Welcome to Amesbury Rotary

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On Wednesday, March 1st. Tanya and Kevin, owners of Aumnii Studio hosted our evening meeting; at their  5 Market Square, Amesbury workshop studio. Aumnii has had both a work shop/ studio as well as a retail store in Amesbury, but has decided to focus full time on DIY workshops in their Market Square studio, and at private events, birthdays, team building events, etc. both in the New England area, as well as special workshops at venues ranging from Canada to Florida. They will continue selling through the internet, after they close their Main St store later this Month. Their art forms range from the traditional to the eclectic; furniture painting. glassware painting and etching, wood image burning, macrame, cloth, wood forms, wall and window hangings, etc. -- using alcohol inks, chalk paint, acrylic pour, etc. It was an exceptionally interesting and educational evening, which we were exposed to art forms that most little or nothing about. Tanya and Kevis's discussion was fascinating, and your enthusiasm was infectious. It's great to see a small business succeeding here in Amesbury..Thier web site is: www.aumni.com.
 
 
On February 22, Amesbury Historian Bart Bailey brought us back to 1936, when the great flood occurred. His oral and visual presentation was riveting, and very informative. He showed a movie which his father had taken of and from Main Street, showing both the ice and the ensuing flood. The movie was of such exceptional quality and definition, that it could easily stand beside those taken today. Bart has done a great job of preserving these images in digital format; as a permanent record for future generations. 
 

The worst possible weather combined to produce the 1936 flood: A warm front that stalled on March 11 followed an unusually cold, snowy winter. With that warm front came the first rain storm, centered on the White Mountains. It lasted until March 13 and dumped five inches of rain onto Maine, New Hampshire and parts of Vermont. Weather forecasters had accurately predicted the 1936 flood, and ample warning prevented much loss of life. Ice jams on rivers caused most of the destruction. A mark at the very top of the first story of a barn on River Road in Merrima, shows the high water mark of the infamous 1936 flood, an event that is largely forgotten today. The flood caused enormous damage all along the Merrimack River and its tributaries. It forced the evacuation of Amesburys Point Shore, and led to desperate measures such as dynamiting ice jams.

Wednesday, February 15 afternoon was Amesbury Rotary's sponsorship of a meal and serving at Our Neighbors Table. ONT is a key part of the greater Amesbury community; serving a prepared meal every Wednesday to all who come - meals are currently for takeout only, but the ONT staff is hoping to resume eat in table service in the near future. This meal while an important service to  the community, is the tip of the iceberg, as ONT is a major source of food through it's Main Street Food Pantry, where it make a significant contribution to addressing food insecurity in our area, which affects 1 out of every 16 people across Northern Essex County.
 
Creating a food secure region is a collective effort of working together to ensure every person across Northeastern Essex County has access to food when and where they need it. Our Neighbors' Table relies on the generosity, time, and talents of local individuals and businesses to ensure every neighbor has food on their table. You can make a difference – your actions will help create a food secure region. 

Amesbury Rotary prepared Valentine gift bags with socks, chocolate, and a special Valentine for Link House, Inc. residents. The feedback was that everyone loved the new socks and were happy to be remembered. Rotarians are “People of Action” and no act of thoughtfulness is too small.

 

On January 11th.John Macone, Policy & Education Specialist, and Tracey Chalifour, Director of Development; Staff members from the Merrimack River Watershed Council talked about activities the MRWC does to promote education and awareness about the health of the 117 mile long river, and provided supporting statistics. They also discussed some of the major challenges the river faces, most notable of which is sewerage run off into the river, when there is a period of heavy rainfall; and the roll that the federal and state governmental agencies are playing to abate this source of contamination. Amesbury Rotary has provided funding, through a District grant to fund development of a contamination warning system. Some of our members have gone on hikes/walks with the MRWC group and found them to be very interesting, which included historical and environmental issues pertinent to the area being visited. 
 
MRWC Mission Statement: to improve and protect the health of the Merrimack River Watershed for all people and wildlife.
MRWC Vision: A Watershed where community and nature flourish together.
MRWC Values: Collaboration - Inclusivity - Integrity.
 

On January 18th. a contingent of Amesbury Rotarians had the pleasure of visited Holly B's workshop and studio at CI Works here in Amesbury, and learned about the relatively little art form of "fracking." As the accompanying pictures show; We had a "WHALE of a GOOD TIME!" Holly showed us the end product and then took us through the entire process. We learned about safety measures, sent electricity through the wood (fracking), scraped the ashes, sanded, burned the edges, and posted for pictures. We even had time to make sure that Donna and Sandy received their new Paul Harris recognition pins. It was tons of fun and we learned about a local business in our backyard. Great evening!

 
Tom Whalen, one of our newest members, gave his Classification Talk on January 4th. Tom is Director of Men's Supportive Services at Link House, at their site in Amesbury. Tom shared much about his background, diverse experiences, and life before joining Link House, which uniquely qualifies him for his work in helping their residents transition from addiction to fully functioning members of the community. He shared much about Link House, their mission, challenges, statistics, success stories, and future. Tom spoke without notes, straight from the heart -- a memorable and inspiring talk. 
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Amesbury

Service Above Self

We meet In Person
Wednesdays at 12:00 PM
Ristorante Molise
1 Market Square
Amesbury, MA 01913
United States of America
2nd and 4th.Wednesday meetings in the month @ Risorante Molise, Amesbury; 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM. 1st, 3rd, and 5th Wednesday meetings in the month @ Game Time, 84 Haverhill Rd, Amesbury at 5:00 - 6:00 PM. Click on the Calendar tab above for details
Learn More
Want to learn more about the Club? We would love to hear from you.
 
Contact: Co-Presidents:
Donna Collins
Email: dlcamesbury@yahoo
Phone: 978-388-4124
Eric Palen
Email: ericpalen1@gmail.com
Phone: 978-697-5146
Club Executives & Directors
Co-President
Co-President
President Elect
Treasurer
Secretary
Immediate Past President
Rotary Foundation Chair
Public Relations Co Chair
Public Relations Co-Chair
Public Relations Co Chair
Membership Chair
Sergeant-at-Arms
Upcoming Events
 
 
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