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Stories
Top of the Week September 28, 2016
 
Top of the Week!
 
 
In Our Thoughts
 
Jillian McKenna Nelson, 16
 
Jillian was Peggy Nelson’s grand daughter. Peggy is one of our loyal servers at the Portsmouth Country Club. Please keep Peggy, her family and co-workers in your thoughts and prayers.—President James
 
Jillian McKenna Nelson, 16, of Hooksett, passed away at Boston Medical Center on September 20, 2016 as a result of injuries sustained from a pedestrian and automobile accident in Hooksett on September 11th.

Jillian was born in Manchester on August 9, 2000, the daughter of Richard Nelson and Alison (Schulte) Willneff. She was a junior at Pinkerton Academy. She was very active at St. Catherine of Sienna parish, volunteering with the CCD Program and the Youth Group. The school library was her second home where she was a library aide shelving books, engaging in or creating other activities. She enjoyed reading and writing, sometimes staying late at school to work on writing a novel. She was kind, patient and generous, always thinking of others. She brought out the best in everyone, befriending all those she met especially her shyer and quirkier peers. Jillian was very proud to be an outspoken advocate of equality, diversity and acceptance. It was Jillian's wish before she passed away to be an organ donor to help others in need. It is estimated that her donations will help over 100 people.

Family members include her mother and step-father, Alison and Michael Willneff of Hooksett ;her father, Richard "Chuck" Nelson of Manchester; three brothers, Samuel Nelson, and her twin brothers Charles Nelson and Bennett Nelson, all of Hooksett; her maternal grandmother, Elizabeth "Chickie" Schulte of Hooksett; her paternal grandmother, Margaret "Peggy" Nelson of Greenland; and many uncles, aunts, and cousins.
 
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to Equality Healthcare, 38 South Main St., Concord, NH 03301. To view an online memorial or more information, go to www.phaneuf.net.
 
 
Upcoming Events . . . Save the Date
 
Hands on Project (see Ted Alex)
Saturday, October 8, 2016 8am-12pm
Durham, NH 
 
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Friends Forever. Steve Martineau has asked our club to help with a hands on project at their new campus in Durham. Pretty simple project: take down a fence, save the good sections and place the bad sections in a dumpster on site. The fence is cedar and the panels are light. There's some raking involved and hole filling with skill levels for all Rotarians to handle.
 
HANDS ON PROJECTS = FELLOWSHIP... WE CAN ALWAYS USE FELLOWSHIP!
 
 
Bridgewalk - Bridge the Gap to End Polio (see Bob Sheesley)
Saturday, October 22, 2016 8:30am-12pm
Portsmouth, NH
 
In recognition of World Polio Day, October 24th, Rotary District 7780 and the Seacoast Rotary Club of Portsmouth, NH will sponsor the annual “Bridge the Gap to End Polio” walk. Hundreds of Rotarians, family members, friends and community members will walk the Memorial Bridge connecting Portsmouth, NH and Kittery, ME to raise awareness and funds for Polio Plus, Rotary International’s 27 year mission to eradicate this child crippling disease.
 
 
District 7780 Centennial Celebration 100 for 100 (see Janice Wood)
Thursday, November 10, 2016 6pm-10pm
Portland, ME
 
Join us as we celebrate the 100th year of The Rotary Foundation With Special Keynote Speaker:  Sam Frobisher Owori of Kampala, Uganda, Past Rotary Foundation Trustee, Nominating Committee Selection for 2018-19 Rotary International President.
 
 
Salvation Army Soup Kitchen Service
 
Many hands made light work and some fun at the Salvation Army soup kitchen on Tuesday Sept 20th.  Donald Sutherland arrived with a box of new cleaning products and sponges to donate and they were put to good use. Our next “dinner service” is a couple of days before Thanksgiving on Nov 22.  Please contact Sara Treacy if you’d like to volunteer saratreacy@comcast.net
 
  
 
Sara Treacy, Al Lantinen, Stan Cross, Donald Sutherland and Ashley Davis. Photo by Charlotte Hubbard. 
 
 
 
Al Lantinen, Stan Cross, Donald Sutherland, Charlotte Hubbard and Ashley Davis. Photo by Sara Treacy. 
 
Let us Know What is Happening!
 
If you have an event or news that you would like to share with your fellow Rotarians, please forward the information to Dennis Moulton for inclusion in the weekly eBulletin. My contact information is d-moulton@comcast.net.  And please send photos!
 
 
Rotary Log for September 22, 2016
President James rang the meeting to order and welcomed guests and visiting Rotarians.  He also mentioned that we need someone to take hold of our Adopt-a-Spot project downtown. Any interested Rotarian is welcome to step up.
 
There were several other announcements.  Leo Gagnon reminded all of our social evening at the Atlantic Grille on September 26 at 5pm.  Dan Marston noted that our End Polio Bridge Walk (over the new Memorial Bridge) is October 22 at 9 a.m. Every donation will be doubled by the Gates Foundation.  Let’s see if we can beat last year’s total!
 
Our Rotary Connections Committee is up and running.  Marie Brownell of Rotary Reads says she will accept books for children all year long at our meetings.  Ramona Dow explained our Basic Needs Committee and how the process works. First, make an application, which the committee reviews. That will be followed by an interview and then a presentation to the BOD.  She is happily accepting new committee members.
 
 
Our speaker was introduced by Ted Alex.  Donna-Lee Young Rubin is a Past District Governor from Boston and has been a long-time Rotarian.  She was honored at Rotary International in Barcelona, Spain as well as receiving many other Rotary awards.   In 2000, while District Governor, she began inviting the district’s clubs to begin fostering international service.   One year later she went on her first Rotaplast mission.  After the tragic loss of her husband, a surgeon, she was encouraged to apply for the Rotaplast CEO position. The New England native won the job after two trips to California to interview.  
 
 
Rotaplast operates missions in Central and South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia.  Their primary focus is cleft lip and palate repair. Now Rotaplast has begun to offer some treatment of facial burns.  In poor countries both of these problems are poorly handled and infants and children are shunned and ostracized.  In addition, the afflictions can seriously affect speech hearing, eating and frequent upper respiratory problems.  
 
 
As a physician, I am stunned by the extensive logistic and organizational planning needed to provide services.  In addition the local hands-on training to make these areas more self-sufficient is remarkable.
 
Rotaplast is a 501(c)3 charity. It is not directly connected to Rotary and must fund itself.  For those who are interested, there are multiple positions within each team that do not require a medical or nursing degree.  The video and slide presentation showed the life-changing impact to both the face and spirit of patients treated by Rotaplast.  
 
As Donna-Lee says, “What better thing to do than change a life.”  I think we all can agree.
 
Respectfully submitted, Al Lantinen        
New Members Photos
To see photos of our new members click on the following link:
 
http://portsmouthrotary.org/PhotoAlbums/new-member-photos-welcome
Speakers
Sep 29, 2016
Musings: Portsmouth vs. Portsmouth - why we are our own best friend and our own worst enemy!
Oct 06, 2016
Time for NH to Change Direction on Mental Health
Oct 13, 2016
Oct 20, 2016
Seeking Re-election as the Republican Senator from NH
Oct 27, 2016
Friends Forever!
Nov 03, 2016
Polis
Nov 10, 2016
Martial Arts for Veterans
Nov 24, 2016
No Meeting
View entire list
Sponsors
Interested in being a sponsor?
Download the website sponsorship guide
Russell Hampton
National Awards Services Inc.
Sage
Photo Albums
September 22, 2016: Rotaplast
C. 2016 Rotary Club of Portsmouth, PO Box 905 Portsmouth NH 03801. Email: portsmouthnhrotary@yahoo.com. www.portsmouthrotary.org.