Rotary Club
of East Hartford
High Gear

Volume 1 | Issue 46

 
It was a bright, sunny day at the ridge. Many members were sporting shorts, looking forward to an afternoon of golf.  The meeting attendance was on the smaller side today, maybe we had some beach goers playing hooky.
Even Giants Fans Liked This Ending
After President Bill rang the bell we had our usual start to the meeting. We sang, pledged, and gave thanks along with Larry Hangland’s invocation. We were then treated to a serviceable lunch that consisted of chicken marsala, steamed vegetables, mashed potatoes and salad.  It was better than the chicken nuggets we had last month anyway.
 
We only had one guest introduced today, that being Laura Floyd, the new Executive Director of the YMCA. We hope to see her join us on a permanent basis soon. George Schoen led a rousing welcome song.
 
Dan Larson then took the podium for the Sergeant at Arms report. He started by sharing with us some thoughts about trees that were in an article that his wife brought home from Bible Study, reminding us that trees take in the carbon monoxide that we exhale and produce the oxygen that we need to live.
 
He then proceeded to share an email he received. It went something like this : “Like it or not, he is the man in charge, and I have to say so far I agree with almost every decision he has made. Some of those decisions have been very controversial, and I know a lot of people don’t like them. But he has surrounded himself with some of the greatest minds, the most talented people in the world. I am confident that history will judge him as one of the best, if not the very best, that this country has ever seen. There is absolutely no denying his amazing leadership qualities. I know not everyone is going to agree with me, but these are just a few reasons why I love …. Bill Belichick.” Given the way the story ended, many more were inclined to agree with him than was anticipated.
Paul Harris Plus 3
We finally got the Sergeant at Arms report. It went something like this :
  • George Agnelli deferred paying his Anniversary fine until after his birthday next Saturday, at which time he will donate $1 for each year that Anderson Jewelers has been in business. Dan asked for a post-dated check today. George was not amused, but did pay for being late today.
  • Bob Buettner donated hoping for Dan to buy better clothes, and for the great weather.
  • Jim Watts for Dan’s speedy recovery from surgery he had last week.
  • Art Bradbury paid for the great weather
  • George Schoen paid for the encouragement of the Red Sox.
  • Yvette Roming  paid for her first day of her son’s attending daycare, for leaving early and for Dan’s recovery.
  • Jennifer Jones paid because everything is wonderful at the Y.
  • Sue Klock paid for Dan still walking around.
  • Kevin Kickery paid for his mother in law
  • Neal Cunningham paid for the second week in a row for his anniversary
  • Marc Glass paid for being on TV, and for Dan’s recovery
 Caring moments included news that Dick McCarthy was home and doing well. Yvette Roming shared that her mother, Linda Tucker, is fighting bone cancer. She is currently going through chemo. Lets all keep her in our prayers. Ceil reported that George Finch is doing well and intends to join us for lunch soon.
 
Announcements :
  • President Bill presented Mac Glass with a Paul Harris Plus 3 award.
  • Board of Director’s meeting Monday at 5:30.
  • There are 2 weeks left to get your raffle tickets sold. Please be sure to get them in by May 31st.
  • The 2017 Connecticut Postal Customer Council Golf Tournament will be held on June 6th at the Indian Hill Country Club. Get in touch with Larry Hangland (larry@spectrumprintingco.com) if you would like to participate.
 
Ruth Sheehan picked Bob Buettner’s number in the raffle, and we moved on to the speaker.
 
Beware of Alternative Electric Suppliers
Elin Katz is the Consumer Council for the state of Connecticut. The Office of Consumer Council represents the public on a variety of issues including Electricity, Natural Gas, Water, and Broadband access, among other things. She began by discussing some of the aggressive marketing practices used by competitive electric retail suppliers. These are the competitors to Eversource that we have seen spring up the past few years. Be very careful if you decide to “lower your electric rate” by signing on with one of these companies. All too often they give you a teaser rate for the first month, then raise the rate without telling you so you end up paying more than you would have if you had stayed with your original supplier. They also make it difficult to switch back. Often it will take 3 months by which time you have lost all of the money you saved in the first month, and then some. These suppliers can also charge you some stiff termination fees. Bottom line is be very careful when switching electric suppliers and be sure that you understand how long the lower rate will be in effect. There is a new section on your Eversource bill that will show you if you are saving money or not.
 
Broadband access for low income households is also a concern. We are learning that there is a “homework gap”  that lower income children experience. More and more, internet access is required to complete homework assignments, and children will struggle if they do not have broadband at home. Approximately 17.5% of homes with school age children do not have broadband.  
 
A new consumer advocate position was recently approved. This position will be responsible for representing the public in discussions about water rates with MDC. It will be overseen by the Office of Consumer Council, but will be independent.
Enjoy the weather the next couple of days. Being a telecommuter I’m planning to work from the beach!
 
 
                           Wes Willett     
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