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Paul has a long history in journalism, much of it spent at the Courier News. Changes in journalism has meant a shift of focus for the Courier and for the Home News Tribune, with each becoming more of a “community” newspaper.

Unlike other papers of this type, however, the Courier and Home News have a wide-spread community from which to draw their news and information. In fact, the nature of news reporting has grown to include on-line information sources, some of which have supplanted the written word in print form.

To respond to this new paradigm, MyCentralJersey.com has been developed to serve those who grab their news from the internet. Not only is it a source for world and local news, it is also a place where opinions can be blogged and where individuals may upload their own news and photos.

Paul recommended that everyone submit their news directly to the “Get Published” pages on MyCentralJersey.com as the fastest way to get the news out to the public. Each day, editors scan the submittals for “print-worthy” news that will get published in the Courier or the Home News (or both.) He also said that news releases can be emailed to cnmetro@mycentraljersey.com.

A report on his visit to the Club can be found at http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200991204063

Recent Meeting Programs

Giving Garden Feeds Those in Need

Ernie Cottrill, founder of the Giving Garden at the Wagner Farm Arboretum, recently spoke at one of our weekly meetings.

Ernie is a retired software developer who volunteered at the Somerset County Food Bank, learning first hand how many people need assistance with basic foods, even in wealthy Somerset County.

When the Warner Farm Arboretum was formed, Ernie saw the opportunity to have a place where fresh vegetables could be grown and donated to the area’s needy. He was allocated a portion of the Community Garden and his food program for the needy was underway.

The garden uses no chemical pesticides or herbicides. Lumber for the raised beds is not pressure-treated to prevent decay, since the chemicals in the lumber would leach out into the soil. No pesticides and no herbicides mean constant battles with bugs and weeds, but the crops are as free as can be of harmful chemicals.

The Garden is successful - each of the first two years saw increasing harvests, with this third year set to top them both - until the rains came, that is. Ernie explained that the combination of clay soils and heavy rains just saturated the ground, causing roots to rot and plants to drown in too much water.

While the Giving Garden’s crops were meager at best, Ernie still found a way to get food to those who needed it most. A trip to the Rutgers Agricultural Experiment Station yielded bushels of vegetables to help make up for the poor crop up in Warren.

The beneficiaries of Ernie and his volunteers’ hard work are the Somerset County Food Bank, Calvary Chapel’s Lighthouse Food Pantry, and Star Fish Food Pantry in Plainfield.

It was the connection to Star Fish that convinced the Board to take on a planting area this past year and now to enhance it a raised bed. By helping in the Giving Garden, we are indirectly helping Star Fish as they assist local families with basic groceries and, in the summer, fresh vegetables.

Homefirst Provides More than Shelter

Homefirst is a local service agency that is dedicated to improving the life of the area homeless. Rick Porter, Deputy Director of Development spoke to Club members recently about the agency’s multi-faceted approach to homelessness.

The Interfaith Hospitality Network provides homeless women and families with shelter, food and other basic necessities. Local congregations open their doors and provide beds, hospitality and three meals a day for one- or two-week periods throughout the year.

The Transitional Housing Program moves families from the Interfaith Hospitality Network into a safe and stable home for 12 months. Families also receive the support services needed to stabilize the family and to assist them in moving into permanent housing with the skills needed to live independently.

Permanent Supportive Housing is available to families and individuals who are struggling with a disability and who are also homeless. Those who live in these units also receive case management and other support services.

Permanent Housing is offered to families and individuals who are seeking affordable housing. Homefirst has a small but growing number of units available for these clients.

Case Management is the infrastructure for delivering effective services to all of Homefirst’s clientele.

More information is available from www.homefirstinc.org.

Wildlife Artist Addresses Rotary

Leslie Delgyer, a wildlife artist from North Plainfield, was a speaker at one of the Club’s regular weekly meetings.

Leslie displayed this painting of a wolf, one of her favorite works, and described the process she uses for gaining subjects for her art. Many of her pieces are based on a series of photographs that she uses to guide her creations. Her work for the World Wildlife Fund included such a shoot with a full-grown, Siberian tiger – a frightening but exhilarating experience.

The wolf portrait that she brought to the meeting met rave reviews from club members for its intricate detailing and real-life appearance.

Background information: Leslie Delgyer was born into an artistic family. Both her Dutch grandfather and his brother were accomplished artists. She was born in Plainfield New Jersey. A graduate of the duCret School of the Arts located in Plainfield, Leslie studied under Marjorie Van Emburgh and Dudley V duCret.

Upon graduation she discovered that she had a preference when it came to subject matter. For the last 30 years she has focused much of her attention on endangered animals. As a wildlife artist she has tried to shed light on the plight of endangered species and their disappearing habitats. "We are leaving our children a woefully different world than the one we inherited. Trying to change that has become my life's passion."

Commissioned by Prince Philip, in conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund, to work on their conservation stamp collection, Leslie became the first American artist to work on a stamp project for Russia after their emergence from Communism. The subject was the Siberian tiger.

In 1987 Delgyer painted portraits of then president Ronald Reagan's two dogs, Lucky and Rex. From the White House the paintings now hang in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California.

Delgyer is a past president of the Society of Animal Artists, an international organization of painters and sculptors specializing in the genre of animal art.

Today she is represented in public, corporate and private collections. She has received regional as well as national honors.