President

Mike Pollen

2014-2015

Volume 15, 16

Welcome to the Club

Meetings: Thursday’s at 12pm Westmark Hotel 813 Noble Street

Fairbanks AK 99701

May 14, 2015

Rotary Club of Fairbanks - PO BOX 72114 - Fairbanks Alaska 99709 - 907-458-4222 - rotarctic@gmail.com

NID Trip to India

Leslye Korvola & Althea St. Martin

Leslye Korvola was born in San Francisco on April Fools' Day a LONG time ago, which could make this bio very long and boring. So I'll cut to the chase and simply say I earned my B.S. degree from the University of California in Berkeley in 1961. I was engaged, married and widowed within one year and ready to call it quits in life until I had a serious automobile accident and cut off one ear; that knocked some sense into my head. I decided to come to Alaska December 30, 1963, but before traveling to Alaska I spent a year in Europe living with relatives and going to the Uni-versity of Marburg in Germany.

Okay, I arrived in Fairbanks August 25, 1965 to begin the German program at Lath-rop, but got sidetracked by the French teacher, Dick Korvola and married at the end of the school year. In 1968 we spent 52 days traveling on the Trans-Siberian and in the Soviet Union to get to France, where we both studied at the University of Besan-con. Upon our return I spent one year teaching at the newly opened Ryan Junior High School and then retired from the classroom to raise our two daughters, Kate and Hilkka.

As my children grew up I became increasingly involved in a variety of volunteer activi-ties in the community and ended up with a Master's Degree in Resource Economics from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks in 1986. That enabled me to become the Manager of the Community Research Center at the Borough and that opened up the opportunity for me to be invited to join the Fairbanks Rotary Club. I enjoyed the inter-national aspects of Rotary from the beginning eagerly attending International Rotary Conventions and visiting Rotary Clubs at every opportunity-- in Germany, Finland, Togo, Ghana and wherever my planes took me in the U.S. So many Rotary Clubs, so little time!

In 1992 I was eased out of my position at the Borough through the process of budget cuts and accepted an invitation to participate in an "Economic Development" confer-ence in Yakutsk arranged through the Sister Cities connection between Fairbanks and Yakutsk. Aha! Since I had no job in Fairbanks I offered to teach at Yakutsk State University under an appointment from UAF that stipulated no financial commitment from the University of Alaska, and in the spring of 1993 my husband and I ventured to Yakutsk mid-winter when it was minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit. I had the privilege of teaching in the highly disorganized new "World Economy" program. They put up with me for three years, during which time Russia's economy deteriorated through no fault of me, but what a fantastic adventure it was to experience with the people there. (I don't know if a bio usually includes such commentary, but surely our experiences were more important what I might list in a factual bio.)

With the confidence and support of Jack Randolph I helped start a Rotary Club, which was chartered in the fall of 1994. I went on as District Governor Steve Yoshida's "Secret Weapon" to start Rotary Clubs in the Russian Far East with Ambassadorial Teaching Scholarships, which no longer exist, but enabled me to work in numerous communities in the Russian Far East including Petropavlovsk, Khabarovsk, Nyurba and Neryungry. Starting Rotary Clubs It was the blind leading the blind since I had never been an officer in the Fairbanks Rotary, but what I lacked in experience I made up for with idealism, enthusiasm, a deep respect of the people, and a genuine love of those with whom I worked. So now you understand why I am so committed to Rotary in Russia. Continued on Page 2

May Birthdays

Ronnie Ashbach 2nd

Mike Kelly 6th

Bill Wright 11th

Krista Stamper 13th

Jeffrey Zuckerman 14th

Uriah Nalikak 16th

Gretchen Gordon 23rd

Theresa Bakker 24th

Bob Boswell 26th

Shelley Ebenal 26th

Ron Davis 28th

Judy Kleinfeld 29th

David Kilbourn 31st

Lorna Shaw 31st

Vivian Stiver 31st

Club Officers (Below)

Vice President Doug Schrage

President Elect Aisha Tinker Bray

Secretary Wayne Clark

Treasurer Michelle Maynor

Treasurer Elect Bill Wright

Past President Jo Kuchle

Sgt. At Arms Mike Shultz

Deputy At Arms Mike Ferguson

Club Service (Below)

Structure Bill Satterburg

Operations John Ringstad

Fun & Recognition Emily Drygas

Community Service Lisa Gentry

Vocational Service Tim Jones

International Service Karen Lundquist

Main Program Continued:

In 2000 I dropped out of everything to become my husband's full-time (24/7) caregiver; in April 2011 he went into the Pioneer Home. It has taken me several years to fully grasp that the Home's excellent care of him is allowing me to "reenter" participation in the activities I enjoy. In September 2014 I was invited to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Yakutsk Rotary Club, and at that time I was encouraged to rejoin Rotary. I appreciate the Fairbanks Rotary Club has welcomed me back; in January of this year I became a "red badger" new member. Realizing Rotary is more than just about building understanding and peace (although that is an important focus), I signed up to go on a National Immunization Day in India, was accepted and made that trip with Althea St. Martin in February, 2015. I believe God has led me on the circuitous path I have described in this bio. Rotary is important in my life because of its motto of "Service Above Self" and because through Rotary I have had many opportunities to serve others that I would never had otherwise. Yes, Rotary enabled me as an ordinary person to do extraordinary things, many of which I have long forgotten. I am so thankful I have been able to be in the right place at the right time to serve others through Rotary.

Athea St. Martin joined Rotary in 1987, She’s a past president that recently retired after 15 years with the U.S. Cenate. She’s also a Fin Planner, Alumni Director at UAF, Chamber aiding president, Cook & Gold Mine & Hunting Camps. West Michigan Grad and taught special education until 1979 before she moved back to Alaska. Althea is currently enjoying retirement, traveling, assisting at hos-pice greenhouse and waking up without an alarm clock. Its so nice checking only one calendar. :)

When Rotarians Jo and Steve Heckman

first decided to host a “North Indian Cui-

sine” culinary event at their home, they

planned on it being a fellowship gathering.

Then they turned it into a fundraiser for

Rotary Youth Exchange and raised $1000

for the program. Thank you Jo and Steve!

Left: Kelly Rivers showing off those Rotary Guns

Below: President Mike Pollen and his wife Past

Disrict Governor Peggy Pollen at the District Con-

ference.

Left: President Mike inducted Lori Wilson and

Courtney Roberts into Fairbanks Rotary.

Below: Jonal Machos and Wendie MacNaughton at

“Bring a Potential New Member to Rotary Day.”