RadioRotary: Recent Episodes
RadioRotary
Recorded live by RadioRotary at the Highland Rotary Club, Highland Rotarians Steve Laubach and Don Verity tell about the glories of eating barbecue (and listening to music) at the fourteenth annual Hudson Valley Ribfest, the biggest, best barbecue in New York State, which takes place every August at Ulster County Fairgrounds just outside New Paltz. […]
This weekend on RadioRotary: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow! Tune in to the award-winning RadioRotary on Saturday, August 25th at 2:00 p.m. (on WTBQ 93.5 FM and 1110AM or http://www.wtbq.com/ ) and Sunday, August 26th at 6:30 a.m. (on WBPM 92.9 FM or http:// www.wbpmfm.com/ ) and 9:30 a.m. (on WGHQ 920AM and 92.5FM, WBNR 1260AM […]
RadioRotary interviews three distinguished Rotarians: Donna Gunn of the Lakeway/Lake Travis (Texas) Rotary Club, Peggy Rogers of Sebastopol (California) Rotary, and Rotary 2017-18 President Ian H.S. Riseley of the Sandringham (Australia) Club as all visit the International Convention in Toronto, Ontario. Ms. Gunn is Special Projects Chair of Rotary 3D Limbs, which proved 3D printed […]
Toronto Rotary International Convention, Part 3 (Aired on August 4 and 5, 2018) RadioRotary interviews three distinguished Rotarians: Donna Gunn of the Lakeway/Lake Travis (Texas) Rotary Club, Peggy Rogers of Sebastopol (California) Rotary, and Rotary 2017-18 President Ian H.S. Riseley of the Sandringham (Australia) Club as all visit the International Convention in Toronto, Ontario. Ms. Gunn is Special Projects […]
Mid-Hudson American Cancer Society (Aired on July 28 and 29, 2018) Kristine Revelle of the American Cancer Society in the Mid-Hudson comes to RadioRotary to discuss the many ways that the Cancer Society is fighting the hundreds of diseases that we lump together as cancer. The Society emphasizes education about the causes of cancer, advocacy […]
Mid-Hudson American Cancer Society (Aired on July 28 and 29, 2018) Kristine Revelle of the American Cancer Society in the Mid-Hudson comes to RadioRotary to discuss the many ways that the Cancer Society is fighting the hundreds of diseases that we lump together as cancer. The Society emphasizes education about the causes of cancer, advocacy for cancer issues with […]
Mary Albrecht of the Town of Pleasant Valley visits RadioRotary to describe the annual festival known as Pleasant Valley Week end, which has moved from its previous time in September to July. The event features three separate parades through the hamlet—a motorcycle parade on Friday, the big parade and fireworks on Saturday, and a parade […]
Here are four more stories of people putting service before self from the 2018 Toronto Rotary International Convention. Sole 4 Souls not only distributes shoes and other clothing around the world, but also creates sustainable jobs in third-world nations. World Bicycle Relief does not provide relief for bicycles, but provides bicycles for relief of travel […]
Each year RadioRotary takes its microphone to the Rotary International Convention, which in 2018 is in Toronto, Ontario. Some 24,000 Rotarians are in attendance and RadioRotary gets as many of the great stories as it can. One of the interviews in this show is with Ellen Haggerty, a Pleasant Valley Rotarian whose mission to improve […]
RadioRotary interviews Kimberly Kochen, Executive Director of The Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse, located in Poughkeepsie, N, the nonprofit agency dedicated to the reduction of child maltreatment since 1973. Among their programs are outreach to elementary schools for educating children and to PTAs and other groups for educating adults. Almost 17,000 children per […]
District Governor 2018-19 Christine Giangrasso (Aired on June 23 and 24, 2018) A long-standing tradition of RadioRotary is the interview with each incoming District Governor (DG) of District 7210, the person who will lead the 55 clubs in 8 counties that make up the District. From July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2018, that person […]
Marjorie Nichols Keith, Executive Director of the Putnam Country Cornell Cooperative Extension, brings 4-H Club member Patrick Salerno to RadioRotary to help tell about the 47th annual Putnam County 4-H Fair at Veteran Memorial Park in Carmel. The Fair is a big family event with food booths, music, a Master Gardener plant sale, horse and […]
Total Transportation for Local Charities (Aired on June 9 and 10, 2018) RadioRotary interviews two employees of Total Transportation Corp., a business that goes out of its way to help local community organizations such as Rotary clubs. Vincent Marzello is the Regional Director of Operations, working out of Wappinger Falls, while MaryAnne Coe is the […]
Rotarians Gary Silver and Gary Siegel report to RadioRotary on an important program that they have been developing and monitoring, including their 16 trips to Haiti. Working with the Rotary Club deCap-Haïtien, the Liberty Club has distributed over a thousand two-bucket water filtration systems to families in Cap-Haïtien, a historic city of about 200,000 whose […]
New Paltz Rotarian Toni Hokanson visits RadioRotary to promote the annual “Touch-a-Truck” fair at Ulster County Fairgrounds. While the basic attraction for kids are the trucks, with a chance to climb all over them and sound their horns, the inexpensive family outing includes much more in the way of free entertainment, ranging from the Hurd’s […]
New Animal Shelter and Wildlife Rehab (Aired on May 19 and 20, 2018) Josephine Santoro and Carl Syslo visit RadioRotary to tell about the new Safe Haven Animal Shelter $ Wildlife Center, located in Stormville in southern Dutchess County (Town of Beekman). The first phase of their operation will be to provide a no-kill shelter […]
Greater Newburgh Rotarian Doug Sturomski, the unofficial Peace Ambassador for Rotary District 7210, returns to RadioRotary to report on two projects related to his peace mission. In this interview, he announces that he recently has dedicated or planted 10 Peace Poles at local schools. The Peace Poles for Rotary District 7210 are 8-feet high, resemble […]
RadioRotary visits Red Hook Rotary’s meeting to learn about some of the many activities of the Red Hook Club. Rotarian Dave Wright is in charge of the 2018 Apple Blossom Day, the street festival that traditionally kicks off the spring-summer season in Red Hook and Tivoli. In addition to dance and music performances on the […]
Pearl River Rotarians Dorothy Filoramo and Ryan O’Gorman join the RadioRotary team to tell about how a visit by Ryan to El Salvador led to a project to build a well and filtration system for three small villages in that country. Ryan observed that villagers needed to bring water in plastic bags to the site […]
Dinner Theater in Dutchess Country (Aired on April 21 and 22, 2018) Felicia DiNonno, founder of the Clove Creek Dinner Theater in Fishkill, NY, and Rotarian Andrew Ciccone (Newburgh) visit RadioRotary to tell about the many fundraising opportunities available using the facilities of the dinner theater. Of course, Clove Creek Dinner Theater features new comedy […]
Andrew O’Grady, CEO of the Mid-Hudson Recovery Centers (MARC) and Executive Director of Mental Health America of Dutchess County (MHA) visits RadioRotary to tell about changes at MARC as it finds new ways to improve its mission of residential treatment for alcoholics and other addicts. MARC is now allied with MHA, extending the reach of […]
RadioRotary interviews Red Hook Rotarian Susan Simon and Beth Jones, both of Third Eye Associates, Ltd, a fee-only registered investment advisory firm that provides financial life planning, financial transition planning, and wealth management services, with offices in Red Hook, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Their model is based on an hour-long initial interview in […]
Eliza Bozenski, Chief Development Officer of the Anderson Center for Autism, and the host of comes to the RadioRotary microphone to discuss the autism spectrum and how the Anderson Foundation’s several ways of outreach are making a difference for families that must cope with autism. Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability that ranges from […]
Cara Mia Bacchiochi of Hope on a Mission HOAM returns to RadioRotary to describe her continuing effort to help Poughkeepsie women who are homeless, most of them addicted to drugs or alcohol. At the same street corner (Main and Clinton) every Saturday night, sometimes in rain or snow, Bacchiochi and volunteers distribute food, clothing, and […]
Pleasant Valley Rotarian Rose Bonheur visits RadioRotary to tell about her seven (so far) medical missions to Puerto Rico, aided by her husband Roberto (also a Pleasant Valley Rotarian) and a host of volunteers. Dr. Bonheur is a Doctor of Nursing Practice and also a Nurse Practitioner, so in 2010, when a terrible earthquake struck […]
Highland Rotarian Christine Giangrasso visits RadioRotary to talk primarily about the Hudson Valley Honor Flights, especially the one she participated in recently. Honor Flights are fully paid for visits to Washington, D.C. for veterans of World War II or the Korean or Vietnam conflicts. Volunteers (who pay their own way) pair with a veteran as […]
In this program, devoted to the close relationship between a Rotary Club and an important local resource, RadioRotary interviews New City Rotarians Madelon Burger, Robert Pitkofsky, and Jill Warner (executive director and CEO of Jawonio) along with Jerry Staller, director of educational and clinical services at Jawonio, which supplies lifespan services for persons with special […]
RadioRotary interviews Dr. Bobbie Davey of MOST (Millbrook Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy), which not only has facilities in Millbrook, NY, but also in nearby Rhinebeck and Hopewell. Dr. Davey deals mainly with pain management from accidents, operations, and chronic conditions such as arthritis. Pain is nature’s way of telling you that something is not […]
Jonah Triebwasser, Sarah O’Connell, and Kathy Kruger interview several of the Rotarians bringing their projects furthering the goals of the Rotary Foundation to the Convention. The two Rotary Action Groups (RAGs) are each devoted to worldwide fights against chronic illnesses that not only are rampant in the United States but also are on the increase […]
Regular RadioRotary Co-host Sarah O’Connell turns guest for a show devoted to her own Rotary Club and its activities. The Rotary Club of Millbrook has been doing good in the world for more than 45 years now. The main way it funds its projects is by providing a service to Millbrook and the surrounding region […]
Once again RadioRotary brings listeners interviews with Rotarians attending the Convention who describe the Rotary programs that have brought them to Atlanta. Regular listeners to RadioRotary know about ShelterBox, but in this program they learn new ways the ShelterBox teams are helping disaster victim around the world. Also, listeners are probably familiar with Rotary’s role […]
Rich Schiafo of the Hudson Valley Regional Council returns to RadioRotary to tell the listeners about the national problem of food waste. Of the many astonishing statistics Mr. Schiafo discusses, perhaps the most alarming is that 40% of all the food produced in the United States goes to waste, much of it landing in landfills […]
Rotarian Mike Polasek (LaGrange) reports to the RadioRotary team about a major effort on the part of local Rotary Clubs (LaGrange, Millbrook, Fishkill) to obtain a grant from The Rotary Foundation to fund awareness and prevention programs in the Mid-Hudson Valley, although Mr. Polasek emphasizes that opioid addiction is a worldwide program that affects all […]
The ninth compilation of interviews with humanitarians conducted by RadioRotary at the 2017 Rotary Convention in Atlanta focuses largely on Rotarian Action Groups (RAGs) and their humanitarian aims, but it also includes a special interview with golf-great Jack Nicklaus. Rotarian Action Groups discussed include efforts to protect endangered species, prevention of all types of addiction […]
Pleasant Valley Rotarian Ellen Haggerty returns to the RadioRotary microphone to tell about her latest efforts to improve hearing and communication around the world. Ms. Haggerty, who lost her own hearing at age 4, but has compensated with hearing aids and excellent lip reading, is the chair of the Rotarians for Hearing Rotary Action Group […]
Rhinebeck Rotarians Mike Frazier and Mike Mazzarella tell RadioRotary producer Kathy Kruger about the program Rhinebeck Rotary has instituted to help senior citizens age in place. Many older Americans prefer to stay in their existing homes instead of moving into assisted-living communities or nursing homes. Sometimes the physical infirmities of aging mean that homes need […]
Continuing its broadcasts from the Rotary International Convention in Atlanta, RadioRotary Co-Hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Connell interview representatives of several of the many exhibits featured at the Convention. “The One” Rotary Action Group presents an award of $100,000 to the International Humanitarian of the year along with $50,000 each to two runners-up, enabling these […]
Felicia DiNonno, founder of the Clove Creek Dinner Theater in Fishkill, NY, is the guest on this week’s RadioRotary program. Dinner Theater provides an evening (or afternoon matinee) that begins with a full meal, which is followed by a full theatrical performance—you don’t eat or drink while you watch as in a nightclub or cabaret. […]
Regular hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Connell along with producer Kathy Kruger and visiting host Dave Kruger interview some of the fascinating people at the Convention about their important projects related to the goals of the Rotary Foundation. One of the many Rotary Action Groups is “Stop Mothers Dying,” a Collaborative Action in lowering Maternity […]
Rotary Efforts to Deal with Climate Change (Aired on November 25 and 26, 2014) RadioRotary producer Kathy Kruger interviews Rotarian Bryan Bunch (Millbrook), a member of the Rotary District 7210 Environmental Action Committee, which has as its main mission this year promoting tree-planting, a major goal of 2017-18 Rotary International. RI President Ian H.S. Riseley […]
his time RadioRotary interviews Rotarian Bill Philpotts (Fredericksburg Morning Club) on the project “It Takes a Toilet,” which brings girl’s toilet facilities to India; Rotarian Dr. Subrahmanyam Ganesh (Methyr Tydfil) Club) who tells about the inexpensive prosthetic known as the Jaipur Limb; Rotarian David C. Forward (Medford Sunrise Club) on the hundredth anniversary of The […]
RadioRotary interviews Rhinebeck Rotarian Carolyn Bernitt and Brian Zeiden, both on the staff of the Brookmeade Community, a 75-acre, three-tiered facility in Rhinebeck that provides homes and care if necessary for our aging population. Sufficiently healthy seniors can opt for independent living at Arbor Ridge, an apartment complex that provides the amenities of a luxury […]
Sprout Creek Farm is a 200-acre dairy farm started by two nuns who had begun to teach children and teenagers about farming and food at a farm in Greenwich, Connecticut. They were very lucky when the farm was donated to the Society of the Sacred Heart with the requirement that the land be used for […]
Some 35,000 Rotarians from around the world came to the Atlanta Rotary Convention, but somehow the RadioRotary team of Jonah Triebwasser, Sarah O’Connell, and Kathy and Dave Kruger keep running into Rotarians from back home, including District 7210 Governor Jim Damiani and a Past President of Jonah’s Red Hook Club, Sue Simon. The RadioRotary team […]
Youth exchange (YEX) has long been a principal way that Rotary International promotes peach through friendship and cultural understanding. Rhinebeck Rotarian Mike Frazier is the coordinator for District 7210 of a new way for Rotary to support international youth exchanges, known as summer youth exchange or more formally as short-term youth exchange. In this program […]
More interviews with Rotarians from around the world about the great service projects that they are doing.
Rotarian Tony Marmo (Highland Club) and Frank Faluotico visit RadioRotary to describe the Italian Festival in Kingston, NY, a fundraiser for Ulster County’s Italian American Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting and preserving the Italian heritage of the country. Both were among the founders of the 501(c)3 nonprofit group in June 2015. The Foundation is […]
RadioRotary interviewers at the 2017 International Rotary Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, interviewed several project leaders attending the convention. In this broadcast, you can learn about Project Chimps from Lindsay Vanderhoogt, the Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) from Rotarian Knut Johnsen (Greater Newburgh), the Russia-United States Intercountry Committee from Rotarian Charles Heberie; Rotaplast from Rotarian Donna Lee […]
RadioRotary interviews Body be Well Pilates founder Chelsea Streifeneder about the Pink Ribbon Program that uses Pilates exercises to help cancer victims prepare for or recover from the treatment of their disease. Pilates is a system of exercise developed by Joseph Pilates that uses springs and special equipment to promote overall health (although you can […]
For many years, the Town of Pleasant Valley has celebrated itself as a community on a weekend in September. Recently the celebrations, known as “Pleasant Valley Weekend,” have been better than ever. Pleasant Valley Rotarian Carol Campbell revitalized the event when she was Town Supervisor in 2015, asking singer Johnny Dell to help get it […]
Tyler Miller, a Direct Support Professional with New Horizons Resources, Inc., is interviewed about the New Horizons program for group homes in Dutchess and Ulster counties. New Horizons maintains over thirty homes for older (over age 20) persons with developmental or intellectual disabilities. One or more Direct Service Professionals are present at all times to […]
RadioRotary interviewers took advantage of the International Rotary Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, to interview some of the many humanitarian leaders who also attended the convention. In this broadcast, you can learn about how Destiny Rescue fights human trafficking and sex exploitation of children and youth all over the world; about the LifePump, which uses the […]
RadioRotary interviews Kyle Irwin, who went from the Peace Corps and a career in microfinance to found FitFeet Adventures, a unique Rhinebeck-based corporation that focuses on the environment, philanthropy, and running and hiking for everyone from individuals to groups. Locally FitFeet runs 5K races, 10K races, and full and half marathons to support various local […]
Steve Laubach and Don Verity, along with former Highland Rotarian Jamie Anson, tell about the glories of eating barbecue (and listening to music) at the thirteenth annual Ribfest, Ulster County Fairgrounds just outside New Paltz. In addition to great food and music by local performers, the Ribfest has many activities for children and some special […]
RadioRotary’s co-hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Connell call Youth Exchange Rotary’s “crown jewel.” District 7210 Youth Exchange Coordinator Nan Greenwood (District 7210 E-Club) joins the co-hosts as Youth Exchange students from Slovakia, France, Brazil, Japan, Taiwan, and Italy discuss their experiences as part of the Rotary Youth Exchange program, where “inbound” students from around the […]
There’s a new destination in picturesque Rhinebeck, The Gallery @ Rhinebeck, a nonprofit organization currently consisting 71 members who are visual artists of various types—mainly painter but also photographers, sculptors, and crafts. Open for visitors since January 19, 2017, the Gallery @ Rhinebeck does not charge a commission on sales as commercial galleries do; the […]
RadioRotary interviews Rebbekah Smith Aldrich, Coordinator for Library Sustainability for the Mid-Hudson Library System, a group of 66 libraries in the five mid-Hudson counties that form the core of the RadioRotary listening area: Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Putnum, and Ulster—serving 2.5 million homes. Libraries today are a platform for all sorts of information, forming a cornerstone […]
Marjorie Nichols Keith , Executive Director of the Putnam Country Cornell Cooperative Extension, brings 4-H Club member Grace Fisher (11 years old) to RadioRotary to help tell about 4-H programs and the annual Putnam County 4-H Fair in Veteran Memorial Park in Carmel. The 200-some 4-H members in the County, ages 5 through 19, are […]
Camp Nooteeming in Pleasant Valley has been serving the scouting community for 91 years, but newly arrived Scout Executive/CEO for the Hudson Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America, David Horton, recognized that the Camp is in serious need of renovation to become a resident camp. Volunteer Dave Petrovich has taken charge of the […]
Although Rhinebeck at Home is one more of than over 200 “aging in place” organizations, it has no age limit—current members range from 58 to 97 years young—and its roster of group activities include events for people of all ages. In this RadioRotary program Rhinebeck at Home President Nina Lynch and Vice-President Anne Brueckner tell […]
John Roger, who has a doctorate in physical therapy, visits RadioRotary with the message that physical therapy is often the right way to treat chronic or acute pain instead of or in addition to potentially addictive opioid medication. Beyond to the joint pains that we commonly think of when seeking physical therapy, the techniques are […]
This is a repeat broadcast in honor of Bunnee Webb, who led District 7210’s campaign to eradicate polio, part of a worldwide effort that involved not only Rotary, but also the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, several United Nations organizations, and governments in the affected areas. Ms. Webb, a past District Governor of Rotary District […]
Charles G. Vetter, Jr. managing broker at the Lagrangeville Office of real-estate agency Houlihan Lawrence, tells RadioRotary about some of the many ways that his agency works with the local community on a number of humanitarian projects. Mr. Vetter is very much involved personally and through the agency with the Dutchess SPCA, making sure that […]
Eliza Bozenski, Director of the Anderson Foundation for Autism, comes to the RadioRotary microphone to discuss the autism spectrum and how the Anderson Foundation’s several ways of outreach are making a difference for families that must cope with autism. Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability that ranges from what is commonly called Asperger Syndrome, […]
RadioRotary interviews librarian Amy Shapiro , who supervises the Mahopac Library Learning Lab, a multigenerational learning center focused on technical help for computers, smartphones, or other electronic devices. This lab, which is open five days a week, provides one-on-one individual help along with two classes each week on aid for resume preparation. The library not […]
The sixth annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, celebrated on June 16, 2017, is discussed on RadioRotary by Susan Davidson of Friends of Seniors and Dana Pavlock of Evercare. Elder abuse can be psychological, financial, sexual, physical, or simply neglectful. It is more of an issue today than in the past because people are living […]
Leah Feldman , Director of the Center for Victim Safety and Support at Family Services in Dutchess County, and volunteer Kathleen Paluso discuss the various ways the Center aids victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and other crimes. Two hot lines connect directly to assistance: (845)485-5550 for domestic violence and (845)452-7272 for victims […]
Once again RadioRotary visits Red Hook Rotary’s club meeting to learn about Apple Blossom Day and other activities of the Red Hook Club. Rotarian Dave Wright is in charge of the 2017 Apple Blossom Day, the street festival that traditionally kicks off the spring-summer season of activity, as it has done for more than 30 […]
Krista Jones returns to RadioRotary with exciting news about developments at Sparrow’s Nest, the charity that provides food to the families of persons who have cancer. Ms. Jones started the charity in 2009 when a good friend was dying of colon cancer, providing meals that Ms. Jones left at the doorstep; soon Ms. Jones learned […]
Richard Senato tells RadioRotary the inspiring story of Love Holds Life, a foundation whose mission is to pay all of the otherwise out-of-pocket expenses of a family with a child fighting cancer, a project that is sponsored in part by Patterson Rotary. It began when Mr. Senato became inspired to help an eleven-year-old child in […]
Service Clubs are all about community, partly because they are one of the glues that hold communities together. This program features two of the clubs that serve the community of Pleasant Valley, NY—The Lions Club, represented by its current president, Mike Kessler , and Rotary, represented by RadioRotary producer and Pleasant Valley Rotarian Kathy Kruger. […]
Vanderbilt Gardens volunteers Susanne Gillespie and Anita Whelan come to the RadioRotary studio to discuss the beautiful gardens they help tend at the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site in Hyde Park, NY. The Vanderbilt Mansion was the impressive summer “cottage” of Frederick and Louise Vanderbilt. Frederick maintained and improved the formal gardens on the site […]
In 2010, Haiti suffered a devastating earthquake. Roberto Bonheur told his wife, Poughkeepsie Nurse Practitioner Rose Bonheur, that they had to do something to help; she had the skills, as a primary care specialist, to provide much needed medical help. Both Bonheurs had been born in Haiti, although they came to the United States as […]
Representing her Pleasant Valley Rotary Club, RadioRotary Producer Kathy Kruger is interviewed by Sarah O’Connell about the Rotary Club’s annual “Stuff the Bus” food drive. A full-sized School Bus, on loan for the day and decorated for the occasion, is parked at the Acme Supermarket in Pleasant Valley as the members of the Rotary Club […]
The Hudson Valley is known throughout the United State as the home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR). In this program the author and Rotarian (Greater Anderson Club, SC) Kathryn Smith tells about FDR’s longtime personal secretary, Missy LeHand, the subject of Ms. Smith’s new book The Gatekeeper: Missy LeHand, FDR, and the Untold Story of […]
RadioRotary presents several interviews from the 2016 Rotary United Nations Day, this time centering on the activities of Rotary District 7210, the home of RadioRotary. Lou Turpin (Rhinebeck Rotary), the 2016-17 District Governor, starts the program off, emphasizing his view that the essence of Rotary can be summed up as “Do Good. Have Fun.” His […]
RadioRotary interview Lieutenants Brett White and Thomas Frost of the Citizens Preparedness Corp of the New York State National Guard. Their task is to present programs encouraging people to become prepared for encountering a disaster, whether it is natural (such as floods, storms, or fires), criminal (such as a terrorist attack), or technological (such as […]
ShelterBox is a major initiative for disaster relief that is affiliated with Rotary International. Simply put, a ShelterBox is a tent and necessary supplies for up to ten people, all packed into a waterproof one-meter plastic cube. That is a good thing, but what makes ShelterBox effective in disaster relief are trained teams that can […]
Once again, RadioRotary takes its microphone to Rotary Day at the United Nations for a series of interviews with persons from organizations “doing good in the world.” Lakeway/Lake Travis (TX) Rotarian Barker Keith discusses the Rotary 3D Limbs project, which is using 3D printing to produce prosthetics, especially new legs, for amputees, especially in Africa. […]
Millbrook Rotary 2016-17 President Rona Boyer worked around the world before settling in Millbrook, where she started using her sales and publishing and cooking experience to shore up The Millbrook Independent during its brief run as a weekly. Today she is at the helm of two different “micropublishing” monthly magazines— Living Millbrook and Living Rhinebeck […]
The annual Rotary Day at the United Nations each year brings together some 1,500 Rotarians along with various youth groups and representatives of humanitarian organizations who work with Rotarians. For this program, RadioRotary interviewed Mitch Kahn from ShelterBox; Rotarian Steve Goldsmith (Hawthorne LAX Lennox Rotary) and Prabha Sankaranarayan from Mediators Beyond Borders; and Rotarian-wannabe Anna […]
Ambassadorial Scholarships are the oldest program of the Rotary Foundation, having provided the opportunity for graduate study to over 42,000 students who have studied international relations in over 60 nations. Rotarian Susan Davis (Rotary District 7210 E-Club), who grew up in the swamps outside of New Orleans became one of the recipients and attended Oxford […]
RadioRotary interviews Laurie Swartz and Rev. Lynda Carré about the Death Cafés they help run as part of Circle of Friends for the Dying in Ulster and Dutchess Counties. A Death Café is a gathering of a few people in a home, a church, a restaurant, or other venue where the conversation over tea or […]
Rotarian Joyce Heaton (Millbrook Rotary), who has chaired the annual event New Year’s Eve Millbrook for 13 years, describes the family-friendly way that the Millbrook community and visitors celebrate the last day of each year—with music, puppets, circus and magic acts, and other entertainments. Many local foundations, businesses, and individuals fund the free event, but […]
Heather Iannucci and her family recognized in 1993 that their collection of animals was of interest to children and many adults as well, so they formed the Two by Two Zoo to be a traveling petting experience. Soon they began to acquire other animals, often pets that their owners could no longer care for, but […]
New York State Senator Sue Serino, chair of the Aging Committee, spoke to RadioRotary about telephone and Internet scams aimed at seniors, and how to avoid them. One of the most common recently in her district has been a phone call pretending to be from the IRS. The caller says that the person receiving the […]
RadioRotary interviews Holly Gaiman, Development Coordinator at InFlight, Inc., which supplies residential facilities, including group homes and apartments, for people with developmental disabilities. Its mission is to ensure the people it supports reach their highest level of independence and inclusion into the community while living in a home setting. InFlight operates throughout much of the […]
Vassar-Haiti Project Update (Aired on October 26 and 27, 2016) In response to the September 11, 2001, attack Andrew Meade, director of international students at Vassar College, and his wife Lila wanted to start a project that would do good in the world. Both had family ties to Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western […]
Pleasant Valley Rotarian Kathy Kruger is not only the producer of RadioRotary, but she is also a registered nurse. In this interview, Ms. Kruger tells our regular co-hosts the facts about how Rotary, working the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the United Nations Foundation, the World Health Organization, and UNICEF, has reduced the incidence of […]
Jonah Triebwasser and RadioRotary Producer Kathy Kruger interview Police Chief Daniel Waage of the Town of Lloyd in Ulster County about his program of community policing. Community policing is a law-enforcement philosophy that involves the systematic use of community partnerships to address proactively the conditions that give rise to crime, social disorder, or fear of […]
Margot Schulman, manager of The Lunch Box for Dutchess Outreach, and Rich Schiafo, deputy executive director of the Hudson Valley Regional Council, tell RadioRotary about efforts to prevent food insecurity in the Hudson Valley, starting with an event at the Walkway Over the Hudson for which a number of local agencies are providing a free […]
Jonah Triebwasser interviews Cary Institute disease ecologist Shannon LaDeau on the recently recognized dangers from the Zika virus and on the mosquitoes that carry it from human to human. Zika has been known in the Old World since the 1940s but did not reach the Western Hemisphere until 2014, when travelers brought it to Brazil. […]
RadioRotary interviews Robert Hawk Storm Birch, known primarily by his Native American name, Hawk Storm, given to him by his grandfather when he was five. The Schaghticoke Native Americans are struggling to win Federal recognition, although they have one of the oldest reservations in the U.S., located in Kent, Connecticut, just over the border from […]
Patterson Rotarian Bill Flash is interviewed about his club’s activities. The Patterson Club holds a number of fundraisers annually that have become much anticipated events for the residents of Putnam County and beyond. The Blues and BBQ event provides great music from local bands and nationally known musicians along with food prepared by the great […]
Many of the villages and hamlets in Dutchess County choose a day or weekend in the fall to celebrate local organizations and to entertain their residents and visitors. These include Hardscrabble Days in Red Hook and Community Day in Millbrook. For about forty years, one of these celebrations has been Pleasant Valley Weekend in the […]
Pleasant Valley Rotarian Ellen Haggerty is the guest on RadioRotary, discussing Rotarian Action Groups (RAGs) and Rotary Fellowship Groups with special emphasis on the RAG Rotarians for Hearing, an action group started by Ms. Haggerty. Rotarians for Hearing has a grant from the Rotary Foundation that covers hearing tests for newborns in Guatemala. An electronic […]
RadioRotary interviews Highland Rotary Club’s Steve Laubach and Don Verity concerning the 12th annual Hudson Valley Ribfest, one of the major summer events in the Hudson Valley and voted one of the “must-go-to” festivals in the United States. It is also the primary fundraiser for the Highland Rotary Club. Income from the Ribfest to supports […]
Sarah O’Connell and Dave Kruger interview Millbrook Rotarian Ellie Savoy, author of the International Best-Seller Stop Dieting, Start Living: 5 Foundations for your Health to Permanently Lose Weight Without Dieting, Starvation, or Suffering in Silence, as well as portions of other self-help books. Ms. Savoy is a Board Certified Holistic Health Coach who not only […]
RadioRotary interviews Kinderhook Tri-Village Rotarian, Dr. Tam Mustapha, who has held a number of positions supporting The Rotary Foundation, the charitable arm of Rotary International. The motto of The Rotary Foundation, “Doing Good in the World,” describes its main mission, which focuses on improving peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, saving mothers and children, supporting […]
RadioRotary interviews Carmel Rotarian Marjorie Keith and recent Mahopac High School student Robert Solerno about the role of the 4-H Club of Putnam Country. Keith is the Executive Director of Putnam County’s branch of the Cornell Cooperative Extension, which sponsors 4-H clubs, while Solerno is not only an enthusiastic member of 4-H, but also a […]
The Community at Brookmeade, located on 75 country acres just outside the Village of Rhinebeck, is a senior-living retirement community serving the Hudson Valley and surrounding areas. It consists of three connected facilities: Arbor Ridge offers independent living; The Terraces offers assisted living; and The Baptist Home provides long term care, sub-acute rehabilitation, palliative care […]
RadioRotary interviews Shayna Micucci and Kasandra Quednau, founders of the Rt. 212 Coalition, which aids persons and families facing addiction problems. Micucci is a trained addiction specialist and Quednau has personal experience with addiction in the past. The Coalition’s name comes from New York State Route 212, which runs through Ulster Country from Saugerties to […]
RadioRotary interviews Kathy Smith, who is on the board of the Friends of the Walkway Over the Hudson about the some of the many activities that not only involve using the great bridge but also raise money for its upkeep and improvement. Walkway Over the Hudson is a free New York State Historic Park that […]
Goshen Rotarians Nan Gill-Wilson and David P. Wilson are professionals in several branches of show business. The have brought their own talents and performing knowledge to the aid of their Rotary Club in a number of ways. Goshen Rotary manages to have at least one major event every month of the year. One of these […]
In a live show at Millbrook Rotary RadioRotary interviews George Ouimet, this year’s president of the Millbrook High Interact Club, and Luisa Pereira, this year’s incoming Youth Exchange (YEX) student to Millbrook Rotary. Ouimet describes recent projects of Interact, including two canned food drives, two recent blood drives, the Purple Pinkie Project, and the Scott […]
RadioRotary is visited by Newburgh Rotarians Allie Sacks, Bob McCury, and Debbie Johnson on the occasion of the ninth annual “Taste of Greater Newburgh” festival of food, drink, music, automobiles, and art. Local restaurants and other food and drink suppliers form the foundation of this annual fundraiser, but a local band supplies music and in […]
RadioRotary interviews Kingston Rotarians Donna Miller and Georgiana Pangborn about the 100th anniversary of their club, the oldest Rotary club in the Hudson Valley. Rotary was only eleven years old itself when the Kingston Club was chartered by the Association of Rotary Clubs (which became Rotary International six years later). By then Rotary was active […]
Once again RadioRotary travels to the Red Hook Rotary Club for a live broadcast from the Bread and Bottle Bakery and Wine Bar. Red Hook Rotary for the past fifteen years has been the sponsor of the great spring festival, Apple Blossom Day, which has taken place in the village for over thirty years. Co-hosts […]
Millbrook Rotary hosted a broadcast of RadioRotary with guests Steve Pressman, Executive Director of the Mid-Hudson Addiction Recovery Centers, Inc. (MARC) and Laurie Quinn (Philmont Rotary Club), a director of the MARC Foundation. A main problem facing MARC and the entire nation is the heroin and opiate epidemic. Currently in the United States 129 persons […]
Crystal Snow-Hebel is one of the co-founders of Faith House (Linda Arzu is the other), a proposed maternity home for 18- to 24-year old girls and their newborn children. This would be a refuge for girls who otherwise would be homeless, in abusive relationships, or living in poverty. The idea is to provide for spiritual […]
RadioRotary interviews Patterson Rotarian Mike Ingber about his club’s exciting fundraiser, Men Who Cook. Ingber is not only one of the organizers for the 20th installment of the popular event, but also one of the cooks, specializing in smoked salmon or ribs. This edition of Men Who Cook honors the Honorable James Reitz, judge of […]
Broadcasting from the Red Hook Rotary meeting, the RadioRotary cohosts interview Kimberly McGrath, Executive Editor of the Red Hook Area Chamber of Commerce. The Red Hook Area Chamber has more than 280 active members representing 170 businesses and is still growing. Primarily it acts to promote local businesses with its weekly newsletter and to help […]
Rhinebeck Rotarian Bob Phillips, along with 23 other Rotarians from around the United States (and some from Canada and the United Kingdom) went to Côte d’Ivoire in West Africa in the summer of 2015—mission, prevent polio. As he told the RadioRotary co-hosts, the ten-day trip was the most memorable experience of his life, from the […]
Pleasant Valley Rotarian, registered nurse, and RadioRotary producer Kathy Kruger is on the other side of the microphone as co-hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Connell interview her about the Rotaplast program to correct cleft lip or palate, burn scarring, and other deformities. Cleft lip or palate causes many health problems as well as affecting speech, […]
Michael Christophides, Chief Inspector and Laboratory Director of Granit Inspection Group, joins co-host Sarah O’Connell and guest co-host and physicist David Kruger to describe the hazards of the gas radon, which can accumulate in buildings or in well water. Radon is an odorless radioactive gas that is released from rocks of all kinds, but especially […]
RadioRotary interviews Maggie Kwet, the Aging Information Services Specialist at the Dutchess County Office of the Aging, on the many services provided for seniors in the County, which deal with health, the law, transportation, home care, food, energy and heating, grandparenting, and more. The Office of the Aging (845-486-2555) conducts group and individual help with […]
RadioRotary interviews Kayo Iwama, Associate Director of the Graduate Vocal Arts Program at Bard College, about music education at the college and the performances open to the public. Bard has an unusual undergraduate degree program in music because each student must also obtain a degree in another subject, such as mathematics or political science. The […]
Rhinebeck Rotarian Lou Trapani, Artistic and Managing Director of The Center for the Performing Arts at Rhinebeck, returns to RadioRotary to discuss some of the upcoming performances at the big red barn on Route 308. Also in the interview, Mr. Trapani describes the education program at the Center, which includes a touring company that performs […]
RadioRotary interviews New York State Senator Sue Serino on efforts to reduce Lyme Disease in the Hudson Valley and to free physicians to treat chronic Lyme Disease with longer courses of intravenous antibiotics. Lyme Disease is one of several tick-borne illnesses that are widespread in the Hudson Valley. Many believe that when it fails to […]
RadioRotary interviews Sue Puett, Executive Director of Warwick Reformed Church’s Backpack Snack Attack program, and Warwick Valley Rotarian Stan Martin about this effective approach to making sure that children who receive free lunches at school during the week do not go hungry on weekends. The program started in 2009 by Warwick Reformed Church with a […]
RadioRotary interviews recovering addict Cara Mia Bacchiochi about her street ministry called Hope on a Mission HOAM, a volunteer effort to help women who are homeless because of addiction to drugs or alcohol. Working in the city of Poughkeepsie, Bacchiochi and volunteer helpers distribute water and such personal care items as baby wipes to homeless […]
Eliza Bozenski is the development director for the Anderson Center for Autism, a nonprofit educational and therapeutic organization that includes day and residential programs for children and adults as well as diagnostics, training, and consultation for families or schools. Its hundred-acre walkable campus on the Hudson, where autistic students learn in classes with 6 or […]
RadioRotary interviews Zamir Hassan, founder of The Hunger Van, a volunteer effort to bring food to the hungry homeless. In 2000, Hassan chaperoned a school trip to a local food pantry and was astonished by how many were going hungry in his prosperous New Jersey community. He says that in his tradition, you are not […]
Millbrook Rotarian Joyce Heaton describes this year’s New Year’s Eve Millbrook a community event that is family friendly and alcohol free. Twelve years earlier, the Rotary Club of Millbrook was seeking a way to help bring the village and environs together as a community. In October of that year, Joyce—who was aware of First Night […]
Rotary has had a unique role in the United Nations starting even before the UN was founded. Each year the United Nations invites more than a thousand Rotarians, members of associated groups such as Rotaract and Interact, and students participating in Rotary international Youth Exchange to come to UN headquarters in New York for panel […]
The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is a Federal program that operates on a country level, providing vocational training for low-income persons age 55 or older. In Dutchess County the SCSEP office is part of PathStone, located in Wappingers Falls. SCSEP counselors Cheryl George, Patsy Kimbrew, Sheila Rock, and Marlene Fredericks describe the program, […]
Pleasant Valley Rotarian, and 2015 winner of the Jeffrey Keahon Foundation Award, David Kruger describes the work of The Rotary Foundation, the part of Rotary that not only does good in the world away from our communities, but also helps fund many local projects. While its most notable success has been the worldwide reduction of […]
Salvation Army Captains Sam and Jenny Alarcon visit RadioRotary to describe some of the many ways that The Salvation Army works to solve problems in Poughkeepsie and the Hudson Valley. The Salvation Army, founded in London by William Booth in 1865, is a worldwide Christian church that is organized along military lines. Its mission includes […]
Cancer survivor Holly VanDerbeck tells about her experiences with Stage 3 melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. Originally detected as a change in a mole, her cancer showed up later in lymph nodes, but was arrested by a combination of surgery and interferon, a drug that stimulates the immune system to attack cancer. […]
Red Hook Rotarian Gale Wolfe is interviewed about her participation in a medical mission to Tibet for this “live from the meeting” RadioRotary interview, recorded during a regular meeting of the Red Hook Rotary Club. Gale accompanied her husband, Dr. Dean Bloch, an obstetrician-gynecologist, and various other medical personnel on a mission to bring aid […]
Rotary District 7210 Past District Governor Bill Bassett (Walkill East Rotary Club) describes the history and current success of the effort, started by Rotary in 1979, to completely eradicate the terrible disease poliomyelitis, commonly called polio. Polio has a long history as a human disease that often causes lifetime paralysis or even death. In the […]
Abby Nathanson, Director and Co-Founder of EPIC; Carleton Harris, consultant from the Youth Arts Group; and Evelyn Garzetta, Director of Latino Outreach at Millbrook, NY, Grade Episcopal Church describe new and old programs inspired by Rural and Migrant Ministry that focus on Northeastern Dutchess County. EPIC (Engaging People in Change) gathers high-school students from around […]
Leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma care cancers of the blood cells. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society funds research that has greatly reduced the death rate from these cancers, and the Society also provides education and support for patients as well as advocacy for better treatments and services. One way that you can help fund the Society […]
The name “Dutchess Outreach” does not tell much about the organization’s mission, which is to meet the basic needs of low-income people when no other resources are readily available. To this end Dutchess Outreach runs the major food pantry in Dutchess County; a traveling “green market” for fresh fruits and vegetables; the Lunch Box, which […]
Vietnam vets and Spring Valley Rotarians Howard Goldin and Ed Frank return to RadioRotary with news of the latest developments for Schools to End Poverty (S.T.E.P), the organization they founded after their 2005 visit to Vietnam, where they lunched with the former opposition and developed a plan for helping Vietnamese children by building a school. […]
Christina Novak, Communications and Development Coordinator of the Dutchess Country SPCA, visits the RadioRotary studio to describe the work of her organization, which is much more diverse than most persons realize. While the letters SPCA stand for Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals, most people think of the Dutchess County SPCA largely in […]
Rhinebeck Rotarian David Ives is the Executive Director of the Albert Schweitzer Institute, but that is just the tip of the iceberg for Ives’ many activities promoting worldwide peace and health. When he was 16, Ives took a trip to Latin America, where he was devastated by the poverty he encountered, and Ives determined to […]
In recent years, the proliferation of prescription opiate painkillers, such as Percocet, Oxycontin, Vicodin, and others, has spurred an increase in opiate addiction. When addicts can no longer obtain their pills, they often turn to heroin, a cheaper street opiate—in fact, it is so cheap that many who could still purchase prescription pills also switch […]
RadioRotary interviews Marisol Rodriguez, Executive Director of Literacy Connections of the Hudson Valley, a nonprofit using local volunteers to help people to read, write, and reach their potential. One in five Americans are functionally illiterate, which means that their reading and writing skills are at a sixth-grade level or lower. Literacy Connections trained volunteers work […]
RadioRotary interviews Rhinebeck Interact’s Grace Steele and Morgan Rakow, two of the 23 participants in the 2015 edition of that Interact Club’s “Nicaragua Project.” Interact is the high-school service organization sponsored by Rotary. Each year members of the Rhinebeck Interact Club, some adults (mostly Rhinebeck Rotarians), and some college students travel to the León department […]
Newburgh Rotarian Doug Sturomski is the unofficial Peace Ambassador for Rotary District 7210, which encompasses the eight counties in the Mid-Hudson Region. One of his several projects related to peace is building and placing Peace Poles in parks, high schools, colleges, and various public places around the region. The Peace Poles that Mr. Sturomski builds […]
Highland Rotary Club’s Charter Member Steve Laubach and Don Verity, the Highland Rotarian who manages PAMAL Radio, the network for RadioRotary, describe the 11th annual Hudson Valley Ribfest, one of the major summer events in the Hudson Valley and primary fundraiser for their Rotary Club. They use their part of the income from the Ribfest […]
When Red Hook High School Student Abby Romm was 15, she decided that she wanted to spend a year abroad. She had learned of the Rotary Youth Exchange program and applied, listing Spain as her first choice, since she had already studied Spanish; but she was happy to learn she would be going to Italy, […]
Although deaths from drunk driving have been reduced nationally in recent years, there are still 1,200 to 1,500 persons killed or injured by drunk drivers in the Hudson Valley each year. In 1981 Wappingers Falls Rotarian Nick Johnson and his wife Josephine, a severely damaged victim of a drunk driver, decided to do what they […]
Radio Rotary Interviews Certified Holistic Health Coach and Millbrook Rotarian Ellie Savoy, author of Stop Dieting Start Living: 5 Foundations for Your Health, to Permanently Lose Weight Without Dieting, Starvation or Suffering in Silence. Ms. Savoy argues that dieting does not work because it has a beginning and an end. Instead, we should stop living […]
Just-graduated high-school student Mannion O’Conner and Carmel Rotarian Marjorie Nichols Keith, Executive Director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Putnam County (CCE-Putnam), tell about the activities of 4-H in the county, with a special focus on the 44th annual Putnam Country 4-H Fair. The Fair, run by 4-H clubs with the help of many volunteers, […]
Mediation is a process in which parties with differences meet with a neutral professional to resolve differences. In this program, Attorney Betsy Shequine explains why mediation is a cheaper, faster, and more successful way to end a marriage than litigation for divorce. Trained mediators, such as Ms. Shequine, teach the participants how to speak to […]
Even before devastating earthquakes hit Nepal and surrounding territory in April and May of 2015, the plight of numerous children in that Himalayan nation was desperate. Many young children were being sold by their parents to work in Indian factories; young girls were often forced into prostitution. The Blue Butterfly Foundation, created by Lauren Yanks, […]
The ongoing Vassar project for improving education, health, women’s economy, water purity, and forests in Chermaitre, Haiti, is described by the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Vassar-Haiti Project, Lila Meade, and Vassar student Sarah Oliver. Andrew and Lila Meade founded the project in 2001, partly in a response to the 9/11 attacks on the […]
Licensed Nutritionist Rufia Payman from Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck describes the ravages of type 2 diabetes and steps to take to prevent the disease. Her primary approach is to put her patients on the Mediterranean diet (mainly fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, olive oil, and nuts) and regular exercise. Ms. Payman runs a […]
Rhinebeck Rotarian Lou Trapani, Artistic and Managing Director of The Center for the Performing Arts at Rhinebeck, returns to RadioRotary to discuss some of the upcoming performances at this hub for theater and related events, including the summer arts day camp, which brings many courses in theater-arts. Among other upcoming productions discussed on the show […]
RadioRotary co-host Jonah Triebwasser and producer Kathy Kruger interview the man who conceived and launched RadioRotary: Poughkeepsie-Arlington Rotarian Roger Risko. Mr. Risko, who is about to retire after many years of teaching at Dutchess County’s BOCES (Bureau of Co-operative Services), not only started RadioRotary but also has been instrumental in forming and helping grow several […]
Gloria De Pietro is the author of Abandoned: The Story of Boys Forgotten, the tales of four boys who received art therapy from her while they lived in a residential treatment center. Ms. Di Pietro first encountered art when she suffered a near fatal illness as a child; the nurses at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in […]
Authors Bryan Bunch (Millbrook Rotary), and Tim Tocher discuss the seventh annual Millbrook Literary Festival with co-hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sara O’Connell. The Festival features several talks by journalists and authors as well as panel discussions on historical fiction, mysteries, cookbooks, journalism, history, and getting published. Books for younger readers featured include picture books and […]
Rich Silva, Founder and President of Pain Point IT Solutions Inc., describes some of the complications concerning health information privacy and accountability rules. Before 1996, most hospital and other medical records were kept on paper and were easily available to persons other than a patient’s doctor and the patient. As part of the Health Insurance […]
Co-Hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Connell travel to the regular meeting of the Red Hook Rotary as it plans for the annual Red Hook Apple Blossom Festival, a village-wide celebration of the coming of summer that features food booths, sales in local stores, entertainment, political candidates, baby animals, face painting, balloons, and more. Red Hook […]
The Rural and Migrant Ministry, a group that started with one person in a van about 50 years ago, is now a major force for empowerment for migrant farm workers in much of upstate New York. In this interview, Ruth Faircloth, the Director of the Overnight Leadership Camp and the Women’s Conference, describes how the […]
RadioRotary is visited by Gabriella Scull, the community manager for Relay for Life, an affiliate of the American Cancer Society. Each year there are 5,200 Relay-for-Life events in the United State, including many in the Hudson Valley as well as events in 20 different nations. The event is an organized fundraising walk around a track. […]
Melissa McCoy, Chief Advancement Officer for Abilities First describes this seven-county program that serves developmentally disabled children and adults in the Hudson Valley. Staring with pre-school, Abilities First supplies educational programs that replace the regular special-education classes in twenty different facilities (one facility, in Red Hook, is in the same building as the regular school). […]
Pleasant Valley Library Director Daniela Pulice and Barbara Shapley, president of the Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library, discuss their local library, the Mid-Hudson Library System, of which it is a part, and the status of community libraries today. The Pleasant Valley Free Library is situated in a Dutchess County town of about 10,000 and […]
Susanne O’Neill, Program and Events Manager for Walkway over the Hudson, talks about the history and coming events at the longest, highest pedestrian bridge in the world, Poughkeepsie and Highland’s Walkway over the Hudson. This former railway connection between Dutchess and Ulster counties ceased operation after a fire in 1974, but in 2009, in connection […]
RadioRotary hosts a discussion of Rotary in the Hudson Valley featuring District Governor (DG) 2014-15 Penny Byron (Patterson Rotary), Past District Governor (PDG) 2009-10 David Green (New Windsor-Cornwall Rotary), and District Governor Elect (DGE) 2015-16 Nick Constantino (Walkill East Rotary). DGE Constantino had just returned from training for his post in San Diego along with […]
Dr. Teresa Foster, a family practitioner and osteopath with offices in Woodstock and Boiceville visits the RadioRotary studio to help clarify issues in health and wellness. A family practitioner sees patients of all ages and types—and Dr. Foster even makes house calls. The recent uptick in measles has caused people to take a closer look […]
The Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum, near the edge of the Hudson in Poughkeepsie, is one of the great destinations for parents and children in the Hudson Valley. Lara Litchfield-Kimber, Executive Director of the museum, and Sara Capozzoli, Director of Public, Media and Corporate Relations, visit RadioRotary to tell about the many hands-on exhibits and programs designed […]
Rotarians Barbara Blas and Barbara Cohen of the Kingston Sunrise Rotary Club visit RadioRotary to tell about the developing Reher Center for Immigration and Culture in the Roundout section of Kingston, NY. The project began when the Jewish Federation of Ulster County came into possession of the large building that previously housed the Reher Bakery, […]
Co-host Jonah Triebwasser and producer Kathy Kruger interview Michele Polluck-Rich, Executive Director at Grace Smith House, the principal organization in Dutchess County for aid to victims of domestic abuse. Victims of either sex can be helped; the hotline is (845) 471-3033. About 90% of the abused are women, who can be removed from their domestic […]
RadioRotary Co-host Jonah Triebwasser interviewed Marietta Allen about her current Outreach program at St. Mary’s Parish in Newburgh. Newburgh suffers from high poverty and crime rates. Each of the four Roman Catholic churches has a program to help alleviate the city’s problems. Among the components of the St. Mary’s Outreach are the provision of emergency […]
Deanna Mancuso tells the story of how her grandfather’s gift to her of an abused horse when she was 12, gradually led her create the Lucky Orphans Horse Rescue farm, which now hosts 43 formerly abused, neglected, or abandoned horses. Today these horses are not only living out the remainder of their lives (which can […]
Pleasant Valley Weekend Fun (Aired on July 21 and 22, 2018) Mary Albrecht of the Town of Pleasant Valley visits RadioRotary to describe the annual festival known as Pleasant Valley Week end, which has moved from its previous time in September to July. The event features three separate parades through the hamlet—a motorcycle parade on Friday, the big parade […]
RadioRotary interviews Tessa Edick, author of Hudson Valley Food and Farming: Why Didn’t Anyone Ever Tell Me That?, an introduction to the Local foods in the RadioRotary listening area, filled with photographs of local farms. Ms. Edick started the FarmOn! Foundation to promote dining on local foods at home and in restaurants. Among the local […]
The RadioRotary co-hosts interview author and motivational speaker Jesse Saperstein about his new book: Getting a Life with Asperger’s: Lessons Learned on the Bumpy road to Adulthood, a guide to leaving “the road to loserville” written by someone who has experienced the problems of a person with Asperger’s as he made important life transitions. Mr. […]
Brewster Rotarian and 2015-16 Rotary District Literacy Chair Jenny Hinsman learned about buildOn from the best-selling book Walk in Their Shoes: Can One Person Change the World? (Jim Ziolkowski with James S. Hirsh) and has started her club working with Ziolkowski’s buildOn organization on its mission of breaking the cycles of poverty, illiteracy, and low […]
Co-host Jonah Triebwasser and producer Kathy Kruger interview Mike Green and Matt Cruz about Hyde Park Rotary’s Little Free Library in the Stop & Shop Plaza in the Hyde Park Mall, the Rotary Club operates in conjunction with the Hyde Park Free Library. The movement to install Little Free Libraries has been spreading from town […]
Jonah Triebwasser and RadioRotary Producer Kathy Kruger interview Gabriella Fryer, Executive Director of Stringendo, a nonprofit music education and performance program for youth in the Hudson Valley. Stringendo allows elementary and high-school students to play in six different orchestras, depending on skill level, and four different fiddler groups. The all-violin ensembles are knows as the […]
RadioRotary interviews Southern Ulster Rotarian B.N. Mikkelsen about available trips by rail or sea to exotic places around the world. Mikkwelsen, a native of Denmark, operated a travel agency for more than a decade before turning to his present occupation of representing companies that take travelers to interesting destinations. Among his favorite trips are rail […]
Michael Weitzman in this RadioRotary interview reveals that he has long suffered from a common form of mental illness—bipolar disorder (once known as manic-depressive state), although he was not diagnosed with the disease until age 40. Today he emphasizes the basic triangle for handling a mental illness—a psychiatrist to diagnose, medicine to alleviate, and therapy […]
RadioRotary interviews Richard Tracino, President and Chief Executive for Hudson Valley Hospice (HVH) and Hudson Valley Hospice Foundation, and Kim Warner, Director of Psychosocial Services for HVH. Hospice serves people of all ages who have terminal illnesses, although hospice focuses on the entire family, not just the dying individual, helping them deal with medical, emotional, […]
Casey MacDonald, who survived her own bout with cancer nearly 20 years ago only to confront cancers that attacked her husband, father, and best friend, has devoted her life to helping others navigate their way through the medical, financial, and lifestyle challenges of the disease. She founded The Hudson Valley Cancer Resource Center, which—with the […]
RadioRotary co-hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Connell interview Rotarians Pat Green and Gail Dejmal of the Monroe-Woodbury club about their participation in Project Amigo and about the humanitarian activities of their Rotary club. Project Amigo consists of a number of ways that Rotarians and others can improve the lives of the rural poor in Colima […]
RadioRotary co-host Jonah Triebwasser, in Sydney, interviews Rotarians from the United States who are also visiting the Convention and others who work with Rotary. Kurt Johnsen from the New Windsor-Cornwall Rotary in Orange County, New York, describes the Rotary Foundation and its progress in the fight to eradicate polio. His wife, Ana Johansen, talks about […]
Elizabeth Spira, the Chief Executive Officer of the Community Action Partnership of Dutchess County describes how this legacy program of the War on Poverty has for 50 years provided financial, energy, pharmaceutical, and food assistance to those in need. Similar agencies exist in every country in New York State. Some of the programs that the […]
RadioRotary interviews Dr. Dan Freedman, Dean of the School of Science and Engineering at SUNY-New Paltz, who leads both the Digital Design and Fabrication curriculum at the school and the Hudson Valley Advanced Manufacturing Center, specialists in the art of printing solid objects, known as 3-D printing. The first 3-D printers became available in 1986. […]
n January of 2011 retired Saugerties (NY) English teacher Nancy Lanni visited Haiti, with a construction team helping repair the damage. While there, she was invited to teach as a substitute, where she observed first-hand the emotional as well as physical damage to the young children on the remote island of La Gonáve, a primitive […]
Volunteer Neil Isabelle discusses the Catskill Mountain Railroad, two different scenic trips on vintage rail cars through the picturesque Esopus Creek valley in Ulster Country, NY, and through the historic city of Kingston, NY. Special rides in the fall showcase the autumn foliage and in winter there is the Polar Express. Summer rides are also […]
Newburgh Rotarian Doug Martin Sturomski, the recently appointed Peace Chair of Rotary District 7210, is interviewed about his efforts to help reach the peace goal of Rotary International and the Rotary Foundation through Peace Bells and Peace Poles. His Peace Bell Foundation, started in 2009, emphasizes the connection between ringing bells and freedom and peace, […]
Jeffrey Urbin, Education Specialist at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, tells the RadioRotary audience about the history and recent renovations of the Library, which was the first presidential library in the United States, having been designed by Roosevelt himself in 1941. The new Library features new technology to make history come alive […]
RadioRotary host Jonah Triebwasser interviews Maureen Roche, Program Director for 4-H Youth Development at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Dutchess County. The 4-H organization officially set up by the US Department of Agriculture in 1914, although built on a number of youth organizations from around the turn of the 19th century into the 20th. The name […]
RadioRotary interviews four members of Rhinebeck Rotary at the historic Beekman Arms during the Club’s regular Monday lunch: David Albahary, Nat Charny, Club President Phil Meltzer, and Barbara Markell. One of the main projects sponsored by the Club is improving a school near León, Nicaragua. The main workers in Nicaragua each year are about 20 […]
Once again Rotarian Lou Trapani (Rhinebeck), Artistic and Managing Director of The Center for the Performing Arts at Rhinebeck, returns to RadioRotary to discuss some of the upcoming performances at this hub for theater and related events, including the summer arts day camp, which brings many courses in theater-arts taught by the professionals who put […]
This series of interviews from the RI Convention in Sydney begins with the young—two Youth Exchange students who are having the adventure of their lives as they spend a year in Australia, away from homes in Finland and Denmark. Then we learn about the versatile Backpack Bed, which becomes a fireproof mattress with screens and […]
Every day it seems we are learning more and more about the dangers of distracted driving. Michael Weitzman in this RadioRotary interview tell about his efforts to make people more aware of the problem and its remedy, which he abbreviates as EMH for “Anytime you do not have your Eyes on the road, your Mind […]
Here are five more fascinating interviews recorded by Jonah Triebwasser at the 2014 Rotary International Convention. Dr. Peter Linz, Chief International Medical Officer at Mercy Ships, tells about how their large hospital ship—6 operating rooms, 25 beds—travels from country to country in West Africa, bringing modern surgery of all kinds to people who would have […]
This week’s show was broadcast from the regular meeting of the Highland Rotary Club, sponsors of the Tenth Annual Hudson Valley Ribfest, a three-day event at the Ulster Country Fairgrounds in New Paltz, NY, featuring barbecue (and many other foods) as well as a number of country-music concerts and a stage in the national contest […]
Jonah Triebwasser interviews five people who are working to do good in the world in different ways. Jenny Da Rin, Assistant Director General for the Education and Health Branch of AusAID, an Australian government program with many of the same goals as the Rotary Foundation. Rotarian Tam Mustapha (Kinderhook Tri-Village Clun, NY), attending the convention, […]
Jonah Triebwasser interviews seven Rotarians from Australia, England, the United States, and Papua New Guinea about international projects that include Our Rainbow House, which educated orphans and other vulnerable children in Zambia; the Guilford Eye Project, which helps prevent and cure eye diseases in India and Nigeria; the Asia-Pacific Center for Neuromodulation, which employs deep-brain […]
The guest on this week’s show was Pleasant Valley Rotary President and RN Kathy Kruger, who describes Rotaplast (Rotary + Plastic Surgery), a program that heals children with cleft palate or cleft lip around the world. Cleft palate is literally a hole in the roof of the mouth and cleft lip is one or two […]
Past Rotary International President Bill Boyd tells Radio Rotary Co-Host Jonah Triebwasser about WASRAG, the Water and Sanitation Rotary Action Group. Securing an adequate supply of drinkable water is one of six Rotary areas of focus that affects all the rest—fighting disease, saving mothers and children, growing local economies, promoting peace (wars have been fought […]
The RadioRotary co-hosts interview Hudson Solar Project Manager Christina Bagen about home solar-power installations. Solar panels used today capture energy from the sun and convert it to direct-current electricity; a device called an inverter then changes the power to alternating current for household or commercial use. Today solar panels are relatively inexpensive because of government […]
Co-Host, Jonah Triebwasser traveled to Sydney, Australia, for the Rotary International Annual Convention, where he taped many interesting interviews. For a starter, here are five of the subjects: Rotarian D. Bob Scott, chair of Rotary’s, describes how this campaign, in conjunction with WHO, UNICEF, the CDC, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has reduced […]
Jackie Rose, executive director of Dutchess County SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) describes the facilities and activities of this nonprofit corporation. Located in Hyde Park, the DCSPCA provides humane law enforcement for the Country and a shelter for about 250 pets, including not only dogs and cats but also “pocket pets” […]
RadioRotary co-host Sarah O’Connell interviews Attorney Kyle Steller of Legal Services of the Hudson Valley and Kathy Sheehan, a social worker from the Mediation Center of Dutchess County about the Coalition on Elder Abuse in Dutchess County. The Mediation Center started the Coalition, which melds social services, local churches, Country law enforcement and health services, […]
Authors Bryan Bunch (Millbrook Rotary), Jim Holmgren, and Evan Pritchard discuss the sixth Millbrook Literary Festival with host Jonah Triebwasser. Holmgren, a novelist whose future fiction novel describes the world in 2076, will host a panel of mystery writers under the heading “Who Did It? We did it!” Even Pritichard, poet and historian, who has […]
Dr. Frank Bourke, executive director of the PTSD Research and Recognition Project, explains the diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a curable mental illness that is best known for affecting veterans of brutal wars, but also can change the lives of people who experience any kind of serious trauma from sources such as […]
Rotarian Lou Trapani (Rhinebeck), Artistic and Managing Director of The Center for the Performing Arts, located a short distance east of Rhinebeck, NY, is interviewed by co-hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Connell, both former performers themselves. The Center began as a project of the Rhinebeck Theater Society and was first (1994) housed in a tent, […]
Author and columnist Anthony Musso returns to the RadioRotary microphones to discuss volume 2 of his Hidden Treasures of the Hudson Valley, a treasury of 55 sites in the 8-country mid-Hudson region. Here are a few of the sites covered: The Beekman Arms, oldest continuing restaurant; the world’s largest church pipe organ at the Cadet […]
Rotarian Colleen Mountford (Kingston Sunrise Club) describes the Patriot’s Project that will house homeless veterans in a renovated mansion in Kingston starting in July. Both the Kingston Sunrise and Kingston Noontime clubs as well as contributions from all Rotary clubs in Ulster County have supported the project. It began in 2012 when Ulster County Executive […]
RadioRotary co-hosts interview incoming District Governor Penny Byron (Rotary Year 2014-15), who describes her work with District 7210, which includes 62 clubs at various locations in the eight Mid-Hudson counties that make up the District—Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, and Ulster. District 7210 actually extends beyond the Mid-Hudson, however, for one of the […]
Terry Laibach, an environmental specialist concerned largely with solid waste who works with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, discusses the economics and environmental impact of the 3Rs—Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. While the United States has 4 percent of the world’s population, it produces 25% of the world’s solid waste. At one time, the […]
Dr. David A Crenshaw, a child psychologist who is Clinical Director of the Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie, explains why children often need aid in getting though such emotional difficulties as psychosomatic symptoms, depression, difficulty controlling impulses, and behavioral problems in school; frequently intellectual or cognitive maturity precedes emotional maturity. Young children may lack language skills, […]
The RadioRotary co-hosts interview Jody Miller, Executive Director of the Mediation Center of Dutchess Country, and Registered Nurse Carolynn Frankell, who, along with Lindsey Goldstein, chairs the third annual Anti-Bullying Walkathon. Since 1981 New York State has had a program of Alternative Dispute Resolution, which includes mediation and arbitration, with centers in every county. Mediation […]
Libraries today are far more than places to borrow books for a couple of weeks according to Red Hook Public Library Director Erica Freudenberger and Mid-Hudson Library System Assistant Director Merribeth Advocate. Libraries are an important local source in obtaining jobs or improving skills, using the public-access computers in libraries or access to library information […]
Linda Marston-Reid, Executive Director of Art Mid-Hudson (formerly The Dutchess Country Arts Council), and Paul Tesoro, Chairperson of the Board, discuss the many ways that Arts Mid-Hudson re-grants New York State funds and local donations to local artists in Dutchess, Ulster, and Orange counties. Grants aid visual arts, theater, arts education, music, performances of the […]
A couple of years ago Krista Jones from Hopewell Junction, NY, experienced the death of a good friend from cancer and the realization that four other mothers she knew also had cancer. Krista had been helping her friend, who had three children, by leaving food at her door. She recognized that cancer was sapping the […]
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley provides free legal help to the needy who require assistance in civil cases—mortgage problems, divorces, educational issues, domestic violence, and similar difficulties. In this interview Pro Bono Director Lillian Krusz Welby and staff attorney Jill Faber discuss all these topics and more. Legal Services of the Hudson Valley has […]
In this on-site interview from the Annual Meeting of the New York State Bar Association, Bar Past -President A. Thomas Levin and Chair of the Law, Youth and Citizenship committee Rich Bader discuss some of the statewide programs that the Bar Association supports in New York State schools. These include Mock Trials in secondary schools […]
In this show, co-host Sarah O’Connell interviews the co-leaders of the Center for Healthy Aging at Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck—social worker Allison Gould and geriatrician Dr. Jodi Friedman. The purpose of the Center is to help people 65 and over remain healthy and active as they age. Friedman handles the medical issues, while Gould […]
In March 2009 Reverend Betsy Fisher of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Amenia learned of a big need for food for the working poor in Amenia that was not being met by the nearest local Food Bank, so she started Food of Life. This program details how that works and the needs that it fills […]
Jeffery Fox, executive director of Abilities First, and Serene Morrero, director of development, describe this Dutchess-County-based program that serves all developmentally disabled children and adults. The organization has thirty different facilities in Dutchess County, which began with its original “Little Red Schoolhouse” in Poughkeepsie, and now goes from preschool to adult services. Since then, the […]
Elian Trumpetto, Executive Director of the Council on Addiction Prevention of Dutchess County, and Mike Hill director of the Drinking Driver Program at Dutchess Community College, discuss the program “Alive at 25,” which is sponsored by the National Safety Council. Alive at 25 is a 4-hour educational program aimed at 16- to 24-year-olds to heighten […]
Preventing relocation stress syndrome is a main goal of Moving Generations, a downsizing and moving supervision service for the elderly provided by Red Hook Rotarian Susan Goodman Goldstein, a social worker who grew up in a family moving business, and Dena Crane, a long-time family mediator specializing in senior decision making. Moving Generations serves the […]
Center of Compassion volunteers Julie Gregory, Executive Coordinator, and Karen Finnerty, Community Outreach Coordinator, discuss this complex of humanitarian activities that has been located in Dover Plains for the past eleven years. Founded by Sister Maureen of the Westchester’s Sisters of the Divine Compassion, The Center of Compassion runs a food bank, a weekly community […]
Each year on Rotary UN Day, which celebrates the role Rotary had in founding the UN and their continuing relationship, RadioRotary conducts onsite interviews with Rotarians and others attending the event. In this program, the interviews included deal with water purification and desalination, developing a new generation of leaders around the world, the Rotary youth […]
In a program recorded live at the regular Red Hook Rotary meeting, insurance agents and Rotarians Carl and Bill Dowden discuss the Affordable Care Act (or ACA, sometimes called “Obamacare”), Cyber-Liability Insurance, and Long-Term Care Insurance. They explain how ACA relies on individual insurance companies instead of having a government-run single-payer plan, such as Medicare. […]
Rotary Day at the United Nations celebrates the important role Rotary had in founding the UN and the continuing relationship. Each year on Rotary UN Day, RadioRotary hosts attend and record interviews with attendees. This year the interviews included Freddie Lee Kaplan discussing the Gift of Life, which is the second largest Rotary Foundation program […]
Norah Merritt (Executive Director of Educational Programs), Barbara Cesario (Coordinator of Related Services), and Leah Pollack (Administrator of the PEACCE program) about the scope of BOCES and its special services. BOCES supplies “solutions, services, and savings” for K-12 students and beyond through three main centers in Poughkeepsie as well as itinerant teachers who work as […]
This is the last edition in a series of seven inspiring broadcasts taped at Rotary International’s 2013 Lisbon Convention, where in June thousands of Rotarians from around the world convened to discuss their humanitarian work. In each of the seven broadcasts, Jonah Triebwasser, co-host of RadioRotary, interviewed humanitarian leaders whose organizations save lives through various […]
While hunting, Ronald Jeffrey Callahan fell from a tree-stand and became a quadriplegic with paralysis from the neck down. Widely known in the Hudson Valley as an avid outdoorsman before and after his injury, today Mr. Callahan is an advocate for personal safety in the outdoors, teaching the next generation of hunters about the fundamentals […]
Additional brief updates about the work of many humanitarian organizations with Rotary connections around the world, including Crutches 4 Africa, Hydrotherapy, Project Peanut Butter addressing malnutrition, and more. This program also includes an interview with several Rotary district governors.
Millbrook Rotarian Ellie Savoy, who has studied nutrition for decades, discusses the importance of eating healthy today as a way to avoid ill health tomorrow. Using many powerful comparisons, such as making eating healthy “an investment” in the future, Ms. Savoy explains the chemicalized production of much food today and describes ways to eat and […]
Founded in 1947 by the Ross family when Dr. Barney Ross bought a farm called Green Chimneys, the Green Chimneys School today has become widely recognized as a superior residential and day center providing high-level treatment for children ages 5–18 with special needs. The school’s goal is to keep children out of psychiatric hospitals and […]
More brief updates about the work of many humanitarian organizations around the world and their efforts addressing population and development, child slavery, literacy, Alliance of Smiles (medical missions that save lives through cleft lip and palate surgery), and Wheelchairs for Africa (a Rotary and Lions partnership).
Under the leadership of Vonnie Hubbard, President of Abraham’s Table, an “army” of volunteers provided 23,000 nutritious lunches and 8,000 breakfasts for the children of Newburgh, NY, during the summer of 2013 after school closedt This totals about 1,000 lunches a day distributed throughout the city at public sites such as recreational facilities and pools. […]
John Moon, NEADS’ Director of Programs and Communications , describes the organization’s efforts to improve the lives of the hearing impaired and the disabled with service dogs. Started in 1974, NEADS provides specialized training depending on a recipient’s circumstances, such as for hurricane alerts in some parts of the U.S. Service dogs are trained to […]
More brief updates about the work of many humanitarian organizations around the world, including their efforts related to International Youth Exchange for developing global friendships, Incubators for Africa, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), ShelterBox, the Hiroshima Peace Project, and Human Rights.
The nonprofit XP Society provides families with support and information needed to help their children suffering from Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP) or other life-threatening sun-sensitivity disorders. XP easily causes skin and eye cancers so families must be very careful about lighting. Caren Mahar, Executive Director and Co-founder with husband Dan of the Society, describes the special […]
More brief updates about the work of many humanitarian organizations around the world and their efforts related to defeating Malaria, providing clean water, sharing value of Youth Exchange, encouraging support for blood banks, describing how Solar Ovens improve lives, and emphasizing the importance of Rotary Peace Fellows.
The New York State Broadcasters Association presented its 2013 Award of Excellence in Broadcasting in the category of Public Affairs Program/Series to RadioRotary for “Puppies behind Bars.” RadioRotary also won in this category in 2012. Carl Rotans, Senior Instructor of Puppies behind Bars, teaches inmates to train service dogs. These unique dogs greatly assist the […]
Rhinebeck Interact, a Rotary-sponsored high-school service organization, provides hands-on support in Nicaragua, building classrooms in that Central American nation during Rhinebeck school breaks. Two New York Rhinebeck High School students in Interact, Addie Crenshaw and Emily McGettrick, epitomize our next generation of humanitarians as they discuss how, working in the co-operation with a Nicaragua Rotary […]
More brief updates about the work of humanitarian organizations around the world: Prevention of Child Abuse, Stop Hunger Now, Interact (Rotary supported high school service organization), Maternal Mortality, Rotary Leadership Institute, and Rotary Family Health Days.
Andy Imperati, General Manager of the Dutchess County Fair, and Red Hook Rotary President and Fair Volunteer Niki Weaver talk about the fun events, new ones and those back-by-popular demand, at this year’s 168th Dutchess County Fair. Besides sharing fascinating statistics about various elements of the Fair, Mr. Imperati discusses volunteer positions and the details […]
Two members of the Highland Rotary Club describe the enormous success of their club’s now-famous Hudson Valley RibFest. Steve Laubach, District 7210 Secretary, and Don Verity, Station Manager for radio stations in the Hudson Valley, discuss the exhibits, cooking demonstrations by professional chefs, a sanctioned Barbecue Contest where winners advance to National Finals in Kansas […]
In this highly informative interview, Karen Preuss, Marketing Director of Hawthorne Valley Farm in central Columbia County, NY, describes the Farm’s commitment to organic farming practices based on the Rudolf Steiner philosophy about effective agriculture to sustain the earth. Throughout the year, the Farm invites children to participate in experiential learning (i.e., milking cows) so […]
Fascinating set of short interviews recorded at the 2013 Rotary International Convention in Lisbon, Portugal. Humanitarians from around the world discuss topics that address global issues: medical concerns including Alzheimer’s disease, polio eradication, better vision services; literacy needs; and problems facing the environment. Especially interesting is a fabulous interview with anthropologist and U.N. Messenger for […]
Rotary eClub 7210’s Past President Ana Johnsen and current President Richard Wilson discuss the need for eClubs, a nontraditional approach to encourage membership in service organizations such as Rotary that may be losing members due to rigid attendance requirements. Maintaining membership is vital for the survival of service organizations, but recruitment is often difficult because […]
Marion Licchiello, author of Anyone Can! Live a Happier Life, describes one of the major elements needed to live a happier life: changing thoughts from the negative to the positive. Ms. Licchiello once spent nine months in bed as a result of a severe case of Lyme disease, during which time she learned that thinking […]
awling Rotary President, Patty Moore, who is the Executive Director of the Pauling Resource Center, discusses the various forms of support that the Center provides for the community: transportation to medical appointments, a food pantry, an extensive medical loan supply with equipment such as hospital beds, information and referrals to other agencies that can provide […]
New City Rotarian and Appalachian Trail expert Larry Luxenberg has enjoyed educating people about the joys of outdoor adventure for over 30 years. Author of Walking the Appalachian Trail, called the “classic of the genre,” and featured in the May 2013 edition of The Rotarian magazine, Mr. Luxenberg has also established and is CEO of […]
A ShelterBox Ambassador was interviewed “live” at a meeting of the Red Hook Rotary at the Bread and Bottle Restaurant in Red Hook. ShelterBox is a program that provides disaster relief in the form of a specially designed tent that can hold an entire family and also the tools, food, cookware, and water filtration needed […]
Brian Doyle, CEO for Family Services in Poughkeepsie, describes the enormous scope of his organization such as Youth Services, Comprehensive Crime Victim services (and Forensics), Domestic Violence Service, and Substance Abuse Prevention and Family Education. The Family Partnership Center, a centerpiece of Family Services, collaborates with several other organizations for a unified approach to human […]
Loads of fun at this on-site interview with two sets of high school Rotary Youth Exchange students: Inbound students from all over the world who have spent a year in the Hudson Valley and Outbound Hudson Valley students who will be leaving to spend a year abroad. The students are endearing, charming, and at times […]
Walden Rotarian Brian Maher is Chairman of Hudson Valley Honor Flight, an organization that brings World War II veterans from Montgomery, New York, to the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. At Montgomery, the veterans are escorted by 100 Rolling Thunder motorcycle riders to Stewart Airport where hundreds of appreciative citizens waving American flags […]
David Violante, Assistant Director of Emergency Medical Services in the Arlington Fire Department and Director of Disaster Preparedness and Training for NYC Medics, describes his experiences during 20 years of training medics here and abroad. Training paramedics to care for people in emergency situations includes not only teaching them how to deal with basic emergencies […]
Cindy Fung, a member of the Vassar Rotaract club and co-founders of the Vassar Haiti Project, Lila and Andrew Meade, discuss how promoting Haiti’s varied and unique art forms has improved Haitian lives (Rotaract is a college service club sponsored by Rotary). Andrew Meade, Vassar’s Director of International Services, and his wife Lila, lived in […]
wo past Rotary 7210 District Governors, Tam Mustapha (1999-2000), IMRF President, and Knut Johnsen (2003-2004), discuss their involvement in the International Relief Medical Foundation (IMRF), founded by Dr. Hrusi Parida from Rotary District 7210’s Middletown Club. The IMRF, a nonprofit, nonpolitical organization collects surplus medical supplies and equipment for distribution to poor areas in need […]
A good example of how a Rotary club works on the local level can be found in this Club Close-up interview featuring the Red Hook Rotary Club, which emphasizes two of its many local projects. Niki Weaver, Past President, describes her Therapy Dogs project, including the training required and the dogs’ successes, especially with stroke […]
District Governor Elect Drew Kessler (North Rockland Rotary) describes his vision for Rotary District 7210 during his tenure as District Governor (July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2014). His emphasis will be on integrating Rotary into 21st century life. Mr. Kessler describes what he calls the “trilogy of life”: family, work, and service. Bringing the […]
Rotary 7210 District Governor Bill Bassett (Wallkill East Rotary Club) introduces one of Rotary International’s major focus initiatives: improving literacy around the world. He provides important statistics about the high rate of functional illiteracy in the U.S. and therefore the need for all forms of literacy programs such as World Book Night and tutoring services. […]
District Governor Bonnie Sirower (Rotary District 7490 in New Jersey) describes the lasting effects of Hurricane Sandy, one of the worst tropical cyclones in the history of New Jersey and New York. Many still do not have power or heat and are living in tents. Access to power, phones, roads, and other transportation was often […]
Laurie Rich, Esq., Foundation Director of Spectrum Services Foundation, discusses the autism spectrum and the schools in the Hudson Valley that provide education and special help for children on the spectrum. The autism spectrum spans disorders ranging from profoundly autistic who often cannot speak to Asperger’s Syndrome, with those in the latter category often particularly […]
Assistant Governor Skip Rottkamp (Rotary District 7210) from Fishkill Rotary discusses project Operation Warm. Mr. Rottkamp, an educator, observed children get off school buses during winter months in T-shirts and spring jackets because they had nothing else to wear. Realizing the need, Mr. Rottkamp organized 17 clubs in Rotary District 7210 to join the nationwide […]
Nanuet Rotarians Kevin Muir (owner of Nanuet Collision Center whose slogan is “The Collision Physicians”) and Donna Lennane (club President) discuss Recycled Rides, a national program that repairs and donates recycled vehicles to those in need (i.e., disabled veterans). Recipients are identified through a collaboration with local charitable agencies to help people get on with […]
Executive Director for Columbia County Habitat for Humanity, Brenda Adams, discusses Habitat, the international nonprofit organization that provides affordable housing for families while producing income for communities. Ms. Adams describes the extensive selective process for a family to receive a home. A family of four having a maximum income of $40,000 must show over several […]
Here is an interview with poet and retired opera singer Roger Roloff that will surprise those who “don’t like” poetry. Mr. Roloff, who has just published his fifth book of poetry, thoroughly entertains his audience, showing how poetry, like music, enhances our life. Reciting a few samples from his own poems, which make us laugh […]
Journalist and author Anthony Musso discusses his fourth published book, which is filled with detailed research that will motivate people to seek more information about local structures that they pass every day without realizing their historical significance. Featuring 55 sites, and not necessarily buildings, the book details not only the history but the stories, many […]
Dr. Felicia LeClere, a Principal Research Scientist with the National Opinion Research Center (NORC), describes her work. NORC is a nonprofit research organization that collects data and does analysis of America’s attitudes toward social and health issues; it does not do political polling. The survey results are distributed to the parts of the federal government, […]
Carl Rotans, Senior Instructor of Puppies behind Bars, teaches inmates to train service dogs. These unique dogs greatly assist the disabled, especially veterans, in a multitude of ways: taking dishes from the table, dialing 911 if necessary, turning lights on or off. The dogs are trained to respond to more than 90 commands. In this […]
Mario Johnson, Program Coordinator for Poughkeepsie’s Nubian Directions II YouthBuild/AmeriCorps, describes how dedicated young adults collected nearly 2,000 new and slightly used shoes, sneakers, and boots in one month for victims of Hurricane Sandy, with shipments going to Long Island and New Jersey. Organized in partnership with LaGrange Sunrise Rotary and the Freedom Plains Presbyterian […]
Gail Piazza, a professional food consultant, and her daughter Laura, who suffers from chronic Lyme disease, discuss their award-winning book, Recipes for Repair: A Lyme Disease Cookbook. The book, which applies to everyone, not only those with Lyme, was a 2012 USA Best Books selection. People often have inflammation in their body without realizing it, […]
This interview tells a complex story of romance, success against great odds, and unexpected disaster. The children of two Hyde Park Rotarians met as young adults at a function, fell in love, married, and together joined the Peace Corps in Madagascar. The Rotarian in-laws, Sue Osterhoudt, Pompey Delafield, and spouses, visited the Madagascar village and […]
In this interview about her experiences with hospice patients, Ms. Suzanne O’Brien, R.N, shares her holistic model to end of life care. Hospice is a program to relieve the suffering of those in the last few months on life. In her frank discussion, Ms. O’Brien, a Registered Nurse, provides important practical advice to patients and […]
Larry Palant (Suffern Rotary), Disaster Response Chair for Rotary District 7210, discusses the District’s immediate and generous response to helping victims of Hurricane Sandy. Previously the Rotary District in 2005 provided quick relief to victims of Hurricane Katrina, and Mr. Palant learned from that experience. This time, with generous donations from District 7210 and neighboring […]
Stephanie Fitzpatrick, a Red Hook Rotarian and Executive Director of the nonprofit Hidden Hollow Farm Riding Center, discusses how riding and grooming the farm’s docile horses encourage growth in those with a broad range of disabilities. In addition to horseback riding, the farm supports “petting as healing,” using miniature horses, goats, and pigs also living […]
Wendy Maragh Taylor, a social worker, became an instrument of change by helping an impoverished Liberian community build a church that also doubles as a school. Working with her husband, a civil engineer and architect who was born in Liberia and attended college in America, the two used their own savings and fundraised at their […]
Not to be missed, this highly informative on-site interview with pediatrician and child psychologist, Rotarian Dr. Abraham Nussbaum, covers vital information about vaccinations against communicable diseases, especially for children. Dr. Nussbaum discusses the progress toward polio eradication worldwide, information about the influenza and shingles vaccinations, and our successes in childhood vaccinations starting in the mid […]
The program features on-site interviews during Rotary’s United Nations Day on November 3, 2012, with Rotary International President Sakuji Tanaka (2012-13) and other humanitarian leaders from around the world who discuss how their service projects save lives and create goodwill. Rotary and the United Nations have a long history of working together and sharing similar […]
Jeri Miller, a high school guidance counselor who suffers from Type I diabetes, has been on insulin for 15 years, injecting herself four or five times a day. She discusses how children and adults in her situation can benefit from a Diabetes Alert Dog such as her Morgan. A half hour before her meter tells […]
Union Vale’s Dog Control Officer Valerie Cote describes her role as Dog Warden, mainly finding stray dogs running loose and enforcing licensing regulations. She explains the dangers of dogs on the loose, the best way to help ensure their safe return, and what happens to unclaimed dogs. Providing helpful information about what owners should do […]
Margaret Bryngelson (Kingston Rotarian) describes her experience as a non-medical volunteer in a recent mission to Venezuela where she assisted a medical team of doctors and nurses operating on children with cleft lip and palate disfigurations. Rotaplast (“Rotary” + “plastic surgery”), heavily supported by Rotary districts and clubs around the world, was started by doctors […]
What is the current condition of the Hudson River and how will it affect you? Dr. David Strayer, Freshwater Ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, New York and author of The Hudson River Primer – The Ecology of an Iconic River, discusses the positive effects of the federal Clean Water Act […]
Dana Gavin, Director for the Center of Prevention of Child Abuse in Dutchess County, shares the latest information and statistics about child abuse that are at times surprising. Ms. Gavin began her career with the Center as a volunteer several years ago. Today, involved heavily in Public Relations, she speaks to organizations about the Center’s […]
Past Rotary International President (2000-2001) Frank Devlyn, author and humanitarian, discusses how our world becomes a better place to live in through Rotary, giving specific examples. He also describes his personal humanitarian work through his family business, Devlyn Optical Group of Mexico. His extraordinary initiatives include pairing patients with free used-but-restored eyeglasses. He created the […]
Rachel Swanson, Director of Volunteer and Community Partnerships for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and Ananda Grant, Deputy Director of Office of Strategic Partnerships for UNICEF, discuss the work that this extraordinary global humanitarian relief organization does in over 150 countries. UNICEF’s projects include children’s health care and immunizations, clean water, nutrition and food security, […]
Dr. Barbara Chatr-aryamontri, Medical Director of the Sleep Center at Northern Dutchess Hospital, but known to her patients as Dr. Chatr, discusses the nature and treatment of sleep disorders. She focuses especially on the common condition of sleep apnea, which people may not even know they have. Co-host Jonah Triebwasser has suffered from this problem, […]
Interact clubs are service organizations for teenagers (and sometimes younger students) sponsored by local Rotary clubs. The Interact Club of Pawling is sponsored by Pawling Rotary Club and the Pawling Recreation Department. Teens in the club enjoy volunteering to work on community and humanitarian projects, from fundraising to implementation. So say the two Pawling Interact […]
Catherine Forbes, Dutchess County SPCA Director of Development, discusses the no-kill Hyde Park shelter with a 141-year history of providing shelter and services for unwanted, abused, abandoned, or neglected animals. SPCA Adoption Counselors are trained to match families with pets, now called “companion animals.” Using a rescued puppy as an example, Ms. Forbes describes the […]
Rotarian Doug Martin Sturomski discusses the Worldwide Peace Bells Foundation and the work it does to promote peace. Mr. Sturomski believes strongly in Rotary’s message of achieving peace through service. His Peace Bells across the Hudson this year, where symbolically people on two sides of the bridge will meet in the middle, is a fund […]
Pleasant Valley Rotarian Dave Kruger, Chair of District 7210’s Vocational Training Team, a professional exchange program, discusses how this program promotes international goodwill and understanding. Mr. Kruger describes Rotary’s positive impact in the world with its various successful humanitarian programs throughout its 100+ year history, starting with Rotary’s influence in the formation of the United […]
Carolyn Klocker, Senior Water Resource Educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension in Dutchess County (CCEDC), discusses important updates about our water supply, describing and emphasizing watersheds and their importance. She provides easy methods that will conserve and protect our water supply and corrects misinformation about our knowledge of water. Ms. Klocker also describes the vital work […]
Girl Scout Leader Kristen Reid and two teenage Ambassador Level Girl Scouts from Troop 10452 of the Millbrook Service Unit, Heart of Hudson Council, discuss its mission: to provide leadership training to girls, empowering them to connect with others in making the world a better place. Today’s girl scouting experience retains many traditional programs, such […]
West Point-Highland Falls Rotarian John Willis discusses his position as Director of Research Operations at the Institute for Innovation and Development at West Point’s U.S. Military Academy. A retired Lieutenant Colonel, Mr. Willis describes several of the 37 research centers and programs as well as his family’s history of three generations in the military. Pointing […]
In an on-site interview at the Apple a Day Diner where Red Hook Rotary meets weekly, Dutchess County Fair Board member Lou Ruge and Fair Operations Manager Andy Imperati describe exciting events at the world famous Dutchess County Fair (Aug. 21-26, 2012). Of special interest are the new exhibits devoted to local agriculture and to […]
Highland Rotarian Don Verity discusses this year’s events at Hudson Valley’s annual celebrated RibFest on August 18-19, now in its 8th year. The RibFest is the region’s largest and most unique food event, attracting people from around the country. Visitors enjoy delicious culinary experiences, cooking demonstrations and competitions, popular music, and various entertainment for the […]
Sara-Elizabeth Clark’s interview was selected in June, 2012, by the New York State Broadcasters Association to receive the prestigious Broadcasting Award for Excellence in the category of Public Affairs in a Program/Series. In Sara-Elizabeth’s interview, which aired in October, 2011, she discusses her life with epilepsy and how at age 16 she has developed her […]
Giorgio Balestrieri, a Rotary UN Representative in the International Service Division, epitomizes Rotary’s passion for peace through service. He discusses examples of Rotary’s effectiveness in worldwide efforts such as polio eradication and clean water. In one very emotional segment, he describes how Rotary’s efforts brought peace and understanding between Armenians and Turks in 2005.
Penny Hickman, Distribution Coordinator for the humanitarian organization Hunters Helping the Hungry, discusses the process by which this program brings thousands of pounds of game (venison and birds) to soup kitchens, churches, food pantries, and other food distribution sites. She describes how the local deer population would breed themselves out of existence without controlled hunting. […]
William BreMiller and John Roger, physical therapists with extensive medical and academic credentials, discuss the benefits of physical therapy, especially orthopedic therapy. Therapy is commonly used for treating movement disorders caused by aging, arthritis, injuries, and so forth. But there are also a wide variety of conditions that physical therapy addresses, including post-trauma rehabilitation, surgery […]
Rotary International’s long-term Youth Exchange Program provides students ages 15-19 with the opportunity to live in a different country for a full school year. Enjoy this lively interview with current Inbound and next year’s outbound students participating under the direction of Rotary District 7210’s Inbound Co-Chairs Nan and David Greenwood and Outbound Chair Donna Bemiss. […]
Rotarian Stan Martin (Warwick Valley Rotary) describes a highly successful humanitarian initiative of his Rotary club working with the Warwick Reformed Church to provide weekend food to needy families. Called the Backpack Snack Attack, the program originally served the needs of one school district and 20 student families. Today, in these harsh economic times and […]
In this week’s program, Millbrook Rotarian Rona Boyer, Food Editor of The Millbrook Independent, offers gourmet cooking tips and, as an added bonus, easy-to-follow delicious, healthy gourmet recipes. Here is an example: to prepare a tasty and tender chicken dish marinate chicken parts in the refrigerator skin-side down in equal amounts of peanut oil (or […]
Lynne Versaci, Community Director of the March of Dimes, Northern Metro Division, describes the original purpose of the organization in 1938, which was to eradicate polio in America, and its current mission today. Now The March of Dimes focuses on ways to improve the health of mothers and babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, […]
Louise Quartuccio, Director of Social Work at Elant, a nursing facility that provides housing for seniors, and Roger Risko, Rotary District 7210’s Elderact Chair, discuss Elderact, a Rotary-connected club for senior citizens similar to Rotaract for young adults and Interact for high-school students. The Elderact club is an example of how society benefits from humanitarian […]
Don Fleming, Vice President and Public Relations Manager of Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, famous for its air shows, discusses the history of the airport and the fabulous entertainment available to the public in the shows featuring antique aircraft. Mr. Fleming describes the necessary expertise of the pilots who fly the older planes and his own experience […]
Joe Ryan, Outreach Coordinator for the Division of Aging Services, provides many interesting statistics and other facts about the many ways this agency assists seniors. Approximately 57,000 seniors, defined as anyone over 60 years old, live in Dutchess County, and residents between 40 and 60 years old total about 90,000. Other Hudson Valley counties provide […]
Executives from PARC (Putnam Achieve, Reach, Connect), Nancy Miringoff, Associate Executive Director, and Pepi Diaz-Salazar, Director of Day Habilitation, discuss PARC’s many services to children and adults with developmental disabilities and brain injuries. Based in Putnam County but covering a huge geographical area beyond, PARC provides a variety of services, including preschool for children with […]
Award winning producer and host of a new program called Vets Chat Show Trent Love, retired U.S. Army Captain, brings veterans and the community together to address the needs of returning veterans and their families. The intent is to help listeners become aware of the veterans’ problems and about the ways they can help, sometimes […]
Rotarian Eben Yager (Poughkeepsie-Arlington) discusses the Renegades baseball team, now in its 19th season. General Manager Yager describes the many reasons for the team’s enormous and growing popularity, which includes the enthusiastic energy of the players and the extensive forms of family entertainment available at each game. In addition, the raccoon mascots are loads of […]
Bill Bassett shares his goals for his year as District Governor, which will start July 1, 2012, and describes the intense training that Rotary provides for district governors. He plans to focus on supporting local literacy projects. The district exists to support its more than 60 clubs; these know the needs of their communities and […]
Ed Hengel, District co-Chair for the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), discusses the significant effects on the lives of young adults selected for this unique program. Students acquire self-confidence as they learn about the fundamentals and ethics of positive leadership during several days together at the RYLA workshop. Groups are assigned tasks. As they work […]
Rotarian Lenny Nathan, President and Founder of HealthSav, a training center for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), discusses the need for public awareness about how to save a life when faced with someone who suddenly goes into cardiac arrest. Mr. Nathan describes the difference between a heart attack, when blood flow through the heart is blocked, and […]
Steven Pressman, Executive Director of Mid-Hudson Addiction Recovery Centers, Inc. (MARC), discusses residential treatment and recovery services for individuals and families in recovery from alcoholism and other drug addictions. Few addicts can stop drinking or using on their own, so nearly all need help both to stop and also to re-enter normal life. MARC’s services […]
Chris Silva, Executive Director of the Bardavon since 1994, discusses the Bardavon’s upcoming programs and its fascinating history in the Hudson Valley. Many legendary performers have graced its stage in the past, including Mark Twain, Sarah Bernhardt, Frank Sinatra, and Houdini. When the Bardavon fell on hard times in the 1970s, citizens rallied to restore […]
Dr. Gary Lovett, Senior Scientist at Millbrook’s Cary Institute, discusses the forests of the Hudson Valley and the problems they face now and will face in the future. During the interview, Dr. Lovett answers questions about the effects of acid rain, how climate change affects the forests, the problems that arise from invasive insects new […]
Professional caregiver advocate, Rotarian Christine Sotmary, Executive Director of Caregiver Access, considers the rarely- discussed topic of caring for the caregivers, the people who help the ill or disabled in their own homes. People live longer today, so more families are involved in such situations. The caregivers live under enormous pressure caregiving and need support […]
Barbara Kohlhausen, CEO of Meals on Wheels Programs & Services of Rockland, and Pearl River Rotary President Carol McGrath, discuss how their Rotary club and other Rockland Rotarians work with volunteers to deliver lunch and dinner–about 1,000 meals a day, customizing meals for special diets as needed. Listeners will be in awe at the enormity […]
Founder and Executive Director of Touching Bases, Bob Baird, describes this unique baseball league. This league is for adults of all ages with disabilities. They follow modified rules, which create a safe environment for players to socialize with each other and to succeed in a game they love. Listeners will enjoy Mr. Baird’s description of […]
Sister Margo Morris, Executive Director and Founder of Sprout Creek Farm, discusses how this working farm helps foster a better understanding of our place in the natural world, thus encouraging responsibility for the future of our environment. Sr. Margo Morris emphasizes her preference to educate young people about “from soil to table” at the beginning […]
When Executive Director and Founder of Tri-County Crisis Center (TCCC), Maria DiBari, realized how difficult it was for victims of domestic violence to get all the help they needed, she created TCCC, which supports victims and families of victims of domestic violence. In this moving interview, Ms. DiBari describes the personal journey that led her […]
Nicholas Gati, composer/guitarist/pianist, and actor Anthony Avella, both professionally trained entertainers, discuss the song they created for Rotary Day at the United Nations. Written in 2011, “We Come Together,” is a moving tribute that is played during the interview. Mr. Gati and Mr. Avella describe the process of their successful collaborations over the years, each […]
Ron Van Warmer, Associate Director of the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, discusses this important organization’s dedication to alleviating hunger while preventing the waste of wholesome food. Providing some astonishing statistics about hunger in our midst in today’s poor economy, Mr. Van Warmer describes the current profile of people who are hungry, how Food […]
Chris Colby, Principal of Spire Architecture & Design, provides an overview of how architecture impacts our quality of life and the importance today of “green” architecture—building to save energy and recycle materials. Mr. Colby outlines different steps to take to make a home more energy efficient. This includes solar and geothermal heating or electricity as […]
In this candid interview about male breast cancer, Nyack Rotarian Dr. Arnold Roufa, a retired OB/GYN, describes his own experience with breast cancer, detected in 1994. It is not nearly as prevalent as among women, but breast cancer affects about 2,000 men each year. Dr. Roufa describes the signs and the treatment, effective especially if […]
Helen LiMarzi, Director of Literacy Volunteers of Putnam County and Rotary District 7210’s Literacy Chair, discusses literacy—the ability to read with understanding–in the 21st century and the impact of electronic books on reading. Illiteracy still exists, but service organizations such as Rotary and Literacy Volunteers have developed programs that teach reading and encourage reading among […]
Certified Tai Chi instructor and World Tai Chi member Scott Grimes explains the health benefits, both physical and mental, of the martial art called tai chi, which can be practiced by people of all ages. In addition to describing the interesting history of tai chi, Mr. Grimes discusses several simple behaviors that people can do […]
This program was pre-recorded. We dedicate the December 30 show in memory of an outstanding Rotarian, Chet Sawyer. Rotary District 7210’s Past District Governor Chet Sawyer (1990-91), President of the IMRF (International Medical Relief Foundation) and one of its founders, discusses how his organization turns “leftovers into life savers.” It collects gently used or new […]
Vocations improve our lives and strengthen our communities. Rotary District 7210’s Vocational Service Advisor Tamton Mustapha (Past District Governor 1999-2000), and Rotarian Penny Byron, District Vocational Service Chair, discuss vocational training initiatives for young people, including shadowing, mentoring, and Career Days. Rotary’s emphasis is on high ethical standards in all vocations, and Rotarians have the […]
Rotarian Roger Lane, Organ Donor Advisor for Rotary District 7210, and Registered Nurse Sarah Wilbur, Peritoneal Dialysis Nurse Manager/CKD Educator, discuss current medical improvements in the areas of dialysis and transplants as well as dietary suggestions (that may be surprising to some) to avoid kidney problems. Mr. Lane allays fears related to dialysis and relates […]
John Harper, Chief Executive Officer of H.O.N.O.R (Helping Others Needing Our Resources—also known as Honor Ehg, Inc.), and Rotary District 7210’s Secretary and H.O.N.O.R Board Member Nick Constantino, discuss several ways this organization helps the neediest in New York’s Orange County. H.O.N.O.R programs include vocational training, which prepares clients for the job market, as well […]
Interact clubs for high school students, sponsored by local Rotary clubs, provide young people with an opportunity to participate in meaningful service to the community, the nation, and the world and thus learn about the many rewards of service. Rotaract clubs for college-age students, including community-based clubs, and Elderact clubs for senior citizens, especially those […]
In this information-packed interview, Executive Director at Pure Water for the World, Rotarian Carolyn Meub, discusses how water filters of various kinds prevent disease. Safe water preserves an enormous number of lives in all parts of the world, especially the lives of children. Ms. Meub corrects many common misunderstandings about water. Fresh water seems to […]
Poughkeepsie Journal reporter Larry Hertz describes his professional career, discussing his newspaper accounts of humanitarian volunteers in the Hudson Valley as well as major criminal cases he has covered, the stories and their trials. Regular readers of the newspaper are familiar with his byline from his column as well as on major local stories. One […]
In this extraordinary interview, Shane Hobel, aka Shane “White Feather” Hobel, informs the listeners of the survival skills needed when lost in the woods or otherwise cut off from civilization. These techniques can to be used for everyone of every age when in need of them. Mr. Hobel, founder of the Mountain Scout Survival School […]
Interviews with Rotarians from around the world at the New Orleans Rotary International Convention include representatives from Don’t Meth with Us (drug prevention), Rotarian Action Group of Dental Volunteers (providing surgery worldwide), Malaria elimination, Thousand Smiles, promoting blood donations, and more.
Sara-Elizabeth Clark, age 16, discusses her life with epilepsy and how she has developed her philosophy: “I will not let my epilepsy define me. It’s what I have, not who I am.” Sara describes the many misunderstandings and misinformation among the public that add to the burden of those with this neurological condition and describes […]
In these on-site interviews with Rotarians from around the world at the New Orleans Rotary International Convention in 2011, co-hosts Sarah O’Connell and Jonah Triebwasser interview representatives from Brain Game for Babies, Blindness Prevention, Sewing Projects around the world, Dollywood, Shoes for Orphans, and more.
Suffern Rotarian Larry Palant, Disaster Response Chair and ShelterBox Representative for Rotary District 7210, discusses how he came to be a ShelterBox Representative as a result of helping provide relief for Hurricane Katrina victims. He describes what each Box contains that help people survive disasters. Founded by Tom Henderson, a Rotarian and former Royal Navy […]
This lively interview features husband and wife Rotarians Ken and Doris Obremski, both Past District Governors of District 7210 (Ken 1993-94, Doris 2005-06). They describe the enormous accomplishments of The Rotary Foundation, with Doris sharing her personal story of how she became a convert, dedicated to the Foundation. Both are Major Donors to the Foundation, […]
Jo Hausam discusses her personal journey through life with Post-Polio Syndrome (PPS) and the extent of its impact on her life–therapy, surgeries, and medical support since she was three years old. She also details her recent research into PPS. Ms Hausam emphasizes the need for public awareness because children everywhere, including those in the United […]
In these on-site interviews at the New Orleans Rotary International Convention in May, 2011, Rotarians from around the world discuss various initiatives and action groups. Some of the topics are: the Dictionary Project in America to encourage literacy, clean water projects around the world that save countless lives, Interact clubs for young adults in secondary […]
Lou DiPaolo (American) and Jim Morita (Japanese), both veterans of World War II, describe a remarkable coincidence involving two members of the same Rotary Club (New York Rotary). Lou, Jim, & Noriko Morita, Jim’s wife, explain what happened 65 years after the discovery of a letter. The odyssey of the letter will make listeners question […]
Carol Ann Armstrong, President of Philmont Rotary Club, describes her club’s journey, starting in 2002, to honor those who died on September 11—the victims, their families, and the rescue workers who saved so many lives. American flags are distributed to all visitors coming from all over the Hudson Valley, and many stay for snacks afterwards […]
Paula Zwillinger, Founder and Executive Director of Semper Fi Parents of Hudson Valley, NY, discusses ways the organization supports parents of military troops and the troops themselves, both deployed and stateside. Semper Fi Parents raises funds to offset the cost of shipping packages to troops. They also educate parents about the many services available to […]
In an interview that includes music made with with bells, Rotarian Douglas Martin Sturomski (Southern Dutchess Rotary), Executive Director of the Peace Bell Foundation, describes the work of this unique organization and its successful Walk for Peace project. The purpose of the Peace Bell Foundation is to ring in awareness that we can live in […]
Bob Grems, General Manager of the famous Dutchess County Fair, discusses the unique features of this year’s Fair. For six days, about half a million visitors will enjoy, entertainment by big name talent, constant free shows and attractions, an Antiques Museum Village featuring story-tellers in costume describing our history, a carnival, thousands of farm animals […]
Summer is RibFest time, thanks to the Rotary Club of Highland, New York, and Rotarian Don Verity discusses this year’s exciting RibFest events. Held this year on August 20-21, the Highland RibFest at the Ulster County Fairgroundsis now in its seventh year. This year’s RibFest promises adults and children a wealth of joy, with the […]
In this interview from the New Orleans Rotary International Convention, Louisiana environmentalist Windell Curole (Golden Meadow Rotary) discusses the effects of the recent Mississippi River flooding. Mr. Curole is the General Manager of South LaFourche Levee District and one of Louisiana’s leading coastal environment experts. Mr. Curole has testified before the U.S. Congress after Katrina, […]
This program features a powerful discussion of teenage eating disorders and one parent’s journey to help her daughter. The principal eating disorders are anorexia nervosa (self-starvation) and bulimia (binges followed by purging). The interview ranges from the early signs of the illness to the difficulties of finding effective cures. Included in the discussion are the […]
Enjoy interviews with students participating in Rotary International’s Youth Exchange Program, including current Inbound and next year’s Outbound students. Rotary’s Youth Exchange program began in the 1920s, enabling students to learn firsthand about life in another country, while planting the seeds for a lifetime of international understanding and gaining a deeper understanding of themselves. These […]
On-site interviews at the 2011 New Orleans Rotary International Convention include Rotarians from around the world and discussions with representatives from PolioPlus (explaining the existing threat), ShelterBox (describing tents and equipment for survival after a disaster), Diveheart (Jim Elliott, Founder and President, explaining therapeutic diving and snorkeling experiences for everyone, especially those with disabilities), and […]
Rotary Foundation Chair for District 7210 Knut Johnsen (past District Governor 2003-04) explains the work of The Rotary Foundation, describing it as the “engine that drives the work of the clubs.” He provides many examples of describe the plight of those being helped by the Foundation and the aid it provides. For example, the Foundation’s […]
Rotary International President Ray Klinginsmith, known for his “Cowboy Logic” philosophy, discusses his next pursuits (you’ll laugh at one of them). Other interviews include the Rotarian Action Group for Diabetics; Microcredit, which provides small loans to families worldwide to achieve economic independence; and the Learn/Grow project, which meets the challenge of food shortages through diverse […]
Rotary District 7210 Scholarship Chair Bill Bassett (District Governor Nominee for 2012-13) discusses the various scholarships supported by the Rotary Foundation that are available to the public on both the graduate and undergraduate level, either locally or abroad. Depending on the degree sought, students can undertake programs in the areas of focus supported by Rotary […]
n this first broadcast of on-site interviews at Rotary International’s Convention, co-hosts Sarah O’Connell and Jonah Triebwasser talk to Rotaracters and other humanitarians from around the world who are working on projects such as Guitars for Troops, maternal health, mercy ships, and artificial limbs.
Peter Muir is the Director of the Institute of Music and Health, a nationally recognized center pioneering in the use of music for well-being, especially for people with disabilities. Although he grew up in England, Dr. Muir has become an acknowledged authority on American jazz and ragtime music, authoring numerous scholarly articles and the book […]
Vivian Hardison, Membership Chair of Rotary District 7250 and member of Glen Cove Rotary on Long Island, NY, discusses the benefits for people of all ages of joining a Rotary club. Among her personal reasons for joining Rotary, Ms. Hardison emphasizes how she found soulmates who share her passion for humanitarianism. Ms. Hardison also tells […]
Dr. Richard Ostfeld discusses the results of his extensive research on Lyme disease. Dr. Ostfeld is a Senior Scientist at Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY. In addition to debunking long held myths about Lyme, Dr. Ostfeld tells how to prevent Lyme disease, how to reduce the tick numbers in the environment, the […]
Dr. Sherre Wesley describes various education and job programs provided by Dutchess Bureau of Cooperative Services (BOCES) for adults. The literacy program helps adults get their GED (high school equivalency diploma), and ESL (English as a second language) classes help adults improve their proficiency in English. The career program, which consists of hands-on training on […]
Principal Mitchell Shron discusses the Dutchess Board of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES, pronounced “BOH-sees”), a cost-effective education solution unique to New York State. BOCES programs provide career and technical education, special and alternative education, and professional development. The Career and Technical Institute (CTI) is for students, mainly in 11th and 12th grades, to learn occupations […]
In this club close-up of the Rotary Club of Red Hook, club representatives tell how Red Hook Rotary exemplifies the autonomous and unique character of an individual Rotary Club while yet maintaining the humanitarian goals of other clubs around the world. Past President Niki Weaver describes her club’s support of Therapy Dogs, a program that […]
Greg Pikor describes Hudson Valley Homes for Heroes, a company that provides discounted real estate to those “who work every day to make our communities better places to live.” “Heroes” include military personnel, firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency medical technicians, and other every day heroes. Created in Minnesota after the tragic events of 9/11 as […]
In an on-site interview at the Millbrook Rotary Club, Rotary District 7210’s Past District Governor (2005-06), Doris Obremski (Goshen Rotary), tells how she became a supporter of The Rotary Foundation. Ms. Obremski emphasized the Foundation’s efforts to eradicate polio worldwide, giving specific statistics about the number of lives spared from polio by Millbrook Rotary’s financial […]
Rotary District 7210’s District Governor Elect (2011-12), Tansukh Dorawala (Poughkeepsie/Arlington Rotary), discusses how Rotary International prepares all 531 District Governors worldwide with the leadership and specific knowledge necessary to change lives. Mr. Dorawala, a chemical engineer by profession, describes his personal reasons for his strong dedication to one of Rotary International’s major efforts: providing clean […]
Millbrook Rotary President (2010-11) Ellie Savoy discusses her background, her Rotary training, and her personal philosophy of commitment, compassion, understanding, thoughtfulness, ability to plan, attention to details, and flexibility. Together these help Ellie lead her club in its many humanitarian activities. Millbrook Rotarians annually publish a free directory of businesses and services in the immediate […]
In this heartwarming interview, Peekskill Rotary President and District 7230 Director of Gift of Life Joe Lippolis takes the listener through the steps that saved a 2-year-old’s life. Jostyn Baque, diagnosed in Ecuador as having a congenital heart problem that could not be corrected in his country, would have died within a few years had […]
Toronto Rotary International Convention, Part 2 (Aired on July 14 and 15, 2018) Here are four more stories of people putting service before self from the 2018 Toronto Rotary International Convention. Sole 4 Souls not only distributes shoes and other clothing around the world, but also creates sustainable jobs in third-world nations. World Bicycle Relief does not […]
Ambassadorial Scholar Dr. Christine Guedri Giacalone and DGN Dr. William Bassett, Scholarship Committee Chair and District 7210 Governor for 2012-13, discuss the Ambassadorial Scholarship, which promotes international understanding and goodwill through study in country different from the scholar’s own. Dr. Giacolone describes her experiences in Jordan, both as a student learning Arabic and as a […]
Red Hook Rotarian Rob Latimer, Executive Vice President of Northern Dutchess Paramedic Emergency Medical Services, discusses his experiences as a paramedic in the Hudson Valley. As a paramedic, Mr. Latimer has had over 2,000 hours of technical medical training. His emotional stories cover delivering babies and saving lives in extraordinary circumstances. Ambulance service continually needs […]
Kingston Sunrise Rotary Co-President Jeanine Lindhorst, Coordinator for Cooking Matters in the Hudson Valley, discusses her organization’s nutritional education program for people on a limited budget. Volunteer culinary and nutrition experts teach Cooking Matters course participants how to select nutritious and low-cost ingredients and how to prepare them in ways that provide the best nourishment.
Two financial experts, both Red Hook Rotarians, discuss today’s economic environment and the effects of recent world turmoil on investing. In this on-site interview at a Red Hook Rotary meeting Glenn Goldstein, Managing Director of Portfolio Management at Focused Wealth Management, and Susan Simon, Registered Life Planner and Vice-President of Third Eye Associates, Ltd., give […]
Leah Feldman, Project Coordinator of Universal Response to Domestic Violence, and Kathy Graham, Director of Battered Women’s Services of Family Services, Inc., discuss the Family Service agency’s 24/7 free domestic violence crisis intervention program. This program includes a hotline, counseling, advocacy, support groups, childcare, emergency transportation, youth domestic violence prevention education, community outreach, and education. […]
Prominent attorney and Rotarian Charles Goldberger, Esq. (White Plains Rotary) shares his experiences teaching in law schools around the world, including those in Eastern European countries. Mr. Goldberger, who has visited more than 75 countries, discusses the differences in law between America and the developing countries and the progress towards constitutional law that these countries […]
Rotarian Lenny Nathan (Congers/Valley Cottage Rotary), Chief Executive Officer of HealthSav, explains how easy it is to learn the mechanics needed to help save a life through cardiopulmonary resuscitation, better known as CPR. He describes how methods for performing this life-saving function have been updated by the American Heart Association. He also discusses why more […]
Sal Gambino, Carmel Rotary President, Carmel Rotarian George Knoechel, Food Bank Project Coordinator, and Judy Callahan, Executive Director of Putnam Community Action Program, one of four Food Bank programs supported by the Carmel Rotary project, discuss how Carmel Rotary has in a few years raised about $100,000 worth of food to benefit those in need. […]
Thom Johnson, author and historian, discusses the fascinating history of Bannerman’s Castle, a dramatic ruin located on an island in the Hudson River in the Hudson Highlands State Park. Travelers on Hudson Line trains are familiar with the view of the remaining portions of the imitation Scottish castle, built in 1901. The nonprofit Bannerman Castle […]
Sharon Irving and Lisa-Marie Birdsall of Cortlandt Manor Rotary (District 7230) discuss their club’s sponsorship of a Rotary Community Corps (RCC) at the Keon center in Peeksill, NY. A Rotary Community Corps is an organization for non-Rotarian men and women who share Rotary’s commitment to service. Although the Cortlandt Manor Rotary is less than a […]
Habitat for Humanity builds and restores homes for low-income families. Steve Biolsi, Project Manager of Putnam County’s Habitat for Humanity, tells of how the organization is supported by local Rotary clubs and other community organizations. Mr. Biolsi also corrects misinformation about Habitat for Humanity. Their projects are not free handouts but help low-income families build, […]
Dr. Manoj Abraham (plastic surgeon) with Dana Buffin (New Milford, CT Rotary), Executive Director of Healing the Children, and Kathy Kruger, RN, (Rotary District 7210’s Rotaplast Chair, Pleasant Valley Rotary tell the uplifting stories of how children and adults are helped by corrective surgery, performed by volunteers who donate their time, skills, and finances. These […]
Martha Underwood discusses the enormous benefits to everyone, not only those with special needs, that she has witnessed during her years as a riding instructor with the non-profit Winslow Therapeutic Center located since 1974 in Warwick, New York. Ms. Underwood describes how horseback riding improves the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional well being of children […]
Rotary District 7210’s PolioPlus Chair, Bunnee Webb (Congers/Valley Cottage Rotary Club), provides us with the most current detailed information about progress by Rotary and the United Nations in eradicating polio worldwide. She also discusses her personal heartfelt experiences inoculating children against polio in India, and she ends with a very moving poem about Rotary’s promise […]
Two of Rotary District 7210’s Past District Governors, Jim Yarmus and Jeffrey Keahon, describe recent successful clean water projects implemented by District 7210 clubs in Central America. These are already saving countless lives from water-borne diseases. They discuss how Rotarians provide on-site technical expertise with professional engineers, such as Dr. Yarmus, and actively facilitate other […]
Ms. Fredlee Ann Kaplan (Chairman’s Council, Gift of Life International) and Mr. Bill Currie (International President, Gift of Life International), both members of The Rotary Club of New York, discuss how Gift of Life has saved more than ten thousand children’s lives by addressing the medical needs of children who suffer from congenital heart defects […]
RadioRotary host Jonah Triebwasser interviews Rotary’s humanitarians from around the world at Rotary International’s 2010 Convention in Montreal, Canada. Among the many featured guests are Rotarians from the Jaipur Limb Project, which provides inexpensive and long-lasting leg prostheses, and ShelterBox Founder Rotarian Tom Henderson.
Eva Corredor, Emeritus Professor of French and German and a Rotarian since 1989, discusses how her involvement in Rotary’s international service programs provides an opportunity to work towards world peace and understanding. A member of The Rotary Club of New York, Professor Corredor explains why she joined Rotary and describes the many international projects with […]
Manuela Roosevelt discusses the humanitarian organization called Soroptimist International, a worldwide organization for women in management and professions, who work through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women. Most recently, Soroptimist International has placed special emphasis on clean water projects, a Rotary International effort as well.
Kevin Voisin, an 8th generation Louisiana oysterman and Terrebonne Parish Councilman, discusses current events concerning the Gulf oil-spill and fishing situation, false impressions about the Gulf and its seafood, and his optimism about the future, despite the setback caused by the man-made spill.
Toronto Rotary International Convention, Part 1 (Aired on July 7 and 8, 2018) Each year RadioRotary takes its microphone to the Rotary International Convention, which in 2018 is in Toronto, Ontario. Some 24,000 Rotarians are in attendance and RadioRotary gets as many of the great stories as it can. One of the interviews in this show is with […]
District Governor 2018-19 Christine Giangrasso (Aired on June 23 and 24, 2018) A long-standing tradition of RadioRotary is the interview with each incoming District Governor (DG) of District 7210, the person who will lead the 55 clubs in 8 counties that make up the District. From July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2018, that person will be Christine (“Chrissy […]
Prevention of Child Abuse (Aired on June 30 and Jul 1, 2018) RadioRotary interviews Kimberly Kochen, Executive Director of The Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse, located in Poughkeepsie, N, the nonprofit agency dedicated to the reduction of child maltreatment since 1973. Among their programs are outreach to elementary schools for educating children and […]
Putnam Country Fair (Aired on June 15 and 16, 2018) Marjorie Nichols Keith, Executive Director of the Putnam Country Cornell Cooperative Extension, brings 4-H Club member Patrick Salerno to RadioRotary to help tell about the 47th annual Putnam County 4-H Fair at Veteran Memorial Park in Carmel. The Fair is a big family event with food booths, music, a Master Gardener plant […]
Total Transportation for Local Charities (Aired on June 9 and 10, 2018) RadioRotary interviews two employees of Total Transportation Corp., a business that goes out of its way to help local community organizations such as Rotary clubs. Vincent Marzello is the Regional Director of Operations, working out of Wappinger Falls, while MaryAnne Coe is the Location Manager in that office. Marzello and […]
Haiti Clean Water Program (Aired on June 2 and 3, 2018) Liberty (NY) Rotarians Gary Silver and Gary Siegel report to RadioRotary on an important program that they have been developing and monitoring, including their 16 trips to Haiti. Working with the Rotary Club deCap-Haïtien, the Liberty Club has distributed over a thousand two-bucket water filtration systems to families in Cap-Haïtien, a historic […]
Touch a Truck in New Paltz (Aired on May 26 and 27, 2018) New Paltz Rotarian Toni Hokanson visits RadioRotary to promote the annual “Touch-a-Truck” fair at Ulster County Fairgrounds. While the basic attraction for kids are the trucks, with a chance to climb all over them and sound their horns, the inexpensive family outing includes much more in the […]
Our Rotary District’s Peace Ambassador (Aired on May 12 and 13, 2018) Greater Newburgh Rotarian Doug Sturomski, the unofficial Peace Ambassador for Rotary District 7210, returns to RadioRotary to report on two projects related to his peace mission. In this interview, he announces that he recently has dedicated or planted 10 Peace Poles at local schools. The Peace Poles […]
New Animal Shelter and Wildlife Rehab (Aired on May 19 and 20, 2018) Josephine Santoro and Carl Syslo visit RadioRotary to tell about the new Safe Haven Animal Shelter $ Wildlife Center, located in Stormville in southern Dutchess County (Town of Beekman). The first phase of their operation will be to provide a no-kill shelter […]
Red Hook Rotary’s 2018 Projects (Aired on May 5 and 6, 2018) RadioRotary visits Red Hook Rotary’s meeting to learn about some of the many activities of the Red Hook Club. Rotarian Dave Wright is in charge of the 2018 Apple Blossom Day, the street festival that traditionally kicks off the spring-summer season in Red Hook and Tivoli. In […]
Clean Water Project in El Salvador (Aired on April 28 and 29, 2018) Pearl River Rotarians Dorothy Filoramo and Ryan O’Gorman join the RadioRotary team to tell about how a visit by Ryan to El Salvador led to a project to build a well and filtration system for three small villages in that country. Ryan observed that villagers needed to bring water […]
Dinner Theater in Dutchess Country (Aired on April 21 and 22, 2018) Felicia DiNonno, founder of the Clove Creek Dinner Theater in Fishkill, NY, and Rotarian Andrew Ciccone (Newburgh) visit RadioRotary to tell about the many fundraising opportunities available using the facilities of the dinner theater. Of course, Clove Creek Dinner Theater features new […]
Eye for Financial Planning (Aired on April 7 and 8, 2018) RadioRotary interviews Red Hook Rotarian Susan Simon and Beth Jones, both of Third Eye Associates, Ltd, a fee-only registered investment advisory firm that provides financial life planning, financial transition planning, and wealth management services, with offices in Red Hook, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Their model is based on an […]
Mid-Hudson Addiction Recovery Centers (MARC) (Aired on April 14 and 15, 2018) Andrew O’Grady, CEO of the Mid-Hudson Recovery Centers (MARC) and Executive Director of Mental Health America of Dutchess County (MHA) visits RadioRotary to tell about changes at MARC as it finds new ways to improve its mission of residential treatment for alcoholics and other addicts. MARC is now […]
Anderson Center for Autism (Aired on April 4 and 5, 2018) Eliza Bozenski, Chief Development Officer of the Anderson Center for Autism, and the host of comes to the RadioRotary microphone to discuss the autism spectrum and how the Anderson Foundation’s several ways of outreach are making a difference for families that must cope with autism. Autism […]
Hope for Homeless and Addicted (Aired on March 24 and 25, 2018) Cara Mia Bacchiochi of Hope on a Mission HOAM returns to RadioRotary to describe her continuing effort to help Poughkeepsie women who are homeless, most of them addicted to drugs or alcohol. At the same street corner (Main and Clinton) every Saturday night, sometimes in rain or […]
Hudson Valley Honor Flights (Aired on March 10 & 411, 2018) Highland Rotarian Christine Giangrasso visits RadioRotary to talk primarily about the Hudson Valley Honor Flights, especially the one she participated in recently. Honor Flights are fully paid for visits to Washington, D.C. for veterans of World War II or the Korean or Vietnam conflicts. Volunteers (who pay […]
Medical Missions to Haiti (Aired on March 17 & 18, 2018) Pleasant Valley Rotarian Rose Bonheur visits RadioRotary to tell about her seven (so far) medical missions to Puerto Rico, aided by her husband Roberto (also a Pleasant Valley Rotarian) and a host of volunteers. Dr. Bonheur is a Doctor of Nursing Practice and also a Nurse Practitioner, so in 2010, […]
New City Rotary and Jawonio (Aired on March 3 & 4, 2018) In this program, devoted to the close relationship between a Rotary Club and an important local resource, RadioRotary interviews New City Rotarians Madelon Burger, Robert Pitkofsky, and Jill Warner (executive director and CEO of Jawonio) along with Jerry Staller, director of educational and clinical services at Jawonio, which supplies lifespan services […]
Pain Management with Physical Therapy (Aired on February 24 & 25, 2018) RadioRotary interviews Dr. Bobbie Davey of MOST (Millbrook Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy), which not only has facilities in Millbrook, NY, but also in nearby Rhinebeck and Hopewell. Dr. Davey deals mainly with pain management from accidents, operations, and chronic conditions such as arthritis. Pain is nature’s […]
Atlanta 2017 Rotary Convention, part 11 (Aired on February 17 & 18, 2018) Jonah Triebwasser, Sarah O’Connell, and Kathy Kruger interview several of the Rotarians bringing their projects furthering the goals of the Rotary Foundation to the Convention. The two Rotary Action Groups (RAGs) are each devoted to worldwide fights against chronic illnesses that not only are rampant in […]
The Rotary Club of Millbrook (Aired on February 10 & 11, 2018) Regular RadioRotary Co-host Sarah O’Connell turns guest for a show devoted to her own Rotary Club and its activities. The Rotary Club of Millbrook has been doing good in the world for more than 45 years now. The main way it funds its projects is by providing a […]
Food Recovery in the Hudson Valley (Aired on January 27 & 28, 2018) Rich Schiafo of the Hudson Valley Regional Council returns to RadioRotary to tell the listeners about the national problem of food waste. Of the many astonishing statistics Mr. Schiafo discusses, perhaps the most alarming is that40% of all the food produced in the United States goes […]
Once again RadioRotary brings listeners interviews with Rotarians attending the Convention who describe the Rotary programs that have brought them to Atlanta. Regular listeners to RadioRotary know about ShelterBox, but in this program they learn new ways the ShelterBox teams are helping disaster victim around the world. Also, listeners are probably familiar with Rotary’s role in polio eradication, but there […]
Opioid Abuse Awareness and Prevention (Aired on January 20th & 21st, 2018) Rotarian Mike Polasek (LaGrange) reports to the RadioRotary team about a major effort on the part of local Rotary Clubs (LaGrange, Millbrook, Fishkill) to obtain a grant from The Rotary Foundation to fund awareness and prevention programs in the Mid-Hudson Valley, although Mr. Polasek emphasizes that […]
Atlanta 2017 Rotary Convention, part 9 (Aired on January 13 & 14, 2018) The ninth compilation of interviews with humanitarians conducted by RadioRotary at the 2017 Rotary Convention in Atlanta focuses largely on Rotarian Action Groups (RAGs) and their humanitarian aims, but it also includes a special interview with golf-great Jack Nicklaus. Rotarian Action Groups […]
Ellen Haggerty, Rotary’s Hearing Hero (Aired on January 6 and 7, 2018) Pleasant Valley Rotarian Ellen Haggerty returns to the RadioRotary microphone to tell about her latest efforts to improve hearing and communication around the world. Ms. Haggerty, who lost her own hearing at age 4, but has compensated with hearing aids and excellent lip reading, is […]
Rhinebeck Rotarians Mike Frazier and Mike Mazzarella tell RadioRotary producer Kathy Kruger about the program Rhinebeck Rotary has instituted to help senior citizens age in place. Many older Americans prefer to stay in their existing homes instead of moving into assisted-living communities or nursing homes. Sometimes the physical infirmities of aging mean that homes need to be modified for safer […]
Atlanta 2017 Rotary Convention, part 7 (Aired on December 16 & 17, 2017) Continuing its broadcasts from the Rotary International Convention in Atlanta, RadioRotary Co-Hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Conner interview representatives of several of the many exhibits featured at the Convention. “The One” Rotary Action Group presents an award of $100,000 to the International Humanitarian of the […]
Dinner Theater in Dutchess Country (Aired on December 9 and 10, 2017) Felicia DiNonno, founder of the Clove Creek Dinner Theater in Fishkill, NY, is the guest on this week’s RadioRotary program. Dinner Theater provides an evening (or afternoon matinee) that begins with a full meal, which is followed by a full theatrical performance—you don’t eat or drink while […]
Atlanta 2017 Rotary Convention, part 6 (Aired on December 2 & 3, 2017) Regular hosts Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Connell along with producer Kathy Kruger and visiting host Dave Kruger interview some of the fascinating people at the Convention about their important projects related to the goals of the Rotary Foundation. One of the many […]
Rotary Efforts to Deal with Climate Change (Aired on November 25 and 26, 2014) RadioRotary producer Kathy Kruger interviews Rotarian Bryan Bunch (Millbrook), a member of the Rotary District 7210 Environmental Action Committee, which has as its main mission this year promoting tree-planting, a major goal of 2017-18 Rotary International. RI President Ian H.S. Riseley has asked every one of the 1.5 million Rotarians […]
Atlanta 2017 Rotary Convention, part 5 (Aired on November 18 & 19, 2017) Another fascinating report from the 2017 Rotary Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. This time RadioRotary interviews Rotarian Bill Philpotts (Fredericksburg Morning Club) on the project “It Takes a Toilet,” which brings girl’s toilet facilities to India; Rotarian Dr. Subrahmanyam Ganesh (Methyr Tydfil) Club) […]
Aging Care in Rhinebeck (Aired on November 4 and 5, 2017) RadioRotary interviews Rhinebeck Rotarian Carolyn Bernitt and Brian Zeiden, both on the staff of the Brookmeade Community, a 75-acre, three-tiered facility in Rhinebeck that provides homes and care if necessary for our aging population. Sufficiently healthy seniors can opt for independent living at Arbor Ridge, an apartment complex […]
Sprout Creek Farm (Aired on October 28 & 29, 2017) Sprout Creek Farm is a 200-acre dairy farm started by two nuns who had begun to teach children and teenagers about farming and food at a farm in Greenwich, Connecticut. They were very lucky when the farm was donated to the Society of the Sacred Heart with […]