Friday Program:
"Cancer and Trauma Research, the Promise of Metabolic Hibernation," Dr. Mark Roth, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center’s Basic Science Division

Steve Goldberg introduced Dr. Mark Roth, from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Dr. Roth told Rotarians how his interest in near-death experiences led to his discovery of how to implement suspended animation in living things.

His project and interest started 7-8 years ago when he read of two fishermen in their overturned boat, both of whom were pronounced dead by paramedics. As a helicopter flew them men to a nearby morgue, one of them woke up. The incident prompted Dr. Roth to look into other stories of people declared clinically dead.

He began studying works that live in soil who, like us, need oxygen to survive. When experiments lowered the level of oxygen to 1-1/10 of one percent, the worms died. When the oxygen level was lowered to less than that, they survived.

Dr. Roth discovered that there was a space between living and dying where organisms would survive. Dr. Roth continued his experiments on baker’s yeast and then small fish. The results were the same, leading him to identify a difference between “good” oxygen and “evil” oxygen.

His discovery has the potential to change medicine. By using hydrogen sulfide gas, he can drop the oxygen demand in mammals below the level needed for survival. A drug now has been produced and human trials will begin in about a week.

The implications extend from increasing survival rates in mining disasters to helping troops in war survive battlefield wounds.

Classification Talk: Juan Hernandez
Juan received his bachelor’s degree in 1996 from the School of Psychology at Texas A&M University, and his masters of sciences degree (Sociology and Industrial Relations) from Iowa State University in Ames (2003). After completing a fellowship with the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development and leading studies concentrating in poverty alleviation, community development, and natural resource management he joined Peace Corps — Honduras.

Juan met and married Kylee Dewis during their time in Honduras from 2000–2003. In Honduras the couple worked on a range of community projects that enjoyed support from local Rotary Clubs including: Vocational Education Center, Cultural Festival, Communal Banks and Drinking Water Systems. The water projects brought not only clean water but some manner of sanitation through the joint efforts of Rotary club “San Miguel de Heredia” of Tegucigalpa and Salem Sunrise Oregon. The Communal Banks sponsored by local Rotary Clubs brought a financial planning training series and low interest loans to improve an existing business or kick start a new one.

In each case, Juan explained that he was impressed with the efficiency and professional manner by which Rotary Clubs operated. The clubs managed to keep administrative cost and a bare minimum, while at the same time leveraging investments to gain the greatest impact for the communities. It was this experience that brought Juan to seek to become a member of Rotary Club. (Download a PDF version of Juan's PowerPoint presentation.)

As Juan stated it is “a privilege and pleasure to be part of such an incredible organization.” Today Juan and Kylee live and work in Bellevue. Kylee works for HDR an engineering consultancy firm and Juan works for Hopelink.

New Barcode Badges
Sayoko told members the club soon would be moving to a bar code identification method, which would replace the `current method of logging in members by checking badges. She showed a slide of various places on the body where the bar code could be tattooed and asked members to think where they would like there bar code to be.

Seriously, the barcodes will be part of new plastic badges. Members will scan the badges, which will log them in as attending the meeting. Visiting Rotarians also would get a badge, which could be created in just a few seconds.

The advantage of the bar-code badge is that the information could be easily transferred to the software used by Sayoko.

The change-over will happen soon.

Chuck Barnes expressed a concern that the blue badges would be eliminated, noting that he has had his for more than 20 years. Sayoko tried to reassure him that he could overcome this separation anxiety. One of the Rotarians shouted to Chuck that it wasn’t as if they were getting rid of oatmeal.

DECA Presentation
Tim Leahy presented a check to Shanna LaMar to support the DECA program. LaMar told members that the DECA program in Washington State was the third largest in the county and that locally both Bellevue and Newport high schools had DECA chapters.

DECA teaches students about marketing and business and also emphasizes community service.

The BBRC check for was $2,000.

Paul Harris Award: Steve White
Dick Brown presented a special Paul Harris award to Steve White, who came forward with his wife, Susan, and their family. The award was presented in the name of Tyler White, who died three years ago.
Members were advised that the $1,000 Paul Harris donation would enable Rotary to continue its good works locally and around the world.

Web Fun

Good Advice

1. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put "PHOTO ID REQUIRED."

2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the "For" line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it.

3. Put your work phone number on your checks instead of your home phone number. If you have a PO Box, use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SSN printed on your checks. You can add it if it is necessary -- and it is rarely necessary -- but if you have it printed, anyone can get it.

4. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. Also carry a photocopy of your passport when you travel, either here or abroad.

5. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card Numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.

6. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).

7. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations Immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over The Internet in my name. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.

Here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, etc., has been stolen:

1.) Equifax: 800-525-6285

2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 888-397-3742

3.) Trans Union: 800-6807289

4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 800-269-0271