Flag Salute & Invocation by Inga Drechsel
Visiting Rotarians: None
Guests: Dick Stark and Heather Flaherty (Chuckanut Heath Center)
Announcements
Tim McEvoy said his St. Patrick's Day Rotario Dinner last Saturday was a lot of fun, thanks for all who attended.
Next Rotario Dinner at Christine Palmerton’s house (date sometime end of July or beginning of August)
Inga Drechsel suggesting a BBRC fellowship snow day at Mt Baker! April 7th Sunday; how does that sound to everyone?
Bucks in the Bay
- John Purdie thanks for the BBRC Rotary grant to Mount Baker Theatre scholarships, also daughters and wedding dresses;
- Bill Geyer’s granddaughter accepted at WWU!
- Tim Krell daughter Alison home last week with roommate toured Seattle, other family news;
- Curtis Dye 100 (!) birthday bucks;
- Eddie went to North Cascade Institute’s Mountain Camp (with a bunch of 5th graders), update Docks Project, prayers to Bill Boyd’s wife Diane;
- Mark Turner was at a beautiful but chilly Joshua Tree;
- Christine Palmerton bucks kudos to Lesa Boxx for SAA, and the great party at Tim McEvoy’s;
- Pete Rittmueller is wearing shorts! Boating fun in the islands;
- Dick Stark glad to see everyone, misses us!
Sergeant at Arms by Lesa
Fines for Pete Rittmueller, Dick Stark, Bill Geyer, Jeff Hill, Tim McEvoy, Christine Palmerton and also misc other fines.
Program
Mike Bates introduced Joe Fuller, program specialist with the Whatcom County Health Dept. Joe works with the schools and other local organizations that target behavior health and substance abuse prevention.
- Rates and trends: opioids now one of the leading causes of death in WA. 75% of misuse starts with people using prescribed medications. Annually, 42,000 people die from opioid overdose. For kids and young adults, depression often leads to substance abuse. Adverse Childhood Events (ACE).
- Response: medication returns, naloxone distribution, lock bag initiative, WhatcomHope Campaign (heroin and other opioid prevention and education), targeted response in Eastern Whatcom and Grant Counties;
- Call to action: Learn other ways to manage pain beside medications, don’t share your prescriptions, talk with your family and kids, lock up your medications, dispose your medications when no longer needed, get naloxone for your first aid kit, and lastly visit the WhatcomHope Website: https://whatcomhope.org .
Respectfully submitted,
Stowe Talbot