First picture above is Greg Powell greeting Victor our Forester in the WMS Forest in Costa Rica via Zoom.  The second shows a bit of the classroom again with Greg and Teacher Sara Steverman.  Greg is the Executive Director of Reforest the Tropics, succeeding Dr. Herster Barres who founded this organization to effect climate change through the planting of mixed species of trees.  He began the presentation with Victor by showing what once was grazing land for cattle and what it has become since creating a forest that now includes many animal species.  In 2024 about 175 tons of CO2 was stored in the WMS forest.  Special thanks go out to our Dr. Dan Alvino as we learned on Friday that he has donated funds in 2021 to begin a WHS forest.  Most of Friday's class was Spanish spoken and the expression of the day from Victor is Pura Vida (it means Pure Life) but has come to be used like saying "hello", "how are you".  Rotarians attending this event were Janet and Rose.

President Alan with Alison Croke, President & CEO of Wood River Health a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that has provided "compassionate care since 1976 to residents of Washington County RI" as well as Pawcatuck and North Stonington CT.  "They are a full service medical dental and behavioral health care facility offering patient-centered care." 

Earlier this month US Representative Seth Magaziner visited Wood River Health where "he was told that deep cuts proposed to Medicaid by House Republicans would lead to layoffs, reductions in services for patients and more.  The proposed Medicaid cuts in the federal budget would be financially devastating to health centers and many other providers in Rhode Island.  The roughly 82,000 Rhode Islanders eligible for Medicaid through the Expansion provision of the ACA rely on this coverage to give them access to primary medical and dental care, as well as treatment for behavioral health conditions," Alison said.  "This access to preventive care improves health outcomes and prevents spending on more expensive treatment options like emergency department visits and hospital stays.  Under House Republicans' proposed budget plans, more than 300,000 Rhode Islanders on Medicaid could lose access to care, according to Magaziner's office."

Medicaid is jointly financed by Federal and State governments currently and came into being about 1965 to help in the following areas:  Temporary Assistance to Need Families, Children in Substitute Care, Children with special needs, Adults with disabilities.  If the proposed cuts happen, their health care will be at risk.

 

Our Vision:  We seek to create, locally and globally, a culture of peace in which the inherent worth and dignity of every living being is honored and respected and conflicts are resolved nonviolently.

                                                                                                                             

Our Mission:  To create activities, programs and projects focused on creating a culture of peace as well as working with other community groups and organizations engaged in similar endeavors.

Link to Frank Thacker's Daily Peacemaker:  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/16HaNgQGzD/?mibextid=wwXIfr

  

   

The lockbox above was installed on John Street -  it's location must be easy to find and close to the front door for quick access by First Responders.

 

If you know of someone who is "at risk" and can benefit from having a lockbox installed at their home, please contact the Westerly Police Department or Officer Mills at the non-emergency Phone Number 401.596.2022.  Our lockboxes are provided to residents, as needed, free of charge.  Also, if other groups wish to donate lockboxes to the Westerly Police Department, please purchase them from McQuade's Ace Hardware.  We are being awarded special pricing and have delivered 63 lockboxes to Officer Mills for distribution as of this month.