On Zoom
Nondas Voll, Sam New, Art Norwalk and Lew Hassell
Moment of Silence
In the memory of Arthur Robbins who passed away, February 20th.
Inspiration
Rob Black was scheduled to provide the inspiration on Valentine’s Day but the meeting was canceled. But he shared his presentation.
Saint Valentine was a clergyman – either a priest or a bishop – in the Roman Empire who ministered to persecuted Christians. He was executed on February 14th which has been celebrated as the Feast of Valentine since the 8th century.
Rob shared some Valentine’s trivia:
Who is the son of Mercury & Venus?
Answer – Cupid
How many cocoa beans does it take to make a pound of chocolate?
Answer – 400lbs
Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and Elvis Presley got married in what city?
Answer – Las Vegas
Announcements
Lift up Barry Fain who has been battling health issues.
Rotary after Dark – Thursday, Feb 29
th at Tavern in the Square in garden City at 5:30. Fellowship with Cranston Rotary.
Tent Dinners – they are going very well! A special thanks to all those who have hosted!
Next week’s speaker is from “Books are Wings”. They rely on donations so please bring a children’s book to next week’s meeting.
We have been asked to march in the Providence St. Patrick’s Day parade. Please let President Kris know if you are interested in marching.
Thank you to all those who have volunteered their time at George J. West Elementary School.
Get well wishes to “Jaeger”, Pete Brock’s dog who has been in the hospital.
Happy Bucks
Led by Troylinda Williams
- Troylinda – happy about the results from DNA ancestry, learning about her family history. Happy to be celebrating Black History month and for her upcoming graduation (she is at the top of her class!).
- Emily – happy to be hosting a “Health Fair” geared towards supporting the refugee community. Volunteers are needed so please see Emily if you can help out.
- Alex – thank you to the Landis for hosting an awesome Tent Dinner.
- Holly, Sharon, and Liz – both happy and thankful for having Nondas Voll attending via zoom.
- Art – happy for his friendship with Arthur Robbins.
- Nondas Voll – honored her dear friend Arthur Robbins.
Speaker
Our guest speaker was introduced by Anthony Hollingshead.
Annalisa Heppner is the City Cemetery Director for the City of Providence. Before becoming a cemetery director, Annalisa worked as an archaeologist all over the country, but especially in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. She has a MA in Anthropology from the University of Alaska Anchorage, and loves how her training in anthropology and archaeology help guide her work as a cemetery director.
Annalisa is passionate about history, especially exploring the stories of the regular people who experienced some of history’s biggest moments, so North Burial Ground (founded in 1700) is the perfect place for her to work. Annalisa is also committed to embracing the depth and breadth of Providence’s diverse communities by creating welcoming spaces for an array of burial and memorial practice through programming, policy, and communication. Annalisa serves on the board of directors for the Rhode Island Cemetery Association, the New England Cemetery Association, and was recently appointed to the board of trustees of Preserve Rhode Island.
- A few highlights from her presentation:
- North Burial Ground (NBG) has a proud 300+ year history.
- The 1st two Mayors of Providence invested in transforming NBG from a Burial Ground to a Garden Cemetery.
- There are only 6 staff members.
- The City of Providence is investing $1.25M in NBG over the next 2 years – plans for renovations are being finalized.
