Archive for the ‘Meeting Highlights’ Category

January 3, 2012 Meeting – Denali Wilson made a presentation about the Safe Haven Project in Ghana.  This project focuses on educating children and teens with HIV through a health program designed to identify sources of HIV and methods for prevention.  Each year, a group of ten Americans and four Ghanians travel to the camp and stay for two weeks.  Our club sponsored Denali to attend the 2010 RYLA Camp.  She is now attending NMSU, and majoring in biology.  Denali is also a recipient of an NMSU President’s Associates Scholarship.

January 10, 2012 Meeting – Vic Villalobos introduced Tom Townsend.  Mr. Townsend is a member of the DAC Humane Society Board.  His presentation addressed the Humane Society achieving it’s goal of zero “No Kill” in seven years. New Mexico is currently 46th in the country regarding animal protection laws.  The society wants changes made to existing laws to provide clear definitions of animal cruelty to ensure that law enforcement can make arrests in such cases.

January 17, 2012 Meeting – Matt Olson introduced Robert Faubion of the EBID (Elephant Butte Irrigation District) Board. Mr. Faubion’s presentation addressed current water issues.  The drought in the southwest will continue. Currently, this year’s snow pack is estimated to be lower than the 30 year average.

January 24, 2012 Meeting – Mel Parish, Richelle Ponder and Michelle Murphy are members of the Wednesday morning Rotary Club.  They are members of the “Don’t Meth with Us” program committee, and provided us with a rehearsal of the program, which will presented to all 6th grade students.

January 31, 2012 Meeting – The fifth Tuesday of the month is dedicated to club business matters.  Status reports were presented by New Generations chairperson, Mike Beckett; Brad Beasley, Treasurer; Dave Hicks, Membership chairperson; Ronnie Wright, Public Relations; and Club Administration chairperson, Richard Haas.

FEBRUARY 2012 SPEAKERS:

February 07, 2012 – Jess Williams, Public Relations Officer for Dona Ana County

February 14, 2012 – A representative from DAAC

February 21, 2012 – A representative from Spaceport America

February 28, 2012 – A representative from LCPD Gang Task Force

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Dictionary Day – March 13, 2012

Yard Sale Pick-Up and Maintenance – February: Josh Lyon, Nikki MacDonald, Tom Mackin, Ken Martin, Chris May, George McCoy, Scott Mohrhauser, Terry Moss, Len Nelson and Chuck Olson.  Please contact Chub Foreman to set up your schedules.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

District Governor Dick Jones was our guest at the January 26^th meeting.  As part of his visit Dick presented Pas President John Hummer with the district level 2^nd Place Club Award for Per-Capita Annual Program Fund Giving to the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International for the last Rotary year 2008-2009, during John’s term as President.

Lauren Smith is a junior at Onate High School.

Her school activities include membership in: ROTC; MESA; Love Shak, National Honors Society; FCCLA; Young Patriots Club; Student to Student; Science Bowl Team; Ballet Folkloricko; Key Club; and track. She has received awards in: Best Female Physical Fitness; Outstanding Community Service; and Perfect Inspection.

Community activities include a variety of service activities for Veterans of Foreign Wars, her school, and the community at large.

Her hobbies and interests include culinary arts, physical fitness, swimming, painting, and interest in the medical field.

Future plans are to attend the Naval Academy and become an officer.

Lauren is the daughter of Beatrice Smith.

Joe A. Franco II is a senior at Las Cruces High School.

His school activities include cross country; Honor Society and orchestra. He serves as the Secretary of the Honor Society and was a delegate of Boys’ Nation.

Community activities include serving as a catechism teacher and retreat leader for his church, as well as service to the community at large.

His hobbies and interests include playing sports, playing the violin and camping/backpacking.

Future plans are to practice law; become a free-lance writer; and pursue his political and musical interests.

Joe is the son of Joe and Alice Franco.

STUDENT ROTARIAN

Alysha Boone is a sophomore at Onate High School.

Her school activities include track & field; student government; Ballet Folklorico; and ROTC. She currently serves as the Sophomore Class President.

Community activities include raising funds and service projects for veterans and working to landscape Alameda Elementary.

Her hobbies and interests include dancing, motorcycle, and reading.

Future plans are to enter the Air Force Academy and learn to fly.

Alysha is the daughter of Shawna and Dave Corbett.

Natalia Tenorio is a junior at Onate High School.

She is a member of the National Honor Society and has served as a class officer for the organization and participated in community service projects through the Society.

Interests include reading, cooking, and babysitting.

Future plans are to earn an advanced degree in the field of science.

Natalia is the daughter of Thomas and Beverly Tenorio.

Ashley Sullivan is a senior at Mayfield High School and

Ashley Sullivan August 09 Student of the Month

the daughter of Laura and Mark Sullivan.

Ashley’s school activities have been Student Council, Volleyball, and Varsity Softball.

She received the Academic Athlete Award for Volleyball 2006; Underclassman Award – Best in Science 2007; Underclassman Award -4.0 – 2009; All District AAAAA Honorable Mention Catcher 2007-2008-2009; Academic Letter 4.0; Mesilla Valley Maze Employee of the Year 2008.

She has worked in the community as volunteer Assistant Coach for girls 12 and under softball.

After graduation she plans to bring one of her very important dreams to reality by attending Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO.  After graduating from college she would like to travel and broaden her horizons.

You Can Make the Difference!

Retiring Military K-9 Heroes Desperately Need Adoption Revisions

One phone call made the difference between life and death

Benny MWD Dog

for 10 year old Military Working Dog (MWD) Benny B163. It was November 29, 2007, and MWD Benny B163, a lithe, active 10 year-old German Shepherd Narcotics detection/ Patrol dog had just been scheduled for euthanasia the following week. Benny received his “stay of execution” when now-owner Deborah Kandoll made the call to Langley AFB, Virginia, on that very day trying to locate a retiring MWD available for adoption. After 50 phone calls, with 30 of them being wrong numbers given by well-meaning base and post operators, Kandoll had finally located a retiring MWD Hero to give a loving Forever Home.

Although the Military Working Dog Adoption Bill H.R. 5314, was passed in 2000, most Americans remain unaware that they can adopt these unsung MWD Hero dogs after their service days are over. The bill provides for adoption of retiring military working dogs by their handlers, law enforcement agencies and by qualified civilians able to provide the care and conditions these animals need.

Though this MWD Adoption Bill should guarantee these courageous war heroes a Forever Home and soft place to land, valid problems exist which are capable of preventing such an ending. Many

Benny & Debbie

times heartbroken handlers are unable to adopt their former partners owing to today’s rapid tempo of multiple deployments in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Law enforcement agencies are not routinely made aware of the availability of these highly-trained animals, and civilians do not know HOW find which MWDs are coming up for retirement. As in Kandoll’s case, there were no readily accessible MWD Facility Contact numbers to easily locate retiring MWDs.  Sadly, some adoption-suitable MWDs fall through the cracks into euthanasia for want of an adoptive home as MWD Benny nearly did!

For this reason, Benny’s owner, Deborah Kandoll in March 2008, created the website Military Working Dog Adoptions, www.militaryworkingdogadoptions.com, which is full of MWD facility Contact Numbers and informative tips so civilians can navigate through the often frustrating and discouraging Retiring MWD adoption process. Local

Benny with Debbie Giving Command to Come to Her Side

military installations may be contacted to see if older MWD veterans coming up for retirement might be available for civilian adoption. The link for direct contact with many U.S. Military Working Dog Facility Contact numbers is  http://www.militaryworkingdogadoptions.com/donations.html

In December 2008, Military Working Dog Adoptions, through website reader donations, was responsible for the transport of adopted MWD Milly from Kunsan AB, Korea, to her adoptive family’s home in Pennsylvania. According to current military policy, since Milly had been retired in Korea, she had to be transported back as a “pet” at the cost of $1935 !!! Subsequently, Military Working Dog Adoptions also transported retired MWD Rik and  MWD Dexter  back to the US  from Hawaii and Italy, respectively, as “pets” after their retirement. Even though MWDs are considered “bonafide military members” during their careers, a human soldier’s “return to home station” does not apply to our K-9 Veterans once they have retired!

Kandoll is actively seeking four policy changes which would require the military to improve conditions for retiring K-9 Heroes by doing the following:

1. Implement a Standardized Operating Procedure among all the services regarding MWD Adoptions.
2. Set a standardized length of time for the retiring MWD’s paperwork being processed through Lackland AFB.
3. Make it MANDATORY to list all adoption-suitable MWDs world-wide on the Lackland AFB DoD website:

http://www.lackland.af.mil/units/341stmwd/index.asp

1. Make it MANDATORY for all adopted OCONUS (OVERSEAS) MWDs to receive transport back to the U.S. via military air. As it now stands, retired OCONUS (OVERSEAS) MWDs must be transported at adoptive owner’s expense as a “pet”!The grim reality is that if a MWD is retired at an overseas military installation and is not adopted because of prohibitive transport costs, euthanasia is the usual course of action.

In addition, Kandoll strongly urges concerned, dog-loving Americans to contact the Air Force Chief of Staff, General Norton Schwartz at 1400 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-1400, requesting the aforementioned changes as well as requesting answers as to why such inefficiency and poor administration of the current Retiring MWD Adoption program is allowed to continue to exist!

Kandoll’s own adopted MWD Benny B163, through the Providential timing of that one telephone call, now lives a retired life befitting his ten years of devoted military service.

Through their lives of selfless service, every unsung K-9 Hero faithfully upholds this promise in our nation’s defense…

My eyes are your eyes to watch

And protect you and yours.

My ears are your ears to hear

And detect evil minds in the dark.

My nose is your nose to scent

The invader of your domain

And…so YOU may LIVE…

MY LIFE is also yours…

We, as Americans, can choose…whether by personal adoption, donation or allowing our voices to be heard…to make a difference in the life of deserving retiring Military Working Dog Heroes,. The Pentagon’s MWD Division has already indicated to Kandoll that “everything is fine within the Retiring Military Working Dog Adoption program”, when, in fact, nothing could be further from the truth! Hero MWDs who languish in kennels for 23 hours a day for three, six, and ten months at a time while waiting for their adoption paperwork to be processed are subject to the “Solitary Confinement” befitting criminals–not that of faithful, devoted military K-9s who have spent their whole lives in defense of this nation! They deserve to be adopted with a MINIMUM of bureaucratic red tape in order that they might live out their remaining years with dignity in a loving family!

There is NO DOUBT that dog-loving Americans could change the current realities many Retiring MWDs face. Only in the UNITY of our response to the situations many MWDs are forced to experience, will we succeed. Join together to shine the spotlight of discovery on todays insufficient “retiring  MWD Adoption Program!”  Let those in power hear our unified voices as we proclaim “Support our Troops” applies to our K-9 Troops, too! After all, many soldiers are enjoying their TODAYS and planning their TOMORROWS because of what an MWD did for them YESTERDAY!

By Deborah Kandoll

575-415-3137  or  575-551-6658

2821A Quay Loop

Holloman AFB, NM 88330

Benny and Debbie presented the plight of  the MVD Adoption Program and the need to adapt these beautiful, extremely well trained dogs to the Rio Grande Rotary on July 28th, 2009.  The group was touched by the story and impressed with the work Debbie has done to save these dogs.  Could there be a much better place to adopt from, imagine the excitement of having an animal that responded to you commands the first time you asked.  Where do we sign up our children for this training.

Please support Debbie and her efforts to find homes for these dogs, spread the word.

Tess Williamson is Rio Grande Rotary’s July Student Rotarian. Tess is a junior at Mayfield High School.

Her school activities include Student Government and varsity tennis. She has received the President’s Education Award; Outstanding Student in Business Award; and several athletic awards for participation in District and State Tennis competitions.

Community activities include volunteering services to Ag Day and her church. She also makes blankets and donates toys to UNM Children’s Hospital.

Interests focus mainly on tennis.

Future plans are to earn a college degree and become an interior designer.

Tess is the daughter of Kerry and Lisa Williamson.

This year Rio Grande Rotary presented two Rotarian of the Year awards at theirTuesday, June 30^th meeting.  The awards went to Mary Joe Billiot, Newsletter Editor and Dona Hearn, Newsletter Editor and Publicity Director, for their contributions to the club and for their work on the club newsletter The Rio Report and other publicity work accomplished through out the year.