RI Month of Disease Prevention & Treatment
December 14, 2022
President Mark Ouimet welcomed a festive and happy crowd in the Union’s Anderson Room and a smiling array of Rotary Zoomers to Wednesday’s meeting. Our Club’s Orchestra, led and performed by ivory tickler extraordinaire Tom Strode, played our National Anthem.
Eli Savit gave our inspirational welcome by noting that today is the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook murders.
He urged us to recognize that in that tragedy, and in every gun violence tragedy, there are first responders who de-escalate the tragedy and lift others up. He urged us to see the parallels among first responders, educators and Rotarians who hold the 4-way test as their guide.
Downs Herold, in honor of Terry Foster, led us in “Smile and the World Smile’s With You.” In the holiday spirit, we all then sang “Jingle Bells.”
President Mark welcomed members and the following guests were introduced: new member Megan Butler, Tamoio Matsu (our Rotary exchange student), K. Venkatesh Prasad, and Mike Danielson. He then thanked the many people who helped to make today’s meeting happen: Meeting Coordinators: Emily Olson and Mark Foster; Zoom Support: Leo Shedden; Set up: Mark Foster; Greeter: Dawn Johnson; Attendance: Joanne Pierson; Reporter: Mary Steffek Blaske; and Photographer: Fred Beutler
Joanne Pierson announced upcoming birthdays including Deb Bolino, Scott Bunnay, Karl Edelmann, Jim Egerdal, Brooks Sitterley, Bob Holmes, Rick Taylor, Ken Fischer, Maggie Williams, Bob Ause, and John White.
The club member stood for a reflective moment of silence to honor former Rotarian John Psarouthakis and Distinguished Service Awardee who died Dec. 2.
Don Deatrick took the (mobile) podium to share with the club that on December 8, 104 personal hygiene kits for veterans were made by Rotarians and spouses from our club and that of Ann Arbor North. The distinctive blue gift bags were distributed to in- and out-patients at the VA hospital and at Fisher House. Don shared a poignant story of one veteran who was so moved by the gift and said, “Thank you. You’ve made my day.”
Emily Olson will be leaving her role as our club’s ACE administrator to begin working at the Kerrytown Concert House in January 2023. Because our club will not have filled that key position yet, please send e-mails to your respective director. Our board leadership receives 100 e-mails daily, so please be judicious about mailings so they are not inundated.
****Please remember to pay your CSA Dues and other voluntary contributions by 12/31/22.
Shelley MacMillan invited every Rotarian, their spice and friends to the January 26, 2023 Wine Women and Song at Kerrytown Concert House. Thursday’s performance is just for Rotarians. It begins with wine (7 – 7:30 p.m.) then the women (including Rotarians Kathy Waugh, Monica Swartout-Bebow, Deanna Relyea, Shelley MacMillan, and Laurie Atwood) and great songs. It’s a great concert.
President Mark commended Joe Diederich who was recently honored on Nov. 11 with the Boy Scouts of America’s Distinguished Service Award. Congratulations Joe!
Mary Avrakotos presented an Ann Arbor Rotary Club flag to speaker Norihito Kaku, w
ho will be taking it with him when he returns to District 2740 – Nagasaki City, Japan.
Dr. Kaku spoke to our Club about his research project, a Rotary Global Grant on “How to Suppress the Severity of Bacterial Pneumonia.” He, his wife (attending this meeting) and three children arrived in Michigan during the pandemic. The International Humanitarian Projects Committee has worked to provide assistance along the way and Don Deatrick helped by providing an introduction to Sayaka Matsumoto who helped them navigate life in Ann Arbor.
Dr. Kaku is a graduate of the Nagasaki School of Medicine, and the Nagasaki Graduate School of Biomedical Science. Currently Dr. Kaku is Research Investigator in the Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan
He is researching a new method to suppress excessive inflammation caused by bacterial pneumonia.
Bacterial pneumonia is a common lung infection caused by a wide variety of bacteria. Most healthy people recover from bacterial pneumonia in one to two weeks, but for some patients with underlying diseases, it can be a severe condition. Mortality rate from bacterial pneumonia was reported to be 7.8%. Dr. Kaku presented slides showing many factors that reduce a person’s immune function as well as several factors that enhance the virulence of pathogens. Since the development of penicillin, many bacterial infections became curable by using antibiotics. However, in recent years, the emergence and global spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria has become a global problem. It is estimated that if this trend continues, 10 million people will be lost to Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) by 2050 His research focuses on antimicrobial resistance – especially in the area of “transfer” cells in the lungs, as well as ways to suppress an excessive inflammatory response.
He concluded his talk with delightful slides of the culture, geography, and attractions of the Saga and Nagasaki Prefectures. Nagasaki City is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture. Due to national isolationism, Japan traded with China and Netherlands from 1639 to 1854. Nagasaki was the only city in Japan where Chinese and Dutch were permitted to live, so Nagasaki has a unique culture influenced by China and Netherlands. He pointed out that Michigan, though much larger geographically and with a greater population, shares a Dutch heritage in Holland, MI. He offered a warm welcome to visit Saga and Nagasaki.
Dr. Kaku thanked Districts 2740 and 6380 for making his tenure in the U.S. and research possible.
There will be no Rotary meeting the rest of 2022. Our next meeting is January 4, 2023.
President Mark closed our meeting with a quote from Bart Simpson, “Aren’t we forgetting the true meaning of Christmas. You know, the birth of Santa.”
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Steffek Blaske
Reporter Elf
