Rotary International President, Francesco Arezzo (Rotary Club of Ragusa, Italy) District 6330 Governor Jeff Ferweda, (Rotary Club of Genessee Valley, MI) Club Newsletter Editor, Kitty Bucsko
District website: https://rotary6330.org/ Club website: http://www.6330passport.org
The Calendar below shows Rotary’s 2025-26 monthly themes.
ROTARY CALENDAR and THEMES
Month
Theme
July Maternal and Child Health
August
Membership and New Club Development
September Basic Education and Literacy
October Economic and Community Development
November The Rotary Foundation
December Disease Prevention and Treatment
January Vocational Service
February Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution
March Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
April Environment
May
June
Youth Service
Rotary Fellowships
INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHTS FOR JULY
The Power of One - A Rotary Reflection – A thoughtful repeat
In Rotary, real change doesn’t always come from grand gestures—it begins with one person deciding to act.
• � Clean water, one well at a time.
• � �� � �� � � � Literacy, one child at a time.
• � � � Peace, one student at a time.
• �� � ��� �� Health, one vaccine at a time.
• � � Hope, one tree at a time.
• � � Kindness, one act at a time.
• � � Change, one Rotarian at a time.
Each effort -- no matter how small -- becomes part of something greater.
That’s the magic of Rotary—many individuals, united in service, creating ripples that reach around the world.
So now, as we enter 2025-26 Rotary year, let’s UNITE FOR GOOD!
A NEW ROTARY YEAR BEGINS!
Month of July – Maternal and Child Health
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
Wednesday,July2at 7:00p.m. Eastern Time
HAPPY CHATS ONLINE – JOIN US!
Every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time
THEME 2025-26 UNITE FOR GOOD
MEMBERSHIP AND NEW CLUB DEVELOPMENT
Month of August
BASIC EDUCATION AND LITERACY
Month of September
Right click here to open the link and listen to the Rotary Anthem!
Rotary Anthem
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT
Francesco Arezzo (2025-26)
RI PRESIDENT for the Rotary Year 2025-26 Francesco Arezzo
Francesco Arezzo, a member of the Rotary Club of Ragusa, Italy, has been selected to become Rotary International’s President for 2025-26.
Meet the president-elect: https://on.rotary.org/4lrfOJt
Francesco Arezzo, a member of the Rotary Club of Ragusa, Italy, has been selected by the Board of Directors to become Rotary International’s president for 2025-26. Arezzo will become president on 1 July.
The Board conducted a special session following the unexpected resignation of RI President-elect Mário César Martins de Camargo on 8 June.
Guided by the RI code and policies, the Board selected the new president-elect from a pool of candidates who were considered by the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International in August 2023.
The 2025-26 presidential message, announced at the 2025 Rotary International Assembly in February, will remain Unite for Good, which calls on Rotary members to be a force for unity in a world increasingly divided by politics, geography, and ideology.
Through service projects, Rotary brings together people of every background — across races, religions, and professions — in a shared mission to do good in their communities.
Click here to read more .
IMPORTANT ROTARY INFORMATION
2025-26 RI PRESIDENT
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL
PRESIDENT 2025-26
The 2025-2026 Presidential Message, Unite for Good
“Rotary members are #PeopleOfAction.
We don't wait for change to happen; we make it happen. And what do people of action do? We unite for good.”
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT
2025 – 2026
At the time of preparing this newsletter, the official July message from Rotary International President Francesco Arezzo had not yet been released.
President Arezzo stepped into the role in mid-June following the unexpected resignation of his predecessor, and the usual materials — including the July Rotary Magazine — are being adjusted accordingly.
In the meantime, here are a few words in keeping with his chosen theme for 2025–26: “Unite for Good.”
This simple but powerful message reminds us that Rotary’s strength lies in what we do together — across clubs, cultures, and causes.
In times of uncertainty or change, Rotary remains steady because of the values we hold and the service we commit to, side by side.
I have no doubt that President Arezzo’s leadership will reflect that same spirit of unity and good.
The full message will be distributed in a future edition as soon as it becomes available.
THE ROTARY FOUNDATION TRUSTEE CHAIR
2025-26
Holger Knaack, Rotary International President in 2020-21, and who is a member of the Rotary Club of Herzogtum Lauenburg-Mölln, Germany, is The Rotary Foundation’s Chairperson for 2025-26.
Holger has been a Rotary member since 1992 and served as Rotary International President in 2020-21. Prior to that position, Knaack has served Rotary as treasurer, director, moderator, member and chair of several committees, representative for the Council on Legislation, zone coordinator, training leader, and district governor.
He has been an endowment/major gifts adviser and co-chair of the Host Organization Committee for the 2019 Rotary International Convention in Hamburg.
Knaack is the CEO of Knaack KG, a real estate company. He was previously a partner and general manager of Knaack Enterprises, a 125-year-old family business.
He is a founding member of the Civic Foundation of the City of Ratzeburg and served as president of the GolfClub Gut Grambek. Knaack is also the founder and chair of the Karl Adam Foundation.
Knaack and his wife, Susanne, are Major Donors to The Rotary Foundation and they are members of the Bequest Society.
As will be the case for the message of our new RI President for 2025-26, the full message will be distributed in a future edition as soon as it becomes available.
HOLGER KNAACK Foundation Trustee Chair,
2025-26
In the mountains of Poland, 26 children traumatized by violence get a chance to be kids again at Rotary camp
By Iuliia Mendel Produced by Monika Lozinska
Beneath the emotional scars of living in a Ukrainian war zone, Mykyta Berlet flashes the same mischievousness of any other 12-year-old boy headed to camp.
He wants to laugh, play pranks and on the last night of camp “we will cover everyone with toothpaste,” he says excitedly.
Mykyta and 25 other Ukrainian youths headed to the resort town of Zakopane in the foothills of southern Poland are naturally focused on fun. But their two-week respite organized by Rotary members has a higher purpose: To help the children heal and cope with the trauma they may encounter when they go home.
Each camper has a parent or sibling killed or injured in the fighting in Ukraine. Psychologists at camp will guide them along the way during an itinerary that mixes escape and therapy.
Olga Zmiyivska, a member of the Rotary Club of Kharkiv Multinational in Ukraine, has brought children to the camp for two years and has witnessed its impact.
“After the trip, they are more willing to make contact and open their hearts,” she said.
Thousands have died and millions have been displaced by the fighting between pro-Russia rebels and the Ukrainian military in eastern Ukraine.
Growing up in the shadow of that nearly four-year conflict, most of the campers don’t remember a life without war. They tell unrealistic stories about battles and keep silent about real horrors. Some are guarded and hypervigilant. Others endure sleepless nights or nightmares. A few withdraw and emotionally shut down.
In Zakopane, nestled in the scenic Tatra Mountains, Rotary members give the children a chance to heal in a peaceful setting. The children sleep in comfortable cabins along a pristine lake flanked by green, rolling hills.
The program, called Vacation 2017 Zakopane: Well-Being for Ukrainian Kids, includes traditional camp activities and field trips along with support from mental health professionals. More than 100 children have attended over the past four years.
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Above left - Valeriia Salohub, 13, father killed – Above right - Mykhailo, 6, and Oleksandr, 8, Kruhlikov, father killed War came into their homes
Psychologist and art therapist Olha Hrytsenko helps children work through their grief at Vacation 2017 Zakopane: Well-Being for Ukrainian Kids.
This year’s campers visited a mountain village to learn about local traditions, toured historic Krakow, and saw the castles, salt mines and hot springs of southern Poland. The routine activities are simple but powerful.
Yuriy Paschalin and Vlad Tsepun, both 12, became close friends after their fathers were killed by snipers. The field trips helped both boys start to relax and act like typical, curious children.
“This program allows these kids to stay kids and to live children’s emotions,” said psychologist and art therapist Olha Hrytsenko
“They will observe and absorb another culture, attitude, and language, (and) will be able to compare and make conclusions about what is good and what is bad. It will help them to find themselves.”
Click here to read the rest of the article.
Linked through sister cities, Rotarians save newborns in Brazil
By Vanessa Glavinskas Photographs by Robert Gill
A mother is in labor, and she’s frightened. Her baby isn’t due for three months. The closest hospital is 30 miles away, and although she makes it there in time, the baby is born weighing barely 2 pounds.
And there’s another problem.
The hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit has only seven incubators, and all are in use, so the baby must be transferred to another hospital to receive the critical care he needs. If he survives the transfer, his parents will need to find a way to make trips to that hospital for months.
Many new mothers were facing similar situations at Dr. Leopoldo Bevilacqua Regional Hospital, a state-run facility in Brazil’s Ribeira Valley. Lack of equipment meant some of the hospital’s most vulnerable newborns had to be transferred, which was a factor in São Paulo state’s high infant mortality rate.
By adding five incubators to the NICU, the hospital nearly doubled the number of babies its nurses and doctors can care for.
“There are two realities here: people who can pay for a private hospital and those who can’t,” says Lina Shimizu, who spearheaded the project for the Rotary Club of Registro-Ouro, Brazil. Those who can’t, she says, often have to travel long distances to get to a state-run hospital such as Leopoldo Bevilacqua, which serves 24 towns.
The Rotary Club of Registro-Ouro and the Rotary Club of Registro partnered on a Rotary Foundation global grant with two clubs in Nakatsugawa, Japan.
Through the partnership, Brazilian Rotarians raised $172,500. They funded equipment including five incubators for the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), which nearly doubled the hospital’s capacity to care for fragile newborns. In 2013, 129 babies were admitted to the NICU; since the completion of the project, the hospital has been able to care for about 220 babies per year.
By adding five incubators to the NICU, the hospital nearly doubled the number of babies its nurses and doctors can care for.
Rotarians funded incubators, ventilators, heated cribs, vitalsign monitors, and other equipment for a state-run hospital outside São Paulo.
“There are two realities here: people who can pay for a private hospital and those who can’t,” says Lina Shimizu, who spearheaded the project for the Rotary Club of Registro-Ouro, Brazil.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
Summary of new polioviruses this week (June 18), cases and positive environmental isolates:
• Papua New Guinea: two cVDPV2-positive environmental samples
Welcoming Rotary’s New Leader in the Fight Against Polio
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative congratulates Francesco Arezzo, newly named Rotary International President for 2025–2026. Arezzo officially assumes the role on 1 July. We look forward to partnering with him—and the entire Rotary network—as we push closer to a polio-free world. Wishing all our Rotary friends a successful annual Convention this week in Calgary, Canada.
Building a Barrier Against Polio: Lake Chad Region Unites for Eradication
Governments across the Lake Chad Basin are stepping up coordinated efforts to stop polio for good. Their collective commitment is turning the tide toward eradication. [More]
GPEI and Gavi Align on Shared Health Security Goals
This week, the GPEI and Gavi Boards come together to strengthen ties and accelerate progress toward shared goals: ending polio, reinforcing routine immunization, and protecting every child from preventable disease. [More]
Guinea on Alert: Vaccinating to Keep Polio Out
Watch how Guinea is acting fast to prevent polio’s return—targeting high-risk areas with focused vaccination campaigns. [Watch video]
From Kabul to Kandahar: Stepping Up the Fight Against Polio in Afghanistan
Take a closer look at how Afghanistan is scaling up vaccination efforts to protect children and stop polio in its tracks.
SUPPORT THE ROTARY FOUNDATION
THE POLIOPLUS SOCIETY
Join the PolioPlus Society in District 6330.
Donations are matched annually 2-to-1 by the Gates Foundation up to US$50 million, generating a potential total of US$150 million toward polio eradication.
Raise awareness in your community by planning events or projects that support the fight against polio.
Visit endpolio.org to find the latest information and tools to help you share the story of our fight against polio and raise support.
Ending this disease forever remains our top humanitarian priority and needs our full commitment.
An initiative of Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland
And a little note of explanation –
CORMS
BULBS
A corm is an underground swollen stem base. A bulb is an underground structure made of layers (like an onion).
It stores energy and nutrients to support the plant’s growth each year. It has fleshy scales wrapped around a central shoot.
Crocuses, gladiolus, and colchicum grow from corms.
Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and onions grow from true bulbs.
The 2025 Rotary International Convention | Calgary, Canada is a wrap!
We started yesterday with the annual PolioPlus breakfast where the most recent Polio Free World Award recipients were recognized. Speakers included: International Polio Plus Committee Chair Michael McGovern, who updated us on the overall status of the polio eradication effort; Judith Diment, who briefed us the status of governmental funding; and Kim Walden, who provided us with creative fundraising ideas. Together, we, with our project partners, will #EndPolioNow!
Rotary International President Stephanie facilitated a breakout session panel with President-elect Francesco Arezzo and Trustee Chair Elect Holger Knaack Topics discussed included membership growth strategies, leadership models and the need for creating a culture of innovation in our clubs. Together, we learned about their respective visions for Rotary International and #TheRotaryFoundation. Attendees left motivated and focused on #Rotary’s mission.
The addresses by the #rotaryinternational Presidents-line at the closing session could not have been more inspiring. It was energizing to see the passion of our Rotary members and leaders. I am looking forward to a new Rotary year filled with collaboration, service and progress.
As I look back on another fabulous convention, the best part of it was so many amazing members of the Rotary family, and it was special to be here with my family.
Yumi Akeyama was one of three recipients of the Rotary International Service Award for a Polio-Free World in 2025, alongside Johrita Solari and Kimberly Walden. Left to Right – Francesco Arezzo, Stephanie Urchick, Yumi, Michael McGovern, Holger Knaack.
Dear Rotarians
Thank you for your generous support of The Rotary Foundation. Your commitment helps Rotary members around the world create lasting, meaningful change - one project, one vaccine, one community at a time.
Because of donors like you, we’ve funded 458 district grants, 1,210 global grants, and 69 disaster response grants this year. These grants empower Rotary members to meet urgent needs, strengthen communities, and build a more resilient future.
And the impact doesn’t stop there. In 2024 alone, more than 270 million children in 36 countries received over 1 billion doses of oral polio vaccine, thanks to the efforts of Rotary, our global partners, and supporters like you. Your generosity brings us closer every day to a world without polio.
Every grant awarded and every child protected are a reflection of your belief in a better world. Thank you, Kitty, for remaining dedicated to Doing Good in the World.
Sincerely,
INTERNATIONAL DATES TO NOTE
July - Rotary’s Focus Maternal & Child Health
Friday, July 11
World Population Day
Tuesday, July 15
World Youth Skills Day
Friday, July 18
Nelson Mandela International Day
Sunday, July 20
International Chess Day
Friday, July 25
World Drowning Prevention Day
Monday, July 28
World Hepatitis Day
Wednesday, July 30
International Day of Friendship
Wednesday, July 30
World Day Against Trafficking in Persons
Click here to learn more about the Blue Heart Campaign.
Do you need a make-up? missed meetings? To learn about other Rotary clubs?
The Passport Club members are encouraged to join local (and other) clubs to learn more about Rotary, get to know other Rotarians, gain a new perspective and appreciation for Rotary and Rotarians. Here is a list of online clubs where you can earn a make-up along with learning a whole lot more about Rotary! Why not visit them all?
• Rotary E-Club of Canada One – Rotary On Demand, Where you want, When you want!
• Rotary Club of One World
• Rotary E-Club of World Peace
Click here to attend this week’s posted meeting of E-Club of Canada One. These meetings are posted online and available 24/7!
Club President for 2025-26 – Mariann Timmers
Sue, Rick, Mariann, and Charles met on June 23 in Thamesville where we presented Mariann with a floral arrangement to thank her for her year as Club President!
Onward and upward – 2025-26!
OUR CLUB PROJECTS
HELPING MIGRANT WORKERS
The Passport Club of District 6330 is happy to be continuing our successful service project, Backpacks for Migrant Workers. More information to follow.
North Lambton Community Health Care created the Migrant Worker Project to support the 700 migrant workers working in Sarnia and Lambton County. Our club is working with the Project Coordinator, Andrea Jones-Peper, by providing backpacks for newly arriving workers.
We will continue through the 2025-26 year to fill the backpacks with items requested by workers, such as toiletries. The date of delivery is hoping to be the start of the season in the spring. We will continue to support these workers. Stay tuned! Consider what items you can individually add to these backpacks!
Watermelons, melons, cassava, and corn might not seem like much, but for Lorena, they were the key ingredients for a long-held entrepreneurial dream.
After 17 years in San José, Costa Rica, Lorena has built a steady business selling fruits and vegetables in the calm, quiet neighborhood of Arajuelita, just outside the city limits.
“I’ve always tried to be an entrepreneurial woman,” she says. “I’m almost always doing this, looking for ideas to start and to help the household.”
Lorena quickly realized that her business could really grow, if she only had the ability to purchase a few new items. She knew that by expanding her product selection, she could reach new customers, while helping her current customers with their needs.
With the help of a USD$1,025 loan from 36 Kiva lenders, Lorena was able to grow her business and earn more income from her sales. Thanks to this growth, she is now able to pay for her children’s university expenses and even start a small savings — things that at one time felt out of reach both for her and for her family.
Click here to read the rest of this inspiring story – one of so many!
CONTINUING SUCCESS – CUP OF KINDNESS
To some this is just a cup.
To members of the Rotary Club of District 6330 Passport this is A CUP OF KINDNESS
…as we support local food banks in our local communities
Our Cup of Kindness
Some useful links – to local area Food Banks
London Food Bank Strathroy
Sarnia – Inn of the Good Shepherd Stratford
CONGRATULATIONS TO ROTARIAN RICH
Sarnia's Race to Erase raises more than $34,000 for nine charities
Author of the article: Paul Morden - Published May 31, 2025
From left, Dimas Pimentel, 14, Nola Grant, 9 and Laurie Grant take part Saturday in the Sarnia Race to Erase, an annual event where teams compete in challenges and raise funds for charities. Photo by Paul Morden /The Observer
THE RACE TO ERASE
The Race to Erase is still going strong almost two decades after the fundraiser began in Sarnia.
On Saturday, 32 teams who collectively raised more than $34,000 for nine local charities, competed in fun challenges held at locations around the Sarnia area.
“Our goal is always at least 30 (teams),” said Kaley Holder, with the Hashtag Charitable Foundation, the race’s organizer.
“Having 32 is great and having 32 show up on race day is even better,” she said.
There’s no registration fee for the teams of four, but they are asked to each raise at least $500 for one of the charities. This year’s event supported the
• Inn of the Good Shepherd
• Women’s Interval Home of Sarnia-Lambton
• SWONT Conductive Education Trust Fund
• Errol Road Public School
• River City Vineyard
• Pathways Health Centre for Children
• Literacy Lambton
• That Girl’s Got Moxie, and
• BCG Sarnia. (formerly Big Brothers, Big Sisters)
Remember our Happy Chats – get to know our club members!
Join the Happy Chats – get to know our club members!
Happy Chats are online every Wednesday.
Every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. -ish – Join us!
Join your Rotary friends for an informal 30-minute get together.
Plan to join our Zoom Meetings! Click here.
And our Monthly Online Meeting!! Plan to join us!
View the video of our monthly meeting of Wednesday - June 4, 2025
Click here to view last month’s meeting video.
Grant Management in D6330 - Your
Clubs must qualify first! The Rotary Foundation requires Clubs that want to participate in the District Grants program to qualify. To qualify, the club must:
• Be in good standing
• May not have any grant reporting that is overdue
• Have at least 2 members complete the District’s Qualification Training course and quiz
The Certification is valid for One Rotary Year only! Clubs must be re-certified for each Rotary Year.
Rotary Foundation Grants – There are two kinds of grants. -Global Grants and District Grants:
Global Grants
• Must be in (at least) one of Rotary's Areas Of Focus
• Must be International projects involving at least 2 clubs in 2 different countries. One of these clubs is the "host" club - the club where the project will take place. The other is the "international partner" - the club that provides funding and possibly some expertise to help implement the project.
• Must have a minimum budget of USD $30,000
• Club funds are supplemented by the District Designated Funds as, and if, available
• Funds donated to the project from District Designated Funds are supplemented by The Rotary Foundation (World Fund) to fund these grants.
District Grants
• May be local or international in scope.
• Are usually smaller in scale. There is no minimum budget requirement.
• Will usually involve active participation by Rotarians.
• District 6330 clubs may apply for more than one District Grant in a single Rotary year, but are limited to a maximum of USD $3,000 per year in District Grant funding.
• Projects must be started and completed within one Rotary year - July 1 to June 30 of the next year.
Ready to Apply for A Grant? Will it be a District or a Global Grant?
3 simple questions to help you decide:
• Is the project in one of the areas of focus? – No? Consider applying for a District Grant.
• Is the project between Clubs/Districts in separate countries? – No? Consider a District Grant.
• Is the total budget for the project less than USD $30,000? – No? Consider applying for a District Grant.
• If you answer YES to all the above, consider applying for a Global Grant.
Fundraising ideas – how to raise funds
For more information and ideas, click here.
CLUB
OFFICERS 2025-26
President Mariann Timmers
Secretary
Treasurer
Membership Chair
Project Chair
Directors
The Rotary Foundation (TRF) Communications
Sue Storie
Jessica Herbert
Deb Beaupré
Sue Storie
Rick Storie
Kitty Bucsko
MEMBERSHIP LIST BELOW –CLUB MEMBERS’ LIST WITH EMAIL ADDRESSES
A.C. Alrey acalrey@gmail.com
Deb Beaupré debmarjean@gmail.com
Rich Bouchard rbouchard@racetoerase.com
Kitty Bucsko ladykitt@gmail.com
Lynn Coates lynn.coates.1@outlook.com
Sue Elliott susan@sutherlandelliott.ca
Heather Macdonald heathermac@BMTS.com
Jessica Morrow jessicaherbert2023@gmail.com
George Ottewell george.ottewell@gmail.com
Nancy Ottewell nottewell@gmail.com
Rick Storie rick.storie@sympatico.ca
Sue Storie sue.storie@sympatico.ca
Lynne Ternosky lynneternosky@gmail.com
Mariann Timmers gtimmers@aol.com
Theme for 2025-26
Reminder - Some useful links – to local area Food Banks
London Food Bank
Strathroy
Sarnia – Inn of the Good Shepherd
Stratford
Theme for 2025-26
The Environment – Rotary’s 7th Area of Focus
How Rotary will help protect our planet
• The Rotary Foundation will enable our members and their community partners to take action by:
• Protecting and restoring land, coastal, marine, and freshwater resources
• Enhancing the capacity of communities to support natural resource management and conservation
• Supporting sustainable agriculture, fishing, and aquaculture practices
• Addressing the cause of climate change by reducing the emission of greenhouse gases
• Strengthening ecosystems and communities affected by climate change
• Supporting education initiatives that promote behavior that protects the environment
• Advocating for sustainable consumption to build an economy that uses resources more efficiently
• Addressing environmental public health concerns
And here’s a list of excellent – and fun – climate videos – that will help you understand (with humour) what’s happening –
Click here for the source - https://grist.org/extreme-heat/alaska-just-hit-a-climate-milestone-its-first-heat-advisory/
In the high glare of a summer evening in Fairbanks, Alaska, Ciara Santiago watched the mercury climb. A meteorologist at the National Weather Service office, she had the dubious honor of issuing the state’s first ever official heat advisory as temperatures were expected to hit the mid-80s.
It’s the kind of bureaucratic alert that rarely makes national headlines. But in a city where permafrost thaw buckles roads, homes lack air conditioning, and the high at this time of year is generally in the low 70s, the warning comes as a sign of rapidly shifting climate. Alaska is warming more than twice as fast as the global average.
In Alaska, where hazardous cold is historically more of a concern, weather offices in Fairbanks — just 120 miles south of the Arctic circle as the raven flies — didn’t have the option of issuing heat advisories until the beginning of this month, when it was added to a list of possible public alerts. “It gives us a more direct way of communicating these kinds of hazards when they occur,” Santiago said.
The heat bearing down on Alaska isn’t entirely unprecedented, at least in meteorological terms. On the heels of a cold spring, a dome of high pressure, known as an upper-level ridge, has settled over the Interior, a fairly common pattern that traps warm air. In the state’s central valleys, that can spell high temperatures and dry conditions. Temperatures on Friday reached a high of 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
An updated advisory on Sunday warned the hot conditions would last until Tuesday, with “temperatures up to 87F to 89F… Isolated areas up to 90F are possible, especially in the Yukon Flats.”
“People in [the] Lower 48 might think that’s nothing, but here those temps could feel like 110,” Santiago said.
With nearly 22 hours of sunlight approaching the solstice, daytime heat accumulates and lingers — not just outside, but indoors. Unlike the Lower 48, most homes in Alaska weren’t built to keep heat out, but to keep it in during months of subzero cold. The thick insulation this requires turns houses into ovens during extended periods of hot temperatures. In Europe, where infrastructure is similarly designed for cold climates, a brutal 2003 heat wave exposed the potential risks: It killed 35,000 people.
The city of Fairbanks, seen here in a file photo, sits 120 miles south of the Arctic Circle and saw temperatures in the mid-80s.
/ Getty Images
That’s part of why the state’s new heat advisory matters. It’s not just a weather bulletin. It’s a warning for a state where most people don’t have the coping mechanisms taken for granted elsewhere — shaded porches, central air, even knowing the signs of heatstroke.
The sudden temperature jump also poses its own challenges. “I’m originally from Texas,” Santiago said. “I’m so used to hot summers that in the 50s, I start putting on a jacket. Now living in Alaska, I’m wearing dresses at that temperature.” But it’s not just a matter of clothing: When your body adapts to higher temperatures, the volume of blood expands, allowing your heart to pump more efficiently and reducing heat stress. You begin sweating earlier, and produce more sweat per gland. But it generally takes one to two weeks of exposure to adapt, making sudden swings in temperature riskier.
The office Santiago works for, like many National Weather Service offices, have recently lost staff under Trump administration cuts. More than 560 members were laid off across the country, reducing its capacity by about a third, and leaving many stations critically understaffed. As a result, the Fairbanks office that made the state’s first heat warning must now suspend operations overnight. “We’re working to the best of our ability with what we have,” Santiago said.
The early start to summer heat comes after a winter with low snow levels and early melt, raising concerns about fire season. Layoffs have also affected firefighting staff, where both technical expertise and basic manpower are in question.
Concerned about federal capacity, California Gov. Newsom launched a firefighter recruitment effort this week, but in Alaska, much of the wildland firefighting force is federal, raising the question of whether those like Santiago who must prepare for threats ahead will have the resources they need.
Jacob Boomsma
ROTARY’S FOUR-WAY TEST
A Thoughtful Start to any day
� � � � What is the Rotary Four-Way Test?
It's a short ethical guide used by Rotarians worldwide to help evaluate decisions, both personal and professional.
It was created in 1932 by Herbert J. Taylor, who later became Rotary International President. Facing financial and moral crisis in his company, he developed this test as a litmus test for integrity and fair conduct.
The test asks four questions of the things we think, say or do:
• Is it the TRUTH?
• Is it FAIR to all concerned?
• Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
• Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
It may seem simple, but in a complex world, those questions are anything but easy — and that’s part of their power.
Click the 4-way test above and open the link to hear the Four-Way Test by RC of Saskatoon Nutana.
See our Passport Club Facebook page for more up-to-the-minute Passport news!
https://www.facebook.com/rotary6330passport/
THE ROTARY FOUNDATION
EREY – Every Rotarian Every Year
Our Every Rotarian, Every Year (EREY)
It’s an initiative that encourages all Rotary club members to contribute at least what they can afford every year
to help us reach our goal to support the Rotary Foundation financially every year.
Click here for a short video
A LITTLE HUMOUR
A lovely little video that will make you smile. Click here.
And enjoy these bits of humour below:
“My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch.”
– Jack Nicholson
“Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.”
– Oscar Wilde
“Instead of getting married again, I’m going to find a woman I don’t like and just give her a house.”
– Rod Stewart
“Two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I am not yet completely sure about the universe.”
– Albert Einstein
Here’s a video link to another short video that will make you laugh. Click here
The three hardest things to say are:
I was wrongI need helpWorcestershire Sauce!
And on the next page – With age, comes Wisdom!
WITH AGE COMES WISDOM!
Still trying to get my head around the fact that 'Take Out' can mean food, dating, or murder.
The older I get, the more I understand why roosters scream to start their day.
If only vegetables smelled as good as bacon.
I woke up this morning determined to drink less, eat right, and exercise. But that was four hours ago when I was younger and full of hope.
We live in a time where intelligent people are silenced so that stupid people won't be offended. (So True)
The biggest joke on mankind is that computers have begun asking humans to prove they aren't a robot.
When a kid says "Daddy, I want mommy" that's the kid version of "I'd like to speak to your supervisor."
It's weird being the same age as old people.
Last night the internet stopped working so I spent a few hours with my family. They seem like good people.
If Adam and Eve were Cajuns they would have eaten the snake instead of the apple and saved us all a lot of trouble.
We celebrated last night with a couple of adult beverages... Metamucil and Ensure.
Weight loss goal: To be able to clip my toenails and breathe at the same time.
Some of my friends exercise every day. Meanwhile I am watching a show I don't like because the remote fell on the floor.
For those of you that don't want Alexa or Siri listening in on your conversation, they are making a male version; it doesn't listen to anything.
There is fine line between a numerator and a denominator. Only a fraction of people will find this funny.
I have many hidden talents I just wish I could remember where I hid them.
Exercise helps you with decision-making. It's true. I went for a run this morning and decided I'm never going again!
Four out of three adults have trouble with math.
But no -
When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever. In its place is something that you have left behind. Let it be something good. *
