November Food Drive to benefit the UNIVERSITY DISTRICT FOOD BANK

Teresa St. OngeUNIVERSITY SUNRISE ROTARY – In-House “COLOR TEAM COMPETITION” Food Drive to benefit the UNIVERSITY DISTRICT FOOD BANK… 

UDFB has entered its busiest season and is distributing groceries to over 1,100 families, delivering food to 105 homebound adults, and providing weekend food to 500-plus middle, elementary and high school students through their Pack for Kids program.  They currently serve 11 schools! 

WHEN:      First three Thursdays in November
November 3rd, 10th and 17th 

WHAT DO YOU DO?  Donate items or Cash.  As a member of your team, by your giving, your team will add 10 points to their cumulative total-to-date.

We’ll announce at each Thursday’s meeting the team scores- it’s a win-win!

It’s also easy and fun!  PLEASE CONSIDER GIVING to an agency our Club is so proud to be a partner with…………

 Needed items:  In addition to the ‘always need’ canned good items that include fruit (highly desired!), canned chicken, canned tuna, canned salmon, canned soups, stews and chili’s, peanut and other nut butters (especially Crunchy), shelf stable milk and milk alternatives, cereal and cooking oil are most appreciated!

They would also really like to have hygiene items – soaps, toilet paper, lotions, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products and BABY PRODUCTS – formula and diapers, especially large size diapers for older babies.  

Make your check out to University District Food Bank if you desire to contribute funding.

Bring your items in each Thursday – we’ll make sure they get delivered.

Thank you for all you do!!!  UDFB appreciates Rotaries continuous support and love.

 

Teri St. Onge and your Community Service Club Committee Members

 

 

 

 

Classification Talk: Holly Henry

Holly HenryOn October 13, Holly Henry gave us a zip-fast tour through her early years and thence into the pharmaceutical interest that first asserted itself during her days as a WSU undergraduate. Throughout her life, there has also been an undercurrent (so to speak) of aquatic activity, i.e., swimming and boating.

Her first exposure to pharmacies came with a job at Pay & Save. This was followed by one doing seminars for the WA State Pharmaceutical Assn. With a partner, she bought her first pharmacy at View Ridge. Thus began a series of ownerships varying from one to a maximum of seven. The last store was sold in March.

Then began a happy occupancy, with husband Mike, of a houseboat in which they traversed the route encompassing waters north of Vancouver Island.

Her passion has been community pharmacies and politics. She has chaired The WA State Pharmaceutical Assn. as well as the national organization. Of the latter she was but the second female president in its long history. The National Community Pharmaceutical Association has pulled away from the parent organization due to the latter’s lack of political action. She has lobbied for pharmaceutical issues both in Olympia and DC. An act was passed in 1979 for the maintenance of patient profiles including all medicines being taken. This guards against allergies and interactions. A provision has the pharmacist counsel patients with new Rx’s. to ensure good outcomes. Often (but not always–ed.) the doctor writes a prescription and has little follow-up. The statistics regarding outcomes for hypertensive and cholesterol-lowering drugs are consequently not good, as examples. This has given rise to legislation allowing pharmacists to order lab tests, modify drug therapy, and to prescribe. Such is the case with vaccines, under “collaborative contract”. WA was the first state to pass such legislation.

The question of compensation for pharmacists has arisen. While this has been  a difficult area, it is now ordained that the payer must compensate another professional if his/her scope of practice is utilized. Drug pricing: There is “discriminatory pricing.” That is, different prices are assigned to a hospital pharmacy than, say a community one. While it appears that things are cheaper in Canada, our various prices average out to about the same. Much of the disproportionate pricing can be traced to two major  “Benefit Managers”. These middlemen control most of the pricing to the extent that, for doing little of the work, they derive most of the profit. This helps drive prices up to their current stratospheric levels.

Comment: In that some of her drugs are given by the intravenous route, it  can sometimes be a matter of The Holly and the IV.

Our October 20th speaker: State Senator Pramila Jayapal

Pramila Jayapal, community activis (Tyrone Turner / Tyrone Turner)
Pramila Jayapal, community activist

The October 20th US Rotary speaker will be Senator Pramila Jayapal. An Indian-American activist and politician. A Democrat, she has represented the 37th legislative district in the Washington State Senate since 2015. Before her election she was a Seattle-based civil rights activist, serving until 2012 as the founder and executive director of OneAmerica, a pro-immigration advocacy group.

In January 2016, Jayapal declared her candidacy for Congress in Washington’s 7th congressional district, after Congressman Jim McDermott announced his retirement.  She finished with 40% in the August 2 primary and advanced to the general election in November.

She was born in India and raised in Indonesia and Singapore. She came to the United States in 1982, at the age of 16, to attend college. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and an MBA from Northwestern University in Chicago.

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/bernie-sanders-to-headline-pramila-jayapal-rally-saturday-in-seattle/

Classification Talk: Phill Briscoe

Rotarians meet weekly and weekly meetings allow members to get to know each other personally and develop a high level of Esprit de corps. This comradery builds not only builds a strong bond but also encourages members to not only participate but explore numerous avenues to explore “Service Above Self”.

Phill BriscoeOn October 6th, Phill Briscoe came forth with the touch of autobiography that we term a classification talk. (Traditionally Rotary classifies us as to occupation. Maybe there are other ways).   Phill originated in Great Bend, Kansas. Its name would appear to come from what one sees on a map, to wit, its location at the apex of a major bend in the Arkansas (pronounced ar kan’ zass) River.

  • Aesthetically minded, his school chose a gorilla as a mascot. Phill did his best for the Gorillas in track. The teams did quite well.
  • Kansas is not entirely flat; there is an elevation named Mushroom Rock.
  • His family, ever-supportive, was active in diverse community activities.
  • Phill moved to the northwest in 1972 and became a lecturer in ethnic studies at Central Washington State College.
  • Further career progression:

o   1976–Upward Bound instructor at Evergreen State College.

o   1980–Allstate Insurance finance; agent (20 years)

o   2000–Microsoft certified systems engineer, then Microsoft small business specialist.

o   Established Ebony Knight Consulting/Briscoe Network Solutions

  • Military–Republic of Viet Nam, a significant period in his life’s direction.
  • Tai-Chi, an important part of his life. He went to China as an honoree in the discipline.

Presently Phill is retired and spends time with friends. Friends, Rotary, Tai-Chi, and race relations currently fill his calendar. A closing memorable photo of Phill on a Chinese litter after an injury piqued some interest. Some yuan changed hands at that juncture.

Conclusion: Phill filled the bill, but we’ll never have our fill of Phill.

Bob Donegan, CEO of Ivar’s

Bob Donegan with Hal Beals
Bob Donegan with Hal Beals

The ramifications of the $15 minimum wage are beyond what many may know. Herewith is a trip through the subject as put forth by our September 29th speaker, Bob Donegan, CEO of Ivar’s:

  • What wage to start at–immediate or phase in?
  • Over what period to phase in?
  • What is included in income, i.e., tips, bonuses, health care benefits?
  • Determined by size of organization or the sector?
  • How is law to be enforced?

Principles agreed upon:

  • All employees to be treated the same
  • All compensation that appears on W-2 has to be included
  • The training phase for high school graduates, ex-convicts, and immigrants begins with a phase-in wage to work up to $15/hour.
  • If an employer has more than 500 personnel, this business is a large employer, which must get to the wage in 3 years. If health care insurance is included, 4 years. Tips must be included in the case of small employers.

The question arises as to whether to increase revenue by adding a service charge or raising item prices? The solutions range from one of these to another in various restaurants. The Ivar’s sites will go to $15 over 3 years…If a service charge occurs, it must be shown on the menu what it is and where it is to go. If a price rise is made, this is not necessary. No tips are expected at Ivar’s. But 40% of patrons leave tips, over and above the price rise. Parity between the out-front workers and the kitchen staff has had to be achieved.
The results to date:

  • –People have bought fewer items.
  • –Customer accounts and sales are down.
  • –90% of employers raised wages.
  • –62% of employers raised prices.
  • –30% laid off workers.
  • –30 added a service charge.

Primary factor that has raised employment is the vigorous economy:

  • Many high rise cranes…
  • Record year for cruises
  • Hotel occupancy is over 90%
  • Unemployment is less than 3%.

Obviously, the economy is driving more changes than the minimum wage law. A city law requires that all employees must be given a notice of two weeks as to what their schedules will be. Initiatives regarding paid time off and gender equality will probably pass.