Teri Wilson (Avon Historical Society) and Janet Conner (Speaker)
Visiting Rotarians
none
Happy Dollars
$ 29.00
Fines
none
Raffle
$20.00 - No Winner
Birthdays
None admitted
Happy Dollars
Larry Haber had the bad luck of being stranded in Florida for five days when his flight was cancelled due to the recent blizzard. He stayed with a cousin and did what he could to make the best of a bad situation.
President Don was very excited to be a new grandfather. Daughter Katie who is about 5'2" gave birth to Francis James Russo who is 21" and weighs 10.7 pounds. A lot of baby for not so much mom.
Paul Mikkelson thanked Colleen Grasso for her hard work on the TOTV auction and Steve Morris for selling 28 tickets to the event. He was happy that wife Annie would be coming after being sidelined since August. She is sensitive to perfumes, and Paul reminded us that they may not be good for you.
Teri Wilson was happy that a man who knows in Avon has been treated with immunotherapy for lung cancer and it is nearly all gone.
Gary Hyde announced there was a 15% increase in ticket sales for TOTV.
Jolly Lux talked about Christine who was dying when Jolly was in Uganda three years ago. After surgery and other treatment, Christine is now going to school. Jolly found a caregiver for the little girl and has gotten her into a good school.
Salin Low gave $22 on her 22nd anniversary of membership in the club and also in support of the UConn women's basketball team who won their first national championship 22 years ago. Unfortunately they did not win this year. She was also excited about her new CR-V which she leased from Sullivan Honda in Torrington.
Larry Sullivan had to pay a fine for that plug of his family's dealership. Then he told a joke about different interpretations of "wizard under the sheets."
Announcements
Community Service Committee meets after the meeting on the first Friday of the month.
FAVARH Moment
Ann Clark talked about the group homes run by FAVARH. They provide a residence for 5-6 clients i a home setting with the assistance of 24-hour supervisors. They are generally away from the home during the day, working either with a local business or at FAVARH. There are homes in Simsbury, Avon, and Farmington.
TOTV Thanks
Josh Gillooly thanked all who had worked on the TOTV and was looking forward to a great event. The club also owes Josh thanks for stepping up to lead the event.
News from Katie
Craig Buhrendorf, chair of the International Committee, recently received the following email from Katie Bussiere, a Rotary scholar from Canton sponsored and partially supported by our club.
Dear Craig and Mateen,
I hope you are both well. My course at Cambridge continues to be excellent! This academic year has been the opportunity of a lifetime. I wanted to make you aware that I was successful in being accepted for my PhD at Cambridge. However, I did not receive the sought after scholarship. I have researched extensively alternative funding sources, but it does not seem likely I will continue without financial support. While this is disappointing, I am hopeful to apply again next year and perhaps the scholarship will come through then. In the meantime, I will keep you updated on my alternative plans as they form and where I plan to be starting in August.
I also wanted to make you aware of my current research. My fieldwork is looking at adult Syrian refugees' experiences learning English, and better understanding the help they need to be able to support their children in school. This is a timely and topical issue seeing how the UK government plans to resettle 20,000 Syrian families who are highly vulnerable by 2020. A professor in our department heard about my research and called it 'ground-breaking.' Quite the compliment!
Apart from my coursework, there are eight Syrian refugee families living in Cambridge and I have been volunteering with their resettlement efforts. In particular, I am helping with their weekly English language classes. It has been wonderful working with them. Despite what they have been through, they are so hopeful and eager to learn and improve their English. I have also grown quite close to their small children.
Finally, I have spoken at 10 Rotary Club meetings, and I have another six club presentations in April and May!
Best wishes,
Katie
Awards, Donations, etc.
None this week
Presentation
Janet Conner
Avon Historical Society
Work of the Special Projects Committee
Janet Conner created the special projects committee. She had done volunteer work in other towns and thought she could work in the town where she lives. First she offered to write the newsletter for the society. Her first assignment was to cover the restoration of an outhouse at Pine Grove Schoolhouse. She did so well that now she writes two versions of the newsletter - one for kids and one for all ages. In addition the committee provides hospitality for public events, including providing staff for their booth on Avon Day.
Janet showed us some displays put together for various occasions. Several were table settings which would have been used during different presidencies. The setting would include paper copies of the official china of that administration.
The committee also prepares presentations for schools and other groups. The picture above is of the Farmington Canal as it passed through the center of Avon. The canal passed by what is now Da Capo Restaurant. The Avon Congregational Church can be seen in the distance. There was an area for turning around near the current Board of Education building. The canal was rendered obsolete by the coming of the railroads in 1848. However, part of the canal still exists - one of the aqueducts pictured below.
The committee has worked to present information about the history of the various schools in Avon, including work by Conner's husband Steve, affectionately referred to as Mr. Foamcore. There were originally seven one-room schools in Avon. There is also work to present the history of Avon's involvement in the Underground Railroad to help escaped slaves make their way to Canada. In addition Conner has developed a character named Abigail Fieldmouse who tells stories about historical events to school children.
Special Announcements
President Don Bonner asked that all club members keep Nancy & Craig Nation in their daily thoughts and prayers, and that we keep our cards, telephone calls and good wishes for them coming.
Mail Bag
Photo Credits
Club meeting photographs courtesy of Phil Worley, unless otherwise indicated.
Editors Notes
Submission Deadline: Members are kindly encouraged to submit all materials for each week's Early Riser as quickly as possible. Please note that some editions may be published and distributed as early as the Saturday following our meetings, and during those weeks further contributions to the Early Riser will be included in the subsequent week's edition.
