Alas, Ballard High School’s new Principal, Abigail Hunt, isn't able to be the featured speaker today. But in her place will be Assistant Principal David Fort, and bringing with him the Students of the Month for October and November. Let's all attend and celebrate BHS!

Come and be inspired, as Deborah Espinosa, attorney and Executive Director of Living with Conviction, tells the stories of formerly incarcerated individuals burdened with court debt who are assisted by Living with Conviction. Formerly incarcerated individuals and their families struggle to survive and thrive under court-imposed legal debt that accrues interest for years at a rate of 12%. Living With Conviction works to secure economic and racial justice with and for marginalized communities, especially formerly incarcerated individuals, through community-driven research, storytelling, and legal…

Dr. Chemene Crawford was appointed president of North Seattle College (NSC) effective June 1, 2021, after serving for nearly a year in an interim capacity. She assumed her leadership role at the height of the pandemic and approached her responsibilities with a high level of courage, commitment, and integrity. As interim president, she successfully managed the leadership transition and restructured the college’s leadership team; achieved a balanced college budget and addressed financial structural issues; and made important leadership contributions to…

7 February 2023 - Behind the Scenes of the Global Reading Challenge TIME: Noon LOCATION: Ristorante Picolinos Global Reading Challenge magicians: a former school librarian reveals all! This will be a "sneak peek", behind the scenes to look at how the teams are formed, how the students strategize and prepare for the challenges, and how the non-team students weigh in. This is a don't miss program!

21 February 2023 - Kristin Orloff - Lifting the Veil from 1979 Iran: The Untold Stories TIME: Noon LOCATION: Ristorante Picolinos Author and educator Kristin Orloff will tell us the spell-binding story of Reza Abedi and his daring 1979 escape from Iran. Reza survived the 1979 Revolution and made international news when he defected, with the help of brave American wrestlers, during the World Wrestling Tournament in 1982. A gold medal wrestler, Reza’s inspiring life celebrates honor, family and freedom. After…

21 March 2023 - Harry Turner, Co-Founder of Emerald Arch (Plus Students of the Month) Join us in hearing the remarkable story of Harry Turner, co-founder of Emerald Arch. Formed in 2022, Emerald Arch is a US-based non-profit focusing on global conservation efforts with a specialty in human-wildlife conflict, education for future generations and the protection of land in the Amazon. Its members have experienced first-hand the devastating reality of rainforest deforestation, including raging wildfires throughout the Amazon rainforest, and…

Ballard Rotary Foundation invites you to attend its biannual fundraising auction! BRF is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to improving lives through health and education initiatives in Ballard and around the world. All proceeds benefit our many local and international projects. Join us! To register and view auction items: https://auctria.events/Ballardauction2023

  4 April 2023 - Rotary District 5030 Governor Kae Peterson TIME: Noon LOCATION: Ristorante Picolinos Kae Peterson, Governor of Rotary District 5030, will speak on district wide activities and accomplishments in the current Rotary year. Kae is a 31 year Rotarian, Paul Harris Society member and 2 time club president. She has been a member of three clubs in our district: Shoreline, Redmond and currently Lake Forest Park. Kae has held numerous Rotary leadership roles at both the club and…

Join us to hear Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss, who represents District 6 (Northwest Seattle, which includes the people of Ballard, Phinney Ridge, Green Lake, Greenwood, and Fremont). He will provide updates on current and future issues which are high priorities, and will field questions about issues that are of concern to attendees. So put on your thinking caps, and bring your thoughtful questions. And don't forget to invite your neighbors and friends! April Students of the month will be…

TIME: Noon LOCATION: Ristorante Picolinos Salvation Army Captain Steve Pavlakis of the Northwest Division and Seattle Temple will be sharing what the Salvation Army has done for Seattle to meet the needs. Best known for its charitable efforts, the Salvation Army is both Christian church and a nongovernmental relief agency that works to alleviate suffering and help people rebuild their lives.With more than 7,500 centers of operation and a presence in almost every zip code in the United States, the Salvation…

Join us to hear Debbie Bodal of Lynnwood Rotary Club speak about their club grant Days for Girls eSwatini (Kingdom of eSwatini, formerly Swaziland), which our club is supporting. ESwatini is a nation with major health issues (highest HIV levels in the world and high maternal mortality rate), and the project focuses on health education and washable menstrual hygiene kits for women and girls. Cost-ef fective, safe, and sustainable products help women and girls manage their periods and improve education…

Gordon McHenry Jr., CEO United Way of King County is the featured speaker and will give us a United Way of King County progress report, including the opportunities and challenges that currently face this highly rated nonprofit organization (4 stars, with a score of 96% at charity navigator.com!). United Way of King County brings caring people together to help people in need and solve our community's toughest challenges. It works to enable all people to have homes, to help students graduate,…

TIME: Noon LOCATION: Ristorante Picolinos Woohoo! It's time to celebrate the passing of the gavel from outgoing club president Fred Finkelstein to incoming club president Frank Airey! This rite of passage gives the outgoing president the opportunity to recognize members who helped make his presidency successful, and to thank his lucky stars that he survived his year with his sanity intact. It is also time to celebrate another successful club year, so don't miss it, it's going to be fun!

TIME: Noon LOCATION: Ristorante Picolinos Please join us as we learn more about the workings of Mary's Place from Katrina Scarlett, Donor Relations and Stewardship Manager at Mary's Place. As part of the Mary's Place development team, she helps raise critical funds to help families find and keep stable housing, and to operate family shelters throughout King County. She engages with individual donors, congregations, schools and groups who are interested in learning more about the work that Mary’s Place does to…

TIME: Noon LOCATION: Ristorante Picolinos Captains Kyna and John Kelley, directors of the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center, will talk about the center's Adult Rehabilitation Program that is provided to not only King County, but all of Washington state. The Salvation Army's Adult Rehabilitation Centers help residents to combat their addictions, build the work and social skills needed to re-enter the workforce, regain health and stability, and restore families that have been disrupted due to substance abuse. The program offers a…

TIME: Noon LOCATION: Ristorante Picolinos A vice-president and financial advisor at Morgan Stanley, Risha will speak in her role as president of Seattle Ascent Foundation, which works with high school business and finance groups such as DECA and the Academy of Finance, teaching financial literacy to high school students. Make it easy and pay for your lunch ahead of time using this online link: https://swipesimple.com/links/lnk_b87ba1c5

TIME: Noon LOCATION: Ristorante Picolinos Join Ballard Rotary in hearing an inspiring program from Mexican-American conductor Paula Madrigal, co-founder of Ballard Civic Orchestra, current music director and conductor of Orquesta Northwest, and a conductor for Seattle Opera. Paula Madrigal started her career conducting at the Autonomous University in Guadalajara, Mexico, where she was professor for several years. She is passionate about education, social justice and classical music. As a cellist, teaching artist, and orchestra conductor, she has helped create exciting classical…

A remarkable tunnel is being built right here in Ballard to deal with sewer overflows that are increasingly exceeding the city's ability to cope with when heavy rains overwhelm our sewer and water drainage systems. Extending from Wallingford to Ballard, the nearly 3-mile long tunnel is a key component of the Ship Canal Water Quality Project. Alan Lord, Project Manager, will present an overview and update of the project. Learn all about this major Seattle infrastructure project, begun in 2015…

Happy New Year! I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, January 9th for another Rotary Lunch meeting at Picolinos beginning at 12pm. We're starting off the new year with an outstanding program; Tom will be informing us about an innovative program called “Books Unbanned”, among other topics. You can learn more about Tom and the Seattle Public Library here: Leadership | The Seattle Public Library (spl.org)    

Kaj Pedersen, District 5030 Governor, will speak to the club about awakening to the extraordinary opportunity of Rotary. He will inspire us on such topics as the challenges of membership, the changes in our communities, and how to connect and engage with others across generations. This is a great opportunity for you to ask Kaj any burning questions you may have about Rotary, and about the goals and accomplishments of District 5030. Don't miss this annual meeting with an uplifting…