A Moment of Silence
President Caroline began the meeting with a moment of silence, citing the subjects of two goals of Rotary, peace and the environment, as she reflected on this week’s events: the assassination attempt and the flood which hit Barre hard once again. A sober Pledge of Allegiance followed.
A Rotary Moment
In her remarks, Nicole made note of three kinds of disaster relief utilized by Rotary: immediate response; short term assistance; and long term rebuilding. She reminded us that Barre Rotary donated over $30,000 to the Barre Community Relief Fund. Karl informed us that they are still operating and accepting donations.
Guests: President Caroline introduced today’s guests: Braedon S. Vail, Barre City Police Chief; Stace Fulwiler-Wood, Good Beginnings; Kristen Baumann, Director of Aldrich; and Xavier Haigh, Games for Good.
Earle’s Pearls President Caroline announced that Barre Up is seeking donations and volunteers to help clean up after the most recent flood.
She reminded us to donate sample size toiletries and socks at receptacles at Community National Bank and at the Aldrich. We will be packaging them for donation to the Rainbow Bridge Community Center and Good Samaritan Haven on Wednesday, August 7th from 5-6 pm
here at the Aldrich in lieu of our regular noon meeting.
Club Assembly on July 31st will feature a discussion of the final version of our strategic plan. It will be sent via email in advance of the meeting.
Announcements
Karl announced that two grills used at the breakfast will be brought to the salvage yard unless someone would like them. He cautioned that they are old and rusty.
Tony brought breakfast posters for Rotarians to distribute and he announced that advertising spaces are still available on the placemats. He also reminded us to sign up for a duty at the breakfast on our website.
Eddie reported that the Barre Garden Club is taking responsibility for the plantings next to the Reynolds House.
Since Last We Met
Anniversaries: Reta Sanders July 11, 2018 6 years
Diane Rossi July 12, 2022 2 years
Nicole DiDomenico July 17,2002 22 years
Club Founding: July 15, 1924 100 years
On this day in history: In 1995
Disneyland, an amusement park featuring attractions based on the creations of
Walt Disney, opened in Anaheim, California.
Moments of Happiness
Tony was happy and excited about the breakfast as he threw a dollar in the basket.
Nicole doubled that with her happiness over Stace Fulwiler Wood joining the staff of Good Beginnings.
Doug gave a Happy Dollar as he noted the establishment of a chapter of the Action Group for Peace in Ukraine.
Kristen was happy to give a dollar in announcing that Sefakor Komabu-Pomeyie will be speaking on Wednesday, July 17 at 6 p.m. Sefakor is a disability rights advocate from Ghana and currently based in Vermont. Her memoir, I’m Able, speaks about her life experiences after losing her ability to walk from polio.
Update from Barre City Police Department
President Caroline introduced today’s speaker, BCPD Chief Braedon Vail.
Chief Vail has thirty-four years of law enforcement experience and has been with the Barre City Police Department for two years. He
previously served with the Hartford Vermont Police Department for twenty-nine years, and with the Hardwick Vermont Police Department for three years where he began his law enforcement career. Chief Vail holds a master’s degree in business management and public safety leadership. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.
After a few brief remarks on his personal life, the chief articulated his initial goals when he started two years ago: he wanted to bring transformational change to the department focusing on policy development, equipment and training.
He reported that since he began his tenure, there have been ninety-six policy rewrites. He noted that updated policies and following them provides a better defense for police actions and the likelihood of being sued is greatly reduced. With a revamped website, direct links to policies have been added.
Relating to updating equipment, each officer, as of February 2024, wears a body camera. This change has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of complaints and it has improved community-police relations. Additionally, twelve year old sidearms have been replaced and badges have been redesigned.
The department now has the services of a mental health clinician from Washington County Mental Health and officers receive training on crisis intervention. Several officers have finished the course.
He mentioned other changes worthy of note: offering household security camera registration which aids in the criminal investigations; social media posts which feature officers doing good things; and instituting an awards and recognition program for outstanding police work.
When asked a question about the bike patrol, Chief Vail said that wants to bring it back, but with sworn officers so that action can be taken immediately.
In response to a question about force size, he said that there are six vacancies, but two will be filled soon. He also added that Norwich University’s criminal justice internship program occasionally helps in recruiting a candidate for a position in the department.
Rotarians thoroughly enjoyed Chief Vail’s informative talk and gave him a warm round of applause in appreciation of the good work of the force and his leadership.
Until next time....that's all Rotarians.