At last, spring is here. Bright yellow daffodils everywhere are a sight for the winter weary soul. Spring is also the season for the Big Gray Rotary Barn to re-open. We’ve swept, cleaned out and are restocking weekly with gently used furniture, tools, boats, household goods, art and collectibles donated by our generous neighbors. We’re open every Saturday from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Contact Deb at 207-380-3550 to arrange pick up or drop off of your donations. The Rotary Barn is truly a community project. A big thank you out to all the people who donate, shop and volunteer.

The Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club is well known for the Big Gray Rotary Barn. But, we also have other projects both locally and internationally. Money raised from the Rotary Barn has helped support Boothbay Region YMCA Camperships, annual Teacher Appreciation Days, affordable housing through the Boothbay Housing Trust and Rebuilding Together. We donate about $20,000 yearly in scholarships for advanced degrees and vocational training. We have made and delivered over 3,500 pints of homemade soup to the Boothbay Region Food Pantry. We started a big vegetable garden at the Edgecomb Eddy School and support it annually. Internationally we have donated to Partners for World Health and the Rotary Foundation to aid the victims of the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. This and so much more.

We’re able to accomplish all this because of our over 70 members who share the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self.” The other, and probably the main reason we accomplish so much is because we truly enjoy spending time together. Club meetings and events are always full of laughter and camaraderie subscribing to the other, but unofficial, Rotary Motto “Is it Fun?”

If you’re interested in the fun and work of the Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club, join us any Thursday for our weekly meeting at 6 p.m. at our clubhouse, 66 Montgomery Road, Boothbay Harbor.

Our speakers this week are Sue Mellow from the Boothbay Water District and Rachael Splier from Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Science. They will talk about the Boothbay Region Clean Water Initiative, a partnership of many regional organizations seeking to safeguard the Boothbay Region Public Water Supply.

Last week Pauline Dion from the Boothbay Sea and Science Center was our speaker. We were wowed by her presentation. She started this amazing summer hands on marine science, sailing and rowing program about eleven years ago with one instructor. This year she will have around 15 instructors and 150 young people learning about boat handling, ocean science and most importantly how to work together. The Boothbay Sea and Science Center accepts students regardless of their ability to pay. Pauline writes grants and finds funding to help support the program. The Boothbay Sea and Science Center just purchased a permanent home in East Boothbay which will allow them to continue their summer programming and also their winter seaweed farming in over eleven schools throughout the state of Maine. Boothbay Sea and Science Center is another example of what makes this community we live in so special.

People Power wants you. Don’t forget to sign up. We all need a break from Mike Thompson as sergeant-at-arms.