RadioRotary

Rotarian Stan Martin (Warwick Valley Rotary) describes a highly successful humanitarian initiative of his Rotary club working with the Warwick Reformed Church to provide weekend food to needy families. Called the Backpack Snack Attack, the program originally served the needs of one school district and 20 student families. Today, in these harsh economic times and supported by a Rotary district grant, it has expanded to serving several districts and 200 families. Elementary schools identify the families in need and send students home each Friday with backpacks filled with food. Students return the backpacks on Monday. This year, students also received winter jackets from the Rotary Club of Warwick. Each week, over 300 volunteers organize food donations, food collections, food purchases, fundraising, and backpack packing, paying attention to restrictive diets, allergies, and so forth. Today this program is a model for other efforts like it in the Hudson Valley and beyond.

In this week’s program, Millbrook Rotarian Rona Boyer, Food Editor of The Millbrook Independent, offers gourmet cooking tips and, as an added bonus, easy-to-follow delicious, healthy gourmet recipes. Here is an example: to prepare a tasty and tender chicken dish marinate chicken parts in the refrigerator skin-side down in equal amounts of peanut oil (or other light oil) and lemon juice from 45 minutes to 4 hours; pour out 2/3 of marinade and bake skin-side up at 350° until juices run clear. Listen for more examples, such as an easy and fabulous gourmet dessert, Roasted Strawberries.

Lynne Versaci, Community Director of the March of Dimes, Northern Metro Division, describes the original purpose of the organization in 1938, which was to eradicate polio in America, and its current mission today. Now The March of Dimes focuses on ways to improve the health of mothers and babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. Using her own personal history of giving birth to premature babies and how one was saved as examples, she discusses ways premature infants today can be helped to breathe on their own. The charity needs both volunteers and fundraising efforts to maintain its success.

Louise Quartuccio, Director of Social Work at Elant, a nursing facility that provides housing for seniors, and Roger Risko, Rotary District 7210’s Elderact Chair, discuss Elderact, a Rotary-connected club for senior citizens similar to Rotaract for young adults and Interact for high-school students. The Elderact club is an example of how society benefits from humanitarian efforts by its senior citizens. The span of knowledge and skills among seniors is often overlooked but are clearly recognized when seniors implement important work in their local community and beyond, such as Elant’s humanitarian projects that support the military, battered women’s shelters, students, local animal shelters, and the needy. The Elderact model is currently being expanded to other senior facilities in District 7210.

Don Fleming, Vice President and Public Relations Manager of Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, famous for its air shows, discusses the history of the airport and the fabulous entertainment available to the public in the shows featuring antique aircraft. Mr. Fleming describes the necessary expertise of the pilots who fly the older planes and his own experience with airplanes. Besides the air shows (from June through mid October), visitors can enjoy a guided tour at the museum to view the unique collection of airplanes, largely from WWI.

Joe Ryan, Outreach Coordinator for the Division of Aging Services, provides many interesting statistics and other facts about the many ways this agency assists seniors. Approximately 57,000 seniors, defined as anyone over 60 years old, live in Dutchess County, and residents between 40 and 60 years old total about 90,000. Other Hudson Valley counties provide similar services, which include help with legal issues (wills, trusts, etc.), transportation (for medical purposes especially, but for other purposes such as grocery shopping), medical information (long term care, levels of living), free exercise programs, the Brain Games program, and loads more. They also provide assistance to caretakers for the aging. The agency receives about 39,000 calls per year asking for help. The agency’s goal is to keep seniors living independently and at home as long as possible because studies show that seniors live longer in their own environment.

Executives from PARC (Putnam Achieve, Reach, Connect), Nancy Miringoff, Associate Executive Director, and Pepi Diaz-Salazar, Director of Day Habilitation, discuss PARC’s many services to children and adults with developmental disabilities and brain injuries. Based in Putnam County but covering a huge geographical area beyond, PARC provides a variety of services, including preschool for children with autism, residential homes, day habilitation and vocational training, and support groups for those suffering from brain injuries. Day habilitation is assistance in a non-residential setting with self-help, socialization, and adaptive skills. Day habilitation at PARC focuses on socialization and cognitive skills necessary for community-based jobs and volunteer services such as delivering meals for Meals on Wheels. PARC also provides extensive, life-long services to more than 650 people each year after they have aged out of the school system.

Award winning producer and host of a new program called Vets Chat Show Trent Love, retired U.S. Army Captain, brings veterans and the community together to address the needs of returning veterans and their families. The intent is to help listeners become aware of the veterans’ problems and about the ways they can help, sometimes as simple as telling a vet: “Thank you for serving.” Mr. Love discusses the many resources and services now available to returning veterans and points out the shortage of publicity, which means that veterans must reach out to each other. A poet in his spare time, Mr. Love shares the values of Rotary, wanting to give back to his community and his country. His 9/11 experience as a First Responder resulted in a multi-media exhibition, “United We Stood,” a month long multi-media photo exhibition, showcasing 10 original photos taken by Trent Love at various locations around New York. Contact: vetschatshow@gmail.com

Rotarian Eben Yager (Poughkeepsie-Arlington) discusses the Renegades baseball team, now in its 19th season. General Manager Yager describes the many reasons for the team’s enormous and growing popularity, which includes the enthusiastic energy of the players and the extensive forms of family entertainment available at each game. In addition, the raccoon mascots are loads of fun: Rookie (dad), Renee (mom), and Rascal (their child). Furthermore, the cost of tickets and food is reasonable, there are no “bad” seats, and the food is varied and delicious. There are also many special activities, such as Bed & Breakfast Night, Scout Night, and so forth.

Bill Bassett shares his goals for his year as District Governor, which will start July 1, 2012, and describes the intense training that Rotary provides for district governors. He plans to focus on supporting local literacy projects. The district exists to support its more than 60 clubs; these know the needs of their communities and meet them through local humanitarian projects. District clubs also can join with each other and with clubs around the world to facilitate major global projects, such as polio eradication, that save lives and improve the quality of life. Mr. Bassett discusses Rotary International’s theme this year of “Peace through Service” and, in light of this, Rotary’s Peace Fellowship program, an all-expense-paid program that provides a master’s degree or certification in Peace and Conflict Resolution at one of several Peace Centers around the world.

Ed Hengel, District co-Chair for the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), discusses the significant effects on the lives of young adults selected for this unique program. Students acquire self-confidence as they learn about the fundamentals and ethics of positive leadership during several days together at the RYLA workshop. Groups are assigned tasks. As they work together on these projects, they learn problem solving, conflict management, and something about themselves. During the workshop, participants have access to guest speakers who represent different forms of leadership in a variety of professions. Most activities are run by young adults who themselves have gone through this program, which contributes to the success of this Rotary-funded program.

Rotarian Lenny Nathan, President and Founder of HealthSav, a training center for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), discusses the need for public awareness about how to save a life when faced with someone who suddenly goes into cardiac arrest. Mr. Nathan describes the difference between a heart attack, when blood flow through the heart is blocked, and cardiac arrest, when the heart stops beating. He explains the reason why some cities (such as Seattle) can save up to 50% of people who go into sudden cardiac arrest when they are not in a hospital while other cities and towns, including those in New York State, save only about 4%. You can learn more surprising statistics and information about the heart in this fascinating interview.

Steven Pressman, Executive Director of Mid-Hudson Addiction Recovery Centers, Inc. (MARC), discusses residential treatment and recovery services for individuals and families in recovery from alcoholism and other drug addictions. Few addicts can stop drinking or using on their own, so nearly all need help both to stop and also to re-enter normal life. MARC’s services include a Crisis Center, halfway houses for long-term recovery, and sober apartments. Mr. Pressman outlines various programs that have helped former addicts reclaim their lives to become successful, productive citizens and parents. In addition, Mr. Pressman discusses how to prevent teens today from secretly accessing prescriptive drugs other family members

Chris Silva, Executive Director of the Bardavon since 1994, discusses the Bardavon’s upcoming programs and its fascinating history in the Hudson Valley. Many legendary performers have graced its stage in the past, including Mark Twain, Sarah Bernhardt, Frank Sinatra, and Houdini. When the Bardavon fell on hard times in the 1970s, citizens rallied to restore it. Its dramatic growth since then can be attributed to Mr. Silva’s excellent efforts such as overseeing the rescue (and management) of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic and daytime children’s programming. Recently performers have included Itzhak Perlman, Al Pacino, Patti LaBelle, Tony Bennett, and Bob Dylan, as well as classic motion pictures. Learn More:

Dr. Gary Lovett, Senior Scientist at Millbrook’s Cary Institute, discusses the forests of the Hudson Valley and the problems they face now and will face in the future. During the interview, Dr. Lovett answers questions about the effects of acid rain, how climate change affects the forests, the problems that arise from invasive insects new to our region (notably the emerald ash borer), and lots more.