• New Member Elections
  John Minikes, Christine Sanchirico, and Nancy Pringle were nominated for membership by Scott Russell in place of Bob Cowie and Bill Bellamy, Joanne Florino, and Michael McGreevey (respectively), and were elected by the members present. Please welcome our newest members to Ithaca Rotary as we all look forward to getting to know John, Christine and Nancy better!

• IMPORTANT: The December 11 Rotary meeting will be held in the Emerson Suites at Ithaca College. The IC Madrigal Singers will be performing at the luncheon, so it will be a very special and enjoyable meeting! The cost is $11 per person, and all reservations and payment must have already been submitted! So, if you have not provided your name as an attendee, you will not be able attend this meeting. Car pooling between IC and Downtown Ithaca will be available, and parking spaces have been reserved especially for our club! If you need a ride to IC, please be at the Holiday Inn by about 11:45 am, and someone will be by to pick you up.
  
  
• Check out the new Ithaca Rotary Website!
  http://www.ithacarotary.org and click on 'Ithaca Rotary' (obviously you're already here)
  Yes, it's finally here... Ithaca Rotary is now on the web. It's not too flashy, but it's goal is to be informative to current members, prospective members, and anyone who want to learn more about what the Ithaca Rotarians do in their spare time. Please provide any comments, suggestions, corrections, or any feedback to Matthew Dearing at mdearing@dynamicpatterns.com. If you have any requests on how you can take advantage of the website to further your committee's or Rotary activity's goals, please let Matthew know and we'll work something out.
  
  
• Memo from Perry Berkowitz, our 2003-2004 District Governor
  I have just learned that Joy Felber will not be able to continue next year as our District 7170 website master. She is willing to train her successor. If any of you have a person in your club who is able to take on this important job please let me know who it is and ask that person if he or she is willing. Joy has done an outstanding job for us over these past few years by developing a fine website. We pay for the site, http://www.district7170.org, and quite frankly I don't feel we can function effectively in the future without it.

• Two Stone Paul Harris Pin awarded to Russ Sprague
  Presented by Barlow Ware
  Russ Sprague has been long due for this recognition having reached the Two Stone Pin goal from his contributions toward the PolioPlus program while he was a member of the Binghamton Rotary Club in the 1980's! Please give Russ your belated, yet sincere congratulations for his important efforts to the Rotary Foundation.

• Today's word is BLATHERSKITE, a noun meaning a person who babbles about inane matters, or nonsense; foolish talk.
  
  What does today's word have in common with the following seemingly disparate words: bladder, flatus, blast, flavor, inflate, soufflé, afflatus? They all are ultimately derived from the Indo-European root bhle- and involve the idea of blowing.

• Bettsie Park and 15 Steps is working with Hospicare on a fundraiser with the goal of selling 500 specially designed journals with all proceeds going toward Hospicare.
  
  
• Laurie Linn was happy that her husband, Eric Lindstrom, is a featured artist at the Tompkins County Public Library with a "Read to Me" banner which is being featured with the current Family Reading Partnership campaign headed up by Brigid Hubberman.
  
  
• John Ziegler was happy to come down South Hill with anti-lock breaks! John also provided a special recipe for your Thanksgiving Turkey.
  
  
• June Losurdo is looking for more Salvation Army Bell ringers for December 12! Please let her know if you will be able to help out [e-mail].
  
  
• Mike Billing was happy that his son Gregory will be part of the Rotary Youth Exchange program next year!

Nina Miller, Executive Director

Nina Miller told us about the current status of Hospicare of Tompkins County and their new program called Palliative Care Services.

Hospicare's services can prevent unnecessary and disruptive trips to the emergency room, can control pain, can absorb appropriate costs, and can build the relationships which offer comfort to patient and family alike. They help patients and their families find physical, emotional and spiritual comfort as they cope with a life-limiting illness. The comprehensive team of health care professionals and volunteers cares for people in their homes, in area nursing homes, or in the beautiful Hospicare Residence.

The new Palliative Care Services focuses on aiding people with advanced life-threatening illnesses, but with a prognosis that is longer than the 6-month requirement for hospice care. As with hospice, the medical, emotional and spiritual needs of both patient and family members is considered.

One difficulty Hospicare faces is that many people come into their services only a few days or even hours before they pass away. The Hospicare services are designed to last months, not days. In order to not experience unnecessary pain, suffering, and futile hospital care It is very important that patients enter the Hospicare services as early as possible.

Hospicare also has a significant financial burden because they help cover significant medical costs. It is very difficult for them to meet all of their patients financial needs because although the patients' heath insurance is covering the Hospicare services for the patient, Hospicare itself in not receiving sufficient funds from the insurance companies.

If you are interested in volunteering or donating to this valuable and critical community service that supports our county residences in the final days of their lives, please give Hospicare a call at 607-272-0212 or visit their website at http://www.hospicare.org.

• Please view the calendar posted on the main page of this website for the most up-to-date information. [View Rotary Calendar]

Program Chair: Karen Macier
Kettle Watch: Jane Spano
Greeter: Laurie Linn
Thought: Beverly Baker
Introductions: Bob Miller
Happy Dollars: Betsie Park
Music: Tony Pesco, Scott Russell, Beverly Baker, Mike Billing, Bill Cowdery
Photography: John Ziegler
Setup: Mike Billing
Editor: Matthew T. Dearing

• Please address all correspondence to the club to:
  Ithaca Rotary Club P.O. Box 306
  Ithaca, N.Y. 14851
  Attn.: Scott Russell, Secretary
  
  
• For eNewsletter comments, questions or corrections, please contact the Editor at mdearing@dynamicpatterns.com.
  
  
• SUBSCRIBE to the Ithaca Rotary eNewsletter via e-mail!
  Just send an e-mail to: subscriberotary@clarityconnect.com and mdearing@dynamicpatterns.com
  
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