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The Rotary Club of
Trumbull President-elect Mike Redgate called the meeting to order and led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. Jack Quinlan said the invocation. Steve Hodson led us in singing “Sunshine on my Shoulders”.
Attendance: 36 of 63 members attended. Marjorie Anctil, Jim Bardon, Jim Baum, Doreen Boutote, Bob Braun, Bev Cambras, Guy DeFeo, Joan Farley, Lynn Fontana, Tom Galla, Len Germano, Tom Heaney, Steve Hodson, Phil Lane, Jim Lang, Ron Lesko, Dana Lonergan, Bob Matthews, John McBride, Ian McMillan, Preston Merritt, Ted Merritt, Frank Metrusky, Jack Quinlan, Michael Redgate, John Rosati, Joe Ruospo, Ray Rzasa, Dale Seymour, Rose Marie Spatafore, Paul Squillace, Dick Stutz, Steve Taylor, George Voynick
Guests: Jonathan Barren, a guest of Jim Lang, attending his second meeting. Gary Cialfi, attending his second meeting.
Happy Dollars:
Preston Merritt- 3 - For the Trumbull High School Girl’s Swim Team, the Girl’s cross-country Team, and for his attending both meets at the same time. Ron Lesko then gave a sad dollar because attending both athletic meets still didn’t help Preston. Joe Ruospo gave a “mixed bag” dollar for President Bush and for Joe having no special place to go to help with the tragedy. Phil Lane - 5 - for the campaign to raise money by Joe Ruospo’s Peoples Bank. Marge Anctil - 1- for the great effort by Trumbull High School to assist students in dealing with the nations tragedy. Steve Taylor - 2 - for the Governors program to provide a free college education to children of the victims of the 9/11/01 tragedy, and for the two small Caribbean countries that are offering free vacations for the families of the victims. Ted Merritt - 1 - for happiness at seeing THS Principal Gary Cialfi at our meeting. Joan Farley - 1 - to announce that on Friday September 28 at 2:30PM Rosedale will sponsor a Healing Seminar. More information will be provided at next weeks meeting. Rose Marie Spatafore - 3 - One happy for all the notes she has received regarding the tragedy from people around the world, and two sad. One for all the displaced people, and one because her husband Rich went to our postponed Golf Tournament last week.
Sad Dollars: Jim Lang - 1 - because the wife of fellow Rotarian Larry Stankus died.
Birthdays and Anniversaries: The club sang “Happy Anniversary” to Bev Cambras and to Steve Taylor.
Committee Updates and Announcements:
Tom Galla announced that due to the tragedy, our Golf Tournament has been postponed until Monday October 8, 2001, which is Columbus Day. There is still a need for more golfers, raffle prizes and sponsorships. Len Germano announced that the Norm Parsells luncheon will be Tuesday November 13th, at the Holiday Inn in Bridgeport. Please save the date and attend. Ted Merritt announced that the District Relief Fund will be discussed at the next Board meeting, which has been moved to October 10th, 2001. Ted also announced the Marriott will donate a large room for our upcoming political debate scheduled for Friday October 26. The hotel will also donate food if our members agree to be wait-staff. Ted also stated that the Trumbull High School Library is embarking on a new cooperative program with the town library. John Rosati announced the following: 1. The SPOKES CLUB is selling ribbons at Hillcrest to contribute to the American Red Cross. 2. Speakers are needed for the Hillcrest Career Night in the following categories: Journalist-Author, Photographer, Radio Personality, Automotive Technology-Auto Mechanic, Sales-Marketing-Advertising Executive. 3. The Tashua School Mentor Program needs volunteers. For more information call Ms. Luann Donovan, at 452-4431.
New Member Induction:
Joe Ruospo, our District Membership Coordinator, introduced our newest member (#63) Roger Hines. Roger learned about Rotary on his own and asked to join our club so that he could make a positive contribution to our community. Roger became an “American by Choice” after coming to the USA at age 21 from his native country of Guyana. He has also attended Rotary meetings in Guyana, a country of only 750,000 people, and was amazed at the similarity of the meeting structure. He was also impressed by the Guyana Rotarians medical outreach program. It is a pleasure to have him as a new member.
Program: Ted Merritt announced that our guest speaker Karen Ronald, had car trouble and was unable to be with us. Mike Redgate then introduced our Club Member speaker Dick Stutz who discussed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), based on his long career in the Aerospace Industry. Among other things, Dick said: 1. The FAA is charged with development, operation and maintenance of our nation’s airspace system. The main function of their 50,000 employees is Air Traffic Control. 2. The three methods utilized to monitor where airplanes are located are radar, two-way radio communication and transponders, which can illuminate an ATC radar screen with a distinct code. 3. As a result of the 9/11/01 tragedy, aircraft must utilize transponders to legally fly, and there is a lot more restricted airspace. 4. Information on airplane tracking developed by the FAA is classified. 5. The FAA provided advisories to the Department of Defense regarding the tracking of the hijacked plane that crashed in Pennsylvania. 6. Both Norman Manetta, the Director of the Department of Transportation, and Jane Garvey, the Director of the FAA, are well-qualified people who are pursuing many new ideas to improve flight safety and ATC operations.
Mike Redgate then introduced our own Economics Professor, Phil Lane, who provided us with the following observations: 1. The estimated physical damage loss in New York City is 200 billion dollars. 2. Other losses from the tragedy are difficult to measure, but are very significant because approximately 25% of our workforce was unproductive for the week following the event. 3. Our economic status was in decline prior to the tragedy. The terrorist strike itself is considered a random event, and will not cause a recession, but a recession is a distinct possibility. 4. The airline, travel and tourism industries will all decline. 5. Insurance companies will also suffer huge losses, which will probably result in rate increases. 6. By the third quarter of next year our economy will be back to normal.
Raffle: Ron Lesko drew first and didn’t win, which left the pot of $676.00 available for Joan Farley, and she won! Congratulations Joan.
UCOMING PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
September 28 International Service Committee Program October 5 Business Meeting October 8 Trumbull Rotary Golf Tournament October 10 Board Meting at 7PM ***NOTE DATE CHANGE*** October 12 District Governor John Annick October 26 Debate between Ken Halaby and Ray Baldwin November 13 Norm Parsells Luncheon hosted by the Bridgeport Club at the Holiday Inn
Respectfully Submitted, Dale J. Seymour |
