Cannon addresses Rotary

    Lara Cannon of the Wintergreen Arts addressed the Presque Isle Rotary Club Jan. 22 during a regular noon meeting at the Northeastland Hotel.
    Cannon started this grassroots effort for a cultural and arts focused organization when she moved to Presque Isle a few years ago. She met with some other interested residents and had immediate interest from 20 people to start up art classes for children. The nonprofit organization has grown into over 100 involved community members and they have 5,000 square feet of space located at and donated by the Aroostook Centre Mall.
    Many generous individuals and businesses have combined efforts to make the Wintergreen Arts Center a reality, said Cannon. The new space is being painted and the furniture and equipment are arriving daily as the group prepares for a Saturday, Feb. 3 opening.
    Cannon said the arts center will hold classes — from drawing to comic book creation — serving youth from 18 months to 18 years.
    “They are an enthusiastic group who understand that cultural- and art-based activities play an integral part in drawing people to the area and keeping them here. It is an economic development tool for young families to look to Presque Isle as a family friendly, well rounded, educational community to live and raise children,” said Rotary President Sharon Campbell.
    For more information on the arts project, visit www.wintergreenarts.org or contact Cannon at 551-0936.
    In other Rotary business, the board of directors accepted resignations from Jim Haley and Dan Levesque. They also voted to donate $100 to Washburn Project Graduation, $100 to member Rich Ward for a marathon for children’s wellness, $220 to Mark and Emily Turner Library for drawstring book bags with Rotary labels, and $250 for the Central Aroostook Mentoring Project bowl-a-thon in March as an event sponsor.
    The board approved a recommendation from 2007 Auction Co-Chairs Joe Clukey and Alton Hartt to proceed with the Gold Brick program to wrap up with the 2007 auction in lieu of a separate “special” project. Hartt brought it to a secret ballot vote to the full membership and the vote was 41-18 in favor of foregoing a special project for this year only and to proceed with completing the commitment that was made 50 years ago by our club to obtain one thousand $1,000 pledges for the gold brick endowment fund at The Aroostook Medical Center.
    The “mystery Rotarian” was Ginny Joles and her favorite charity, James School Corporation, will have $50 sent in her name from the Rotary Club.
    The annual Rotary Auction wrap-up dinner will be Thursday, Feb. 15 at 5:30 p.m. at the Presque Isle Snowmobile Club.