Soundings (8/16/11)

Posted by Henry Lee 
on Aug 16, 2011
 
 
Flag Salute and Invocation by Steve Swan

Visiting Rotarians: None

Guests: 
Marlys Bourm
Christine Palmerton’s friend – Shelly…

Announcements: 
Golfun (District 5050 annual golf tournament) will be at Lynden's Homestead course this year on August 19, from 11am (registration, 1pm shotgun) to 5pm. Stowe Talbot, Henry Lee, Bill Boyd and Doug Wight will be representing our club www.district5050.org/golf. 
The 22nd annual Viking Night Dinner and Sports Auction, presented by KeyBank, will take place Thursday, Sept. 15, at Sam Carver Gymnasium on the Western Washington University campus.
Rotary Leadership Institute Conference is on September 24, 2011. Our club would like to have 2 or 3 attendees if anyone is interested. Contact Anna. 
Grape and Gourmet meeting tomorrow Wednesday 8/17/11 at 5pm at the office of Archer Halliday PS. 
New Member:
  • Courtney Imhof (sponsored by Denise Bosman), VP of Corporate Resources at IMCO Construction managing the HR department and overseeing the award winning company safety program. Courtney has been with the firm since 1989. Community service includes Jingle Bell Run (Arthritis Foundation), Relay for Life (American Cancer Society), St Paul Academy, rodeo fundraising and other various efforts with IMCO.
 
Bucks in the Bay by Christine Palmerton
  • Glen Groenig – Camping and wknd with grandkids. 
  • Bob Moles – Fishing trip and caught more fish than any other year.
  • Tonja Meyers – Missed meetings. Father past away recently. The play The Tempest will be performed at the Firehouse PAC Fairhaven with shows beginning on 8/18. $10. Call 360.306.1552 for reservations.
  • Denise Bosman – Missed meetings, new HR position. 
  • Dannon Traxler – Missed meetings, went to Louisiana to visit parents. Two backpacking trips.
  • Harold Scott – Missed meetings. 16 day vacation around Lake Ontario then into Canada. Has an allergic reaction to smoke. 
  • Dick Stark – Stark family reunion in OR. 49th wedding anniversary.
  • Lisa Schork – Looking for anyone who’s interested in joining the Visiting Nurses Homecare Board. 
  • Curtis Dye – Missed meeting, in New Mexico.
  • Frank Chmelik – Visting colleges with son in Montana as well as WSU.
Sergeant at Arms by Christine Palmerton
Fines:
  • Anyone who didn’t send in their ballots.
  • Jody Biermann – Was in charge of raffle last week but missed the meeting.
  • Lesa Boxx – Table dancing in Seattle.
  • Anyone who’s not on Facebook.
  • Steve Swan – For a wacky golf shot.
Program: Dr. Brad Johnson – Professor at WWU in Physics and Astronomy. Also founder of AMSEC (Advanced Material Science and Engineering Center) department at WWU http://www.wwu.edu/amsec/index.shtml

Performing Solar Energy Research at WWU – “creating electricity” via a solar collector that uses a plastic polymer impregnated with special dyes to capture and collect the sunlight and transport that light to a system of silicon chips that turn it into electricity.
  • Direct solar
  • Conventional concentrated solar
  • Luminescent solar concentrators
  • Received grant from National Science Foundation for $970,000. 
  • Doing basic research with first working prototype.
  • Next step includes testing of prototype.
  • Strategic plan
    • Install rooftop PV on a building at WWU.
    • Install a hybrid PV/wind test facility offsite.
    • PV array of GHG mitigation.
    • Hybrid power system.
    • Educating students for a renewal energy future.
Here are a couple other articles I found online including one from the Bellingham Herald:
Respectfully submitted, 
Henry Lee