Rotary Gram

 

June 12, 2003

 

 

Quote:             “Do things for others, and you’ll find your self-consciousness evaporating like the morning dew.”    Dale Carnegie, author

 

Why?  Is it called “Buckley Park”?

 

Charlie Albert provided a warm Invocation and led us in the Pledge. 

 

Guests:

 

Almost 20% of our lunches were enjoyed by guests today.  They included our newest

Rotarians:  Manuel Pozo-Alonso and his wife Margie (Dr. Coleman), Tim Walsworth

(Ward), and David Downs and his wife Julie (Jay).  Scott bought lunch for the “joy of his

life”, wife Joy as well as for Bob Geffi.  Sherry introduced four high school scholarship

Recipients:  Bethaney Powell, Rachal McCoola, Molly Watson and Mike Horvath.  Bob

C. invited Harlene Russell and Regan Bach of La Plata Youth Services, an organization

our Club has adopted.  Visiting Rotarian Jim Roberts from San Diego joined us (Mark)

as did returning guests Tom Cheatham (Ted) and Dan Morgenstern (Emil).  Finally, District pooh-bah Joe Colgan of the evening club joined our more exciting club for a day.

 

Announcements and Happenings:

 

Our hard-working Scholarship Chair Sherry introduced four recipients, who in turn introduced themselves, described their college plans, and of course thanked us for the green. 

 

Mark P. provided the excellent news that our Club now has a storage unit for all excess club goodies, such as our Mexican/Octoberfest aprons.   Unfortunately, the Club wheel stays with Steve Osborne.  He did such a great job building it that the Wheel exceeds the capacity of anything other than a warehouse.

 

Club Information and Communications Officer – remember “CICO” --  Bob C. will be taking new pictures while Steve G. is striving to update our Roster.

 

The Durango Nature Centre will benefit from your labors Saturday June 21st.  Go directly to DNC off CR 310 at the bottom of Bondad Hill [Named, BTW, for the Bonds family who homesteaded the area more than a century ago, and still live there.] or meet at the Doubletree at 8:30 am for car-pooling.

 

Chip L. reports housing has been secured for all the Exchange students.  They arrive Tuesday June 17th and all members are invited to a potluck welcome party at 5:30 at Rotary Park.  Your scribe was there last year and it was mucho fun.

 

Laura Webb just returned from Harvard, where her son snatched a new Masters degree.

 

In the pat-yourselves-on-your back department, our members raised more than $700 to support the Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event Friday night, June 14th.

 

Finally, Scott has opened a new business San Juan Medical Enterprises which, what else, distributes specialized medical equipment manufactured by St. Jude Medical. Maybe that is why STJ rose $3.11 on double volume yesterday!

 

Member Events:

 

New Blue Badges:  Congratulations to Keoki Sears, Laura Webb, and Howard Wilson for successfully surviving their pledge red badge experiences.

 

New Red Badges:  Our wonderful Membership Chair Jill presided over the installation of three inductees:

 

David Downs, sponsored by Jay.  This new member is a civil-litigation attorney, with offices here and in Texas.  He and wife Julie have two boys aged 6 and 8.

 

Tim Walsworth, sponsored by Ward.  He is the President and CEO of United Way.

 

Manuel Pozo-Alonso is an orthodontist like his sponsor Burt.  Born in Spain, he relished two years traveling with 120 youths while visiting 20 countries with the musical group “Up With People”.  Upon earning citizenship, he served 12 years on active duty with the U.S. Navy.  He and wife Margie have two children, Angelica 14 and Austin 12.  Can’t wait to hear his guitar!

 

All three, even the lawyer, are interesting and neat people.  They are wonderful additions to our Club and we thank their sponsors.

 

Program:

 

Karen Thompson and John Anderson served as co-chairs of the Disaster Recovery Coalition, formed after the Missionary Ridge fires last summer.    The group organized and coordinated volunteers and resources with people and businesses affected by the disaster.  Noting the “recovery” lasts ten times longer than a “disaster”, the group is still in business.  They helped unify the efforts of 75 different organizations in turn helping up to 100 individuals and businesses.  They also trained “advocates”, who were assigned to each recipient to help with the bureaucratic maze.  Our own Terry Lee and Bart Cross became advocates.

 

HNR supported the cause with an initial $10,000 grant, part of $200,000 raised by the group.  Money was donated to people out-of-work because of the disaster and help pay tuition, home payments and car loans.  Many of us became part of this project.  Bob V. donated hay for outfitters in need of food for their horses.  Russell and Charmin’ donated meals, Mark Doled the use of heavy equipment.  Tom Brassier and Rick Roth were singled out for special thanks.  Finally, Joe Cogan was able to squeeze $20,000 from RI.

 

The group is on hold pending mud-flood season.  It still has some assistance held in reserve, if needed. 

 

Next Up:

 

6/19     Past President’s Day

6/26            President Brown becomes an “ex-”

 

Menu next week:  Gourmet Stuffed Peppers

 

 

Why?  Until 1965 Buckley Park was referred to as the Old High School Park.  In that year the Durango High School Class of 1965 was able to dedicate the park in the name of Wendell and Warren Buckley, who were twin brothers and long-term employees of the area schools.
 
Wendell and Warren Buckley were born in Crook, CO (That's near Sterling, in the NE corner of the state) and both graduated from Colorado A & M (now Colorado State University).
 
Warren started teaching in Pleasant View in 1931.  He was an itinerant educator for 11 years, working in Bayfield as teacher, principal, and superintendent. He also worked in Tiffany, Corona, and Stetson, NM.  In 1942 he became the principal for the Animas City School. Warren was drafted for World War II later in 1942 and upon his return taught geometry at Durango High School until 1957 when he was named principal.  He remained principal until 1965 when he retired.  In 1965 he led the graduation march for that class.
 
Wendell started teaching in Pleasant View in 1934, then in Breen and Bayfield.  He was the principal and 7th and 8th grade teacher for the Animas City School.  In 1942 he briefly filled in for his brother and then also left for the service.  After the war, Wendell taught 7th and 8th grade math and history for several years and was later named principal of Smiley Junior High. He also retired in 1965.
 
When the park was dedicated in 1965, Scott Wallace, a former school board member, stated that the park contained significant historical value for much of the local population, and that Buckley Park is a stepping stone to how many people have remembered Durango. The Buckley brothers personified that period of time and were representative of the school district's best.
 
[Thanks to Mark W. Prouty for the history lesson!]