At Rotary, we have no tolerance for racism. Promoting respect, celebrating diversity, demanding ethical leadership, and working tirelessly to advance peace are central tenets of our work.
We have more work to do to create more just, open and welcoming communities for all people.
We know there are no easy fixes and that challenging conversations and work lie before all of us. Rotary’s strength has long been our ability and commitment to bringing people together. We will tap into that strength now as we stand with those who are working for peace and justice.
Rotary will do our part to listen, learn and take action to ensure that we continue to contribute to making positive change.
BARRE ROTARY CLUB CHANGEOVER DINNER
Outgoing president Eddie Rousse makes a big splash on his way out!
The annual changeover dinner took place on June 24th, 2020 at Karl and Charlene Rinker's back deck with fewer attendees then in previous years.
Most folks took advantage of the Delicate Decadence stuffed chicken dinner option and ate while observing social distance.
Caroline gave the invocation expressing gratitude for Rotary and it good works citing local, national and international accomplishments.
After dinner we all had cake for desert.
Outgoing president Eddie Rousse made the following comments in his opening remarks;
Joe Shadroui & PP, Tom Babic Clown Around With Their Goodies!
Barre Rotary continued its long established tradition of greening up the Barre area on Saturday, May 30th. Rotarians Bob Pope, Joe Preddy, Ted Goulette, Joe Shadroui, Nicole DiDomenico, Caroline Earle, and helpers Ari Jorgenson and Barb Tomasi-Gay fanned out to pick up trash on VT-14 surrounding Hope Cemetery, along the railroad tracks near Depot Square and Enterprise Alley, as well as in a particularly challenging area between the old Bonacorsi & Sons building and Trow & Holden Co. Finds of the year included a small tv under a train car and a toy sword, which our Rotarians could not seem to put down. All trash was deposited in the dumpsters behind city hall. Thanks to all who helped our city shine a little greener this past weekend!
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In April of 2020 three members of the Barre Rotary Club, President Ed Rousse, Ted Goulette and Karl A. Rinker cleaned the Summer Street mural and the sidewalk as well as installed additional screws and sanded the initials that someone carved into it. It still looks pretty good!
Long time club member Bill Rossi, with his new Rotary socks that the club sent to him. His wife say's he loves socks!
Club members placed totes at the Barre City poles for food to be collected for the SHS food shelf.
Pictured from left to right SHS Junior, and office aid, Kyree Hutchinson and SHS Assistant Principle, Luke Aither in the food shelf room with the totes full of food from the city voting place.
Now they have to sort the food and place it on the shelves.
Club members, Caroline Earle headed up this project with help from Ted Goulette and Karl A. Rinker.
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The Barre Rotary Club held it's 2020 speech contest at The Lunch Box Cafeteria at Spaulding High School February 12, 2020. The Lunch Box is a room where SHS students serve food they have prepared at the training center. The Spaulding Interact Club was also present.
Pictured above are the three speech contestants, Charlotte Young, Camden Kelly and Jacob Huckins with Club President, Eddie Rousse.
Pictured above are the Rotarians that attended the meeting for the contest and the Interact Club.
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Friday, February 7, 2020 Barre Rotary Club members Tony Campos and Joe Shadroui fed 35 homeless people at The First Presbyterian Church.
The menu consisted of Boneless Chicken Thighs, Pasta and Sauce. a Vegetable, Rolls and Brownies. A good time was had by all!
Pictured from left, Pastor Carl Hilton, Tony Campos and Joe Shadroui.
Recently The Barre Rotary Club distributed atlases and dictionaries to five areas schools. 5264 Books have been given out over the years!
Community Involvement:
The Barre Rotary Club has been giving out dictionaries and atlases to the 3rd and 5th graders in Central Vermont for almost 20 years.
The Club has found this to be a rewarding community outreach program as it promotes literacy in our youth. A special thanks to Joe Preddy and Elizabeth LaPerle as they have been working on this project for a very long time. It is what Rotarians do.
To read the history of this project please go all the way to the end of he pictures.
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Barre City students looking over their new Dictionaries and Atlases.
President Ed Rousse, Joe Shadroui, Elizabeth LaPerle, President Elect, John Steinman, Ray Bettis and Joe Preddy.
President Ed Rousse, Joe Shadroui, Elizabeth LaPerle, President Elect, John Steinman, Ray Bettis and Joe Preddy.Milne concert at The Barre Opera House January 12, 2020.
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Alison Cerutti, Roger Grow, Neil Cerutti, Neil Wasek, Skip Potter, Elizabeth Reid and George Milne at the end of the concert.
Moruzzi’s (speakeasy-inspired) Lounge in the basement of Ladder One Grill in Barre is not known by many. However, it was the place to be to ring in the new decade, as it served as the perfect venue for our club’s most recent fundraising event: a “Roarin’ 20s” NYE bash to benefit the Family Center of Washington County. By all accounts, it was a wonderful success - attendees had a great time, and after expenses were paid, we raised $2,500 in ticket and raffle sales, as well as through a fun round of 50/50 blackjack, for which our very own Caroline Earle acted as dealer!
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On January 8, 2020 The Barre Rotary Club presented a donation check to The Aldrich Public Library for $15,369.15 from the proceeds from The Club annual breakfast on the library lawn.
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Pictured above from left to right are, Nancy Pope, library board member, Lauren Polk library executive director and club member, Ed Rousse, club president, Tony Campos, club member and Rob Spring, library board member.
Total donations over the years to the library now exceed $296,369.15. This was the 36th breakfast on the library lawn and the 45th breakfast overall.
A group of volunteers including club member, Tony Campos has been serving the annual Christmas dinner for the last 14 years, at The Hedding United Methodist Church in Barre, and, delivered meals to the downtown sites of the Barre Housing Authority for the second year, with help from friends at the Universalist Unitarian Church. In all, about 290 meals were served on Christmas day with the help of many volunteers and generous donors
Pictured from left to right, Terry Matthews, Sid Jenkins, Dawn Matthews, Andrea Blanchard, Jean Lawson, Paul Szalkucki and Rotary Club member, Tony Campos.
The group feels very lucky to have the volunteers that show up to set tables, play the piano, carve turkeys and hams, make mashed potatoes and stuffing, deliver or serve meals, cut and serve pies, wash dishes and so much more. They also feel that they are lucky to have received donations of pies, potatoes, turkeys, hams, rolls, cider and milk to serve to the guests, as well as financial donations which help offset the cost of purchasing some of the meal.
No one leaves hungry and most are happy to have had a good meal and good company on such a special day.
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WORLD GIFT WRAP
On Saturday, December 14th 2019, Barre and Central Vermont Rotarians, Central Vermont Young Professionals and family and friends collaborated to wrap 160 boxes of coats, hats, mittens and gloves for those in need at the Vermont Granite Museum. Those assembled enjoyed pizza, cider and other treats. After the wrapping , a bucket brigade was formed and the boxes were loaded onto three vans all set for delivery to The Salvation Army for distribution. A great, uplifting event demonstrating the power of collaboration, community spirit and fun.
A visit from DCF representative Alona Tate to the Barre Rotary Club this past June spurred President Ed Rousse, Bruce Fisher and President Elect John Steinman to take action. Ms. Tate noted that children who are taken into emergency custody in the nights or on weekends often leave their homes with only the clothes on their backs. As Ms. Tate explained, DCF, The Family Center of Washington County and the United Way could all benefit from a 24 hour/7 day per week accessible clothing closet where they could outfit these kids quickly on an emergent basis. Bruce, Ed and John saw an opportunity to assist.
The Barre Club supervised the planting of an Elm tree at Rotary Park today in memory of Gladys Agell, wife, of long time club member and past president Bertil Agell.
The tree was actually planted by students of CVCC Natural Resources And Sustainability instructor, Amanda Garland.
Pictured in the group photo below in the back row, left to right is student, Ethan Eldred, Club member, Bruce Fischer, club member, Bertil Agell, Club President, Ed Rousse, past club member Claire Duke, student, Ethan Loomis.
Front row, student Mae Dunham, instructor, Amanda Garland.
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Barre Rotary Club’s Summer Street Mural project was completed on a lovely summer Saturday on June 8th. After more than two years of design, planning, fundraising and collaboration, the Mural Wall installation went off without a hitch before interested members of the public and many of those who had worked on the project. Spearheaded by The Barre Rotary Club, the Mural Wall Committee included Rotarians Caroline Earle and Ted Goulette, Mark Browning of Stone & Browning, Sue Higby of Studio Place Arts, local artist and teacher Jim Lund, and Cara Hansen of Downstreet.
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Past President and mural project creator, Caroline Earle installs the final panel on the 2019 mural on the Summer Street wall with Mark Browning of Stone & Browning helping and Barre City Public Works director, Bill Ahearn looking on, high up at the of top of the wall..jpg)
The designer, Kristine Chartrand, center surrounded by The Paletteer members. AND OF COURSE WE HAVE "BEFORE & AFTER" PICTURES BELOW!
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I am pleased to announce that after much preparations and in continuing discussions with the City, we have set an installation date for Saturday, June 8.
Installation will begin at 9 am and the labor will be largely done by Mark Browning’s team with help from a few family members/Rotarians. Bill Ahearn or one of his designees will be on site to assist.
We intend to have a tailgate lunch party so that friends/interested persons/members of the public who come to watch the installation can buy a hot dog, or grilled cheese, a drink and/or some chips – for a buck each. Rotarians will be manning the grills and Cara has kindly agreed to let us use the Downstreet lawn.
Please come by if you have the time and join us in marveling at the culmination of all of our hard work. We will have a formal ribbon cutting in the near future as well, to which you will all be invited!
Many, many thanks for sticking with us on this long journey, and what will soon be a beautiful ending to our work together!
Belo, Ted Goulette hard at work.
Below, Past President, Tom Babic puts the final protection oat on.
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Members of The Barre Rotary Club visited longtime club member Bill Rossi at The Residence at Shelburne Bay in Shelburne, VT.
Bill seems to like it there very much and was excited to see the members Saturday in his room.
Pictured left to right behind Bill: George Milne, Eliibeth LaPerle, Bill's wife Diane Rossi, Tony Campos and Karl A. Rinker.
Elizabeth is helping Diane set up Bill's smart TV.
Today we met at The Gardens in Williamstown to visit with Honorary member Homer Fitts. Homer has been a long tome Rotarian in the Barre Club as well as other clubs. He was very surprised and moved that we moved our meeting to The Gardens. Pictured above is President Liane Martinelli with Homer.
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Central Vermont Paletteers began sketching the mural design today (01/23) at the Vermont Granite Museum. A total of 47 panels will be sketched and painted to complete the mural, which will be installed on the Summer Street retaining wall in Barre City in May/June 2019.
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Painting has begun on the Rotary Summer Street Mural Wall Project at the Vermont Granite Musuem. We are just finishing up priming our first 24 (out of a total of 44) 5 ft x 7 ft panels. Once the priming of the panels is complete, the Barre Palletteers will be helping sketch in our mural design prior to the detail painting commencing.
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Shown is volunteer Rob Taylor, who helped us prime the panels.
Vermont Governor Phil Scott on the right helps Renald Hebert cook pancakes at the 35th, Barre Rotary Club annual breakfast in 2018 on the Aldrich Public Library lawn. All proceeds go to the library.
This past year, Barre Rotarians – as people of action – proudly accomplished the following, often with the collaboration of others as noted:
FOUR SEASONS FOR SUMMER ST.
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JEB WALLACE-BRODEUR / STAFF PHOTO
A concrete retaining wall that has seen better days won’t be the canvas for a massive mural Barre Rotarians are planning for Summer Street. It will be the frame.
With the original artwork faded, the Summer Street retaining wall in Barre may soon be getting a more permanent mural decorating it. Karl A. Rinker Photo
BARRE — Local Rotarians don’t want to build a wall, but they’d sure like to beautify one.
Hoping to turn a neglected retaining wall on Summer Street into a welcoming piece of public art, Barre Rotarians are actively exploring what president Caroline Earle described this week as a “legacy project” for the local club.
