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!
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.
In December, of 2019 The Barre Rotary Club distributed atlases and dictionaries to The Barre City Elementary School.
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.
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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.
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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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Green Up Day was a huge success. Several Barre Rotarians met at Soup -n- Greens for breakfast, then hit the pavement as they teamed up to green up. It felt really good to be working in our community for the greater good.
Some Rotarians were missing as they were attending the District Conference in Sherbrooke.
Pictured above left to right: Bob Pope, Joe Preddy, President Liane Martinelli, Brenda Waterhouse, Ted Goulette,Dick Shadroui, Tom Babic and Interact Member, Camden Kelly. Missing from the picture are Camden's mom and Joe Shadroui.
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.
LIA RUBEL WINS BARRE ROTARY CLUB YOUTH SPEECH CONTEST FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW
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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.
