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Rotarians Create Birthday Kits for Kids

Posted by Diane Herth on Oct 24, 2021

The Ipswich-Rowley Rotary Club recently gathered at Agawam Village in Ipswich for a service project to assemble birthday party kits for distribution to families from The Open Door food pantry!

Every child should have an opportunity to have a birthday party for eight, and now they can. Ipswich-Rowley Rotary provided the items, and assembled the kits for 96 families in need.  Each party kit included 14 items to throw a party - - - everything from cake mix, frosting and candles, to all the party decorations and paper goods. The kits also include a snack box with juice, raisins, pretzels, and party favor bags filled with lots of fun toys to send home with friends.

Do you enjoy helping others?  Rotary is a world-wide service organization looking for service-minded people.  Our local club meets weekly at the Village Pancake House on Thursday morning at 7:15 am (except for the second week of the month, when we meet in Ipswich on Wednesday evening at 6 pm).

Join us for breakfast and find out what our Rotary Club is all about, and how you can help make our communities a bit better.

Rotarian Nat Pulsifer Honored

Posted by Bob Wicks on Oct 12, 2021

From left to right in the photo are Scott Trenti, CEO of Senior Care, Nat Pulsifer, and Illia Stacy, Executive Director of Ipswich Aware and member of the Senior Care Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors of Senior Care, Inc, a Gloucester based senior citizen services organization, has awarded Nat Pulsifer the 2021 ‘Myra L. Herrick Outstanding Older American Award’ for his contributions to the safety and well-being of North Shore citizens, especially in his home town of Ipswich.

According to Scott Trenti, CEO of Senior Care, Nat was recognized for repeatedly volunteering at ‘the COVID-19 vaccination on-site in Ipswich, greeting the participants in the first two waves of vaccinations. He knew most of the people coming in, and welcomed everyone with genuine warmth and efficiency’. Scott is seen in the photo presenting the award to Nat following a recent club meeting at the Pancake House in Rowley.

In addition to being a long-time Ipswich-Rowley Rotarian, Nat is well-known as a Trustee of the Coburn Charitable Society, as the river captain of Ipswich Illuminating, and for his active support of numerous environmental and humanitarian non-profit organizations and charitable events.

Trenti informed us that ‘the Myra L. Herrick Outstanding Older American Award is given yearly to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the welfare of elders in an innovative, creative, or dedicated way, or who is a role model for continuing to live an active, healthy, and purposeful lifestyle’. Scott Trenti also is a Rotarian, and a member of the Gloucester Rotary Club.

Others recognized this year by Senior Care were Ipswich Pharmacist Alex Doyle, Massachusetts Senator Bruce Tarr, the Meals on Wheels team, and numerous volunteer medical transportation drivers. Along with Nat, these individuals provided heroic and vital services to senior citizens during the pandemic. In June, Alex Doyle was recognized by the Rotary club as their ‘Person of the Year’.

Congratulations, and deep appreciation, to our good friend and neighbor Nat Pulsifer!

Rotary Welcomes New Members

Posted by Bob Wicks on Oct 03, 2021

President Clint Dalton inducts our three new members. From left, President Clint, Lisa Shanko, Olivia Perez-O'Dess, Kathy Frederick, Nat Pulsifer, Heidi VonAsch, and Cushing Titcomb.

At its regular club meeting on Thursday, Ipswich-Rowley Rotary inducted three new members. These members join over 70 other area professionals who are dedicated to changing lives through community service.

Kathleen Frederick recently retired from her longtime position as a Special Needs Teacher in the Ipswich Public Schools. During her long tenure, that spanned over 30 years, she worked closely with parents and students and was actively involved in the in the arts and civic activities in town. As she joins our club, Kathy has expressed a strong interest in our broad range of youth oriented programs. Kathy’s sponsors and mentors are Keith Harris and Nat Pulsifer.

Olivia Perez-O’Dess serves as Director of Community Relations at the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber recently merged with the Ipswich Chamber and supports local businesses and community leaders to promote area economic growth and planning. As part of her expanded role following the merger, Olivia is a member of the Ipswich Roundtable. In joining Rotary, Olivia will seek opportunities to further strengthen collaboration between the club and the local Chamber. Olivia’s sponsor and mentor is Lisa Shanko.

Heidi VonAsch was promoted to Branch Manager of the Ipswich office of Brookline Bank in July. She brings 18 years of experience in banking, mostly as Assistant Manager of the bank’s location in Medford Square. In her new position, Heidi will oversee management of the office and assist customers with their financial needs. Heidi is excited to be joining the local Rotary club and becoming fully engaged in her new community. Cushing Titcomb is Heidi’s sponsor and mentor.

The Rotary club is thrilled to welcome these new members, and we look forward to expanding our services in our towns of Ipswich and Rowley.

Welcoming our new members: Olivia Perez-O'Dess, Kathy Frederick, and Heidi VonAsch.

Rotary Remembers 9/11 in Rowley

Posted by Bob Wicks on Sep 12, 2021

Last Saturday morning, the Rowley Police and Fire departments, local leaders and citizens, and several Ipswich-Rowley Rotarians gathered at the newly refurbished Rowley 911 Memorial to honor the Rowley residents who perished during the terrorist attacks 20 years ago. Just like that fateful day in 2001, the weather on Saturday morning was beautiful; a perfect day to remember the friends and neighbors who were lost. In the photo above, Ipswich-Rowley Rotary President Clint Dalton contributes his dedicatory remarks.

Once again this year, the gorgeous flowers were donated by Country Gardens of Rowley. The flag flew at half staff on the brand new flag pole erected by the town with financial help from the Rotary Club.

Keith Harris to Ride for ALS - and Lou DeGeorge

Posted by John Muldoon on Sep 05, 2021

This article originally appeared in thelocalne.ws.

A local businessman is set to hop up on his bicycle and tow his faithful dog around 70 scenic miles west of Boston.

Owner of Harris Graphics in Rowley, Keith Harris and doggie Cheyenne will cycle through Lincoln, Sudbury, Acton and Concord to raise money to fight Lou Gehrig’s disease, or ALS.

“If anyone else is so inclined to join as a rider, the course is gorgeous,” Harris said of the Sept. 19 event.

Taking part on Team DeGeorge, he has set a fundraising goal of $2,500 and people can contribute here. “ALS is a truly horrific disease that takes its toll on those fighting it, and on their families. The money I raise can help alleviate some of the stresses they face, and feed the hope that helps them face tomorrow,” he said.

Ipswich-Rowley Rotary Celebrates Interact

Posted by Bob Wicks on Aug 02, 2021

Led by President Clint Dalton, the Ipswich-Rowley Rotary Club celebrated the incoming and outgoing Presidents of the Rotary sponsored Ipswich High School Interact Club during its July 14 meeting at Appleton Farms. Incoming President Claire O’Flynn was inducted by President Dalton, assisted by club Interact Chair Keith Harris.

Outgoing President Audrey Berger was honored with a Paul Harris Fellowship in recognition of her outstanding leadership during the pandemic year. This recognition was presented by President Dalton and club Vice President – Rotary Foundation Dr. Doug Shealy. In addition to being the Interact President, Audrey was the class Salutatorian, an honor given to the second highest ranking senior who opens the graduation ceremony on behalf of the students.

Despite the exceptional challenges of Covid restrictions, the 2020-21 Interact club persevered in its mission of ‘service above self’ to the Ipswich community. They completed several projects during the year, including a very successful clothing drive to assist the homeless, a community service fair, an oral history project with the Ipswich Council on Aging, and a reimagined and socially distanced ‘Jingle Bell Walk’ to welcome Santa to town in December.

Every Rotarian and all Ipswich residents can be very proud of the continuing contributions by these dedicated young leaders toward making lives a bit better in our community and beyond.

Rotary Passes the Gavel at Annual Installation

Posted by Bob Wicks on Jul 03, 2021

On June 30, Ipswich-Rowley Rotary held its 98th Installation Dinner. Clint Dalton, a second generation Rotarian, was installed as Club President for 2021-22 by District Governor Terry Curran. Terry also installed the club Officers and Directors.

Other highlights included the presentation by co-President Cushing Titcomb of Rotary's 'Person of the Year' to pharmacist Alex Doyle. Mr. Doyle was recognized for his life saving efforts to secure vaccines and protective equipment for residents and first responders. Co-President Martha Mauser also inducted new member John Psiakis.

Paul Harris Fellowships were awarded to Alex Doyle, President Clint Dalton, President Elect Ray Morley, and Assistant Governor Jim Stone. Paul Harris was the founder of Rotary International, and the Paul Harris awards represent the Rotary spirit of exceptional ‘Service Above Self’. Co-President Lisa Shanko then coordinated a series of club awards that recognized two out-going Directors and several other members for exceptional service.

This year’s co-Presidents, Martha Mauser, Lisa Shanko, and Cushing Titcomb hosted the event, which featured our tradition of ‘Passing the Gavel’, a line-up of Past Presidents who sequentially passed the gavel along to new President Clint Dalton. The outgoing Presidential team was honored by President Dalton for their strong leadership during the pandemic year.

Despite the inclement weather, it was a gala evening at Ray Morley's Ipswich Inn. For a captioned summary of the evening's highlights, view the annotated slide show by clicking HERE, or find the show in the Photo Albums section located in the left panel of our home page at www.ipswichrotary.org. Note: To view the longer captions, click on the individual photos.

Flags for Heroes Dedicated - runs to July 10

Posted by Joan Arsenault on Jun 26, 2021

On June 14, 2021, the Town of Ipswich dedicated a field of 100 flags to honor heroes. A stunning display of ten foot poles and flags will grace one of the main gateways of our town, the beautiful and historic South Green, until July 10. Ipswich-Rowley Rotary developed this field of honor to recognize the heroes in our lives. The field honors anyone who has made a difference in a someone’s life such as first-responders, medical professionals, teachers, essential workers or those who have served in the military. It is an especially poignant year to start this project to honor heroes given the COVID pandemic.

We are grateful to our event co-chairs, (Joan Arsenault and Paula Bishop), the event committee (Julie Nelson, Martha Mauer, Laurie Cameron, Dottie Levesque, Jim Tedford, Tony Marino, Ted Garside, and Mary Foote-Hill), our public relations team (John Muldoon, Deb Richards and Bob Wicks), and to all the hard working Rotarians and volunteers who made this possible. A special thank you to Jim Graffum, Tom Palance, Select Board Member Linda Alexson, and Senator Bruce Tarr for their participation and support, as well as to the residents of Ipswich for making ‘Flags for Heroes’ a huge success. To view a slide show of the Flag Day dedication, click HERE, or visit our Photo Album section on the home page.

Please visit the South Green and walk among the flags. Sponsorships are sold out this year, but an application for next year is available on our website at www.ipswichrotary.com.

Rotary Presents 2021 Scholarships

Posted by Bob Wicks on Jun 16, 2021

The Ipswich-Rowley Rotary Club presented scholarships to eleven 2021 High School graduates from Ipswich and Rowley on June 8.

Graduates received $500 or $1,000. Since planning began during pandemic restrictions, the traditional presentations at a club meeting were not possible and the club arranged a special outdoor event to ensure safety. We are grateful to our hard working Scholarship Committee, led by Sr Leonore Coan, and for the great weather.

Again this year, the event took place in front of Ipswich High School. Accompanied by their families, the students were recognized with a large sign displaying his or her name in calligraphy print. On hand to congratulate them were members of the scholarship committee and club leadership.

Rowley 9-11 Memorial Maintenance

Posted by Bob Wicks on Jun 08, 2021

Rowley residents and Ipswich-Rowley Rotarians Bob Snow (kneeling) and Doug Shealy joined club President Martha Mauser to freshen up the 9-11 Memorial Garden in Rowley on Memorial Day.

The memorial remembers several Rowley residents who perished on that fateful day in 2001. Again this year, the beautiful plantings were donated by Country Gardens in Rowley.

Rotary and the town are planning a joint 20th anniversary remembrance in September, including a new flag pole.

Rotary Provides Senior Citizen Lunch to over 120

Posted by Bob Wicks on May 31, 2021

On Thursday May 20, about 21 Rotarians participated in a service project, our much-anticipated annual Senior Luncheon.  This year, in view of the vaccine rollout, it became a hybrid event.  Tri-Chairs Laurie Cameron, Mary Foote-Hill and Dottie Levesque created a well-organized activity that began with a drive-thru distribution of food and goodies.

The event really began the day before, on Wednesday May 19.  Several Rotarians gathered in the kitchen at Ray Morley’s Ipswich Inn to cut and chop vegetables for the beef stew that Chef Ray was preparing for the next day.  On hand ‘sou chefs’ were Laurie Cameron, Sr Leonore Coan, Julie Nelson, and Nat Pulsifer.

Rotary Picks Up Trash on Route 133

Posted by Bob Wicks on Apr 30, 2021

Several members of the Ipswich Rotary club recently conducted the club’s twice annual cleanup in the stretch of Route 133 between the intersection of Routes 133/1A and the Ipswich/Essex line. More than the usual amount of trash had accumulated along the road during the pandemic; and while doing the dirty deed, the team noticed that fireballs appeared to be the nip of choice.

In this photo are the cleanup team of Doug Shealy, Tom Murphy, Eric Josephson, Cindy Quinn, and Jim Tedford. And, no, they did not pick up this food along the road. Relaxing at Zumi's after the event.

Seen below right, Doug is loading the bags to be taken away. Yes, we retrieved our Rotarian from the pile before the truck pulled out.

At left, Tom and Eric pose with their 'catch of the day'.

Rotary Rings the Dinner Bell

Posted by Bob Wicks on Apr 12, 2021

Rotary President Martha Mauser and Rotarian Diane Herth prepare vegetables at the Ipswich Inn for the April 5 Dinner Bell, hosted by Rotary.  The meal was created by Rotarian Ray Morley, chef/owner of the Inn, and several Rotarians joined in the effort.

Prior to the pandemic, weekly Dinner Bell meals were held at the Masonic Lodge.  In the interest of public safety during the on-going health crisis, meals are prepared by the host organization and delivered by them to those in need.

The photo is courtesy of Rotarian John Muldoon, editor and publisher of TheLocalNews.

Interact Completes Homeless Clothing Drive

Posted by John Muldoon on Apr 08, 2021

IPSWICH — After just one week of collecting goods, a group of high school students has sent it off to a charity that supports the homeless.

The students asked residents for clothes they no longer wanted or to donate toiletries.
Last Saturday, the group assembled on Congress Street in Ipswich to load the donated goods into cars and bring them to Lowell.

“Basically, we got everything we needed in a really large quantity”, said Interact President Audrey Berger. “No one expected this much stuff. We’re really glad Ipswich got together and helped us.”

Dana Falardeau loads a car.

Students in the Interact Club set about helping Living Waters, a group that supports the chronically homeless in Lowell. Its website says it provides meals, mobile charging, mail pick-up, laundry, rest rooms, referrals, hygiene, haircuts, clothes, workshops, and case management.

The students set up four collection points, at Town Hall, Zumi’s, Ipswich High School, and the Ipswich YMCA. Berger said some people made their own care packages with toiletries and other goods they bought.

From left: Louisa Roesler, Audrey Berger, Dana Falardeau (in front), Sam Orroth and Steven Yon, with some of the donations they received.

Interact Collecting Clothing for the Homeless

Posted by John Muldoon on Mar 18, 2021

Now’s the time to start spring-clean your closets and get rid of your dated wardrobe — a group of high school students is launching a clothing drive to help the homeless.

Starting Sunday, boxes will pop up in four locations to collect toiletries and clothing. The week-long drive (from March 22 to 29) is being organized by the Rotary sponsored Interact Club in Ipswich High School. Seen in the photo are club officers Audrey Berger, President; Louisa Roesler, Vide President; Rowan Galanis, Secretary; and Sam Orroth, Treasurer.

The drive will support Living Waters Center of Hope in Lowell, which helps the chronically homeless in Lowell, club president Audrey Berger said. Its website says it provides meals, mobile charging, mail pick-up, laundry, rest rooms, referrals, hygiene, haircuts, clothes, workshops, and case management. For more information about Living Waters, click here.

Rotary Assists The Open Door Food Pantry

Posted by John Muldoon on Mar 03, 2021

For the fourth year running, the Rotary Club of Ipswich and Rowley has held a post-holiday food drive.

Last week, Ipswich Rotarians dropped off non-perishable goods, including food, games, puzzles and books, at the Open Door in Ipswich. In previous years, Rotary held a “reverse Advent” drive, in which people would put one item per day into a bag in the run up to Christmas. The pandemic changed plans this year, so the club modified the event and called it “Make Kindness Contagious,” said organizer Elaine Richter.

These donations were made possible by generous contributions from Rotarians and our neighbors in the community.

In the photo, from left, are Susan Otis and Glen Prescott of the Open Door; and Rotarians Martha Mauser, Elaine Richter, Cindy Quinn, and Julie Nelson.

Rotary and Doyle Drug Store Donate PPE

Posted by Bob Wicks on Dec 09, 2020

The Rotary Club of Ipswich-Rowley recently teamed up with Conley’s Drug in Ipswich to provide the Ipswich Police Department with additional personal protective equipment. To fund the project, Rotary secured a District Grant, and Conley’s owner Alex Doyle generously agreed to sell at cost.

“Alex gave us a discount so we got more than what we would have,” said Rotary co-president Martha Mauser. Doyle said the supplies consisted of hand sanitizer, gloves and masks.

Ipswich-Rowley Rotary always is grateful to our generous community partners.

Seen in the photo are Rotary co-President Lisa Shanko, Conley's owner Alex Doyle, police Chief Paul Nikas, and Rotary co-President Martha Mauser. Photo courtesy of thelocalne.ws.

Rotary Assists Disabled Veteran

Posted by Bob Wicks on Dec 07, 2020

On November 7, 2019, disabled Marine veteran Micaila Britto was granted guardianship of a Grant Dane service Dog from the ‘Service Dog Project’ in Ipswich. This gift was made possible by a $20,000 District Grant put together by the Ipswich Rotary Club. Since then, her dog Rabbit has become her best friend and an indispensable part of her life.

Micaila visited the Ipswich Rotary virtual meeting last Thursday to bring us up to date on her first year with Rabbit, named for her litter and the iconic ‘Winnie the Pooh’ character. Ms. Rabbit, as she calls her, stands 31 inches tall and weighs about 140 pounds.

This all came about due to a traumatic, life changing injury that Micaila suffered while on active duty with the US Marine helicopter launch and recovery unit. The chronically painful effects of her injury include balance and mobility issues. Fortunately for Micaila, the Service Dog Project gives preference to veterans and first responders. When Ipswich Rotarians learned of her plight, they acted quickly.