Jeff Roeger, doing his best Carl Spackler impersonation from the movie Caddyshack, shared that donations and sponsors are still needed for the upcoming Totally ‘80s auction. See the auction table in back for tickets or they are available online at: https://www.eventcreate.com/e/kentrotaryauction2022.

 

Gail Pavliga recognized Jim Myers for being named Rotarian of the Year.

 

Tom Hatch reminded everyone that there will be a meeting at Kent Historical Society on April 27 at 7 pm for anyone interested in helping to restore Pioneer Cemetery. He also shared that David Hassler, Wick Poetry Center Director, will be giving the next Tap Talk at North Water Brewing on April 19 at 7 pm.

 

Amanda Senn shared that Trivia Night will be held for interested Rotarians on April 14 at 7 pm at North Water Brewing. The next Trivia Night will be on May 12. Let Amanda know if you are interested in participating.

 

President Kathy thanked Will Underwood and his committee for their outstanding work hosting the District’s 4-Way Speech Contest over the weekend. She also congratulated David Dix for conducting Kent State Orchestra’s William Tell Overture at their recent concert.

 

Will Underwood thanked committee members and RHS staff for their help with the 4-Way Speech contest noting that Alexis Wade from Painesville was the winner.

 

Larry Lohman reminded everyone of the upcoming District Conference on April 22 – April 23. Kent Rotary will be hosting a hospitality suite after dinner on Saturday night.

 

Jeff Roeger announced the following April birthdays: Howard Boyle, Lauren Talion, Joe Marken, Brian Bachtel, Jim Myers, Amanda Senn, Anthony Horton, Duane Fitts, Bill Doane, and Jim Bear.  Amanda Senn won the free lunch.

 

David Dix introduced today’s speaker, Deb Saito. Deb is a Kent resident and archivist/librarian. Deborah ‘Deb’ Saito was born and raised in Wisconsin. Deb has lived all over – Alaska, Hawaii, California, and finally settled in Ohio with her husband Mark Kretovics where they raised their two children. Deb held many archivist and librarian positions after obtaining her Masters of Information Studies. She worked at Sheldon Jackson College, Hawaiian Sugar Planter’s Association, Mission College, Colorado College, and the Fort Collins Public Library. Deb is now retired and acts a volunteer archivist for the United Methodist Church of Kent.

 

Deb is the daughter of Japanese-American parents Perry and Fumi Saito. Her presentation documented the childhoods of her parents through black and white photos. Her father, Perry, was born in 1921 in Washington State. Her mother, Fumi, was born in 1923 in Sacramento, CA.  Each spoke English as their first language and were involved in their communities and successful at school. Fumi was a talented singer and placed 2^nd in at the San Francisco Expo in 1939. However, following the attack on Pearl Harbor during WWII, both Perry and Fumi’s families were relocated to Japanese Internment Camps due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. Tule Lake Internment Camp in California is where Perry and Fumi met.

 

Deb shared stories she heard from her parents about the time they spent at the camp including their recreation activities, hobbies, and the work that they were able to continue. The camp also provided opportunities for farming, attending school, and for medical clinics. Despite their circumstances, each Japanese-American family in the camp tried to live with dignity. In total, over 110,000 Japanese were detained and 2/3 of them were American citizens. 

 

Following their release from camp, Perry and Fumi were married in Chicago in 1944. Her father went on to become a Rotarian and they traveled to Japan in 1961 for a Rotary conference. Fumi lived to be 95 years old.

 

Today’s responder to the program was Will Underwood. 

 

Respectfully submitted,