Weekly Newsletter for August 27, 2008

ROTARY INFORMER for August 27, 2008, Sunny beautiful summer day!!

President Bob greeted a nice group and first gave us some history about the origins of Labor Day. Jay Neff led the 4 way test, we then said the Pledge of Allegiance, and Bob Brummeler gave an invocation.

Following lunch Kendal and Jack helped as we sang Vive La Rotary and Smile.

Kristi introduced 9 visiting and summer Rotarians. Other guests were Marty Engel, Tom Adams, Ryan Brummeler and Tina, our new exchange student.

Bob Brummeler announced that we are reviving our annual joint meeting of area Rotary clubs at Camp Daggett. The date is Thursday, September 11 at 6 PM. It is for Rotarians and guests, be they spouses or significant others. Our Petoskey club will be providing Brats and buns, condiments and drinks. We are asking others to bring a dish to pass. East Jordan, Boyne City, Charlevoix and Petoskey Sunrise will also be there. There will be some camp staff also for tours and activities.

Jay Neff announced that the Blue Suit committee will be joining with Day of Caring for a work bee at Camp Petosega. Date is September 16.

BJ asked for some one to head the Vocational Awareness committee. They would be responsible to find vocational opportunities to have presenters and possible plant tours. Bob Blanz suggested we should visit Kilwins. Everyone agreed.

Liz reminded us that the author of Sailing Grace will be presenting at the Crooked Tree Arts Council on September 10. There are tickets available and proceeds will benefit our club. There will be wine and cheese that evening at the Art Center.

Terry Newton introduced Kelly Suter. Kelly is a recent graduate of the nursing program at NCMC and we assisted her with a nursing scholarship. She spent part of May 2008 in Cotija, Mexico on a medical mission with Helping Hands Medical Missions. Her sister Kim assisted her in her presentation, showing slides of some of the folks helped and the facilities they worked with. She presently works in the Emergency Department at NMH and she wants to eventually be a mission nurse.

Jim Luttrell is proposed as a member. His classification will be well-drilling
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See Report from Ernie Mainland below, this has also been sent out on a seperate email, but for historical purposes it is included in the weekly newsletter.

To my fellow Rotarians and friends and supporters of Rotary:

Today was and is my first full day in Santiago. Let me get the weather out of the way. Beautiful. Hurricane Gustavo brought only a light shower to Santiago, but certainly did damage in the extreme southwest of the country, and Haiti as well. But the local paper said, “not much serious damage in today’s headline.”

This morning I met with Alexandra Martinez, President of the Rotary Club of Santiago-Gurabito. We discussed and laid down some goals for the upcoming Project Event 2009 Santiago. The Santiago Rotarians have quite a bit of work to do in advance of our arrival, but with the goals and objectives defined, they will get the job done beautifully.

I booked 25 rooms at the hotel where I am staying now. US$90.00/day, all taxes included, gets you a queen size bed, breakfast for two, transfer from the airport in Santiago (STI), a welcome drink in the sixth floor bar, and a bit more. More details to follow,

AT 11:45 this morning I met with Alfredo, and we started finalizing the purchase of Dominican Pesos. About an hour later he had found the best deal in the city of RD$35.85 for each US$1.00. And they would take a US personal check for US$7,000.00. Yep, 7,000 bucks!

Can you imagine any merchant in Petoskey or any bank accepting a Dominican check for RD$243,950.00 and letting me walk out with CASH in the amount of US$7,000.00. I can’t!

We counted the money very carefully because once you leave the office, what ever you have is what you have!

Walking back to the car with almost a quarter of a million pesos is not for the timid. Just look cool, and you will be all right.

To spend the money we had to wait for the owner of a small hardware store, about the size of Meyers Ace Hardware, to get back from lunch at 2:30. So I went with Alfredo to his home and his wife had prepared rice and beans with chicken for lunch. Very Dominican, very good.

Finally, we left for the hardware store, and met Paulino, the owner. He is a former Rotarian, and he and his wife and son own the store. He would sell us 60 tanks, each 265 galloon size for RD$3,743 plus tax. So we handed over 224,580 pesos. Everybody counted the money. And I have some left over.

RD$19,370 to be exact. We will spend that at the same hardware store or another to buy piping, valves, etc.

And now I’m back in my hotel room, writing this report and having a cold Presidente beer. Yum!

I’ll keep you posted as thing progress. Photos when I return.

Thanks for your support in Making Dreams Real, and truly working to Share Rotary.

ERNIE MAINLAND

Santiago, Dominican Republic
August 27, 2008

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Day Two in Santiago, August 28, 2008

Local Rotarians have other things to do beside show Ernie around. So this morning, I’m on my own. I’ll do some catch up on paperwork, and get some thoughts down on paper for the up coming February trip.

Then I’ll wander around downtown Santiago, and venture out a bit further. I’m comfortable doing that, and if I get really lost, I will hail a taxi or ask a cop or meter maid, show them my hotel key card, and they will take me back to my hotel or point me in the right direction.

Alfredo is picking me up at 2:30 this afternoon. Alfredo is the Club’s liaison to the RCC. He is a local Dominican that spent his working years in New York City as “Mr. Brown”. He retired back to his homeland and home city. I met one of his children, Elvis. A handsome young man who speaks perfect English, with less of an accent that I.

We will go to the Rotary Community Corps of La Torre, where the water tanks are going to be installed. I’m anxious to see the community and take photos.
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I’ve just gotten back from La Torre. I believed in the need before I even came to the Dominican Republic, but now I really understand the need.

La Torre is a community, complete with church, school, stores, homes (rich. poor and very poor) and a very pretty park in the center of the community. The park was one of the first things that the Rotary Club of Santiago Gurabito did to get started.

Every house in the community, from the very poorest to the richest is dependant on the City of Santiago to supply water. But the water has not flowed to La Torre for over two years. So the residents collect rainwater in what ever container they have. From old bleach bottles to rusty 55 gallon drums, and every thing in between.

The homes of the rich either have wells and pump water into their large tanks when there is electricity, or buy all of their water. The poor don’t have those options. The poor are dependant on rain water, and capture what they can. Of course, to make it potable, it must be filtered or boiled.

And guess what? Despite the weather reports we can access, and the hurricanes, there has not been a significant rain in the community for many months. They are effectively out of water.

I saw and heard thunder and lightning while in La Torre, but not a drop of rain. Black skies, but it rained a little bit in the City of Santiago, but not much.

The 60 tanks we are buying will go to the neediest houses, and I have pictures of a couple of them to share when I get back to Petoskey. Truly this is a valid need, and I am happy to be able to represent all of you in this humanitarian effort.

I met the President and Past President of the RCC of La Torre. Both of them are committed to getting these tanks installed as soon as possible. The members of the RCC are ready and waiting. In addition to the tanks, we will buy the discharge pipe and valve, and the necessary pipes to get the water off the roof and into the tank. We may also buy concrete blocks to build the platform for the tank to sit on. I think that we will have enough money to get the complete job done, but the cost of the pipes and concrete blocks will vary, house by house.

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Friday, August 29, 2008

Report number 3

This morning Alex Martinez and I went to the two sites that will be included in the February 2009 “Opportunity to Serve” tour. These two sites will give you a good idea of the culture, customs and history of Santiago.

On Friday, the 20th, we will have an English language guided tour of Centro Leon. Our group size will be between 12 and 15 persons, and we will have four excellent guides. Everybody will be able to see, hear and ask questions. This tour will start at noon and last about one hour. Sorry, but no cameras inside.

After the tour we will have lunch at the museum, and you will also have the opportunity to visit their gift shop. This shop has higher quality items including jewelry, books, and what I call “nick-knacks”. At the same site, you can see high quality cigars being rolled by a company that has been in business since 1903. Cigars may be purchased, and you may bring 100 back into the US without penalty.

To make things possible for the little restaurant, we will pre-order lunch which will include your choice two different grilled sandwiches, water, soft drink or beer. Details as the type of sandwich will be forthcoming.

On Saturday, the 21st, we will have four English speak guides for a tour of the Monument in the center of town. From the fifth level, you have a total 360° view of the city and the surrounding mountains. “On a clear day, you can see forever.” Yep, 355 steps from the base to the fifth level and the elevator rarely works, but the stairs are wide and well lighted. There are things to see at levels 1, 2, 3 and 5. Level four is administrative. I walked up today, and stopped for a breather only twice! Bring your camera, and take home some spectacular photos.

Tentatively, we will have a picnic lunch catered for us on the grounds of the Monument. Cold beverages included with the picnic lunch.

Admission fees, guide fees and lunches will be included in the over all fee that is being developed. Cigars, souvenirs and extra beers are at your expense.

For both days, the morning will be spent seeing and learning about Opportunities to Serve, and the afternoon will be more of the same.

Regarding today’s activities for the La Torre water tanks – no activity on that front today. Tomorrow morning I will be going someplace with a new Rotarian, and will learn something new, and make another friend.

ERNIE MAINLAND

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Report 4

August 31, 2008, Sunday Morning

Yesterday Saturday, was a big day, once it got started. So, this is a “morning after” report.

I was to be picked up by Jose Apolinjar Hilario and Luis Ozuna at 8:30, Dominican Time. Well, that was changed to 9, then 9:30, then 10:20 and finally at 10:30 they arrived. Dominican time but Hilario, as Juan is called, if famous for Dominican time.

We went south of the city, across the river, and up into the mountains. Santiago is in a valley, and is surrounded by mountains. The mountains protect the city from hurricanes. It seems to work just fine.

Our first stop was for fresh pineapple. The harvest is in, and just the small somewhat over ripe pineapples are available roadside. For 25 pesos we bought one, all cut into large chunks, ready for eating. I have never tasted a sweeter pineapple.

We were in the heartland of agriculture. On both sides of the road were commercial crops. In addition to pineapple, the majority o f the rice grown and eaten in the Dominican Republic comes from this area. For about a half a mile, we passed an operation that was growing egg plants for direct export to China. And another was growing bell peppers, probably for Glen’s Fresh Market in Petoskey!

The soil is rich, and the people have jobs. They are not rich, but they are better off than the majority of Dominicans.

We stopped at several houses and saw bio-sand filters in use. In every home, I was told the children are much healthier that before the filter. These are the cement ones, and once installed, are just fine. Other homes have a ceramic filter that fits into a five gallon plastic bucket.

At the third house, I also learned about the “cow project”.

A young healthy and pregnant cow is given to a family. A family in the country that has the space for the cow to graze and that they can provide water as well. The milk from the cow is for the family, and when the calf is born, it is given to another family. If the calf is a bull, it is sold, and a cow is purchased.

The subsequent calves from the same cow are the property of the family, and they may keep or sell, their choice. The project started with one cow, and now there are 21.

Now I don’t know cows, but these are black and white, and look like cows I see in Emmet County. But – they are modified somewhat in the breeding to withstand the hot and humid tropics and less than all the water they want to drink.

This project is similar to Heifer International except there is no administrative expense, so your gift of money is used 100% to buy a cow.

We continued to a community of about 1,000 persons - Los Cerreatos. Every place we stopped we were greeted warmly, chairs were brought out and we were asked to sit. And, even with precious little potable water, we were offered a drink of safe water.

In this community, along side an irrigation canal, which is as brown as coffee with milk, and is the sole source of their water, I saw a community center. Well, the beginning of one at least. The blocks are in the ground to form the borders for the gardens, and the structure of the covered pavilion is up. But the floor is not poured and tiled, and the roof is only partly installed. They ran out of money.

The men and women of the community have done all of the work, and the land is public land. In fact, the Rotary Club of Santiago-Gurabito has a formal document so stating, and it is that document that guarantees that the land is only to be used as a park and community center.

The men and women of Los Cerreatos told me that if all of the material was stacked in the road, within 30 days, the community center would be finished, and fully landscaped. Anybody want to build a Rotary Park?

It is Sunday afternoon as I write this, and I am on the front porch of Michael and Lisa Ballantine’s beautiful home in the mountains outside Jaracaboa. A mild thunder storm is rumbling by, but so far, not any significant amount of rain. But I digress . . .

We had a very typical lunch as a little restaurant out in the country. Rice and beans with meat. I chose pork. The other choices were chicken or beef. I don’t think there was anything else on the menu, if there was even a menu.

We wanted to stop and see a micro-loan success story, but we did not have the time, since the two Rotarians really wanted me to see a brand new greenhouse operation.

It was still under construction, but two doctors from Santiago had invested in this venture. They had 1,000 square meters under cover. Not to protect from the cold, but to control the sunlight and humidity. And thousands of six inch high bell pepper plants. Two weeks ago these were one inch seedlings. Fourteen men spend three days putting them in perfect rows.

It was about four o’clock when we got back to town, and the day was not over.

I had promised the two children of Alexandra that on Sunday morning I would help them both to make two different musical instruments. So, we went shopping at the equivalent of Home Depot. Wow, lots of unknowledgeable help, all standing around. They point, but they don’t take you to where you want to go. And since they really don’t know where things are, you ask about three times. But as you get closer, you zero in on your target.

But we prevailed, and two hours later we had what we needed for the projects. A “gut-bucket” and a marimba like instrument. Sunday morning would be fun.

Needles to say, nobody had to rock me to sleep Saturday night, and 8:30 Sunday morning we would begin very soon.

Today was a great learning day. There are many things that northern Michigan Rotarians and their friends can do that make a real tangible difference in the lives of poor Dominicans.

ERNIE MAINLAND
On the porch and now it is really raining!
Heavy duty thunder and lightning as well.
August 31, 2008

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Sunday, August 31, 2008

Report to Club - 5

Some personal time today and in fact mostly personal time. But in the late morning Alex, her two children, a cousin and I went to La Torre.

Thirty-eight of the tanks have arrived in Santiago, been inspected, and transported to La Torre. When we got there thirteen of them had been taken to their final destination, the homes of very poor families. Families that have not had a good water supply for at least two years. Soon, no more rusty 55 gallon drums for water storage. Each home will have a new clean 265 gallon water storage tank.

The men and boys were loading the next 13 tanks on a truck. The truck was donated by the owner, as was the gas. I have many pictures to share, but it was easy to see that this was the Rotary Community Corp in action with non-members of the RCC pitching right in.

Each tank must be set on a cement block base for safety and security. If the household cannot afford the concrete blocks, our matching grant will buy them.
At the bottom of the tank is a threaded external male pipe fitting. Just screw on a faucet, and get the rain water in the tank. It seems that most of the homes already have a gutter that dumps water into a rusty barrel. Now it will fill a sanitary and efficient tank.

I’m spending the night in Jaracaboa with Michael and Lisa, and will go back to Santiago tomorrow. My activity tomorrow will be to exchange more money so additional fittings and blocks can be purchases as needed. Then I fly back to Michigan on Tuesday, and drive home to Petoskey Wednesday morning.

ERNIE MAINLAND