At Your Service(formerly RadioRotary)

Rhinebeck’s Interact Club (high school Rotary) students who participated in the Nicaragua Project — Sarah Turpin, Sean Phelan, and Anna Katomski — discuss their humanitarian work in Nicaragua. The project took a year to plan and was implemented this summer, 2010, primarily by Rhinebeck Interact students who helped build a classroom, provided clothing and school supplies, brought clean water treatm...

Louisiana professionals from several fields provide the latest information on the Gulf oil spill and reactions from the residents of Grand Isle, called “The Sportsman’s Paradise.” Environmental expert Windell Curole (Golden Meadow Rotary), General Manager of South LaFourche Levee District, discusses the most recent regional events. Richard Augustin (Grand Isle Rotary), Principal of the Grand Isle...

Terry Laibach, Recycling Coordinator of New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation, discusses the latest information about waste reduction and recycling, the state’s new solid waste plan and electronics recycling law, single stream/dual stream recycling, personal responsibility, and loads more.

In the second set of on-site interviews at Rotary International’s 101st convention, RadioRotary co-host Jonah Triebwasser interviews humanitarians from around the world, including Rotarians from Arkansas’ Medical Supplies Network and New Mexico’s drug prevention program . Very moving interviews. “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” sung by the Rotary World Choir at the end of the interviews, will bring...

John Lyons, President and CEO of MetroPool, discusses this unique organization, which provides employers and commuters with free services to encourage transportation options –car/vanpooling, walking/biking, bus/train/ferry travel, telecommuting, compressed work weeks and pre-tax commuter benefits. MetroPool’s services are available in New York City and Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam, Dutche...

Louisiana Gulf experts from two Louisiana Parishes are featured in Part 2 of the Gulf Series on RadioRotary: Windell Curole (Golden Meadow Rotary), General Manager of South LaFourche Levee District; Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet (Houma Rotary); and Michael Ferdinand (Houma Rotary), CEO of Economic Development. Topics discussed include correcting public misinformation about the spill,...

Deborah Gruendle, Supervisor of Volunteer Resources, at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, discusses volunteer opportunities for friendly, caring individuals in several capacities, including greeters, patient and family support, gift shop help, and tons more.

Everyone at the station had a rollicking good time with Don Verity, Station Manager of Hudson Valley Talk Radio (Pamal Broadcasting). Don, a Highland Rotarian, discusses Highland Rotary’s now famous Ribfest with vendors from all over the country competing in food competitions, as well as lots of inside info about talk radio.

Dr. William H. Schlesinger, Biochemist and President of Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, discusses current environmental problems facing the Hudson River Valley, including global warming impacts, urban sprawl, and the changing water quality of the Hudson River.

Fred Schaeffer was the catalyst for the unique and popular park and trail attraction in the Hudson Valley called Walkway over the Hudson. In his interview, he discusses his 7 years as chairman of this project and his work today to develop the full potential of the Walkway as a “way of life.” Mr. Schaeffer received the 2009-10 Rotary District 7210 Vocational Service Award to a non-Rotarian.

In a series of on-site interviews at Rotary International’s 101st convention, RadioRotary co-host Jonah Triebwasser interviews humanitarians from around the world. Some examples in this first broadcast: Dollywood Foundation (Ontario Rotary), Mercy Ships (Texas Rotary), End Polio Now (all Rotary clubs around the world, with Guersey Rotary, Great Britain, as an example), Diabetes Awareness (Florida...

International professionals from the Hudson Valley and Taiwan describe their experiences after participating in Rotary International’s exciting professional exchange program, called Group Study Exchange (GSE), in 2010. The program was taped on site at Rotary District 7210’s annual Conference in May, 2010 in front of an audience of Conference attendees. Rotary International’s GSE program pairs Rota...

Windell Curole (Golden Meadow Rotary) is General Manager of South Lafourche Levee District. He is one of Louisiana’s leading coastal environmental experts and currently is a member of and consultant to Louisiana’s official clean-up team. In his interview, he provides the latest updates.

A Director at the Mid-Hudson Workshop for the Disabled, Bill Del Tosta discusses his organization’s important purpose: to offer meaningful work for Hudson Valley’s physically and medically handicapped.

Rotary clubs in Region One (Cairo, Catskill, Coxsackie-Athens, Greenville, Hudson, Northern Columbia, Philmont, Windham) share their humanitarian projects with the audience. Some topics include the 4H group, the work of the Cairo/Durham Interact group, and the way Rotary clubs in Region One meet local needs.

Fishkill Rotarian Pat Usifer (One Child at a Time) and Elaine Trumpetta, Executive Director of the Council on Addiction Prevention and Education, discuss the C.A.P.E. Marathon Project with the Project’s Director, Michael Carozza. The Marathon Project is a successful teen running program organized to prevent drug addiction. Strong mentoring is among the many features that make this program work.

Carol Wolf, Executive Director of Mill Street Loft, discusses a multi-arts, not-for-profit educational community center servicing children and adults throughout the mid-Hudson Valley. The center offers a wide range of arts, exhibits, courses, camps, and painting skills and provides Outreach and Career Exploration programs.

Jesse Saperstein, a successful writer and humanitarian volunteer, discusses his experiences living with Asperger Syndrome. His interview describes some common challenges while giving hope and inspiration to those with this disorder and to their family and friends. Mr. Saperstein has been a guest speaker at many Rotary meetings.

Aired on 6/4/10 – Dr. Peter Groffman, Microbial Ecologist and senior scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, discusses current research about the environment including the importance of research behind environmental solutions, the key current environmental issues, and why there so much controversy about climate change. Dr. Groffman also describes his experience as an Interact parent.

Arlington Rotary President Nicole Peluse, Manager of Saint Francis Home Care Services, describes independent living, home care, and current home care technology. Ms. Peluse covers requirements for various levels of home care jobs and describes the recent increase in available jobs in this field that has resulted from more and more patients choosing to remain at home.

Wendy Maragh Taylor, clinical social worker, discusses Liberia’s strong connection to the U.S., beginning when the nation was founded by freed slaves from the U.S. to Africa. She focuses on efforts by the Liberia West Africa Project to rebuild what Liberia’s civil war has destroyed. Her group saw a need and decided to meet it, hoping to build a school and a church, and to help a people, a communit...

Andrea Shiffman, a member of Comprehensive Disaster Response Services, gives an eye witness report about conditions in Haiti as of May, 2010 and about past and current Rotary support, which includes ShelterBoxes, used not only for family shelter but for immediate hospitals. Andrea provides powerful examples of conditions in Haiti and the need for ongoing aid. She describes the effectiveness of sma...

Rotarian Lenny Nathan, President and CEO of HealthSav, discusses the importance for everyone, including students, to learn how to save a life in an emergency by knowing how to use defibrillators, apply CPR, give first aid, and lots more. Mr. Nathan discusses ways to maintain a healthy heart, warning signs if something is wrong, and the need for prompt attention to save a life.

Dr. Barbara Corona, psychotherapist and President of the Board of Hudson Valley Home Matters (HVHM), and Ruth Kaba, a member of the Board, discuss their nonprofit “aging-in-place organization,” dedicated to helping those over 50 remain in their homes. Many senior citizens for various reasons need help to continue living active, independent lives but do not want to move to an assisted living facili...

Roger Risko, Special Education Job Coordinator at BOCES and Rotary District 7210’s Interact/Rotaract Advisor and Elderact Chair, and Kathy White, business teacher at the BOCES Alternate High School, discuss many projects developed and implemented by students. These include Interact’s service activities, such as an anti-bullying project and serving food in soup kitchens. Both guests describes how m...