend trip to experience the profound beauty of the World War 2 Memorial, the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial and many other significant sites in Washington D.C.
The club donated $500 to Honor Flight Maine and Matthew accepted the check.
1st Quarter Club Assembly: Committee chairs gave a summary from the past quarter and introduce any new plans over the next couple months.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Next week at Rotary- Tuesday, September 30th - there is no meeting. A reminder email will be sent out.
Opening Ceremonies: Past President Carl Lusby called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Carl thanked Lincoln Ehrlenbach for taking care of Sergeant at Arms duties.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
Autumn Gold Pancake Breakfast – Saturday, September 27th from 7am-10am at EEMS. Kelly Brown sent an email out asking for help. We need propane tanks, cooks, etc. Please sign up to help.
YMCA Golf Tournament: The YMCA will be holding their Annual Bo Lewis/Charlie Crowley Memorial Golf Tournament at Kebo Valley Golf Center in Bar Harbor this Saturday (9/20). Fellow Rotarian Matt is looking for Volunteers to assist in the following areas:
On Course Contests: (Closest to the Pin, Longest Drive, etc.): 9:00-2:30pm. Clean Up: 3:00-4:30pm
If you are able to help, please email Matt or Jean Wood at jwood@defymca.org.
Peanut Butter & Jelly Drive: A reminder that we are collecting jars of PB&J at our next Club meeting on 9/23 to donate to the Bangor Savings Bank Food Drive to support local food charities. Please consider donating!
Partner Program: To date we have over collected $12,000! Debbie will bring the poster to next week’s meeting for all to see the businesses who have donated.
Join a Rotary Committee: We encourage club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Happy Dollars– 1st quarter Happy Dollars will be going towards Cody's Closet This is a great opportunity to support children in our Foster Care system in Maine and meet their needs. Several Rotarians shared happy thoughts.
Guest Speaker: Dr. Kristen Hayward was our guest speaker this week. She is a board-certified nurse-midwife and the founder of Anchored Women’s Health. She holds an Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate in Nursing and specializes in well-woman care, gynecological concerns and menopause.
She brings a strong small-village work ethic to her multi-specialty practice, which offers primary care, physical therapy, lactation consulting, mental health support, lab services and selected procedures. They are located at 710 Bucksport Road in Ellsworth and are accepting new patients!
Our club meeting was held at Anchored Women’s Health Center and they provided snacks and drinks for the meeting. Thank You!
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Next week at Rotary- Tuesday, September 23rd our meeting will be held at the Moore Community Center. We will be having a Club Assembly.
David Wells called the meeting to order. He welcomed everyone.
No guests or visiting Rotarians.
Our guest speaker is Dr Casey Johnson.
Dave thanked Debbie Ehrlenbach for serving as Sergeant at Arms and for taking notes.
Thank you letters from Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital and Cody’s Closet were shared.
Autumn Gold Pancake Breakfast: Kelly Brown provided an update for the Autumn Gold Blueberry Pancake Breakfast scheduled for Saturday September 27th at the EEMS. Sign-up sheets were available for Rotarians to volunteer. Tickets and posters were available and distributed to club members. Rotarians can contact Kelly or Stacie for tickets. Kelly asked that Rotarians sign up for either setup on Friday or take down on Saturday to better manage and share the workload. More details to come in the next two weeks.
Bangor Savings Bank PB & Jelly Drive: Stacie Brown shared the Bangor Savings Bank peanut butter and jelly drive. Please bring a jar of peanut butter and jelly to the Club Assembly on September 23rd . She will collect the donations and get them to Bangor Savings Bank. An email went out to all club members about this as well.
The 50/50 drawing of $7 was won by Rebecca Greenlaw and given to the happy dollars cause for this quarter, Cody’s Closet.
Happy dollars were collected from many members.
Door prizes were won by Saxon, Debbie, Candy, Lincoln and JoAnn. Dave added to the door prize fun with “Let’s Make a Deal”. Saxon passed on the opportunity. Debbie took the opportunity to exchange her door prize for Dave’s envelope, meeting the challenge as stated in the envelope. Candy passed on the opportunity; however Lincoln decided to exchange his door prize for a second envelope and met the challenge (note an easy question for him). Lots of fun!
Guest Speaker: Dr. Casey Johnson owner of CrossFit gave us a tour of the facility and shared information about the programs offered. She welcomed all of us to stop by for a visit to observe a class. The Center is open 7 days a week and offers a beginner class on Saturday and Sunday. All ages are welcome.
We meet next week September 16th at Anchored Women’s Health.
Dave closed the meeting.
Respectfully submitted by Rotarian Debbie Ehrlenbach
Sending a reminder there is no meeting this week. Next week on September 9th, our club will be at UMA Ellsworth Center. The board meeting will also be held there.
Our guest speaker will be Casey Johnson of CrossFit.
Club members at work volunteering at the Ellsworth High School Freshman barbecue. Welcome to EHS freshman students! Click on the link below to check out the photos!
Opening Ceremonies: Past President Ashley Johnson called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Ashley thanked Mary Beth Harmon and Lincoln Ehrlenbach for taking care of Sergeant at Arms duties, Gene Pellerano for managing Zoom and everyone for help set up and take down the room.
Visiting Rotarians and Guests: Dom Efter of the Ellsworth Noontime Club, Susan Boyce-Cormiar and Mike Cormiar of the Farmington Club and Brielle Johnson.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
Rebecca Greenlaw and David Wells presented a check to Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital in the amount of $586.00 towards Men’s Health. This was from our Movember event.
Sea Princess Sunset Cruise - on Tuesday, August 26, 2025. Departs Northeast Harbor at 6:15 pm (Leave Ellsworth at 5:15 pm) Cruise duration is 1 hour 30 minute. Tickets $35 Adult - $32 Senior - $28 children (6-12 years). Register by August 20th to Debbie Ehrlenbach.
Freshmen BBQ - The Community Service Committee is looking for Volunteers to cook/serve burgers and hotdogs to the incoming Freshman class at Ellsworth High School on Thursday, August 28th from 9:00- 1:00pm. The school will take care of all the supplies and the Rotarians will do all the cooking and serving.
Autumn Gold Pancake Breakfast – Saturday, September 27th from 7am-10am at EEMS. More details to come!
Tip Jar for the Waiter: Reminder to tip the waiter when ordering a meal at the weekly meetings.
Join a Rotary Committee: We encourage club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Door Prizes: This week’s winners were Carl Lusby, Stacie Brown and David Wells
50-50 won by Laurie Fogelman - $8
Happy Dollars– 1st quarter Happy Dollars will be going towards Cody's Closet This is a great opportunity to support children in our Foster Care system in Maine and meet their needs. Several Rotarians shared happy thoughts.
Guest Speaker: These week’s guest speakers were John Ronan & Carrie Barnes of Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital. They both gave an update on the hospital, the OB unit and the latest news on Anthem.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Next week at Rotary- Sea Princess Sunset Cruise on Tuesday, August 26, 2025. Departs Northeast Harbor at 6:15 pm (Leave Ellsworth at 5:15 pm) Cruise duration is 1 hour 30 minute. Tickets $35 Adult - $32 Senior - $28 children (6-12 years). Register by August 20th to Debbie Ehrlenbach.
Opening Ceremonies: Past President Jo Cooper called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Jo thanked Bob and Mary Thomas for taking care of Sergeant at Arms duties, Ashley Johnson for taking minutes, Clyde Cushing for managing Zoom and everyone for help set up and take down the room.
Visiting Rotarians and Guests: Dom Efter of the Ellsworth Noontime Club, Susan Boyce-Cormiar and Mike Cormiar of the Farmington Club, Ellen Koors and Carin Sychterz.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
Thank You Cards from Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry and Star 97.7 Radio for our visit to talk about the Pancake Breakfast.
75th Logo Apparel Items Are Here! If you ordered from Debbie and Lincoln last month, they are passing them out. Shirts and Aprons! If you didn’t get a chance to place an order, please reach out!
Rotary Blueberry Pancake Breakfast – Saturday, August 2nd under the big white tent at the Downeast Family YMCA Parking lot in Ellsworth. Sell or buy your tickets. Flyers available.
Tip Jar for the Waiter: Reminder to tip the waiter when ordering a meal at the weekly meetings.
Join a Rotary Committee: Rebecca Greenlaw encourages club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
50-50 won by Arlyn Whitelaw - $8
Happy Dollars– 1st quarter Happy Dollars will be going towards Cody's Closet This is a great opportunity to support children in our Foster Care system in Maine and meet their needs. Several Rotarians shared happy thoughts.
Guest Speaker: This week’s guest speaker was Mark Politte. Mark is the owner of Stanley Subaru and Stanley Chevrolet, two respected dealerships in the automotive industry known for their guest-first culture and strong community values. A graduate of Purdue University, where he studied engineering and met his wife, Mark brings both analytical thinking and heart to everything he does. Together, he and his wife have raised three adult children who are now making their own marks around the globe.
Mark has been deeply rooted in his local community for decades. He is a founding charter member and repeat board member of the Ellsworth Noontime Rotary and has served on the boards of several nonprofits throughout the region. His dedication to service and leadership has earned him national recognition, including being named the 2024 Subaru Love Promise Customer and Community Retailer of the Year, and a finalist for Time Magazine’s 2024 Dealer of the Year.
Whether he's leading a team or serving on a board, Mark brings a thoughtful, grounded perspective shaped by years of experience, a commitment to excellence, and a deep belief in giving back.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Next week at Rotary- There is no meeting on August 5th. Our next meeting will be on August 12th at Fogtown Brewing Company at 5:30pm for dinner and fellowship. We hope to see you there!
The Rotary Club of Ellsworth’s 63rd Blueberry Pancake Breakfast was a hit! Thank you to all volunteers, community members and businesses for supporting this event!
Past President Jo Cooper called the meeting to order. She welcomed everyone to our first Adult Education Recognition evening.
She provided opening remarks and brief overview of what Rotary is.
Guests attending the meeting included Max Dietshe, Domenic Efter, Ellen Koors, Annie Sargent, Emily Nash, Michellle Dawson and special student guest Phelecia Allen Muzima.
Jo thanked Tony and Julie Bouchard for serving as Sergeant at Arms, Debbie Ehrlenbach for taking notes and pictures, Michael Houlsen for managing AV and Gene Pellerano for preparing tonight’s program.
Stacie Brown provided an update for the August 2nd Blueberry Pancake Breakfast. All hands on deck for this community service event and fundraiser. Everyone is to arrive by 6:00 am on Saturday. Friday at 3:00 will be the setup. On Friday, meet at Next Step to help with moving all the grills and related items from storage. Tickets are available from Stacie if you haven’t yet gotten yours. Please get your ticket money in as soon as possible. 12 propane tanks are needed and we are shy 4 tanks. Please bring a tank on Friday by 3:00 pm labeled with your name.
Max Dietshe representing the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry shared an invitation for the fundraising event “Pour it Forward”. A wine tasting event to be held Thursday, August 21st 6-8pm at Bar Harbor Cellars Winery in Bar Harbor. He circulated the invitation.
Jo shared a thank you letter the club received from Centro de Protesis for the club’s $4800 donation.
The 50/50 drawing of $9 was won by Ray Williams and given to the happy dollars cause for this quarter, Cody’s Closet.
Happy dollars were collected from many members. Fred Byers celebrated his 80th birthday and the club sang happy birthday to him.
Gene Pellerano introduced the Adult Ed Program and thanked Laura for providing dessert and Domenic and Arlyn for their generous donation of gift cards given to each of the honor students. Each student received an award, 4-way test coin and $25 gift card. Students receiving recognition include Sandy Martin, Cayden Lamboy-Cruz, Matthew Grever, Michael DeWitt, Phelecia Allen Muzima, and Rhiannon Hubbs.
Annie Sargent, Director Ellsworth Adult and Community Education shared information about the program at the center, its mission and some profiles of the honor students. Students are nominated by the staff for honor society. Emily Nash, Student Advisor and Academic Teacher introduced honor student Phelecia Allen Muzima sharing her success story.
The Center has relocated to Avery Lane and is working on updating its website and catalogs. We are all invited to come see the new location.
We meet next week July 29th at China Hill. Mark Politte owner of Stanley Subaru will be our guest speaker. Jo closed the meeting.
Respectfully submitted by Rotarian Debbie Ehrlenbach
Opening Ceremonies: Past President Jo Cooper called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Jo thanked Debbie and Lincoln Ehrlenbach for taking care of Sergeant at Arms duties, Ashley for taking minutes, Michael for managing Zoom and everyone for help set up and take down the room.
Visiting Rotarian: Dom Efter
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
Rotary Business & Upcoming events:
75th Anniversary Promo for The Ellsworth American: This year the Rotary Club of Ellsworth celebrates our 75th Anniversary and The Ellsworth American is going to feature us in a spread in their newspaper. Check out the promotional page below. If you would like to reserve a space, please contact Julie Clark at the telephone number or email below. Advertising Deadline/ July 23 207-266-0133 jclark@mdislander.com
Silverware Wrapping: Come help wrap silverware for the upcoming Pancake Breakfast at Debbie and Lincoln’s Camp located in Hancock at 111 Ferry Road starting at 4:30pm on July 17th.
Darlings stuff the Truck: Darlings is collecting food items for the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry, a campaign "Stuff the Truck", which has been extended to July 12th. Please bring in non-perishable food items to the club meeting this Tuesday, July 8th to support this community effort. If you cannot make the meeting on Tuesday, you can drop off food items at the Chamber and PJ will make sure that the items are placed in the "Rotary Box".
Volunteer Opportunities:
Rotary Blueberry Pancake Breakfast – Saturday, August 2nd under the big white tent at the Downeast Family YMCA Parking lot in Ellsworth. Sell or buy your tickets. Flyers available.
Tip Jar for the Waiter: Reminder to tip the waiter when ordering a meal at the weekly meetings.
Join a Rotary Committee: Rebecca Greenlaw encourages club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Door prizes were won by Nancy Mayo, Carol Jordan, Peter Farragher, JoAnn Rodick
50-50 won by Marc Rich - $6
Happy Dollars– 1st quarter Happy Dollars will be going towards Cody's Closet This is a great opportunity to support children in our Foster Care system in Maine and meet their needs. Several Rotarians shared happy thoughts.
July 15th Meeting: Our next Rotary weekly meeting on July 15, 2025 will be held at DeMeyer Field to celebrate the Rotary 75th Legacy Project's first phase of completion with a Potluck BBQ. Thank you to Debbie Ehrlenbach and Peter Farragher for their dedication and leadership on this project and all Rotarians who spent countless hours bringing this phase of it to completion. During the evening we will also learn more about the next phase of the project. Exciting!
We ask that all members bring a dish to share. If you would like to bring a meat to grill, there will be a grill onsite for the evening. Thank you to Lincoln for volunteering to bring a grill to cook on. Remember cooking utensils! Thank you to Tricia Quirk for bringing watermelon for all to enjoy.
You may also want to bring a camp chair or folding chair as there are limited picnic tables available.
Guest Speaker: This week’s guest speaker was Ashley Pesek. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Cody’s Closet. Cody's Closet is built to serve the needs of teens in foster care. In memory of Dakota Markham.
Ashley is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has practiced in Hancock County for the last 20 years. Ashley began her career as a social worker in the field of substance use disorder, then after having her daughter and moving home to Hancock County, she began a career in Child Welfare investigating child abuse and neglect. Following her licensure as a clinician, Ashley transitioned to Aroostook Mental Health Center as the Clinical Supervisor to Mobile Crisis, where she remains today. In this position she has become an expert in severe and persistent mental illness and trauma.
In an unexpected turn of events, Ashley found her most important work when she and her family became a licensed foster home more than 10 years ago. They have fostered over 30 children with 19 children finding their permanent home within this family. Mom is her most important role. In May of 2022, tragedy struck her family when her 18 year old son Dakota, Cody, died in a car accident 3 weeks before he was set to graduate from Ellsworth High School. This experience was transformative for the family. In their grief, they opened Cody’s Closet, a foster closet for teens that supports teens in foster care by providing basic necessities and helping them to build roots in community.
Visit their Facebook page. Donations are always needed! Cody's Closet
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Next week at Rotary- July 15th – BBQ and Bocce at the DeMeyer Field in Ellsworth.
The club met at DeMeyer Field for a cookout on July 15th. Rotarians brought food to share and enjoyed fellowship. We were entertained by Downeast Shakes & Shenanigans. Four of the actors from the group, came to perform small skits from the planned program to take place at Knowlton Park on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Everyone enjoyed their performances. We toured the complex. Peter Farragher did a walkthrough of the next steps of the project. Phase II of the project is the addition of a parking lot and repurpose of the third field.
This year the Rotary Club of Ellsworth celebrates our 75th Anniversary and The Ellsworth American is going to feature us in a spread in their newspaper. Check out the promotional page below. If you would like to reserve a space, please contact Julie Clark at the telephone number or email below. Advertising Deadline/ July 23 207-266-0133 jclark@mdislander.com
Opening Ceremonies: President Rebecca Greenlaw called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Rebecca thanked Clyde for taking care of Sergeant at Arms duties, Ashley for taking minutes, Michael for managing Zoom and everyone for help set up and take down the room.
Guests: Dom Efter
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
Rotary Business & Upcoming events:
New member induction: Our club welcomed three new members! Becca Mantelli, Arlyn Whitelaw and Candace Bachorik! Welcome to the club Ladies!
New Rotary Designs – Shirts, Aprons, totes. Price sheet available to place orders through Debbie and Lincoln Ehrlenbach. Deadline to order: July 8th.
Transition Night – June 24th – Will be honoring long time members, celebrating our 75th year with a cake, fellowship and video of club made by the Ehrlenbach’s. Come celebrate!
Rotary Club Dues – Emails have been sent out. Dues are to be paid by July 1st by check, cash or through our PayPal account located on the club’s website.
Volunteer Opportunities:
Rotary Blueberry Pancake Breakfast – Saturday, August 2nd. We are looking for a 100-cup coffee maker to use for the breakfast. This can be burrowed from a friend/family or a local church? Let Lincoln Ehrlenbach know.
Tip Jar for the Waiter: Reminder to tip the waiter when ordering a meal at the weekly meetings.
Join a Rotary Committee: Rebecca Greenlaw encourages club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Door prizes were won by Candy Bachorik, JoAnn Rodick, and Carl Lusby
50-50 won by Mary Beth Harmon - $10
Happy dollars this quarter go the Scholarship Fund – Several Rotarians shared happy thoughts
Club Assembly:
Vocational Update: Student Scholarships – 80 applications were turned in. Students competed for six different types of scholarships for a total of 13 awards.
EHS and HCTC – This past year we had an EHS Honors banquet for 35 students and three HCTC recognition evening where we covered 12 classes and learned about Skills USA.
Member Vocational talks will start in July. Gene sent an outline to the attendees at the meeting describing a basic outline.
Annie Sargent contacted the club to start honoring adult education students and suggested that she bring National Adult Education Honor Society inductees to one of our meetings. The board met and recommended this. We have scheduled this meeting for July 22nd. To honor 6 students. We ask members to both volunteer as greeters and to supply $25 gift cards for gasoline or groceries.
RYLA – Rotary Youth Leadership Award – Looking for a candidate between 18 – 30 years old to attend a weekend in September, Friday 12-Sunday 14. The cost is $200 to the club. The candidate doesn’t need to be affiliated with the club. The weekend is about learning about leaderships skills, team building and white water rafting. You learn about Rotary and work with other from the US and Canada.
Treasurer’s Report: All operating accounts are now at Camden National Bank. Current balance is $14,891.
$1,800 has been paid for dues, $2, 124 is available to start the Gifting Experience and $3,194 has been paid to Wallace Events for the pancake breakfast tent.
1st quarter happy dollars - $420
2nd quarter happy dollars - $393
3rd quarter happy dollars - $329
4th quarter happy dollars so far - $392
Most expenses were for the most part in line with expectations. There were two issues relating to the weekly meals – member paid meals vs minimum requirements; weekly tip requirements vs amount paid in the tip jar. The club is responsible for $758 in meals and $1,105 tips - $400 of that tip expense was for additional tips for the waitress during special events.
International Update: I’m reaching out to share a story that touched my heart and
reminded me why we do what we do. Yesterday, we had the privilege of fitting 15- year old
Jusveidy Paola Mota Rodriguez with her first prosthetic leg, and let me tell you, it was a
moment I’ll never forget.
Jusveidy was born without one of her legs, and growing up as a teenager hasn’t been easy.
Navigating school with crutches, she often felt different from her peers, and it took a toll. Her
parents poured everything they had into supporting her, traveling weekly to Santo Domingo in
search of someone who could help make their daughter’s dream of a prosthetic leg come
true. They wanted her to feel like “the other kids,” to walk confidently and chase her dreams
without barriers.
Well, thanks to your incredible support, that dream became reality yesterday. We fitted
Jusveidy with her first prosthetic leg, and the joy on her face was indescribable. She’s already
excited to head back to school and show her friends.
When we asked her what she wants to be when she grows up, her answer hit me hard: “I
want to be a doctor to help other people.” Can you imagine? This young girl, who’s been
through so much, wants to pay it forward. It’s a beautiful reminder of how kindness ripples
outward. I was once helped by others to get my own prosthetic leg, and now, through your
generosity and our organization’s work, we’ve given Jusveidy a new start. Her dream to
become a doctor and help others is proof that the chain of blessings keeps growing.
I can’t thank you enough for believing in our mission. A special shout out to Mr. Amann for his
generous donation that funded the adjustable socket we used for Jusveidy’s prosthetic. Huge
thanks to our longtime partner, Penta Medical Recycling, for providing the foot, knee, and
other components that made this fitting possible. And to everyone who keeps us in their
prayers, your support means the world. Thank you all for standing with us and making moments like this possible. Together, we’re
This week at Rotary was a special club meeting! We honored our longtime members: Iris Simon, Raymond Williams, Larry Fernald and Michael Povich. In addition to this, we celebrated our 75th club anniversary with a special cake and 75th anniversary video.
Following all this, we celebrated transition night, introducing directors for 2025-2026 and the plans for the coming year.
Rotarian Laurie Fogelman was recognized for receiving her Paul Harris Fellow+1 and Rotarian Arlyn Whitelaw for becoming a Paul Harris Fellow Benefactor! Congratulations!
Thank you to Bar Harbor Bank & Trust for being the 2025 Partner and Presenting Sponsor for the Blueberry Pancake Breakfast!
We look forward to another year providing humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.
The Rotary Club of Ellsworth's 75th Anniversary Video! Special Thank You to Rotarians Lincoln and Debbie Ehrlenbach for all their hard work on this! Below is a note from them:
"Lincoln and I enjoyed putting together this video telling the story of the club’s 75 years with pictures, narrative and music. We appreciate and thank you for the opportunity. We want to thank Lincoln’s dad, Howard Ehrlenbach, for documenting the club’s first 30 years with typewritten notes, clipping newspaper articles and taking pictures. Unfortunately, the original charter documents were destroyed in a fire at the Brookside restaurant. Iris Simon carried the torch of recording club history for many years and compiled information for the 60th anniversary held at Lucerne Inn.
We also want to thank Michael Povich, Jack Frost and Ashley Johnson for taking pictures over recent years and sharing those with us. We appreciate Rebecca, Clyde, Peter, JoAnn and Ashley for agreeing to be narrators. The music personally selected by us is especially meaningful to us as it was used by Lincoln at PETS and the District Conference during his year as District Governor. The music reminds us of that special time and what Rotarians strive for.
Our hope is that this video will bring back a fond memory, make you smile, provide you with something that you did not know about the club, and remind you why you are a member of the Rotary Club of Ellsworth, inspiring you to continue doing good in the world." Enjoy!
Opening Ceremonies: President Rebecca Greenlaw called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Rebecca thanked Clyde for taking care of Sergeant at Arms duties, Ashley for taking minutes, Michael for managing Zoom and everyone for help set up and take down the room.
Guests: Candace Bachorik, Melanie Dresser, Christopher Young and Franchesca Vidal.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
Rotary Business & Upcoming events:
New Rotary Designs – Shirts, Aprons, totes. Price sheet available to place orders through Debbie and Lincoln Ehrlenbach. Deadline to order: July 15th.
Transition Night – June 24th – Will be honoring long time members, celebrating our 75th year with a cake, fellowship and video of club made by the Ehrlenbach’s. Come celebrate!
Club Assembly – June 17th – We will also be inducting three new members!
Rotary Club Dues – Emails have been sent out. Dues are to be paid by July 1st by check, cash or through our PayPal account located on the club’s website.
Volunteer Opportunities:
KidsPeace Gold Scramble on June 21st at 8:00am at the Lucerne Inn. Please contact Rebecca Greenlaw to sign up.
Habitat for Humanity Golf Tournament on June 20th at the Northeast Harbor Golf Course.
Help volunteer at the Juneteenth event at Knowlton Park this year - 6-19, 3:30pm - 7:00pm. Every year, Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 that Black Americans in Galveston, Texas were first told that they were freed from slavery, nearly two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Annual Juneteenth Downeast events leverage the power of visual arts, spoken word, music, call and response, and group participation/collaboration to: illuminate the continuum of the Black experience in Maine; celebrate the rich legacy and contributions of Black Mainers; honor the dedication and sacrifices of so many in past and present struggles for racial justice; raise awareness about the importance of Juneteenth; and heal, uplift, and reenergize BIPOC members of the community. Volunteers reach out directly Jana Robinson as well, janasmith.robinson@outlook.com, or 207-347-9008.
Rotary Blueberry Pancake Breakfast – Saturday, August 2nd. We are looking for a 100-cup coffee maker to use for the breakfast. This can be burrowed from a friend/family or a local church? Let Lincoln Ehrlenbach know.
Tip Jar for the Waiter: Reminder to tip the waiter when ordering a meal at the weekly meetings.
Join a Rotary Committee: Rebecca Greenlaw encourages club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Door prizes were won by Saxon Tinto and Jo Cooper.
50-50 won by Shelly Van Camp - $8
Happy dollars this quarter go the Scholarship Fund – Several Rotarians shared happy thoughts
Guest Speaker: Our guest speakers were Melanie Dresser of Camp CaPella. Melanie spoke about their current Capital Campaign to build 2.9 miles of ADA Hiking Trails. You can adopt a section of the trail ($25 per linear feet of trail) Or you can become a CaPella Community Partner. Visit their website: https://campcapella.org/
Melanie introduced her adopted son, Christopher Young who has been a camper for 30 years. He spoke about why he loves attending Camp CaPella and why it’s important to help. He also thanked the club for our support over the years.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Next week at Rotary- June 17th – Club Assembly and inducting three new members!
Opening Ceremonies: President Rebecca Greenlaw called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Rebecca thanked Debbie Ehrlenbach for taking care of Sergeant at Arms duties, Ashley for taking minutes, Michael for managing Zoom and everyone for help set up and take down the room.
Guests: Candace Bachorik and Jana Robinson
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
Rotary Business & Upcoming events:
New Rotary Designs – Shirts, Aprons, totes. Price sheet available to place orders through Debbie and Lincoln Ehrlenbach. Photos below to see!
Rotary Club Dues – Emails have been sent out. Dues are to be paid by July 1st by check, cash or through our PayPal account located on the club’s website.
Volunteer Opportunities: KidsPeace Gold Scramble on June 21st at 8:00am at the Lucerne Inn. Please contact Rebecca Greenlaw to sign up.
Help volunteer to staff our Juneteenth event at Knowlton Park this year - 6-19, 3:30pm - 7:00pm Every year, Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 that Black Americans in Galveston, Texas were first told that they were freed from slavery, nearly two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Annual Juneteenth Downeast events leverage the power of visual arts, spoken word, music, call and response, and group participation/collaboration to: illuminate the continuum of the Black experience in Maine; celebrate the rich legacy and contributions of Black Mainers; honor the dedication and sacrifices of so many in past and present struggles for racial justice; raise awareness about the importance of Juneteenth; and heal, uplift, and reenergize BIPOC members of the community.
Volunteers reach out directly Jana Robinson as well, janasmith.robinson@outlook.com, or 207-347-9008.
Loaves and Fishes Luncheon: June 12th at Noon. It’s not a fundraiser, just a small way of saying thanks and celebrating the amazing donors and community partners who make the pantry possible.
Scholarship Thank You Card: A Thank You Card from a student for their scholarship was mailed to the club.
Rotary Blueberry Pancake Breakfast – Saturday, August 2nd. We are looking for a 100-cup coffee maker to use for the breakfast. This can be burrowed from a friend/family or a local church? Let Lincoln Ehrlenbach know.
Tip Jar for the Waiter: Reminder to tip the waiter when ordering a meal at the weekly meetings.
Join a Rotary Committee: Rebecca Greenlaw encourages club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Door prizes were won by Clyde Cushing, Ray Williams, Carl Lusby, Candace Bachorik and JoAnn Rodick.
50-50 won by Nancy Mayo - $5
Happy dollars this quarter go the Scholarship Fund – Several Rotarians shared happy thoughts
Guest Speaker: Our guest speakers were Lincoln Ehrlenbach and Ashley Johnson. They provided a presentation about the Rotary Foundation and Ellsworth Maine Rotary Club Foundation. Haven’s Fudge was shared with everyone!
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Next week at Rotary- June 10th – Guest Speaker Melanie Dresser of Camp CaPella.
Opening Ceremonies: President Rebecca Greenlaw called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Rebecca thanked Peter Farragher for taking care of Sergeant at Arms duties, Ashley for taking minutes, Michael for managing Zoom and everyone for help set up and take down the room.
Guests: Candance Bachorik, Becca Mantelli and Matt Montgomery.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
Rotary Business & Upcoming events:
Tip Jar for the Waiter: Reminder to tip the waiter when ordering a meal at the weekly meetings.
Join a Rotary Committee: Rebecca Greenlaw encourages club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Rotary Blueberry Pancake Breakfast – Saturday, August 2nd. We are looking for a 100-cup coffee maker to use for the breakfast. This can be burrowed from a friend/family or a local church? Let Lincoln Ehrlenbach know. The next meeting will be June 17th after the regular meeting.
Door prizes were won by Lori Googins and Carl Lusby.
50-50 won by Michael Houlsen - $8
Happy dollars this quarter go the Scholarship Fund – Several Rotarians shared happy thoughts
Guest Speaker: Our guest speaker was Matt Montgomery. Matt is the Chief Executive Officer & DEFY Head Coach at Downeast Family YMCA in Ellsworth.
Matt moved to Maine from the Virgin Islands with his wife, Jessica, in 1998. He started in the Aquatics Department as an Assistant Swim Coach and Instructor. After serving for several years as the Aquatic Director, Matt became involved in Membership, Marketing and oversaw the aquatic department. Matt has been on the DEFY Coaching staff since 1998 and has been the Head Coach since 2000. Matt has been awarded Maine State Coach of the Year in 2010, 2013, and 2016. Before moving to Maine, Matt coached the Blue Marlin Swim Team of St. Croix, USVI along with Carderock Spring Cudas in Bethseda, Maryland. Matt has held several positions on the board of Maine Swimming, and currently serves as the Safe Sport Chair.
Matt spoke about an upcoming event at the YMCA our club is sponsoring “Girls Self Defense” on June 6th from 9am – 11am. This is free to ladies 14-19 years’ old who attend a Hancock County School or $5 to members and $10 non-members of the YMCA. The class will cover Situational Awareness and Risk Education, Verbal Defense Skills, Empowerment and Confidence Building.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Next week at Rotary- June 3rd – Guest Speakers Lincoln Ehrlenbach and Ashley Johnson. They will be speaking about the Rotary Foundation and Ellsworth Maine Rotary Club Foundation.
Opening Ceremonies: President Rebecca Greenlaw called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Rebecca thanked Clyde for taking care of Sergeant at Arms duties, Ashley for taking minutes, Michael for managing Zoom and everyone for help set up and take down the room.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
Rotary Business & Upcoming events:
Tip Jar for the Waiter: Reminder to tip the waiter when ordering a meal at the weekly meetings.
Join a Rotary Committee: Rebecca Greenlaw encourages club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
75th Celebration – This event has been postponed. An email was sent out.
Pancake Breakfast Committee Meeting – The committee will meet today after the meeting. If you are interested in helping, please contact Lincoln Ehrlenbach.
May 22nd – HCTC cook breakfast for students and staff at 6:00 am at the school. See Lincoln Ehrlenbach if you would like to help.
May 31st – Bike Rodeo at EEMS – please arrive at 8-8:30 am – this is our 10th year supporting this event – helmets will be given to children – safety courses and skills activities will be provided.
Rotary Foundation Update: Lincoln Ehrlenbach shared an updated report; For the year 2023-2024 (Debbie Ehrlenbach was president) our club received recognition as “Number 3 in the District in per capita Annual Fund giving to the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.” Congratulations and Thank You!
Door prizes were won by Dave Wells, Linda Elliott, Cindy Shoppe, Ray Williams and Debbie Ehrlenbach
50-50 won by Marian Wells - $8
Happy dollars this quarter go to Skills USA – Several Rotarians shared happy thoughts
Guest Speaker: Gene Pellerano shared a presentation of photos of his recent trip to Cuba in February 2025 with his wife Laura Pellerano.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Next week at Rotary- May 27th – Guest Speaker Matt Montgomery of the Down East Family YMCA. He will be speaking about Girls Self Defense.
On Tuesday, The Rotary Club of Ellsworth honored outstanding students from Hancock County Technical Center (HCTC) in Diesel Technology, Carpentry, Health Occupations, Culinary Arts and Business Leadership and Hospitality. Each student received a Certificate, $$ and The Rotary Four-Way Test Coin.
Students from the Culinary program made a delicious meal and it was another great night partnering with HCTC to recognize and encourage excellence in technical education. All Tips were donated to Skills USA. Click on link below to see the photos!
The Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry welcomed the Rotary Club of Ellsworth on Tuesday, May 13th. This visit offered Rotarians a great opportunity to tour the Pantry and to learn more about a cause the Club has proudly supported for many years.
Rotarians rolled up their sleeves for a hands-on community service project. The Pantry received the bulk of donations from the annual Postal Food Drive, and they needed our help sorting and organizing the influx of goods.
To show their appreciation, Loaves and Fishes provided sandwiches and refreshments for all attendees.
It was a great evening of fellowship, service, and community impact! Click on the link below to see the photos!
Rebecca called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Rebecca thanked Clyde for taking care of Sergeant at Arms duties, Debbie for taking minutes, Michael for managing Zoom and everyone for help set up and take down the room.
Rebecca shared a thank you letter from KidsPeace for tickets to the Sea Dogs game secured by Debbie and Gene.
Welcome Guests – Cooper and Meredith Friend and Jesse Thomas
Successful Craft and Yard sale on Saturday. 130 attended the event and $2,396 was raised. Thank you to Jodie for leading this event and all those who helped.
Upcoming events
May 6th – HCTC recognition of students will be held at HCTC. Please arrive at 5:20 and the meal cost will be $15 cash or check payment only accepted.
May 17th – bike rodeo at EEMS – please arrive at 8-8:30 am – this is our 10th year supporting this event – helmets will be given to children – safety courses and skills activities will be provided
May 22nd – HCTC cook breakfast for students and staff at 6:00 am at the school. See Lincoln if you would like to help. More to come.
Door prizes were won by Cooper & Gene
50-50 won by Shelley $9
Happy dollars this quarter go to Skills USA – Several Rotarians shared happy thoughts.
Member Induction: Laurie Fogelman was inducted as a new member. Debbie sponsored and introduced Laurie while Rebecca presented the induction ceremony.
Paul Harris Recognition: Cooper Friend was presented a Paul Harris Fellow. Peter Farragher introduced Cooper while a short PowerPoint presentation was played. Lincoln presented the 3 emblems of a Paul Harris Fellow, the certificate, pin, and medallion. Cooper was honored and spoke to the club, thanking the club for all we do in the community.
Brownies provided by Rebecca and JoAnn were enjoyed by all.
The Rotary Club of Ellsworth held its annual Paul Harris Fellow Recognition Ceremony at China Hill Restaurant in Ellsworth.
We were pleased to award one of our club members. Congratulations to Rebecca Greenlaw!
We are pleased to award four community members. Congratulations to Harvey Kelley, Jesse Thomas, Cooper Friend and Momo's Cheesecakes!
This award recognizes the person's contributions to their community and their vocation and their commitment to Rotary's motto of "Service Above Self." These awards are made possible by the annual donations that our club members make to the Rotary Foundation.
On April 19th, Rotarians and other volunteers helped attach pickets, paint, plant, and assemble at DeMeyer Field. Great day!! Thank you to everyone for helping with the club’s 75th anniversary project.
The Rotary Club of Ellsworth honored the top 35 students from Ellsworth High School class of 2025. This yearly tradition is a favorite of our members, many of whom have their own memories of attending the banquet when they were at EHS. Six scholarships were awarded and this evening exemplifies Rotary's commitment to our community and its future leaders. Congratulations to all students!
Due to the pending weather forecast, The Rotary Club of Ellsworth has decided to cancel the regular scheduled meeting for April 8, 2025- tonight. We are expecting to get 1- 3" of snow with the potential for messy road conditions.
Our Board Meeting will be via Zoom at 4:30pm today. We hope to see you next week at our EHS Honor's Banquet where we get to celebrate some of our brightest and best students! Have a wonderful evening and please stay safe!
Opening Ceremonies: President Rebeeca Greenlaw called the meeting to order and we all said the Pledge of Allegiance.
Rotary Opening Words: Rebecca Greenlaw
Sargent at Arms: Clyde Cushing
Zoom – Michael Houlsen
Rebecca thanked Clyde for taking care of Sergeant at Arms duties, Ashley for taking minutes, Michael for managing Zoom and everyone for help set up and take down the room.
Guests: Brielle Johnson, Kelly Brown’s daughter Trinity and a friend of Trisha Quirk.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
ROTARY BUSINESS:
Thank You Cards – We received Thank You Cards in the mail from: Healthy Acadia for our donation of $500 towards their Recovery Center. Downeast Community Partners for our donation of $750 to Everybody Eats program. Project Linus for our donation of $250 for them to purchase blankets and quilts.
Waterville Noon Club Rotary with Guest Speaker Foundation Trustee Marty Helman - You are invited! The Waterville Noon Club is excited to welcome Rotary Foundation Trustee Marty Helman as our guest speaker on Monday, April 7th, beginning at noon. She will share details of the new Peace Center in Turkey at Bahçeşehir University. It is also a fantastic opportunity to ask questions about the Rotary Foundation. RSVP to rotariantinachapman@gmail.com. Lunch (optional) is available for $17. Feel free to share this invitation with other Club members who may be interested. (This was emailed out on March 31st)
Invitation from Beth C. Wright – Join them on their Walk on May 17th. You can sign up to walk or become a sponsor.
Tip Jar for the Waiter: Reminder to tip the waiter when ordering a meal at the weekly meetings.
Please consider donating to the Foundation!
Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner – May 8th Under the tent at Downeast Family YMCA parking lot. Rotarian Carl Lusby will be recognized at Citizen of the Year. $100 per person. 4:30pm Cocktail hour 6:00pm dinner and awards. There will be a cash bar, hors d-oeurves and a buffet dinner. This is business casual. Two tables have been reserved for our club. 12 members have signed up. Please contact Debbie Ehrlenbach.
Help Assemble the Playground at DeMeyer Field - Thursday April 10th - Our contractors at Details, Inc. have reached out to ask for volunteers on Thursday, April 10th at 8:00am to assist with the assembly of the playground at DeMeyer Field. Lunch will be provided. Any time you have available is greatly appreciated. Please email Debbie at dehrlenbach@gmail.com as soon as possible, if you are able to assist that day. This is in addition to our April 19th work day.
Our 75th anniversary project at DeMeyer Field work - April 19th at 9:00am at DeMeyer Field: Working collaboratively with our Little League partners and our HCTC friends, we will be painting buildings, planting flowers and drilling pickets to the fence at the field. Our hope is to complete this portion of the project in one day. Many helpful hands will ensure that completion is a possibility. The rain date is the following Saturday, April 26th.
The date is changed to ensure contractors have time to complete their work and the water has been turned on in the bathhouse. Wear your work clothes, bring a paint brush and or a drill to participate in the fun. Munchies will be provided.
Check out Facebook for pictures. The bocce counts are laid out and the playground is ready for assembly. Our heartfelt thanks to RF Jordan and Sons, EL Shea and Details Inc. for all their dedication to ensuring completion of this project before May 3rd. If you see anyone from RF Jordan, EL Shea or Details Inc, let them know how much we and the community appreciate them. Please email Debbie if you can participate. We will have a signup sheet at Rotary this week as well. You all should be so very proud of this project and benefits completion thereof will be to the children and their family in this community for years to come.
EHS Honor’s Banquet – April 15th at China Hill.
Paul Harris Fellow Recognition Ceremony: April 22nd at China Hill.
Rotary Craft Fair: April 26th at EEMS from 9am-1pm. Setup will be the day before. Please donate yard sale items for the Rotary Table. No Furniture or Clothing.
HCTC Breakfast - May 22nd at HCTC. We will cook breakfast for students and staff at 7:00am at the school. See Lincoln if you would like to help. More to come.
75th Anniversary Celebration: We are excited to invite you to the Ellsworth Rotary Club’s 75th Anniversary Celebration! Please mark your calendar and join us for an evening of camaraderie, reflection, and celebration. Saturday, June 28, 2025- 6:00pm – 8:00pm. $30 per person. Location: Moore Community Center, 125 State Street, Ellsworth. Enjoy: Cocktails & Hors oeuvres, guest speaker and 75th Anniversary Video.
Join a Rotary Committee: Rebecca Greenlaw encourages club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Volunteer Hours: Please let Tricia Quirk know if you have volunteered in the community outside of Rotary.
Door Prizes: None this week. Please feel free to bring in door prizes for our weekly meetings.
50/50: $8 to Michael Houlsen
Happy Dollars: 3rd Quarter Happy Dollars will go towards: Rotary Scholarships.
The following gave Happy Dollars: Saxon Tinto, Laurie Fogelman, Kelly Brown, Bob Thomas, Gene Pellerano and Carl Lusby.
Guest Speaker: Our guest speaker this week was Sherri Billings. She is the Executive Director of Hancock County Habitat Humanity. Hancock County HFH (HCHH), an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, is an independent, locally run, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose primary program is partnering with economically disadvantaged families to build simple, decent homes which are then sold to the partner, financed under an affordable mortgage.
They offer homeownership opportunities to families who have demonstrated:
Need (for adequate shelter) e.g. family is extremely “cost-burdened” and/or is receiving temporary, non-sustainable financial support; current housing has defective physical conditions, is overcrowded, and/or is a temporary living situation.
A willingness to partner as Habitat ambassadors/spokespersons; through investing 250 hours of their own “sweat equity” in the project per adult (up to 500 per household); by participating in home maintenance and financial management counseling sessions.
The ability to pay the mortgage [Often, families pay less to own a Habitat home than they pay for rent on a substandard apartment or house.] Financial eligibility guidelines include but are not limited to: being unable to obtain conventional financing and earning between 30% to 80%+/- of Hancock County’s median annual income.
HCHH and their volunteer and donors’ investment is protected by the affiliate taking a second “silent” mortgage on the property. Each home is independently appraised prior to closing to establish its Fair Market Value (FMV) and the difference between the first mortgage (priced based on affordability) and the appraised value becomes the silent second note. This secondary mortgage is gradually forgiven — provided there is no recorded default under the terms of the mortgage. Thus, when the first mortgage is paid off, the second mortgage has also been fully released.
Through the use of volunteer labor and donations we respond to the need in our community by building market-quality housing along-side the homeowner who is investing their own “sweat equity” in the project. [Hancock County Habitat makes special sweat equity accommodations for partners who have an ADA-documented need.]
Each Habitat affiliate coordinates all aspects of Habitat home building in its local area — fundraising, building site selection, partner selection and support, house construction and mortgage servicing.
No prior construction experience is required to volunteer on a Habitat construction site. (Due to state laws, minors must be 16 years or older to serve on the construction site and all under the age of 18 must arrive with a volunteer form signed by their parent or guardian.)
Non-construction volunteer opportunities include serving in our office, on a committee (Partner Selection & Support, Development and Fundraising, and Building), and/or on the Board of Directors.
Their first home was completed in the summer of 1991 in Gouldsboro, two years after our founding. Since then, they have completed homes in Bar Harbor, Bass Harbor, Brooklin, Bucksport, Ellsworth, Franklin, Gouldsboro, Hancock, Lamoine, Otis, Seal Harbor, Sedgwick, and Sullivan for a total of 19 homes built in 13 of the 37 towns in our 1,500+ [land] square mile service area.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Next week at Rotary- April 8th – Guest Speaker Matt Montgomery of the Down East Family YMCA. He will be speaking about Girls Self Defense.
DeMeyer Field construction photos from the past week! Bocce ball courts are laid out and the playground is ready to be assembled. Great big thank you to E.L. Shea and crew! E.L. Shea, Inc. The Pathway is also completed. Thank you to R.F. Jordan. This looks amazing!!! R.F. Jordan & Sons Construction, Inc Check out all the photos! Click on the link below:
Rebecca Greenlaw called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Rebecca thanked Clyde for taking care of Sergeant at Arms duties, Debbie for taking minutes, Gene for managing Zoom and everyone for help set up and take down the room.
Welcome Guests – Speaker Mike Solaris, Shannon Davis, Laurie Fogelman, and Rebecca Mantelli
Upcoming events:
April 22nd Paul Harris Fellow Night
April 15th Honors Banquet
April 26th Craft Fair
May 22nd – HCTC cook breakfast for students and staff at 7:00 am at the school. See Lincoln if you would like to help. More to come.
Door prizes were won by Ray, Carl, Mary Beth, Becca & Jodie
50-50 won by Fred $10
Happy dollars this quarter go to Skills USA – Several Rotarians shared happy thoughts.
Guest Speaker: Mike Solaris – Families First Community Center was our guest speaker. He shared with us the successes over the past 10 years since the organization first started. They focus on case management services, working with other partners in the area. They provide transitional housing and have 6 units. Various programs are offered with the goal of educating participants to be self-sufficient, creating life plans. Annually they help approximately 200 families. They are hosting their 8th Annual Auction Fundraiser in September 2025.
Special award – Lincoln recognized Rhonda Parker for her dedication in supporting EREY – she earned her Paul Harris plus 1 – Congratulations Rhonda!
President Rebecca Greenlaw called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Rebecca thanked Clyde Cushing for taking care of Sergeant at Arms duties, Debbie Ehrlenbach for taking minutes, Michael Houslen for managing Zoom and everyone for help set up and take down the room.
Welcome Guests – John Shoppe and Cara Ramano
Upcoming events:
June 28th - 75th Anniversary Event
April 26th - Craft Fair – 56 vendors to date/total of 80 spaces available
April 22nd - Paul Harris Fellow Night
April 15th - Honors Banquet
Door prizes were won by Gene Pellerano, Cindy Shoppe, and Jack Frost
50-50 won by Saxon Tinto $8
Happy dollars this quarter go to Skills USA – Gene Pellerano, Carl Lusby, Jack Frost and Debbie Ehrlenbach shared happy thoughts
Thank-you letters received from Camp Capella and HCTC
Guest Speaker: Cara Ramano – Director of Heart of Ellsworth was our guest speaker. Her power point presentation shared history of the organization, the current and past board of directors, its organizational structure, and planned events for the year. Heart of Ellsworth is a 501 c 3 organization, which provides resources for business development, awards grant funds at the $5000, $3000, and $500 level, is partnering with Frenchman Bay Conservancy on the Riverwalk North project, hosting the Cider and Cheese Festival and many others. She shared opportunities to get involved and suggested if interest in learning more to sign up for their newsletter.
Opening Ceremonies: President Rebeeca Greenlaw called the meeting to order and we all said the Pledge of Allegiance.
Rotary Opening Words: Rebecca Greenlaw
Sargent at Arms: Peter Farragher and Lincoln Ehrlenbach
Zoom – Clyde Cushing
Thank you to all who helped set the room up and take it down. We appreciate it!
Guests: John Shoppe, Grace Robinson, Bonnie Ray and Laurie Fogelman
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
ROTARY BUSINESS:
Tip Jar for the Waiter: Reminder to tip the waiter when ordering a meal at the weekly meetings.
Paul Harris Fellow Recognition Ceremony: April 22nd at China Hill.
The 2025 Sheriff’s Cup: Organized by the Downeast Family YMCA and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department will be coming held on March 7, 8, and 9 at the Ellsworth Elementary Middle School, the Ellsworth High School, and the Wiggins Center in Ellsworth. If any Rotarians are interested in volunteering, please call Zach Ames at 207-667-3086 or email him at zames@defymca.org.
Rotary Craft Fair: April 26th at EEMS from 9am-1pm. Setup will be the day before. Please donate yard sale items for the Rotary Table. No Furniture or Clothing.
75th Anniversary Celebration: We are excited to invite you to the Ellsworth Rotary Club’s 75th Anniversary Celebration! Please mark your calendar and join us for an evening of camaraderie, reflection, and celebration. Saturday, June 28, 2025- 6:00pm – 8:00pm. Location: Moore Community Center, 125 State Street, Ellsworth. Enjoy: Cocktails & Hors oeuvres. Stay tuned for more details and formal invitations to follow!
Join a Rotary Committee: Rebecca Greenlaw encourages club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Volunteer Hours: Please let Tricia Quirk know if you have volunteered in the community outside of Rotary.
Door Prizes: Bonnie Ray and Linda Elliott
50/50: $10 to Debbie Ehrlenbach
Happy Dollars: 3rd Quarter Happy Dollars will go towards: HCTC Skills USA. The following gave Happy Dollars: Debbie Ehrlenbach, Laurie Fogelman, Jess Remick, Jack Frost, Carl Lusby, Linda Elliott, Jodie Cushing, Nancy Mayo, and Peter Farragher.
Guest Speaker: Our guest speaker this week was PJ Keenan. She spoke about her experience and her story of being a Rainbow Girl of the Ellsworth Assembly #9. Rainbow is a non-profit organization that strives to give girls the tools, training, and encouragement to let their individual spirits shine bright. By providing members with a safe, fun, caring environment where responsible, older girls can interact and mentor younger girls through family involvement.
By participating in fun events and activities, keeping up with new friends and traveling to different cities and states, members experience the excitement of what a productive life has to offer.
From volunteering for different charities, to working to improve their public speaking, to mastering the lessons of Rainbow, members tackle lots of challenging hurdles but ultimately walk away with a sense of pride and accomplishment.
Whether they dream of becoming a successful veterinarian, a talented musician, or the owner of their own company, Rainbow Girls learn that they can accomplish anything and that they can make a difference.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Next week at Rotary- March 11th – Guest Speaker Cara Romano, Heart of Ellsworth.
President Rebecca Greenlaw called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm with opening remarks and the pledge of allegiance.
Rebecca thanked Clyde for taking care of Sergeant at Arms duties, Debbie for taking minutes, Michael for managing Zoom and everyone for help set up and take down the room.
Upcoming events:
YMCA Sheriff’s Cup March 7 8 & 9, contact the YMCA if you would like to volunteer
Craft and Yard Sale April 26 EEMS
Received a thank you card from Alice Grindle from Eagles Nest
Door prizes were won by Shelly Van Camp, Debbie Ehrlenbach and Ray Williams
50-50 won by JoAnn Rodick $6
Happy dollars this quarter go to Skills USA – Happy Dollars were given by Gene Pellerano, Carl Lusby, Debbie Ehrlebach, Peter Farragher, Lincoln Ehrlenbach.
Special dates – it was 75 years ago on February 20, 1950 that the Rotary club of Ellsworth held its first meeting – it was 120 years ago on February 23rd that Rotary International was started.
Bar Harbor Rotarian Scott Hammond and his wife Debbie lost their home in a fire on Sunday. Please reach out to them with support.
Club Assembly:
Debbie provided the Treasurer report on behalf of Rhonda. (Full report can be emailed to club members if asked) We are behind $831 in tip collection. The club pays $50 weekly to cover the tip for the wait staff. Also, meal count is down and currently $534 more has been spent on meals than collected/purchased by club members. The club is obligated to purchase 12 meals each week.
Debbie presented the cost of having the credit card machine. Currently the cost is $60 per month to rent the machine, a cost of 2.5% fee on transactions and .10 per transaction. Usage of the machine is down with only 11 transactions for the months of December and January. Offering a credit card option at the two breakfasts only provided revenues of $105 in August and $77 in September. After much discussion a motion duly made by Tricia and seconded by Rebecca - “The club will discontinue use of a credit card machine. If members wish to pay for a meal using a credit card, they can pay at the front desk at China Hill for a cost of $15.” The motion passed.
75th Legacy Project DeMeyer Field Project update provided by Debbie and Peter. Opening day for Little League is May 3rd. First 2 weeks of March RF Jordan will restart work. The week of March 24th assembly of the playground and following will be the fence. Pickets (410) have been ordered. HCTC students and staff will be volunteering with the assembly of the playground and fence. Details Custom Builders will oversee the construction of the playground and fence. All Rotarians are asked to volunteer. All dates are subject to weather; however, we will update everyone on dates and times to volunteer. A 20X40 pavilion will be constructed, with the generosity of Hammond Lumber donating the materials. We are working with the City of Ellsworth on logistics. The pavilion will replace the tent that is set up each year by Wallace Events used for a place to get under shade and sit down to eat.
Rebecca presented the Public Relations report on behalf of Ashley Johnson. Weekly updates on Club Website and Social Media such as speakers, events. Take weekly meeting minutes with photos. Sent out the weekly club newsletter to membership. Email weekly guest speaker bio & Zoom Link to membership.
Designed Paul Harris Fellow Recognition Ceremony Invites and Programs. (April 22nd event). Sent out Press Releases for all community events. All seen in the local papers, Ellsworth Chamber and heard on 97.7 Radio. Channels 2,5, & 7 have started coming for interviews at our project over the last two years.
Updated Partner List on the Website: We have a total of 23 partners.
We encourage all members to Create a My Rotary Account on Rotary.org. This is a great opportunity to learn more about Rotary International, the Foundation, the District we are a part of and what our club is working on for this year and so much more!
We also encourage all club members to have ClubRunner Mobile. This is a wonderful tool allowing membership directory data to be available at your fingertips as well as other club information such as weekly newsletters, upcoming events, guest speakers and meetings. It is a great companion to our ClubRunner website.
Clyde Cushing provided the Club Service Report with a summary of speakers and fellowship activities. A fellowship activity in April at the Bowling Alley in Ellsworth is planned. PJ Keenan, Cara Romano and Families First Community Center are a few of the upcoming speakers. Also planned is Paul Harris Fellow Night April 22nd, Honors Banquet and a Rotary Learning Night. Currently there are 7 open nights for speakers. If anyone would enjoy participating at Sargeant at Arms or Zoom technology, please let him know.
Gene and Laura Pellerano presented the Vocational and Youth Services report. The Honors Banquet is Tuesday, April 15th. The next HCTC Recognition night is Tuesday, May 6th.
Student Scholarships Application forms are due to be turned into their guidance office on March 7th. Students competing for 6 different types of scholarships for a total of 13 awards.
Interact: Katie is trying new meeting times during focused learning time, due to many conflicts with afternoon meetings, she is hoping to get more students involved.
We have restarted the children’s literacy program at the YMCA Moore Center. They have identified Wednesday mornings for toddlers and Friday mornings for preschoolers. We will schedule reading times in March.
JoAnn Rodick presented the Membership report. Several members have prospective members who have attended some meetings or plan to attend meetings. Started a Ladies Night the 3rd Thursday of each month starting at 4:30. Three gatherings held so far and greatly enjoyed by all attending. Next gathering will be March 19th 4:30 at Black Moon on Main Street Ellsworth. If interested in attending a committee meeting let her know.
Kelly Brown presented on the International Committee. The committee in Rotary plays a pivotal role in promoting global understanding and goodwill. Its primary responsibilities include developing and implementing charitable projects that address needs in communities outside of the club’s own country. This involves conducting needs assessments, planning and evaluating the effectiveness of these initiatives. The committee collaborates with other Rotary clubs, organizations and volunteers to maximize the impact of its projects. It works closely with the club’s foundation chair to align efforts with the Rotary Foundation’s goals and to promote educational opportunities sponsored by the district. The committee with Ellsworth Rotary, Marian and David Wells, Kelly Brown and Ray Williams met after the pancake breakfast to explore potential new projects. After hearing Lincoln Ehrlenbach speak about Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY) and the importance of strengthening the Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund – especially given the lower contributions this year – we decided to refocus our priorities. Rather than launching a new initiative while existing essential programs remain underfunded, we agreed that our responsibility is to first support the Foundation that makes our work possible. We encourage all members to support this effort!
Kelly Brown donated $50 to EREY and encouraged other members to donate as well.
Lincoln Ehrlenbach provided a Foundation update. To date the club has raised $3,008 for polio, exceeding its goal of $2000. Thank you to Tricia for all her efforts. The club has raised $2,100 for the annual fund to date. The annual fund goal is $6,000. A reminder to Rotarians that 50% of what is donated to the annual fund comes back to the District in three years and is used to give District Grants. This club was awarded $5,000 in grants last year. The other 50% of annual fund donations support RI projects. A video was shown which shares some of the projects those funds were used to fund. Please consider a donation to the annual fund (EREY). Tricia reminded everyone that you can sign up for Rotary Direct and give monthly. Any amount helps.
Lincoln presented Tricia with a Paul Harris Fellow +2 and thanked her for her continued support.
A note that $150 was contributed by Rotarians at tonight’s meeting for the annual fund.
Our speaker next week will be PJ Keenan. She will be talking about the Rainbow Girls.
Opening Ceremonies: President Rebeeca Greenlaw called the meeting to order and we all said the Pledge of Allegiance.
Rotary Opening Words: Rebecca Greenlaw
Sargent at Arms: Carl Lusby
Zoom – Clyde Cushing
Thank you to all who helped set the room up and take it down. We appreciate it!
Guests: John Shoppe, Brielle Johnson and Grace Robinson
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
ROTARY BUSINESS:
Tip Jar for the Waiter: Reminder to tip the waiter when ordering a meal at the weekly meetings.
Rotary Ladies Night: RSVP to JoAnn Rodick. Thursday, February 20th at 4:30pm at Finn's.
Club Assembly: February 25th at China Hill.
Paul Harris Fellow Recognition Ceremony: April 22nd at China Hill. This is also our Charter Night. 75 years!
The 2025 Sheriff’s Cup: Organized by the Downeast Family YMCA and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department will be coming held on March 7, 8, and 9 at the Ellsworth Elementary Middle School, the Ellsworth High School, and the Wiggins Center in Ellsworth. If any Rotarians are interested in volunteering, please call Zach Ames at 207-667-3086 or email him at zames@defymca.org.
Rotary Craft Fair: April 26th at EEMS from 9am-1pm. Setup will be the day before. More details to come.
75th Anniversary Celebration: We are excited to invite you to the Ellsworth Rotary Club’s 75th Anniversary Celebration! Please mark your calendar and join us for an evening of camaraderie, reflection, and celebration. Saturday, June 28, 2025- 6:00pm – 8:00pm. Location: Moore Community Center, 125 State Street, Ellsworth. Enjoy: Cocktails & Hors oeuvres. Stay tuned for more details and formal invitations to follow!
Join a Rotary Committee: Rebecca Greenlaw encourages club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Volunteer Hours: Please let Tricia Quirk know if you have volunteered in the community outside of Rotary.
Door Prizes: Carl Lusby and Kelly Cochrane
50/50: $6 to Mary Beth Harmon
Happy Dollars: 3rd Quarter Happy Dollars will go towards: HCTC Skills USA. The following gave Happy Dollars: Mary Beth Harmon, Dave Wells, Jo Cooper, Peter Farragher and Lori Googins.
Guest Speaker: Our guest speaker this week was Kelly Cochrane. Kelly is the Business and Workforce Incentives Coordinator at Eastern Maine Development Corp. With a natural curiosity (or "nosiness"), she stays informed and builds meaningful connections with job seekers, training partners, resource partners and local businesses. Her background in education, employee training and development, retail operations, and community volunteering drives her passion for helping individuals navigate their career paths—whether they're entering the workforce, advancing, or returning.
Kelly is passionate about supporting both job seekers and employers. She is dedicated to bridging the gap between the two by collaborating explore how workforce services can create mutual benefits for all involved.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Next week at Rotary- February 25th – Club Assembly. Committee chairs will give a summary from the past quarter and introduce any new plans over the next couple months.
Opening Ceremonies: President Rebeeca Greenlaw called the meeting to order and we all said the Pledge of Allegiance.
Rotary Opening Words: Rebecca Greenlaw
Zoom – Michael Houlsen
Thank you to all who helped set the room up and take it down. We appreciate it!
Rebecca Greenlaw thanked the KidsPeace Staff for cooking the delicious meal!
Guests: John Shoppe
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
ROTARY BUSINESS:
Check Presentation: Cindy Shoppe presented a check in the amount of $500.00 to KidsPeace.
Rotary Ladies Night: RSVP to JoAnn Rodick. Thursday, February 20th at 4:30pm at Finn's.
Club Assembly: February 25th at China Hill.
Paul Harris Fellow Recognition Ceremony: April 22nd at China Hill. This is also our Charter Night. 75 years!
Rotary Craft Fair: April 26th at EEMS from 9am-1pm. Setup will be the day before. More details to come.
75th Anniversary Celebration: We are excited to invite you to the Ellsworth Rotary Club’s 75th Anniversary Celebration! Please mark your calendar and join us for an evening of camaraderie, reflection, and celebration. Saturday, June 28, 2025- 6:00pm – 8:00pm. Location: Moore Community Center, 125 State Street, Ellsworth. Enjoy: Cocktails & Hors oeuvres. Stay tuned for more details and formal invitations to follow!
Join a Rotary Committee: Rebecca Greenlaw encourages club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Volunteer Hours: Please let Tricia Quirk know if you have volunteered in the community outside of Rotary.
Happy Dollars: 3rd Quarter Happy Dollars will go towards: HCTC Skills USA. The following gave Happy Dollars: Jodie Cushing, Clyde Cushing, Cindy Shoppe, Nancy Mayo, Lincoln Ehrlenbach, Debbie Ehrlenbach, JoAnn Rodick, Ashley Johnson, Jack Frost, Dave Wells, Saxon Tinto, Marian Wells, Michael Houlsen, Carl Lusby and Rebecca Greenlaw.
Guest Speaker: Our guest speaker this week was Rachel Bousquet of KidsPeace. KidsPeace’s Graham Lake Campus is located on 12 acres on the shores of Graham Lake in Ellsworth, ME, providing 24-hour supervised care in a peaceful setting ideal for personal growth and treatment.
Programs offered at Graham Lake include treatment for youth on the autism spectrum, and highly-structured psychiatric care for youth requiring 24-hour clinical, residential and educational services and supervision.
Graham Lake is an all- inclusive campus offering therapeutic treatment and an interdisciplinary approach. Child and family community-based programs, Psychiatric/Medication Management, BCBA and ABA Services, Psychological Services, Medication Services, Case Management Services, Clinical Services, Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Nursing Services are available to our clients. In preparation for discharge, our Family Transition Specialists provide after- care support, plan, and assist the client and parent/guardian in securing the services necessary for success.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Next week at Rotary- February 18 – Our guest speaker will be Kelly Cochrane. Kelly is the Business and Workforce Incentives Coordinator at Eastern Maine Development Corp.
The Rotary Club of Ellsworth honored four outstanding students from Hancock County Technical Center in Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, Welding Technology and Multimedia Design. Congratulations to Ryan Gross, Annine Kovacs, Andrew Erlanson and Alia Cough! It was another great night partnering with HCTC to recognize and encourage excellence in technical education!
Opening Ceremonies: Past President Ashley Johnson called the meeting to order and we all said the Pledge of Allegiance.
Rotary Opening Words: Ashley Johnson
Sergeant at Arms: JoAnn Rodick
Zoom – Clyde Cushing
Thank you to all who helped set the room up and take it down. We appreciate it!
Guests: HCTC Students, families and staff
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
ROTARY BUSINESS:
Upcoming Blood Drives – February 11th: The Red Cross has reached out to our club looking for volunteers for two upcoming blood drives. If you would like to sign up to help, please contact them. The flyers were emailed to all members.
Community Event for Northern Light – February 12th: The Northern Light Hospital Provider Relations Liaison- Home Care & Hospice Susan Chaar sent a community event flyer to us and wanted to share with the membership. It is a “Get Your Life in Order” presentation being held on February 12th at the Moore Center in Ellsworth. The flyer was emailed to all members.
Rotary Craft Fair: April 26th at EEMS from 9am-1pm. Setup will be the day before. More details to come.
Join a Rotary Committee: Rebecca Greenlaw encourages club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Volunteer Hours: Please let Tricia Quirk know if you have volunteered in the community outside of Rotary.
Happy Dollars: 3rd Quarter Happy Dollars will go towards: HCTC Skills USA
HCTC Awards Night: This week's program at Rotary will be the 2nd Hancock County Technical Center (HCTC) Awards Evening of our program year.
Carl Lusby hosted and the club recognized students from Multimedia Design, Criminal Justice, Welding Technology and Early Childhood Education.
Multimedia Design Instructor, Jamie Anderson. Student Alia Cough, Senior from Bucksport High School
Criminal Justice (formerly law enforcement) Instructor Allen Smith. Student Ryan Gross, Junior from Ellsworth High School
Welding Technology Instructor, William Mixer. Student Andrew Erlanson, Senior homeschool student
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Next week at Rotary- February 11- We will be at KidsPeace for the meeting with Rachel Bousquet as the guest speaker. The dinner is being provided by KidsPeace. There is no cost to members. The menu is a roast beef dinner with potatoes, gravy and a vegetable. Salad and dessert will be served as well.
The meeting will begin at 5:30 with the meal, followed by the usual Rotary business and Rachel speaking.
Board Meeting February 11th - The February Board Meeting will be held at 4:30 at the KidsPeace Lodge. Please be aware that there will be people preparing for the Rotary Dinner in the kitchen while we meet.
75th Anniversary Committee Meeting at 5:30 on February 12th. If you are a Paul Harris Committee Member or involved with the Anniversary Committee, we urge you to attend this meeting to finalize plans.
Opening Ceremonies: President Rebecca Greenlaw called the meeting to order and we all said the Pledge of Allegiance.
Rotary Opening Words: Rebecca Greenlaw
Sergeant at Arms: Clyde Cushing
Zoom – Michael Houslen
Thank you to all who helped set the room up and take it down. We appreciate it!
Guests: Alice Grindle along with members Paige, Laura and Rema of the Eagles Nest Clubhouse.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
ROTARY BUSINESS:
Memorial Day Parade - We have an opportunity to partner with the VFW Post 109 on the Memorial Day Parade. The Board has asked that we survey the members to see how you feel on this. As many of you know, the parade did not happen last year due a number of factors. The VFW is stretched thin and they could use the help.
The Club's involvement would be organizing the parade. That entails inviting groups to participate in the parade, help line up the units the day of the parade, and finally put our own unit in the parade. If we did this, we would not be committed to do every year, unless the Club wanted too. Survey will be emailed to all club members. Please fill out. Any questions, contact Clyde.
Loaves and Fishes – The club received a Thank You letter from Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry thanking us for their donation.
Thank You Card – A Thank You Card is being passed around for club members to sign for Barbara at the Bud Connection for her kindness donations at the Gifting Experience. A gift card will go along with it.
Upcoming Blood Drives – January 24th and 28th: The Red Cross has reached out to our club looking for volunteers for two upcoming blood drives. If you would like to sign up to help, please contact them. The flyers were emailed to all members.
Community Event for Northern Light – February 12th: The Northern Light Hospital Provider Relations Liaison- Home Care & Hospice Susan Chaar sent a community event flyer to us and wanted to share with the membership. It is a “Get Your Life in Order” presentation being held on February 12th at the Moore Center in Ellsworth. The flyer was emailed to all members.
Rotary Craft Fair: April 26th at EEMS from 9am-1pm. Setup will be the day before. More details to come.
Join a Rotary Committee: Rebecca Greenlaw encourages club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Volunteer Hours: Please let Tricia Quirk know if you have volunteered in the community outside of Rotary.
Door Prizes: Guests Paige and Laura
50/50: $5 to Carl Lusby
Happy Dollars: 3rd Quarter Happy Dollars will go towards: HCTC Skills USA
The following individuals gave Happy Dollars: Carl Lusby, Jack Frost, Gene Pellerano, Guest Laura and Paige, Alice Grindle and Marian Wells.
Guest Speaker: The guest speaker was Alice Grindle. Alice is the director of theA Eagles' Nest Clubhouse. The Eagles’ Nest Clubhouse is a peer based mental health recovery program designed to empower its members toward individual and shared goals through developing relationships, avoiding isolation, provide opportunities for work, wellness and socialization to become active members of their communities.
Members Paige, Laura and Rema spoke about why they are members of the clubhouse and how it’s helped them. The clubhouse is located at 412 High Street in Ellsworth.
Programs and Activities include:
- Work Order Day
- Peer Support
- Educational Opportunities
- Transitional Employment
- Skill Sharing
- Cooking/Hospitality
- Business/Social Media
Next week at Rotary: HCTC Night at China Hill. Carl Lusby will be hosting HCTC (covering for the Pellerano’s) and Ashley Johnson will be covering for Rebecca Greenlaw.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Opening Ceremonies: President Rebecca Greenlaw called the meeting to order and we all said the Pledge of Allegiance.
Rotary Opening Words: Rebecca Greenlaw
Sergeant at Arms: Peter Farragher
Zoom – Clyde Cushing
Thank you to all who helped set the room up and take it down. We appreciate it!
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
ROTARY BUSINESS:
Upcoming Blood Drives – January 24th and 28th: The Red Cross has reached out to our club looking for volunteers for two upcoming blood drives. If you would like to sign up to help, please contact them. The flyers were emailed to all members.
Community Event for Northern Light – February 12th: The Northern Light Hospital Provider Relations Liaison- Home Care & Hospice Susan Chaar sent a community event flyer to us and wanted to share with the membership. It is a “Get Your Life in Order” presentation being held on February 12th at the Moore Center in Ellsworth. The flyer was emailed to all members.
Rotary Craft Fair: April 26th at EEMS from 9am-1pm. Setup will be the day before. More details to come.
Join a Rotary Committee: Rebecca Greenlaw encourages club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Volunteer Hours: Please let Tricia Quirk know if you have volunteered in the community outside of Rotary.
Door Prizes: Marian Wells, Linda Rose, Peter Farragher, Dave Wells, and Carl Lusby.
50/50: $8 to Kent Weisner
Happy Dollars: 3rd Quarter Happy Dollars will go towards: HCTC Skills USA
The following individuals gave Happy Dollars: Kent Weisner, Gene Pellerano, Linda Rose, Laura Pellerano, Bob Thomas, Mary Thomas, Dave Wells, Carl Lusby and Peter Farragher.
Guest Speaker: The guest speakers were Gene and Laura Pellerano and Ashley Johnson. Gene and Laura spoke and shared about the Rotary Learning Center. The Learning Center is a collection of online training courses for Rotarians. The courses are designed to help Rotarians develop new skills and become more successful.
They also gave an update about the club’s vocational committee: Upcoming HCTC events, scholarships and honors night. Club members are encouraged to help out with our Literacy project by reading to children at the Moore Center. Please contact Gene and Laura to sign up.
Ashley spoke shared information on how to have access to Rotary Online.
Rotary. Org - How to Set Up Your Account: We encourage all members to visit https://www.rotary.org/en to sign-in using your email address and create your own password. This will be the same information you use to login from our club website. Our Club website is: www.ellsworthrotary.org where you can login to have access to club documents.
This is a great opportunity to learn more about Rotary International, the Foundation, the District we are a part of, what our club is working on for this year and so much more!
Flyers were passed out explaining how to set up your account on rotary.org. Also, please visit our District Website: http://portal.clubrunner.ca/50110
Rotary ClubRunner Mobile App: Information was passed around about the ClubRunner Mobile for those of you who have smartphones or smart devices.
ClubRunner Mobile is a wonderful tool allowing membership directory data to be available at your fingertips as well as other club information such as weekly newsletters, upcoming events, guest speakers and meetings. It is a great companion to our ClubRunner website.
Next week’s guest speaker: Alice Grindle of the Eagles Nest Clubhouse.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Opening Ceremonies: President Rebecca Greenlaw called the meeting to order and we all said the Pledge of Allegiance.
Rotary Opening Words: Rebecca Greenlaw
Sergeant at Arms: Bob Thomas, Mary Thomas and Saxon Tinto
Zoom – Clyde Cushing
Thank you to all who helped set the room up and take it down. We appreciate it!
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
Guests- Dr. Heidi Omlor
ROTARY BUSINESS:
Rotary Craft Fair: April 26th at EEMS from 9am-1pm. Setup will be the day before. More details to come.
Join a Rotary Committee: Rebecca Greenlaw encourages club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Volunteer Hours: Please let Tricia Quirk know if you have volunteered in the community outside of Rotary.
50/50: $9 to Mary Beth Harmon
Happy Dollars: 3rd Quarter Happy Dollars will go towards: HCTC Skills USA
The following individuals gave Happy Dollars: Mary Beth Harmon, Stacie Brown, Jack Frost, Kelly Brown, Fred Beyer, Gene Pellerano, Nancy Mayo, JoAnn Rodick, Clyde Cushing, Lori Googins, Kent Weisner, Carl Lusby
Guest Speaker: This week's guest speaker was Dr. Heidi Omlor.
In 2019, Dr. Omlor began working on making Holocaust and Genocide education mandatory in her home state of Maine; this became official in the fall of 2023 when a law requiring Holocaust and Genocide to be taught in all Maine schools grades 6-12 went into effect.
Dr. Omlor shared a presentation of photos and information about her trip to Armenia. She spoke about the history of the Armenia Genocide from 1915-1922 and her teacher fellowship.
For the past three years, 15 teachers have been chosen to travel to Armenia to learn about the genocide, the country, culture and people. The fellowship is designed to help teachers better teach about the genocide but to also expose them to the beautiful rich culture of the Armenians. The fellowship was 10 days/9 nights in Armenia. Each morning the group started at the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute for lectures and time in the museum.
Next week’s guest speaker: Gene and Laura Pellerano. They will be discussing the Rotary Learning Center.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Opening Ceremonies: President Rebecca Greenlaw called the meeting to order and we all said the Pledge of Allegiance.
Rotary Opening Words: Rebecca Greenlaw
Sergeant at Arms: Bob and Mary Thomas
Zoom – Clyde Cushing
Thank you to all who helped set the room up and take it down. We appreciate it!
Birthdays and Anniversaries: Each week birthdays and anniversaries wishes will be sent from the club via email with an electronic greeting card. Be on the lookout for yours!
Guests- Candace Davis, Eric Davis, Sandra McWhirtee and Elizabeth Alteri
ROTARY BUSINESS:
Rotary Member Induction: Candace Davis was inducted into the club as our newest member. Welcome to the club Candace!
Join a Rotary Committee: Rebecca Greenlaw encourages club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Volunteer Hours: Please let Tricia Quirk know if you have volunteered in the community outside of Rotary.
50/50: $8 to Saxton Tinto
Happy Dollars: 3nd Quarter Happy Dollars will go towards: This will be decided next week at the Board of Directors meeting. Stay tuned!
The following individuals gave Happy Dollars: Saxton Tinto, Carl Lusby, Fred Breyer, Peter Farragher, JoAnn Rodick and Laura Pellerano.
Guest Speaker: Elizabeth Alteri of Healthy Acadia's INSPIRE Recovery Center was our guest speaker.
Elizabeth oversees the day-to-day operations of Healthy Acadia's INSPIRE Recovery Center in Ellsworth. She provides guidance and support for staff and volunteers, and ensures that INSPIRE is a positive, welcoming, non-judgmental space for community members accessing the Center's programs, resource and facility.
Established in September 2021 and located at 24 Church Street, Ellsworth, Maine (the former DMV building). The INSPIRE Center is a dynamic community space for people in recovery to come together in a safe, fun, and comfortable place while connecting with others in the recovery community. The Center serves as a community hub for recovery meetings, recovery coaching services, complementary programs and services such as yoga and journaling, or simply connecting with others over coffee. INSPIRE Recovery Center is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. They also provide an overnight warming center during the cold months for those who need it.
For more information, call the Center at (207) 412-2288 or contact:
Club members enjoyed the Annual Holiday Party! Everyone wrapped presents for KidsPeace, signed Christmas cards for nursing homes and collected cookies that will be given to First Responders in the Ellsworth area.
Merry Christmas! Check out the photos in the link below.
President Rebecca Greenlaw welcomed everyone and provided opening words
Rebecca welcomed our guests – John Shoppe, Visiting Rotarian Pete Adams and his wife Leslie Adams
Rebecca thanked Clyde for being Sargeant at Arms, Debbie for taking notes, everyone for helping set up and to those who will stay and help take down
There were no birthdays or anniversaries this week
Debbie presented Rebecca with her President’s pin, inducting her as our Club President
Lincoln presented Jack Frost with his Paul Harris plus 2 pin
Rebecca thanked the Interact Club for their work in raising much needed items for those at the Emmaus Center.
Rebecca thanked Gene and Laura for the HCTC night, sharing everyone’s appreciation of the addition of the videos for each program recognized.
Rebecca thanked everyone who participated in the Christmas Parade and a special thank you to Clyde for organizing the service project. Also, thanks to Gene and Heidi Omlor for ensuring students at EHS participated. The students passed out candy and held the banner.
We have a new 85-inch screen thanks to the generosity of Dave and Marian Wells. A card of appreciation was circulated for all to sign. A big thank you to them. Also, a thank you to Gene, Clyde and Michael for removing the old screen.
The Gifting Experience will be Saturday December 14th starting at 9:30 at City Hall and finishing at noon at Camden National Bank. We have about 20 students signed up. Please let Jack know if you cannot attend. A thank you to the committee for organizing this service project.
Next week’s club meeting – December 17th our Holiday Giving Party. (1) Our cookie exchange (for first responders). Please bring in home baked cookies. (2) We will also be signing Christmas cards for those in assisted living facilities. If you have extra cards, please bring them next week. (3) Wrapping gifts for children at KidsPeace. Bring in the gifts you purchased and any boxes or wrapping papers/bows and we will be wrapping all the gifts for Rebecca to take back with her.
Door prizes were drawn and happy dollars collected. Chocolates and cookies were provided around the room in honor of Rebecca’s induction as President.
Annual Meeting – Election of Officers for 2025-2026
Rebecca read the nominations from the nominating committee and asked if anyone would like to offer further nomination. Determining a quorum of members was present, there being no further nominations with a motion by Dave Wells and a second by Jack Frost the following list of officers were voted on and approved.
The Rotary Club of Ellsworth participated in the 2024 Ellsworth Christmas Parade! Our club escorted Santa again this year! Thank you to EHS Students for helping too! Check out the photos from the parade. Click on the link below:
Opening Ceremonies: President Rebecca Greenlaw called the meeting to order and we all said the Pledge of Allegiance.
Rotary Opening Words: Rebecca Greenlaw
Sergeant at Arms: Debbie Ehrlenbach and Tricia Quirk
Zoom – Michael Houslen
Thank you to all who helped set the room up and take it down. We appreciate it!
Guests- HCTC Students and their families
Birthdays: Shelly Van Camp, Jack Frost and Scott Kimball
Club Anniversaries: Mike Mariano and Peter Farragher
ROTARY BUSINESS:
Seeking Host Family for Christmas Holidays in the Maine: Email that was sent to the club: “My name is Alvaro Corral and I am a Rotarian from the Zurbarán Madrid Club in Spain. My middle son is currently studying in the 10th grade at Washington Academy in East Machias, where he resides in the school dormitory.
I am reaching out to kindly ask for your help with an important matter. The school will be closed during the Christmas holidays, and the administration has informed us that almost no students will remain on campus during this time. I am looking for a family who could host my son during these holidays. (Week of Christmas)
If there is a family in your club who could host him, I would be deeply grateful. In return, If the family has a child of the same age, I would be more than happy to host his child in my home in Spain this summer as a gesture of appreciation.
Thank you in advance for your kind consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.”
Thank you to Dave and Marian Wells: The Wells donated a new flat screen TV for the meeting to replace the broken one.
Donation Check to Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry: Co-President Clyde Cushing of the Pantry was presented a check from the club in the amount of $878.00. This donation is from the Rotary Food Drive that was held in November.
Downtown Ellsworth Christmas Parade: Saturday, December 7th to escort Santa. Marc Rich will provide the trailer. Contact Clyde Cushing.
"MOVEMBER" MUSTACHE GROWING CONTEST - MENS HEALTH AWARNESS MUSTACHE GROWING CONTEST *Judges will consider fullness, neatness and facial improvement on Dec. 3rd. Entry fee is $5 per person*
1st Place: Dave Wells, 2nd Place: Jack Frost, 3rd Place Gene Pellerano, Honorable Mentioned: Michael Houslen. Over $500.00 was raised! Judges were Hope High, Dr. Baxter and HCTC Students.
19th Annual Gifting Experience: Saturday, December 14th. Everyone meets at Ellsworth City Hall at 9:30am. Looking for volunteers to help with shopping with the kids. Contact Jack Frost.
Nominating Committee: It is that time of year for considering a leadership position in the club. Nominations for Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and President Elect are available. Please see anyone on the Board to express your interest in one of these positions.
Club Holiday Party: Tuesday, December 17th. We will be wrapping gifts for KidsPeace. If you are interested in shopping for gifts, please contact Rebecca Greenlaw and she will give you the card info.
We will also be signing Christmas Cards that will be sent to local assisted living centers and doing a cookie exchange to give to local first responders.
Join a Rotary Committee: Rebecca Greenlaw encourages club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Volunteer Hours: Please let Tricia Quirk know if you have volunteered in the community outside of Rotary.
50/50: $7 to Dr. Baxter
Happy Dollars: 2nd Quarter Happy Dollars will go towards: Our Rotary International Project; specifically, to assist Centro de Prótesis y Terapia Física, a vital program that serves individuals in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and several Central American countries who have lost limbs. This program is dedicated to helping those affected regain their mobility and independence through access to prosthetics and physical therapy.
The following individuals gave Happy Dollars: Dave Wells, Bob Thomas, Clyde Cushing, Kent Weisner, Debbie Ehrlenbach, Jo Cooper, Lincoln Ehrlenbach, Julie Bouchard, Gene Pellerano and Kelly Brown.
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
HCTC Recognition Night: The Rotary Club of Ellsworth honored three outstanding students from Hancock County Technical Center in Cybersecurity, Automotive Technology and Biomedical Sciences. It was a wonderful evening partnering with HCTC to recognize and encourage excellence in technical education.
Videos were shared of each program presented to show club members of what goes on in the classrooms.
Automotive Technology Student: Jovin Pesek, a Junior of Ellsworth High School.
Cyber Security Student: Caden Weirhwen, a senior of George Stevens Academy.
Biomedical Sciences Student: Addilyn Wright, a sophomore of Sumner Memorial High School.
HCTC Director: Bill Tracy provided a brief introduction of Hancock County Technical Center, it’s programs, Skills USA and what the future holds at HCTC.
HCTC Guidance Counselor: Hope High
HCTC Instructors: Rich Jameson, Laura Johns and Sarah Petroulis
Lincoln Ehrlenbach explained the significance of the Coin we have presented to each student. (4 Way Test)
HCTC Scholarships: In addition to recognizing Student Achievements, the club also awards a number of scholarships to graduating students. A reminder to HCTC graduating seniors, the club gives out four $1,000 general scholarships to graduating HCTC students.
Additionally, we are awarding two special $1,000 scholarships, one for a student advancing in Law Enforcement and one for an education major. New this year, a $1,500 scholarship called “Service Above Self” for an applicant who has participated in two or more community service projects while in high school. Applications to apply for the scholarships are available through the guidance department.
The next HCTC awards night is February 4th at China Hill.
Opening Ceremonies: President Rebecca Greenlaw called the meeting to order and we all said the Pledge of Allegiance.
Rotary Opening Words: Rebecca Greenlaw
Sergeant at Arms: Carl Lusby
Zoom – Michael Houslen
Thank you to all who helped set the room up and take it down. We appreciate it!
Guests- John Shoppe
Birthdays: Rob Hemenway and Peter Farragher.
ROTARY BUSINESS:
Rotary Food Drive for Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry Update: The Food Drive at Hannaford to benefit the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry was a tremendous success on many levels. Community support was amazing with a total of 112 turkeys and $878 in cash donations! 1,568 pounds were donated!
A total of 26 EHS students helped during the day and were still full of enough energy at the end of the food drive to empty the food truck and stock shelves. Thank you to everyone! Those in need in our community will benefit from your time and generosity.
EHS Interact Club: Emmaus Center Winter Drive: The EHS Interact Club is collecting items for the Emmaus Center from November 12th-22nd. You can bring items to the High School or at the weekly Rotary Meetings.
Downtown Ellsworth Christmas Parade: Saturday, December 7th to escort Santa. Marc Rich will provide the trailer. Contact Clyde Cushing.
"MOVEMBER" MUSTACHE GROWING CONTEST - MENS HEALTH AWARNESS MUSTACHE GROWING CONTEST 1 NOV. THROUGH 26 Nov. All donations go to MCMH Urology Dept. for screening equipment. *SUPPORTERS CAN ALSO PARTICIPATE BY DESIGNATING A PARTICIPANT and if the participant wins, share in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd place winning. *Judges will consider fullness, neatness and facial improvement on Dec. 3rd. Entry fee is $5 per person.
19th Annual Gifting Experience: Saturday, December 14th. Everyone meets at Ellsworth City Hall at 9:30am. Looking for volunteers to help with shopping with the kids. Contact Jack Frost.
Nominating Committee: It is that time of year for considering a leadership position in the club. Nominations for Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and President Elect are available. Please see anyone on the Board to express your interest in one of these positions.
Club Holiday Party: Tuesday, December 17th. We will be wrapping gifts for KidsPeace. If you are interested in shopping for gifts, please contact Rebecca Greenlaw and she will give you the card info.
We will also be signing Christmas Cards that will be sent to local assisted living centers and doing a cookie exchange to give to local first responders.
Join a Rotary Committee: Rebecca Greenlaw encourages club members to join a committee within the club. Learn more about Rotary and how you can help!
Volunteer Hours: Please let Tricia Quirk know if you have volunteered in the community outside of Rotary.
DeMeyer Field Update: Debbie Ehrlenbach and Peter Farragher updated club members of the DeMeyer Field Project. $159,310 was raised and we have spent $50,000 for ordering the playground. It is here and being stored at E.L. Shea. RF Jordan is preparing the frame installation at free of charge. The goal is to have the playground for ready by the Spring of 2025. Hammond Lumber and students of HCTC will be helping with the project.
Get Well Card: A get well card was passed around for club members sign for Jodie Cushing.
Door Prizes: The lucky winners were: Dave Wells, Jo Cooper, Carol Jordan, Rebecca Greenlaw, Jack Frost, Peter Farragher, Julie Clark and Kent Weisner.
50/50: $9 to Mary Beth Harmon
Happy Dollars: 2nd Quarter Happy Dollars will go towards: Our Rotary International Project; specifically, to assist Centro de Prótesis y Terapia Física, a vital program that serves individuals in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and several Central American countries who have lost limbs. This program is dedicated to helping those affected regain their mobility and independence through access to prosthetics and physical therapy.
The following individuals gave Happy Dollars: Mary Beth Harmon, Jack Frost, Kelly Brown, Debbie Ehrlenbach, Marian Wells, Jo Cooper, Peter Farragher, Carl Lusby, Dave Wells and Gene Pellerano.
Club Assembly: The following Committee Chairs shared a summary from the past quarter and introduce any new plans over the next couple months.
Polio Walk Update: Tricia Quirk shared we had three walks with a total of 39 walkers and raised $2,000. She thanked co-chairs Nancy Mayo and Mary Beth Harmon for their help.
Treasurer Update: Rhonda Parker was absent. Debbie Ehrlenbach presented her report. The club currently has currently $35,746. The first half of dues have been paid and we will be presenting donation checks to Camp CaPella and Comfort Cases soon.
Club Service: Clyde was absent. Rebecca Greenlaw shared the upcoming speakers and activities for the next two months. They can also be seen on the club website. If any club members have guest speaker ideas, please reach out to Clyde Cushing.
Public Relations: Ashley Johnson shared she does Weekly updates on Club Website and Social Media such as speakers, events. Take weekly meeting minutes with photos and sends out the weekly club newsletter to membership. She emails weekly guest speaker bio & Zoom Link to membership.
Ashley has designed and printed Interact Brochures, Polio Walk Signs and Flyers, Rotary Food Drive Signs.
Press Releases were sent out for Pancake Breakfast, Autumn Gold Breakfast, Rotary Food Drive, Membership Night. All seen in the local papers, Ellsworth Chamber and heard on 97.7 Radio. Channels 2,5, & 7 have started coming for interviews at our projects over the last two years.
Updated Partner List on the Website: We have a total of 23 partners. She encourages all members to Create a My Rotary Account on Rotary.org. This is a great opportunity to learn more about Rotary International, the Foundation, the District we are a part of and what our club is working on for this year and so much more!
Ashley also encourages all club members to have ClubRunner Mobile. This is a wonderful tool allowing membership directory data to be available at your fingertips as well as other club information such as weekly newsletters, upcoming events, guest speakers and meetings. It is a great companion to our ClubRunner website.
Vocational: Laura and Gene Pellerano shared the first HCTC night scheduled for this year on Tuesday, December 3rd at China Hill. The other two dates are February 4th and May 6th. The Honor’s Banquet is April 15th. We will be giving out eight $1,000 scholarships at the banquet.
The EHS Interact is small but mighty this year. Their advisor is Katie Woodward. They are currently working on gathering supplies for the Emmaus Center Winter Project until November 22nd.
Rotary Learning: We will continue to strive to get members more active in Rotary learning! Discussed general lack of enthusiasm of club members to participate, looking for some fun ways to make this enjoyable, Rotary Learning Center!
Adult continuing education Graduate Recognition: They have talked to Annie Sargent and asked if we could get this going this year. We believe we can structure it like the Honors Banquet and just have certificates and door prizes for the graduates, or some other form of recognition.
Children’s Literacy: Is there enough interest to restart the children’s literacy program by suppling readers in the Library for story time? Thank you to Tricia Quirk for doing this last week!
We are awaiting some more information from Ellsworth Middle School on a
possible program which would take place on Friday Afternoons and will allowing middle school youth to participate in small service projects.
Moore Center: Moore Center has requested a plaque to recognize Rotary for a past donation which purchased a bookcase for a book exchange in the early childhood center. We are working on this.
Community Service: April Hartford listed all the service projects we did over the 1st quarter! We have done so much! Thank you! We look forward to working in the community over the next quarter especially around the Holidays.
Community Giving: Cindy Shoppe shared the committee starts the year with a budget of $6,000. She reminded everyone we do not accept appeals. We look forward in assisting the community.
International: Kelly Brown shared what the International Committee is and welcomes more members to join. We had a successful Autumn Gold Pancake Breakfast. The proceeds for that goes towards our international project; specifically, to assist Centro de Prótesis y Terapia Física, a vital program that serves individuals in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and several Central American countries who have lost limbs. This program is dedicated to helping those affected regain their mobility and independence through access to prosthetics and physical therapy. The 1st quarter happy dollars will go towards this project as well.
Foundation: Lincoln Ehrlenbach shared The 2024-2025 goal for the annual fund is $6,000, as of November 19, 2024 the club has contributed $1,275 to the annual fund. The 2024-2025 goal for polio is $2,000. To date the club has contributed $994 for polio. The club raised $1,147 from the two polio walks. Polio, 2 to 1 match from the Gates Foundation and explained why club members need to give to EREY so the club can qualify for district grants. As of November 21st all polio money has been sent into Rotary International.
This year so far, we have 10 members give to Every Rotarian Every Year, 9 sustaining members, who gave $100 or more. The club per capita is $25 member.
Did you know that their contributions directly support Rotarian-led service projects that provide clean water, promote peace, develop communities, save mothers and children – and will one day eradicate polio?
Thanks to the generosity of donors around the world, Rotary raised more than $395 million in contributions that are already helping provide people with essential items such as water, food, shelter, medicine and clothing.
We are grateful for donors like you, who are dedicated to Doing Good in the World. So, if you have not given to the Rotary Foundation this year, please consider a gift today.
Paul Harris Recognition: Debbie Ehrlenbach was awarded a Paul Harris +5 pin. Thank you for your generosity!
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
Rebecca Greenlaw thanked all club members for their support!
Reminder there is NO MEETING next week; Tuesday, November 26th. We hope to see everyone at the next meeting on Tuesday, December 3rd for HCTC night!
The Rotary Club of Ellsworth Food Drive at Hannaford to benefit the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry was a tremendous success on many levels. Community support was amazing with a total of 112 turkeys and $878 in cash donations! (We are waiting to hear how many pounds of food was donated)
A total of 26 EHS students helped during the day and were still full of enough energy at the end of the food drive to empty the food truck and stock shelves. Thank you to everyone! Those in need in our community will benefit from your time and generosity.
Check out the photos from the Food Drive! Click on the link below.
The 15th Annual Rotary Food Drive is scheduled for this Saturday, November 16, 2024 from 9:00 am -2:00 pm at the Hannaford parking lot in Ellsworth for the benefit of the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry. Our goal is to collect a "ton of turkeys" for the holiday season along with food goods to support those in need in our communities.
Opening Ceremonies: Past President Clyde Cushing called the meeting to order and we all said the Pledge of Allegiance.
Sergeant at Arms: Jodie Cushing
Zoom – Michael Houslen
Thank you to all who helped set the room up and take it down. We appreciate it!
Guests- Carol and Louman Phinney, Candy B., Grace Robinson
Birthdays: Carol Jordan and Cindy Shoppe
Door Prizes: The lucky winners were: Saxon Tinto, Carol Phinney, Tricia Quirk, John Shoppe
50/50: Shelly Van Camp
Happy Dollars: 2nd Quarter Happy Dollars will go towards: Our Rotary International Project; specifically, to assist Centro de Prótesis y Terapia Física, a vital program that serves individuals in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and several Central American countries who have lost limbs. This program is dedicated to helping those affected regain their mobility and independence through access to prosthetics and physical therapy.
The following individuals gave Happy Dollars: Shelly Van Camp. Carl Lusby, Gene Pellerano, Dave Wells, Pam Cushing, Clyde Cushing
Polio Cups: Reminder to donate to Polio! For every $1 donated, 7 children are vaccinated.
ROTARY BUSINESS:
Rotary Food Drive for Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry: Saturday, November 16th from 9am-2pm. Sign up to help with Stephanie, April or Lincoln.
EHS Interact Club: Emmaus Center Winter Drive: The EHS Interact Club is collecting items for the Emmaus Center from November 12th-22nd. You can bring items to the High School or at the weekly Rotary Meetings. See the flyer below:
Downtown Ellsworth Christmas Parade: Saturday, December 7th to escort Santa. Marc Rich will provide the trailer. Contact Clyde Cushing.
"MOVEMBER" MUSTACHE GROWING CONTEST - MENS HEALTH AWARNESS MUSTACHE GROWING CONTEST 1 NOV. THROUGH 26 Nov. All donations go to MCMH Urology Dept. for screening equipment. *SUPPORTERS CAN ALSO PARTICIPATE BY DESIGNATING A PARTICIPANT and if the participant wins, share in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd place winning. *Judges will consider fullness, neatness and facial improvement on Dec. 3rd. Entry fee is $5 per person.
Nominating Committee: It is that time of year for considering a leadership position in the club. Nominations for Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and President Elect are available. Please see anyone on the Board to express your interest in one of these positions.
Volunteer Hours: Please let Tricia Quirk know if you have volunteered in the community outside of Rotary.
Guest Speakers: This week’s guest speaker was Jessi Mallory. Jessi Mallory is an award-winning Elvis Tribute Artist (ETA) from Maine. With fans all over the world, there's no denying the tribute comes straight from the heart.
Jessi stands out to audiences because of the true authenticity of charisma, humor, vocal ability, and wardrobe. It's not just a show, it's an experience. When Jessi steps on stage, you can tell that everyone in the audience feels Elvis in the building. The detail of the guitars, microphones, and wardrobe is impressive, but once you see the resemblance, it starts to get real. As if that wasn't enough, you get shivers as soon as Jessi takes the first note. Natural and comfortable on stage, Jessi captures that true essence that made Elvis himself so lovable. There's no awkwardness, there's no faking. You're in for an incredible ride!
Jessi has toured all over the state of Maine and has performed at many venues from Maine to Memphis, to Canada.
Having been a fan of Elvis Presley since the age of four, and learning to play guitar at age ten, Jessi is a well-seasoned, well-rounded musician. The vocals are very close to Elvis Presley's, although Jessi even admits that no one sounds exactly identical to the King.
Jessi has performed in Elvis Tribute contests, has been on TV, in newspapers, magazines, books, Elvis Radio, and played Elvis in a movie which earned an IMDb credit.
What also stands out is Jessi's generosity, having helped raise thousands of dollars for various charities and individuals.
Fairs, festivals, birthdays, corporate events, reunions, weddings, casinos, Jessi's done it all, and continues to rock and roll in the name of Elvis.
Jessi’s next show is on Saturday, November 23rd from 6pm-8pm at the Black Moon Public House.
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