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Pictured : Rotarian Darlene McWilliams (right foreground) and her table of guests enjoy the fine wines and food at Giovanna’s Restaurant during the Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield’s 10^th Annual Wine Tasting Dinner.

Nearly one hundred Rotarians and their guests enjoyed a delicious, five course dinner and wines at Giovanna’s Restaurant last Thursday as the Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield held its 10^th Annual Wine Tasting Dinner.

The annual event is the Club’s primary fund raiser for scholarships that they will award to graduating seniors from Plainfield and from North Plainfield high schools.

“We expect to close out the event with $4,500 for the scholarship fund,” said club president Linda Persichino.

"When we add this to funds raised by working the concession stand at Rutgers basketball games, we will have

$6,000 to award to these deserving seniors from our local high schools.”

This year’s Wine Tasting Dinner included entertainment by Bob Young, CEO and founder of Friends of Jazz, Inc.

Guests enjoyed the sounds of his trumpet and his singing as he offered tunes such as “Hello Dolly” and “Mack the Knife” in a Louis Armstrong-like delivery, to the accompaniment of his pre-recorded jazz ensemble.

The dinner’s special guest of honor was Janice Allen, past president of the Rotary club and a twelve-year mayor in North Plainfield. “We wanted to recognize Janice for her dedicated service to the Club and to the Borough,” said Ms. Persichino. “Her commitment to our club and to her volunteer service in North Plainfield really typifies the Rotary International motto of ‘Service Above Self’.”

“We had a great time,” said Len Lange, longtime resident of North Plainfield. “It was a wonderful dinner and a terrific opportunity for those of us from North Plainfield to express our thanks to Janice.”

To recognize her service, the Rotary Club presented Ms. Allen with a medal and certificate naming her a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International. “This is an honor that our Club bestows on women and men from our communities who give so much of their time to the Club or the community,” said Bev Howard, an assistant district governor and member of the local club who presented the award. “Paul Harris founded Rotary and started the movement that now includes over 1.3 million members worldwide, all dedicating to putting service ahead of themselves.”

Wines for the dinner were purchased through Wine Country of South Plainfield. Guests enjoyed a Riondo Roset Prosecco with their appetizers, followed by a Capestrano Montepulciano with pasta, a Louis Jadot Macon chardonnay with chicken Giovanna, and a Universo de los Andes Pinot Noir with salmon sausolito. Trays of mini-desserts were accompanied by a Moscato d’Asti, a lightly sparkling dessert wine. Guests also had an opportunity to win bottles of wine that were presented as door prizes.

The Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield, founded in 1921, has served the community for over 88 years. Members are community and business leaders in the area who meet weekly on Wednesdays at 12:15 pm at Giovanna’s Restaurant in Plainfield. Contact Michael Townley, club secretary, at rotarypnp@verizon.net for additional information about the Rotary Club and its activities or to inquire about membership, or visit the Club’s website at www.rotarypnp.org.

Superintendent Speaks to Rotary Club

Pictured left to right: Rotarian Tom Reedy presents Plainfield’s superintendent of schools Dr. Steve Gallon with a Certificate of Appreciation and a gift after his talk at a recent meeting of the Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield.

Plainfield's superintendent of schools, Dr. Steve Gallon III, addressed members and guests of the Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield at their weekly meeting on September 17 at Giovanna's Restaurant in Plainfield.

Dr. Gallon spoke of his appreciation for the investments that Rotary clubs make in their communities. He related his own experiences with Rotary, describing how a local Rotary club had sponsored his trip to a Boys State summer leadership program when he was in high school.

He went on to talk about the school system's new four-year strategic plan and reviewed the five goals of that plan, inviting those present to attend the "State of the District" meeting on October 9 at Emerson School.

The Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield, founded in 1921, has served the community for over 86 years. Members are community and business leaders in the area who meet weekly on Wednesdays at 12:15 pm at Giovanna’s Restaurant in Plainfield. Contact Michael Townley, club secretary, at rotarypnp@comcast.net for additional information about the Rotary Club, and its activities or to inquire about membership, or visit the Club’s website at www.rotarypnp.org.

Rotary Provides Dinner at YMCA Shelter

Pictured left to right: Colleen McAteer and Gerri Summers of the Summers Foundation and Bill Parenti of the Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield serve a turkey dinner to homeless shelter guests and to residents of the Plainfield Area YMCA on September 16.

The Rotary Club of Plainfield-North Plainfield served a turkey dinner on September 16 to approximately forty homeless shelter guests and residents at the Plainfield Area YMCA.

The dinner was a cooperative effort between Rotarians and the Summers Foundation of Watchung.

Turkey and stuffing, mashed sweet potatoes, creamed corn and cranberries filled diners' plates. Cookies, brownies and soft drinks rounded out the meal.

The dinner was prepared by Clair Lamont, owner of Nanny's Kitchen on Route 22 in North Plainfield. This is the second meal that Nanny's Kitchen has provided for the Rotary Club to serve at the Y.

This page was last updated on 03/01/10.