Byesville Rotary announces Christmas Food Basket registration dates

Pictured: Jim Vaughan, Speaker Chair; Charles Campanizzi, Historian; and Tanya Hitchens, Byesville Rotary President.

Byesville Rotarians are focused on their big holiday service project—their 16th annual Christmas Food Basket drive. Members will begin red-kettle bell ringing in November. Volunteers are needed for bell ringing shifts. Joe Waske thanked the members of the Meadowbrook Interact Club who have signed up for multiple shifts. He challenged Rotary members to match or beat the number of hours the Interact club is scheduled to bell ring. Anyone wishing to volunteer for bell-ringing can call Waske at 740-685-6675.

Registration for food baskets will be held Thursday and Friday, November 3 and 4, from 4:00pm-6:00pm at the Main Avenue United Methodist Activity Center located behind the church, 223 E. Main Street, Byesville. No registrations by phone will be accepted. Families living in Rolling Hills School District are eligible to register for this program.

People interested in registering should bring SSN for all family members, proof of income and proof of current address to the registration. For more information about the Byesville Rotary program call Byesville Rotarians Bob Long, 740-685-3620, or Oziel Jeffries, 740-638-2290.

Phyllis Jeffries, chair of the Breakfast with Santa committee, announced that the date for the club’s annual pancake breakfast with Santa will be Saturday, December 10.

Sharon Miller reported that the Interact club raised $220 dollars at their “Purple Pinkie” fundraiser which was held during lunch hour at Meadowbrook High School on October 14. The funds raised will be donated to Rotary International’s Polio Plus campaign to wipe out polio. This project will help the Interact Club qualify for a R otary Presidential Citation.

Byesville Rotary welcomed a new member--Rich Goodwin, Director of the Guernsey County Public Library.

Guest Speaker, Charles Campanizzi a retired educator shared his perspective on the Kennedy assignation in Dallas with members of the club. Campanizzi has spent 43 years studying the assassination and feels there is still more to discover.

The club meets 7:30 am every Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Anyone interested in learning more about the Byesville Rotary can call Membership Chairs Marty Patchen, 740-685-3828, or Randy Launder, 740-801-0017.

Barnett reports radio is poised to adapt new technology to news reporting

Pictured: Jim Vaughan, Speaker Chair, Daniel Barnett, News Director, AVC Communications. And Tanya Hitchens, Byesville Rotary President.

Meeting change: Board meeting will be 12N Wednesday, October 16, at Plus 1 Pizza in Byesville.

Guest speaker, Daniel Barnett is employed as the news director of AVC Communications. He is responsible for overseeing the news content of 6 local radio stations.

Mr. Barnett stated he decided to become a journalist because writing is a personal passion. He chose radio journalism because of the intimacy radio can create between the listener and the radio.

He explained a second reasonfor choosing journalism was his admiration for journalists like Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite. These men helped shape journalism in the 20th Century and worked to establish journalism as “just the facts.” This approach differed from that of earlier reporters who focused on politics and sensationalism.

However, in the latter part of the 20th century, news reporting began a return to the type of journalism practiced during the early years of the US. News again became combined with politics and sensationalism. Currently, the internet allows people access to all kinds of news sources. Many of these sources can be careless of the facts, and others present only facts supporting a specific point of view.

AVC Communications depends on other news sources for much of the news reported by the station. Most of the reports come from Associated Press Services. Barnett bases his choice on what news to broadcast by determining whether a news item has any local interest. He has a small staff and uses them to cover local news such as local government meetings and checking local police reports.

He stated that all types of journalism—TV, radio, and print--are about to enter a new era and that the American public is ready to support a return to “just the facts” reporting. He explained that radio is better prepared than print to take advantage of current trends in technology such as Twitter or FaceBook. These trends allow for faster reporting and updating and allow interaction with the listener. Radio is already employing technology such as pod casting and streaming.

During a short business meeting, Meadowbrook Interact Club members Erin Smith and Jaclyn Beskid were introduced. Bob Long encouraged members to sign up for red kettle bell ringing. Money raised from the bell ringing is important for club support of their Christmas Food Basket program.

Byesville Rotary meets every Tuesday, 7:30 am, at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Anyone interested in learning more about the Byesville Rotary can call Membership Chairs Marty Patchen, 740-685-3828, or Randy Launder, 740-685-8294.

Byesville Rotary learns about motivating students to learn

Pictured: Jim Vaughan, Speaker Host; Rusty Roberts, teacher--Rolling Hills School District; and Tanya Hitchens, Byesville Rotary President.

Sharon Miller introduced visiting Meadowbrook Interact Club students Annie Kackley and Rylie Janczarek. They invited club members to the Interact Club’s “Purple Pinkies” fundraiser being held on Friday, October 14, 11:00am-12:30pm in the Meadowbrook High School cafeteria. The Interact Club will donate funds raised to the Rotary International Polio Plus Program. This program aims to end polio worldwide.

Rusty Roberts spoke to the club about efforts to improve the quality of education in Rolling Hills. He has taught for over 36 years in Rolling Hills School district and has been nominated twice for “Ohio Teacher of the Year.” Currently, he is serving on a state advisory council to improve quality of Health Education in Ohio.

Mr. Roberts developed a classroom program which uses community-based agencies to expand learning opportunities in the classroom. This classroom program has been nominated twice for the Magna Award which is a national award recognizing outstanding educational practices.

Mr. Roberts stated that bringing real-life experiences into the classroom motivates students and inspires them to learn. Classes are designed to get kids involved in the planning and learning process in the classroom. He has successfully applied this method in his middle school classes which are student driven. For example, recently his class researched bath salts, a topic suggested by a student. Students researched the project and presented the results of their research in the classroom.

The benefits of a classroom program which involves local community-based agencies include introducing students to services they may eventually need to use as they graduate and move into the world of work. Students are also are motivated to learn by being introduced to real life experiences. They begin to see there is a connection between what they are learning in school and the life skills they will need to be successful once they graduate.

For example, in one class presentation a speaker presented a program on current tax law. Following the presentation, the students filled out state, and federal tax forms.

Byesville Rotary will begin registration for their Christmas Food Basket program on Wednesday, October 19, and Thursday, October 20. Registration will be 9:00AM-12N at the Main Avenue Methodist Church Activity Center located behind the church at 223 E. Main, Byesville. No registrations by phone will be accepted. For more information call Bob Long 740-685-3620, or Oziel Jeffries, 740-638-2290.
Members were asked to help raise funds for the food basket program by signing up for red bucket bell ringing shifts. Anyone wishing to make a donation to the food basket program can call Bob Long or contact any Byesville Rotary member.

Byesville Rotary meets every Tuesday, 7:30 am, at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Anyone interested in learning more about the Byesville Rotary can call Membership Chairs Marty Patchen, 740-685-3828, or Randy Launder, 740-685-8294

Byesville Rotary announces registration for 16th annual Christmas Food Basket program

Byesville Rotary invites families living in Rolling Hills School District to register for Christmas food baskets on Wednesday, October 19, and Thursday, October 20. Registration will be held 9:00 am-12N at the Main Avenue United Methodist Activity Center located behind the church, 223 E. Main Street, Byesville. No registrations by phone will be accepted.

Byesville Rotary co-partners with the Salvation Army to provide holiday food baskets. Rotary members of the Byesville club have taken responsibility for providing baskets for families living in the Rolling Hills School District—while the Salvation Army provides for the north half of the county.

Families interested in registering should bring SSN for all family members, proof of income and proof of current address to the registration. For more information about the Byesville Rotary program call Byesville Rotarians Bob Long, 740-685-3620, or Oziel Jeffries, 740-638-2290.

Bob Long, chair of the Byesville Rotary Food Basket program, reported, “The need is great but donations are coming in slowly.” Last year Byesville Rotary distributed baskets to over 200 families. Club members have two months to meet their fundraising goals for this project. To make donations, contact any Byesville Rotary member or Bob Long.

As part of this effort, Byesville Rotarians will be staffing red buckets and ringing bells in two Byesville locations beginning in November. Funds donated to red buckets in Byesville will be spent locally to purchase food items for the baskets. One dollar donations combined with other dollar donations can make a big difference in helping to fill the food baskets.

Byesville Rotary will also be working with the Meadowbrook Interact Club to collect non-perishable food. Food items collected in the Rolling Hills schools will be used to fill food baskets. All types of non-perishable food items will be collected by the students. A can of soup, or beans or a package of mac and cheese can make a big difference.

The club meets 7:30 am every Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Anyone interested in learning more about the Byesville Rotary can call Membership Chairs Marty Patchen, 740-685-3828, or Randy Launder, 740-801-0017.

RYLA students speak to Byesville Rotary about leadership

RYLA stands for the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards program. This program, sponsored by local Rotary clubs, trains high school students in leadership, citizenship, and personal growth. The Byesville Rotary sponsored Brittany Shelton and Brooke Aleshire at the first annual District 6690 RYLA Youth Conference held at OU in Athens.

In order to qualify for sponsorship, Brittany and Brook submitted an application which included a brief essay describing why they would be an appropriate candidate for the conference and submitted a recommendation from a school administer.

Brook and Brittany were clearly enthusiastic about their experiences at the conference. They explained that RYLA is an intensive training program for young community leaders. The 21/2 days they spent at the conference were packed with hands on activities designed to help students develop character, self-confidence, and self-esteem. They also worked on developing leadership and problem-solving skills.

Their favorite part of the conference was the American RYLA Idol activity. Teams of students were challenged to do a skit dealing with one of the 6 pillars of character: caring, honesty, respect, responsibility, fairness, or citizenship. The skits were goofy but everyone learned a lot about each of the pillars. Because the skits were interactive, the students learned to think on the spot in order to respond to unexpected questions and situations.

Brittany and Brook both felt that training like that offered at the RYLA conference helped changed how they approached life. They both feel they are more pro-active and willing to get involved in activities.

They have convinced the Meadowbrook Interact club to sponsor a “Purple Pinkie Day” to raise funds to help eliminate polio. Each $1.00 donation will pay to immunize 1 child. Donors will have their pinkies colored purple to represent that child that their dollar will help immunize.

The 2012 RYLA Youth Conference will be held July 19-21, 2012. Attendees will be limited to 96 students. Based on Brook and Brittany’s experience at the first conference, Byesville Rotary intends to continue to sponsor Meadowbrook student attendance at the 2ed RYLA Conference.

Byesville Rotary has begun working with the Cambridge Salvation Army to provide Christmas food baskets to local families. Byesville will announce dates for Rolling Hills School District families to register for baskets in the near future.

The club meets 7:30 am every Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Anyone interested in learning more about the Byesville Rotary can call Membership Chairs Marty Patchen, 740-685-3828, or Randy Launder, 740-801-0017.

Rotary District Governor speaks at Byesville Rotary

Pictured: Front row: Brent Rosenthal, District Governor, Brooke Aleshire, Trilyn Treherne, Tessa Bickford, Brittany Shelton. Back Row: Tany Hitchens, Byesville Rotary President, Karli Tellep, Jessica George, and Sharon Miller, Interact Advisor.

During his visit to Byesville Rotary, District 6690 Governor Brent Rosenthal, emphasized Rotary values are meant to be acted upon. He explained that the 2012 year’s theme, “Reach within to embrace humanity” is meant to remind Rotarians everyone shares similar needs, problems, and dreams. The goal of many Rotarian service projects is intended to help alleviate or solve shared problems and needs.

Gov. Rosenthal is challenging Rotary clubs in district 6690 to focus on providing service in two areas. He reminded club members that club members are Rotaries most important customers. A club’s members transform club values into action and spread the value of service out into the community. Clubs have a responsibility to engage their members in service projects by tapping into each member’s passion for service. In practice this means that each club must provide different opportunities for members to become involved. Rotary allows each club the flexibility to define for itself what areas of service members would like to pursue.

His second focus is reducing hunger in Ohio. Governor Rosenthal would like each Rotary club in within the club’s service area to identify at least three service projects addressing the problem of hunger. District 6690 is very diverse including both the richest and poorest zip codes in the state. Hunger is a problem in every community in District 6690. He stated that he is proud that Rotary is one of the few organizations in the world that is able to respond to this type of need

Byesville Rotary Club has focused on hunger for many years. The club supports an annual Christmas Food Basket program which provides food to between 200—250 families each year. The club also makes a donation to a local food pantry each month and has supported the summer school lunch program.

DG also announced to club members that district is interested in helping individual clubs let their communities know what service projects the club is involved in. The district is providing grants to clubs to support a public relations effort. He encouraged Byesville to consider applying for a grant.

Governor Rosenthal was introduced to the officers of the Byesville Rotary sponsored Meadowbrook Interact Club, a service club for students between 14-18. The Meadowbrook Interact Club is one of only 30 in the District.

The club meets 7:30 am every Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Anyone interested in learning more about the Byesville Rotary can call Membership Chairs Marty Patchen, 740-685-3828, or Randy Launder, 740-801-0017.

Byesville Rotary hears about local international company

Pictured: Chuck Fair, Speaker Host; John Kasinecz, Plant Manager Island Aseptics; and Tanya Hitchens, Byesville Rotary President.

John Kasinecz, plant manager of Island Asceptics, stated that this company which is based in Byesville, has an international business. Products made in the Byesville plant are shipped to 15 countries in the western hemisphere as well as South Africa and China. One of the reasons for choosing Byesville for the plant location is the easy access to two major interstates.

The plant, located at 100 Hope Road in Byesville, operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 51 weeks a year. Six processing and 11 packaging lines are located in a 163,000 square foot space. The local plant has 100 full time employees. Kasinecz explained that business is seasonal. In March through August, production increases. During the high production months, the plant employees 250 people.

International headquarters for the company is located in Walpole, Massachusetts. The headquarters houses the marketing and sales staff. The Byesville plant has the operational expertise and produces products such as beverages, smoothies and bar mixes, and fruit juice concentrates.

Kasinecz pointed out that Island Aseptics is currently the leader in the production of frozen drink concentrates and mixes. The company’s expertise enables them to produce sterile—aseptic—beverages or mixes, put the product into a sterile package, and seal the package so that the beverage will last indefinitely and will not need refrigerated. Getting all the steps exactly right is vital. Island Aseptics prides itself on their quality control and ability to produce products that meet quality standards.

Island Aseptics provides products to restaurants, schools, and the military. This business is bigger than the food business. Some of their customers include Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Restaurants, Royal Caribbean International Cruise Lines, Applebee’s, Olive Garden and Red Lobster, Wal-Mart, Gatorade, Welch’s, ALDI, Kroger, Del Monte, and Procter & Gamble. Byesville residents will have enjoyed one of the company’s products if they ever ordered a fruit smoothie from McDonalds.

Tanya Hitchens reminded club members that next week’s meeting will be a membership breakfast and that the District Governor will be visiting. All club members were asked to invite a prospective member to the breakfast.

Sharon Miller, Interact club advisor, introduced Trislyn Treherne, Interact club secretary, and Karli Tellep, Interact club treasurer. Trislyn and Karli spoke to the club about their school and Internet activities.

The club meets 7:30 am every Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Anyone interested in learning more about the Byesville Rotary can call Membership Chairs Marty Patchen, 740-685-3828, or Randy Launder, 740-801-0017.