August 2023Upcoming Events: August 7— Member and Sierra Vista Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Eric Holmes will be providing the “State of the District” for 2023-24. August 14—Boys & Girls Clubs of Sierra Vista fundraising luncheon at Vinny’s Pizza (volunteers to help wait/bus tables will be welcome!) August 21—Club Membership August 28—OFFICIAL VISIT OF THE DISTRICT GOVERNOR, Dr. Don Jorgensen; August Birthday and Anniversary Celebration with cake! |
Sep. 19, 2022Upcoming Events for October— Oct. 3 - Joe Puett: Highlights from the 2022 District Conference Oct. 10 – No noon meeting: Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples Day Oct. 17 - Joe Puett: "Cyber Fraud" a Personal Story of Attack and Defense Oct. 22 – “Make a Difference Day” – Work day to help install a split rail fence at the dirt bike pump track at the Domingo Paiz Sports Complex. Oct 24 - Ty Baze: Salvation Army Sierra Vista Update; World Polio Day Oct. 31 - Margaret Hepburn: Overview of the Legacy Foundation of South East Arizona |
Sep. 12, 2022 MeetingUpcoming Events for SeptemberSept. 19 – Jacqui Clay, Cochise County School Superintendent Sept. 22-24 – District 5500 Conference, Casino del Sol, Tucson. Sept. 26 – Club Conference Upcoming Events for October— Oct. 3 - Joe Puett: Highlights from the 2022 District Conference Oct. 10 - Dark: Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples Day Oct. 17 Joe Puett: "Cyber Fraud" a Personal Story of Attack and Defense Oct. 22 – “Make a Difference Day” – Work day to help install a split rail fence at the dirt bike pump track at the Domingo Paiz Sports Complex. Oct 24 - Ty Baze: Salvation Army Sierra Vista Update Oct. 31 - Margaret Hepburn: Overview of the Legacy Foundation of South East Arizona |
2021 Grants SIERRA VISTA ROTARY NON-PROFIT GRANT REQUESTS This year the Sierra Vista Rotary Club will distribute monetary grants (typically $200 to $1000 based on need, merit, and available funding) to local non-profit entities such as yours. Preference will be given to requests that fit into the Rotary’s seven primary areas of focus: • Peace and conflict prevention/resolution. • Disease prevention and treatment. • Water and sanitation. • Maternal and child health. • Basic education and literacy. • Economic and community development. • Supporting the environment. |
Our First Six Months of ServiceHow has the Sierra Vista Rotary Club managed during the first 6 months of the 2020-2021 Rotary Year? By continuing service! Read a summary of the various projects carried out by the members of the Sierra Vista Rotary Club since July...and the plans for the second half of the year under quarantine!
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Merry Christmas and Happy New YearMerry Christmas  Happy New Year!  Sierra Vista Rotary will be dark through January 4th. We wish everyone a safe and blessed holiday season. The club will be dark until January 4th so we can enjoy a relaxing Christmas and New Year. |
Rotary Club of Sierra Vista - People of Action in These COVID Times - PART 6Rotary Club of Sierra Vista –A Fun Change of Pace - Rotarian Bob Logan on “Playing for Pizza” or American Football in Italy
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The Rotary Club of Sierra Vista - People of Action in These COVID Times - PART 5PEOPLE OF ACTION – Rotary Club of Sierra Vista in These COVID Times – Rotary Foundation Major Donor Award and Presentation by COL (Ret) Henry C. Beumler on ‘How the U.S. Military got Tricare’ The Rotary Club of Sierra Vista started the weekly club meeting in the ‘live & virtual’ mode, using Zoom for the club members and visitors to the club who could not attend in person at the Tandem Restaurant in the Windemere Hotel. Zoom Flag for Meeting Who is That Masked Man?    |
The Rotary Club of Sierra Vista - People of Action in These COVID Times - PART 1Starting as far back as March and April 2020, with the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Rotary Club of Sierra Vista began planning and executing activities that support community activities in all of the 'focus areas' for Rotary International. PART 1 is April 2020 to June 2020 -The Rotary Club of Sierra Vista - People of Action in These COVID Times.    |
The Rotary Club of Sierra Vista - People of Action in These COVID Times - PART 2This is Part 2 of The Rotary Club of Sierra Vista - People of Action in These COVID Times PART 2: July 2020 - July 4th 2020 and COVID Projects
 Peach's Pantry |
The Rotary Club of Sierra Vista - People of Action in These COVID Times - PART 3This is PART 3 of People of Action in These COVID Times. PART 3 - Cochise Strong and "Cash Mobs" Guest Speaker Lisa Gustafson - "Cochise Strong" with Club President Candy Pardee Live Meeting at Tandem Restaurant (below)   |
The Rotary Club of Sierra Vista - People of Action in These COVID Times - PART 4Part 4 of The Rotary Club of Sierra Vista - People of Action in These COVID Times PART 4 New member Dr. Eric Holmes, the new Superintendent of Sierra Vista Unified School District (SVUSD) Frank Gonzalez and City Manager Chuck Potucek   |
HYBRID MEETINGS--in person and ZOOMJuly 12, 2020 Due to the ongoing COVID-19 Crisis, the Sierra Vista Rotary will be offering its members the option of meeting in person at Tandem Upscale Dining and Lounge Restaurant located at the Windemere, 2047 S. Hwy. 92 OR to attend via Zoom until further notice in order to protect the health and safety of our members. Those choosing to attend in person are required to wear masks when not actually eating. Tandem seating is spaced apart to maintain social distance. Meals are served to those attending. Members will be notified of the menu on Friday so as to be able to reserve a meal--and space--for the Monday meeting as Tandem is normally closed on Mondays. Tandem is also maintaining a "less than 50% capacity" to be in compliance with the Governor of Arizona's order regarding dine-in restaurants. Members attending via Zoom will be provided log in information for the Zoom meeting--and are able, should they choose to do so, to pick up the lunch meal "to go" before the meeting. Non-members of the Sierra Vista Rotary Club, visiting Rotarians and members of the public wishing to attend a meeting to learn more about Rotary, need to contact President Candy Pardee via email at Candyce.Beumler.Pardee@gmail.com to secure Zoom information and password. Those wishing to attend in person must contact Tandem at 520-685-9061 by no later than the Saturday before the Monday meeting to reserve space and to make arrangements to purchase the meal. We encourage all of our members and community to stay safe and, if unable to social distance, to stay home during this time. For the most up-to-date information regarding COVID-19 in Cochise County including how to protect yourself and your family, please refer to the Cochise County Health Department website: https://covid-cochisehealth.hub.arcgis.com/ For a statement of what Rotary International is doing to combat the impacts of COVID-19 please visit https://www.rotary.org/en/rotary-monitors-coronavirus-outbreak
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Cowboy Poets at the Sierra Vista Rotary ClubCowboy Poets at the Sierra Vista Rotary Club At the weekly meeting, members and guests of the Rotary Club of Sierra Vista were pleased to have George Wheat, Co-Chair for the Cowboy Poets event, and Steve Conroy, past chair and Cowboy entertainer, provide the club with information about the upcoming Cowboy Poet event. The Cochise Cowboy Poetry & Music Gathering theme this year– “It’s Cool to be a Cowboy,” features performances by the Grammy Winning Riders in The Sky and other award-winning western music and poetry artists. The gathering begins on Friday, February 7th at Buena High School, and runs through Saturday performances on February 8th. On Saturday afternoon before the evening performances, the very popular Barn Dance will be held to help celebrate the Cowboy Way. Then on Sunday, February 9th, there will be a breakfast at the High School prepared by the Culinary Arts students. George Wheat stated this was the 28th year of the Gathering. Each year students across Cochise County are introduced to the western way of life and poetry writing through the Western Heritage Schools Outreach Program. This year, from all the students writing poetry, there were 36 prize winners and two scholarship winners. To give the club a taste of the poems and music to expect at the Gathering, Steve Conroy offered to recite one of his favorite poems about “Purtenear Perkins.” After which, Steve took out his guitar and sang a western tune “Cheyenne.” He was prevailed upon to sing another tune and he accommodated with the Classic tune “Tumbling Tumble Weeds.” A final treat from Steve was his own poem “Grampa’s Will.” Following Steve, George Wheat provided a reading from the Saddlebag of Poems, a remarkable collection of poems written by the best of the young students from the third through twelfth grade. He chose a prize-winning submission by his daughter, Amanda Wheat, called “Hats Off to the Cowgirl.” There are Cowboy Poet tickets for sale on-line and at various places in Sierra Vista. Before the meeting concluded, we were reminded of the Annual Relay for Life team that Barbara Culton is forming. She has asked for more volunteers to help raise funds to fight cancer. We were also reminded of the Taste of Sierra Vista event that we are having on the 7th of March – a major fund-raising event for the Rotary this year. |
Renee Romo Named Rotary Student of the Month for January Renee Romo, senior a Buena High School, was chosen as the Sierra Vista Rotary Club's student of the month. Renee is in the Buena Key Club, National Honors Society, and serves on the Buena Student Council. Her role on council made her an integral part of organizing the recent Arizona Association of Student Councils conference at Buena. She served as emcee of the conference and while some may have felt daunted by getting up in front of a crowd of 2000 of their peers, Renee said, "AASC is a very inclusive organization, we were from all across the state but felt like a big family." She shared with the Sierra Vista Rotary Club the recent AASC conference exemplified the Rotary 4 way test. She shared, "At the conference we had to learn that our service comes before ourselves." She recieved buttons that say "I am number 2" and if asked who is number one, the answer is, "you are!" Renee is a senior and has been accepted into the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. |
Rotary's Youth Shines at recent Meeting Club Sponsored RYLA Students (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) and International Exchange Students updated the club on their leadership experiences.
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Rotary Presents over $12,000 in Scholarships and Grants The Rotary Club Presents $4700 to deserving charitable organizations supporting Sierra Vista  The Club also presented $8000 in Scholarships to local youth. |
A New Rotary Year, A New Rotary President Outgoing Rotary President, Nancy Fusco, turns over the reigns of club leadership to the new President, Jerry Regan.
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Cinco de Mayo |
Club Sponsors multiple Bus Stops in Agua Prieta, Mexico |
The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce impact to our Region Lea Marquez, President and CEO of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, receives a Rotary Coin in appreciation of her presentation regarding the activities of the Hispanic Chamber. |
Rotary Club of Sierra Vista Learns about Chiricahua Community Health Centers Sarah Pacheco, Karina Rice Roberts, Janetta Richardson, Rotary Club of Sierra Vista Learns about Chiricahua Community Health Centers. |
Club receives an Overview of Canyon Vista Medical Center Operations |
Rotary Receives Report on Water Issues Impact to Castle & Cooke Operations Rick Coffman provides the Club an assessment of Water and Water related issues and their impact on Castle & Cooke operations.
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Rotary Enjoys the Traditional Irish Music of "The Rooks" in advance of St Patrick's Day |
Rotary's Baja Beach Bash Raises over $11K  Rotarians enjoying an evening of fun, music, food, and dancing raised over $11,000 to support next year's charity work.
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Rotary Vocational Service: A Report from a Local Vineyard Owner |
Alzheimer's Association Morgen Hartford, Southern Arizona Regional Director of the Alzheimer's Association (Desert SW Chapter) speaks to the Chapter  Buena HS Principal Dawn Maddock and Haley Rose McIntyre (the Rotary Club Student of the Month)
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Border Patrol Agents update Rotary |
Sierra Vista Rotary supports the purchase of a new Medical Van for Caborca Mexico The Sierra Vista Rotary Club provided financial support under a Rotary Global Grant to purchase a new Medical Van in support of the community of Caborca Mexico.
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Rotary and the Cochise College Culinary School Rotary enjoying a delicious meal prepared by Chef Laura and her students at the downtown campus of the Cochise College Culinary School.
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Cowboy Poets Entertain Rotary  Steve Conroy of the Cochise Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering serenades Rotary with some traditional Cowboy tunes.
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The Sierra Vista Rotary Club's Holiday Party Karina Rice-Roberts, Ken Stickler, and our Danish exchange student Nana check in guests at the Club's annual Holiday Party  Holiday Music Entertainment was provided by Buena High School's "Rhythmix"
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Sierra Vista Unified School District Bond Issue Update |
The Club Celebrates Rotary Foundation Month Elsie MacMillan receives her Paul Harris plus 5 Pin from Les Orchekowsky, Club Foundation Director |
Club Gives Podium Time to Four Speakers: Scholarship Winner, Cochise Serving Veterans, ADOT and "Mr. Ace Hardware" Rotarian Les Orchekowsky, Scholarship Winner Marcey Main, ADOT Outreach Director Doug Nick, Veteran’s Advocate Harry Bowen |
Student of the Month & the Arizona Rangers, then and now Buena HS Principal Dawn Maddock with Student of the Month Steven Saunders  Arizona Ranger Lt Rodney Preuss
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Hope for Veteran's Treatment of PTSD |
Overview of the Chiricahua Community Health Center |
District Governor Visit |
Learning to Drive Filmmaker Roderick Stevens—Learning to DriveOur guest speaker this week was Roderick Stevens, an Artist/Filmmaker who was returning to the Rotary Cub to make an update presentation on his film project, Learning to Drive. He was accompanied by his primary sponsor for the movie project, Derek Jordan, from Premier Alliances. Roderick is a multiple format artist who has won accolades as a cinematographer, painter, mixed media artist, screenwriter and filmmaker, as well as having designed and built his own custom house in the middle of the desert in Cochise County. Roderick has been a resident of the Sierra Vista area for 40 years and graduated Buena High School in 1985. The movie, Learning to Drive, is “inspired by the true story of a feisty young man with Down Syndrome determined to convince his scatterbrained brother to teach him how to drive!” In reality, the movie is about Roderick (the scatterbrained brother) and his young brother who does have Down Syndrome and wanted to be taught how to drive an automobile. Originally planned to be a full-length movie, the film has now become a short, almost 30-minute movie, focusing on the wants and desires of the young person with Down Syndrome and not just focusing on the fact that he has Down Syndrome. Roderick showed a short film trailer (at www.learningtodrive-movie.com ) to give the club members an appreciation for the content of the film and an appreciation for the actor, Connor Long, who plays the lead role of the young man with Down syndrome. Connor Long has Down Syndrome, a lifelong condition in which a person is born with distinct physical features and some degree of cognitive disability. |
Bob White Receives HonorCongratulation to Bob White, our own Rotarian, who was recognized for his contributions as a major donor to the Rotary Foundation. We're so proud of you, Bob!
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Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program - Jean TomlinThis week, the Rotary Club of Sierra Vista heard from Jean Tomlin, a volunteer with the IRS-sponsored Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (“VITA”) program. The VITA program offers free tax help to people who generally make $54,000 or less, persons with disabilities and limited English speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals.
In addition to VITA, the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program offers free tax help for all taxpayers, particularly those who are 60 years of age and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors. The IRS-certified volunteers who provide tax counseling are often retired individuals associated with non-profit organizations that receive grants from the IRS. Last year, over 90,000 volunteers assisted with the preparation and filing of 3.7 million tax returns. VITA has locations in all 50 states, with four Cochise County locations - two in Sierra Vista, one in Tombstone and one in Douglas. In Cochise County, VITA prepared and filed nearly 1700 tax returns this year.
Volunteers are expected to maintain the highest standards and are required to participate in ethics training. Volunteers must also take annual training and pass rigid certification exams. To ensure accuracy, after a return has been prepared, a second VITA volunteer will review the return before filing.
For more information about the VITA program, please visit www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-you-by-volunteers.
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Empire Ranch - Gene RaymondThis week, August 1st, the Rotary Club of Sierra Vista recognized Randy Sueskind as July's Rotarian of the Month for his substantial efforts in putting on the Fourth of July activities this year. Randy led a team of volunteers to ensure that the Fourth of July festivities were well run and well executed. Rotarians agreed that Randy did a fantastic job.
Rotarians were then pleased to hear from Gene Raymond, a volunteer with the Empire Ranch Foundation, an organization dedicated to the preservation of the Empire Ranch, a historical ranch located north of Sonoita, Arizona. The Empire Ranch was founded in August 1876 when Walter Vail and Herbert Hislop purchased a 160 acre homestead from Edward Fish and Simon Silverberg.
 Vail and Hislop added another business partner in October 1876 and began the expansion of the ranch. Vail ultimately acquired the entire ownership of the Empire Ranch, and continued to expand it into one of the largest cattle operations in the region. Vail and his family operated the ranch until 1928, when they sold the operation to the Chiricahua Ranches Company, owned by Henry, Frank and Charles Boice.
The Boice family was well respected in the Arizona cattle industry and was known for promoting the Hereford breed in the state. In his role as chairman of the National Livestock Association Tax Committee, Frank Boice was influential in the passage of tax policy relating to the sale of cattle.
In 1969, the Boice family sold the ranch to Gulf American Corporation, a national developer, who in turn sold the ranch to the Anamax Mining Company in 1975. During that same year, the Empire Ranch House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1988, the U.S. Bureau of Land management acquired the ranch lands, which have since been designated a national conservation area.
In 1997, a group of private citizens created the Empire Ranch Foundation, a non-profit entity organized to protect, restore and sustain the Empire Ranch historical buildings. Working with the BLM, the Empire Ranch Foundation has contributed $500,000 to the preservation of the ranch.
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Rotary Scholarship Winners and Paul Harris Foundation AwardsJuly 18, 2016, the Rotary Club of Sierra Vista Director of New Generations, Anne Gibson, introduced three of the Rotary Club's eight scholarship winners, Roberto Bermudez, Miguel Wachtel and Maria Sckaff.
Mr. Bermudez is a recent Buena High School graduate and will be pursuing an electrical engineering degree at Arizona State University. He described the many high school activities and events that have helped him build upon his interest in electrical engineering, including working as a member of Buena’s robotics team.
Miguel Wachtel, also a Buena graduate, currently attends Cochise College, and plans on going into a career in law enforcement. He is planning on studying either accounting or cybersecurity, and hopes to work for the FBI at some point in his life.
Maria Sckaff, originally from Brazil and a former exchange student at Buena High School, attends Cochise College and is studying to earn a bachelors in biomedical engineering, with a focus on tissue engineering. Ms. Sckaff hopes to go to medical school after receiving her bachelor’s degree, with her end goal being reconstructive plastic surgery.
 After hearing from these three outstanding students, the Club's immediate past president, Emily Sherrer and Club member Anne Gibson were also recognized as first time Paul Harris fellows for their contributions to Rotary's charitable endeavors. Rotarians Jerry Proctor, Bill Miller, John Black, Jack Lintner, Bob Strain, Jim Evans, Al Chariton and Frank Gonzales each received recognition for their ongoing contributions to humanitarian and educational programs espoused by the Rotary Foundation.
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Villages at Vigneto - Dana ColeDana Cole, a reporter for Wick Communications was the keynote speaker, addressing the new development slated for construction in Benson, known as the Villages at Vigneto. At completion, the master planned community is expected to contain 28,000 homes. The developer is El Dorado Holdings, Inc., out of Phoenix.
Ms. Cole explained that the total development site encompasses 12,339 acres, containing 60 percent residential space and 25 percent open space, and will provide a mix of active adult and traditional family homes, with bike paths and trail systems throughout the development. The Tuscan-themed development will also include a village core for entertainment, dining and shopping.
El Dorado has submitted a community master plan to the City of Benson with the hopes of setting design parameters to ensure consistency throughout the 18 year buildout. The plan provides for the construction of the development in 14 planning units, and includes the creation of special taxing districts which would generate revenue to pay for the infrastructure and improvements over a 25 year period. Those residing within the development’s taxing districts would be liable for the costs of building the improvements, purportedly leaving very little financial liability to the City of Benson.
If successful, the economic impact of the development would be very large, with a projected an annual impact of $1.2 billion per year. The development has been heavily endorsed by governmental and economic development organizations and is opposed by environmental and conservation groups.
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Rotary Goals, Objectives (President Joe Puett)!For the regular noon meeting of the Rotary Club of Sierra Vista, new Club President Mr. Joe Puett conducted a “Club Assembly” to outline club goals and objectives for the Rotary year 2016 –17. President Joe took a few moments to briefly outline his objectives for the club and highlighted the RI Presidential Citation goals (this was a handout for every club member) which he explained is like ‘doing normal things in Rotary for us,” and that it is “Our Club” not “My Club.”
President Joe also likes ‘good ideas’ and wants members to take charge of new projects, and to continue the strategic focus of being “The Club” in Sierra Vista to belong to and to improve our membership in size and diversity. He continued to use the RIPresident’s goals to focus the club on membership growth and has organized teams for a membership drive, asking each club member to get with the team members on the handout and seek to add at least one new member to the club/team (16 teams). We also received a preliminary Rotary Monthly Schedule that has club meetings, Dine Arounds and social events on the calendar and proposed projects for the club to consider. (He is sending out a ‘Survey Monkey’ questionnaire.) Concluding his presentation, club members asked questions about projects and typical meetings for the club and how RI changes from the Council on Legislation might impact our club’s By Laws. To address the issues, the Board of Directors will consider proposals for changes to be presented to the membership.  |
Rotary Club Installation of Club President and Board of Directors 2016-17The regular noon meeting of the Rotary Club of Sierra Vista was a special event this week. Our new Club President, Mr. Joe Puett, was installed in office along with the new Officers and Directors of his team. Prior to the Installation ceremony, the Club President for 2015-16, Ms. Emily Scherrer, provided an excellent recap of the accomplishments by the club during her tenure.
Emily began her Rotary year a little earlier than most, as she stepped in to be the Club President when the serving President 2014-15 transferred to Utah. Emily was up to the task and with support from her Board of Directors and the club members, she blazed a path for us to follow the entire year.
With her energy and leadership, the club completed dictionary and thesaurus deliveries to 3rd grade and 7th grade students in Cochise County. Club members supported the Douglas Fly-In and the Sierra Vista Fly-In; participated in the Alzheimer’s Walk and the Relay for Life; participated in a record breaking manner in the Ride to End Polio conducted in conjunction with the El Tour de Tucson; sent an exchange student to Taiwan and sponsored a young French high school student here in Sierra Vista. We also sent two of our club members to Mexico to immunize children from polio. The club started having regular “Happy Hour” gatherings open to all Rotarians and prospective Rotarians, intended to strengthen our social ties in the club and within the community, which they did. These gatherings were a big hit and will continue into the next Rotary Year.
Continuing her year in review comments, President Emily said, “The Rotary Club of Sierra Vista has had another successful and hectic year. We participated in project graduation. We were part of a grant that built a playground for schoolchildren with disabilities. Our weekly bulletins went electronic; our website and social media are now (somewhat) updated, and over a glass of wine and cheese we became friends in addition to Rotary partners and business friends.”
Another significant accomplishment of the club under the Presidency of Ms. Scherrer, was being at the very top level of contributions per/capita for the Rotary Foundation, thereby helping to provide aid and assistance around the world in international humanitarian and peace-making efforts.
In concluding her remarks, Emily said she would “like to say a big THANK YOU to all the Board Members, Rotarians, and all of you who have helped make this year a productive one, including the Pueblo del Sol Country Club (the location for our weekly meetings) and its excellent staff.”
“It is now my pleasant duty to pass on the baton of leadership of this prestigious club to our incoming president, Joe Puett. He is energetic, full of ideas, and ready to lead. I know his year will be a success and I'm already looking forward to serving him (and handing over my duties) as our leader. I wish Joe and his incoming board every success.
As a former youth librarian, and a current library administrator, I thought it prudent to end on the infamous words of the highly sought-after poet, Dr. Seuss. So, to Joe and the Board, here's my advice for the next year:
‘You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!’
Thank you for a wonderful year. It's been an honor serving as your president.”
Ms. Scherrer then recognized her 2015-16 Board of Directors with presents: Rotary wine glasses went to Vice President - Frank Gonzalez; Secretary - Mike Strange; Treasurer - Jack Lintner; Sgt-at-Arms - Les Orchekowsky; Community Service Director - Brian Barkdull; Vocational Service Director - Joe Britton; Public Relations Director - Al Chariton; International Director - Jim Evans; New Generations/Youth Services Director - Anne Gibson; and Rotary Foundation Director - Les Orchekowsky. Emily then announced attendance awards, and gave special thank you presents to Rotarians who provided exceptional support to Rotary projects. Emily ending up by presenting her two highest annual awards; The “Rotarian of the Year Award” was given to Rotarian Jack Lintner, and the “Service Above Self Award” was given to Rotarian John Spengler.
Past President and Rotary District 5500 Assistant Governor, Ms. KJ Wigton, then conducted the Installation ‘Swearing- In’ ceremony for new Club President Joe Puett. After taking the President’s gavel, President Joe took charge of the rest of the meeting starting with the official ‘swearing-in’ of his new Board of Directors.
Rotary Club of Sierra Vista—Officers and Directors—2016-17
President: Joe Puett
Vice President: Emily Scherrer
President Elect: Nancy Fusco
Secretary: Mike Strange
Treasurer: Jack Lintner
Admin Services: KJ Wigton
Community Service: Frank Gonzalez
Vocational Service: Joe Britton
International Service (Co-Chairs): Jim Evans, Dan Crews
New Generations: Anne Gibson
Public Relations: John Spengler
Rotary Foundation: Les Orchekowsky
Afterwards, President Joe took a few moments to briefly outline his objectives for the club for Rotary Year 2016-17. He emphasized that service projects and the club activities were going to be focused on areas that Rotary International supported and would reflect the areas that Sierra Vista Rotary Club members wanted to pursue for our local community and for international projects. He pledged to work hard and to help ‘grow’ projects that would meet the theme for Rotary Year 2016-17, which is “Rotary Serving Humanity.”
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Henry Hauser Museum Curator, Nancy KrieskiThe Rotary Club of Sierra Vista recently met for their usual Monday lunch at the Hummingbird Grille at Pueblo Del Sol Country Club, with guest speaker Nancy Krieski, Sierra Vista Museum Curator, of the Henry F. Hauser Museum. She provided information about the unique and wonderful history of the city, and many interesting stories.
 One of the first stories, as Sierra Vista celebrates its 60th Anniversary, was on the person that named the City: Nola Walker. Nola arrived in Sierra Vista in 1939, and turned 94 years old this year. Ms. Walker’s story was in the Sierra Vista Herald a few weeks ago, describing her ‘vote collecting’ process and her announcement of the name of Sierra Vista as the ‘winner’ of the balloting for naming the city. Ms. Krieski shared many historical photos with the members of the club that included a picture of Daisey Maes, the oldest building in Sierra Vista, built in 1905. In addition, she provided a story about the original owners of the brothel and saloon, John and Ellen Riley, and why they moved from Bisbee to the location outside Fort Huachuca - to escape Bisbee taxes.
She also discussed a hand written map the Museum has from Margaret Carmichael that literally lays out the early town, to include Fry Blvd, the current Elks Club, land donated for Saint Andrews Church, and other properties and sub divisions.
But the Museum isn’t just photos. As, “the keepers of the evidence of the past”, there are many artifacts that have been collected. For example, a guest book from 1958 when the City Hall was built; an exchange of letters between a resident and the Mayor and Post Commander about bootlegging; Buena High School graduation book from 1953; and one item of special significance for the Rotary Club – a Rotary bell used by the Rotary Club of Sierra Vista, donated to the Museum in 2006.
In addition, Ms. Krieski shared information about the historical plaque program, a project of the Sierra Vista Historical Society, which has over 20 historical plaques located around the City.
The Museum relies on volunteers to keep it running. Volunteers do all sorts of things, from database entry, to running the gift shop, to helping with oral history. The Henry F. Hauser Museum is located inside the Ethel H. Berger Center at 2950 E. Tacoma Street. The mission of the Museum is to collect, document, preserve, interpret, research, share and disseminate knowledge about cultural and historic material from the greater Sierra Vista area. Hours of operation are Monday through Wednesday from 10:00am to 4:0pm, and Thursday and Friday from 10:00am – 1:00pm, as well as some Saturdays, for special events. For more information, contact Nancy Krieski at (520) 439-2306 or nancy.krieski@sierravistaaz.gov,
Following the presentation, Mr. Brian Barkdull, President/CEO of the American Southwest Credit Union, provided three colorful graphics on the macroeconomics of why savers are receiving such a small return on their savings investments. This included a graphic on the Federal Reserve’s Assets from 2006 through 2015: treasuries, mortgage back securities, and other assets. Another graphic on the treasury rates and the federal funds targets, this from 1989 through 2016. The final graphic included a comparison between yield on loans, investments and COF, from 2003 to 2015.
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Rotary Charities and Our Rotary Exchange StudentRegular Rotary Meeting Recognizes Organizations to Receive Sierra Vista Rotary Charities Checks and A Visit With Alice Bayard, Our Rotary Exchange Student
The regular Monday meeting of the Rotary Club of Sierra Vista (The Noon Club) started with recognition of the seven organizations receiving cash contributions from the Sierra Vista Rotary Charities, Inc. Total annual contributions from Rotary Charities range between $5,000 and $10,000, depending on the success of community fund raising events. The Rotary Club of Sierra Vista makes these annual contributions to local charitable organizations to further their programs supporting one of the six areas of focus for Rotary International: Peace and conflict prevention/resolution; Disease prevention and treatment; Water and sanitation; Maternal and child health; Basic education and literacy; and Economic and community development. Organizations that met the criteria for this year were; the Good Neighbor Alliance; the Cowboy Poets; the Salvation Army; Peaches Pantry; Lori’s Place; St Vincent de Paul; and the Sierra Vista Boys and Girls Club. Club President Emily Scherrer, center of photo, presented checks to representatives of each of the organizations.
.jpg) Following the recognition, our Rotary Exchange Student, Alice Bayard, provided the club with a recap of her 10 months as a High School exchange student, a young ambassador from France, and a full-fledged young Rotarian. Alice gave us a chronology of her time as an exchange student and paused often to tell us and show us with her pictures that “this was one of the best things I ever did!” Whether it was the Grand Canyon experience down to Havasupai Falls or joining the Buena Swim team, Alice jumped feet first into all her activities and joyfully helped us to share her experiences and the wonder of new things/places/people. Mayor Rick Mueller presented a Sierra Vista City Pin to Alice as a token of our appreciation for her contributions to the community and to better understanding our neighbors across the ocean.
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