Newsletter for Meeting of July 30, 2014
July 30, 2014 Newsletter 
By John Hammer
Charlotte Shelburne Rotary
Wednesday, July 30, 2014, 7:15 a.m.
Trinity Episcopal Church Community Room
Welcome
Incoming President Richard Fox opened the meeting with the Pledge. Kris Engstrom gave the invocation.
Guests:
Jim Donovan – Visitor from Charlotte
Brenda Torpy – Champlain Housing Trust, Speaker
Upcoming:
Week of July 27-Aug 2 – Volunteer at Charlotte Frogbit eradication project. There are still some spots to be filled.
August 6 - Julie Moore – Stone Environmental Co. speaking on the lake and water quality.
August 13 – Committee Meetings
August 14 – Board Meeting
August 16 – Shelburne Day
August 20 – Cheryl Hannah of the Vermont Law School. (Ms. Hannah sadly passed away on July 30th so this presentation will not be held.)
August 22 – Volunteer support to the Charlotte Senior Center Annual BBQ
September 17 – Visit by District Governor.
District 7850 Calendar: Hot Link http://www.clubrunner.ca/Portal/Events/EventsCalendar.aspx?accountid=50051
Announcements
Camp Ta KumTa Was held yesterday with six Rotarians present (Linda Gilbert, Bill Root, Doris Sage, Denny Bowen, Dave Jonah and Tod Whitaker). They all had great fun serving 63 campers and 105 volunteer staff. Apparently it was Christmas in July at the camp and Santa and Ms. Claus where there with snow and all the trimmings. Belgian waffles, bacon and oatmeal were served. Denny Bowen and Bill Root vied for who could make the most Belgian waffles. Denny won because he had a bigger ladle. Bill definitely had a case of ladle envy.
Shelburne Day – Linda Gilbert is coordinating. The booth/tent will be manned from 8AM-3PM. Volunteers are needed for the Rotary Tent and the Hands to Honduras Tent. Some volunteers are needed to cook hotdogs and hamburgers. Especially needed are persons good at handling a cash box.
Shelburne Veterans’ Memorial – Sam Feitelberg reported that they were just awarded a $5,000 grant from the Vermont Office for Veterans’ Affairs increasing the amount they have raised to $70,000. Construction will start when they have reached the $85,000 mark. The final goal is $100,000 to build a fund for maintenance. Bricks will be on sale at the Farmers’ Market.
Pierson Library Tuesday Teas – Next Tuesday will see the first of Tuesday Teas at the Pierson Library. They will be held at 3PM on the first Tuesday of the Month and often there will be a discussion topic. Next Tuesday will be the TV show, Doc Martin. Tea and nibbles will be served.
Shelburne Farms Picnic Evenings – Shelburne Farms will continue the picnic evenings every Wednesday during the month of August commencing next week.
Charlotte Frogbit Project – Michael Clapp still has not gotten the requisite number of volunteers to work the frogbit project in Charlotte. Anyone who has free time on Thursday to go out at 9 AM is invited to report for four hours of which 3 will be on the water.
Charlotte Central School Composting Shed Project – Michael Clapp foresees the need for volunteers for the last two weekends in August. More on that next week.
Sergeant at Arms – Mark Joczik stood in for Evan Webster as Sargent at Arms. He had been pressed into service and this reminded him of his first job as a debt collector. He was a bit chagrined that he had not been issued a mace. Members were encouraged to tell stories of their first jobs.
Kris Engstrom – Worked at a fast food restaurant much like a Burger King. “It was disgusting!” She is definitely looking forward to the fall when she will be having her birthday.
Joan Lennes – Happy to see Brenda Torpy here. She has a house full of company and still having fun.
Roz Graham – Happy for the great work done by the Champlain Housing Trust. Happy to see Brenda here. Her first job started in college because she studied journalism. She’s been doing it ever since.
Linda Gilbert – Summer at college where she interned at an OB/GYN doctor’s office comforting patients. She learned there and then she did not want to be an OB/GYN doctor.
Bill Root – Happy to be a thorn among roses as he was the only male at a table full of ladies. He began as a pizza boy for Domino’s Pizzas at $1.85 per pizza plus tips. He never got any tips.
Lara Keenan – Her father was a locksmith, so Lara learned that trade and became acquainted with Bill Deming at an early age.
Doris Sage – For a great day at Camp Ta KumTa. Her first job was at a summer resort. It was good because it got her off the farm.
Adam Bartsch – Worked in a fish market.
Michael Clapp – Began by unloading sheet rock panels out of boxcars in Texas in the middle of summer.
John Dupee – Began by stacking shelves in a supermarket.
Russ Blodgett – Was a lifeguard at a Bellows Falls pool.
Tod Whitaker – Began as a dishwasher on the 5PM to 2AM at a Howard Johnson restaurant.
Linda Barker – Reminded everyone to attend the Dragonboat races next Sunday.
Sam Feitelberg – His first job was selling Saturday Evening Post to buy a bicycle.
Ric Flood – He began by hauling corpses out of houses. He was paid $10 per corpse. His father was a funeral director. He is about to spend ten days in Snowmass, Colorado on a “business trip.”
Ed Cafferty – Washed dishes in a restaurant. He reminded everyone that his next job will be Sheriff of Chittenden County after the forthcoming Primary Elections on August 26th.
Carole Obuchowski – Worked filing papers at an insurance company where one of her co-workers came and counseled her that she was “going too fast.”
Jim Donovan – Was a caddy at a golf course and then as a shoe salesman.
Howard Seaver – Set up rental beach umbrellas on the beach at Coney Island.
Chris Davis – Just back from a wonderful week in Iceland with his family. He worked mowing grass and is still mowing grass.
George and Linda Schiavonne – Celebrating their 55th wedding anniversary!
President Richard – Started out as a property manger.
Sam Feitelberg won the draw and picked the Six of Spades to roll over the $131 pot.
Speaker – Brenda Torpy, CEO of the Champlain Housing Trust.
Brenda started out by saying that she worked in the family grocery store and worked at every job. She tried being a waitress to break out of the store, but was fired after the first day. She thinks the owner just wanted a person to fill in the job for a day.
She began by praising Shelburne for all the wonderful support the people of the town have given the Champlain Housing Trust (CHT). She called it an “amazing town.” The CHT serves Franklin, LaMoille, and Chittenden Counties by guiding homeless people through to home ownership. This includes education, training and maintenance programs. 5000 people have been served with 2100 rentals being available. The CHT is 30 years old this year. It has had a difficult time in the past few years due to the tanking economy plus heavy government cutbacks.
One program is the “Ready, Set, Rent” program that prepares people to take the first step toward rental. They have shepherded 500 people through the program with 178 now living in CHT rentals. They move about 150 a month. CHT works closely with the Howard Center and C.O.T.S. to identify and help homeless people.
The State will not provide housing vouchers for homeless unless the temperature is below 40° F and the shelters are full. There was a real need for a homeless motel and CHT bought the Econolodge. They are able to get the cost down to one half the price the state had been paying for vouchers. They get contractual help from Women Helping Battered Women and Fletcher Allen Hospital (FAHC). In the latter case, FAHC has to hold homeless patients when it is time to release them until they can find a place to live. It is cheaper and better to move them out of hospital beds, so they are housed at the Econolodge.
Last winter it was full the entire time. Presently there are 31 children there and five families are housed there semi-permanently. The heartening thing is that there are so many people volunteering and donating. She can’t thank the community enough. These have enabled them to plant a vegetable garden and there is permission to build a playground.
As for Shelburne, there are people moving into CHT rental properties today. There are 42 apartments in 6 separate buildings. There are 36 rental apartments assigned to Cathedral Square as well and there are two duplexes being started for ownership under the auspices of the Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity. These rental properties will serve working people in Chittenden and locals are given priority.
Safety is a key consideration. There has been concern about the number of flashing blue lights seen at the Econolodge. Torpy assured the members that these were generally in response to keeping a high level of security there.
The Club presented Neil Armstrong’s biography to the Charlotte Library in the name of Brenda Torpy in recognition for her presentation. This replaces the time-honored coffee mugs that have been phased out in favor of this more community-minded gift.