RadioRotary

Mario Johnson, Program Coordinator for Poughkeepsie’s Nubian Directions II YouthBuild/AmeriCorps, describes how dedicated young adults collected nearly 2,000 new and slightly used shoes, sneakers, and boots in one month for victims of Hurricane Sandy, with shipments going to Long Island and New Jersey.

Gail Piazza, a professional food consultant, and her daughter Laura, who suffers from chronic Lyme disease, discuss their award-winning book, Recipes for Repair: A Lyme Disease Cookbook. The book, which applies to everyone, not only those with Lyme, was a 2012 USA Best Books selection.

This interview tells a complex story of romance, success against great odds, and unexpected disaster. The children of two Hyde Park Rotarians met as young adults at a function, fell in love, married, and together joined the Peace Corps in Madagascar.

In this interview about her experiences with hospice patients, Ms. Suzanne O’Brien, R.N, shares her holistic model to end of life care. Hospice is a program to relieve the suffering of those in the last few months on life.

Larry Palant (Suffern Rotary), Disaster Response Chair for Rotary District 7210, discusses the District’s immediate and generous response to helping victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Stephanie Fitzpatrick, a Red Hook Rotarian and Executive Director of the nonprofit Hidden Hollow Farm Riding Center, discusses how riding and grooming the farm’s docile horses encourage growth in those with a broad range of disabilities. In addition to horseback riding, the farm supports “petting as healing,” using miniature horses, goats, and pigs also living on the Farm.

Wendy Maragh Taylor, a social worker, became an instrument of change by helping an impoverished Liberian community build a church that also doubles as a school. The journey of this endeavor, from beginning to end, is extremely powerful and heartwarming.

Not to be missed, this highly informative on-site interview with pediatrician and child psychologist, Rotarian Dr. Abraham Nussbaum, covers vital information about vaccinations against communicable diseases, especially for children.

The program features on-site interviews during Rotary’s United Nations Day on November 3, 2012, with Rotary International President Sakuji Tanaka (2012-13) and other humanitarian leaders from around the world who discuss how their service projects save lives and create goodwill.

Jeri Miller, a high school guidance counselor who suffers from Type I diabetes, has been on insulin for 15 years, injecting herself four or five times a day. She discusses how children and adults in her situation can benefit from a Diabetes Alert Dog such as her Morgan.

Union Vale’s Dog Control Officer Valerie Cote describes her role as Dog Warden, mainly finding stray dogs running loose and enforcing licensing regulations. She explains the dangers of dogs on the loose, the best way to help ensure their safe return, and what happens to unclaimed dogs.

Margaret Bryngelson (Kingston Rotarian) describes her experience as a non-medical volunteer in a recent mission to Venezuela where she assisted a medical team of doctors and nurses operating on children with cleft lip and palate disfigurations. Rotaplast (“Rotary” + “plastic surgery”), heavily supported by Rotary districts and clubs around the world, was started by doctors in the Rotary Club of San Francisco in 1992 to provide such services.

What is the current condition of the Hudson River and how will it affect you? Dr. David Strayer, Freshwater Ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, New York and author of The Hudson River Primer – The Ecology of an Iconic River, discusses the positive effects of the federal Clean Water Act and other government regulations.

Dana Gavin, Director for the Center of Prevention of Child Abuse in Dutchess County, shares the latest information and statistics about child abuse that is at times surprising. Ms. Gavin began her career with the Center as a volunteer several years ago.

Dr. Lee Miringoff, Director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion and an expert on polling, discusses the famous Marist Opinion Poll. Among the many interesting topics he addresses are how polling takes place, how interviewees are selected, the science behind the statistics, and why the Marist Poll is so highly respected and so often cited by journalists and analysts around the globe.