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Today at Cafe Spiga, Pres. Rob hosted 9 members and our visiting speaker, Samantha Acampora, a former recipient of a Port Jeff High graduating senior Rotary Scholarship. Plans for our next fundraiser, the Annual Golf Outing- on September 12th- are moving along. Rob announced that there will be a GOLF MEETING TOMORROW at 8 AM via ZOOM. Please attend if you are able to do so. He will be sending out an invitation to the meeting with the Zoom link so that you can easily join the meeting. Remember: The brochures are available for sharing with family, friends, business associates, et.al. Club participants and benefactors/donors from our past years' golf events are especially invited to renew their efforts at this time and help us create another successful and enjoyable venture. All members are also invited to attend the Executive Board Meeting on Friday, August 27th, at 8 AM via Zoom. Contact Rob for the Zoom link. By now you should have received the emailed invitation/reminder about our Annual Presidents Dinner on September 28th at Savino's Hideaway in Miller Place, starting at 5 PM. As part of your Club Membership, each regular member is entitled to 2 tickets to this event. (Corporate members receive 2 tickets for the corporation. Additional tickets are available for $60 each.) PLEASE R.S.V.P. TO SHARON A.S.A.P.- (by 9/18): brennansab@optonline.net) Yvette invites you to save the date and participate in the 17th Annual Kenya/USA Bi-Continental 5K Run/Walk: Saturday, October 16th, at 10 AM on the Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway Trail. Here's another opportunity to compete against Kenyans of all ages, who will be running (and walking) seven time zones away! This event will start and end at the Port Jeff Station trail entrance- at the western end of the public parking lot. The lot entrance is located at the Hallock Avenue traffic light, on the western side of Rte. 112, between the Enterprise Car Rental and the 7-11. Registration will take place beginning at 9 AM. The suggested donation: $30. Runners/walkers who can secure more than $100 in pledges run/walk for free. Medals will be awarded to all finishers. If you are unable to participate on October 16th, you are invited to do a VIRTUAL 5K run/walk any place, any time thru October 23rd. Donate at www.hopechildrensfund.org or send a check to HCF, P.O. Box 387, Setauket, NY 11733. All proceeds go to support the Jerusha Mwiraria Hope Children's Home in Meru, Kenya. Jen invites you to participate in Family Fun Day hosted by the PJ Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, September 11th, from 10 AM to 4 PM at the Chamber Train Park (corner of Rte. 112 and Rte.347, Port Jeff Sta.- Entrance on Rose Ave.) This is an opportunity to celebrate local community, local business, and good ol' family fun! There'll be an apple pie baking contest, a scarecrow contest, and live music. Free Admission. Vendor spots are available. For more info. and a schedule, visit www.PJSTChamber.com (or contact Jen). You are also invited to join the Three Village Chamber and other local chambers in welcoming Dr. Maurie McInnis, President of Stony Brook University, to our business community on September 15th at the Old Field Club (86 W.Meadow Rd., East Setauket). Networking begins at 8 AM. Program follows at 8:30 AM. Please register at www.3vchamber.com. Continental breakfast will be served. Cost: $25 pre-paid, $35 at the door. Nancy read a beautiful Thank You note from a Mt. Sinai Rotary Scholarship winner. Afterwards, Rob reminded us that the scholarships we provide to local students, the goods, food, school backpacks, and money that we donate to Open Cupboard clients, etc., truly change and enhance the lives of so many people. Rob next introduced our visiting speaker, Samantha (Sam) Acampora, a 2018 PJ High School Rotary Scholarship recipient. She is completing her senior year in Environmental Sciences & Technology in Syracuse. Sam received her AA degree in Wanakena, NY, home to the SUNY ESF Ranger School. Wanakena is located 2 1/2 hours north of Syracuse, in the foothills of the Adirondacks, in the Five Ponds Wilderness area (aka "The North Country"), one of the largest remote outposts remaining in NY State. No cellphone capability there! ESF graduates receive their degrees in forest and nature resources management (FRM). Sam got lots of field experience in Wanakena but is now back on the main campus- actually living off campus, sharing a house rental and learning to make budgets, shop for groceries, pay bills, etc. She will be graduating in December and hopes to take some time off (but will stay busy) before continuing studies/job hunting. She would like to go out west to join a friend in Idaho for the summer months. Sam will be taking the Civil Service Exam so that she can be eligible to train to become a full-fledged forest ranger. She plans to take as many Civil Service Exams as necessary to achieve her goals, but knows that for the next few years she has to remain in NY State since she received an Excelsior Scholarship. Sam had a D.C. mentorship this summer working on finding and studying invasive species such as the southern pine beetle (now in Suffolk) and trying to locate beech leaf disease-causing nematodes (found in Brooklyn, Queens, and Nassau). Sam's presentation was followed by many questions about beetles, tree blight, and the like, which she graciously attempted to answer. We wished Sam the best of luck as she continues on her chosen (non-traditional) path to performing much-needed public service. Sal was our super Sergeant today and caused many dollar bills to be collected as he questioned us mainly about "local stuff" (ie., Who was named the Port Jefferson Volunteer of the Month? Answer: Bob Larabie, who, among other things leads groups in picking up litter, is an active member of the PJ Harbor & Arts Conservancy that sponsored the recently-held Antique Car Hill Climb and will sponsor the upcoming Bicycle Hill Climb, etc.) Sergeant Sal was especially kind when we frequently missed the right answers (ie., "Perfect! Close but not correct.") and he enlightened us regarding many local events, places, and people we should be aware of. Bravo, Sal! |
