Rotary Club of Sedona thanks fellow Rotarian Chuck Marr, the Arizona Community Foundation of Sedona, and Yavapai College for an incredibly informative Feb. 10 tour of its Skilled Trade Center in Clarkdale. The courses offered are hands-on training in state-of-the art workforce skills that make the Verde Valley and Sedona a wonderful place to live and work. They include residential construction, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, nursing, allied health, culinary arts, viticulture & enology, agriculture and high-tech CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining. The tour introduced high school students, their parents, and scholarship providers to well-paying career opportunities right here in the Verde Valley. The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona offers scholarships of up to $2,000 designed to help cover tuition, books, and fees to complete the courses of study at Yavapai College's Certified Technical Education Center (CTEC). YC nursing students above give a patient care demo to a high school student.

The Rotary Club of Sedona hosted Larry Horton, District 5495's Governor during its Jan. 24 meeting. Larry's home club is Tempe Rio & Satellite of Camelback Crossroads. A retired Phoenix Police Officer, Larry is heavily involved in planning and mentoring teen peer counselors for Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) retreats. He and his wife, also a Rotarian, have a 3-year-old daughter and a teen son. Larry highlighted several of his goals for 2022-2023 which include growing Rotaract and Rotary club membership through service projects that feed member passions. In keeping with Rotary's 7th focus area, Protecting the Environment, Larry's presented the District's Environmental Committee Challenge: Go One Week with NO single-Use plastic! The meeting concluded with the club's donation to the Rotary Vocational Fund of AZ in Larry's honor. Club President Jean Barton (left) also announced a new children's book will be donated to the Sedona Public Library in Larry's name, and the gift of an Imagination Library Book to Larry's daughter, "My Papi Has a Motorcycle," which he does!

CIVIC - 1st Sedona Public Library; 2nd City of Sedona Mayor Sandy Moriarty

RESTAURANT - 1st Hideaway House; 2nd Vino Di Sedona

 

CIVIC - 1st Sedona Fire Department; 2nd Sedona Public Library

RESTAURANT - 1st Vino Di Sedona; 2nd Hideaway House

 

BEST BOOTH - Hideaway House

 

For Rotary Club of Sedona every dog has its day. At least that was true during the club’s July 26 meeting at Sedona Public Library. Thirty-five Rotarians and guests joined the meeting to get to know German Shephard K9 Slider and Golden Retriever K9 Ivy for a description of their invaluable service to residents and visitors to the Verde Valley. Ivy’s owner, Jennifer Brehler (left), and Slider’s owner, Hank Summy, explained the crucial role their dogs play in finding lost hikers and other missing persons before something disastrous happens. Brehler is a Lieutenant for the all-volunteer Verde Search and Rescue Posse as well as being the executive director of the Humane Society of Sedona. The 35-volunteer group help locate lost, injured or dehydrated hikers, lost children, runaways, stranded motorists, conduct evidence searches, fire and flood evacuations and even, in those most unfortunate of circumstances, body recovery. The volunteers not only donate their time and expertise, but also their personal gear such as drones, off-road vehicles, climbing apparatus, mountain bikes, and, in the case of Brehler and Summy, woman and man’s best friends — Ivy and Slider. For more information or to inquire about joining for the Verde Search and Rescue Posse visit https://verdesar.org

For the past six years the club has recognized organizations and individuals who have made a difference in their Sedona community. This year the Make A Difference award was presented to Superintendent and JH/SH Principal of Sedona-Oak Creek Unified School District, Dennis Dearden. Dearden was awarded because of his leadership in starting West Sedona School's Wildcat Extended Day Program benefitting students and their working parents. The award comes with $1,000 that he will give to the Sedona-Oak Creek Educational Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, he helped to start to fund innovative and supplemental programs that are outside the normal operation of the school district. The club also recognizes a club member who has gone above and beyond in his/her role, putting “Service Above Self.” The award this year was given to Dick Youngberg, chair of the club’s International Services Committee. Youngberg was chosen because of his leadership hosting and participating in annual Mexico/USA Friendship Conferences and the relationships he has forged with Rotary Clubs in Mexico. He’s been a dedicated club member for nearly 13 years.

The United Nations estimates 10 million refugees have fled Ukraine. Rotary clubs in Europe and around the world have stepped up their relief work, some working on the ground to help displaced families. If you would like to contribute to Rotary's Disaster Response Fund, please go to https://my.rotary.org/en/disaster-response-fund. You can make your donation as a Rotary member or guest. With your donation, we can support communities and help rebuild lives during this tragic time. Thank you!