• New Meeting Location on May 21!
  Mark your calendars as we will be holding our weekly Rotary meeting on May 21 at the Women's Community Building at 100 West Seneca Street (just a couple blocks down from the Holiday Inn).

• New Member Election
  William Hawley, the Executive Director of the Senior Center was nominated for membership by Fred Antil, and were elected by the members present. Please welcome our newest member to Ithaca Rotary as we all look forward to getting to know Bill better!

• Rotary Roses Presented to Holiday Inn
  The staff of Holiday Inn who serve our club each Wednesday were each presented with a dozen roses for their wonderful service and special care they provide us each week. Next issue of the Ithaca Rotary News will report on the final results of the Ithaca Rotary Rose Sale!

• Looking for a Short Term Rotary Host
  Bruce Scott, a Rotarian from Wasilla, Alaska is looking for an Ithaca Rotarian who will serve as an emergency contact for his son Eric during his summer studies at Cornell University in the FALCON Japanese lingual program. Basically, they are looking for someone who would be willing to lend a hand if needed, or contact Bruce if his intervention or assistance is needed. Bruce writes about his son:
  
  "Eric Scott will be 18 years old on June 21 and has only been away from home once to attend RYLA last year in Fairbanks. Although he has been home schooled for the past four years, he has attended the University of Alaska part-time since he was 14, and is currently taking upper division Japanese courses. He is fairly mature for his age, but he is still a teenager. (If you have any, you may know what I mean.) Since he has grown up here in Alaska, New York will in many ways be a foreign country to him.
  
  A good citizen, he has served as a volunteer attorney and/or judge in the Youth Court system (an alternative sentencing program for youthful offenders) for four years, and currently holds down a part-time job at a local supermarket while attending college and home school.
  
  Eric will be flying into Syracuse on June 8, then going to Ithaca (I don't know how yet, but assume you have a bus service) and staying in the Cornell dorms. He leaves to come back to Alaska on August 12.
  
  Any assistance you can give us will be greatly appreciated."
  
  Please contact the Editor if you are interested in helping be a short-term host for Eric Scott.

• Remembering a Rotarian: Robert G. Johnson
  Bob Johnson, Rotarian since 1957, passed away on April 27, 2003 at Hospice. Born on October 10, 1921 in Minneapolis, MN, Bob graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Business and then moved to Ithaca in 1957 with his family to assume management and ownership of the Triangle Books Shop in Collegtown. In 1986, Bob and his wife, Billie, sold their business and retired.
  
  Bob attained the rank of Captain while serving in the Marine Corps artillery during WWII and the Korean War. He was active in the Chamber of Commerce, and was a former President of both the Cayuga Medical Center Foundation and Collegetown Merchants Association.
  
  Bob will be remembered as a true gentleman and will be missed by all Rotarians.

New Member Introduction: Binni Rana Sponsored by George Schneider Ms. Binni Rana is an actuary and holds a Master’s Degree from Heriot-Watt University in Edinborough, Scotland. She recently became the Relationship Banking Manager for First Niagara Bank’s Ithaca Banking Center. Born in India and raised in Toronto, Canada, Bini recently became an American citizen. She has lived in Ithaca for the past five years, and has two children; a seven-year-old boy, Hans-Kumar, and a five-year-old girl, Kahani. Both of her children keep Binni very active, including such activities as coaching soccer and T-Ball.

Please take a moment to offer your warm welcome to Binni Rana!

• Our current Rotary Exchange Student, Risa Takashima, brought her parents to the meeting who were visiting from Japan. They offered a banner exchange from the Rotary Club that Risa’s father, Kazutoshi, is a member, and they presented kind words and traditional gifts from Japan. Mr. Takashima wrote to our club recently:
  
  "I wanted to tell you that I really had a wonderful time in Ithaca. You were so kind to show us a part of American life that is never revealed in newspapers and movies. I enjoyed visiting Cornell University, Ithaca High School, many falls, and going to the supermarket.
  
  I stayed with Gene Erickson, and if I had stayed only at hotels, then I would not had known what the inside of an American home looks like. There are many things that stick in my mind from my tour, but I was most struck by the kindness of Americans.
  
  I thank you very much for giving me such a great eight days, and thank you very much for helping our daughter."

• Presidential Thank You to Rotarians
  - Pres. Jean gave special thanks to Pres.-Elect Jeff True for chairing the April 23 meeting, while she was out of town.
  
  - Pres. Jean also thanked Jeff True, Tom Sanford, and Sue Munson who interviewed ten Ithaca High School students to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA) this summer, and have selected four students.
  
  - Bettsie Park and John Bailey also received thanks for their excellent work in chairing this year’s Rotary Roses fundraiser, which was wildly successful due to their goal-oriented leadership.

• Ambassadors
  4/17: Phil Meyer, Joanne Lamoureux, George Gull (Ithaca Sunrise)
  4/24: Phil Meyer, Joanne Lamoureux (Ithaca Sunrise)

• Visiting Rotarians
  Michael Thuesen (Ithaca Sunrise)
  Kevin Gross (Cortland Noon)
  Lorenzo See (Makati Eosa,The Phillipines)
  Kazutoshi Takashima (Japan)

• Students
  Risa Takashima (Japan)
  Samuel Dricot (Belgium)
  Ariel Arandia (Bolivia)

• Guy Tabacci was happy to see all of the Pride of Workmanship awardees attending the meeting this week.

• Heidi Goldstein was happy to announce that she has a new daughter-in-law!

• Bettsie Park and John Bailey read a letter from Hospicare director, Nina Miller, thanking the Ithaca Rotary Club for donating Rotary Roses to their patients.

• Chris Sanchirico was happy that the Tompkins Trust Company recently donated an additional $1,000 to the Ithaca Breast Cancer Alliance for a grand total of $4,800!

• Nancy Potter announced that our club is already half way toward meeting our $12,000 PolioPlus fundraising goal, and that there is still time to send in your donations.

• Russ Sprague gave $30 happy dollars representing thirty years since he quit smoking and become a Rotarian!

• John Zeigler was very happy that he recently moved into his new office in the Gateway Center with a beautiful view overlooking Six Mile Creek!

"Envision the Future with Digital Television"

Gary Reinbolt, President and CEO of WSKG Public Television

Tom Sanford lead our club in our 9th Annual Pride of Workmanship Awards this year to recognize individuals in our community for excellence in the workplace.

The inspiration for the Pride of Workmanship Awards began with the Rotary Club’s founders’ philosophy that recognized the worthiness of all useful occupations and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society. The eight awards presented today were given to employees who display positive attitudes and creativity, and overall maintain an outstanding job performance.

	This year's Award Recipients 1. Arleen Chase, Longview an Ithacare Community 2. Bruce Graham, McPherson Builders 3. Cathy Marshall, MasterCraft Custom Framing 4. Keith Kreider, Tompkins County Solid Waste 5. Tim Reynolds, Ithaca Stove Works 6. Mert La Bad, Tompkins County Public Library 7. Ken Maycumber, Pleasant Valley Electric 8. Charles Ackerman, The Thomas Group [pictured below]
	View the full presentation of the stories and pictures behind the awards presented!

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

Program Chair: Dale Flinn
Kettle Watch: Ralph Barnard, Bob Young
Greeter: Rob MacKenzie, June Losurdo
Thought: David Cook, Dave Dunlop
Introductions: Richard Spingarn, Dick Charsky
Happy Dollars: Guy Tabacci
Music: Siu-ling Chaloemtiarana and Jack Burns
Photography: John Ziegler
Setup: John Hays
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.
  
  
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