Maples to speak this week

Rotarian Pancho Maples will be the guest speaker at this week’s Roswell Rotary Club meeting on Thursday (Aug. 31). 

Club completes another ramp

Sterling and Anna Farmer join Steve Smith, Roswell Rotary Club Ramp Project chair, after club volunteers built a ramp for the couple’s mobile home on Brasher Road this past Saturday, Aug. 26.

Behavioral health subject of talk

Kimberly Rutley, prevention coordinator at La Casa Community Behavioral Health, will speak at this week’s Roswell Rotary Club meeting.

Kimberly has a Bachelor of Community Health from New Mexico State University.

She has 23 years of experience in public health policy, media relations, prevention curriculum facilitation, and coalition-building, including 11 years overseeing programs at the state level. 

Build the Ramp update

Roswell Rotary Ramp Project volunteers should plan to meet from 8-11 a.m. on Aug. 25 (Friday) at  Mayes Lumber, 115 S. Virginia Ave., project chair Steve Smith said.

The Ramp Project is seeking 4 volunteers for preliminary work on Friday, plus 6-8 volunteers on Aug. 26 (Saturday) to install the ramp at 500 W. Brasher Road, Space 17.

Installation work on Saturday will run from 8-11:30 a.m., Steve said.

Steve can be contacted at (575) 420-2100.

Club receives Rotary citation

Bianca Cheney, immediate past Roswell Rotary Club president, holds a 2022-23 Rotary Citation honoring the club for “Helping imagine Rotary in the lives of people all over the world.” The award was presented by past District Governor John Drusedum.

Beating the summer heat

Roswell Rotarians Steve Smith and Frank Sturges took their wives on vacation away from the recent 100-degree-plus days in southeastern New Mexico.

With their wives Kathy Smith and Nita Sturges, Steve and Frank went glacier hunting in Iceland, an island country in the North Atlantic Ocean.

The two couples arrived in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, on Aug. 4. There they boarded a Viking cruise ship, which took them around the island country.

During their voyage, they stopped to get a close-up look at glaciers and wildlife. Steve reported the temperature at one of the glaciers was 45 degrees F at 2:15 p.m. one day.

The island country has a population of about 380,000.

Land of spectacular scenery

Steve Smith and Frank Sturges

Nita Sturges and Kathy Smith

 

Foundation establishes fund

Our hearts go out to those impacted by the disastrous fires in Maui, Hawaii. Many Rotarians are directly impacted. There are nine Rotary clubs on Maui and at this point it has been reported that the homes of two Club Presidents have been destroyed. 

Early in a disaster, often the most effective way to help is a contribution of cash to a trustworthy and reliable organization. The District 5000 Foundation has established a Maui Relief Fund. District Governor Mark Merriam sent a letter to all Rotary members in District 5000. DG Mark’s letter includes a donation link to make contributions to the Maui Relief Fund. If you wish, this is an opportunity to help our fellow Rotary members in Maui and their neighbors. 

Thanks, Dan
Daniel C. Himelspach
Rotary International Director 2023-25
DG13-14@DisputeManagementInc.com
(303) 349-5689

Yehl to speak at Rotary meeting

Rotarian Warren Yehl, chief executive officer of Eastern New Mexico Medical Center, will speak at the Aug. 17 Roswell Rotary Club meeting.

Warren has 13 years of experience in hospital administration, previously working in Roswell from 2013-15 as the chief operating officer. He has been CEO since 2017.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech/Communications and a Master’s in Healthcare Administration, both received from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.

Warren currently serves on the Board of the Roswell EDC, Roswell Symphony Orchestra, La Casa Healthcare, and the Executive Board of the New Mexico Hospital Association.

He and his wife Barbara are the parents of four children, Henry, 12; Miriam, 10; Teegan, 7; and Branson, 6.

International athlete to speak

International athlete Tim Oracion will speak to the Roswell Rotary Club on Aug. 10.

After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and business administration from Eastern New Mexico University, Tim worked as a financial advisor for Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley, as well as assisting in estates and trusts for 26 years.

Tim, who lives in Roswell, has traveled the country and the world competing in triathlons, distance running, road cycling racing, and mountain biking endurance events for more than 40 years.

Past Toastmaster director speaks

Donna Labatt, past director of Toastmasters International, receives a cup as a gift from Roswell Rotary president Marcos Nava. Labatt spoke to the club on Aug. 3.

Next ramp project Aug. 26

The Roswell Rotary Club will begin its next ramp project on Aug. 26, starting at 8 a.m.

Volunteers are asked to meet at 500 W. Brasher Road, Space 17.

The resident at that mobile home space is in a wheelchair after having one of his legs amputated, and “because of his diabetes, the other leg is in jeopardy. So it’s good timing to build a ramp for him,” said Steve Smith, Rotary ramp project chair.