Hamilton-Wenham Rotary Club has been heavily involved in community service since its inception about 25 years ago - living up to the objective of Rotary, which is to encourage and foster the ideal of service.

Dave Carey has been a club member for the past three years. "It's been a very easy way to get involved in community service and there are lots of programs going on," he said.

Carey said the club has a number of ongoing community service programs in the works, while many other programs have been completed.

"We recently painted and put a new star on the tank in the middle of Patton Park and we restored the gazebo in the middle of the park as well. We also painted and spiffed up the Wenham Museum," he said. "And we do a lot with the high school. For example, we recently held a fundraiser at the Prince of Pizza and were able to raise money for scholarships for graduating high school students. And now we plan to help fund a World War II Memorial in Wenham."

Tom Tanous, president of Hamilton-Wenham Rotary, joined Carey in stressing that the club truly lives up to the Rotary motto, "Service above self."

"We not only help the local community but the wider community - both nationally and internationally - as well. We try to do a lot of fundraising to help people in need - through both programs here in town and around the world," Tanous said. "We have already helped a community in the Dominican Republic. We found out through a Rotarian who visited there about people who needed refrigeration. So we teamed up with Rockport Rotary to help raise money and were able to come up with $1,500 to get these people in this town a big commercial refrigerator."

Hamilton-Wenham Rotary continues to help locally as well, raising $10,000 to help fund the construction of the Hamilton-Wenham World War II Monument.

Another ongoing club project for the past three years has been the presentation of dictionaries to every third-grader in the Hamilton-Wenham schools. Club members Kirby Brand and Fred Miller lead the program.

The club also runs a high school Rotary Club called "Interact."

"It's one of the largest high school clubs around, and we give scholarships to graduating high school seniors each year amounting to a total of $3,000 to $5,000 depending on need," Tanous said.

Members also raise money for Polio Plus, an international Rotary Project designed to wipe out polio. "And our club also gives annually to a program called 'Roto-Plast' - a program that helps give kids a new chance in life by sending a medical team of 30 to 40 volunteers annually to South America to repair problems of cleft lip and cleft palates," Tanous said.

Next on the club's agenda is a big fundraising event. Billed as a "delightful evening of great food, entertainment and wine tasting," the fun is set for Saturday, April 28 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Hamilton Wenham Community House, 284 Bay Road, Hamilton. Tickets are $75 each. The Beverly Wine and Beer Company will help with the selections of wine to be sampled. Funds raised will benefit a variety of club projects and a portion of the money raised will be donated to the Ride for M.S. and the Three-Day Breast Cancer Walk.

The club welcomes new members to its weekly breakfast meetings on Fridays at 7:30 a.m. at the Hamilton-Wenham Community Club on Bay State Road. Rotary is open to adults age 21 and older. For more on the club or on next Saturday's fundraiser, call Tanous at 978-468-2394.

Honoring South Danvers' Colonial veterans

Tomorrow at noon the Peabody Historical Society, with Peabody veterans groups, will take part in the dedication of four new monuments honoring the men of South Danvers who were killed on April 19, 1775.

Following the services, a parade will proceed to the Lexington Monument at the corner of Washington and Sewall streets, where the Peabody Historical Society will conduct its annual program. There will be remarks from city and state dignitaries. The chaplain of the Danvers Alarm List Co. will deliver the invocation.

Representatives from the Peabody Historical Society, Peabody Veterans Council and Danvers Alarm List will place a wreath on the monument and a military salute will be offered by all military representatives. After the ceremonies, everyone is invited to the nearby Peabody Historical Society and Museum and Osborn/Salata, where Revolutionary War and Gen. Gideon Foster items from the historical society's collections will be on display and refreshments will be served.

Essex Society of Genealogists meeting

"Researching the English Origins of American Colonists with Emphasis on New Discoveries," a workshop led by Gary Boyd Roberts at tomorrow's meeting of the Essex Society of Genealogists at the Centre Congregational Church, Summer Street, Lynnfield Center (next to the public library.) Bring lunch at noon. Beverages will be provided. Or just attend the 1 p.m. program.

The society meets the third Saturday of the month from September through December and February through May. Meetings are open to the public. Call Barbara Staples, program chair, at 781-598-1242 or Polly Fubush at 781-237-9632 for more information.

Mothers of Multiples spring sale

Come scoop up the bargains at the big spring clothing and equipment sale sponsored by the North Shore Mothers of Multiples set for tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 221 Cabot St., Beverly. Admission is $1. Members of the Twins Clubs are welcome for free.

Peabody senior happenings

Peabody police Officer Gerry Fitzgerald will address senior safety issues when the Greater Peabody Chapter 4806 AARP meets on Tuesday, April 24 at 12:45 p.m. at the Peter A. Torigian Community Life Center. Residents 50 and older are invited to join the chapter.

The chapter will hold two days of community service on Wednesday, April 25 and Thursday, April 26 from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. at Brooksby Barn on Felton Street. Members will help the city's Recreational Department prepare and package tree seedlings to be distributed to Peabody third- and fourth-graders on Arbor Day, Friday, April 27. To volunteer for either morning or afternoon sessions, contact Chapter President Tony Juliano at 978-278-5202.

The Cable TV Program "Senior Corner," geared toward senior citizens and hosted by Bill Toomey and Ray Stoey, will be re-run on Wednesday, April 27 on Peabody Access Telecommunications, Channel 10, from 5 to 6 p.m. This month's guests are John Waselchuk and Ed Chmiel, both known in Peabody, particularly for their involvement with baseball.

Campaign committee adds four officers

The Dan Bennett Campaign Committee in Danvers has added the following people to its roster: Treasurer Thom Dickinson, Assistant Treasurer Wilbur Cobb, Field Operations Charles Trasher and Event Coordinator George Saluto. For more on the committee, call 978-774-0296 or 978-774-0190.

Meteorologist to speak at garden club

Dave Epstein, WCVB-TV meteorologist will be the special guest when the Danvers Garden Club meets Monday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. at the Danversport Yacht Club.

Epstein is not only a meteorologist, but an avid gardener who will share extreme garden makeover tips.

The horticultural intra-club competition is "Early Perennial Flowering Branches and Spring Bulbs." Myrna Fearer will also offer a mini-design demonstration at the meeting. Joyce Pascuito will be the hostess for the evening. Guests are welcome to attend.

Save the date of May 14 for the Danvers Garden Club's annual meeting, awards dinner and election of officers at the Danversport Yacht Club. There will be cocktails at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7. The intra-club design competition will be "Funky Fashion," when club members will enter a decorated purse with fresh and/or dried flowers. Judyann Cassidy will be the evening's hostess.

'Music of Gaslight Era' concert

The Friends of the Peabody Institute Library of Danvers present "Music of the Gaslight Era (1890 to 1920)" with performer John Root on Sunday, April 29 at 2 p.m. at the library, 15 Sylvan St.

The free program will feature Root's delightfully diverse music of the Gaslight Era, with selections from the turn of the previous century including ragtime, blues, marches, gospel, waltzes and songs with a variety of moods and messages. The audience will learn how America's multicultural diversity helped create unique musical styles that continue to inspire and entertain singers and audiences around the world.

'Scrabblefest 2007' in Beverly

Attention Scrabble enthusiasts - why not join the fun when Beverly Bootstraps sponsors "Scrabblefest 2007" on Thursday, April 26, at the Beverly Cove Community Center, 19 E. Corning St., (off Route 127 near Tastebuds).

Beverly Bootstraps is a nonprofit organization that provides a variety of services, including a food pantry, thrift shop, literacy programs, tutoring, summer reading and lunch programs, back-to-school supplies, adopt-a-family at Christmas, tax assistance, housing, job placement, community gardens, referrals, advocacy and other programs to help prevent homelessness. Record numbers have used these services this past year and the support of all is greatly appreciated.

The evening of fun, food (a chili supper donated by Tastebuds Gourmet of Beverly) and Scrabble begins at 6 p.m. with registration, raffle and supper. The first round of Scrabble starts at 7:15, with the championship round at 8:15. The awards ceremony will take place at 9. All levels of players are welcome. Space is limited and tickets are on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact Beverly Bootstraps at 371 Cabot St., Beverly, to make your reservation.

Retirees meeting in Peabody

The North Shore Chapter 479 of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees will meet on Wednesday, May 2 at 1 p.m. at the Peabody Community Life Center, 79 Central St., Peabody. Guest speaker Ellen Terry, triage specialist at Salem Hospital, will discuss substance abuse by seniors.

Prospective members and others interested in the activities of the chapter are welcome. Membership is open to current and former federal civil service employees. Others may join as associate chapter members. North Shore Chapter 479 typically meets the first Wednesday of each month. For more information, call 978-535-5047 or visit www.narfema.org.

Flower design and raffle

"Flowers by Darlene" of Canal Street in Salem will be showcased when Darlene shares her floral design talents with the members of the Peabody Garden Club on Thursday, May 3 at 7 p.m. at Lake Shore Park Church, Bay State Road, Lynn.

All arrangements will be raffled. Hostesses will be Caroline McCarron, Jan Flaherty, Helen Marcotti, Marilyn McCarthy and Maude Perry. There is a $5 guest fee. Refreshments will be served. Call Fran Lucas 978-531-7943 for more.

And save May 19 for the club's Plant Sale to be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the South Peabody Archway at Brown's Pond on Lynn Street.

Members are reminded that sign-ups are now taking place for volunteers to help water and weed during the summer and to help complete the city plantings by Memorial Day weekend.

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Club News runs every other Friday in Life North. If your club or organization has news to share, call Cynthia Garber at 978-531-5863; e-mail her at cgarber@star.net or csgarber@comcast.net or fax it to 978-531-6756.