April 1, 2020 Rotary Meeting
 
 
Who is scribe + Speaker
This week scribe – Katja Mathews
Next weeks scribe  – Jim Maxwell
This week Speaker – None
Next week Speaker – None
we decided not to have speakers for the time being and concentrating on seeing each other
 
This Day In History
 
1778
Oliver Pollock, creates the dollar sign.
 
1863
The first wartime conscription law goes into effect in the United States.
 
1905
Berlin and Paris are linked by telephone.
 
1929
The yo-yo is introduced in the United States by Louie Marx.
 
1946
A miner's strike in the U.S. idles 400,000 workers.

1982

The United States transfers control of the Panama Canal Zone to Panama.
Rotary Minute
 
 
Guests: None
 
 
Rotary Anniversaries:  None
 
Birthdays: None
 
Announcements:

How to change your background in Zoom:
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/210707503-Virtual-Background

Sadie:
Groundworks support beyond the shelter right now. Economic services and groundwork housing about 100 pp right now in Brattleboro, mostly at the Quality Inn but also other hotels. More Food is helpful now! Our next meal sign up is Tuesday, April 14. Chef Tristan is cooking the main course and Tristam will deliver. Where do we want to meet for the rest of food and beverages? In parking lot at Legion or Quality Inn. There are groundwork employees at Quality Inn that will take food from parking lot inside the hotel and then distribute from there. The more food you can bring right now, the better! As they are now serving multiple meals a day. Chef Justin is aiming for portions on the 14. All food needs to be dropped off by 6pm. Look at sign up sheet to remember what you signed up for. Sadie will make sure that Justin gets paid.

Toni:
3 on 3 fundraiser and how to fund it now?? Will discuss tomorrow at board meeting, which will be 7:15 am. Josh will send invitation over Zoom.

Brags:

Justin:
Admits being a nerd 😊 With a friend he has been doing weekly Dungeon & Dragons meetings online. His friend spent 8-10 hours last week to install RPG meeting so they could play online now, if I understood correctly, more advanced games that include dices etc. It’s not as much fun as in person but works fine for the time being.

Sadie:
For people who are working in child protection and safety!! There is a lot of demand right now. Also snap benefits were in mid-February 185 new application. Last week alone 197 new applications, 10 x as much.
First few days of each month people get their money transferred to the EBT cards and that is the time they go out shopping. Please be mindful that if you don’t have to do a grocery run in those days, to not go. That would give snap beneficiaries a chance to go out and buy food and items they need and that might actually be in the stores. I know the Co-op has toilet paper in their flyers for sales April 1-14???

Josh T.:
For all the people stepping up right now in Brattleboro like Erin and her group. But also, a local lady called Nicole Riceman who is cooking for elderly folks and up to 60 meals at a time, not sure per week or per day and then delivering it as well. You can support her with money, also local restaurants are supporting her. Look her up on FB page for Brattleboro.

Cindy:
1. Department of Labor in Vermont! She is working now in her new position and feeling good about helping fellow Vermonters during this difficult time. Initially they had 24,000 application but expecting another 40,000 to 60,000 application claims coming in with new laws allowing 1099 applications to get assistance as well. The department is working over time right now and on weekends to answer questions on the phone and help with applications.
2. For her kids. Her son was supposed to graduate in May but is postponed.
Her daughter in Omaha on pause as well. Her oldest son works for ABC in NYC and lives in Westchester. Every day he is going into the city with face mask and gloves to bring news to across the country!
3. Jim asked a question: Unemployment vs. Cares Act?? Cindy said they don’t have an answer. It’s a complicated question to answer.
Great interview about SBA from Fish and Attorney who does SBA loan work:
https://soundcloud.com/earspoon/sba-loans-explained?fbclid=IwAR1GkGvLGgvdvnlCakbVOIzH81_e13bm7KdiIMsws3SLRbDbGBqed5GLlmU
4. Townhall meeting:
VIRTUAL TOWN HALL SERIES TO BEGIN ON THURSDAY April 2nd at 2:00pm.
The Vermont Department of Labor has announced that it will hold the first in a series of Virtual Town Hall events on Thursday, April 2 at 2:00pm. This first event will focus on services for employers, focusing on issues around Unemployment Insurance, among other labor-related topics. Full event details are listed below:
Department of Labor Virtual Town Hall Series
  • DATE: Thursday, April 2, 2020
  • TIME: 2:00pm – 3:00 pm
  • PRESENTERS:
    • Michael Harrington, Interim Commissioner, VT Department of Labor
    • Cameron Wood, Director of Unemployment Insurance Division, VT Department of Labor
    • Dirk Anderson, General Counsel, VT Department of Labor
  • Link to join Virtual Town Hall event: bit.ly/VTlaborTownHall
The event is available for any employer in the State of Vermont looking for more information about labor related topics. A portion of the event will be held for Q&A with the presenters. If you are unable to view the event, a recording will be created and made available for viewing after the event.
Future dates and times for the Virtual Town Hall series have not yet been finalized, but further updates will be posted on the Department’s website at https://Labor.Vermont.gov.

Jon S.:
1. His friend is lobbyist in DC, talking about “Paycheck Protection Act” through SBA through local banks, which covers 10 weeks of paychecks and loan will be forgiven afterwards. Also Toni made a point that if you are not banking with those banks as a business you will come last. First the businesses that are banking there will get assistance. Money might run out…
2. His law firm had 24 hrs last week to shut down and close up so everyone can work from home. He must have bought the last laptop available in Brattleboro.
3. His family. Everyone is now at home and they try to make it as pleasant as possible for everyone, cooked a meal campsite last night and every night one member is responsible for an activity they will do together.

Tristam:
1. Went to Hannaford at senior hours, 6-7am each day. But was appalled by what he saw: people that were not supposed to be there and shopping insane amounts of groceries and goods. Also the stores have no signs that indicate these hours are for seniors only!! Price shopper has the same hours.
2. Enjoyed a virtual meeting with friends from Air Force Vietnam pilot teams. Looking fwd to more of those.

Deb:
1. Grandson is now 4 years old and has a hard time understanding social distancing. She already recommended this book last week but wanted to let us know again how wonderful it is to explain Germs to young people. She has sent copies of it to family members and they all loved the efficiency of it.
2. 30 years with Primerica -work has changed with going all virtual now where before they were famous for visiting their clients in their homes, knee cap to knee cap. The older generation is catching up now and learning how to use technology.
She is busier than ever, helping people with saving money, life insurances.. Many families are two weeks away from financial catastrophies!!

Nick:
Embracing this unique opportunity to come together. The virus put a pause on a lot of things in life. He now has to be PT teacher for all kinds of subjects, FT father and husband. Take the time, slow down and appreciate the little things in life. His kids are young and for them life has not changed that much, besides that they get to hang out with their parents much more now. Getting back to the basics as a family. Nice!

Kevin:
1. His Radio Group is making sure to staying in touch with clients on what is going on right now but also being the source of information for the community. They try to advertise that restaurants are still open for curb side pick up (it works great, I had a meal from the New England House on Friday!! Katja) and Dan’s business is still doing care tires and repairs, with different procedures in place. Listen to the radio and get all your local news but also great music and entertainment. They try to be proactive and positive with clients and there are quite a few businesses that want to get the message out that they are open. He is picking up new clients right now as well. He misses being social but is enjoying the camaraderie with us and his team at the radio station. They Microsoft Teams instead of Zoom..
2. To all of us here in the club for being healthy.
3. His family, they are 3 pp at home now and everyone found a corner in the house to work from. They also enjoy going outside for walks and exercise.
4. His kids: talking to kids in CA every Sat am while they are making breakfast. Sarah is still working even though there are not many patients. Anxious about her wedding in October??? Hope to still have it.

Justin:
Landlords!! There is a push in Brattleboro for landlords who can afford it, to lower rents for folks who are struggling and might not be able to afford their rent right now. His friend Oskar was sending an email around to local landlords asking to knock some $$ off people’s rent. Great thought!!

Katja:
Husband Richard is still going to work each day. Chroma Technology is right now mostly working on orders for filters used for testing for COVID19. I am still trying to sell wine and most wine stores are open for call in and curbside pick ups as well. We are working on doing virtual wine tastings with wine makers in Europe to "zoom" them into your living room. I was able to talk to most of my Italian winemakers and they are well and not personally affected by the corona virus.

Josh G.:
Has the whole family back at home which he was never dreaming off before. But enjoying it as well to have the kids around. For business people are using technology now that everyone was always so afraid of and all of the sudden it does work, because we are forced to learn it and use new technologies to keep working and educating our children. It might become the end of an era for snow days (oh no!!).
Also suggesting a social round up over Zoom maybe on Mondays where we can have a beverage (other than your morning brew) and just chat on how each of us is coping right now. Great idea!

Josh T.
Band app as an internal FB private chat: Band app for Rotary conversations - https://band.us/n/a2a032J6te66c

Erin:
How neighborhoods are becoming naturally organic in times of crisis. She is organizing her neighborhood right now. Went out yesterday to a street she never walked through before and just knocked on people’s homes (with gloves and then jumping away from the door) and was amazed on how many new people she met and what wonderful conversations she had with each of them. Giving out flyers, how to help each other. A brag for human Nature!!

Jim V:
Support your local restaurants! I can only echo that, if we want any restaurants to be left in our community once this is over. Thank you!!

I am sure you all know the numbers, but in just one day the US added 30,000 new cases of people infected with the corona virus. We had last night 188,547 in the US and 857,957 worldwide. It’s scary.
Stay safe all and keep in touch. XX, Katja
 
4 Way Test
  1. Is it the truth
  2. Is it fair to all concerned
  3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships
    4. Is it beneficial to all concerned