Adia Barnes was introduced as Arizona's head women's basketball coach on April 4, 2016. The leading scorer in Arizona women’s basketball history and a WNBA Champion, Barnes came to Tucson after serving as an assistant coach at the University of Washington for five seasons.

 

Barnes led the Wildcats to a 14-16 record in her first year at the helm with a 5-13 Pac-12 record. 14 wins is the most since the 2011-12 season and five conference wins is the most in the Pac-12 era for the Wildcats.

 

Known as a stellar recruiter, Barnes brought in five recruits for the 2017 class, which was ranked 30th in the country. Those five include Kiana Chew, Sam Fatkin, Marlee Kyles, Sam Thomas and Mallory Vaughn. Of those five signees, four of them were rated three stars by ESPN.com and Thomas was rated four stars. Four of the five signees were named Player of the Year in their respective states. Additionally to her success on the court and in recruiting in 2017, Barnes made it a point to get better in the classroom and in the community. The Wildcats had their best academic semester in a decade and also led the athletic department in community service hours.

 

Barnes joined the staff at Washington in 2011 and helped boost the Huskies profile in the Pac-12 and nationally, culminating in a trip to the Final Four this year. After three seasons on staff, Barnes was promoted to recruiting coordinator, where she handled all aspects of recruiting including budget, compliance and planning, in addition to her role in player development.

 

A three-time all-conference selection and '98 graduate of Arizona, Barnes was voted USBWA first-team All-American and Pac-10 player of the year in 1997-98. Her 2,237 career points currently rank ninth on the Pac-12’s all-time scoring list. Following her collegiate career, Barnes played professionally for 12 seasons in the WNBA and overseas. She won a WNBA Championship with the Seattle Storm in 2004, was named to the Storm’s All-Decade Team, and also played for Cleveland, Minnesota and Sacramento. Her overseas career included stops in the Ukraine, Israel, Turkey, Russia and Italy.

In addition to her playing and coaching career, Barnes has been extremely active in the community through the Adia Barnes Foundation, which mentors under-served youth and conducts charitable events and community service projects such as school supply drives. Barnes spent 10 years as the Seattle Storm’s TV analyst for NBA TV and FOX Sports Northwest and also spent time as the color commentator for Storm radio broadcasts.

 

A native of San Diego, Calif., Barnes is married to Salvo Coppa, who coached for 14 seasons, including 10 professionally in Italy and with three separate national teams. She is also the mother of one son, Matteo.

PRESIDENT CLIFF opened the meeting and in keeping with today’s presentation, KANDIE VACTOR’s invocation recalled all the men and women who serve and protect our community – thank you KANDIE.

 

GARY HIRSCH on the piano, and MIKE ORCUTT, lead singer, led the club in Pledge and Song.  JANET BARBRICK introduced our Guests and Visiting Rotarians.

 

We had four birthday Rotarians – JIM WOOD, JR., SHARYN FELTON, CONRAD PLIMPTON, and PAST PRESIDENT PHIL GUTT. Everyone honored their sponsors and mentors in different ways (CONRAD’s hat was off), but the common theme was fellowship and friendship.

 

ROB LAMASTER introduced GARY OLSEN as our newest member. Among GARY’s pastimes is regenerative agriculture, and GARY enthusiastically asked “What’s next?” for our amazing Rotary Club.  Welcome GARY!

 

For Announcements, JOHN LEWIS reminded everyone to sign up for the Replacement Member Mixer at GAP Ministries on 8/30 (no lunch meeting) as soon as possible to secure an accurate head count, DAVE GALLAHER spoke about the upcoming Work Project on September 9^th at the Arizona Theater Company, BOB LOGAN’s Happy Jackson unveiled a new program to allow the public to audit courses in the Science Department at the University of Arizona (no grades, no papers, great teachers – sign me up!), and WAYNE PETE spoke about the many students that JTED has helped graduate high school and move into the professional world (JTED has a 98% graduation rate). Finally, ASSISTANT DISTRICT GOVERNER ANN HUBER complimented our Club on its many accomplishments and reminded everyone of the District 5500 Membership Seminar on August 26th.

 

PAUL HALLUMS introduced today’s speaker Pima County Sheriff Mark Napier while reminding everyone to drive carefully at least five miles an hour under the speed limit. Sheriff Napier talked about cooperation among border sheriffs to address security, common sense approaches to collaborating with our neighbors in Mexico, and his belief in service above self. Thank you for your service, Sheriff Napier.

 

The meeting was closed by PRESIDENT CLIFF with a quote from an unknown police officer, “And remind the few, if ill of us they speak, that we are all that stands between the monsters and the weak.”  And now for the toast, a small prayer “Please protect and guide all our men and women in blue.  We thank you for their strength and discernment as they serve the people of our community and nation.”

My wife, Lois, and I are very happy to be new family members of the Tucson Rotary Club.  In just two meetings, I’ve already found the members very open, engaging and friendly.  We arrived in Tucson just 3 weeks ago from Evanston, IL without our furniture, which arrived, incidentally, in one of Tucson’s torrential summer rainstorms.  We want to thank the club, and our sponsor Gary Gethmann, for processing our application incredibly quickly.  Gary sent me the application materials before we had even left Evanston. 

 

32 years ago Gary recruited me to be one of the founding members of the Evanston Lighthouse Rotary Club (a new breakfast club), and today it has around 85 very enthusiastic members and is growing well. 

 

We have visited Tucson fairly regularly ever since Gary and Gini moved here 32 years ago, and have found it enchanting and sort of a counterbalance to all the things Chicago.  

 

My wife, Lois and I lived in Evanston for 46 years, raising two children, two grandchildren and several successive family cats, the latest of which is a terrific guy named Beau.  We are all finding this initial Tucson summer an adjustment, but also greatly appreciate the lifestyle and friendly people. 

 

My wife spent a career first in teaching and then in corporate marketing, while I was first a commercial architect and then a commercial real estate developer.  We both find Tucson delightfully friendly, relaxed and engaging.  We both look forward to making many new friends in Rotary while participating in its considerable number of interesting activities. 

 

Fellow Rotarians, one of my objectives for this year is to “Build Diversity” in our club.  The district leadership has put together a membership seminar that will assist all our clubs in that objective.  Please join me if you can at the seminar.  Here is the description of the seminar from the district website, http://rotaryd5500.org/.  “This year’s District 5500 Membership Seminar provides an exciting new experience.  You will be treated to presentations from two local Rotarians who will provide excellent ideas on how to recruit and retain new and current members.  Also, this year, you will be part of the experience as three panels will bring practical ideas for your consideration and provide the opportunity for your active participation.  Yes, they will be interactive.  When you register, please jot down questions, comments, experiences pertaining to the topics to be discussed by the panels:  Recruiting Young Professionals, Orientation of New Members and Retention.  Bring them with you and join in the conversation.  This is a different format than has been used in the past.  It is hoped that this format will provide you the opportunity to hear some success stories, to actively participate in the discussions and to take with you some solid, practical ideas to grow membership and retain members because, after all, it is ALL ABOUT MEMBERSHIP.”

 

For more information and to register for the seminar visit the District 5500 website.  I look forward to seeing you there!  ~~ President Cliff

It's time to start up our monthly social mixers once again at Trident II, 2900 N. Swan on Thursday, August 24th, start time is 5:30 p.m.  Come out for a fun evening where members and guests get together to enjoy friendship and fellowship. Danny at Trident II is looking forward to seeing us back on the last Thursday of each month.   So come join us!  Cheers...

With five Wednesdays this month, President Cliff is continuing the tradition of having our 5^th Wednesday meeting away from the DoubleTree. Our Social Committee has planned an event on Wednesday, August 30th at the GAP Ministries located at 2861 N. Flowing Wells Road. This function will take the place of our regularly scheduled Wednesday lunch meeting.  This is an amazing organization. GAP Ministries is a social service, nonprofit serving Southern Arizona since 1999.  Their mission is simple: Standing in the GAP for those in need. Bringing help to children, healing to families and hope to the community. One of their services is to provide care for over 400 foster children annually in family style group homes in Tucson. To better deal with the root causes of the foster care crisis, GAP has begun visitation programs with the birth parents, as well as training and licensing of foster parents. This organization is one of the recipients of our 2017 Car Show proceeds.  We hope you and your guest will join us for a fun evening at GAP Ministries.  Signups are on our website  www.tucsonrotary.org under “Upcoming Events”, Guest Fee is $15 which will be billed to your account.

 

Thanks,

Rotary Club of Tucson Social Committee

This year's District Conference will be held on October 13-15, 2017.  We are returning to the Hilton DoubleTree Hotel Reid Park in Tucson.  Rooms are available for only $79 per night, plus taxes.  Early Bird Registration is only $185 for the entire conference - and what a conference it will be!  Keynote speakers are Jennifer Jones, Susan B. Neuman, Michael Angelo Caruso and John Matthews - our own Rotary International Director.  There will be more than 20 breakout sessions and special events for our Interactors and Rotaractors Saturday morning.  Sunday morning will be special, with a salute to Rotarian veterans and active duty personnel.  A special conference website will be up and running by Sunday, July 16. Watch for the link on the District 5500 website: rotaryd5500.org.  Sign up early to qualify for the low room rates and special Early Bird Registration.

 

There will be a service project on Saturday September 9 from 8:30 to 12:30 AM to help shine up the new offices and balconies in the historic Glenwood Hotel.  There will be plenty of opportunities for painting railings and window sills and sanding of floors on the porches. Other small and light chores will be available.  ATC recently acquired their new digs and they will look even better with RCOT help.  Please register with Dave Gallaher or Mike Orcutt.  Dave can be reached via email dave@tucsonindustrialrealty.com .

The Greek Festival has been a wonderful supporter of the Tucson Classics Car Show over the years by inviting us to sell car show tickets each year at their famous Greek Festival.  Once again, our club will be selling Car Show tickets at the festival, 21-24 September.  This year the Festival needs help with cashiers in the food vendor area.  The Festival will make a donation to the Rotary Club of Tucson Foundation in exchange for our club’s support of their need.  Six to eight people are needed at each of the following times:

 

21 Sep, Thur: 4:00pm to 10:00pm

22 Sep, Fri:    3:00pm to 11:00pm

23 Sep, Sat:   12:00pm to 11:00pm

24 Sep, Sun:  12:00pm to 6:00pm

 

Contact the Festival Co-chair, Valerie Zaferis, at 520-604-7000 to volunteer or if you have questions.  In addition to selling Car Show tickets, this is a great way to support the Greek Festival and our Foundation!  Thank you!

- President Cliff

The Southern AZ Chapter of the American Red Cross will be installing FREE 10 year smoke alarms in locations throughout Tucson on Saturday, September 23, 2017 from 8:00 AM to Noon.  We are in need of volunteers to help install the smoke alarms.  There will be training available at the beginning of the event at a location to be announced.  The goal is to install 1,000 alarms throughout Southern AZ, with a reach to 450 homes using 350 volunteers.

For more information and to register:  www.redcross.org/local/az-nm-el-paso/home-fire-safety

Any questions, please contact Mike Sagara, Public Information Officer, 520-403-7408, or mike.sagara@redcross.org.

Each year, Make Way for Books impacts the lives of more than 31,000 children, families, and educators throughout southern Arizona. Our comprehensive programs meet children and educators in the preschool and childcare setting and also go beyond these locations to meet families where they are throughout the community.

 

Here are a few approaches Make Way for Books takes to empower children and adults to read and learn:

 

Make Way for Books provides preschools, child care centers, and home-care providers with high-quality, multicultural, cloth, board, and hardcover books for lending libraries and classroom collections. Nearly 300 lending libraries have been established. This year more than 32,000 books were checked out by families and shared together at home. 100% of sites reported an increase in their children’s pre-reading skills after participating in the program.

 

Make Way for Books Early Literacy Coaches offer a variety of interactive professional development workshops for about 500 early childhood educators each year. In addition, Early Literacy Coaches provide one-on-one coaching to support educators at preschools and child care centers in implementing storytimes, creating writing centers, integrating literacy into daily activities, supporting social-emotional development through literacy, and other methods of increasing the culture of literacy in their classrooms.

 

Cover to Cover is an "early literacy school without walls" that travels via book bus to meet families in places they already visit throughout their day. The program transforms these locations—such as social service agencies, laundromats, grocery stores, parks, food banks, etc.—into early literacy classrooms where children experience the joy of books while developing pre-reading skills. Parents learn how they can make reading a fun and meaningful part of their children's lives, every day, everywhere.  The funding received from the Tucson Classics Car Show supports the Cover to Cover program.