Please mark your calendar for these upcoming events:

 

Story by Kathy Belden

 

   Dave Baloun is a name that frequently comes up when Canton wine lovers get together.  "I turned my passion for wine into a business," said Dave, who retired from a career with Leonard Insurance in January.

 

The gregarious executive immediately jumped into forming his company, Elevage Wine Advisors, and is pursuing his passion for wine and sharing his immense knowledge with Canton and beyond.  Because Dave enjoys the routine of working from an office, he set up a small space on 4433 38th Street N.W. in Jackson Township.

 

What could be more French than Elevage? It means "to grow, or to bring up," stated Dave in explaining the name he gave his company.  It reflects his personality: sophisticated, but with an air of panache.

 

Elevage has a three-fold mission:  consult, educate and travel.  Dave has taught wine classes at Kent State University-Stark Campus, and has taken on diverse clients to update and fine-tune their wine lists.  Locally, he's worked with The Canal Tavern at Zoar to add more German wines to complement the German dishes on its menu and with Fisher Foods to help train the staff.  Dave is collaborating with Barbara Abbott of Canton Food Tours for Walking and Wine Wednesdays and also is available to talk to wine groups and to help plan a wine tasting in your home.

 

Dreaming of a trip to Napa Valley or Italy? Dave's connections with distributors can help you focus your trip on "small, boutique wineries," he said.

 

While Dave is available to conduct trips to exciting, far-flung wine destinations, he also suggests travel right here in our home state.  "There are about 165 wineries in Ohio.  I'm encouraged.  Our climate pushes us toward white wine.  Because of our growing season, we can get Riesling, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay,"  he explained.  Of local wineries, Dave is impressed with Perennial Vineyards.  Dave says that the Conneaut area, near Lake Erie, has several winery-vineyards worth visiting, "each with its own distinct personality."  While you could go on your own, he'd be happy to arrange a tasting trip for you.

 

Let's say you are in the grocery store trying to make a decision on what to drink with tonight's dinner.  Dave suggests some wine apps for your phone.  Try The Wine Spectator's app:  apps.winespectator.com for over 275,000 wine reviews.  Another good one to try is hellovino.com/wine-mobile.  It will be almost like having Dave right there with you.

 

SPEAKER CHAIR - MIKE PARIS

INVOCATOR - P.S. MURTHY

SONG LEADER - BRUCE SCHORSTEN

GREATER LEADER - BRUCE SCHORSTEN

     - Jerry Johnson

       For Paws Animal Hospital

       Classification:  Veterinary - Practice Management

       Proposed by: Teresa Dixon

 

The Rotary Club of Canton will once again be participating in a food drive this year and we ask you bring in non-perishable foods on Friday, November 13th.  This is a great opportunity to help families who may be in need of assistance over the Thanksgiving Holiday.  The collection of food will be provided to The Thanksgiving Baskets Downtown which has been feeding hungry people for over 30 years.  

 

We are asking members to bring in FIVE (5) or more non-perishable food items for this worthy cause during the November 13th regular Rotary meetings.  Every Rotarian who brings in at least five non-perishable food items will be presented with a "make-up" which can then be applied to their attendance.

 

Here are a few suggestions for donation:  Boxed Goods ~ *Granola Bars (highly requested), Macaroni & Cheese, Dressing/stuffing in boxes, Instant mashed potatoes, Pasta, Jello & Puddings; Canned Goods ~ Baked beans, Canned soups, Sweet Potatoes, Canned fruits, Green beans, Corn.

 

For safety reasons:  NO GLASS JARS, NO EXPIRED ITEMS AND NO PARTIAL CONTAINERS.

 

Please consider helping this very worthy cause with a food donation! If you would be interested in volunteering your time, please contact fellow Canton Rotarian Teresa Dixon at her email tld3310@yahoo.com.

 

 

 

 

The Board of Trustees has nominated the following Rotarians for possible election to the Board for the next Rotary year.  They are:  Dean Gogolewski, Bruce Hale, Drew Pelger and Don Peterson.  Election of Board members for the next Rotary year will be held at the November 13, 2015 meeting.

 

Here are your Officers for the 2016-17 Rotary year:  President-Craig Young; President Elect-Amanda Tietze; Vice-President -Michelle Mullaly; Treasurer- Tom Clevenger; Secretary-Suzette Matthews.

 

 

  Bruce Hale -- General Manager for Jaymac Body & Frame Inc.; United States Naval Academy; Member of Rotary for two years; Bruce's Rotary involvement consists of serving on the Pancake Committee, the Oktoberfest Committee and the Salvation Army Bell Ringing Committee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dean A. Gogolewski - - Executive Director of the Eric Snow YMCA; Purdue University, BPE-Physical Education; Kent State, MA-Sport Administration.  Dean has been a Rotarian for three years, a 2 year member of The Rotary Club of Twinsburg and has been a Canton Rotarian since December 2014.  Dean has been involved with the Character Champion program for McKinley High School and Timken Senior High School and our club's annual golf outing.

 

 

  Drew Pelger -- Account Executive with The Pelger Agency;  College of Wooster - Business Economics; Member of Rotary for one year; Drew's Rotary involvement has consisted of chairing the Service project, and serving on the Golf Outing Committee and the Oktoberfest Committee.  Drew has also been involved with United Way YLS (Young Leaders Society) and M.I.L.Ienials (Mercy Imminent Leaders).  Drew served as the Canton Park Board Commissioner from 2012-2015.

 

 

  Don Peterson, III -- V.P. Operation/General Manager for WDJQ-Q92 and AM 1310 WDPN Radio; The Ohio State University - BA Communication.  Member of Rotary for 17 years and has served on various committees.  Don is currently on the Board for Canton Community Improvement Corp, Past President of the Canton Joint Recreation District Board, Vice Chair for Mercy Medical Development Foundation Board and the Ohio Association of Broadcasters Board.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BEULE, DAVID T.                             Nov 02
MATTHEWS, ROBERT K.                   Nov 02
FULMER, Denny                              Nov 03
HAWK, LAURA JO                            Nov 13
HEALY, WILLIAM                             Nov 14
MUSTAFAGA, AMY L.                        Nov 15
PETERSON, III, DONALD A.             Nov 16
WALLACE, DEAN L.                         Nov 16
WHITE, PAUL B.                              Nov 16
HURSH, DAVID C.                            Nov 18
TAFLAN, E. PETER                           Nov 24
CUMLER, WILLIAM T.                      Nov 29

GOODENBERGER, KURT                        8 years
PETERSON, III, DONALD A.                  18 years
WHITE, PAUL B.                                    9 years
MALACAMAN, EDGARDO A.                   26 years
GARCAR, MICHAEL                                1 Year
HOCHADEL, KEITH                                1 Year
ROBERTS, DAVID                                  4 years
CLEVENGER, TOM                                29 years
LUNTZ, WILLIAM L.                              31 years
BISHOP, DOUGLAS L.                           13 years
BARKAN, JOHN M.                                27 years
WHITTIER, FREDERICK C.                     27 years
PELANDA, RAYMOND P.                         14 years

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Rotary Club of Canton will once again  present our annual Health Screen & Wellness Fair on Saturday, November 7, 2015.  This year's event will be held at the Mercy Hall Auditorium, 1320 Mercy Drive N.W., Canton, 44708 from 7 a.m. - 11 a.m. 

 

All testing will be provided by Mercy Medical Center Laboratory services.  To register in advance for these screenings click on this LINK, or call the Canton Rotary office at (330) 452-2882 (Monday, Tuesday & Thursday between 8am - 4pm).  To conveniently register online, visit cantonrotary.org.

 

We gladly accept cash, check and credit card - VISA and MASTERCARD.

 

*A 12-hour fast is recommended for more accurate results.  Walk-in appointments are also welcome.

 

In addition to the blood screenings, Mercy Medical Center service lines will be offering additional FREE health screenings and educational materials.  LifeShare Community Blood Services blood mobile will also be on-site for blood donations.

 

 

 

 

 

  Each October is the annual fund drive for the Canton Rotary Charitable Fund. As Rotarians, we all subscribe to “Service Above Self”. The annual Charitable Fund drive is a way we can all follow the Service Above Self motto. The annual drive is critical to having the funds to support our traditional local projects such as: Rotary Scouts, Philomatheon Society, Sister Rotary Club in Dominican Republic, Junior Achievement, Stark County Library, Exchange Students (inbound and outbound), Project Warm and many more. We recently have not been able to grant funds to  all the worthy programs and charities that we would want to support.

I feel we are at a critical stage for our Rotary Club, a point where we need to show the community we are a valuable asset to the future growth of Canton and are an integral part of the change in Canton. One way to accomplish this is to have projects branded under Canton Rotary that are visible and recognized by the city and everyone who visits. For Canton Rotary to be able to make an impact that is permanent and branded in Canton, we need a healthy charitable fund.

I ask that each Rotarian donate to the Charitable Fund this year. While no donation is too small, we are asking that each Rotarian donate at least $100. If you cannot donate $100, please donate $25 or whatever amount you are able. Personally, I am doubling my donation from previous years, and ask everyone to do the same if possible.

We made a nice splash with our Canton Rotary Oktoberfest, let’s keep the momentum going with this year’s Canton Rotary Charitable Fund drive. Our goal this year is $15,000. Please join me in this journey so when we say we are “The Finest Rotary Club in the World” we know that each and every one of us is a part of making that claim true.

With sincere gratitude,
 
 
Craig A. Young
President-Elect

 

 

 

K.R. RAVINDRAN

PRESIDENT 2015-16

NOVEMBER 2015

One sunny morning at the end of June 1991, a van drove through the busy, rush-hour streets of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Winding through traffic to a northern suburb, the van arrived at the Forward Command Headquarters of the Defense Ministry. Security guards stopped it for inspection. When they did, the two suicide bombers driving the van detonated their cargo: thousands of kilograms of plastic explosives.

The roof of the building was blown off completely. Debris was strewn for blocks. In total, 21 people were killed and 175 people injured, among them many pupils of the girls' school next door. More than a kilometer away, the blast shattered every window in my home. My wife raced toward the sound of the explosion – toward our daughter's school.

Our daughter was then nine years old. That morning, she had forgotten her pencil case at home. At the moment of the blast, she was coming out of a stationer's shop, admiring her new pencils. Suddenly her ears were ringing, the air was filled with sand, and everywhere around her people were screaming, bleeding, and running. Someone pulled her into the garden of the badly damaged school, where she waited until my wife arrived to bring her back to our home – its floors still covered with broken glass.

Sri Lanka today is peaceful and thriving, visited by some two million tourists every year. Our war now is only a memory, and we as a nation look forward to a promising future. Yet so many other nations cannot say the same. Today, more of the world's countries are involved in conflict than not; a record 59.5 million people worldwide live displaced by wars and violence.

In Rotary we believe, in spite of all that, in the possibility of peace – not out of idealism, but out of experience. We have seen that even the most intractable conflicts can be resolved when people have more to lose by fighting than by working together. We have seen what can happen when we approach peace-building in ways that are truly radical, such as the work of our Rotary Peace Fellows. Through our Rotary Foundation, peace fellows become experts in preventing and resolving conflict. Our goal is that they will find new ways not only to end wars but to stop them before they begin.

Among the hundreds of peace fellows who have graduated from the program, two from Sri Lanka, one from each side of the conflict, studied together. In the first weeks of the course, both argued passionately for the rightness of their side. Yet week by week, they grew to understand each other's perspective; today, they are good friends. When I met them and heard their story, they gave me hope. If 25 years of pain and bitterness could be overcome by Rotary, then what, indeed, is beyond us?

We cannot fight violence with violence. But when we fight it with education, with understanding, and with peace, we can truly Be a Gift to the World.