If you did not make it to our last Rotary Club of Forest Grove meeting, here is what you missed…

This Week’s Meeting: Be sure to join us this week for our regular weekly meeting on Wednesday, noon, which will take place in the Boxer Pause Room in the University Center at Pacific University. This week, we will be continuing our club discussion on the Concours d’Elegance. Every member’s input is important, so we hope to see you there.

Upcoming Meetings: Our Wednesday, Oct. 22 will also take place at the Forest Grove United Church of Christ. All other Wednesday meetings will take place at Pacific University.

Our club does not meet on the third Wednesday of the month. Instead, we welcome club members to join us for a monthly social, which takes place on Thursday, Oct. 16, 6:30 p.m., at Zesti Food Carts, 2131 Yew St., Forest Grove.

Change To Lunch Procedures For Meetings At Pacific: Pacific University’s food service provider, Bon Appetit, has updated the way lunches are purchased for our meetings. All members and guests will need to check in with the treasurer before going through the commons to purchase a lunch voucher.

• If you are billed for lunch, you will still need to check in to receive your voucher.
• All guests will also need a voucher to enter the commons.
• The cost for lunch remains at $10.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we transition to this new process. Vouchers can be purchased at each meeting or can be purchased in advance. If you have questions, please contact President Andrea Stewart or Treasurer Sharon Olmstead.

Football Photos: We are continuing our service of producing and displaying portraits of Forest Grove High School football senior players. A sponsorship of $25 pays for the photo, which will be displayed in the window or storefront of local businesses until the end of the season. The portraits will then be presented to the senior and their family at the team’s year-end banquet.

As of Friday, Oct. 3, we still needed six more photos to be sponsored. If you are interested in sponsoring and/or displaying a photo, please contact Geoff Faris.

Vibrant Club Workshop: Our club was well represented on Saturday, Sept. 27 at the Vibrant Club Workshop, presented by Rotary District 5100. Participating Rotarians were led through an exercise of a potential service project, working together to plan the project with an eye towards fundraising, public image, and how the project could be a driver for membership.

Thank you to Andrea Stewart, Hector Mendez-Colberg, Amanda Hartmann, Jeannine Murrell and prospective member Stephanie Magoulas, for participating.

Road Cleanup Coordinator Needed: Paul Waterstreet is stepping away from coordinating our club’s longtime participation in the Washington County Adopt-A-Road Program. Our thanks to Paul for all of his efforts to keep this service project active in our club after the program’s longtime champion within the club, Jerry Hoerber, passed away.

We are in need of another club member to step up to take on the project. It involves coordinating with the county on at least two cleanup days per year on the two sections of road that the club has adopted: Gales Creek Road between Thatcher Road and Forest Gale Drive, and Thatcher Road between Gales Creek Road and David Hill Road.

Please contact President Andrea Stewart with any questions or if you are interested in taking this project on.

Congratulations Janet Peters: Congratulations are in order for Rotarian Janet Peters, who was named the 2025 Forest Grove “Community Hero” by the Forest Grove News-Times. Janet was recognized for her longtime efforts to serve the community and specifically for her service through Rotary.

“The longtime volunteer continues to make a difference as an active member of the Rotary Club of Forest Grove, whether cleaning up roads and gardens or organizing fundraisers that benefit local students,” the story reads.

To read more about the honor and Janet’s longtime service, read the article on the News-Times website.

Congratulations Evelyn Orr: Congratulations are also in order for Rotarian Evelyn Orr, who was named the September 2025 Volunteer of the Month for Friends of Historic Forest Grove. Evelyn was singled out for her efforts to fundraise for the organization and its historic preservation efforts, including the Old Train Station Museum and the A.T. Smith House.

“Evelyn is involved with several groups in the Grove and is well-experienced in garnering donations from the public and uniting them with charitable causes. And she does it with style,” said a social media post announcing the award. “Her most recent venture for Friends has been a silent and on-line auction of first-rate themed baskets filled with treasures donated by community members. Evelyn volunteers for Friends of Historic Forest Grove because she believes in preserving our historic homes, history and passing this knowledge on to the next generations.”

Peace Pole Dedication At Pacific University: Thank you to all the Rotarians who came out for the dedication on a peace pole on Pacific University’s Forest Grove Campus on Sept. 26. The pole was installed along the walkway in between Old College Hall and Rotary Centennial Garden/Faith Gabelnick Labyrinth. Members of our club were joined by members of the Pacific University Community and members from the Forest Grove Daybreak and Hillsboro Rotary Clubs. Also in attendance was Larry Strober and Al Jubitz from the Rotary Action Group for Peace.

This was the second peace pole installed on Pacific’s campuses. A third pole will be installed this spring on the Hillsboro Campus. The pole was made possible by contributions from our club, the Forest Grove Daybreak Rotary Club, and the Jubitz Family Foundation.

Youth Exchange Drivers For Weekly Meetings Needed: One of the requirements of the Youth Exchange program is that both inbound and outbound students attend our Rotary meetings. The Youth Exchange Committee is still in need of someone who can pick up Lara and our outbound student, Sophie, from Forest Grove High School weekly at 11:30 a.m., and return them to the school after. While a consistent driver for the semester would be ideal, the committee is open to having people sign up for one-month shifts at a time.

If you are interested in helping out, please contact our Youth Exchange Officer, Sarah Barbour. NOTE: To assist with the transport of Youth Exchange students, you must complete the District 5100 Youth Protection Training and undergone a background check with the district.

Steaks Available For Purchase: Our club still has packages of steak left over from the Steak Feed available for purchase. Packs of two choice New York steaks are available for $20 each. If you are interested, please contact Janet Peters.

Membership Committee: The club’s Membership Committee is looking for additional club members who want to make the experience in our club the best for current members and to find new members. The committee will be talking about what we can do to retain members, the recently completed club member survey, and what we can our members can provide to make this club that we can continue to be proud of. For more information, or to get involved, please contact Evelyn Orr or Bruce Cummings.

Memorial Service For Rick Kaufmann: We are sad to report that Rick Kaufman, a former member of our club and a longtime volunteer with the Concours d’Elegance, passed away earlier this year. A memorial service is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2 p.m., at the Log Chapel on the campus of the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum. Our condolences go out to Rick’s family and friends, and we are grateful for his longtime contributions to Concours and to Rotary.

Service Opportunities For Club Members
Do You Know Of Service Opportunities?: Are you aware of service opportunities in our area that our members might be interested in? We can advertise those here! This space is not limited to club-sponsored activities but to any service opportunity in the community. To promote the service activity, please send a detailed description of the project, the date and time, contact information and a link to register to Rototeller editor Blake Timm, blakertimm@gmail.com.

FGHS Community Food Pantry: Our club’s support for the Forest Grove High School Food Pantry continues.  Thanks to its partnership with the Oregon Food Bank, food donations are still welcome but are of less need at this time. Of need, however, are toiletries and hygiene products as well as household cleaning materials.

The Food Pantry is open Mondays from 4-5:30 p.m. The pantry is located along Nichols Lane between the football field and the Basinski Center. Click Here for more information on the FGHS Food Pantry and on other resources for those experiencing food insecurity.

For information on the Food Pantry, please contact Brian Burke, bburke@fgsd.k12.or.us. If you wish to make a cash donation to the pantry, Click Here.

Around District 5100
Shaping Our Future Together — District 5100’s 2025-2028 Strategic Plan: A strategic plan is more than a document — it’s our roadmap for creating lasting change. It keeps us focused, helps us measure progress, and ensures that every project, event and initiative moves us towards a shared vision.

Our 2025-28 District Strategic Plan is built on a number of core goals, including membership growth, service participation, strategic planning at both the club and district levels, and strong support for The Rotary Foundation.

These goals reflect Rotary International’s request that every club create its own strategic plan — one developed with input from all members. Why? Because your club’s goals shape the district’s goals. When each club is intentional about its direction, the entire district becomes stronger, more impactful, and more united.

This is your plan as much as it is the district’s plan. We invite you to review it, share your thoughts, and help us turn these goals into action. Together, we can United for Good and for the future of Rotary. You can read the 2025-28 District 5100 Strategic Plan here.

Tiffany Salzman Named District Governor Nominee Designee: Tiffany Salzman, a member of the Portland Pearl Rotary Club and a longtime leader within the district, has been selected to as Rotary District 5100’s district governor nominee designee. She is in line to serve as district governor in the 2028-29 Rotary Year.

Salzman joined Rotary in 2004 (as a member of the Forest Grove Daybreak Rotary Club) and has served in multiple leadership roles, including club president (twice), area governor, Membership Committee member and Public Image Committee member.

Salzman is president of Candor Concepts, a consulting and marketing firm that partners with organizations focused on leveraging business as a force for good. Salzman also chairs the Pearl Fund Foundation, where she has helped grow assets by 30% through innovative fundraising and business sponsorship.

A strong advocate for leadership development, she has guided professional groups such as LEAP and Empowering Oregon Manufacturing, and is an experienced facilitator at district training events. Salzman’s Rotary journey also includes RYLA and Rotaract.

“Her passion for service, professional expertise, and dedication to building vibrant clubs make her exceptionally well-prepared to take on this role,” said Susanne Holmberg, current district governor for District 5100.

Salzman will follow behind Holmberg, Renee Fontenot (2026-27) and Pat Wolfram (2027-28) as district governor.

Susanne’s Storybook: Click Here to read the latest edition of Susanne’s Storybook, the Rotary District 5100 newsletter.

Last Week’s Program: Laura Rost, Bee City USA
At last week’s meeting, we welcomed Laura Rost, the national coordinator for Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA, who introduced us to the two programs designed to increase the survivability of pollinators.

Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA work to galvanize communities to sustain pollinators, in particular the more than 3,600 species of native bees in this country, by increasing the abundance of native plants, providing nest sites, and reducing the use of pesticides. Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA are initiatives of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

The focus on pollinators is because those insects provide pollination for 85% of plants on the planet, including many plants we eat for food. One of three bites of food are thanks to pollinators. Without pollinators, we wouldn’t eat a lot of great foods.

Pollinators include not just honeybees, but also ants and cockroaches. But bees are No. 1. There are 3,600 species of bees in the U.S., Honeybees are not endangered, but they compete with native bees and introduce disease to those native populations One honey bee hive needs one to five acres of flowers. With native bees, you do not need that much acreage for them to thrive.

It is estimated that 70% of native bees nest underground and 90% are solitary nesting, which means there is not a hive. About 40% of pollinator populations are on the decline and may be at risk of extinction in the coming years. Drivers of pollinator declines include habitat loss, pesticide use, diseases and pathogens and climate change.

How we can help? We can plant native plants that will grow throughout the season, allow for natural nesting sites, reduce or eliminate pesticide use and spread the word about how neighbors can take action.

Throughout the U.S., there are 242 Bee City USA Affiliates and 218 Bee Campuses in 48 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico. In the Portland area, Pacific University is a Bee Campus and Hillsboro is a Bee City. Since 2019, there have been 2.4 million engaged and helped enhance over 22,000 acres of habitat.

For more information on the program, visit the Bee City USA website.

Club Calendar
Wed., Oct 8: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Concours d’Elegance Discussion

Thurs., Oct. 9: Executive Board Meeting, 7 a.m.
via Zoom

Thurs., Oct. 16: Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m.
Zesti Food Carts, 2131 Yew St., Forest Grove

Thurs., Oct. 16: Social Event/Satellite Club Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Zesti Food Carts, 2131 Yew St., Forest Grove

Wed., Oct. 22: Weekly Meeting, Noon
United Church of Christ, 2032 College Way
Program: Beth Huggins & Meghan Roy, Regeneration Field Institute

Wed., Oct 29: Weekly Meeting, Noon
Boxer Pause Room, University Center, Pacific University
Program: Youth Citizen of the Month Presentation