As many know, Pete has been a tireless advocate for and supporter of the Rotary Foundation, and it was truly inspiring to share this moment with him. Together, we honored three exceptional community members:

• Jean Kanishie, a longtime employee of the Best Western Lakeside Hotel,
• Tori (Viktoria) Douglass, president-elect of the Moses Lake Rotary Club, and
• Brandon Douglass, a fellow Rotarian and local real estate broker.

This occasion also highlighted the incredible impact of the Moses Lake Rotary Club. Pete proudly announced that the club’s total contributions to the Foundation have surpassed an impressive $1.6 million—a milestone that reflects the generosity and leadership of our members.

After the well was dug, the engineering firm created plans for the buildout of pipes and meters to the homes. That took several months. Then we got the estimate for the next stage of the project, which came in at nearly $300,000 over the original estimate. This is due to the passage of time since the initial estimate, (which was before covid supply chain issues,) on top of “usual” Haiti supply chain issues, plus the increasing costs of both labor and materials.

Hanwash and DINEPA have been in ongoing discussions about use of World Bank funds that are available to DINEPA. Ongoing discussions regarding the Ferrier project have not yet led to concrete actions toward securing co-financing from DINEPA’s EPARRDD program (i.e. the World Bank grant) which also requires buy-in from UN OPS, the implementing partner. Efforts continue and the outlook is good to secure this support, but progress has been slow.  

Actions Taken to Date

• Discussions were held in Cap-Haitien in September with Ingenieur Poisson (Director of OREPA North), Magarette Georges (Cap Haitien Rotary), Ryan Rowe (Hanwash Director), and Elodie Hérard (Hanwash Program Management Advisor based in Haiti) to explore the possibility of funding through DINEPA’s EPARDD program to cover the funding shortfall (estimated at $290,000) for the Artaud-Meillac water system.
• Follow-on meetings have since taken place with representatives of the World Bank (by Neil Van Dine from Haiti Outreach which is one of our partners on the project), UN-OPS (by Ryan and Elodie), and DINEPA (Ryan). During these conversations, we received confirmation that the commune of Ferrier is a priority area under the EPARDD program.
• Senior leaders from DINEPA have verbally indicated that DINEPA is open to contributing to cover the shortfall from EPARDD but until now, no confirmation has been provided in writing.
• On Thursday October 24, Ryan spoke with DINEPA staff and confirmed that a letter is being prepared for Director General Guito Edouard to sign and confirm support for the project, which would help clear the way for the funding to be released.
• If DINEPA funding support is offered, this will be great, and also will introduce delays as it will add another group that will need to approve each step.

Hands-On Learning for Students

The second component involved a unique pollinator activity for Grade 4 students. Through ASA (Abundant Specialties in Salmon Arm), the clubs distributed over 1,200 seed-embedded blotters to 42 classes across 13 elementary schools. Students planted these blotters, which contained seeds for flowers attractive to pollinators, providing a hands-on learning experience. This initiative, made possible with support from Jennifer Findlay at the school district board office, not only educated students but also engaged over 1,000 families in bee conservation efforts.

Positive Impact on Students and Community

One of the program's unexpected benefits was its impact on students' emotional well-being. With "eco-anxiety" becoming a growing concern among youth, participating in proactive climate projects helps students feel more optimistic about the future. As one teacher noted, students were thrilled with the results and eager to participate again next year.

At just $1,100 per club, this initiative proved to be an effective use of Rotary funds, addressing both community needs and global challenges. A heartfelt thank you goes out to the local businesses, educators, and volunteers who made this impactful project possible. Together, we’re creating a buzz—one pollinator plant at a time!

After lengthy research, 911 Glass Rescue chose to embrace a “local solution to a local problem.” Rather than transport the glass to a distant location for recycling, 911 Glass opted to repurpose it locally into products with useful applications, like construction and landscaping. Specifically, the glass was crushed using a commercial glass pulverizing system. While more labor-intensive than models that rely on an outside source to recycle used glass, this model was deemed preferable because it was believed it would be more sustainable for the long-term (an assumption that has proven true given recent developments in the world of glass recycling).

911 Glass Rescue utilized a glass pulverizing system manufactured by Andela Products of Richfield Springs, New York, the preeminent manufacturer of commercial pulverizing systems with a worldwide market for their products. The system 911 Glass Rescue employed was capable of crushing 1 to 2 tons of glass per hour, which more than met the needs of the Lake Chelan Valley.

The purchase was funded with $50,000 from the City of Chelan and $50,000 from the County of Chelan via a grant from Washington State Department of Ecology’s Recycling Development Center. To fund the balance of the purchase price, plus the ancillary equipment required for the operation, the Club raised another $82,000 from the community. 21 local businesses and wineries became fiscal sponsors of the project, and numerous local residents made generous donations so that the enterprise could be launched.    

In just three years of operation, 911 Glass crushed over 860,000 pounds of glass. For reference, that is the equivalent of about 860,000 wine bottles. The pulverizing system turned that glass into two products: a glass sand and a 3/8 inch glass aggregate. The products were sold to the public for use in landscaping and decorative projects and consigned to Bob’s Apple Barrel Bark of Chelan and Wenatchee for larger, bulk sales.

Until it was destroyed, 911 Glass operated every Saturday, serving the public at the City Recycle Center. The project was prominently featured in the Rotarian magazine in December, 2022. The operation was staffed entirely by volunteers and run by a volunteer executive director. 9-10 volunteers were required each Saturday, and the project was widely embraced by the community at large, with about half the volunteers each week from the Rotary Club and half from the broader community. In the years it operated, 911 Glass Rescue amassed over 6,000 volunteer service hours.

The modest amount charged for drop-off of glass (2 cents for residential, 4 for commercial) enabled 911 Glass to cover all costs of operation and even to donate a small amount to the Club to fund local high school scholarships. The pulverizing system, which proved extremely reliable, had a projected useful life of 20 to 25 years, yet was destroyed after only three.

Despite the recent reversal, the board of 911 Glass Rescue is fully committed to returning the operation to the community at the earliest opportunity. It is currently searching for an interim location that might house a new pulverizing system while the City rebuilds the City Recycle Center. The timeline for the City rebuild is still uncertain, but the City is committed to the project and to restoring it to the community.

On the horizon for the future is an intriguing project that was slated for 2024, but never commenced before the fire. A study commissioned from WSU’s Civil Engineering Department in 2023 demonstrated that the glass sand from the 911 Glass Rescue pulverizing system is superior to mined sand when used in asphalt. This has been proven in a laboratory setting, and the next step is testing in a “real life” environment. 911 Glass Rescue is determined to pursue the “glassphalt” project upon its return to operation.

Stay tuned for future developments on the return of 911 Glass Rescue to the Lake Chelan Valley!

Rtn. Julie M. McCoy

Board President, 911 Glass Rescue

julie@911glassrescue.org