News

Rockport Ramblings: Area Rotarians heading to Honduras

By Jonathan L'Ecuyer
Staff writer
Published: April 12, 2008

ROCKPORT — A group of North Shore Rotarians and their families will journey to Honduras this spring break to install water filters in rural areas of the impoverished Central American country.

Rockport Rotarian Bob Gillis and his wife, Pixie, and local resident and water engineer April Ferraro will be part of the 20-person group working this project from Rotary District 7930.

"We're very excited to be part of this venture," Gillis said in a release. "Clean water is a high priority for Rotary International and all of us going are making a commitment to improve the world's water supply, one step at a time."

This Clean Water Project is supported by $120,000 raised from local clubs, District 7930 and Rotary International.

Once completed, the project will underwrite the building and installation of 1,400 filters in homes around La Ceiba, on Honduras' north coast. Citing an average household of six to seven people, it's expected clean drinking water will become available to over 9,000 people because of the effort.

Local Rotary clubs are part of Rotary International, an organization of 32,000 service clubs located in more than 200 countries with more than 2 million members. The Rockport club meets each Thursday at noon at the Emerson Inn by the Sea on Phillips Street. Kathy Morris is president.

Self defense class

A mother and daughter self-defense class will be offered to sixth- and 12th-graders and their mothers at the Ben Beyea Teen Center tomorrow at 1 p.m. The course, sponsored by Cape Ann YMCA, concludes at 3 p.m.

Candidates debate

The League of Women Voters of Cape Ann will sponsor a debate for candidates for selectman on Thursday, 6:30 to 8 p.m., in the Brenner Room, Rockport Public Library. CATV will film the debate to be shown at a later date. Visit www.lwvcapeann.org or call June Michaels at 978-546-3863 for more information.

r The Rockport Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a live, televised forum among the candidates vying for selectman as well. The forum will take place Wednesday, April 23, at 7:30 p.m. at CATV studios, located at 38 Blackburn Center in Gloucester. All three candidates for the two open selectman's seats — Ellen Canavan, Andrew Heinze and Christopher Lewis — have agreed to take part in the forum. Kevin Kiely will serve as moderator. The forum will be shown live on local cable channel 12, and re-aired Thursday, April 24, at 6 p.m. and repeated several times prior to Rockports' elections on May 6.

Quick hits

There will be a spaghetti dinner fundraiser for Scout Hall at the Fish Shack restaurant Wednesday, April 16, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. A donation of $8 for adults and $4 for children under 12 will go toward the Scout Hall project. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Ace Hardware, or reserved by calling Wanda Visnick at 978-546-6635. Tickets will be available at the event.

Fundraiser cut-a-thon

Catherine's Design Studio, 13 Railroad Ave., will have a fundraiser cut-a-thon next Saturday, April 19, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Employee Nicole Scola will participate in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer on May 17 and 18. The salon will charge its regular price for all haircuts, and all proceeds will benefit Scola's participation in the walk. Call 978-546-9008 for an appointment or more information.

Bridge club

Saturday, April 5: First place, Lester Stockman and Ann Millar, 34; second, Milt Lauenstein and Cynthia Bjorlie, 321/2; third, Marjorie Baker and Barbara Beyea, 301/2.

Tuesday, April 8: First place (tie), Yvonne Anderson and Lyn FitzGerald and Marjorie Baker and Milt Lauenstein, 50; second, Muriel Davis and Greg Hannifan, 441/2; third, Bill Parsons and Gus Lawson, 43.

Thursday, April 10: First place, Pat Sylvia and Jane Pierce, 53; second, Greg Hannifan and Gus Lawson, 46; third (tie), Muriel Davis and Barbara Beyea and Molly Foster and Agnes MacQuade, 451/2.

Rockport Ramblings is compiled each week by reporter Jonathan L'Ecuyer. If you have an item for Ramblings, call L'Ecuyer at 978-283-7000, ext. 3451, or e-mail jlecuyer@ecnnews.com.