We had a full house today on February 14, 2019 - Valentine’s Day.
We celebrated Bob Thomas’ birthday on the 18th and Tom Nash’s 5 year anniversary with the Club. Special guests were John Flanagin from the Wilmette Club and Ron Bernardi from the Northbrook Club. Alfredo Ruiz was also there as a friend of Ned Meisner.
Announcements:
- John Flanagin told us about the Wilmette Rotary Club’s 90th year celebration at Valley Lo on Thursday, March 7 featuring Barbara Steisand and Dean Martin (interpretive artists) direct from Las Vegas. $100 pp and $125 at the door.
- David Grant reminded us of the “Counseling Center of the North Shore’s 125th Anniversary Gala” on Friday, March 15 at the Chicago Botanic Garden which includes cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres and live entertainment along with private access to the Orchid Show Exhibit. $125 pp
- Ned Meisner invited us to his going away party at the Countyline Tavern in Buffalo Grove on February 17. Ron Bernardi purchased a flashy lazy Susan created in Ecuador as a fund raiser.
- February 17 is Acts of Kindness Day.
- February 21 (next Thursday) is 2nd Annual Kids Against Hunger Concert at Little Ricky’s featuring the Gerald McClendon (Soulkeeper) Band from 7:30 to 10:30.There will be a raffle, Motown music, dancing and a good time had by all.
- Heidi reminded us that the Kids Against Hunger packing event is March 16. Volunteers are needed!
- Barb Tubekis had us diligently making Valentines for our Veterans at Great Lakes with an array of colored paper, white doilies, glue sticks and colored pens and markers.
Ron Bernadi then introduced today’s speaker, “Dan the Fish Man,” a Sunset Foods employee since 1988. Dan is in charge of purchasing all the fish and meats for Sunset Foods. Dan took us on a tour of the Alaskan crab fishing and processing facilities in words and color slides. We traveled with Dan to Dutch Harbor on the Aleutian Islands where you can almost see Russia. Sunset only buys crabs from US flagged ships that throw back all of the female crabs and the small ones. Next, we were off to Maine to visit with the lobstermen. Once again, Sunset only buys lobsters from US flagged ships that fish on an ecologically sustainable basis. The Lobsters are no more than 24 hours old and are kept on ice and not in a tank to avoid acquiring salty tank taste rather than the fresh ocean taste. If you are picking out a lobster, pick the one with a barnacle on its shell. Lobsters regularly molt their shells as they grow. A barnacle on the shell indicates that the shell has not molted for a while which means you get a bigger, juicier lobster in the same shell size.