Newsletter - Archive  Oct 28, 2009

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Rotary Club Business and Member News

October 28, 2009

Opening:

Pledge              Sean

Prayer               Ric

Song                 Joe M

Visiting Rotarians and Guests:

Wil Backes        RC of Munich International

Julian Smith      Guest of John B

Andrea Bodo     Accompanied speaker

Steve Burns      Accompanied speaker

Announcements:

John B              Pres Rich, Jud, Henry & Bill D are in Portland for the

district's Membership Seminar.

                          A reminder that there will be no meeting on Nov 11th.

                          The board will hold its regular 1st Tues meeting next week at Mariner at 5 PM.

Sean                 There will not be a spaghetti dinner for Light Up Durham this year.  We'll do the bonfire instead.

Happy Bucks:

Ron                    The Oyster River Girls Field Hockey team is going to the finals.

Dave L                Got a roadside cleanup donation from a grateful driver.

Chip                    Skype is terrific: talked to sisters with pictures - free!

Joe M                  Accompanied WW II vets on Honor Flight to DC last week.

Sean                   Go Celtics!

Wil                      Happy to be here again

John B                Speaker and guests; daughter moved to LA.

Mark                   Hockey team; week in Santa Fe for his 25th anniversary.

Bob W                UNH football

Candace             Late buck

Program:

Maggie Stier, New Hampshire Preservation Alliance

The NH Preservation Alliance exists to better protect historical assets in the state.  Since 1985, the Alliance has worked with many groups whose missions complement its own.

Preservation is a lengthy and complicated process.  As a Field Service Representative, Maggie has found that churches, town halls, mills and dams are the most frequent targets for its efforts.  One of its most succesful annual programs has been the "Seven to Save" which are those historically notable  assets that the Alliance will focus on in the year ahead and share its ideas and strategies with the host communities.

What kinds of considerations draw the support of the Alliance?  Scenic beauty, habitat provision, small hydropower, historical technology, education, recreation, small manufacturing and economic revitalization all factor in to its selection.  But the asset must also meet the minimum threshold for "historic" - 50 years.

Dams are a special case.  There are 3076 public and private dams in the state.  There is pressure to remove dams and restore rivers to free-flowing.  Sometimes the condition of the dam figures into the pressure.  Durham's dam is one of seven concrete buttress dams in the state.  Built in 1913, it is thought to be well-managed.  The town owns the dam and so it has the decision to remove or repair it.  If it does nothing to repair its defects, the state DES can seize it, destroy it and send the town the bill.

Megabucks: Wil had the winning ticket, but couldn't find the card.

Upcoming Programs:

Nov 4          Steve Reno, Retired Chancellor of the University System of NH.

Nov 11        No meeting.

Nov 18        Joan Sundberg, Madbury Board of Selectmen

Your Scribe:Ric