Internationally known muralist Dana Cohn described for us the thrill and the challenges involved in his painting of the Granite Creek Trail Mural. At 410 feet in length, it is the longest contiguous mural by an individual artist in the State of Arizona. Raised in Prescott, and graduating from Bradshaw Mountain High School, he earned his MFA from Yale University School of Art. He has exhibited in Spain, as well as in New York, Miami and many other cities across this country. Returning home, Dana now serves as an art instructor at Prescott College. He has created at least 7 murals in the Prescott area.
Dana says, "I create art that is as close to nature as I can get." Transforming a plain, ugly concrete wall into a flowing mural of remarkably natural scenes, featuring local landscapes and wildlife, he was thrilled by the opportunity to paint the familiar scenes, birds and animals he grew up seeing and was familiar with here in the Prescott area. He created 15 mural panels, which harmoniously blend with rock formations, native vegetation and natural habitats, an featuring scores of wildlife species.
Augmenting Dana's message, Barbara Nelson, the originator and chair of the Granite Creek Trail Mural Project, described the inspiration she had for creating such a mural to enhance the city's renovated Granite Creek Trail. She also told us about the considerable challenges associated with obtaining the essential legal consents and raising the necessary funds. It turned out that Chase Bank owned the wall, instead of the city, as everyone had assumed. However, even the corporate office of Chase Bank in New York didn't know they owned a concrete wall in Prescott, AZ. No city or other government funds have been used to finance this project. It has been accomplished entirely from donations. Barbara also told us about a special seal coat which has been applied to the mural, which will enable the city maintenance crews to simply wash off any graffiti which might be painted on it. Although the special 30-year Sherwin-Williams seal coating costs $200 per gallon, and the manufacturer of the paint would not permit the local dealer to donate the sealer for the mural, they did agree to allow the project to purchase it for only $5 per gallon. According to Dana, so far there has been no tagging or other vandalism of the mural. He says, "I think they kind of like the pictures."
Where can you view the Granite Creek Trail Mural? Accessing the trail from the historic Dinner Bell Cafe on West Gurley Street, the mural will be in full view, just across Granite Creek, for the full length of the concrete wall between Gurley and Willis Streets.
CLUB SERVICE
New Members Isaiah Spires, sponsored by Dr. Whitney James, and Marsha Teller, sponsored by Lisa Dougherty, were inducted at Wednesday's meeting.
Dr. Whitney James pins Isaiah Spires, as she welcome him into Prescott Sunup Rotary.
Lisa Dougherty pins Marsha Teller, as she also welcome her into our club.
A DUCKY BEGINNING
Wearing her special Sunup Rotary Duck Race necklace, complete with a dangling duck, Lisa Dougherty officially launched our club's new Duck Race annual fundraiser at the meeting. She said our Sunup Rotary Duck Derby will be held on Saturday, May 5, at Watson Lake. She explained how the Duck Race will work, and that we will be persuading potential donors to Adopt a numbered racing duck for $5, which will be competing in a race for prizes. The presale of the ducks will begin soon. Sponsors and volunteers will be needed. Lisa said she asked the Watson Lake staff if they had ever had a duck race there at the lake. Their answer was: "Well, we do have ducks on the lake, but you would have to ask them if they have ever had a race."
Looking Ahead . . .
President Laura reminded us that, beginning on November 15, her President's Choice meetings will take the form of a evening social/fellowship meeting in the Hassayampa Inn's lobby, beginning at 4:45, with the the official one-hour meeting getting underway at 5:00. This will be happening the 3rd Wednesday of each month, replacing our usual morning meeting. The intent is to make our club more accessible to younger business & professional potential members. Appetizers will be served, and there will be a cash bar.
Rotary Leadership Institute is happening in Kingman on Saturday, November 18. The club will pay your registration fee for this excellent 3-level interactive Rotary training program with members of other Rotary clubs. Both new and old club members will learn things you never knew about Rotary, and will find these RLI session to be exciting, beneficial, and well-worth the investment of your time. Register today for this Nov. 18th RLI in Kingman at https://rotary5495.org/page/rli-home.
The Sunup Rotary Holiday Party will be on Wednesday, December 13, beginning at 5:00 p.m. Mark your calendars and save the date!
A Rotary Club's Projects and Goals
PDG Ray Sanford, who is a member of the San Juan Capistrano Rotary Club in California, has eloquently said:
Every Rotary service project embodies a simple yet profound truth: our actions reflect the best within us. Being part of this global fellowship, we're propelled by enduring values that shape the projects we rally behind and the lofty goals we set. These are not just aspirational words; they define our shared identity.
Rotary's core values of fellowship, global understanding, ethics, integrity, and diversity are our guiding lights. They lead us in fostering lifelong bonds, honoring our commitments, and embracing a mosaic of diverse perspectives. In facing the world’s challenges, we see opportunities to usher in positive change.
In the philanthropic realm, there's a tendency to merely pen checks to causes, but through Rotary, we strive for a deeper engagement. While financial aid is pivotal, true service thrives on shared experiences, collective problem-solving, and unity distilled from adversity. Engaging with projects, grasping the intricacies of issues, and working alongside communities cultivates a rich, enduring fulfillment.
Goal-setting in Rotary is a voyage toward profound change. Our goals serve a dual purpose: they propel us to effect meaningful change and sculpt us into individuals capable of such feats. It's a holistic journey, not just about reaching the destination, but evolving into individuals with the grit and vision to make the voyage.
Our projects embody these audacious goals and breathe essence into our values. Be it a literacy campaign, a clean water initiative, or a mentorship program, each project is a source of pride, not for the praise garnered, but for the tangible, transformative impact created.
As Rotary members, we shoulder a monumental responsibility. Our values, goals, and projects mirror the world we envision and the caliber of individuals we aim to evolve into. They energize and elevate us, epitomizing the essence of our character.
YOUTH SERVICE
KUDOS to our Interact Ambassadors, who were featured on a Rotary world stage this weekend. They were asked to make a presentation to Rotary's Worldwide District Interact Chairs Association quarterly meeting, explaining our unique Interact Crutches 4 Africa Project and our Interact Ambassadors program work None of the other 528 Rotary districts around the world have anything comparable. Our Prescott High Interact Ambassadors, along with the others, did an exceptional job, and made us very proud!
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE
Pints for Polio
President Laura announced that our club's recent Pints for Polio, held on World Polio Day, October 24, raised $388 for Rotary's PolioPlus initiative, helping to purchase doses of the polio-preventing vaccine. Remember that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation triples this amount, by adding their 2-for-1 matching contribution.
Mexico-USA Friendship Conference & Global Grants Exchange
Todd Clancy announced that 7 of the 14 proposed projects which were presented at the conference were approved to move forward toward becoming fully-funded Global Grant Projects, with the strong possibility that some of the other projects gaining enough support from the clubs and districts to also be approved.
Our sincere thanks to Todd for a really great job he did representing our club on the host committee for this conference, and coordinating the home hosting with our club members. Todd is off on his international travels for the next several months. When he is here, he is fully engaged in Rotary; and we appreciate all of his work!
A man tells his doctor that he’s incapable of doing all the things around the house that he used to do.
When the exam is over, he says, “OK, Doc. In plain English—what’s wrong with me?”
“Well, in plain English,” says the doctor, “you’re just lazy.”
The man nods, “Now give me the medical term so I can tell my wife.” __
When the exam is over, he says, “OK, Doc. In plain English—what’s wrong with me?”
“Well, in plain English,” says the doctor, “you’re just lazy.”
The man nods, “Now give me the medical term so I can tell my wife.” __
__
A woman noticed her husband standing on the bathroom scale, sucking in his stomach.
“Ha, that’s not going to help,” she said.
“Sure, it does,” he replied. “It’s the only way I can see the numbers.”
“Ha, that’s not going to help,” she said.
“Sure, it does,” he replied. “It’s the only way I can see the numbers.”
__
Sign above the scale in a doctor’s office:
“Pretend it’s your IQ”
__
Where do you take a person who has been injured in a game of peek-a-boo?
To the I.C.U., of course.