Lynn Johnson of the River's Edge Arts Collaborative spoke to us about the vibrant arts scene in and around Hudson, Mass.
 
 
Guests
 
  • Lynn Johnson, River’s Edge Arts Alliance
 
Announcements
 
  • The next meeting will be held Tuesday in a joint with the Hudson Rotary club, at Nancy’s Airfield Café.
  • The New England PETS program will be held next week; Jim Stone is excited to go, and on Thursday the President Elect of Rotary International, K.R. “Ravi” Ravindran, will be a speaker. [Update: Registration for this program is closed. Nonparticipants in PETS willbnot be able to attend.]
  • Nanci Bishop will be asking for grant to produce an updated video for Healing Garden.
  • Next Wednesday  there will be a meeting with students at Nashoba Regional, to establish an Interact club.
  • Gift of Life: Gabriel is still hospitalized; doctors are investigating the cause of his drainage problem,
  • PR Expo: Laura Spear’s plea, “Please come,” as few clubs have signed up. This is a great opportunity to find out what other clubs are doing, and to advertise our own efforts.
  • We’ve received a call from the Stow Lions Club for help with their Breakfast with the Easter Bunny.
  •  Laura received a “second member” background for her Rotary pin.
  • Fundraisers are coming up. This year we’re sponsoring a scholarship, we also have our traditional Red Sox and Veterans Day breakfasts; other clubs look to us for inspiration.
  • Repair café: Bob Johnson and Ray Pfau will be interviewed on WICN (FM, 90.5) at the end of March.
 
Happy/sad fines
 
  • Carl Gomes: is going  to Africa and will be back in April.
  • Ray Pfau: had a cabinet door that was stuck, but is now open.
  • Jim Stone: Red Sox training has begun!
  • Karen Gaffney: happy that Richard Simon has proven to be a quintessential Rotary leader.
  • Carol Toomey: grateful that polio is practically eliminated from Nigeria (no cases) and Pakistan (anyone entering or leaving the country must be vaccinated), so only is endemic to Afghanistan.
  • Laura Spear: glad for the combination wine fellowship kickoff and Richard Simon’s birthday; grateful so many Rotarians could be at Don McPherson’s birthday party; and happy that her daughter has a new temporary job and more income.
  • Alina Pirez: happy that her godmother can now visit from Cuba.
  • Nanci Bishop: went snowshoeing over the weekend, with Jackie Foster.
  • Brian Burke: is sick with a cold.
  • Maryann Fitzgerald: her daughter has just celebrated her (first) 39th birthday.
  • Chris Spear: will be biking in California before he starts his new job, working at Intel in Hudson.
  • Richard Simon: thankful to Carl for organizing the wine appreciation fellowship; and grateful that Gabriel making progress.
 
Speaker
 
Lynn Johnson, River’s Edge Arts Council, Inc.
 
River’s Edge has been in the area for 25 years; it sponsors visualarts, music programs, a youth chorus, band, adult chorale, and community theater. Lynn herself had taught theater education at Hudson High School for 18 years, where she discovered how much the arts can do for teenagers.
 
There’s no central, permanent location for River’s Edge; its programs are everywhere. Right now, the biggest challenge is money, as it was a few years ago. The arts are typically taken for granted; but symbols, cars, music, are all designed by someone—in other words, by artists, So the arts aren’t just fluff; and yet they’re the last thing to be funded.
 
Each season they have a theme. This year, it’s Season of Compassion, in which nonprofit organizations connected with River’s Edge will be supporting substance abuse, health & wellness, and social acceptance, to enrich lives, and create a sense of community.
 
Saturday (March 7), they’re working with the Hudson Rotary on a Taste of Ireland. There’s also a concert, and an exploration of tattoo art.
 
For more information, and for a complete calendar of events, there’s a web site: www.upwitharts.org.